Volatile sulphur compounds in morning breath of human volunteers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snel, J.; Burgering, M.; Smit, B.; Noordman, W.; Tangerman, A.; Winkel, E.G.; Kleerebezem, M.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: morning breath contains elevated concentrations of volatile sulphur components (VSCs). Therefore, morning breath is recognised as a surrogate target for interventions on breath quality. Nevertheless, factors influencing morning breath are poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate

Volatile sulphur compounds in morning breath of human volunteers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snel, Johannes; Burgering, Maurits; Smit, Bart; Noordman, Wouter; Tangerman, Albert; Winkel, Edwin G.; Kleerebezem, Michiel

Objective: Morning breath contains elevated concentrations of volatile sulphur components (VSCs). Therefore, morning breath is recognised as a surrogate target for interventions on breath quality. Nevertheless, factors influencing morning breath are poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate

Morning or evening administration of nasal calcitonin?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schlemmer, A; Ravn, Pernille; Hassager, C

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of intranasal salmon calcitonin (sCT) administration (200 IE), given either in the morning (8:00) or evening (21:00), on the known circadian variation in biochemical markers of bone turnover. An open, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover......). Serum osteocalcin (sOC) was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The first 24 h study was performed without intervention. Prior to this control study the participants were randomized to either morning (8:00) or evening (21:00) sCT (200 IE). sCT administrations were given 4-5 days prior to and during...... the second study. After a washing-out period of 2 weeks the participants were given 200 IE of sCT at the reverse time of the day 5 days prior to and during the third study. At all timepoints, urinary CrossLaps/Cr exhibited a significant (p

Morning Programs Revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Susan

1993-01-01

Like British morning programs of recent decades, upstate New York program encourages parents and community residents to get involved in children's education. Parents and community residents--watercolor artists, auto mechanics, doll collectors, and others--are welcomed and valued in schools. Program's purpose is learning, not entertainment. Topics…

Selecting the patients for morning report sessions: case-based vs. conventional method.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabiei, Mehdi; Saeidi, Masumeh; Kiani, Mohammad Ali; Amin, Sakineh Mohebi; Ahanchian, Hamid; Jafari, Seyed Ali; Kianifar, Hamidreza

2015-08-01

One of the most important issues in morning report sessions is the number of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the number of cases reported in the morning report sessions in terms of case-based and conventional methods from the perspective of pediatric residents of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The present study was conducted on 24 pediatric residents of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2014-2015. In this survey, the residents replied to a 20-question researcher-made questionnaire that had been designed to measure the views of residents regarding the number of patients in the morning report sessions using case-based and conventional methods. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts' views and its reliability by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Data were analyzed by t-test analysis. The mean age of the residents was 30.852 ± 2.506, and 66.6% of them were female. The results showed that there was no significant relationship among the variables of academic year, gender, and residents' perspective to choosing the number of patients in the morning report sessions (P > 0.05). T-test analysis showed a significant relationship among the average scores of residents in the selection of the case-based method in comparison to the conventional method (P case-based morning report was preferred compared to the conventional method. This method makes residents pay more attention to the details of patients' issues and therefore helps them to better plan how to address patient problems and improve their differential diagnosis skills.

Coming back to work in the morning: Psychological detachment and reattachment as predictors of work engagement.

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Sonnentag, Sabine; Kühnel, Jana

2016-10-01

Research has shown that recovery processes in general and psychological detachment in particular are important for work engagement. We argue that work engagement additionally benefits from reattachment to work in the morning (i.e., mentally reconnecting to work before actually starting to work) and that the gains derived from psychological detachment and reattachment are stronger in the morning than in the afternoon. We tested our hypotheses in a daily diary study with a sample of 167 employees who completed 2 surveys per day over the period of 2 workweeks. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that work engagement was higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Evening psychological detachment and morning reattachment positively predicted work engagement throughout the day. The association between reattachment and work engagement was stronger in the morning than in the afternoon. This study demonstrates that not only psychological detachment from work during leisure time, but also reattachment to work when coming back to work are crucial for daily engagement at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

In adolescence a higher 'eveningness in energy intake' is associated with higher total daily energy intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Diederichs, Tanja; Perrar, Ines; Roßbach, Sarah; Alexy, Ute; Buyken, Anette E

2018-05-26

The present manuscript addressed two hypotheses: (i) As children age, energy intake is shifted from morning (energy intake energy intake >6pm) (ii) A higher 'eveningness in energy intake' (i.e. evening minus morning energy intake) is associated with a higher total daily energy intake. Data were analyzed from 262 DONALD cohort study participants, who had completed at least one 3-day weighed dietary record in the age groups 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16 and 17/18 years (y). 'Eveningness in energy intake' was compared across age groups and related to total daily energy intake for each age group (multiple cross-sectional analyses). 'Eveningness' increased progressively from age group 3/4y to age group 17/18y. A median surplus of evening energy intake (i.e. when evening intake exceeded morning intake) was firstly observed for age group 11/12y. From age group 11/12y onwards, a higher 'eveningness' was associated with a higher total daily energy intake (all p energy intake between the highest and the lowest tertile of 'eveningness' was largest for age group 17/18y, amounting to an 11% higher intake among adolescents in the highest as compared to those in the lowest tertile. In conclusion, energy intake progressively shifts from morning to evening hours as children age. Once evening energy intake exceeds morning energy intake, a higher 'eveningness in energy intake' is associated with higher total daily energy intake. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease morning symptom diary (COPD-MSD).

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Globe, Gary; Currie, Brooke; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Jones, Paul; Mannino, David; Martinez, Fernando; Klekotka, Paul; O'Quinn, Sean; Karlsson, Niklas; Wiklund, Ingela

2016-07-16

The morning tends to be the most difficult time of day for many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when symptoms can limit one's ability to perform even simple activities. Morning symptoms have been linked to higher levels of work absenteeism, thereby increasing the already substantial economic burden associated with COPD. A validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument designed to capture morning symptoms will allow for a more comprehensive approach to the evaluation of treatment benefit in COPD clinical trials. A qualitative interview study was conducted among a sample of symptomatic adults with COPD. Concept elicitation interviews (n = 35) were conducted to identify COPD morning symptoms, followed by cognitive interviews (n = 21) to ensure patient comprehension of the items, instructions and response options of the draft COPD Morning Symptom Diary (COPD-MSD). All interview transcript data were coded using ATLAS.ti software for content analysis. Mean age of the concept elicitation and cognitive interview sample was 65.0 years (±7.5) and 62.3 years (±8.3), respectively. The study sample represented the full range of COPD severity (Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease [GOLD] classifications I-IV) and included a mix of racial backgrounds, employment status and educational achievement. During the concept elicitation interviews, the three most frequently reported morning symptoms were shortness of breath (n = 35/35; 100 %), phlegm/mucus (n = 31/35; 88.6 %), and cough (n = 30/35; 85.7 %). A group of clinical and instrument development experts convened to review the concept elicitation data and develop the initial 32-item draft COPD-MSD. Cognitive interviews indicated subjects found the draft COPD-MSD to be comprehensive, clear, and easy to understand. The COPD-MSD underwent minor editorial revisions and streamlining based on cognitive interviews and input from the experts to yield the final 19-item daily

Stress contagion in the classroom? The link between classroom teacher burnout and morning cortisol in elementary school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberle, Eva; Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly A

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the link between classroom teachers' burnout levels and students' physiological stress response. Drawing from a stress-contagion framework, we expected higher levels of teacher burnout to be related to elevated cortisol levels in elementary school students (N = 406, 50% female, Mean age = 11.26, SD = .89). Classroom teacher burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory modified for teachers. Salivary cortisol was collected as an indicator of students' hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning. We collected salivary cortisol in children at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. in the classroom setting. Using Multilevel Modeling, we found that children's morning cortisol levels significantly varied between classrooms (10% variability). Higher levels of classroom teacher burnout significantly predicted the variability in morning cortisol. Teacher burnout reduced the unexplained variability in cortisol at the classroom level to 4.6%. This is the first study to show that teachers' occupational stress is linked to students' physiological stress regulation. We discuss the present findings in the context of potential stress contagion in the classroom, considering empirical and practical relevance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changing Morning Report: An Educational Intervention to Address Curricular Needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijay John Daniels

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Morning report is a case-based teaching session common to many residency programs with varying purposes and focuses. At our institution, physicians and residents felt our Internal Medicine morning report had lost its educational focus. The purpose of this project was to improve morning report using a well-known curriculum development framework for medical education. We conducted a focus group of residents to develop and implement changes to morning report. Themes from our focus group led us to split morning report with the first 30 minutes for postgraduate year 3 (PGY-3 residents to give handover, to receive feedback on diagnosis and management, and to either discuss an interesting case or receive teaching aimed at their final certification examination. The second 30 minutes involved PGY-3 residents leading PGY-1 residents in case-based discussions with an attending physician providing feedback on the content and process of teaching. We measured success based on a follow-up survey and comments from resident evaluations before and after the change. Overall, the changes were well received by both faculty and residents; however comments revealed that the success of morning report is preceptor dependent. In summary, we have successfully implemented a split morning report model to enhance resident education with positive feedback.

Morning reduction of photosynthetic capacity before midday depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyama, Kohei; Takemoto, Shuhei

2014-03-17

Midday depression of photosynthesis has important consequences for ecosystem carbon exchange. Recent studies of forest trees have demonstrated that latent reduction of photosynthetic capacity can begin in the early morning, preceding the midday depression. We investigated whether such early morning reduction also occurs in an herbaceous species, Oenothera biennis. Diurnal changes of the photosynthetic light response curve (measured using a light-emitting diode) and incident sunlight intensity were measured under field conditions. The following results were obtained: (1) the light-saturated photosynthetic rate decreased beginning at sunrise; (2) the incident sunlight intensity on the leaves increased from sunrise; and (3) combining (1) and (2), the net photosynthetic rate under natural sunlight intensity increased from sunrise, reached a maximum at mid-morning, and then showed midday depression. Our results demonstrate that the latent morning reduction of photosynthetic capacity begins at sunrise, preceding the apparent midday depression, in agreement with previous studies of forest trees.

Morning self-efficacy predicts physical activity throughout the day in knee osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhaoyang, Ruixue; Martire, Lynn M; Sliwinski, Martin J

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the within-day and cross-day prospective effects of knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients' self-efficacy to engage in physical activity despite the pain on their subsequent physical activity assessed objectively in their natural environment. Over 22 days, 135 older adults with knee OA reported their morning self-efficacy for being physically active throughout the day using a handheld computer and wore an accelerometer to measure moderate activity and steps. Morning self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on steps and moderate-intensity activity throughout that day, above and beyond the effects of demographic background and other psychosocial factors as well as spouses' support and social control. The lagged effect of morning self-efficacy on the next day's physical activity and the reciprocal lagged effect of physical activity on the next day's self-efficacy were not significant. Positive between-person effects of self-efficacy on physical activity were found. Future research should aim to better understand the mechanisms underlying fluctuations in patients' daily self-efficacy, and target patients' daily self-efficacy as a modifiable psychological mechanism for promoting physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Chronotype, Light Exposure, Sleep, and Daytime Functioning in High School Students Attending Morning or Afternoon School Shifts: An Actigraphic Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Jeanne Sophie; Gaudreault, Michael M; Perron, Michel; Laberge, Luc

2016-04-01

Adolescent maturation is associated with delays of the endogenous circadian phase. Consequently, early school schedules may lead to a mismatch between internal and external time, which can be detrimental to adolescent sleep and health. In parallel, chronotype is known to play a role in adolescent health; evening chronotype adolescents are at higher risk for sleep problems and lower academic achievement. In the summer of 2008, Kénogami High School (Saguenay, Canada) was destroyed by fire. Kénogami students were subsequently relocated to Arvida High School (situated 5.3 km away) for the 2008-2009 academic year. A dual school schedule was implemented, with Arvida students attending a morning schedule (0740-1305 h) and Kénogami students an afternoon schedule (1325-1845 h). This study aimed to investigate the effects of such school schedules and chronotype on sleep, light exposure, and daytime functioning. Twenty-four morning and 33 afternoon schedule students wore an actigraph during 7 days to measure sleep and light exposure. Academic achievement was obtained from school. Subjects completed validated questionnaires on daytime sleepiness, psychological distress, social rhythms, school satisfaction, alcohol, and chronotype. Overall, afternoon schedule students had longer sleep duration, lower sleepiness, and lower light exposure than morning schedule students. Evening chronotypes (E-types) reported higher levels of sleepiness than morning chronotypes (M-types) in both morning and afternoon schedules. Furthermore, M-types attending the morning schedule reported higher sleepiness than M-types attending the afternoon schedule. No difference was found between morning and afternoon schedule students with regard to academic achievement, psychological distress, social rhythms, school satisfaction, and alcohol consumption. However, in both schedules, M-type had more regular social rhythms and lower alcohol consumption. In summary, this study emphasizes that an early school

Parallel evolution of storage roots in Morning Glories (Convolvulaceae)

Science.gov (United States)

Storage roots are an ecologically and agriculturally important plant trait. In morning glories, storage roots are well characterized in the crop species sweetpotato. Storage roots have evolved numerous times across the morning glory family. This study aims to understand whether this was through para...

Sleep habits, alertness, cortisol levels, and cardiac autonomic activity in short-distance bus drivers: differences between morning and afternoon shifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Diez, Joaquín J; Vigo, Daniel E; Lloret, Santiago Pérez; Rigters, Stephanie; Role, Noelia; Cardinali, Daniel P; Chada, Daniel Pérez

2011-07-01

To evaluate sleep, alertness, salivary cortisol levels, and autonomic activity in the afternoon and morning shifts of a sample of short-distance bus drivers. A sample of 47 bus drivers was evaluated. Data regarding subjects and working characteristics, alertness (psychomotor vigilance task), sleep habits (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Actigraphy), endocrine stress response (salivary cortisol), and autonomic activity (heart-rate variability) were collected. Sleep restriction was highly prevalent. Drivers in the morning shift slept 1 hour less than those in the afternoon shift, showed lower reaction time performance, a flattening of cortisol morning-evening difference, and higher overweight prevalence. The differences found between morning and afternoon shifts point out to the need of the implementation of educational strategies to compensate the sleep loss associated with an early work schedule.

Effects of different light intensities in the morning on dim light melatonin onset.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozaki, Tomoaki; Toda, Naohiro; Noguchi, Hiroki; Yasukouchi, Akira

2011-01-01

The present study evaluated the effects of exposure to light intensity in the morning on dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). The tested light intensities were 750 lux, 150 lux, 3000 lux, 6000 lux and 12,000 lux (horizontal illuminance at cornea), using commercial 5000 K fluorescent lamps. Eleven healthy males aged 21-31 participated in 2-day experiments for each light condition. On the first experimental day (day 1), subjects were exposed to dim light (dim light (light conditions for 3 h in the morning. The experimental schedule after light exposure was the same as on day 1. On comparing day 2 with day 1, significant phase advances of DLMO were obtained at 3000 lux, 6000 lux and 12,000 lux. These findings indicate that exposure to a necessary intensity from an ordinary light source, such as a fluorescent lamp, in the morning within one day affects melatonin secretion.

Basal encephalocele associated with morning glory syndrome: case report Encefalocele basal associada a síndrome "morning glory": relato de caso

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanete Minotto

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The basal encephaloceles refer to rare entities and they correspond to herniation of brain tissue through defects of skull along the cribiform plate or the sphenoid bone. A rare morning glory syndrome, with characteristic retinal defect has been reported in association with basal encephaloceles. Hypophysis hormonal deficiencies may occur. We accounted for a pituitary dwarfism with delayed diagnosed transsphenoidal encephalocele associated with morning glory syndrome, showing the alterations found in retinography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.As encefaloceles basais são entidades raras e correspondem a herniações do tecido cerebral através de um defeito do crânio, ao longo da lâmina crivosa etmoidal ou do osso esfenoidal. A rara síndrome morning glory, com alterações de fundo de olho características pode apresentar-se associada à encefalocele basal. Deficiências hormonais hipofisárias podem ocorrer. Relatamos caso de nanismo hipofisário com encefalocele transesfenoidal de diagnóstico tardio associada à síndrome de morning glory, mostrando as alterações na retinografia, tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética.

[Blood pressure lowering efficacy of telmisartan and amlodipine taking on the morning or at bedtime: ABPM results].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Gui-cheng; Wang, Yi-fang; Xiao, Yong; Chen, Jian-fu; Yang, Yu; Ye, Yu-liang; Sai, Shuang-qiao; Huang, Jin-xiang

2013-06-01

To observe the blood lowering effect of telmisartan and amlodipine taking on the morning or at bedtime in hypertensive patients. A total of 108 individuals with hypertension (grade 2 or above) were randomized to receive telmisartan and amlodipine in one of the following four therapeutic schemes: Group A (26 cases): both medications taken on the morning; Group B (28 cases): both medication taken at bedtime; Group C (27 cases): telmisartan on the morning and amlodipine at bedtime; or Group D (27 cases): amlodipine on the morning and telmisartan at bedtime. ABPM was performed before and after 8 weeks treatment. BP was significantly reduced in 4 groups and the value of 24 hours SBP/DBP decline for each group after treatment was 29.94/16.32, 31.37/18.35, 29.49/17.30 and 25.80/15.51 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) respectively (P 0.05). The night-time BP decline and the distributive difference of dipper, non-dipper, extreme dipper and reverse dipper pattern were similar among groups at both baseline and after various treatment regimens (all P > 0.05) . Morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) after treatment in group B declined more significantly than other groups (P < 0.05). Telmisartan/amlodipine administered either on the morning or at bedtime can effectively reduce blood pressure. The efficacy of BP lowering is independent of the drug taking time. There is a trend both in better BP lowering and less BP variability when two medications are administered at bedtime.

Determinants of the Morning-Evening Home Blood Pressure Difference in Treated Hypertensives: The HIBA-Home Study

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Lucas S. Aparicio

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The morning home blood pressure (BP rise is a significant asymptomatic target organ damage predictor in hypertensives. Our aim was to evaluate determinants of home-based morning-evening difference (MEdiff in Argentine patients. Methods. Treated hypertensive patients aged ≥18 years participated in a cross-sectional study, after performing home morning and evening BP measurement. MEdiff was morning minus evening home average results. Variables identified as relevant predictors were entered into a multivariable linear regression analysis model. Results. Three hundred sixty-seven medicated hypertensives were included. Mean age was 66.2 (14.5, BMI 28.1 (4.5, total cholesterol 4.89 (1.0 mmol/L, 65.9% women, 11.7% smokers, and 10.6% diabetics. Mean MEdiff was 1.1 (12.5 mmHg systolic and 2.3 (6.1 mmHg diastolic, respectively. Mean self-recorded BP was 131.5 (14.1 mmHg systolic and 73.8 (7.6 mmHg diastolic, respectively. Mean morning and evening home BPs were 133.1 (16.5 versus 132 (15.7 systolic and 75.8 (8.4 versus 73.5 (8.2 diastolic, respectively. Significant beta-coefficient values were found in systolic MEdiff for age and smoking and in diastolic MEdiff for age, smoking, total cholesterol, and calcium-channel blockers. Conclusions. In a cohort of Argentine medicated patients, older age, smoking, total cholesterol, and use of calcium channel blockers were independent determinants of home-based MEdiff.

Economic decision-making in morning/evening-type people as a function of time of day.

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Correa, Angel; Ruiz-Herrera, Noelia; Ruz, Maria; Tonetti, Lorenzo; Martoni, Monica; Fabbri, Marco; Natale, Vincenzo

2017-01-01

Decision-making is affected by psychological factors like emotional state or cognitive control, which may also vary with circadian rhythmicity. Here, we tested the influence of chronotype (32 morning-type versus 32 evening-type) and time of day (9 a.m. versus 5 p.m.) on interpersonal decision-making as measured by the Ultimatum Game. Participants had to accept or reject different economic offers proposed by a virtual participant. Acceptance involved distribution of gains as proposed, whereas rejection resulted in no gain for either player. The results of the game showed a deviation from rational performance, as participants usually rejected the unfair offers. This behaviour was similar for both chronotype groups, and in both times of day. This result may reflect the robustness of decision-making strategies across standard circadian phases under ecological conditions. Furthermore, morning-types invested more time than evening-types to respond to high-uncertainty offers. This more cautious decision-making style of morning-types fits with our finding of higher proactive control as compared to evening-types when performing the AX-Continuous Performance Task. In line with the literature on personality traits, our results suggest that morning-types behave with more conscientiousness and less risk-taking than evening-type individuals.

Influence of rheumatoid arthritis-related morning stiffness on productivity at work: results from a survey in 11 European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila, Kalle; Buttgereit, Frank; Tuominen, Risto

2015-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of morning stiffness on productivity at work and to estimate the work-related economic consequences of morning stiffness among patients with RA-related morning stiffness in 11 European countries. The original sample comprised 1061 RA patients from 11 European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK). They had been diagnosed with RA and experience morning stiffness three or more times per week. Data were collected by interviews. Women comprised 77.9 % of the sample, the average age was 50.4 years, and 84.3 % had RA diagnosed for more than 2 years. Overall costs of RA-related morning stiffness was calculated to be 27,712€ per patient per year, varying from 4965€ in Spain to 66,706€ in Norway. On average, 96 % of the overall production losses were attributed to early retirement, with a markedly lower level (77 %) in Italy than in other countries (p productivity losses due to late work arrivals and working while sick showed considerable variation across the countries represented in the study. Overall, the average annual cost of late arrivals (0.8 % of the total costs) was approximately half of the costs attributed to sick leave (1.7 %) and working while sick (1.5 %). Morning stiffness due to RA causes significant production losses and is a significant cost burden throughout Europe. There seem to be notable differences in the impact of morning stiffness on productivity between European countries.

Socialization at the morning meeting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rimestad, L.; Gravengaard, Gitte

2016-01-01

In this ethnographic study we examine how journalism interns present ideas at morning meetings in the professional environment of a media organization. We analyse not only the idea presentation at the meeting itself, but also how editors treat the idea presentation, and how the interns perceive...

MORN5 expression during craniofacial development and its interaction with the BMP and TGFB pathways

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Petra Cela

2016-08-01

Full Text Available MORN5 (MORN repeat containing 5 is encoded by a locus positioned on chromosome 17 in the chicken genome. The MORN motif is found in multiple copies in several proteins including junctophilins or phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase family and the MORN proteins themselves are found across the animal and plant kingdoms. MORN5 protein has a characteristic punctate pattern in the cytoplasm in immunofluorescence imaging. Previously, MORN5 was found among differentially expressed genes in a microarray profiling experiment of the chicken embryo head. Here, we provided in situ hybridization to analyse, in detail, the MORN5 expression in chick craniofacial structures. The expression of MORN5 was first observed at stage HH17-18 (E2.5. MORN5 expression gradually appeared on either side of the primitive oral cavity, within the maxillary region. At stage HH20 (E3, prominent expression was localised in the mandibular prominences lateral to the midline. From stage HH20 up to HH29 (E6, there was strong expression in restricted regions of the maxillary and mandibular prominences. The frontonasal mass (in the midline of the face expresses MORN5, starting at HH27 (E5. The expression was concentrated in the corners or globular processes, which will ultimately fuse with the cranial edges of the maxillary prominences. MORN5 expression was maintained in the fusion zone up to stage HH29. In sections in situs, MORN5 expression was localised preferentially in the mesenchyme. We examined signals that regulate MORN5 expression in the face based on a previous microarray study. Here we validated the array results with in situ hybridization and QPCR. MORN5 was downregulated 24h after Noggin and/or RA treatment. We also determined that BMP pathway genes are downstream of MORN5 following siRNA knockdown. Based on these results, we conclude that MORN5 is both regulated by and required for BMP signalling. The restricted expression of MORN5 in the lip fusion zone shown here

Exposure of in-pram babies to airborne particles during morning drop-in and afternoon pick-up of school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Prashant; Rivas, Ioar; Sachdeva, Lovish

2017-05-01

In-pram babies are more susceptible to air pollution effects, yet studies assessing their exposure are limited. We measured size-resolved particle mass (PMC; 0.25-32 μm) and number (PNC; 0.2-1 μm) concentrations on a 2.7 km route. The instruments were placed inside a baby pram. The route passed through 4 traffic intersections (TIs) and a bus stand. A total of ∼87 km road length was covered through 64 trips, made during school drop-in (morning) and pick-up (afternoon) hours. The objectives were to assess PMC and PNC exposure to in-pram babies at different route segments, understand their physicochemical characteristics and exposure differences between in-pram babies and adults carrying them. Over 5-fold variability (14.1-78.2 μg m -3 ) was observed in PMCs. Small-sized particles, including ultrafine particles, were always higher by 66% (PM 1 ), 29% (PM 2.5 ) and 31% (PNC) during the morning than afternoon. Coarse particles (PM 2.5-10 ) showed an opposite trend with 70% higher concentration during afternoon than morning. TIs emerged as pollution hotspots for all the particle types. For example, PM 2.5 , PM 2.5-10 and PNCs during the morning (afternoon) at TIs were 7 (10)%, 19 (10)% and 68 (62)% higher, respectively, compared with the rest of the route. Bus stand was also a section of enhanced exposure to PNC and PM 2.5 , although not so much for PM 2.5-10 . EDX analyses revealed Cl, Na and Fe as dominant elements. Road salt might be a source of NaCl due to de-icing during the measurements while Fe contributed by non-exhaust emissions from brake abrasion. The respiratory deposition rates imitated the trend of PMC, with higher doses of coarse and fine particles during the afternoon and morning runs, respectively. Special protection measures during conveyance of in-pram babies, especially at pollution hotspots such as traffic intersections and bus stands, could help to limit their exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research and Development of Information and Communication Technology-based Home Blood Pressure Monitoring from Morning to Nocturnal Hypertension.

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Kario, Kazuomi; Tomitani, Naoko; Matsumoto, Yuri; Hamasaki, Haruna; Okawara, Yukie; Kondo, Maiko; Nozue, Ryoko; Yamagata, Hiromi; Okura, Ayako; Hoshide, Satoshi

2016-01-01

Asians have specific characteristics of hypertension (HTN) and its relationship with cardiovascular disease. The morning surge in blood pressure (BP) in Asians is more extended, and the association slope between higher BP and the risk for cardiovascular events is steeper in this population than in whites. Thus, 24-hour BP control including at night and in the morning is especially important for Asian patients with HTN. There are 3 components of "perfect 24-hour BP control": the 24-hour BP level, adequate dipping of nocturnal BP (dipper type), and adequate BP variability such as the morning BP surge. The morning BP-guided approach using home BP monitoring (HBPM) is the first step toward perfect 24-hour BP control. After controlling morning HTN, nocturnal HTN is the second target. We have been developing HBPM that can measure nocturnal BP. First, we developed a semiautomatic HBPM device with the function of automatic fixed-interval BP measurement during sleep. In the J-HOP (Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure) study, the largest nationwide home BP cohort, we successfully measured nocturnal home BP using this device with data memory, 3 times during sleep (2, 3, and 4 am), and found that nocturnal home BP is significantly correlated with organ damage independently of office and morning BP values. The second advance was the development of trigger nocturnal BP (TNP) monitoring with an added trigger function that initiates BP measurements when oxygen desaturation falls below a variable threshold continuously monitored by pulse oximetry. TNP can detect the specific nocturnal BP surges triggered by hypoxic episodes in patients with sleep apnea syndrome. We also added the lowest heart rate-trigger function to TNP to detect the "basal nocturnal BP," which is determined by the circulating volume and structural cardiovascular system without any increase in sympathetic tonus. This double TNP is a novel concept for evaluating the pathogenic pressor mechanism of nocturnal BP

The Effect of atmospheric humidity level to the determination of Islamic Fajr/morning prayer time and twilight appearance

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Rohmah, Nihayatur

2016-11-01

Islamic prayer times are based on the astronomical position of the Sun in the sky. One of them is the Fajr prayer. It is marked by some indicators in the morning twilight which is white light spread in the Eastern horizon. However, determining the true time of twilight can be difficult. One of the reasons is the effect of atmospheric humidity to the appearance of morning twilight. The higher the humidity, the redder twilight sky appearance. This paper discusses this effect. It is shown that despite of the same Sun's position, sky color can vary considerably. Observations of various solar dip angle have been made to study this effect. Visibility for different angle can change accordingly. We obtained that the average solar dip for Fajr prayer by morning twilight images was -18°39'29.4".

EFFECT OF MORNING AND EVENING RAMIPRIL TAKING ON AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE PROFILE IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

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V. M. Gorbunov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To compare antihypertensive effect of ramipril monotherapy at morning and evening taking.Material and methods. 22 patients (10 men, 12 women; aged 62,1±1,9 y.o. with arterial hypertension of 1-2 stage were involved into the open randomized crossover study. Patients were randomized into 2 groups depending on ramipril taking time (morning or evening. Ambulatory blood pressure (BP monitoring (ABPM was performed. Patients of both groups were comparable in basic clinical characteristics and initial ABPM indices. Analysis of peak and phase characteristics of 24 hour BP profile was used as well as standard evaluation. Treatment duration was 3 weeks. Ramipril dose titration was made in 1,5 weeks. The average daily dose of ramipril was 6,1 mg in the morning taking, and 5,0 mg in the evening taking.Results. 20 patients finished study completely. 24 hour initial level of systolic (SBP and diastolic BP (DBP was 141,5±1,6/85,3±1,1 mm Hg. After ramipril monotherapy with evening taking BP reduced to 132,6±1,6/79,8±1,1 mm Hg (p<0,001 and with morning taking – to 131,8±1,6/79,2±1,1 mm Hg (p<0,001. Evening ramipril taking led to significant improvement of 24 hour BP profile. Night SBP/DBP reduction became deeper from 7,7±1,2/11,5±1,3% to 12,5±1,2/19,1±1,3 % (p<0,01. Morning taking did not have significant influence on these indices. Ramipril did not result in clinically significant hypotension including night one.Conclusion. Evening ramipril taking is effective and safe. It can be recommended to patients with insufficient night BP dipping (non dippers. 

EFFECT OF MORNING AND EVENING RAMIPRIL TAKING ON AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE PROFILE IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

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V. M. Gorbunov

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To compare antihypertensive effect of ramipril monotherapy at morning and evening taking.Material and methods. 22 patients (10 men, 12 women; aged 62,1±1,9 y.o. with arterial hypertension of 1-2 stage were involved into the open randomized crossover study. Patients were randomized into 2 groups depending on ramipril taking time (morning or evening. Ambulatory blood pressure (BP monitoring (ABPM was performed. Patients of both groups were comparable in basic clinical characteristics and initial ABPM indices. Analysis of peak and phase characteristics of 24 hour BP profile was used as well as standard evaluation. Treatment duration was 3 weeks. Ramipril dose titration was made in 1,5 weeks. The average daily dose of ramipril was 6,1 mg in the morning taking, and 5,0 mg in the evening taking.Results. 20 patients finished study completely. 24 hour initial level of systolic (SBP and diastolic BP (DBP was 141,5±1,6/85,3±1,1 mm Hg. After ramipril monotherapy with evening taking BP reduced to 132,6±1,6/79,8±1,1 mm Hg (p<0,001 and with morning taking – to 131,8±1,6/79,2±1,1 mm Hg (p<0,001. Evening ramipril taking led to significant improvement of 24 hour BP profile. Night SBP/DBP reduction became deeper from 7,7±1,2/11,5±1,3% to 12,5±1,2/19,1±1,3 % (p<0,01. Morning taking did not have significant influence on these indices. Ramipril did not result in clinically significant hypotension including night one.Conclusion. Evening ramipril taking is effective and safe. It can be recommended to patients with insufficient night BP dipping (non dippers. 

Impact of morning stiffness on working behaviour and performance in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Mattila, Kalle; Buttgereit, Frank; Tuominen, Risto

2014-12-01

Work disability remains a considerable problem for many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Morning stiffness is a symptom of RA associated with early retirement from work and with impaired functional ability. We aimed to explore the patient's perception of the impact of morning stiffness on the working life of patients with RA. A survey was conducted in 11 European countries. Patients of working age, with RA for ≥6 months and morning stiffness ≥3 mornings a week, were interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire. Responses were assessed in the total sample and in subgroups defined by severity and duration of morning stiffness and by country. A total of 1,061 respondents completed the survey, 534 were working, 224 were retired and the rest were, i.e. homemakers and unemployed. Among the 534 working respondents, RA-related morning stiffness affected work performance (47 %), resulted in late arrival at work (33 %) and required sick leave in the past month (15 %). Of the 224 retired respondents, 159 (71 %) stopped working earlier than their expected retirement age, with 64 % giving RA-related morning stiffness as a reason. There was a differential impact of increasing severity and increasing duration of morning stiffness on the various parameters studied. There were notable inter-country differences in the impact of RA-related morning stiffness on ability to work and on retirement. This large survey showed that from the patient's perspective, morning stiffness reduces the ability to work in patients with RA and contributes to early retirement.

Association of morning blood pressure surge with carotid intima-media thickness and cardiac dysfunction in patients with cardiac syndrome-X.

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Mahfouz, Ragab A; Goda, Mohammad; Galal, Islam; Ghareb, Mohamed S

2018-05-23

Background & hypothesis: We hypothesized that exaggerated morning blood pressure surge, may contribute in cardiac dysfunction and arterial stiffness in patients with cardiac syndrome X. Thus we investigated the impact of morning blood pressure surge on cardiac function and carotid intima-media thickness in subjects with cardiac syndrome X. We studied patients with cardiac syndrome X using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and investigated the association of morning blood pressure surge with carotid intima thickness, left atrial volume index and left ventricular filling (E/e'). Seventy patients with cardiac syndrome X were enrolled for the study and compared with 70 age and sex matched controls. Patients with cardiac syndrome X were stratified based on the systolic morning blood pressure surge value of control subjects to patients with exaggerated blood pressure surge (n = 42) and those with normal morning blood pressure surge (n = 28). Basal heart rate (p blood pressure surge group than those with morning blood pressure surge group. Morning blood pressure surge was significantly correlated with carotid intima-media thickness, high sensitive C-reactive protein, left atrial volume index and E/e' ratio in patients with cardiac syndrome X. In multivariate analysis, exaggerated morning blood pressure surge was the only independent predictor of increased carotid intima-media thickness (OR = 2.379; p blood pressure surge is an independent predictor for arterial stiffness and diastolic dysfunction in patients with cardiac syndrome X.

Monday Morning Workload Reports (FY15 - 17)

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Department of Veterans Affairs — The Monday Morning Workload Report (MMWR) displays a snapshot of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) workload as of a specified date, typically the previous...

Second measurement of morning systolic blood pressure is more closely associated with albuminuria.

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Sakabe, Kazumi; Fukui, Michiaki; Ushigome, Emi; Hamaguchi, Masahide; Tanaka, Toru; Atsuta, Haruhiko; Ohnishi, Masayoshi; Oda, Yohei; Hasegawa, Goji; Nakamura, Naoto

2012-08-01

It is important to control blood pressure as well as to control blood glucose for the prevention of diabetic nephropathy. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports investigating which blood pressure, including morning, evening and clinic, is more closely associated with albuminuria and whether one measurement is sufficient or not in patients with Type 2 diabetes. We measured morning, evening and clinic blood pressure and compared the area under the curve (AUC) of blood pressure for urinary albumin excretion equal to or more than 30 mg/g creatinine using receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses and odds ratio for albuminuria defined as urinary albumin excretion equal to or more than 30 mg/g creatinine in 858 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Odds ratio (95% confidence interval (CI)) of morning, evening and clinic systolic blood pressure for albuminuria was 1.034 (1.024 - 1.044), 1.033 (1.023 - 1.043) and 1.013 (1.055 - 1.021), respectively (p AUC of morning, evening and clinic systolic blood pressure was 0.644 (0.628 - 0.700) (p AUC of the second morning systolic blood pressure was greater than the first (p = 0.033). The second measurement of morning systolic blood pressure is more closely associated with albuminuria than the first measurement of the morning in addition to clinic systolic blood pressure.

Food selectivity and diet switch can explain the slow feeding of herbivorous coral-reef fishes during the morning.

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Ruth Khait

Full Text Available Most herbivorous coral-reef fishes feed slower in the morning than in the afternoon. Given the typical scarcity of algae in coral reefs, this behavior seems maladaptive. Here we suggest that the fishes' slow feeding during the morning is an outcome of highly selective feeding on scarcely found green algae. The rarity of the food requires longer search time and extended swimming tracks, resulting in lower bite rates. According to our findings by noon the fish seem to stop their search and switch to indiscriminative consumption of benthic algae, resulting in apparent higher feeding rates. The abundance of the rare preferable algae gradually declines from morning to noon and seems to reach its lowest levels around the switch time. Using in situ experiments we found that the feeding pattern is flexible, with the fish exhibiting fast feeding rates when presented with ample supply of preferable algae, regardless of the time of day. Analyses of the fish's esophagus content corroborated our conclusion that their feeding was highly selective in the morning and non-selective in the afternoon. Modeling of the fishes' behavior predicted that the fish should perform a diel diet shift when the preferred food is relatively rare, a situation common in most coral reefs found in a warm, oligotrophic ocean.

Food selectivity and diet switch can explain the slow feeding of herbivorous coral-reef fishes during the morning.

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Khait, Ruth; Obolski, Uri; Hadany, Lilach; Genin, Amatzia

2013-01-01

Most herbivorous coral-reef fishes feed slower in the morning than in the afternoon. Given the typical scarcity of algae in coral reefs, this behavior seems maladaptive. Here we suggest that the fishes' slow feeding during the morning is an outcome of highly selective feeding on scarcely found green algae. The rarity of the food requires longer search time and extended swimming tracks, resulting in lower bite rates. According to our findings by noon the fish seem to stop their search and switch to indiscriminative consumption of benthic algae, resulting in apparent higher feeding rates. The abundance of the rare preferable algae gradually declines from morning to noon and seems to reach its lowest levels around the switch time. Using in situ experiments we found that the feeding pattern is flexible, with the fish exhibiting fast feeding rates when presented with ample supply of preferable algae, regardless of the time of day. Analyses of the fish's esophagus content corroborated our conclusion that their feeding was highly selective in the morning and non-selective in the afternoon. Modeling of the fishes' behavior predicted that the fish should perform a diel diet shift when the preferred food is relatively rare, a situation common in most coral reefs found in a warm, oligotrophic ocean.

Morning cortisol is lower in obese individuals with normal glucose tolerance

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Praveen EP

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Edavan P Praveen1, Jaya Prakash Sahoo1, Bindu Kulshreshtha2, Madan L Khurana3, Nandita Gupta1, Sada Nand Dwivedi3, Guresh Kumar3, Ariachery C Ammini11Department of Endocrinology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 2Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, 3Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, IndiaBackground: There is no consensus on the role of cortisol in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the relationship of morning plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH levels with body mass index (BMI and glucose tolerance.Subjects and methods: The sample frame was the “Offspring of individuals with diabetes study” database. A total of 358 offspring of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM and 287 individuals without a known family history of T2DM were recruited for the study. Subjects who were ≥10 years of age were selected from the database for analysis. Subjects with T2DM were excluded. All participants underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, and blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 120 minutes for glucose, insulin and C-peptide. Plasma cortisol, ACTH, and lipid profile were estimated from the fasting sample.Results: Four hundred and ninety-five participants (305 males [62%] and 190 females [38%] were included in the analysis. ACTH and cortisol levels were higher in normal-weight subjects than in overweight/obese subjects. Both ACTH and cortisol increased as fasting plasma glucose increased. Cortisol levels were significantly lower in offspring of T2DM subjects with MS than in offspring of T2DM subjects without MS. When adjusted for BMI, the significance was marginal. In males, cortisol levels were negatively correlated with early insulin secretion during OGTT (insulinogenic index [0–30] and positively with waist circumference and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In females, fasting

Effects of the L/N-type calcium channel antagonist cilnidipine on morning blood pressure control and peripheral edema formation.

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Narita, Sumito; Yoshioka, Yasuko; Ide, Atsumi; Kadokami, Toshiaki; Momii, Hidetoshi; Yoshida, Masayoshi; Ando, Shin-ichi

2011-01-01

The L/N-type calcium channel blocker cilnidipine has unique effects including sympathetic nerve suppression and the balanced vasodilatation of arteries and veins that may alleviate morning hypertension (MHT) or peripheral edema caused by calcium channel antagonists. We used ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and a unique peripheral edema measurement to evaluate the effect of morning and bedtime cilnidipine in patients with MHT. Forty-three patients with MHT (60 ± 12 years) were randomly assigned to a morning or bedtime cilnidipine (10-20 mg/day). MHT was defined as a mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 135 mm Hg by ABPM within 2 hours after awaking. After 3 months, greater SBP reductions were observed in the bedtime administration group (versus the morning administration group) at 3:30-6:00 AM (-24 ± 20 mm Hg vs. -10 ± 4 mm Hg; P < .05) and at 6:30-9:00 AM (-26 ± 15 mm Hg vs. -14 ± 17 mm Hg; P < .05). Although physical examinations showed leg edema in 16% of the patients, quantitative evaluations did not reveal significant volume gains. Cilnidipine had a greater effect on MHT, without causing significant leg edema, when administered at bedtime. Copyright © 2011 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An integrated effect of protein intake at breakfast and morning exposure to sunlight on the circadian typology in Japanese infants aged 2-6 years.

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Nakade, Miyo; Takeuchi, Hitomi; Taniwaki, Nozomi; Noji, Teruki; Harada, Tetsuo

2009-09-01

Tryptophan (Trp) intake at breakfast promotes morning-typed circadian typology and higher sleep quality in Japanese children aged 0-6 yrs (Harada et al., 2007). This effect may be accelerated by morning exposure to sunlight, which has not yet been tested. This study aimed to investigate such an effect in Japanese children. In May, 2006, an integrated questionnaire was administered to 0-6-year-old children attending one of 12 kindergartens. 906 parents answered the questionnaire for their children and themselves (response rate: 67.4%). The integrated questionnaire included the revised version for children of the Morningness-Eveningness (M-E) Questionnaire and questions on sleep, nutritional balance, mental health, and sunlight exposure. Analysis was made on data from 744 children aged 2-6 (385 girls, 359 boys) whose average M-E score was 20.6+/-3.46. Children who had breakfast at regular times tended to be more morning-typed and were less frequently angry (p=0.001) and depressed (p=0.007). Children who had nutritionally well-balanced breakfasts tended to be more morning-typed (pbreakfast might be a strong zeitgeber for circadian oscillators of children, and the morning-type driving effect of protein intake could be accelerated by morning exposure to sunlight.

Effects of morning vs evening statin administration on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Awad, Kamal; Serban, Maria-Corina; Penson, Peter; Mikhailidis, Dimitri P; Toth, Peter P; Jones, Steven R; Rizzo, Manfredi; Howard, George; Lip, Gregory Y H; Banach, Maciej

Evidence about the optimal time of day at which to administer statins is lacking. The objective of this study is to synthesize evidence about effects of morning vs evening statin administration on lipid profile. We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Embase databases (from inception up to July 24, 2016) to identify the relevant studies. Mean differences (MDs) between the change scores in lipid parameters were pooled using a fixed-effect model. Eleven articles with 1034 participants were eligible for the analysis. The pooled analysis comparing effects of morning vs evening administration of statins on plasma total cholesterol (TC; P = .10), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .90), and triglycerides (P = .45) was not statistically significant. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering was statistically greater in the evening-dose group (MD: 3.24 mg/dL, 95% CI: 1.23-5.25, P = .002). Subgroup analysis according to statin half-lives showed that evening dose of statins was significantly superior to morning dose for lowering LDL-C in case of both short and long half-life statins (MD: 9.68 mg/dL, 95% CI: 3.32-16.03, P = .003 and MD: 2.53 mg/dL, 95% CI: 0.41-4.64, P = .02, respectively) and also for TC reduction in case of short half-life statins only (P = .0005). LDL-C and TC lowering was significantly greater in the evening dose than in the morning dose in case of short-acting statins. Besides slight but significant effect on LDL-C, the efficacy of long-acting statins was equivalent for both regimens. Therefore, long-acting statins should be given at a time that will best aid compliance. Short-acting statins should be given in the evening. Copyright © 2017 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immunologic and clinical responses to "Monday morning miseries" antigens.

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Cernelc, S; Stropnik, Z

1987-01-01

Authors analysed 96 workers exposed to air conditioning system (Group A), and 71 workers (Group B) breathing normal ambient air. 38 workers in group A had a positive clinical history of "Monday morning miseries". Eight cases with the diagnosis hypersensitivity pneumonitis, acute and chronic form was based on environmental history, clinical investigations, physical examination, Chest-X-ray examination, immunological test "in vivo" and "in vitro" with common allergens and antigen "Monday morning miseries", ELISA, spirometry and PEFR (Peak Expiratory Flow-Rate) measurements. Exposure to contaminated air may be responsible for morbidity and reduced performance of workers.

Evaluation of behavioral states among morning and evening active healthy individuals

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M.P. Hidalgo

2002-07-01

Full Text Available The Horne-Östberg questionnaire partly covers some factors that may be important determinants of peak time and characterize patterns of behavior. We conducted a study for the evaluation of self-reported behavioral states (hunger sensation, availability for study, physical exercise, solving daily problems, and time preferences as expressions of underlying cyclic activity. Three hundred and eighteen community subjects without history of medical, psychiatric, or sleep disorders were evaluated in a cross-sectional design. A self-report about daily highest level of activity was used to categorize individuals into morning, evening, and indifferently active. Time-related behavioral states were evaluated with 23 visual analog questions. The responses to most analogic questions were significantly different between morning and evening active subjects. Logistic regression analysis identified a group of behaviors more strongly associated with the self-reported activity pattern (common wake up time, highest subjective fatigue, as well as wake up, bedtime, exercise and study preferences. These findings suggested that the patterns of activity presented by normal adults were related to specific common behavioral characteristics that may contribute to peak time.

The effect of morning exercise on mental health of female police employees

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Hassani Mohammad

2015-06-01

Full Text Available       Background & Aims of the Study: According to the report of world health, organization mental disorder is one of the important causes of disability in the world and it can result in decrease in the success and advancement of employees. Thus, the purpose of this research is evaluation and comparison of mental health status and its related factors in female employees who take part in morning exercise and who are exempt in one of the police units. This is a descriptive-analytic and cross sectional study. Materials & Methods: The population of this research included 85 female employees who took part in morning exercise as one group and the other group included 65 inactive people who were ill and exempt from exercise. The measurement tool in the research was the Goldberg and Hiller questionnaire of mental health that was consisted of 28 questions. Various studies in the world and in Iran suggest the high validity and reliability of the GHQ-28 questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire has been approved in more than 70 countries and its reliability has been estimated to be between 82% and 92% in different researches and in different social groups. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard of deviation and deduction statistics (independent t-test in SPSS 16 software. Results: Analysis of the research hypotheses at significant level (p<0.05 showed that morning exercise had significant effect on mental health and its subscales such as physical complaint, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression in employees. Moreover, a significant difference was observed by comparing the active and inactive groups in relation to mental health and its subscales. Conclusions: The results of the research show that the effect of exercise and physical activities on mental health can't be denied. According to the researches that have been done, exercise is effective in two aspects of physical and mental.       

Once-daily omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate heals severe refractory reflux esophagitis with morning or nighttime dosing.

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Orbelo, Diana M; Enders, Felicity T; Romero, Yvonne; Francis, Dawn L; Achem, Sami R; Dabade, Tushar S; Crowell, Michael D; Geno, Debra M; DeJesus, Ramona S; Namasivayam, Vikneswaran; Adamson, Steven C; Arora, Amindra S; Majka, Andrew J; Alexander, Jeffrey A; Murray, Joseph A; Lohse, Matthew; Diehl, Nancy N; Fredericksen, Mary; Jung, Kee Wook; Houston, Margaret S; O'Neil, Angela E; Katzka, David A

2015-01-01

Morning dose or twice-daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is often prescribed to heal severe reflux esophagitis. Compare the effect of single dose morning (control arm) versus nighttime (experimental arm) omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid(®)) (IR-OME) on esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. Adult outpatients with Los Angeles grade C or D esophagitis were allocated to open-label 40 mg IR-OME once a day for 8 weeks in a prospective, randomized, parallel design, single center study. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and validated self-report symptom questionnaires were completed at baseline and follow-up. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed. Ninety-two of 128 (72 %) eligible subjects participated [64 (70 %) male, mean age 58 (range 19-86), median BMI 29 (range 21-51), 58 C:34 D]. Overall, 81 (88 %) subjects healed [n = 70 (76 %)] or improved [n = 11 (12 %)] erosions. There was no significant difference (morning vs. night) in mucosal healing [81 vs. 71 %, (p = 0.44)] or symptom resolution [heartburn (77 vs. 65 %, p = 0.12), acid regurgitation (82 vs. 73 %, p = 0.28)]. Prevalence of newly identified Barrett's esophagus was 14 % with half diagnosed only after treatment. Once-daily IR-OME (taken morning or night) effectively heals severe reflux esophagitis and improves GERD symptoms. Results support the clinical practice recommendation to repeat EGD after 8 weeks PPI therapy in severe esophagitis patients to assure healing and exclude Barrett's esophagus.

4A.10: PREFERENTIAL REDUCTION IN MORNING/NOCTURNAL HYPERTENSION BY RENAL DENERVATION FOR DRUG- RESISTANT HYPERTENSION: A NEW ABPM ANALYSIS OF SYMPLICITY HTN-3 AND HTN-JAPAN.

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Kario, K; Bakris, G L; Bhatt, D

2015-06-01

To study the impact of catheter-based renal artery denervation (RDN) on change in morning and night systolic BP (SBP) defined by ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM) 6 months post-randomization. SYMPLICITY HTN-3 and SYMPLICITY HTN-Japan are prospective, randomized, controlled trials of RDN for treatment of resistant hypertension. However, SYMPLICITY HTN-3 included a blinded, sham control and HTN-Japan control patients were not blinded and continued medical management alone. Patients in both trials were on a stable antihypertensive regimen of at least 3 drugs including a diuretic before randomization. Average morning SBP (7 am to 9 am), maximum morning SBP (between 6 am and 10 am), average nocturnal SBP (1 am to 6 am), average peak nocturnal SBP (average of 3 highest SBPs between 1 am and 6 am) and average daytime SBP were calculated using pooled patient-level ABPM data. Six-month change in SBP parameters were compared between RDN and control patients. A total of 386 patients (364 from HTN-3 and 22 from Japan) received RDN and 190 patients were in the control group (171 from HTN-3 and 19 from Japan). The average morning SBP was reduced -8.0 ± 22.3 mmHg in the RDN group which was significantly more than the change in the control group (-3.5 ± 22.2 mmHg, p = 0.023). The maximum morning SBP change was -8.6 ± 22.3 mmHg for RDN patients and -4.8 ± 23.8mmHg for controls (p = 0.072). Furthermore, the change in average nocturnal and average peak nocturnal SBP was significantly greater in the RDN patients compared with the control patients; -6.3 ± 18.1 vs -1.7 ± 19.2 mmHg, p = 0.008 for average nocturnal SBP and -6.7 ± 20.0 vs -1.3 ± 20.5 mmHg, p = 0.004 for average peak nocturnal SBP. Average daytime SBP change was not significantly between the RDN and control groups (-7.1 ± 16.0 vs -5.7 ± 18.0 mmHg, p = 0.349). This analysis demonstrated that RDN significantly reduced morning and nighttime SBP compared with

Phase advancing human circadian rhythms with morning bright light, afternoon melatonin, and gradually shifted sleep: can we reduce morning bright-light duration?

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Crowley, Stephanie J; Eastman, Charmane I

2015-02-01

Efficient treatments to phase-advance human circadian rhythms are needed to attenuate circadian misalignment and the associated negative health outcomes that accompany early-morning shift work, early school start times, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase disorder. This study compared three morning bright-light exposure patterns from a single light box (to mimic home treatment) in combination with afternoon melatonin. Fifty adults (27 males) aged 25.9 ± 5.1 years participated. Sleep/dark was advanced 1 h/day for three treatment days. Participants took 0.5 mg of melatonin 5 h before the baseline bedtime on treatment day 1, and an hour earlier each treatment day. They were exposed to one of three bright-light (~5000 lux) patterns upon waking each morning: four 30-min exposures separated by 30 min of room light (2-h group), four 15-min exposures separated by 45 min of room light (1-h group), and one 30-min exposure (0.5-h group). Dim-light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) before and after treatment determined the phase advance. Compared to the 2-h group (phase shift = 2.4 ± 0.8 h), smaller phase-advance shifts were seen in the 1-h (1.7 ± 0.7 h) and 0.5-h (1.8 ± 0.8 h) groups. The 2-h pattern produced the largest phase advance; however, the single 30-min bright-light exposure was as effective as 1 h of bright light spread over 3.25 h, and it produced 75% of the phase shift observed with 2 h of bright light. A 30-min morning bright-light exposure with afternoon melatonin is an efficient treatment to phase-advance human circadian rhythms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phase advancing human circadian rhythms with morning bright light, afternoon melatonin, and gradually shifted sleep: can we reduce morning bright light duration?

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Crowley, Stephanie J.; Eastman, Charmane I.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Efficient treatments to phase advance human circadian rhythms are needed to attenuate circadian misalignment and the associated negative health outcomes that accompany early morning shift work, early school start times, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase disorder. This study compared three morning bright light exposure patterns from a single light box (to mimic home treatment) in combination with afternoon melatonin. METHODS Fifty adults (27 males) aged 25.9±5.1 years participated. Sleep/dark was advanced 1 hour/day for 3 treatment days. Participants took 0.5 mg melatonin 5 hours before baseline bedtime on treatment day 1, and an hour earlier each treatment day. They were exposed to one of three bright light (~5000 lux) patterns upon waking each morning: four 30-minute exposures separated by 30 minutes of room light (2 h group); four 15-minute exposures separated by 45 minutes of room light (1 h group), and one 30-minute exposure (0.5 h group). Dim light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) before and after treatment determined the phase advance. RESULTS Compared to the 2 h group (phase shift=2.4±0.8 h), smaller phase advance shifts were seen in the 1 h (1.7±0.7 h) and 0.5 h (1.8±0.8 h) groups. The 2-hour pattern produced the largest phase advance; however, the single 30-minute bright light exposure was as effective as 1 hour of bright light spread over 3.25 h, and produced 75% of the phase shift observed with 2 hours of bright light. CONCLUSIONS A 30-minute morning bright light exposure with afternoon melatonin is an efficient treatment to phase advance human circadian rhythms. PMID:25620199

Morning Versus Evening Bright Light Treatment at Home to Improve Function and Pain Sensitivity for Women with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study.

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Burgess, Helen J; Park, Margaret; Ong, Jason C; Shakoor, Najia; Williams, David A; Burns, John

2017-01-01

To test the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of a home-based morning versus evening bright light treatment on function and pain sensitivity in women with fibromyalgia. A single blind randomized study with two treatment arms: 6 days of a 1 hour morning light treatment or 6 days of a 1 hour evening light treatment. Function, pain sensitivity, and circadian timing were assessed before and after treatment. Participants slept at home, except for two nights in Sleep Center. Ten women meeting the American College of Rheumatology's diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, including normal blood test results. Self-reported function was assessed with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Pain sensitivity was assessed using a heat stimulus that gave measures of threshold and tolerance. Circadian timing was assessed with the dim light melatonin onset. Both morning and evening light treatments led to improvements in function and pain sensitivity. However, only the morning light treatment led to a clinically meaningful improvement in function (>14% reduction from baseline FIQ) and morning light significantly increased pain threshold more than evening light ( P  treatment appears to be a feasible and acceptable adjunctive treatment to women with fibromyalgia. Those who undergo morning light treatment may show improvements in function and pain sensitivity. Advances in circadian timing may be one mechanism by which morning light improves pain sensitivity. Findings can inform the design of a randomized controlled trial. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Standing body sway in women with and without morning sickness in pregnancy.

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Yu, Yawen; Chung, Hyun Chae; Hemingway, Lauren; Stoffregen, Thomas A

2013-01-01

Morning sickness typically is attributed to hormonal changes in pregnancy. We asked whether morning sickness is associated with changes in standing postural equilibrium, as occurs in research on visually induced motion sickness. Twenty-one pregnant women (mean age=30 years, mean height=163cm; mean weight=63kg) were tested during the first trimester. Laboratory-based balance measures were collected, along with perceived postural stability, the presence of morning sickness, and the severity of subjective symptoms. We varied the distance between the feet and the visual task performed during stance. Participants were classified as either experiencing (Sick, n=12) or not experiencing (Well, n=9) morning sickness. Perceived balance stability was lower for Sick than for Well women. The positional variability of sway was reduced for the Sick group, relative to the Well group. Positional variability decreased with wider stance width, and was reduced during performance of a more demanding visual task. Stance width and visual task also influenced the temporal dynamics of sway. Effects of stance width and visual task on postural sway were similar to effects in non-pregnant adults, suggesting that sensitive tuning of posture is maintained during the first trimester. The findings suggest that women with morning sickness may attempt to stabilize their bodies by reducing overall body sway. It may be useful to recommend that women adopt wider stance early in pregnancy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morning akinesia in Parkinson's disease: challenges and solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tambasco N

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Nicola Tambasco,1 Simone Simoni,1 Pasquale Nigro,1 Federico Paolini Paoletti,1 Erica Marsili,1 Paolo Calabresi1,2 1Neurology Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliera – Università di Perugia, Perugia, 2Neurophysiology Department, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy Abstract: Motor complications of Parkinson's disease (PD have been reported to occur after a few years of treatment with levodopa (L-dopa. Morning akinesia is a delayed ON of the first L-dopa daily dose, occurring in almost 60% of patients on dopaminergic treatment. This is primarily a motor symptom, but has been recently recognized as being correlated with nonmotor fluctuations. Sleep disorders and gastrointestinal dysfunction might be the underlying mechanisms. Over the past 30 years, several pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches have been investigated. Keywords: Parkinson's disease, morning akinesia, motor fluctuation, L-dopa 

Morning Frost in Trench Dug by Phoenix, Sol 113

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

This image from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows morning frost inside the 'Snow White' trench dug by the lander, in addition to subsurface ice exposed by use of a rasp on the floor of the trench. The camera took this image at about 9 a.m. local solar time during the 113th Martian day of the mission (Sept. 18, 2008). Bright material near and below the four-by-four set of rasp holes in the upper half of the image is water-ice exposed by rasping and scraping in the trench earlier the same morning. Other bright material especially around the edges of the trench, is frost. Earlier in the mission, when the sun stayed above the horizon all night, morning frost was not evident in the trench. This image is presented in approximately true color. The trench is 4 to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) deep, about 23 centimeters (9 inches) wide. Phoenix landed on a Martian arctic plain on May 25, 2008. The mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

A mid-morning snack of almonds generates satiety and appropriate adjustment of subsequent food intake in healthy women.

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Sarah; Re, Roberta; Chambers, Lucy; Echaniz, Ana; Wickham, Martin S J

2015-08-01

To assess the effect of consuming a mid-morning almond snack (28 and 42 g) tested against a negative control of no almonds on acute satiety responses. On three test days, 32 healthy females consumed a standard breakfast followed by 0, 28 or 42 g of almonds as a mid-morning snack and then ad libitum meals at lunch and dinner. The effect of the almond snacks on satiety was assessed by measuring energy intake (kcal) at the two ad libitum meals and subjective appetite ratings (visual analogue scales) throughout the test days. Intake at lunch and dinner significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in response to the almond snacks. Overall, a similar amount of energy was consumed on all three test days indicating that participants compensated for the 173 and 259 kcals consumed as almonds on the 28 and 42 g test days, respectively. Subjective appetite ratings in the interval between the mid-morning snack and lunch were consistent with dose-dependent enhanced satiety following the almond snacks. However, in the interval between lunch and dinner, appetite ratings were not dependent on the mid-morning snack. Almonds might be a healthy snack option since their acute satiating effects are likely to result in no net increase in energy consumed over a day.

[Sleep quality and hormone levels in the morning and evening hours under chemical pollution].

Science.gov (United States)

Budkevich, R O; Budkevich, E V

To evaluate self-assessment of sleep and the level of hormones in the morning and evening in chemical pollution conditions. Three hundred adolescent and adult men living in the regions with low and high levels of chemical pollution were examined using questionnaires for self-assessment of quality of sleep, sleep hygiene, daytime sleepiness. Levels of cortisol and testosterone in the saliva were determined in the morning and evening hours by ELISA. In areas with low pollution level, there were normal changes in hormone levels with an increase in the morning and decrease in the evening. In high pollution conditions, the average levels of hormones increased, the morning-evening gradient disappeared. These conditions were also associated with an increase in daytime sleepiness and disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle and the endocrine regulation system that indicate the possibility of the development of internal desynchronosis.

Influence on intraocular pressure of the postural change and daily activities in the early morning in suspected glaucoma patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Chen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available AIM:To evaluate the influence on intraocular pressure(IOPof the postural change and daily activities in the early morning in suspected glaucoma patients.METHODS:The supine and sitting IOP were measured and analyzed on 51 suspected glaucoma patients(100 eyeswith Icare rebound tonometer before and after getting up and daily activities in the early morning. RESULTS: The mean of sitting IOP of 51 patients was 17.12±4.53mmHg, which was significantly lower than the mean of supine IOP(19.14±5.51mmHg. The mean of IOP before and after daily activity of 51 patients were 17.12±4.53mmHg and 14.44±3.90mmHg respectively, which showed significantly difference. CONCLUSION:Postural change and daily activities can result in significant changes of IOP in suspected glaucoma patients.

Post-Exercise Hypotension and Its Mechanisms Differ after Morning and Evening Exercise: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro C de Brito

Full Text Available Post-exercise hypotension (PEH, calculated by the difference between post and pre-exercise values, it is greater after exercise performed in the evening than the morning. However, the hypotensive effect of morning exercise may be masked by the morning circadian increase in blood pressure. This study investigated PEH and its hemodynamic and autonomic mechanisms after sessions of aerobic exercise performed in the morning and evening, controlling for responses observed after control sessions performed at the same times of day. Sixteen pre-hypertensive men underwent four sessions (random order: two conducted in the morning (7:30 am and two in the evening (5 pm. At each time of day, subjects underwent an exercise (cycling, 45 min, 50%VO2peak and a control (sitting rest session. Measurements were taken pre- and post-interventions in all the sessions. The net effects of exercise were calculated for each time of day by [(post-pre exercise-(post-pre control] and were compared by paired t-test (P<0.05. Exercise hypotensive net effects (e.g., decreasing systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure occurred at both times of day, but systolic blood pressure reductions were greater after morning exercise (-7±3 vs. -3±4 mmHg, P<0.05. Exercise decreased cardiac output only in the morning (-460±771 ml/min, P<0.05, while it decreased stroke volume similarly at both times of day and increased heart rate less in the morning than in the evening (+7±5 vs. +10±5 bpm, P<0.05. Only evening exercise increased sympathovagal balance (+1.5±1.6, P<0.05 and calf blood flow responses to reactive hyperemia (+120±179 vs. -70±188 U, P<0.05. In conclusion, PEH occurs after exercise conducted at both times of day, but the systolic hypotensive effect is greater after morning exercise when circadian variations are considered. This greater effect is accompanied by a reduction of cardiac output due to a smaller increase in heart rate and cardiac sympathovagal balance.

Different chronotherapeutic effects of valsartan and olmesartan in non-dipper hypertensive patients during valsartan treatment at morning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ushijima, Kentaro; Nakashima, Hajime; Shiga, Tsuyoshi; Harada, Kazuhiro; Ishikawa, Shizukiyo; Ioka, Takashi; Ando, Hitoshi; Fujimura, Akio

2015-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the differences in chronotherapeutic effects of angiotensin-II receptor blockers, valsartan and olmesartan in hypertensive patients with non-dipper blood pressure (BP) pattern during valsartan at morning. Ninety four patients were enrolled, and 40 patients were judged to be non-dippers. In these patients, same dose of valsartan was changed to evening (Val-E, n = 12), or olmesartan (equivalent dose of valsartan) was given at morning (Olm-M, n = 13) or evening (Olm-E, n = 15) for 4 months. BP decreased during sleep and increased during waking hours in Val-E group. In Olm-M and Olm-E groups, BP decreased during sleep and waking hours. Percent reduction in BP at night-time compared to BP at waking hours significantly increased after changing the dose regimen in each group. Serum creatinine decreased and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) elevated in Olm-M and Olm-E, but not Val-E groups. Positive correlation between systolic BP (SBP) during sleep and serum creatinine, and negative correlation between SBP during sleep and eGFR were detected. These data suggest that dipper BP pattern could be obtained by chronotherapeutic approach using valsartan and olmesartan in non-dipper patients with valsartan at morning. Morning and evening olmesartan, but not evening valsartan improved renal function in these patients. Copyright © 2014 Japanese Pharmacological Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Randomized, double-blind trial of guanfacine extended release in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: morning or evening administration.

Science.gov (United States)

Newcorn, Jeffrey H; Stein, Mark A; Childress, Ann C; Youcha, Sharon; White, Carla; Enright, Gail; Rubin, Jonathan

2013-09-01

To examine the efficacy and tolerability of guanfacine extended release (GXR) administered in the morning or evening in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-optimization study, children 6 to 12 years of age with ADHD were randomized to receive GXR (1-4 mg/d) in the morning and placebo in the evening (GXR am), placebo in the morning and GXR in the evening (GXR pm), or twice-daily placebo. The primary efficacy measure was the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV). A total of 333 child participants received study drug in the following cohorts: GXR am (n = 107), GXR pm (n = 114), or placebo (n = 112). Mean (standard deviation) changes from baseline to week 8 (visit 10 or last observation carried forward) in ADHD-RS-IV total scores were significant for both GXR treatment groups combined (GXR all-active: -20.0 [12.97]) and separately (GXR am: -19.8 [12.95]; GXR pm: -20.1 [13.04]) compared with placebo (-11.0 [12.93]; p ADHD symptoms. The levels of response and tolerability observed with GXR were similar regardless of time of dosing (morning versus evening), indicating that once-daily GXR monotherapy is effective whether administered in the morning or evening. Clinical trial registration information-Tolerability and Efficacy of AM and PM Once Daily Dosing With Extended-release Guanfacine Hydrochloride in Children 6-12 With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (The ADHD Tempo Study. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Toxicity Associated With Early Morning Versus Late Afternoon Radiotherapy in Patients With Head-and-Neck Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Trial of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (HN3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjarnason, Georg A.; MacKenzie, Robert G.; Nabid, Abdenour; Hodson, Ian D.; El-Sayed, Samy; Grimard, Laval; Brundage, Michael; Wright, James; Hay, John; Ganguly, Pradip; Leong, Carson; Wilson, Jane; Jordan, Richard C.K.; Walker, Melanie; Tu Dongsheng; Parulekar, Wendy

2009-01-01

Purpose: Based on our demonstration of a circadian rhythm in the human oral mucosa cell cycle, with most cells in the G 1 phase in the morning and M phase at night, we hypothesized that morning radiotherapy (RT) would lead to less oral mucositis than afternoon RT. Methods and Materials: A total of 216 patients were randomized to morning (8-10 AM) vs. afternoon (4-6 PM) RT and stratified by radiation dose, smoking status, and center. Patients receiving primary or postoperative RT alone were eligible. Oral mucositis was scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria and a validated scoring system. Results: Of 205 evaluable patients, 52.9% vs. 62.4% developed RTOG Grade 3 or greater mucositis after morning vs. afternoon RT, respectively (p = 0.17). Morning RT was also associated with significantly less weight loss after 5 months (p = 0.024). In a subgroup of 111 patients treated to a dose of 66-70 Gy in 33-35 fractions, exploratory analyses revealed a significant reduction in Grade 3 or greater mucositis with morning RT (44.6% vs. 67.3%, p = 0.022) and a longer interval to the development of Grade 3 or greater mucositis (median, >7.9 vs. 5.6 weeks, p = 0.033). In 53 patients, who smoked during therapy, a significant reduction was found in Grade 3 or greater mucositis with morning RT (42.9% vs. 76%, p = 0.025). Conclusion: In this proof of principle study, morning RT was associated with significantly less weight loss after 5 months and an apparent reduction in oral mucositis in a subset of patients receiving ≥66 Gy and in patients who smoked during therapy

Effects of gamma irradiation on ripening process of Morn-Thong durian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudto, T.; Uthairatanakij, A.; Jitareerat, P.; Photchanachai, S.; Vaongcheeree, S.

2005-09-01

The effects of gamma irradiation on ripening process of ''Morn-Thong'' durian were studied. Fruits were irradiated with gamma ray at 0, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.0 kGy or dipped Benomyl r at 500 mg/L and then fruit were stored at room temperature. Soluble solids content (SSC), pulp colour (L*, a* and b* values), flesh firmness and weight loss were measured. The results found that irradiation at 0.3 kGy caused higher water loss compared to fruit treated with 0.6, 1.0 kGy, control and Benomyl r dipping, respectively. Fruit irradiated with 0.3 kGy had the highest SSC, indicating the induce of ripening process. However, there was inconsistent in pulp colour

Comparison of overnight, morning and 24-hour urine collections in the assessment of diabetic microalbuminuria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eshøj, O; Feldt-Rasmussen, B; Larsen, M L

1987-01-01

With the aim of comparing different urine collection periods in the assessment of micro-albuminuria, urinary albumin excretion rates (AERs) were measured in samples from 24 h, overnight, and morning urine collections in 54 patients aged 17 to 62 years with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus...... overnight and morning urine samples. These values were slightly improved by relating AER to the excretion of creatinine and it is concluded that overnight as well as morning urine collections can be used when diagnosing microalbuminuria in insulin-dependent diabetics. Furthermore the results show...

The morning morality effect: the influence of time of day on unethical behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouchaki, Maryam; Smith, Isaac H

2014-01-01

Are people more moral in the morning than in the afternoon? We propose that the normal, unremarkable experiences associated with everyday living can deplete one's capacity to resist moral temptations. In a series of four experiments, both undergraduate students and a sample of U.S. adults engaged in less unethical behavior (e.g., less lying and cheating) on tasks performed in the morning than on the same tasks performed in the afternoon. This morning morality effect was mediated by decreases in moral awareness and self-control in the afternoon. Furthermore, the effect of time of day on unethical behavior was found to be stronger for people with a lower propensity to morally disengage. These findings highlight a simple yet pervasive factor (i.e., the time of day) that has important implications for moral behavior.

The Differential Hormonal Milieu of Morning versus Evening May Have an Impact on Muscle Hypertrophic Potential.

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Simon D Burley

Full Text Available Substantial gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy are clearly associated with the routine performance of resistance training. What is less evident is the optimal timing of the resistance training stimulus to elicit these significant functional and structural skeletal muscle changes. Therefore, this investigation determined the impact of a single bout of resistance training performed either in the morning or evening upon acute anabolic signalling (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3, myogenic index and differentiation and catabolic processes (cortisol. Twenty-four male participants (age 21.4±1.9yrs, mass 83.7±13.7kg with no sustained resistance training experience were allocated to a resistance exercise group (REP. Sixteen of the 24 participants were randomly selected to perform an additional non-exercising control group (CP protocol. REP performed two bouts of resistance exercise (80% 1RM in the morning (AM: 0800 hrs and evening (PM: 1800 hrs, with the sessions separated by a minimum of 72 hours. Venous blood was collected immediately prior to, and 5 min after, each resistance exercise and control sessions. Serum cortisol and IGFBP-3 levels, myogenic index, myotube width, were determined at each sampling period. All data are reported as mean ± SEM, statistical significance was set at P≤0.05. As expected a significant reduction in evening cortisol concentration was observed at pre (AM: 98.4±10.5, PM: 49.8±4.4 ng/ml, P0.05. Timing of resistance training regimen in the evening appears to augment some markers of hypertrophic potential, with elevated IGFBP-3, suppressed cortisol and a superior cellular environment. Further investigation, to further elucidate the time course of peak anabolic signalling in morning vs evening training conditions, are timely.

The Differential Hormonal Milieu of Morning versus Evening May Have an Impact on Muscle Hypertrophic Potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Burley, Simon D; Whittingham-Dowd, Jayde; Allen, Jeremy; Grosset, Jean-Francois; Onambele-Pearson, Gladys L

2016-01-01

Substantial gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy are clearly associated with the routine performance of resistance training. What is less evident is the optimal timing of the resistance training stimulus to elicit these significant functional and structural skeletal muscle changes. Therefore, this investigation determined the impact of a single bout of resistance training performed either in the morning or evening upon acute anabolic signalling (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), myogenic index and differentiation) and catabolic processes (cortisol). Twenty-four male participants (age 21.4±1.9yrs, mass 83.7±13.7kg) with no sustained resistance training experience were allocated to a resistance exercise group (REP). Sixteen of the 24 participants were randomly selected to perform an additional non-exercising control group (CP) protocol. REP performed two bouts of resistance exercise (80% 1RM) in the morning (AM: 0800 hrs) and evening (PM: 1800 hrs), with the sessions separated by a minimum of 72 hours. Venous blood was collected immediately prior to, and 5 min after, each resistance exercise and control sessions. Serum cortisol and IGFBP-3 levels, myogenic index, myotube width, were determined at each sampling period. All data are reported as mean ± SEM, statistical significance was set at P≤0.05. As expected a significant reduction in evening cortisol concentration was observed at pre (AM: 98.4±10.5, PM: 49.8±4.4 ng/ml, P0.05). Timing of resistance training regimen in the evening appears to augment some markers of hypertrophic potential, with elevated IGFBP-3, suppressed cortisol and a superior cellular environment. Further investigation, to further elucidate the time course of peak anabolic signalling in morning vs evening training conditions, are timely.

Basal encephalocele and morning glory syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Caprioli, J; Lesser, R L

1983-01-01

Basal encephaloceles are often associated with other midline anomalies such as hypertelorism, broad nasal root, cleft lip, and cleft palate. Optic disc anomalies such as pallor, dysplasia, optic pit, coLoboma, and megalopapilla have been reported to occur in patients with basal encephalocele We report a case of a child with a sphenoethmoidal encephalocele and morning glory syndrome of the optic nerve. The presence of such optic nerve anomalies with facial midline anomalies should alert the clinician to the possible presence of a basal encephalocele. Images PMID:6849854

Observations of the Morning Development of the Urban Boundary Layer Over London, UK, Taken During the ACTUAL Project

Science.gov (United States)

Halios, Christos H.; Barlow, Janet F.

2018-03-01

The study of the boundary layer can be most difficult when it is in transition and forced by a complex surface, such as an urban area. Here, a novel combination of ground-based remote sensing and in situ instrumentation in central London, UK, is deployed, aiming to capture the full evolution of the urban boundary layer (UBL) from night-time until the fully-developed convective phase. In contrast with the night-time stable boundary layer observed over rural areas, the night-time UBL is weakly convective. Therefore, a new approach for the detection of the morning-transition and rapid-growth phases is introduced, based on the sharp, quasi-linear increase of the mixing height. The urban morning-transition phase varied in duration between 0.5 and 4 h and the growth rate of the mixing layer during the rapid-growth phase had a strong positive relationship with the convective velocity scale, and a weaker, negative relationship with wind speed. Wind shear was found to be higher during the night-time and morning-transition phases than the rapid-growth phase and the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy near the mixing-layer top was around six times larger than surface shear production in summer, and around 1.5 times larger in winter. In summer under low winds, low-level jets dominated the UBL, and shear production was greater than buoyant production during the night-time and the morning-transition phase near the mixing-layer top. Within the rapid-growth phase, buoyant production dominated at the surface, but shear production dominated in the upper half of the UBL. These results imply that regional flows such as low-level jets play an important role alongside surface forcing in determining UBL structure and growth.

Low morning serum cortisol levels in children with tonsillar hypertrophy and moderate-to-severe OSA.

Science.gov (United States)

Malakasioti, Georgia; Alexopoulos, Emmanouel I; Varlami, Vasiliki; Chaidas, Konstantinos; Liakos, Nikolaos; Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos; Kaditis, Athanasios G

2013-09-01

Hypertrophic tonsillar tissue in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has enhanced expression of glucocorticoid receptors, which may reflect low endogenous cortisol levels. We have evaluated the effect of the interaction between tonsillar hypertrophy and OSA severity on morning serum cortisol levels. Children with and without snoring underwent polysomnography, tonsillar size grading, and measurement of morning serum cortisol. Seventy children (2-13 years old) were recruited: 30 with moderate-to-severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] > 5 episodes/h), 26 with mild OSA (AHI > 1 and ≤ 5), and 14 controls (no snoring; AHI ≤ 1). Tonsillar hypertrophy was present in 56.7%, 53.8%, and 42.9% of participants in each group, respectively. Application of a general linear model demonstrated a significant effect of the interaction between severity of OSA and tonsillar hypertrophy on cortisol levels (P = 0.04), after adjustment for obesity, gender, and age. Among children with tonsillar hypertrophy, subjects with moderate-to-severe OSA (n = 17; AHI 14.7 ± 10.6), mild OSA (n = 14; AHI 2.3 ± 1.2), and control participants (n = 6; AHI 0.7 ± 0.2) were significantly different regarding cortisol levels (P = 0.02). Subjects with moderate-to-severe OSA had lower cortisol (16.9 ± 8.7 mcg/dL) than those with mild OSA (23.3 ± 4.2; P = 0.01) and those without OSA (controls) (23.6 ± 5.3 mcg/dL; P = 0.04). In contrast, children with normal-size tonsils and moderate-to-severe OSA, mild OSA, and controls did not differ in cortisol levels. Children with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and the phenotype of hypertrophic tonsils have reduced morning serum cortisol levels and potentially decreased glucocorticoid inhibitory effects on tonsillar growth.

Investigations of morning and laboratory dream recall and content in depressive patients during baseline conditions and under antidepressive treatment with trimipramine.

Science.gov (United States)

Riemann, D; Löw, H; Schredl, M; Wiegand, M; Dippel, B; Berger, M

1990-06-01

REM sleep abnormalities like shortened REM (rapid eye movement) latency, prolongation of the first REM period and heightening of REM density often found in patients with a major depression have prompted an increasing number of studies investigating the neurobiology and neurophysiology of REM sleep in depressive patients, as well as in healthy humans and animals. On the other hand, since the early 1970s investigation of the psychological concomitant of REM sleep, i.e., dreaming, in depressive patients has been extremely sparse. The present study aimed at investigating morning and laboratory dream recall and content in patients with a major depressive disorder to shed more light on this neglected area. In short, morning as well as laboratory dream recall in depressive inpatients was drastically reduced. The low number of scorable dream reports collected did not reveal a heightened incidence of "masochistic" or "negative" content, indeed were rather mundane. In contrast, depressive outpatients (probably less depressed) had a higher rate of morning dream recall. Interestingly, antidepressive treatment with trimipramine (an antidepressant which does not suppress REM sleep) led to a positive influence on patients' mood that was paralleled by a change of dream mood in a positive direction.

Nighttime feeding likely alters morning metabolism but not exercise performance in female athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ormsbee, Michael J; Gorman, Katherine A; Miller, Elizabeth A; Baur, Daniel A; Eckel, Lisa A; Contreras, Robert J; Panton, Lynn B; Spicer, Maria T

2016-07-01

The timing of morning endurance competition may limit proper pre-race fueling and resulting performance. A nighttime, pre-sleep nutritional strategy could be an alternative method to target the metabolic and hydrating needs of the early morning athlete without compromising sleep or gastrointestinal comfort during exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the acute effects of pre-sleep chocolate milk (CM) ingestion on next-morning running performance, metabolism, and hydration status. Twelve competitive female runners and triathletes (age, 30 ± 7 years; peak oxygen consumption, 53 ± 4 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) randomly ingested either pre-sleep CM or non-nutritive placebo (PL) ∼30 min before sleep and 7-9 h before a morning exercise trial. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was assessed prior to exercise. The exercise trial included a warm-up, three 5-min incremental workloads at 55%, 65%, and 75% peak oxygen consumption, and a 10-km treadmill time trial (TT). Physiological responses were assessed prior, during (incremental and TT), and postexercise. Paired t tests and magnitude-based inferences were used to determine treatment differences. TT performances were not different ("most likely trivial" improvement with CM) between conditions (PL: 52.8 ± 8.4 min vs CM: 52.8 ± 8.0 min). RMR was "likely" increased (4.8%) and total carbohydrate oxidation (g·min(-1)) during exercise was "possibly" or likely increased (18.8%, 10.1%, 9.1% for stage 1-3, respectively) with CM versus PL. There were no consistent changes to hydration indices. In conclusion, pre-sleep CM may alter next-morning resting and exercise metabolism to favor carbohydrate oxidation, but effects did not translate to 10-km running performance improvements.

Morning versus evening induction of labour for improving outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, Jannet J. H.; van der Goes, Birgit Y.; Pel, Maria; Mol, Ben Willem J.; van der Post, Joris A. M.

2013-01-01

Background Induction of labour is a common intervention in obstetric practice. Traditionally, inmost hospitals induction of labour with medication starts early in the morning, with the start of the working day for the day shift. In human and animal studies spontaneous onset of labour is proven to

[Nutritional analysis of breakfast on rising and mid-morning snack in a college population].

Science.gov (United States)

Durá Travé, T

2013-01-01

To carry out a descriptive study on the breakfast model in a college population and to analyze the energy and nutrients provided, in connection with established nutritional requirements. Registry of food intake for breakfast (on rising and mid-morning snack) of a school day in a sample of 740 college students (286 men and 454 women) with ages ranging 19-24 years. Gender, age, weight, height, and body mass index, and type of residence were collected from each interviewee. Percentages intakes of nutrients have been calculated in proportion to established dietary recommendations (%IR). 93.2% had breakfast on rising and 83.8% took a mid-morning snack daily, and 53.5% do both intakes. The most common foods were dairy products (92.6%), cereals (58.8%) and sweet food (57.9%) at breakfast, and cereals (46.6%), fruits (40.7%) and sausages (34.9%) at mid-morning. The %IR of the calorie intake was 24.4% in males and 24.6% in females (n.s.). The %IR of the cholesterol intake was 38.2% in males and 23.9% in females (p breakfast. This breakfast model differs from the prototype of a healthy diet through an excessive consumption of sweet foods (early breakfast) and meat and derivatives (snack). Half of interviewee did not a mid-morning snack and the morning caloric intake was below recommended. In the case of university students concerned about the potentially negative effect it may have on academic performance. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Morning pulse pressure is associated more strongly with elevated albuminuria than systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ushigome, Emi; Fukui, Michiaki; Hamaguchi, Masahide; Matsumoto, Shinobu; Mineoka, Yusuke; Nakanishi, Naoko; Senmaru, Takafumi; Yamazaki, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Goji; Nakamura, Naoto

2013-09-01

Recently, focus has been directed toward pulse pressure as a potentially independent risk factor for micro- and macrovascular disease. This study was designed to examine the relationship between pulse pressure taken at home and elevated albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study is a post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional multicenter study. Home blood pressure measurements were performed for 14 consecutive days in 858 patients with type 2 diabetes. We investigated the relationship between systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure in the morning or in the evening and urinary albumin excretion using univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, we measured area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) to compare the ability to identify elevated albuminuria, defined as urinary albumin excretion equal to or more than 30 mg/g creatinine, of systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure. Morning systolic blood pressure (β=0.339, Ppressure (β=0.378, PAUC for elevated albuminuria in morning systolic blood pressure and morning pulse pressure were 0.668 (0.632-0.705; PAUC of morning pulse pressure was significantly greater than that of morning systolic blood pressure (P=0.040). Our findings implicate that morning pulse pressure is associated with elevated albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes, which suggests that lowering morning pulse pressure could prevent the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

No more moody mornings : Alarm clock anticipates sleepers' emotions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wensveen, S.; Overbeeke, K.; Van Kasteren, J.

2002-01-01

More eloquent alternatives to the harsh tones of the oldfashioned alarm-clock bells abound, including a newsreaders voice summing up last nights disasters, or a tape of your favourite early morning music. Still, getting out of bed has its difficult moments. All this could well change in the near

Use of Songs to Promote Independence in Morning Greeting Routines for Young Children with Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Petra; Wolery, Mark; Aldridge, David

2007-01-01

This study evaluated the effects of individually composed songs on the independent behaviors of two young children with autism during the morning greeting/entry routine into their inclusive classrooms. A music therapist composed a song for each child related to the steps of the morning greeting routine and taught the children's teachers to sing…

Morning Frost in Trench Dug by Phoenix, Sol 113 (False Color)

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

This image from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows morning frost inside the 'Snow White' trench dug by the lander, in addition to subsurface ice exposed by use of a rasp on the floor of the trench. The camera took this image at about 9 a.m. local solar time during the 113th Martian day of the mission (Sept. 18, 2008). Bright material near and below the four-by-four set of rasp holes in the upper half of the image is water-ice exposed by rasping and scraping in the trench earlier the same morning. Other bright material especially around the edges of the trench, is frost. Earlier in the mission, when the sun stayed above the horizon all night, morning frost was not evident in the trench. This image is presented in false color that enhances the visibility of the frost. The trench is 4 to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) deep, about 23 centimeters (9 inches) wide. Phoenix landed on a Martian arctic plain on May 25, 2008. The mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Suppressing the Morning Rise in Cortisol Impairs Free Recall

Science.gov (United States)

Rimmele, Ulrike; Meier, Flurina; Lange, Tanja; Born, Jan

2010-01-01

Elevated glucocorticoid levels impair memory retrieval. We investigated whether retrieval under naturally elevated glucocorticoid levels, i.e., during the morning rise in cortisol can be improved by suppressing cortisol. In a crossover study 16 men retrieved emotional and neutral texts and pictures (learned 3 d earlier) 30 min after morning…

Morning glory disc anomaly: A case report | Saraswat | Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Morning glory disc anomaly: A case report. Neeraj K. Saraswat, Ravi Ranjan, Dipendra Shukla, Sushil Ojha. Abstract. A rare case of congenital anomaly of the optic disc is presented to draw attention to the occurrence of this anomaly in rural India. The typical case presented with excavated, enlarged colobomatous optic ...

A randomised controlled trial of bright light therapy and morning activity for adolescents and young adults with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, C; Cain, N; Bartel, K; Micic, G; Maddock, B; Gradisar, M

2018-05-01

A randomised controlled trial evaluated bright light therapy and morning activity for the treatment of Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) in young people. 60 adolescents and young adults (range = 13-24 years, mean = 15.9 ± 2.2 y, 63% f) diagnosed with DSWPD were randomised to receive three weeks of post-awakening Green Bright Light Therapy (∼507 nm) and Sedentary Activity (sitting, watching TV), Green Bright Light Therapy and Morning Activity (standing, playing motion-sensing videogame), Red Light Therapy (∼643 nm) and Sedentary Activity or Red Light Therapy and Morning Activity. Sleep (ie sleep onset time, wake up time, sleep onset latency, total sleep time) and daytime functioning (ie morning alertness, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, functional impairment) were measured pre-treatment, post-treatment and at one and three month follow-up. Contrary to predictions, there were no significant differences in outcomes between treatment groups; and interaction effects between treatment group and time for all outcome variables were not statistically significant. However, adolescents and young adults in morning activity conditions did not meaningfully increase their objective activity (ie movement frequency). Overall, adolescents reported significantly improved sleep timing (d = 0.30-0.46), sleep onset latency (d = 0.32) and daytime functioning (d = 0.45-0.87) post-treatment. Improvements in sleep timing (d = 0.53-0.61), sleep onset latency (d = 0.57), total sleep time (d = 0.51), and daytime functioning (d = 0.52-1.02) were maintained, or improved upon, at the three month follow-up. However, relapse of symptomology was common and 38% of adolescents and young adults requested further treatment in addition to the three weeks of light therapy. Although there is convincing evidence for the short-term efficacy of chronobiological treatments for DSWPD, long-term treatment outcomes can be improved. To address this gap in our current knowledge

A cereal-based evening meal rich in indigestible carbohydrates increases plasma butyrate the next morning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nilsson, Anne C; Östman, Elin M; Knudsen, Knud Erik Bach

2010-01-01

, mean ± SD: 25.9 ± 3.2 y, BMI meals (50 g available starch) varying in content of indigestible carbohydrates. Each participant consumed all test meals in a random order on separate evenings. At a standardized breakfast following evening test meals......, the postprandial glucose response (incremental area under the curve, 0-120 min) was inversely related to plasma butyrate (r = -0.26; P meals composed of high-amylose barley kernels or high-ß-glucan barley kernels resulted in higher plasma butyrate...... concentrations the following morning compared with an evening meal with white wheat bread (P

Substorm observations in the early morning sector with Equator-S and Geotail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Nakamura

1999-12-01

Full Text Available Data from Equator-S and Geotail are used to study the dynamics of the plasma sheet observed during a substorm with multiple intensifications on 25 April 1998, when both spacecraft were located in the early morning sector (03–04 MLT at a radial distance of 10–11 RE. In association with the onset of a poleward expansion of the aurora and the westward electrojet in the premidnight and midnight sector, both satellites in the morning sector observed plasma sheet thinning and changes toward a more tail-like field configuration. During the subsequent poleward expansion in a wider local time sector (20–04 MLT, on the other hand, the magnetic field configuration at both satellites changed into a more dipolar configuration and both satellites encountered again the hot plasma sheet. High-speed plasma flows with velocities of up to 600 km/s and lasting 2–5 min were observed in the plasma sheet and near its boundary during this plasma sheet expansion. These high-speed flows included significant dawn-dusk flows and had a shear structure. They may have been produced by an induced electric field at the local dipolarization region and/or by an enhanced pressure gradient associated with the injection in the midnight plasma sheet.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (magnetospheric configuration and dynamics; plasma sheet; storms and substorms

Morning and evening behavior in children and adolescents treated with atomoxetine once daily for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD: Findings from two 24-week, open-label studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schacht Alexander

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The impact of once daily atomoxetine treatment on symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD may vary over the day. In order to capture such variations, two studies were undertaken in children and adolescents with ADHD using two instruments that capture morning and evening behavior and ADHD-related difficulties over the day. This secondary measure analysis builds on two primary analyses that were conducted separately for children and adolescents and also published separately. Methods In two open-label studies, ADHD patients aged 6–17 years (n = 421, received atomoxetine in the morning (target-dose 0.5–1.2 mg/kg/day for up to 24 weeks. Morning and evening behavior was assessed using the investigator-rated Weekly Rating of Evening and Morning Behavior (WREMB-R scale. ADHD-related difficulties at various times of the day (morning, during school, during homework, evening were assessed using the Global Impression of Perceived Difficulties (GIPD scale, rated by patients, parents and physicians. Data from both studies were combined for this secondary measure analysis. Results Both WREMB-R subscores decreased significantly over time, the evening subscore from 13.7 (95% CI 13.2;14.2 at baseline to 8.0 (7.4;8.5 at week 2, the morning subscore from 4.3 (4.0;4.5 to 2.4 (2.2;2.6. Scores then remained stable until week 24. All GIPD items improved correspondingly. At all times of the day, patients rated ADHD-related difficulties as less severe than parents and physicians. Conclusion These findings from two open-label studies suggest that morning and evening behavior and ADHD-related difficulties in the mornings and evenings improve over time with once daily atomoxetine treatment.

Do adolescents who are night owls have a higher risk of dental caries? - a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, A-M; Öhrn, K; Jönsson, B

2016-08-01

The aim was to evaluate the association between circadian rhythm and the risk of caries in adolescents, as well as their dietary and toothbrushing habits. A group of 196 adolescents (15 and 16 years old) were divided into two equal groups based on caries risk (case = high risk; and control = low risk). Before their dental examinations, they were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on circadian rhythm, dietary and oral self-care habits, and demographic variables. The participants were divided into three circadian types: evening types who are alert in the evening and tired in the morning; morning types who are the opposite; and neutral types who are neither particularly alert in the evening nor extremely tired in the morning. The most common sleep-cycle group type was neutral (50%). After this came evening types (37%) and finally morning types (13%). Morning and neutral types reported more frequently than evening types that they had breakfast every morning and brushed their teeth twice a day. More evening types were categorized as at high risk of caries. Circadian rhythm, breakfast habits and toothbrushing frequency were associated with a high risk of caries. The predicted probability of being at high risk of caries was almost four times higher for evening types than for morning types (OR 3.8; 95% CI 1.3-10.9). Adolescents who belonged to the evening circadian rhythm group brushed their teeth more seldom, ate breakfast less regularly and had a higher risk of caries than morning types. A patient's circadian rhythm should be considered when planning oral health education for adolescents with a high risk of caries. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Legal drug content in music video programs shown on Australian television on saturday mornings.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rebecca; Croager, Emma; Pratt, Iain S; Khoo, Natalie

2013-01-01

To examine the extent to which legal drug references (alcohol and tobacco) are present in the music video clips shown on two music video programs broadcast in Australia on Saturday mornings. Further, to examine the music genres in which the references appeared and the dominant messages associated with the references. Music video clips shown on the music video programs 'Rage' (ABC TV) and [V] 'Music Video Chart' (Channel [V]) were viewed over 8 weeks from August 2011 to October 2011 and the number of clips containing verbal and/or visual drug references in each program was counted. The songs were classified by genre and the dominant messages associated with drug references were also classified and analysed. A considerable proportion of music videos (approximately one-third) contained drug references. Alcohol featured in 95% of the music videos that contained drug references. References to alcohol generally associated it with fun and humour, and alcohol and tobacco were both overwhelmingly presented in contexts that encouraged, rather than discouraged, their use. In Australia, Saturday morning is generally considered a children's television viewing timeslot, and several broadcaster Codes of Practice dictate that programs shown on Saturday mornings must be appropriate for viewing by audiences of all ages. Despite this, our findings show that music video programs aired on Saturday mornings contain a considerable level of drug-related content.

Competitive Intelligence: Significance in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Susan E.

2010-01-01

Historically noncompetitive, the higher education sector is now having to adjust dramatically to new and increasing demands on numerous levels. To remain successfully operational within the higher educational market universities today must consider all relevant forces which can impact present and future planning. Those institutions that were…

AAS 228: Day 3 morning

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-06-01

massive disks, which in turn produce more gas giants, populating our surveys with such planets.Dr. Knutson shows that ~50% of hot Jupiters have long distance companions.Morning Press Conference Latest News from the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (by Michael Zevin)On December 26th 2015, LIGO detected its second full-fledged gravitational wave event, dubbed GW151226 (the numbers signify the date it was detected). This detection along with the full results ofLIGOs first observing run wereannounced byGabriela Gonzlez, David Reitze, and Fulvio Ricci in the morning press conference. The masses of the two black holes are smaller than those of the first confirmed event (GW150914) about 8 14 solar masses for GW151226 compared to 29 36 solar masses for GW150914. Though less visible by eye in the data, sophisticated search algorithms that match theoretically-produced templates of the gravitational waveform were able to extract it from the data and build up enough statistical confidence to declare it as a detection. The system was estimated to have merged at a distance of 1.4 billion light-years, and, due to its lower mass, stayed in LIGOs detection band for a full second (5 times longer than the more massive GW150914).Time-frequency plot of the second confirmed gravitational waveevent GW151226. Light colors represent higher energy.This discovery further solidifies this nascent field into astronomy, and has given astronomers a new sense to explore the Universe. The next observing run of LIGO will commence later in 2016 and will be more sensitive due to system upgrade, increasing the rate at which LIGO should detect these types of astrophysical events. In addition, more detectors will be joining the network of gravitational wave observatories over the next few years, which will further constrain the location at which these events occur in the cosmos and increase the likelihood of detecting an electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave event. More great discoveries to come

Morning meal more efficient for fat loss in a 3-month lifestyle intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Lombardo, Mauro; Bellia, Alfonso; Padua, Elvira; Annino, Giuseppe; Guglielmi, Valeria; D'Adamo, Monica; Iellamo, Ferdinando; Sbraccia, Paolo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the effects of 2 low-calorie diets but with different distributions of calories throughout the day on weight loss and other major obesity-related metabolic parameters. We randomly assigned 42 nonsmoking homemakers (age = 46.3 ± 2.3 years, body mass index [BMI] = 35.7 ± 0.8 kg/m(2), mean ± SD) in 2 groups of 21 subjects (G1 and G2). The participants underwent a 3 month individualized Mediterranean-style diet (55% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 15% protein and fiber > 30 g), calorie (600 kcal daily deficit compared to the total energy expenditure measured by a metabolic Holter). Diets consisted of the same food and complied with cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines but differed in the distribution of calories throughout the day (G1: 70% breakfast, morning snack, lunch and 30% afternoon snack and dinner; G2: 55 breakfast, morning snack, lunch and 45% afternoon snack and dinner). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used for pre- and postintervention body composition assessment. Thirty-six subjects completed the study (G1 = 18, G2 = 18). Both groups had significant improvements in body composition and metabolic parameters but G1 had enhanced results for weight loss (G1: -8.2 ± 3.0 kg; G2: -6.5 ± 3.4 kg; p = 0.028), waist circumference reduction (G1: -7 ± 0.6 cm; G2: -5 ± 0.3 cm; p = 0.033), and fat mass loss (G1: -6.8 ± 2.1 kg, G2: -4.5 ± 2.9 kg, p = 0.031; mean ± SD). Improvements were detected in both groups for blood pressure and blood and lipid parameters. G1 subjects showed a greater improvement in insulin sensitivity measured by homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (G1: -1.37 ± 0.27, G2: -0.74 ± 0.12, p = 0.017). These data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet.

Methods of a large prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded end-point study comparing morning versus evening dosing in hypertensive patients: the Treatment In Morning versus Evening (TIME) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rorie, David A; Rogers, Amy; Mackenzie, Isla S; Ford, Ian; Webb, David J; Willams, Bryan; Brown, Morris; Poulter, Neil; Findlay, Evelyn; Saywood, Wendy; MacDonald, Thomas M

2016-02-09

Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) appears to be a better predictor of cardiovascular outcome than daytime BP. The BP lowering effects of most antihypertensive therapies are often greater in the first 12 h compared to the next 12 h. The Treatment In Morning versus Evening (TIME) study aims to establish whether evening dosing is more cardioprotective than morning dosing. The TIME study uses the prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded end-point (PROBE) design. TIME recruits participants by advertising in the community, from primary and secondary care, and from databases of consented patients in the UK. Participants must be aged over 18 years, prescribed at least one antihypertensive drug taken once a day, and have a valid email address. After the participants have self-enrolled and consented on the secure TIME website (http://www.timestudy.co.uk) they are randomised to take their antihypertensive medication in the morning or the evening. Participant follow-ups are conducted after 1 month and then every 3 months by automated email. The trial is expected to run for 5 years, randomising 10,269 participants, with average participant follow-up being 4 years. The primary end point is hospitalisation for the composite end point of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke (cerebrovascular accident; CVA) or any vascular death determined by record-linkage. Secondary end points are: each component of the primary end point, hospitalisation for non-fatal stroke, hospitalisation for non-fatal MI, cardiovascular death, all-cause mortality, hospitalisation or death from congestive heart failure. The primary outcome will be a comparison of time to first event comparing morning versus evening dosing using an intention-to-treat analysis. The sample size is calculated for a two-sided test to detect 20% superiority at 80% power. TIME has ethical approval in the UK, and results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. UKCRN17071; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ

Effect of evening exposure to bright or dim light after daytime bright light on absorption of dietary carbohydrates the following morning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirota, Naoko; Sone, Yoshiaki; Tokura, Hiromi

2010-01-01

We had previously reported on the effect of exposure to light on the human digestive system: daytime bright light exposure has a positive effect, whereas, evening bright light exposure has a negative effect on the efficiency of dietary carbohydrate absorption from the evening meal. These results prompted us to examine whether the light intensity to which subjects are exposed in the evening affects the efficiency of dietary carbohydrate absorption the following morning. In this study, subjects were exposed to either 50 lux (dim light conditions) or 2,000 lux (bright light conditions) in the evening for 9 h (from 15:00 to 24:00) after staying under bright light in the daytime (under 2,000 lux from 07:00 to 15:00). We measured unabsorbed dietary carbohydrates using the breath-hydrogen test the morning after exposure to either bright light or dim light the previous evening. Results showed that there was no significant difference between the two conditions in the amount of breath hydrogen. This indicates that evening exposure to bright or dim light after bright light exposure in the daytime has no varying effect on digestion or absorption of dietary carbohydrates in the following morning's breakfast.

Blood Harmane Concentrations in 497 Individuals Relative to Coffee, Cigarettes, and Food Consumption on the Morning of Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elan D. Louis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Harmane, a potent neurotoxin linked with several neurological disorders, is present in many foods, coffee, and cigarettes. We assessed whether morning food/coffee consumption and smoking were reflected in blood harmane concentrations (BHCs we obtained in an epidemiologic sample (=497. Participants who smoked on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not smoked (=.57; there was no correlation between logBHCs and number of cigarettes (=.59. Among the coffee drinkers, there was no correlation between number of cups and logBHCs (=.98. Participants who had eaten on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not (=.49; logBHCs did not correlate with the time latency between last food consumption and phlebotomy (=.74. BHCs in this sample of ~500 individuals did not covary with recent smoking, coffee, or food consumption, suggesting that our inability to withhold these exposures on the morning of phlebotomy was not reflected in the BHCs we measured.

Blood harmane concentrations in 497 individuals relative to coffee, cigarettes, and food consumption on the morning of testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Louis, Elan D; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Gerbin, Marina; Jiang, Wendy; Zheng, Wei

2011-01-01

Harmane, a potent neurotoxin linked with several neurological disorders, is present in many foods, coffee, and cigarettes. We assessed whether morning food/coffee consumption and smoking were reflected in blood harmane concentrations (BHCs) we obtained in an epidemiologic sample (n = 497). Participants who smoked on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not smoked (P = .57); there was no correlation between logBHCs and number of cigarettes (P = .59). Among the coffee drinkers, there was no correlation between number of cups and logBHCs (P = .98). Participants who had eaten on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not (P = .49); logBHCs did not correlate with the time latency between last food consumption and phlebotomy (P = .74). BHCs in this sample of ~500 individuals did not covary with recent smoking, coffee, or food consumption, suggesting that our inability to withhold these exposures on the morning of phlebotomy was not reflected in the BHCs we measured.

Comparative effects of valsartan plus either cilnidipine or hydrochlorothiazide on home morning blood pressure surge evaluated by information and communication technology-based nocturnal home blood pressure monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiwara, Takeshi; Tomitani, Naoko; Kanegae, Hiroshi; Kario, Kazuomi

2018-01-01

The authors tested the hypothesis that a valsartan/cilnidipine combination would suppress the home morning blood pressure (BP) surge (HMBPS) more effectively than a valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination in patients with morning hypertension, defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥135 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥85 mm Hg assessed by a self-measuring information and communication technology-based home BP monitoring device more than three times before either combination's administration. This was an 8-week prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial. The HMBPS, which is a new index, was defined as the mean morning SBP minus the mean nocturnal SBP, both measured on the same day. The authors randomly allocated 129 patients to the valsartan/cilnidipine (63 patients; mean 68.4 years) or valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide (66 patients; mean 67.3 years) combination groups, and the baseline HMBPS values were 17.4 mm Hg vs 16.9 mm Hg, respectively (P = .820). At the end of the treatment period, the changes in nocturnal SBP and morning SBP from baseline were significant in both the valsartan/cilnidipine and valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide groups (P information and communication technology-based home BP monitoring device may become an alternative to ambulatory BP monitoring, which has been a gold standard to measure nocturnal BP and the morning BP surge. ©2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association Between ICU Admission During Morning Rounds and Mortality

Science.gov (United States)

Gajic, Ognjen; Morales, Ian J.; Keegan, Mark T.; Peters, Steve G.; Hubmayr, Rolf D.

2009-01-01

Background: No previous study has evaluated the association between admission to ICUs during round time and patient outcome. The objective of this study was to determine the association between round-time ICU admission and patient outcome. Methods: This retrospective study included 49,844 patients admitted from October 1994 to December 2007 to four ICUs (two surgical, one medical, and one multispecialty) of an academic medical center. Of these patients, 3,580 were admitted to the ICU during round time (8:00 am to 10:59 am) and 46,264 were admitted during nonround time (from 1:00 pm to 6:00 am). The medical ICU had 24-h/7-day per week intensivist coverage during the last 2 years of the study. We compared the baseline characteristics and outcome of patients admitted to the ICU between the two groups. Data were abstracted from the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III database. Results: The round-time and non-round-groups were similar in gender, ethnicity, and age. The predicted hospital mortality rate of the round time group was higher (17.4% vs 12.3% predicted, respectively; p < 0.001). The hospital length of stay was similar between the two groups. The round-time group had a higher hospital mortality rate (16.2% vs 8.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). Most of the round-time ICU admissions and deaths occurred in the medical ICU. Round-time admission was an independent risk factor for hospital death (odds ratio, 1.321; 95% CI, 1.178 to 1.481). This independent association was present for the whole study period except for the last 2 years. Conclusions: Patients admitted to the ICU during morning rounds have higher severity of illness and mortality rates. PMID:19505985

Poincaré plot width, morning urine norepinephrine levels, and autonomic imbalance in children with obstructive sleep apnea.

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Chaidas, Konstantinos; Tsaoussoglou, Marina; Theodorou, Emmanouel; Lianou, Loukia; Chrousos, George; Kaditis, Athanasios G

2014-08-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in childhood is accompanied by sympathetic overflow unopposed by the parasympathetic tone. Complex methods like power spectral analysis of heart rate variability have been applied to study this imbalance. In this report, width of Poincaré scattergram of the R-R interval (parasympathetic tone) and morning urine norepinephrine concentration (sympathetic activity) were used to assess autonomic imbalance. Poincaré plot was obtained from the electrocardiographic channel of nocturnal polysomnography and its width was measured, and norepinephrine-to-creatinine concentration ratio was calculated in morning urine specimen. Twenty children with obstructive sleep apnea and moderate-to-severe nocturnal hypoxemia (oxygen saturation of hemoglobin [SpO(2)] nadir plot width (318.7 ± 139.3 ms) and higher ln-transformed urine norepinephrine-to-creatinine ratio (4.5 ± 0.6) than control subjects (484.2 ± 104.4 ms and 3.8 ± 0.4, respectively; P plot width (P = 0.02). Subjects with obstructive sleep apnea and moderate-to-severe nocturnal hypoxemia have enhanced sympathetic activity and reduced parasympathetic drive. Poincaré plot width and urine norepinephrine levels are simple measures of autonomic imbalance in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Acupuncture combined with medication for morning blood pressure of essential hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi; Du, Yuzheng

2018-04-12

Based on the western medication, to evaluate the advantages in the morning blood pressure treated with acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20) and Neck-Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with acupuncture technique for activating blood circulation, eliminating wind and regulating the liver and spleen in the patients with essential hypertension. A total of 90 patients of essential hypertension of the mild and moderate degrees were randomized into a medication group (30 cases, 3 dropping), No.1 acupuncture group (30 cases, 2 dropping) and No.2 acupuncture group (30 cases, 1 dropping). In the medication group, adalat was prescribed for oral administration, 30 mg at 7 am every day, continuously for 6 weeks. In the No.1 acupuncture group, on the basis of the treatment as the medication group, the acupuncture technique for activating blood circulation, eliminating wind and regulating the liver and spleen was applied and the acupoints were Renying (ST 9), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), Quchi (LI 11) and Zusanli (ST 36). In the No.2 acupuncture group, on the basis of the treatment as the No.1 acupuncture group, Fengchi (GB 20) and Neck-Jiaji (EX-B 2) were added in acupuncture. Acupuncture was given in the time zone from 8 am through 10 am every day, once a day, 5 times a week, totally for 6 weeks. Separately, before treatment and in 2, 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, the morning blood pressure, the control rate and the symptom score were observed in the patients of the three groups. The morning blood pressure was followed up in 3 and 6 months separately. Compared with those before treatment, in 2, 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, the levels of blood pressure reduced in the patients of the three groups ( P blood pressure and its control rate in the patients of the three groups (all P >0.05). In 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, the levels of the morning blood pressure in the No.2 acupuncture group were lower than those in the No.1 acupuncture group, and the results in the No.1 and No.2 acupuncture groups were

Quality of Morning Report Courses in the Department of Infectious Diseases : A Prospective Study of Academic Members

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parviz Saleh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Morning report is one of the most important corner stones of medical train-ing and education in internal medicine training program. However, the pattern and exact template is not definitely described. Studying the quality of morning report courses helps to find out the weak and power points of the courses. The aim of this research is to study the quality of morning report courses prospectively with the assistance of the academic members, residents, and the students in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2010, Tabriz, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the comments of the academic members, residents, and the students in the Infec-tious diseases course who attended to the morning report course meetings were collected utilizing two separate questionnaires about the goals of the classes. Results: The mean spending time for morning report classes was 60±20 minutes. 68.2% of participants were satisfied because of the acceptable discipline of the meetings. 57.85% of sessions were run by off call attendants. 95.2% of the reports were according to charts in the absence of the patients. In 47.1% of courses, the class management was teacher-centered. The ethical and social issues in 95.1% of cases have been observed. The evaluation of classes was gener-ally good. Conclusion: Although in this study the evaluation of meetings were generally good, it seems that the goals and the planning of the meetings should be revised.

Online self-expression and experimentation as 'reflectivism': Using text analytics to examine the participatory forum Hello Sunday Morning.

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Carah, Nicholas; Meurk, Carla; Angus, Daniel

2017-03-01

Hello Sunday Morning is an online health promotion organisation that began in 2009. Hello Sunday Morning asks participants to stop consuming alcohol for a period of time, set a goal and document their progress on a personal blog. Hello Sunday Morning is a unique health intervention for three interrelated reasons: (1) it was generated outside a clinical setting, (2) it uses new media technologies to create structured forms of participation in an iterative and open-ended way and (3) participants generate a written record of their progress along with demographic, behavioural and engagement data. This article presents a text analysis of the blog posts of Hello Sunday Morning participants using the software program Leximancer. Analysis of blogs illustrates how participants' expressions change over time. In the first month, participants tended to set goals, describe their current drinking practices in individual and cultural terms, express hopes and anxieties and report on early efforts to change. After month 1, participants continued to report on efforts to change and associated challenges and reflect on their place as individuals in a drinking culture. In addition to this, participants evaluated their efforts to change and presented their 'findings' and 'theorised' them to provide advice for others. We contextualise this text analysis with respect to Hello Sunday Morning's development of more structured forms of online participation. We offer a critical appraisal of the value of text analytics in the development of online health interventions.

"Social jetlag" in morning-type college students living on campus: implications for physical and psychological well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Esther Yuet Ying; Wong, Mark Lawrence; Ng, Eddie Chi Wai; Hui, Chi-chiu Harry; Cheung, Shu Fai; Mok, Doris Shui Ying

2013-08-01

type was the strongest factor predicting dropout from campus residence. Chronotype significantly moderated the effects of campus residence on participants' physical and psychological quality of life. Although morning-type off-campus-living students have better well-being than their evening-type peers living off campus, morning-type campus residents had worse well-being than other campus residents and they were more likely to discontinue living on campus after one semester. Our findings bear practical significance to college management that morning-type campus residents are shown to be experiencing deteriorating well-being. The authorities may need to review and revise the room-allocation policy in campus residence in improving the well-being among campus residents.

Effect of active warm-up duration on morning short-term maximal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To examine the effect of active warm-up duration on short-term maximal performance assessed during Ramadan in the morning. Methods: Twelve healthy active men performed four Wingate tests for measurement of peak power and mean power before and during Ramadan at 09:00 a.m. The tests were performed ...

Time of administration important? Morning versus evening dosing of valsartan.

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Zappe, Dion H; Crikelair, Nora; Kandra, Albert; Palatini, Paolo

2015-02-01

Studies suggest that bedtime dosing of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker shows a more sustained and consistent 24-h antihypertensive profile, including greater night-time blood pressure (BP) reduction. We compared the antihypertensive effects of morning (a.m.) and evening (p.m.) dosing of valsartan on 24-h BP. This 26-week, multicentre, randomized, double-blind study evaluated the efficacy and safety of valsartan 320 mg, dosed a.m. or p.m., versus lisinopril 40 mg (a.m.), a long-acting ACE-inhibitor, in patients with grade 1-2 hypertension and at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor. Patients (n = 1093; BP = 156 ± 11/91 ± 8 mmHg; 62 years, 56% male, 99% white) received (1 : 1 : 1) valsartan 160 mg a.m. or p.m. or lisinopril 20 mg a.m. for 4 weeks, then force-titrated to double the initial dose for 8 weeks. At Week 12, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5 mg was added for 14 weeks if office BP was more than 140/90 mmHg and/or ambulatory BP more than 130/80 mmHg. Mean 24-h ambulatory SBP change from baseline to Weeks 12 and 26 was comparable between valsartan a.m. (-10.6 and -13.3 mmHg) and p.m. (-9.8 and -12.3 mmHg) and lisinopril (-10.7 and -13.7 mmHg). There was no benefit of valsartan p.m. versus a.m. on night-time BP, early morning BP and morning BP surge. Evening dosing also did not improve BP lowering in patients requiring add-on HCTZ or in nondippers at baseline. All treatments were well tolerated. Once-daily dosing of valsartan 320 mg results in equally effective 24-h BP efficacy, regardless of dosing time. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00241124.

The effect of desmopressin on nocturnal polyuria, overnight weight loss, and morning postural hypotension in patients with autonomic failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathias, C J; Fosbraey, P; da Costa, D F; Thornley, A; Bannister, R

1986-01-01

Day and night urine volume, morning and evening body weight, and supine and sitting blood pressure were measured in five patients with chronic autonomic failure who were not receiving treatment with drugs. All had nocturnal polyuria, overnight weight loss, and a pronounced postural fall in blood pressure, with lowest levels in the morning. Desmopressin (2-4 micrograms given intramuscularly at 8 pm) reduced nocturnal polyuria, diminished overnight weight loss, raised supine blood pressure, and reduced the postural fall, especially in the morning, when patients were often at their worst. Desmopressin may be a useful alternative to, or may supplement, other forms of treatment in some patients with autonomic failure. PMID:3089519

Kinetics of element profile pattern during life cycle stage of morning-glory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, T.M.; Tamada, M.

1999-01-01

The kinetics of seven element profiles, macroscopic elements, Na, Mg, Cl, K and Ca, as well as Al and Br, in every tissue of morning-glory (Ipomoea nil L. c.v. Murasaki), from seedling to flowering stage are presented. Barriers for the elements were formed even in the same tissue during different growing phases. Most of Na and Al remained in root tissue, showing the first barrier to the upper part of the plant. During the juvenile phase, the tissues lower than cotyledon stored the elements, especially Ca and Mg. The barrier at cotyledon did not disappear completely until seed ripening stage, except for K. Generally, late developing stem showed lower accumulation of the elements, which seemed to regulate the inflow of Mg, Ca, Cl and Br into flowering tissue. The concentrations of K, Ca, Cl and Br in leaf were kept constant in spite of twice or three times higher concentration of these elements in leaf petiole. After flowering, selective element accumulation was observed during seed development, where most of the elements were accumulated into seed wall, not in seed. Higher concentration of the elements in elder leaf, which falls into ground and will be reused as plant nutrient, might reflect the recycling system of the elements in plants. (author)

Strengthening German Programs through Community Engagement and Partnerships with Saturday Morning Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Hellebrandt, Josef

2014-01-01

German university programs can increase enrollments and diversify their curricula through academic community partnerships with surrounding schools. This article informs about two community-supported initiatives between the German Studies Program at Santa Clara University and the South Bay Deutscher Schulverein, a Saturday Morning School in…

The impact of morning light intensity and environmental temperature on body temperatures and alertness.

Science.gov (United States)

Te Kulve, Marije; Schlangen, Luc J M; Schellen, Lisje; Frijns, Arjan J H; van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter D

2017-06-01

Indoor temperature and light exposure are known to affect body temperature, productivity and alertness of building occupants. However, not much is known about the interaction between light and temperature exposure and the relationship between morning light induced alertness and its effect on body temperature. Light intensity and room temperature during morning office hours were investigated under strictly controlled conditions. In a randomized crossover study, two white light conditions (4000K, either bright 1200lx or dim 5lx) under three different room temperatures (26, 29 and 32°C) were investigated. A lower room temperature increased the core body temperature (CBT) and lowered skin temperature and the distal-proximal temperature gradient (DPG). Moreover, a lower room temperature reduced the subjective sleepiness and reaction time on an auditory psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), irrespective of the light condition. Interestingly, the morning bright light exposure did affect thermophysiological parameters, i.e. it decreased plasma cortisol, CBT and proximal skin temperature and increased the DPG, irrespective of the room temperature. During the bright light session, subjective sleepiness decreased irrespective of the room temperature. However, the change in sleepiness due to the light exposure was not related to these physiological changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morning salivary cortisol and cognitive function in mid-life: evidence from a population-based birth cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Geoffroy, M C; Hertzman, C; Li, L; Power, C

2012-08-01

The hormone 'cortisol' has been associated with cognitive deficits in older ages, and also with childhood cognition. The extent to which the associations of cortisol with cognitive deficits in later life reflect associations with childhood cognition ability is unclear. This study aimed to assess associations between adult cortisol levels and subsequent cognitive functions, while considering childhood cognition and other lifetime covariates. Data are from the 1958 British Birth Cohort. Two morning salivary cortisol samples were obtained at 45 years: 45 min after waking (t1) and 3 h later (t2). Standardized tests assessing immediate and delayed verbal memory, verbal fluency and speed of processing were administered at 50 years. Information on cortisol, cognitive outcomes and covariates [e.g., birthweight, lifetime socio-economic position (SEP), education, smoking and drinking habits, body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, and depression/anxiety] was obtained for 4655 participants. Worse immediate and delayed verbal memory and verbal fluency at 50 years were predicted by elevated t2 cortisol at 45 years. For instance, for 1 standard deviation (s.d.) increase in t2 cortisol, individuals scored -0.05 s.d. lower on verbal memory and fluency tests. Childhood cognition explained about 30% of these associations, but associations with adult cognition remained. This study suggests that higher cortisol levels in late morning at 45 years are associated with poorer verbal memory and fluency at 50 years, with a contribution from childhood cognition to these associations.

Temporal variability in urinary phthalate metabolite excretion based on spot, morning, and 24-h urine samples: Considerations for epidemiological studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Hanne; Kranich, Selma K.; Jørgensen, Niels

2013-01-01

of exposures for these two phthalates in population studies and hence an attenuation of the power to detect possible exposure-outcome associations. The only slightly higher ICCs for 24-h pools compared to first-morning and spot urine samples does not seem to justify the extra effort needed to collect 24-h......Urinary phthalate excretion is used as marker of phthalate exposure in epidemiological studies. Here we examine the reliability of urinary phthalate levels in exposure classification by comparing the inter- and intrasubject variation of urinary phthalate metabolite levels. Thirty-three young...

Detection of Early Morning Daily Activities with Static Home and Wearable Wireless Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Vanderpool

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a flexible, cost-effective, wireless in-home activity monitoring system for assisting patients with cognitive impairments due to traumatic brain injury (TBI. The system locates the subject with fixed home sensors and classifies early morning bathroom activities of daily living with a wearable wireless accelerometer. The system extracts time- and frequency-domain features from the accelerometer data and classifies these features with a hybrid classifier that combines Gaussian mixture models and a finite state machine. In particular, the paper establishes that despite similarities between early morning bathroom activities of daily living, it is possible to detect and classify these activities with high accuracy. It also discusses system training and provides data to show that with proper feature selection, accurate detection and classification are possible for any subject with no subject specific training.

Saturday-morning television: do sponsors promote high-risk behavior for burn injury?

Science.gov (United States)

Palmieri, Tina L; Aoki, Traci; Combs, Elena; Curri, Terese; Garma, Sylvia; Kaulkin, Cammie; Lawless, Mary Beth; Nelson, Kate; Sanders, Johanna; Warden, Nancy; Greenhalgh, David G

2004-01-01

Television has become an important tool for learning and socialization in children. Although television violence has been associated with adverse effects, data on depiction of fire and burn injury are lacking. We sought to determine whether Saturday-morning television programming, viewed primarily by children, depicts fire and burn injury as safe or without consequence, thus potentially increasing the incidence of burn injury in children. This was a prospective observational study. Saturday-morning children's television programs were videotaped from 7 AM to 11 AM for eight different television networks during a 6-month period. Tapes were scored for scenes depicting fire or smoke by independent observers. Recorded items included show category, scene type, gender target, context of fire, and outcome after exposure to flame. Fire events were documented during programs and their associated commercials. A total of 108 hours of children's programs, 16 hours per network, were recorded. Scenes depicting fire or smoke were identified 1960 times, with 39% of events occurring during the program itself and 61% in commercials. Fire was depicted as either safe or without consequence in 64% of incidents. Action adventure stories accounted for 56% of flame depictions. Overall, one incident involving flame and fire was portrayed for each 3 minutes of television programming. Saturday-morning television programming frequently depicts fire as safe, empowering, or exciting. The incidence of flame use in programming varies between stations but is most prevalent in action/adventure stories. Television commercials, although brief, provide the majority of the misinformation regarding fire. Medical professional societies should alert the public to this potential hazard and recommend responsible portrayal of fire in children's television programming.

Different chronotherapeutic effects of valsartan and olmesartan in non-dipper hypertensive patients during valsartan treatment at morning

OpenAIRE

Kentaro Ushijima; Hajime Nakashima; Tsuyoshi Shiga; Kazuhiro Harada; Shizukiyo Ishikawa; Takashi Ioka; Hitoshi Ando; Akio Fujimura

2015-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the differences in chronotherapeutic effects of angiotensin-II receptor blockers, valsartan and olmesartan in hypertensive patients with non-dipper blood pressure (BP) pattern during valsartan at morning. Ninety four patients were enrolled, and 40 patients were judged to be non-dippers. In these patients, same dose of valsartan was changed to evening (Val-E, n = 12), or olmesartan (equivalent dose of valsartan) was given at morning (Olm-M, n = 13) or even...

Sleep restriction is associated with increased morning plasma leptin concentrations, especially in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Norah S; Banks, Siobhan; Dinges, David F

2010-07-01

We evaluated the effects of sleep restriction on leptin levels in a large, diverse sample of healthy participants, while allowing free access to food. Prospective experimental design. After 2 nights of baseline sleep, 136 participants (49% women, 56% African Americans) received 5 consecutive nights of 4 hours time in bed (TIB). Additionally, one subset of participants received 2 additional nights of either further sleep restriction (n = 27) or increased sleep opportunity (n = 37). Control participants (n = 9) received 10 hr TIB on all study nights. Plasma leptin was measured between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon following baseline sleep, after the initial sleep-restriction period, and after 2 nights of further sleep restriction or recovery sleep. Leptin levels increased significantly among sleep-restricted participants after 5 nights of 4 hr TIB (Z = -8.43, p women compared to men (Z = -4.77, p restriction (p restriction with ad libitum access to food significantly increases morning plasma leptin levels, particularly among women.

Morning and night symptoms in primary care COPD patients : a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. An UNLOCK study from the IPCRG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tsiligianni, Ioanna; Metting, Esther; van der Molen, Thys; Chavannes, Niels; Kocks, Janwillem

2016-01-01

COPD symptoms show a diurnal variability. However, morning and night variability has generally not been taken into consideration in disease management plans. The aims of this study were to cross-sectionally assess morning and night symptom prevalence and correlation with health status and disease

LWD–TCP complex activates the morning gene CCA1 in Arabidopsis

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jing-Fen; Tsai, Huang-Lung; Joanito, Ignasius; Wu, Yi-Chen; Chang, Chin-Wen; Li, Yi-Hang; Wang, Ying; Hong, Jong Chan; Chu, Jhih-Wei; Hsu, Chao-Ping; Wu, Shu-Hsing

2016-01-01

A double-negative feedback loop formed by the morning genes CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1)/LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and the evening gene TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) contributes to regulation of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis. A 24-h circadian cycle starts with the peak expression of CCA1 at dawn. Although CCA1 is targeted by multiple transcriptional repressors, including PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR9 (PRR9), PRR7, PRR5 and CCA1 HIKING EXPEDITION (CHE), activators of CCA1 remain elusive. Here we use mathematical modelling to infer a co-activator role for LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) in CCA1 expression. We show that the TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1-CYCLOIDEA-PCF20 (TCP20) and TCP22 proteins act as LWD-interacting transcriptional activators. The concomitant binding of LWD1 and TCP20/TCP22 to the TCP-binding site in the CCA1 promoter activates CCA1. Our study reveals activators of the morning gene CCA1 and provides an action mechanism that ensures elevated expression of CCA1 at dawn to sustain a robust clock. PMID:27734958

LWD-TCP complex activates the morning gene CCA1 in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jing-Fen; Tsai, Huang-Lung; Joanito, Ignasius; Wu, Yi-Chen; Chang, Chin-Wen; Li, Yi-Hang; Wang, Ying; Hong, Jong Chan; Chu, Jhih-Wei; Hsu, Chao-Ping; Wu, Shu-Hsing

2016-10-13

A double-negative feedback loop formed by the morning genes CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1)/LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and the evening gene TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) contributes to regulation of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis. A 24-h circadian cycle starts with the peak expression of CCA1 at dawn. Although CCA1 is targeted by multiple transcriptional repressors, including PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR9 (PRR9), PRR7, PRR5 and CCA1 HIKING EXPEDITION (CHE), activators of CCA1 remain elusive. Here we use mathematical modelling to infer a co-activator role for LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) in CCA1 expression. We show that the TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1-CYCLOIDEA-PCF20 (TCP20) and TCP22 proteins act as LWD-interacting transcriptional activators. The concomitant binding of LWD1 and TCP20/TCP22 to the TCP-binding site in the CCA1 promoter activates CCA1. Our study reveals activators of the morning gene CCA1 and provides an action mechanism that ensures elevated expression of CCA1 at dawn to sustain a robust clock.

Glucocorticoid management in rheumatoid arthritis: morning or night low dose?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Paolino

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Morning symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA are linked to circadian increase of night inflammation, supported by inadequate cortisol secretion in active disease. Therefore, exogenous glucocorticoid administration in RA is recommended by EULAR and ACR from the beginning of the diagnosis, since may partially act like a “replacement therapy”. In addition, the prevention/treatment of the night up-regulation of the immune/inflammatory reaction has been shown more effective when exogenous glucocorticoid administration is managed with a night-time-release formulation. Despite a considerably higher cost than conventional prednisone (immediate release, chronotherapy with night-time-release prednisone has been recognized a cost-effective option for RA patients not on glucocorticoids who are eligible for therapy with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs. Interestingly, since different cell populations involved in the inflammatory process are particularly activated during the night (i.e. monocytes, macrophages, other therapeutical approaches used in RA, such as conventional DMARDs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs should follow the same concepts of glucocorticoid chronotherapy. Therefore, bedtime methotrexate chronotherapy was found to better manage RA symptoms, and several available NSAIDs (i.e. indomethacin, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, lornoxicam have been recently modified in their formulation, in order to obtain more focused night action.

Effects of timing of prednisolone on the duration of early morning stiffness, pain and disease activity score (das-28) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, H.; Nasim, A.; Salim, B.

2017-01-01

To determine the effects of timing of prednisolone on duration of early morning stiffness, pain score, number of swollen and tender joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and disease activity score 28 (DAS-28) in joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Study Design: It was quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the department of rheumatology Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi over a period of 3 months, from Dec 2015 to Feb 2016. Material and Methods: Total sample size of 85 was calculated by using non probability consecutive sampling technique. Patients with established rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed on the basis of ACR 1987 criteria were included in the study. All these patients had a disease duration of minimum 6 months and were on disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs and were taking =7.5mg of prednisolone and these patients were treated with the same dose of prednisolone given in morning at 8:00 A.M. for the first 15 days followed by treatment with same single daily dose of prednisolone given at the night 10:00 P.M. for next 15 days. This study compared duration of early morning stiffness, pain scores, number of swollen and tender joints, DAS-28 and ESR on day 15th and day 30th. Results: A total of 85 patients of established rheumatoid arthritis were included in the study. All patients were female with a mean duration of disease of 7.87 +- 6.41 years. The mean age of patients was 49.39 +- 10.24 years. Mean of pain score, duration of morning stiffness, DAS-28, number of tender and swollen joint count, and ESR was decreased in patients who took prednisolone at 10:00 pm and had significant statistical difference (p-value<0.001). Conclusions: Administration of low dose of prednisolone at night has good effects on duration of early morning stiffness, pain scores, number of swollen and tender joints, ESR and DAS-28. (author)

Likelihood analysis of the chalcone synthase genes suggests the role of positive selection in morning glories (Ipomoea).

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ji; Gu, Hongya; Yang, Ziheng

2004-01-01

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoides, which are important for the pigmentation of flowers and act as attractants to pollinators. Genes encoding CHS constitute a multigene family in which the copy number varies among plant species and functional divergence appears to have occurred repeatedly. In morning glories (Ipomoea), five functional CHS genes (A-E) have been described. Phylogenetic analysis of the Ipomoea CHS gene family revealed that CHS A, B, and C experienced accelerated rates of amino acid substitution relative to CHS D and E. To examine whether the CHS genes of the morning glories underwent adaptive evolution, maximum-likelihood models of codon substitution were used to analyze the functional sequences in the Ipomoea CHS gene family. These models used the nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratio (omega = d(N)/ d(S)) as an indicator of selective pressure and allowed the ratio to vary among lineages or sites. Likelihood ratio test suggested significant variation in selection pressure among amino acid sites, with a small proportion of them detected to be under positive selection along the branches ancestral to CHS A, B, and C. Positive Darwinian selection appears to have promoted the divergence of subfamily ABC and subfamily DE and is at least partially responsible for a rate increase following gene duplication.

Sleep deprivation and activation of morning levels of cellular and genomic markers of inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, Michael R; Wang, Minge; Campomayor, Capella O; Collado-Hidalgo, Alicia; Cole, Steve

2006-09-18

Inflammation is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and mortality. The effects of sleep loss on the cellular and genomic mechanisms that contribute to inflammatory cytokine activity are not known. In 30 healthy adults, monocyte intracellular proinflammatory cytokine production was repeatedly assessed during the day across 3 baseline periods and after partial sleep deprivation (awake from 11 pm to 3 am). We analyzed the impact of sleep loss on transcription of proinflammatory cytokine genes and used DNA microarray analyses to characterize candidate transcription-control pathways that might mediate the effects of sleep loss on leukocyte gene expression. In the morning after a night of sleep loss, monocyte production of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha was significantly greater compared with morning levels following uninterrupted sleep. In addition, sleep loss induced a more than 3-fold increase in transcription of interleukin 6 messenger RNA and a 2-fold increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha messenger RNA. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that the inflammatory response was mediated by the nuclear factor kappaB inflammatory signaling system as well as through classic hormone and growth factor response pathways. Sleep loss induces a functional alteration of the monocyte proinflammatory cytokine response. A modest amount of sleep loss also alters molecular processes that drive cellular immune activation and induce inflammatory cytokines; mapping the dynamics of sleep loss on molecular signaling pathways has implications for understanding the role of sleep in altering immune cell physiologic characteristics. Interventions that target sleep might constitute new strategies to constrain inflammation with effects on inflammatory disease risk.

New timetable for a Regular morning and evening shuttle

CERN Multimedia

TS Department

2008-01-01

Starting from 31 March 2008, for one month, a new timetable for a regular morning and evening shuttle serving LHC Points 2 and 5 will be put in place. You can find all the corresponding details on the FM group WEB page: http://ts-dep.web.cern.ch/ts-dep/groups/fm/logistique/shuttle_timetable.htm Please note that during April, all other requests for transport from Meyrin and Prévessin to the LHC Points via tel. 76969 during the day (between 8:30 and 17:30) will not be met. TS/FM group Tel. 160239

New timetable for a morning and evening regular shuttle

CERN Multimedia

TS Department

2008-01-01

Starting from the 31st of March 2008 and for one month, a new timetable for a morning and evening regular shuttle serving LHC Points 2 and 5, will be put in place. You can find all the corresponding details in the FM group WEB page http://ts-dep.web.cern.ch/ts-dep/groups/fm/logistique/shuttle_timetable.htm Please note that during April, every other request of transfer from Meyrin and Prevessin towards LHC Points reaching the 76969 during the day (between 8:30 and 17:30) will not be satisfied. TS/FM group 160239

Carbohydrate-rich breakfast attenuates glycaemic, insulinaemic and ghrelin response to ad libitum lunch relative to morning fasting in lean adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Enhad A; Richardson, Judith D; Tsintzas, Kostas; Thompson, Dylan; Betts, James A

2015-07-14

Breakfast omission is associated with obesity and CVD/diabetes, but the acute effects of extended morning fasting upon subsequent energy intake and metabolic/hormonal responses have received less attention. In a randomised cross-over design, thirty-five lean men (n 14) and women (n 21) extended their overnight fast or ingested a typical carbohydrate-rich breakfast in quantities relative to RMR (i.e. 1963 (sd 238) kJ), before an ad libitum lunch 3 h later. Blood samples were obtained hourly throughout the day until 3 h post-lunch, with subjective appetite measures assessed. Lunch intake was greater following extended fasting (640 (sd 1042) kJ, P1590) kJ, P< 0.001). Systemic concentrations of peptide tyrosine-tyrosine and leptin were greater during the afternoon following breakfast (both P< 0.05) but neither acylated/total ghrelin concentrations were suppressed by the ad libitum lunch in the breakfast trial, remaining greater than the morning fasting trial throughout the afternoon (all P< 0.05). Insulin concentrations were greater during the afternoon in the morning fasting trial (all P< 0.01). There were no differences between trials in subjective appetite during the afternoon. In conclusion, morning fasting caused incomplete energy compensation at an ad libitum lunch. Breakfast increased some anorectic hormones during the afternoon but paradoxically abolished ghrelin suppression by the second meal. Extending morning fasting until lunch altered subsequent metabolic and hormonal responses but without greater appetite during the afternoon. The present study clarifies the impact of acute breakfast omission and adds novel insights into second-meal metabolism.

Early-Morning Flow Transition in a Valley in Low-Mountain Terrain Under Clear-Sky Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Brötz, Björn; Eigenmann, Rafael; Dörnbrack, Andreas; Foken, Thomas; Wirth, Volkmar

2014-07-01

We investigate the evolution of the early-morning boundary layer in a low-mountain valley in south-western Germany during COPS (convective and orographically induced precipitation study) in summer 2007. The term low-mountain refers to a mountainous region with a relief of gentle slopes and with an absolute altitude that remains under a specified height (usually 1,500 m a.s.l.). A subset of 23 fair weather days from the campaign was selected to study the transition of the boundary-layer flow in the early morning. The typical valley atmosphere in the morning hours was characterized by a stable temperature stratification and a pronounced valley wind system. During the reversal period—called the low wind period—of the valley wind system (duration of 1-2 h), the horizontal flow was very weak and the conditions for free convection were fulfilled close to the ground. Ground-based sodar observations of the vertical wind show enhanced values of upward motion, and the corresponding statistical properties differ from those observed under windless convective conditions over flat terrain. Large-eddy simulations of the boundary-layer transition in the valley were conducted, and statistical properties of the simulated flow agree with the observed quantities. Spatially coherent turbulence structures are present in the temporal as well as in the ensemble mean analysis. Thus, the complex orography induces coherent convective structures at predictable, specific locations during the early-morning low wind situations. These coherent updrafts, found in both the sodar observations and the simulation, lead to a flux counter to the gradient of the stably stratified valley atmosphere and reach up to the heights of the surrounding ridges. Furthermore, the energy balance in the surface layer during the low wind periods is closed. However, it becomes unclosed after the onset of the valley wind. The partition into the sensible and the latent heat fluxes indicates that missing flux

Phylogenetics and diversification of morning glories (tribe ipomoeeae, convolvulaceae) based on whole plastome sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Phylogenetic studies have demonstrated the largest morning glory genus, Ipomoea, is not monophyletic, and nine other segregate genera are derived from within Ipomoea. Therefore, systematic research is focused on the monophyletic tribe Ipomoeeae (c. 650-900 species). We used whole plastid genomes to ...

READY TO LEARN: THE IMPACT OF THE MORNING BLAST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTION ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingting Xu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical activity intervention programme, named “Morning Blast”, on elementary school students’ math learning and daily physical activity. The Morning Blast intervention programme was a 16-week cardiovascular endurance emphasized physical activity program that students voluntarily participated in before the school day. Participants that volunteered, did so for the duration of the program. Methods: This mixed-methods study included seven educators and 83 students (n=90. The students were all children who were enrolled in Grades 3, 4, and 5 in a semi-rural elementary school in the United States. Data were collected through focus-group interviews, surveys, quantitative analysis of step counts, and from quasi-experimental research design. Results: Students in the experimental group were found to have: (1 increased scores on math standard score, (2 greater confidence in their academic ability, and (3 had more accumulated steps compared to students in the control group. Students in the experimental group also reported that they were more “ready to learn” after completing the physical activity intervention. This finding was also confirmed by their teachers. Conclusion: This study demonstrates how an increase in physical activity during the morning time has positive benefits for students throughout the school day.

A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover trial on the effects of L-ornithine on salivary cortisol and feelings of fatigue of flushers the morning after alcohol consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kokubo Takeshi

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Residual alcohol effects on physiological and psychological symptoms are commonly experienced the morning after alcohol consumption. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of L-ornithine on subjective feelings and salivary stress markers the morning after alcohol consumption and to investigate whether L-ornithine acutely accelerates ethanol metabolism. Methods This study had a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked crossover design. Subjects were all healthy Japanese adults with the ‘flusher’ phenotype for alcohol tolerance. In experiment 1, 11 subjects drank 0.4 g/kg body weight alcohol 1.5 h before their usual bedtime. Half an hour after drinking, they ingested either a placebo or 400 mg ornithine. The next morning on awakening, subjects completed a questionnaire containing a visual analog scale (VAS, the Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi sleep inventory MA version (OSA-MA, and a profile of mood states (POMS and collected a saliva sample for measurement of salivary stress markers (cortisol, secretory immunoglobulin A, and α-amylase. In experiment 2, placebo or 400 mg ornithine were administrated to 16 subjects both before and after drinking, and the feeling of drunkenness, breath ethanol concentration and one-leg standing time were repeatedly investigated until 180 min after alcohol consumption. Results There were significant decreases in “awareness”, “feeling of fatigue” and “lassitude” VAS scores and in “anger-hostility” and “confusion” POMS scores and a significant increase in “sleep length” in the OSA-MA test. Salivary cortisol concentrations on awakening were reduced after ornithine supplementation. There were no differences between ornithine and placebo in any of the subjective or physiological parameters of acute alcohol metabolism. Conclusions Taking 400 mg ornithine after alcohol consumption improved various negative feelings and decreased the salivary stress marker cortisol the

Evening and morning alterations in Obstructive Sleep Apnea red blood cell proteome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amélia Feliciano

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents proteomics data referenced in [1] Using proteomics-based evaluation of red blood cells (RBCs, we have identified differentially abundant proteins associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA. RBCs were collected from peripheral blood of patients with moderate/severe OSA or snoring at pre- (evening and post-night (morning polysomnography, so that proteome variations between these time points could be assessed. RBC cytoplasmic fraction depleted of hemoglobin, using Hemovoid™ system, were analyzed by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE, the 2D image software-based analyzed and relevant differentially abundant proteins identified by mass spectrometry (MS. MS identified 31 protein spots differentially abundant corresponding to 21 unique proteins possibly due to the existence of post-translational modification regulations. Functional analysis by bioinformatics tools indicated that most proteins are associated with catalytic, oxidoreductase, peroxidase, hydrolase, ATPase and anti-oxidant activity. At morning a larger numbers of differential proteins including response to chemical stimulus, oxidation reduction, regulation of catalytic activity and response to stress were observed in OSA. The data might support further research in OSA biomarker discovery and validation.

Correlated colour temperature of morning light influences alertness and body temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Te Kulve, Marije; Schlangen, Luc; Schellen, Lisje; Souman, Jan L; van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter

2018-03-01

Though several studies have reported human alertness to be affected by the intensity and spectral composition of ambient light, the mechanism behind this effect is still largely unclear, especially for daytime exposure. Alerting effects of nocturnal light exposure are correlated with melatonin suppression, but melatonin levels are generally low during the day. The aim of this study was to explore the alerting effect of light in the morning for different correlated colour temperature (CCT) values, as well as its interaction with ambient temperature. Body temperature and perceived comfort were included in the study as possible mediating factors. In a randomized crossover design, 16 healthy females participated in two sessions, once under 2700K and once under 6500K light (both 55lx). Each session consisted of a baseline, a cool, a neutral and a warm thermal environment. Alertness as measured in a reaction time task was lower for the 6500K exposure, while subjective sleepiness was not affected by CCT. Also, core body temperature was higher under 6500K. Skin temperature parameters and perceived comfort were positively correlated with subjective sleepiness. Reaction time correlated with heat loss, but this association did not explain why the reaction time was improved for 2700K. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morning-evening type and burnout level as factors influencing sleep quality of shift nurses: a questionnaire study

Science.gov (United States)

Demir Zencirci, Ayten; Arslan, Sümeyye

2011-01-01

Aim To assess the relationship between sleep quality and demographic variables, morning-evening type, and burnout in nurses who work shifts. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional self-administered study with forced choice and open-ended structured questionnaires – Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Morningness-eveningness Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory. The study was carried out at Gazi University Medicine Faculty Hospital of Ankara on 524 invited nurses from July to September 2008, with a response rate of 89.94% (n = 483). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to determine the risk factors of poor sleep quality. Results Most socio-demographic variables did not affect sleep quality. Participants with poor sleep quality had quite high burnout levels. Most nurses who belonged to a type that is neither morning nor evening had poor sleep quality. Nurses who experienced an incident worsening their sleep patterns (P burnout dimensions were high. Conclusions Nurses working consistently either in the morning or at night had better sleep quality than those working rotating shifts. Further studies are still needed to develop interventions that improve sleep quality and decrease burnout in nurses working shifts. PMID:21853548

Solar flare effect in equatorial magnetic field during morning counter electrojet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangarajan, G.K.; Rastogi, R.G.

1981-01-01

Surface geomagnetic signatures of intense solar radio noise bursts are studied from the magnetograms of several equatorial and low latitude observatories. It is shown that for the even on 21 June 1980, the solar flare effect recorded was during a period of counter electrojet currents in the morning hours in the Indian region, and hence it reverses direction between Alibag and Trivandrum. The longitudinal extent of this event has been estimated to be less than three hours (45). (author)

Normal Morning MCH Levels and No Association with REM or NREM Sleep Parameters in Narcolepsy Type 1 and Type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schrölkamp, Maren; Jennum, Poul J; Gammeltoft, Steen

2017-01-01

in rapid eye movement (REM) and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep regulation. Hypocretin neurons reciprocally interact with MCH neurons. We hypothesized that altered MCH secretion contributes to the symptoms and sleep abnormalities of narcolepsy and that this is reflected in morning cerebrospinal fluid...... MCH levels. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that MCH levels in CSF collected in the morning are normal in narcolepsy and not associated with the clinical symptoms, REM sleep abnormalities, nor number of muscle movements during REM or NREM sleep of the patients. We conclude that morning lumbar CSF MCH......STUDY OBJECTIVES: Other than hypocretin-1 (HCRT-1) deficiency in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), the neurochemical imbalance of NT1 and narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) with normal HCRT-1 levels is largely unknown. The neuropeptide melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is mainly secreted during sleep and is involved...

A Cushing's syndrome patient's severe insomnia and morning blood pressure surge both improved after her left adrenal tumor resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Imaizumi, Yuki; Ibaraki, Ai; Asada, Satoshi; Tominaga, Mitsuhiro; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Tsuchihashi, Takuya; Eguchi, Kazuo; Kario, Kazuomi; Taketomi, Akira

2016-12-01

Underlying mechanisms of the elevated risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Cushing's syndrome (CS) are unclear. We treated an adult woman with CS because of a cortisol-secreting adrenal tumor. After tumor resection, the 24-h blood pressure (BP) level improved from 156/91 to 131/84 mmHg; the morning BP surprisingly improved from 174/98 to 127/93 mmHg, although we reduced her antihypertensive medication. Her sleep quality (by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) improved from 7 to 2 points. Disturbed circadian BP rhythm is often observed in CS, but was reported only as altered nocturnal BP fall. This is the first report showing the disappearance of the morning BP surge evaluated by ambulatory BP monitoring with postsurgery sleep quality improvement. Poor-quality sleep, followed by exaggerated morning BP surge may thus be a cause of CS-related cardiovascular events. Sleep quality and BP circadian rhythm evaluations may clarify hypertension and high CVD risk in CS.

Early bronchodilator action of glycopyrronium versus tiotropium in moderate-to-severe COPD patients: a cross-over blinded randomized study (Symptoms and Pulmonary function in the moRnING

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Marin JM

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Jose M Marin,1 Kai M Beeh,2 Andreas Clemens,3 Walter Castellani,4 Lennart Schaper,5 Dinesh Saralaya,6 Anthony Gunstone,7 Ricard Casamor,8 Konstantinos Kostikas,3 Maryam Aalamian-Mattheis3 1University Hospital Miguel Servet, IISAragón, CIBERES, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Insaf Respiratory Research Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany; 3Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland; 4Hospital Piero Palagi, Fiorenze, Italy; 5Research Institute and Practice, Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany; 6Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK; 7Staploe Medical Center, Soham, Cambridge, UK; 8Novartis Farmaceutica SA, Barcelona, Spain Background: Morning symptoms associated with COPD have a negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Long-acting bronchodilators with rapid onset may relieve patients’ symptoms. In the Symptoms and Pulmonary function in the moRnING study, we prospectively compared the rapid onset bronchodilator profile of glycopyrronium (GLY and tiotropium (TIO during the first few hours after dosing in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.Methods: Patients were randomized (1:1 to receive either once-daily GLY (50 µg or TIO (18 µg and corresponding placebos in a cross-over design for 28 days. The primary objective was to demonstrate the superiority of GLY versus TIO in area under the curve from 0 to 4 hours (AUC0-4h forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 after the first dose. The secondary objective was to compare GLY versus TIO using the patient reported outcomes Morning COPD Symptoms Questionnaire 3 hours post-inhalation.Results: One-hundred and twenty-six patients were randomized (male 70.2%; mean age 65.7 years and 108 patients completed the study. On Day 1, GLY resulted in significantly higher FEV1 AUC0-4h after the first dose versus TIO (treatment difference [Δ], 0.030 L, 95% confidence interval 0.004–0.056, P=0.025. Improvements in morning COPD symptoms from baseline at Days 1 and 28 were similar between GLY and TIO. Post hoc

Morning glory disc anomaly, midline cranial defects and abnormal carotid circulation: an association worth looking for

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quah, Boon Long; Hamilton, Jill; Blaser, Susan; Heon, Elise; Tehrani, Nasrin N.

2005-01-01

We report on a 4-year-old boy who presented to the ophthalmology department for assessment of convergent strabismus. Ophthalmic examination showed a left morning glory optic disc anomaly and retinal detachment. Plain films obtained for investigation of short stature prior to ophthalmic examination revealed delayed bone age. Ophthalmological findings prompted CT and MRI imaging and angiographic investigations. Midline cranial defects and abnormal carotid circulation were identified. These findings may be associated with morning glory optic disc anomaly, and their association is often under-recognized. It is important that clinicians and radiologists be aware of this spectrum of disorders, as the vascular abnormalities may predispose the patient to transient ischemic attacks and strokes. Growth delay may result from hypopituitarism. (orig.)

Morning glory disc anomaly, midline cranial defects and abnormal carotid circulation: an association worth looking for

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quah, Boon Long [Kandang Kerbau Women' s and Children' s Hospital, Singapore National Eye Centre, Department of Ophthalmology (Singapore); Hamilton, Jill [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, ON (Canada); Blaser, Susan [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto, ON (Canada); Heon, Elise; Tehrani, Nasrin N. [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2005-05-01

We report on a 4-year-old boy who presented to the ophthalmology department for assessment of convergent strabismus. Ophthalmic examination showed a left morning glory optic disc anomaly and retinal detachment. Plain films obtained for investigation of short stature prior to ophthalmic examination revealed delayed bone age. Ophthalmological findings prompted CT and MRI imaging and angiographic investigations. Midline cranial defects and abnormal carotid circulation were identified. These findings may be associated with morning glory optic disc anomaly, and their association is often under-recognized. It is important that clinicians and radiologists be aware of this spectrum of disorders, as the vascular abnormalities may predispose the patient to transient ischemic attacks and strokes. Growth delay may result from hypopituitarism. (orig.)

IMPACT OF MORNING STIFFNESS, EDUCATION, AND AGE ON THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahatçiu-Meka, Vjollca; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Manxhuka-Kerliu, Suzana; Pallaska, Kelmend; Murtezani, Ardiana; Osmani-Vllasolli, Teuta; Rexhepi, Mjellma; Rexhepi, Blerta

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between disability status and duration of morning stiffness in hands with regard to age, level of education, and gender in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Also, the authors wanted to investigate this relationship with regard to the presence of rheumatoid factor, i.e., the serological status. A retrospective study was conducted in 250 patients with the classic form of RA (186 females, s64 males, mean age Xb = 49.96 y ears, range 25-60 years, disease duration 1-27 years, Xb = 6.41) previously diagnosed with RA according to the ACR (American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria). All patients were in Steinbrocker functional classes II and III. The probability level was expressed by p 0.05) seronegative, (r = 0.12, y = 0.00x + 2.30, p > 0.05) seropositive]. High positive values were obtained for the linear correlation coefficient between duration of the disease and functional class (p < 0.01). Also, high values were obtained regarding the coefficient of correlation between age and functional class [(r = 0.29, p < 0.01) seronegative, (r = 0.47, p < 0.01) seropositive]. Uneducated patients were significantly more represented in functional class III [ 23 (50%) seronegative, 19 (42.2%) seropositive] than in functional class II [16 (20.3%) seronegative, 22 (27.5%) seropositive]. In conclusion, in this study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, increased duration of morning stiffness was associated with functional disability. Functional disability increased with the duration of the disease, depended on age and educational level, and was more pronounced in older age, regardless of RA serological status. With regard to serological status and sex, the differences were non-significant.

Predicting perceived safety to drive the morning after drinking: The importance of hangover symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Elaine; French, David P

2016-07-01

People driving the day after drinking are at risk of impaired performance and accidents due to continued intoxication or the effects of alcohol hangover. Drivers are poor at estimating their own blood alcohol concentration, and some drive despite believing they are over the legal limit. It is therefore important to identify other factors influencing perceived ability to drive 'the morning after'. This study tested how accurately participants estimated their legal driving status, and the contribution of beliefs and hangover symptoms to the prediction of perceived driving safety. This cross-sectional study involved 193 students completing a questionnaire and alcohol breath test the morning after heavy alcohol consumption. Indicators of subjective intoxication, severity of hangover symptoms, estimated legal status and perceived safety to drive were measured. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted. No participants thought they were under the English legal limit when they were not, and 47% thought they were over the limit when they were in fact legally permissible to drive. However, 20% of those believing they were over the limit nevertheless rated themselves as safe to drive. Hangover symptoms added 17% variance to the prediction of perceived safety to drive, over and above objective and subjective measures of intoxication. Perceived severity of hangover symptoms influence beliefs about driving ability: When judging safety to drive, people experiencing less severe symptoms believe they are less impaired. If this finding is robust, health promotion campaigns should aim to correct this misapprehension. [Cameron E, French D. Predicting perceived safety to drive the morning after drinking: The importance of hangover symptoms. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:442-446]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Relevance to Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Protocol of Blood Pressure Measurements Taken Before First- Morning Micturition and in the Afternoon

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Antonio Eduardo Monteiro de Almeida

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The importance of measuring blood pressure before morning micturition and in the afternoon, while working, is yet to be established in relation to the accuracy of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM. Objective: To compare two HBPM protocols, considering 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (wakefulness ABPM as gold-standard and measurements taken before morning micturition (BM and in the afternoon (AM, for the best diagnosis of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH, and their association with prognostic markers. Methods: After undergoing 24-hour wakefulness ABPM, 158 participants (84 women were randomized for 3- or 5-day HBPM. Two variations of the 3-day protocol were considered: with measurements taken before morning micturition and in the afternoon (BM+AM; and with post-morning-micturition and evening measurements (PM+EM. All patients underwent echocardiography (for left ventricular hypertrophy - LVH and urinary albumin measurement (for microalbuminuria - MAU. Result: Kappa statistic for the diagnosis of SAH between wakefulness-ABPM and standard 3-day HBPM, 3-day HBPM (BM+AM and (PM+EM, and 5-day HBPM were 0.660, 0.638, 0.348 and 0.387, respectively. The values of sensitivity of (BM+AM versus (PM+EM were 82.6% × 71%, respectively, and of specificity, 84.8% × 74%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 69.1% × 40% and 92.2% × 91.2%, respectively. The comparisons of intraclass correlations for the diagnosis of LVH and MAU between (BM+AM and (PM+EM were 0.782 × 0.474 and 0.511 × 0.276, respectively. Conclusions: The 3 day-HBPM protocol including measurements taken before morning micturition and during work in the afternoon showed the best agreement with SAH diagnosis and the best association with prognostic markers.

Electron precipitation in the morning sector of the auroral zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jentsch, V.

1976-01-01

Auroral electron precipitation in the morning sector is assumed to be the result of an electromagnetic cyclotron instability of a particle distribution that evolves adiabatically as its constituent electrons drift eastward from a source near midnight. The adiabatic distribution is calculated by using Green's function in various magnetospheric field models, and the corresponding growth rates for whistler mode waves are calculated by the method of Kennel and Petschek (1966). The region of maximum calculated wave growth corresponds spatially and temporally to the region of maximum observed electron precipitation only when the magnetospheric electric field is included realistically in the model

Morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias in a new arrhythmogenic canine model of chronic heart failure is associated with attenuation of time-of-day dependence of heart rate and autonomic adaptation, and reduced cardiac chaos.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yujie; Hanafy, Mohamed A; Killingsworth, Cheryl R; Walcott, Gregory P; Young, Martin E; Pogwizd, Steven M

2014-01-01

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) exhibit a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias, but the underlying cause remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if heart rate dynamics, autonomic input (assessed by heart rate variability (HRV)) and nonlinear dynamics as well as their abnormal time-of-day-dependent oscillations in a newly developed arrhythmogenic canine heart failure model are associated with a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias. CHF was induced in dogs by aortic insufficiency & aortic constriction, and assessed by echocardiography. Holter monitoring was performed to study time-of-day-dependent variation in ventricular arrhythmias (PVCs, VT), traditional HRV measures, and nonlinear dynamics (including detrended fluctuations analysis α1 and α2 (DFAα1 & DFAα2), correlation dimension (CD), and Shannon entropy (SE)) at baseline, as well as 240 days (240 d) and 720 days (720 d) following CHF induction. LV fractional shortening was decreased at both 240 d and 720 d. Both PVCs and VT increased with CHF duration and showed a morning rise (2.5-fold & 1.8-fold increase at 6 AM-noon vs midnight-6 AM) during CHF. The morning rise in HR at baseline was significantly attenuated by 52% with development of CHF (at both 240 d & 720 d). Morning rise in the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF) HRV at baseline was markedly attenuated with CHF. DFAα1, DFAα2, CD and SE all decreased with CHF by 31, 17, 34 and 7%, respectively. Time-of-day-dependent variations in LF/HF, CD, DFA α1 and SE, observed at baseline, were lost during CHF. Thus in this new arrhythmogenic canine CHF model, attenuated morning HR rise, blunted autonomic oscillation, decreased cardiac chaos and complexity of heart rate, as well as aberrant time-of-day-dependent variations in many of these parameters were associated with a morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias.

Morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias in a new arrhythmogenic canine model of chronic heart failure is associated with attenuation of time-of-day dependence of heart rate and autonomic adaptation, and reduced cardiac chaos.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujie Zhu

Full Text Available Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF exhibit a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias, but the underlying cause remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if heart rate dynamics, autonomic input (assessed by heart rate variability (HRV and nonlinear dynamics as well as their abnormal time-of-day-dependent oscillations in a newly developed arrhythmogenic canine heart failure model are associated with a morning surge in ventricular arrhythmias. CHF was induced in dogs by aortic insufficiency & aortic constriction, and assessed by echocardiography. Holter monitoring was performed to study time-of-day-dependent variation in ventricular arrhythmias (PVCs, VT, traditional HRV measures, and nonlinear dynamics (including detrended fluctuations analysis α1 and α2 (DFAα1 & DFAα2, correlation dimension (CD, and Shannon entropy (SE at baseline, as well as 240 days (240 d and 720 days (720 d following CHF induction. LV fractional shortening was decreased at both 240 d and 720 d. Both PVCs and VT increased with CHF duration and showed a morning rise (2.5-fold & 1.8-fold increase at 6 AM-noon vs midnight-6 AM during CHF. The morning rise in HR at baseline was significantly attenuated by 52% with development of CHF (at both 240 d & 720 d. Morning rise in the ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF HRV at baseline was markedly attenuated with CHF. DFAα1, DFAα2, CD and SE all decreased with CHF by 31, 17, 34 and 7%, respectively. Time-of-day-dependent variations in LF/HF, CD, DFA α1 and SE, observed at baseline, were lost during CHF. Thus in this new arrhythmogenic canine CHF model, attenuated morning HR rise, blunted autonomic oscillation, decreased cardiac chaos and complexity of heart rate, as well as aberrant time-of-day-dependent variations in many of these parameters were associated with a morning surge of ventricular arrhythmias.

Molecular adaptations of adipose tissue to 6 weeks of morning fasting vs. daily breakfast consumption in lean and obese adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Javier T; Richardson, Judith D; Chowdhury, Enhad A; Koumanov, Francoise; Holman, Geoffrey D; Cooper, Scott; Thompson, Dylan; Tsintzas, Kostas; Betts, James A

2018-02-15

In lean individuals, 6 weeks of extended morning fasting increases the expression of genes involved in lipid turnover (ACADM) and insulin signalling (IRS2) in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue. In obese individuals, 6 weeks of extended morning fasting increases IRS2 expression in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue. The content and activation status of key proteins involved in insulin signalling and glucose transport (GLUT4, Akt1 and Akt2) were unaffected by extended morning fasting. Therefore, any observations of altered adipose tissue insulin sensitivity with extended morning fasting do not necessarily require changes in insulin signalling proximal to Akt. Insulin-stimulated adipose tissue glucose uptake rates are lower in obese versus lean individuals, but this difference is abolished when values are normalised to whole-body fat mass. This suggests a novel hypothesis which proposes that the reduced adipose glucose uptake in obesity is a physiological down-regulation to prevent excessive de novo lipogenesis. This study assessed molecular responses of human subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SCAT) to 6 weeks of morning fasting. Forty-nine healthy lean (n = 29) and obese (n = 20) adults provided SCAT biopsies before and after 6 weeks of morning fasting (FAST; 0 kcal until 12.00 h) or daily breakfast consumption (BFAST; ≥700 kcal before 11.00 h). Biopsies were analysed for mRNA levels of selected genes, and GLUT4 and Akt protein content. Basal and insulin-stimulated Akt activation and tissue glucose uptake rates were also determined. In lean individuals, lipid turnover and insulin signalling genes (ACADM and IRS2) were up-regulated with FAST versus BFAST (ACADM: 1.14 (95% CI: 0.97-1.30) versus 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.96), P = 0.007; IRS2: 1.75 (95% CI: 1.33-2.16) versus 1.09 (95% CI: 0.67-1.51), P = 0.03, respectively). In obese individuals, no differential (FAST versus BFAST) expression was observed in genes involved in lipid turnover (all

Emotional experience in the mornings and the evenings: consideration of age differences in specific emotions by time of day.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Tammy; Carstensen, Laura L

2014-01-01

Considerable evidence points to age-related improvements in emotional well-being with age. In order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the nature of these apparent shifts in experience, we examined age differences in a range of emotional states in the mornings and evenings in a sample of 135 community-residing participants across 10 consecutive days. Participants ranged in age from 22 to 93 years. Each participant completed a diary in the morning and again in the evening every day for the study period. During each of the assessments, participants reported the degree to which they experienced emotions sampled from all four quadrants of the affective circumplex. Overall, participants felt less positive and more negative in the evenings than in the mornings. As expected, older adults reported a relatively more positive emotional experience than younger adults at both times of day. Importantly, however, age effects varied based on emotion type and time of day. Older adults reported experiencing more positive emotion than relatively younger adults across a range of different positive states (although age differences emerged most consistently for low arousal positive states). Age-related reductions in negative experience were observed only for reports of low arousal negative emotions. There were no age differences in anger, anxiety, or sadness. For some emotions, age differences were stronger in the mornings (e.g., relaxed) whereas for other emotions age differences were more pronounced in the evenings (e.g., enthusiastic). Findings are discussed in the context of adulthood changes in motivation and emotional experience.

Emotional Experience in the Mornings and the Evenings: Consideration of Age Differences in Specific Emotions by Time of Day

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Tammy eEnglish

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Considerable evidence points to age-related improvements in emotional well-being with age. In order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the nature of these apparent shifts in experience, we examined age differences in a range of emotional states in the mornings and evenings in a sample of 135 community-residing participants across 10 consecutive days. Participants ranged in age from 22 to 93 years. Each participant completed a diary in the morning and again in the evening every day for the study period. During each of the assessments, participants reported the degree to which they experienced emotions sampled from all four quadrants of the affective circumplex. Overall, participants felt less positive and more negative in the evenings than in the mornings. As expected, older adults reported a relatively more positive emotional experience than younger adults at both times of day. Importantly, however, age effects varied based on emotion type and time of day. Older adults reported experiencing more positive emotion than relatively younger adults across a range of different positive states (although age differences emerged most consistently for low arousal positive states. Age-related reductions in negative experience were observed only for reports of low arousal negative emotions. There were no age differences in anger, anxiety, or sadness. For some emotions, age differences were stronger in the mornings (e.g., relaxed whereas for other emotions age differences were more pronounced in the evenings (e.g., enthusiastic. Findings are discussed in the context of adulthood changes in motivation and emotional experience.

The effects of chronic food restriction on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity depend on morning versus evening availability of food.

Science.gov (United States)

Belda, Xavier; Ons, Sheila; Carrasco, Javier; Armario, Antonio

2005-05-01

Partial food restriction (FR) protocols have been used not only to study behavioral and physiological consequences of decrease food intake, but as a necessary treatment of the animals in some operant learning tasks. It is well-established in rodents that restricting food availability to a few hours in the morning causes an alteration of the daily rhythm of corticosterone, thus making it difficult to evaluate whether or not such treatments are stressful. In the present experiment adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to two different FR schedules: food availability after 1100 h (LFR) or after 1900 h (DFR). After 14 days, animals from both groups, together with corresponding controls, were killed under resting conditions, either in the morning or in the evening, just before daily access to food in FR rats. Both FR schedules reduced body weight gain to the same extent, but their impact on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was different: DFR increased relative, but not absolute, adrenal weight and morning and evening levels of corticosterone, whereas LFR increased both absolute and relative adrenal weights and increased morning corticosterone levels to a greater extent than DFR rats. Neither serum ACTH nor corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus were altered by DFR or LFR protocols, suggesting that factors other than CRF and ACTH are involved in the control of adrenocortical secretion under FR. It appears that LFR caused more alterations in the HPA axis than DFR and, therefore, the latter FR schedule should be used in those protocols necessarily involving partial FR.

Early morning – A temporal interstice in urban life

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Andrea Mubi Brighenti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Early morning is a critical threshold in daily urban rhythms1. But exactly, a threshold between what and what? As known, the Western imagination of the city is premised upon some overarching dichotomies, some great divides. In spatial terms, the city/countryside divide, or the city/territory, serves as a distinction which has traditionally informed the way we make sense of the urban experience at large. Indeed, urbanism – as opposed to ruralism – has been classically associated with human density, social heterogeneity, impersonal role-based interaction and segmental human relations. And incidentally, sociology as a discipline was born precisely as an investigation into this divide, then phrased as traditional versus modern, or mechanic versus organic.

Elevator group control during morning rush-hours; Erebeta gun kanri ni okeru shukkinji unten ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hikita, S. [Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Komaya, K. [Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Industrial Electronics and Systems Lab.

1995-11-30

In a high-rising building, a group control system is indispensable which controls elevators systematically in order to improve efficiency of transportation. The group control and supervision are divided into two kinds namely the allocated control and the operation control. The former is the control to determine the optimal elevator which is to respond to a call of an individual passenger and the latter is the control to determine the operational practice as an elevator group in response to changes of the macroscopic traffic flows which are repeated periodically like morning rush hours or a lunch time. In this article, the meaning of the operation during morning rush hours has been discussed, the effect of the operation during the rush hours has been verified through simulation, and as a result, it has been verified that the determination of number of elevator cages to be arranged by the number of passengers (in particular the number of passengers from the main floor) is not necessarily related to improvement of total transportation efficiency. Besides, after analyzing the behavior of the group of elevators under the morning rush hour operation, the new index for determination of the optimal number of elevator cages at the main floor has been established, a new practice for determining the number of cages to be arranged based on the above has been proposed, and its effect has been verified. 7 refs., 10 figs.

The efficacy of amine fluoride/stannous fluoride in the suppression of morning breath odour.

Science.gov (United States)

Quirynen, Marc; Avontroodt, Pieter; Soers, Catherine; Zhao, Hong; Pauwels, Martine; Coucke, Wim; van Steenberghe, Daniel

2002-10-01

Breath odour is a complaint encountered worldwide, often linked to microbial overload in the oral cavity. This double blind, crossover, randomised study assessed the efficacy of several antiseptic mouthrinses or slurry vs. a control solution in the prevention of morning bad breath during an experimental period of 7 days without mechanical plaque control. Sixteen dental students with a healthy periodontium abolished, after a thorough professional cleaning, all means of mechanical plaque control during five experimental periods of 7 days, interleaved by washout periods of at least 3 weeks. During each experimental period, as the only oral hygiene measure, the students rinsed twice a day with one of the following formulations (in a randomised order): a 0.2% chlorhexidine-alcohol mouthrinse (CHX-Alc), a 0.05% CHX + 0.05% cetylpyridinium chloride + 0.14% zinc lactate mouthrinse (CHX-CPC-Zn), an amine fluoride/stannous fluoride (125 ppm F-/125 ppm F-) containing mouthrinse (AmF/SnF2Mr), a slurry of a tooth paste (AmF/SnF2Sl) containing amine fluoride (350 ppm F-) and stannous fluoride (1050 ppm F-) and a placebo solution (placebo). At days 0, 3 and 7, morning breath was scored via VSC level measurements of the mouth air, and organoleptic ratings of the mouth air and tongue coating. At the same visits both the degree of gingival inflammation and the de novo plaque formation were rated. At the end of each period a questionnaire for subjective ratings was completed and microbiological samples were taken from the tongue dorsum, the saliva and the supragingival plaque for anaerobic and aerobic culturing. Although oral hygiene during the experimental periods was limited to rinsing, bad breath parameters systematically improved (P bacterial load (aerobic & anaerobic) in the saliva (>or= 0.5 log reduction with a superiority (P bacterial load on the tongue dorsum could only be detected for the CHX-Alc solution (0.5 log). The antibacterial effect of the placebo solution and the

Effects of snoezelen, integrated in 24 h dementia care, on nurse-patient communication during morning care.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weert, J.C.M. van; Dulmen, A.M. van; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M.; Ribbe, M.W.; Bensing, J.M.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of snoezelen, integrated in 24-hour care, on the communication of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and demented nursing home residents during morning care. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was conducted, comparing sic

Morning anaerobic performance is not altered by vigilance impairment.

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Romain Lericollais

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the role played by vigilance on the anaerobic performance recorded during a Wingate test performed at the bathyphase (nadir of the circadian rhythmicity. Twenty active male participants performed a 60-s Wingate test at 6 a.m. during 3 test sessions in counter-balanced order the day after either (i a normal reference night, (ii a total sleep deprivation night, or (iii a total sleep deprivation night associated with an extended simulated driving task from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. During this task, the number of inappropriate line crossings (ILCs was used to control and quantify the effective decrease in the level of vigilance. The main findings show that (i vigilance of each participant was significantly altered (i.e., a drastic and progressive increase in ILCs is shown during the 7.5 hours of driving by the sleep deprivation night associated with an extended driving task; (ii the subjective evaluation of vigilance performed by self-rated scale revealed an increased impairment of the vigilance level between the normal reference night, the total sleep deprivation night and the total sleep deprivation night associated with an extended driving task; and (iii the morning following this last condition, during the Wingate test, the recorded cycling biomechanical parameters (peak power, mean power and fatigue index values, power decrease, and cycling kinetic and kinematic patterns were not significantly different from the two other conditions. Consequently, these results show that anaerobic performances recorded during a Wingate test performed at the bathyphase of the circadian rhythmicity are not altered by a drastic impairment in vigilance. These findings seem to indicate that vigilance is probably not a factor that contributes to circadian variations in anaerobic performance.

Cortisol in the morning and dimensions of anxiety, depression, and aggression in children from a general population and clinic-referred cohort: An integrated analysis. The TRAILS study.

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Dietrich, Andrea; Ormel, Johan; Buitelaar, Jan K; Verhulst, Frank C; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Hartman, Catharina A

2013-08-01

Anxiety and depressive problems have often been related to higher hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity (basal morning cortisol levels and cortisol awakening response [CAR]) and externalizing problems to lower HPA-axis activity. However, associations appear weaker and more inconsistent than initially assumed. Previous studies from the Tracking Adolescents Individual Lives Study (TRAILS) suggested sex-differences in these relationships and differential associations with specific dimensions of depressive problems in a general population sample of children (10-12 years). Using the TRAILS population sample (n=1604), we tested hypotheses on the association between single day cortisol (basal morning levels and CAR) and specifically constructed dimensions of anxiety (cognitive versus somatic), depressive (cognitive-affective versus somatic), and externalizing problems (reactive versus proactive aggression), and explored the modifying role of sex. Moreover, we repeated analyses in an independent same-aged clinic-referred sample (n=357). Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the association between cortisol and higher- and lower-order (thus, broad and specific) problem dimensions based on self-reports in an integrated model. Overall, findings were consistent across the population and clinic-referred samples, as well as with the existing literature. Most support was found for higher cortisol (mainly CAR) in relation to depressive problems. However, in general, associations were weak in both samples. Therefore, the present results shed doubt on the relevance of single day cortisol measurements for problem behaviors in the milder range. Associations may be stronger in more severe or persistent psychopathology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase and immunoglobulin a responses to a morning session of basketball or volleyball training in boys aged 14-18 years.

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Bruzda-Zwiech, A; Konieczka, M; Hilt, A; Daszkowska, M; Grzegorczyk, J; Szczepańska, J

2017-01-01

This study investigates whether a single session of routine morning basketball or volleyball training affects saliva levels of cortisol, alpha-amylase (sAA) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in boys aged 14–18 years. Twenty-nine boys who participate in basketball or volleyball training, recruited from the Marcin Gortat’s Athletic Championship School in Lodz, were enrolled in the study. The 90-minute routine exercise program included 15 minutes of warm-up followed by basketball or volleyball practice. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected prior to and immediately after the exercise, and were analysed using ELISA. One training session resulted in a significant increase of sAA concentration in all participants, as well as in the volleyball and basketball subgroups (p=0.00022; p=0.0029; p=0.0011; respectively). Post-exercise cortisol levels were significantly lower than pre-exercise levels (p=0.00002) throughout the group, as well as in the volleyball and basketball subgroups (p=0.0048; p=0.0019; p=0.0048; respectively). The exercise protocol did not significantly affect sIgA level, either in the whole examined group or the volleyball subgroup, however a weak significant increase of sIgA was observed in the basketball subgroup (p=0.046). The routine morning training session comprising a warm-up followed by basketball or volleyball practice seems to activate the sympatho-adrenal-medullary system, with a subsequent increase of alpha-amylase, but does not affect oral immunity in 14-18-year-old boys.

The impact of an early-morning radiologist work shift on the timeliness of communicating urgent imaging findings on portable chest radiography.

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Kaewlai, Rathachai; Greene, Reginald E; Asrani, Ashwin V; Abujudeh, Hani H

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess the potential impact of staggered radiologist work shifts on the timeliness of communicating urgent imaging findings that are detected on portable overnight chest radiography of hospitalized patients. The authors conducted a retrospective study that compared the interval between the acquisition and communication of urgent findings on portable overnight critical care chest radiography detected by an early-morning shift for radiologists (3 am to 11 am) with historical experience with a standard daytime shift (8 am to 5 pm) in the detection and communication of urgent findings in a similar patient population a year earlier. During a 4-month period, 6,448 portable chest radiographic studies were interpreted on the early-morning radiologist shift. Urgent findings requiring immediate communication were detected in 308 (4.8%) studies. The early-morning shift of radiologists, on average, communicated these findings 2 hours earlier compared with the historical control group (P chest radiography of hospitalized patients. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The human endogenous circadian system causes greatest platelet activation during the biological morning independent of behaviors.

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Frank A J L Scheer

Full Text Available Platelets are involved in the thromboses that are central to myocardial infarctions and ischemic strokes. Such adverse cardiovascular events have day/night patterns with peaks in the morning (~9 AM, potentially related to endogenous circadian clock control of platelet activation. The objective was to test if the human endogenous circadian system influences (1 platelet function and (2 platelet response to standardized behavioral stressors. We also aimed to compare the magnitude of any effects on platelet function caused by the circadian system with that caused by varied standardized behavioral stressors, including mental arithmetic, passive postural tilt and mild cycling exercise.We studied 12 healthy adults (6 female who lived in individual laboratory suites in dim light for 240 h, with all behaviors scheduled on a 20-h recurring cycle to permit assessment of endogenous circadian function independent from environmental and behavioral effects including the sleep/wake cycle. Circadian phase was assessed from core body temperature. There were highly significant endogenous circadian rhythms in platelet surface activated glycoprotein (GP IIb-IIIa, GPIb and P-selectin (6-17% peak-trough amplitudes; p ≤ 0.01. These circadian peaks occurred at a circadian phase corresponding to 8-9 AM. Platelet count, ATP release, aggregability, and plasma epinephrine also had significant circadian rhythms but with later peaks (corresponding to 3-8 PM. The circadian effects on the platelet activation markers were always larger than that of any of the three behavioral stressors.These data demonstrate robust effects of the endogenous circadian system on platelet activation in humans--independent of the sleep/wake cycle, other behavioral influences and the environment. The 9 AM timing of the circadian peaks of the three platelet surface markers, including platelet surface activated GPIIb-IIIa, the final common pathway of platelet aggregation, suggests that endogenous

Alcohol Consumption Reduction Among a Web-Based Supportive Community Using the Hello Sunday Morning Blog Platform: Observational Study.

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Kirkman, Jessica Jane Louise; Leo, Briony; Moore, Jamie Christopher

2018-05-17

Alcohol misuse is a major social and public health issue in Australia, with an estimated cost to the community of Aus $30 billion per annum. Until recently, a major barrier in addressing this significant public health issue is the fact that the majority of individuals with alcohol use disorders and alcohol misuse are not receiving treatment. This study aimed to assess whether alcohol consumption changes are associated with participation in Hello Sunday Morning's blog platform, an online forum discussing experiences in abstaining from alcohol. The study reports on Hello Sunday Morning participants who signed up for a 3-month period of abstinence from November 2009 to November 2016. The sample comprised 1917 participants (female: 1227/1917, 64.01%; male: 690/1917, 35.99%). Main outcome measures were Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores, mood, program engagement metrics, and slip-ups. Individuals who reported hazardous (preprogram AUDIT mean 11.92, SD 2.25) and harmful consumption levels (preprogram AUDIT mean 17.52, SD 1.08) and who engaged in the Hello Sunday Morning program reported a significant decrease in alcohol consumption, moving to lower risk consumption levels (hazardous, mean 7.59, SD 5.70 and harmful, mean 10.38, SD 7.43), 4 months following program commencement (P<.001). Those who reported high-risk or dependent consumption levels experienced the biggest reduction (preprogram mean 25.38, SD 4.20), moving to risky consumption (mean 15.83, SD 11.11), 4 months following program commencement (P<.001). These reductions in risk were maintained by participants in each group, 7 months following program commencement. Furthermore, those who engaged in the program more (as defined by more sign-ins, blogs posted, check-ins completed, and engagement with the community through likes and following) had lower alcohol consumption. Finally, those who experienced more slip-ups had lower alcohol consumption. Participation in an online forum can support

Reevaluation of the role of duration of morning stiffness in the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Nasim A; Yazici, Yusuf; Calvo-Alen, Jaime

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of the duration of morning stiffness (MS), as a patient-reported outcome (PRO), in assessing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity. METHODS: We acquired information on 5439 patients in QUEST-RA, an international database of patients with RA evaluated by a s...

Calcipotriol cream in the morning and ointment in the evening: a novel regimen to improve compliance.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerkhof, P.C.M. van de; Franssen, M.; Brassinne, M. de la; Kuipers, M.V.

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND: Calcipotriol ointment and calcipotriol cream have both been shown to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. AIM: To find out the patient compliance, efficacy and tolerance to a regimen of a calcipotriol cream application in the morning and a calcipotriol ointment application in the

Effect of extended morning fasting upon ad libitum lunch intake and associated metabolic and hormonal responses in obese adults.

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Chowdhury, E A; Richardson, J D; Tsintzas, K; Thompson, D; Betts, J A

2016-02-01

Breakfast omission is positively associated with obesity and increased risk of disease. However, little is known about the acute effects of extended morning fasting upon subsequent energy intake and associated metabolic/regulatory factors in obese adults. In a randomised cross-over design, 24 obese men (n=8) and women (n=16) extended their overnight fast by omitting breakfast consumption or ingesting a typical carbohydrate-rich breakfast of 2183±393 kJ (521±94 kcal), before an ad libitum pasta lunch 3 h later. Blood samples were obtained throughout the day until 3 h post lunch and analysed for hormones implicated in appetite regulation, along with metabolic outcomes and subjective appetite measures. Lunch intake was unaffected by extended morning fasting (difference=218 kJ, 95% confidence interval -54 kJ, 490 kJ; P=0.1) resulting in lower total intake in the fasting trial (difference=-1964 kJ, 95% confidence interval -1645 kJ, -2281 kJ; Pfasting (P⩽0.06). Plasma-acylated ghrelin concentrations were also lower following the ad libitum lunch in the fasting trial (Pfasting trial (P=0.05), with plasma glucose also greater 1 h after lunch (Pfasting did not result in greater appetite ratings after lunch, with some tendency for lower appetite 3 h post lunch (P=0.09). We demonstrate for the first time that, in obese adults, extended morning fasting does not cause compensatory intake during an ad libitum lunch nor does it increase appetite during the afternoon. Morning fasting reduced satiety hormone responses to a subsequent lunch meal but counterintuitively also reduced concentrations of the appetite-stimulating hormone-acylated ghrelin during the afternoon relative to lunch consumed after breakfast.

Competency-structured case discussion in the morning meeting: enhancing CanMEDS integration in daily practice

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Hassan IS

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Imad Salah Hassan, Hadi Kuriry, Lina Al Ansari, Ali Al-Khathami, Mohammed Al Qahtani, Thari Al Anazi, Mahfooz Farooqui, Hamdan Al Jahdali Department of Medicine 1443, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abstract: Outcome-focused, competency-based educational curricula have become the norm in residency training programs. The Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (CanMEDS framework is one example of such a curriculum. However, models for incorporating all the competencies in everyday clinical practice have been difficult to accomplish. In this manuscript, a CanMEDS, competency-structured, acute case discussion in a regular morning meeting was undertaken. All the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions were explicitly organized and discussed under their respective CanMEDS competency headings. Post exercise, the majority of residents felt that they were more competent in all the competencies and indicated their willingness to continue having similarly structured acute case discussions in the future. Keywords: CanMEDS roles, residents, morning meeting

Formulation of morning product using food residues

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Maria do Rosário de Fátima Padilha

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In Brazil, there is resistance of the population to the use of stalks, leaves, peels and seeds of vegetables and fruits, leading to trash important parts of the food in good physiological conditions and with the presence of potential nutrients. In this research, a morning product was elaborated using green and dry coconut residue, jerimum and melon seed, crystallized sicilian lemon peel, cashew nut, common rapadura sweet and ginger. The bacteriological tests proved the hygienic-sanitary quality of the product, therefore suitable for consumption, that is, according to RDC 12/2001. It was also observed that the dehydration of all the residues reached the legal levels and accepted by ANVISA that limits in 25% the water content in the dehydrated foods. As for the centesimal composition, it was observed that the elaborated product with residues and other ingredients had a good content of macro nutrients. A use of the type of waste as a new food proposal constitutes an alternative to avoid and reduce: the serious environmental problem caused by the large residual volume generated, and the inadequate places in which they are stored or deposited, aggravating the scenario of food-borne pollutants.

Evening versus morning dosing regimen drug therapy for chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension in blood pressure patterns: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Wang, Caixia; Ye, Yuqiu; Liu, Chunyong; Zhou, Yongming; Lv, Linsheng; Cheng, Cailian; Li, Shaomin; Lou, Tanqi; Liu, Xun

2017-08-01

Evening dosing regimen drug therapy on blood pressure (BP) control is used widely, but its clinical benefits and preservation or re-establishment of the normal 24-h BP dipping pattern in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is not known. To investigate the effect of an evening dosing regimen of antihypertensive drugs on BP patterns of CKD patients with hypertension. A systematic review was conducted by searching PUBMED, EMBASE, ASN-ONLINE, the Cochrane Library and the reference lists of relevant articles of published papers. All trials designed to evaluate the effects of evening versus morning dosing regimen drug therapy for CKD patients with hypertension were included. Meta-analysis was performed using random or fixed effects models. Five randomised controlled trials and one comparative study, including 3732 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with morning dosing regimen drug therapy, evening administration of antihypertensive medication was associated with a significant reduction of 40% in non-dipper BP patterns (risk ratio (RR), 95% CI, (0.43, 0.84)). We noted a significant decrease in nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD -3.17 mmHg, 95% CI (-5.41, -0.94)), a significant reduction in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (MD -1.37 mmHg, 95% CI (-2.05, -0.69)) and a significant increase in awake SBP (MD 1.15 mmHg, 95% CI (0.10, 2.19)) in patients assigned to the evening dosing regimen drug therapy group. Patients showed no significant differences for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. This review shows that evening dosing regimen drug therapy could reverse non-dipper BP patterns in hypertensive CKD patients. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Association between glycemic control and morning blood surge with vascular endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

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Rama Kumari Nuthalapati

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Morning blood pressure surge (MBPS is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events. However, little is known about the association between glycemic control and MBPS, and its effect on vascular injury in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. The current study examined the association between glycemic control and MBPS and the involvement of MBPS in the development of vascular dysfunction in T2DM patients. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-two consecutive T2DM outpatients from the Department of Cardiology and Endocrinology were enrolled in this study. We did MBPS in T2DM patients, 85 (male (69.7% patients and 37 (female patients (30.3%; mean age 60.1 ± 9.39; (n = 122 using 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and assessed vascular function by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD. Results: The correlation between MBPS and various clinical variables were examined by single regression analysis in all subjects. MBPS showed significant and positive correlation with pulse rate (P = 0.01, fasting blood sugar (P = 0.002, and postprandial blood sugar (P = 0.05. To further confirm the association of insulin resistance (IR with MBPS in T2DM patients, we examined the correlation between homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR, an established marker of IR and MBPS in diabetic (DM patients who were not taking insulin no significant association with MBPS in T2DM patients (P = 0.41, angiotensin-converting enzyme/angiotensin receptor blocker (P = 0.07. We examined the relationship between MBPS and vascular injury by measuring endothelium-dependent FMD and endothelium-independent NMD in T2DM patients. Among the various traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis such as DM duration (P = 0.04, platelet reactivity (P = 0.04 and morning surge (P = 0.002 emerged as significant factors. HOMA-IR was a negative correlation with FMD. Conclusions: The current study demonstrated that

Morning Glory Syndrome with Carotid and Middle Cerebral Artery Vasculopathy.

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Nezzar, Hachemi; Mbekeani, Joyce N; Dalens, Helen

2015-12-01

To report a case of incidental asymptomatic atypical morning glory syndrome (MGS) with concomitant ipsilateral carotid and middle cerebral dysgenesis. A 6-year-old child was discovered to have incidental findings of MGS, with atypia. All visual functions were normal including vision and stereopsis. Neuroimaging revealed ipsilateral carotid and middle cerebral vascular narrowing without associated collateral vessels or cerebral ischemia commonly seen in Moyamoya disease. Subsequent annual examinations have been stable, without signs of progression. This case demonstrates disparity between structural aberrations and final visual and neurological function and reinforces the association between MGS and intracranial vascular disruption. Full ancillary ophthalmic and neuroimaging studies should be performed in all patients with MGS with interval reassessments, even when the patient is asymptomatic and functionally intact.

Morning-evening difference of team-handball-related short-term maximal physical performances in female team handball players.

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Mhenni, Thouraya; Michalsik, Lars Bojsen; Mejri, Mohamed Arbi; Yousfi, Narimen; Chaouachi, Anis; Souissi, Nizar; Chamari, Karim

2017-05-01

This study investigated the two different time-of-day effect on team-handball-related short-term maximal physical performances. At two different time-of-day, fifteen young female team handball players performed different physical tests: HandGrip (HG) test, Ball-Throwing Velocity (BTV) test, Modified Agility T-test (MAT) and Repeated Shuttle-Sprint and Jump Ability (RSSJA) test. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale was determined following the termination of the last test. Measurements were performed at two separate testing sessions (i.e., in the morning (7:00-8:30 h) and in the early evening (17:00-18:30 h)) in a randomised and counter-balanced setting on non-consecutive days. The results showed that HG (P = 0.0013), BTV (P = 0.0027) and MAT (P handball players, team-handball-related short-term maximal physical performances were better in the afternoon than in the morning.

Morning administration of oral methamphetamine dose-dependently disrupts nighttime sleep in recreational stimulant users.

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Herrmann, Evan S; Johnson, Patrick S; Bruner, Natalie R; Vandrey, Ryan; Johnson, Matthew W

2017-09-01

Use of amphetamine-type stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) is associated with acute sleep disruptions. No prior reports have characterized the acute effects of methamphetamine on sleep using polysomnography, the gold standard for objective sleep monitoring. Recreational stimulant users (n=19) completed a baseline assessment, which included questionnaires assessing demographic and substance use characteristics, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which assesses sleep quality over the past month. Participants were administered 0mg (placebo), 20mg, or 40mg oral methamphetamine at 08:15h on study days, using a double-blind, randomized, within-subjects design. Sleep was monitored using polysomnography from 22:20 that evening until 06:15 the following morning. PSQI scores indicated more than half of participants reported poor sleep quality at baseline. Methamphetamine dose-dependently increased sleep latency, and decreased total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time in NREM 2 sleep, number of REM periods, and total time in REM sleep. Sleep under placebo conditions was consistent with what would be expected from healthy adults. Morning oral administration of methamphetamine produces robust disruptions in nighttime sleep. Future research should examine relations between stimulant use and sleep disruption in naturalistic settings, with regard to both stimulant abuse and licit prescription use. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Suspected natural lysosomal storage disease from ingestion of pink morning glory (Ipomoea carnea) in goats in northern Argentina.

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Ríos, Elvio E; Cholich, Luciana A; Chileski, Gabriela; García, Enrique N; Lértora, Javier; Gimeno, Eduardo J; Guidi, María G; Mussart, Norma; Teibler, Gladys P

2015-07-01

This study describes an occurrence of pink morning glory (Ipomoea carnea) intoxication in goats in northern Argentina. The clinical signs displayed by the affected animals were ataxia, lethargy, emaciation, hypertonia of the neck muscles, spastic paresis in the hind legs, abnormal postural reactions and death. The clinico-pathologic examination revealed that the affected animals were anemic and their serum level of aspartate aminotransferase was significantly increased. Cytoplasmic vacuolation in the Purkinje cells and pancreatic acinar cells was observed by histological examination. The neuronal lectin binding pattern showed a strong positive reaction to WGA (Triticum vulgaris), sWGA (succinylated T. vulgaris) and LCA (Lens culinaris). Although I. carnea is common in tropical regions, this is the first report of spontaneous poisoning in goats in Argentina.

Cerebrospinal fluid cortisol levels are higher in patients with delirium versus controls

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White Timothy O

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background High plasma cortisol levels can cause acute cognitive and neuropsychiatric dysfunction, and have been linked with delirium. CSF cortisol levels more closely reflect brain exposure to cortisol, but there are no studies of CSF cortisol levels in delirium. In this pilot study we acquired CSF specimens at the onset of spinal anaesthesia in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, and compared CSF and plasma cortisol levels in delirium cases versus controls. Findings Delirium assessments were performed the evening before or on the morning of operation with a standard battery comprising cognitive tests, mental status assessments and the Confusion Assessment Method. CSF and plasma samples were obtained at the onset of the operation and cortisol levels measured. Twenty patients (15 female, 5 male aged 62 - 93 years were studied. Seven patients were diagnosed with delirium. The mean ages of cases (81.4 (SD 7.2 and controls (80.5 (SD 8.7 were not significantly different (p = 0.88. The median (interquartile range CSF cortisol levels were significantly higher in cases (63.9 (40.4-102.1 nmol/L than controls (31.4 (21.7-43.3 nmol/L; Mann-Whitney U, p = 0.029. The median (interquartile range of plasma cortisol was also significantly higher in cases (968.8 (886.2-1394.4 nmol/L, than controls (809.4 (544.0-986.4 nmol/L; Mann Whitney U, p = 0.036. Conclusions These findings support an association between higher CSF cortisol levels and delirium. This extends previous findings linking higher plasma cortisol and delirium, and suggests that more definitive studies of the relationship between cortisol levels and delirium are now required.

Misclassification of iodine intake level from morning spot urine samples with high iodine excretion among Inuit and non-Inuit in Greenland.

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Andersen, Stig; Waagepetersen, Rasmus; Laurberg, Peter

2015-05-14

Iodine nutrition is commonly assessed from iodine excretion in urine. A 24 h urine sample is ideal, but it is cumbersome and inconvenient. Hence, spot urine samples with creatinine to adjust for differences in void volume are widely used. Still, the importance of ethnicity and the timing of spot urine samples need to be settled. We, thus, collected 104 early morning spot urine samples and 24 h urine samples from Inuit and non-Inuit living in Greenland. Diet was assessed by a FFQ. Demographic data were collected from the national registry and by questionnaires. Iodine was measured using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction, creatinine using the Jaffe method and para-amino benzoic acid by the HPLC method for the estimation of completeness of urine sampling and compensation of incomplete urine samples to 24 h excretion. A population-based recruitment was done from the capital city, a major town and a settlement (n 36/48/20). Participants were seventy-eight Inuit and twenty-six non-Inuit. The median 24 h iodine excretion was 138 (25th-75th percentile 89-225) μg/97 (25th-75th percentile 72-124) μg in Inuit/non-Inuit (P= 0.030), and 153 (25th-75th percentile 97-251) μg/102 (25th-75th percentile 73-138) μg (P= 0.026) when including compensated iodine excretion. Iodine excretion in 24 h urine samples increased with a rising intake of traditional Inuit foods (P= 0.005). Iodine excretion was lower in morning spot urine samples than in 24 h urine samples (P< 0.001). This difference was associated with iodine intake levels (P< 0.001), and was statistically significant when the iodine excretion level was above 150 μg/24 h. In conclusion, the iodine intake level was underestimated from morning spot urine samples if iodine excretion was above the recommended level.

Heart-Rate Variability During Deep Sleep in World-Class Alpine Skiers: A Time-Efficient Alternative to Morning Supine Measurements.

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Herzig, David; Testorelli, Moreno; Olstad, Daniela Schäfer; Erlacher, Daniel; Achermann, Peter; Eser, Prisca; Wilhelm, Matthias

2017-05-01

It is increasingly popular to use heart-rate variability (HRV) to tailor training for athletes. A time-efficient method is HRV assessment during deep sleep. To validate the selection of deep-sleep segments identified by RR intervals with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) recordings and to compare HRV parameters of these segments with those of standard morning supine measurements. In 11 world-class alpine skiers, RR intervals were monitored during 10 nights, and simultaneous EEGs were recorded during 2-4 nights. Deep sleep was determined from the HRV signal and verified by delta power from the EEG recordings. Four further segments were chosen for HRV determination, namely, a 4-h segment from midnight to 4 AM and three 5-min segments: 1 just before awakening, 1 after waking in supine position, and 1 in standing after orthostatic challenge. Training load was recorded every day. A total of 80 night and 68 morning measurements of 9 athletes were analyzed. Good correspondence between the phases selected by RR intervals vs those selected by EEG was found. Concerning root-mean-squared difference of successive RR intervals (RMSSD), a marker for parasympathetic activity, the best relationship with the morning supine measurement was found in deep sleep. HRV is a simple tool for approximating deep-sleep phases, and HRV measurement during deep sleep could provide a time-efficient alternative to HRV in supine position.

The effects of a mid-morning bout of exercise on adolescents' cognitive function

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Cooper, SB; Bandelow, S; Nute, ML; Morris, JG; Nevill, ME

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a mid-morning bout of exercise on adolescents’ cognitive function in a randomised crossover design where each participant completed two experimental trials. Forty-five adolescents (13.3±0.3 years old), undertook a bout of exercise (ten repeats of level one of the multi-stage fitness test, 30s rest between repeats; exercise trial) or continued to rest (resting trial). A battery of cognitive function tests assessing visuo-motor speed, e...

Effects of one versus two bouts of moderate intensity physical activity on selective attention during a school morning in Dutch primary schoolchildren: A randomized controlled trial.

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Altenburg, Teatske M; Chinapaw, Mai J M; Singh, Amika S

2016-10-01

Evidence suggests that physical activity is positively related to several aspects of cognitive functioning in children, among which is selective attention. To date, no information is available on the optimal frequency of physical activity on cognitive functioning in children. The current study examined the acute effects of one and two bouts of moderate-intensity physical activity on children's selective attention. Randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN97975679). Thirty boys and twenty-six girls, aged 10-13 years, were randomly assigned to three conditions: (A) sitting all morning working on simulated school tasks; (B) one 20-min physical activity bout after 90min; and (C) two 20-min physical activity bouts, i.e. at the start and after 90min. Selective attention was assessed at five time points during the morning (i.e. at baseline and after 20, 110, 130 and 220min), using the 'Sky Search' subtest of the 'Test of Selective Attention in Children'. We used GEE analysis to examine differences in Sky Search scores between the three experimental conditions, adjusting for school, baseline scores, self-reported screen time and time spent in sports. Children who performed two 20-min bouts of moderate-intensity physical activity had significantly better Sky Search scores compared to children who performed one physical activity bout or remained seated the whole morning (B=-0.26; 95% CI=[-0.52; -0.00]). Our findings support the importance of repeated physical activity during the school day for beneficial effects on selective attention in children. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nursing assistants' behavior during morning care: effects of the implementation of snoezelen, integrated in 24-hours dementia care.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weert, J.C.M. van; Janssen, B.M.; Dulmen, A.M. van; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M.; Bensing, J.M.; Ribbe, M.W.

2006-01-01

Aim: This paper reports an investigation of the effects of the implementation of snoezelen, or multisensory stimulation, on the quality of nursing assistants' behaviour during morning care. Background: Nursing assistants in long-term dementia care are often unaware of the impact of their behaviour

Resident's Morning Report: An Opportunity to Reinforce Principles of Biomedical Science in a Clinical Context

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Brass, Eric P.

2013-01-01

The principles of biochemistry are core to understanding cellular and tissue function, as well as the pathophysiology of disease. However, the clinical utility of biochemical principles is often obscure to clinical trainees. Resident's Morning Report is a common teaching conference in which residents present clinical cases of interest to a…

Smoking Conditions and the Relationships Between Smoking Habits and Such Factors as Exercise Habits and Morning Diet among Male Students Aged 16 to 20 Years

OpenAIRE

Kazuo, HASHIZUME; Yukinori, KUSAKA; Masayuki, IKI; Kazuo, KAWAHARA; Faculty of Education, Toyama University; Department of Environmental Health, Fukui Medical School; Department of Public Health, Kinki University School of Medicine; Community Health, Health Promotion and Nutrition Division, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health and Welfare

1998-01-01

This article explores the smoking behavior of 307 sixteen-to twenty-year-old students, and examines the relationships between their smoking and such factors as weight, exercise or morning diets. Four-year follow-up data on their physical characteristics, exercise and morning diet, and a five-year retrospective questionnaire on smoking habits were analyzed. Our longitudinal analysis revealed that : the prevalence of smoking increased from 17.6% to 54.1%, while the semi-annual incidence of smok...

Smoking conditions and the relationships between smoking habits and such factors as exercise habits and morning diet among male students aged 16 to 20 years

OpenAIRE

Hashizume, Kazuo; Kusaka, Yukinori; Iki, Masayuki; Kawahara, Kazuo

1998-01-01

This article explores the smoking behavior of 307 sixteen- to twenty-year-old students, and examines the relationships between their smoking and such factors as weight, exercise or morning diets. Four-year follow-up data on their physical characteristics, exercise and morning diet, and a five-year retrospective questionnaire on smoking habits were analyzed. Our longitudinal analysis revealed that: the prevalence of smoking increased from 17.6% to 54.1%, while the semi-annual incidence of smok...

Ambulatory Morning Report: A Case-Based Method of Teaching EBM Through Experiential Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Luciano, Gina L; Visintainer, Paul F; Kleppel, Reva; Rothberg, Michael B

2016-02-01

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills are important to daily practice, but residents generally feel unskilled incorporating EBM into practice. The Kolb experiential learning theory, as applied to curricular planning, offers a unique methodology to help learners build an EBM skill set based on clinical experiences. We sought to blend the learner-centered, case-based merits of the morning report with an experientially based EBM curriculum. We describe and evaluate a patient-centered ambulatory morning report combining the User's Guides to the Medical Literature approach to EBM and experiential learning theory in the internal medicine department at Baystate Medical Center. The Kolb experiential learning theory postulates that experience transforms knowledge; within that premise we designed a curriculum to build EBM skills incorporating residents' patient encounters. By developing structured clinical questions based on recent clinical problems, residents activate prior knowledge. Residents acquire new knowledge through selection and evaluation of an article that addresses the structured clinical questions. Residents then apply and use new knowledge in future patient encounters. To assess the curriculum, we designed an 18-question EBM test, which addressed applied knowledge and EBM skills based on the User's Guides approach. Of the 66 residents who could participate in the curriculum, 61 (92%) completed the test. There was a modest improvement in EBM knowledge, primarily during the first year of training. Our experiential curriculum teaches EBM skills essential to clinical practice. The curriculum differs from traditional EBM curricula in that ours blends experiential learning with an EBM skill set; learners use new knowledge in real time.

Decreased hospital length of stay associated with presentation of cases at morning report with librarian support

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Daniel E.; Shi, Runhua; Timm, Donna F.; Christopher, Kerri Ann; Duggar, David Charles; Comegys, Marianne; McLarty, Jerry

2007-01-01

Objective: The research sought to determine whether case discussion at residents' morning report (MR), accompanied by a computerized literature search and librarian support, affects hospital charges, length of stay (LOS), and thirty-day readmission rate. Methods: This case-control study, conducted from August 2004 to March 2005, compared outcomes for 105 cases presented at MR within 24 hours of admission to 19,210 potential matches, including cases presented at MR and cases not presented at MR. With matching criteria of patient age (± 5 years), identical primary diagnosis, and secondary diagnoses (within 3 additional diagnoses) using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) codes, 55 cases were matched to 136 controls. Statistical analyses included Student's t tests, chi-squared tests, and nonparametric methods. Results: LOS differed significantly between matched MR cases and controls (3 days vs. 5 days, P librarians, was an effective means for introducing evidence-based medicine into patient care practices. PMID:17971885

Information transfer and communication during the morning rounds in surgical departments: an observational study on the use of SBAR.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merten, H.; Langelaan, M.; Wagner, C.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To study the structure and completeness of the information transfer between nurses and physicians during the morning rounds on surgical wards after the implementation of the SBAR-communication tool. Methods: in collaboration with the care professionals, we adjusted the SBAR-tool

Normal Morning Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Levels and No Association with Rapid Eye Movement or Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Parameters in Narcolepsy Type 1 and Type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schrölkamp, Maren; Jennum, Poul J; Gammeltoft, Steen

2017-01-01

in rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep regulation. Hypocretin neurons reciprocally interact with MCH neurons. We hypothesized that altered MCH secretion contributes to the symptoms and sleep abnormalities of narcolepsy and that this is reflected in morning cerebrospinal fluid...... MCH levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that MCH levels in CSF collected in the morning are normal in narcolepsy and not associated with the clinical symptoms, REM sleep abnormalities, nor number of muscle movements during REM or NREM sleep of the patients. We conclude that morning lumbar CSF MCH......STUDY OBJECTIVES: Other than hypocretin-1 (HCRT-1) deficiency in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), the neurochemical imbalance of NT1 and narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) with normal HCRT-1 levels is largely unknown. The neuropeptide melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is mainly secreted during sleep and is involved...

Changes of Selected Hematological Parameters and Morning Rest Rate during Ten Days High Altitude Stay and Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Suchý

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Changes of Selected Hematological Parameters and Morning Rest Rate during Ten Days High Altitude Stay and Training This article describes the influence of a ten day stay and training in a high altitude area (1850 m ASL on selected blood count parameters and morning resting heart rate. Three tests were performed on a group of young cross country skiers (n = 10, age: 18.7 ± 4.8: two days before, two days after and ten days after the altitude training camp. Two day after the return, significant (p 0.05. The study in a group of young cross country skiers has shown positive effects of a tenday training camp in high altitude on blood count parameters and morning resting heart rate monitored in lowland two and ten days after the return from high altitude. Změny vybraných hematologických parametrů a ranní klidové srdeční frekvence v průběhu desetidenního tréninku a pobytu ve vyšší nadmořské výšce Článek popisuje vliv desetidenního tréninku a pobytu ve vyšší nadmořské výšce (1850 m n. m. na vybrané parametry krevního obrazu a ranní klidové srdeční frekvence. U skupiny mladých běžců na lyžích (n = 10, věk: 18,7 ± 4,8 byly realizovány celkem tři odběry krve: dva dny před soustředěním ve výšce, dva dny a deset dnů po návratu do nížiny. Dva dny po návratu byly signifikantně (p 0,05. Průměrné hodnoty ranní klidové srdeční frekvence byly během soustředění ve výšce vyšší než před odjezdem v nížině (p 0,05. Námi realizovaný výzkum u skupiny mladých běžců na lyžích prokázal pozitivní efekt desetidenního pobytu a tréninku ve vyšší nadmořské výšce (1850 m n. m. na sledované krevní parametry a ranní klidovou srdeční frekvenci v nížině po návratu.

Extinction of Conditioned Fear is Better Learned and Recalled in the Morning than in the Evening

OpenAIRE

Pace-Schott, Edward F.; Spencer, Rebecca M.C.; Vijayakumar, Shilpa; Ahmed, Nafis; Verga, Patrick W.; Orr, Scott P.; Pitman, Roger K.; Milad, Mohammed R.

2013-01-01

Sleep helps emotional memories consolidate and may promote generalization of fear extinction memory. We examined whether extinction learning and memory might differ in the morning and evening due, potentially, to circadian and/or sleep-homeostatic factors. Healthy men (N=109) in 6 groups completed a 2-session protocol. In Session 1, fear conditioning was followed by extinction learning. Partial reinforcement with mild electric shock produced conditioned skin conductance responses (SCR) to 2 d...

Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

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Abdul Hadi Mohd

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: The aim of present research was to develop matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam filled in capsule for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods:Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam were prepared by direct compression method using microsomal enzyme dependent and pH-sensitive polymers which were further filled into an empty HPMC capsule. To assess the compatibility, FT-IR and DSC studies for pure drug, polymers and their physical mixture were performed. The formulated batches were subjected to physicochemical studies, estimation of drug content, in vitro drug release, drug release kinetics, and stability studies. Results:  When FTIR and DSC studies were performed it was found that there was no interaction between lornoxicam and polymers which used. All the physicochemical properties of prepared matrix-mini-tablets were found to be in normal limits. The percentage of drug content was found to be 99.60±0.07%. Our optimized matrix mini-tablets-filled-capsule formulation F30 released lornoxicam after a lag time of 5.02±0.92 hr, 95.48±0.65 % at the end of 8 hr and 99.90±0.83 % at the end of 12 hr. Stability was also found for this formulation as per the guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Conclusion: A novel colon targeted delivery system of lornoxicam was successfully developed by filling matrix-mini-tablets into an empty HPMC capsule shell for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Changes In Some Physiological And Chemical Parameters Of Ostrich In Response To The Seasonal And Diurnal Temperature Variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, M.H.; Khalifa, H.H.; Elaroussi, M.A.; Elsayed, M.A.; Basuony, H.A.

2011-01-01

at the morning and afternoon periods. However, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was significantly decreased in summer season. In addition, at summer season, the results showed that Hb was significantly increased at the morning than afternoon while there were non-significant differences in other parameters. In addition, at winter season, Hb, PCV % and both RBC and WBC counts were significantly elevated at morning as compared with at afternoon values. In the mean time, non- significant differences between the morning and afternoon in MCV, MCH and MCHC levels were observed. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio were significantly increased during the winter than the summer at morning and afternoon while total protein and albumin were significantly increased at morning than at afternoon during both summer and winter. Serum ALT, AST, total lipids, triglyceride, cholesterol, and glucose levels were significantly increased during summer as compared with winter at morning and afternoon periods. The increase in those serum parameters was highly significant during the afternoon as compared with the morning periods in both summer and winter. Serum triiodothyronine (T 3 ) was highly significantly increased during the winter than the summer with morning values higher than the afternoon in both seasons. Unlike T 3 , the increase in cortisol hormone was highly significant during summer as compared to winter with morning value higher in winter and afternoon value higher in summer than the other periods.

The prevalence of coeliac disease is significantly higher in children compared with adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariné, M; Farre, C; Alsina, M; Vilar, P; Cortijo, M; Salas, A; Fernández-Bañares, F; Rosinach, M; Santaolalla, R; Loras, C; Marquès, T; Cusí, V; Hernández, M I; Carrasco, A; Ribes, J; Viver, J M; Esteve, M

2011-02-01

Some limited studies of coeliac disease have shown higher frequency of coeliac disease in infancy and adolescence than in adulthood. This finding has remained unnoticed and not adequately demonstrated. To assess whether there are age and gender differences in coeliac disease prevalence. A total of 4230 subjects were included consecutively (1 to ≥80 years old) reproducing the reference population by age and gender. Sample size was calculated assuming a population-based coeliac disease prevalence of 1:250. After an interim analysis, the paediatric sample was expanded (2010 children) due to high prevalence in this group. Anti-transglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies were determined and duodenal biopsy was performed if positive. Log-linear models were fitted to coeliac disease prevalence by age allowing calculation of percentage change of prevalence. Differences between groups were compared using Chi-squared test. Twenty-one subjects had coeliac disease (male/female 1:2.5). Coeliac disease prevalence in the total population was 1:204. Coeliac disease prevalence was higher in children (1:71) than in adults (1:357) (P = 0.00005). A significant decrease of prevalence in older generations was observed [change of prevalence by age of -5% (95% CI: -7.58 to -2.42%)]. In the paediatric expanded group (1-14 years), a decrease of coeliac disease prevalence was also observed [prevalence change: -17% (95% CI: -25.02 to -6.10)]. The prevalence of coeliac disease in childhood was five times higher than in adults. Whether this difference is due to environmental factors influencing infancy, or latency of coeliac disease in adulthood, remains to be demonstrated in prospective longitudinal studies. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Frequency and Types of Foods Advertised on Saturday Morning and Weekday Afternoon English- and Spanish-Language American Television Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Robert A.; Cassady, Diana; Culp, Jennifer; Alcalay, Rina

2009-01-01

Objective: To describe food advertised on networks serving children and youth, and to compare ads on English-language networks with ads on Spanish networks. Design: Analysis of television food advertisements appearing on Saturday morning and weekday afternoons in 2005-2006. A random sample of 1,130 advertisements appearing on 12 networks catering…

Hello Sunday Morning: Alcohol, (non)consumption and selfhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennay, Amy; MacLean, Sarah; Rankin, Georgia

2016-02-01

Hello Sunday Morning (HSM) is an online program that encourages people to commit to a period of non-drinking and blog about their experiences. The purpose of this paper is to explore how HSM members negotiated their periods of abstention, with a focus on how not drinking influenced their narratives of selfhood. Thematic analysis was undertaken of 2844 blog posts from 154 Victorians who signed up to HSM in 2013 or 2014. Analysis revealed three key narratives of selfhood offered by participants: (1) abstinence resulting in a disrupted sense of self, (2) non-consumption facilitating the development of a new healthy self, and (3) anti-consumption facilitating the development of a resistant self. Individuals construct and maintain their sense of self through consumption (or non-consumption) activities, and this occurs within the broader context of the relationship between selfhood, consumption and culture. HSM members developed narratives of self by drawing on a range of wider discursive structures concerning pleasure, healthism and resistance. The typologies of non-drinking selves identified in this paper could be disseminated through platforms such as HSM to support people who are new to non-drinking in choosing how they might construct and enact alternative selfhoods in contexts where alcohol consumption is deeply embedded. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

External Stakeholders of Higher Education Institutions in Poland: Their Identification and Significance

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowska-Piatek, Agnieszka

2017-01-01

In the context of the ongoing changes in the management systems of higher education, the issue of higher education institutions' (HEIs) relationships with external stakeholders are of key importance. This article discusses this problem from the perspective of Polish higher education system. The aim of it is to answer the following questions: (1)…

The petrology, geochronology and significance of Granite Harbour Intrusive Complex xenoliths and outcrop sampled in western McMurdo Sound, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, A.P.; Cooper, A.F.; Price, R.C.; Turnbull, R.E.; Roberts, N.M.W.

2015-01-01

Granite Harbour Intrusive Complex xenoliths in McMurdo Volcanic Group rocks and in situ outcrops have been studied from Mount Morning, western McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Calc-alkalic samples have whole rock signatures and normative compositions similar to the Dry Valleys 1b suite, and zircon grains in one specimen yield a 545.2 ± 4.4 Ma crystallisation age. This supports subduction-related magmatism initiating in Southern Victoria Land by 545 Ma. A second group of xenoliths is alkalic, with titanite grains in one xenolith from this group dated at 538 ± 8 Ma. Whole rock chemistry, normative compositions and geochronology of the alkalic group are comparable to the Koettlitz Glacier Alkaline Suite (KGAS). The position of a proposed lower crustal discontinuity that may form a significant basement suture in the McMurdo Sound region is newly constrained to the east of Mount Morning, perhaps along the trace of the Discovery Glacier. The boundary between East and West Antarctica may also pass along the trace of the Discovery Glacier if, as previously hypothesised, its location is controlled by the basement suture. A significant basement suture may also have provided the necessary egress for the (regionally) early and sustained magmatic activity observed at Mount Morning over the last 24 million years. (author).

Night Owl Women are Similar to Men in Their Relationship Orientation, Risk-taking Propensities, and Cortisol Levels: Implications for the Adaptive Significance and Evolution of Eveningness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Maestripieri

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Individual differences in morningness/eveningness are relatively stable over time and, in part, genetically based. The night-owl pattern is more prevalent in men than in women, particularly after puberty and before women reach menopause. It has been suggested that eveningness evolved relatively recently in human evolutionary history and that this trait may be advantageous to individuals pursuing short-term mating strategies. Consistent with this hypothesis, eveningness is associated with extraversion, novelty-seeking, and in males, with a higher number of sexual partners. In this study, I investigated whether eveningness is associated with short-term relationship orientation, higher risk-taking, and higher testosterone or cortisol. Both female and male night-owls were more likely to be single than in long-term relationships than early morning individuals. Eveningness was associated with higher risk-taking in women but not in men; this association was not testosterone-dependent but mediated by cortisol. Female night-owls had average cortisol profiles and risk-taking tendencies more similar to those of males than to those of early-morning females. Taken together, these findings provide some support to the hypothesis that eveningness is associated with psychological and behavioral traits that are instrumental in short-term mating strategies, with the evidence being stronger for women than for men.

Comparison of evening and morning dosing of travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5% fixed combination in 6 month period.

Science.gov (United States)

Suić, Smiljka Popović; Laus, Katia Novak; Dosen, Vukosava Maricic; Ekert, Miroslav; Mandić, Zdravko; Bojić, Lovro

2010-09-01

An open label, multi-center, 6 months observational study of new fixed combination (travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5%), in order to evaluate both efficacy (intraocular pressure lowering) and tolerability (patient and investigator satisfaction) of two dosing regimens--evening (PM) and morning (AM). After screening for enrollment, to 40 patients (79 eyes with primary open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension), new fixed combination travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5% was prescribed once a day in the evening (PM). Patients were enrolled according to each investigator decision on indication for travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5% fixed combination once a day, without washout period after previous medication. Intraocular pressure was measured at 9 AM at all time control points: at baseline, after 1 month, after 3 months and after 6 month. After 1 month, screening for nonresponders (criteria: 20% intraocular pressure lowering) and subjects with major side effects was performed. At second control visit, after 3 months PM dosing, intraocular pressure was measured and patients were instructed to continue once a day the same medication, but in the morning (AM) for consequent 3 months. After 1 month, reduction in mean intraocular pressure value was 21.66%. At the visit after 3 month, the mean intraocular pressure was 15.67 +/- 2.17 mm Hg (reduction 21.14%). 3 month after dosing regimen changed to AM (6 month after beginning of travoprost 0.004%/timolol 0.5% combination therapy), reduction in intraocular pressure value was 19.86%. The differences (mean +/- standard deviation) in intraocular pressure values after 1, 3 and 6 month were all highly statistically significant compared to baseline values. The tolerability was evaluated in five steps (Likert scale) ranging from unsatisfactory to excellent by both patient and investigator--taken at 3 and 6 month control visit. 95% of patients and 100% of investigators were satisfied with the possibility of choosing dosing regimen for travoprost 0

Depictions of Alcohol Use in a UK Government Partnered Online Social Marketing Campaign: "Hollyoaks" "The Morning after the Night before"

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Amanda Marie; Sumnall, Harry; Measham, Fiona

2011-01-01

Aims: This study analysed the depiction of alcohol in an online government partnered social marketing campaign: Hollyoaks "The Morning After the Night Before". This was a new initiative, providing Internet-delivered episodes of a popular terrestrial drama targeted at young people. Methods: All the 12 episodes were coded for "visual…

Diurnal salivary cortisol concentrations in Parkinson’s disease: increased total secretion and morning cortisol concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skogar Ö

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Ö Skogar1,4, P-A Fall2, G Hallgren3, J Lökk4, B Bringer2, M Carlsson1, U Lennartsson3, H Sandbjork3, C-J Törnhage51Department of Geriatrics, Ryhov Hospital, Jonkoping, 2Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital, Linkoping, 3Department of Neurology, Skaraborg Hospital, Skovde, 4Institute of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, 5Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, SwedenBackground: Parkinson’s disease (PD is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder. There is limited knowledge about the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in PD. The primary aim of this prospective study was to analyze diurnal salivary cortisol concentrations in patients with PD and correlate these with age, gender, body mass index (BMI, duration of PD, and pain. The secondary aim was to compare the results with a healthy reference group.Methods: Fifty-nine PD patients, 35 women and 24 men, aged 50–79 years, were recruited. The reference group comprised healthy individuals matched for age, gender, BMI, and time point for sampling. Salivary cortisol was collected at 8 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm, and 8 am the next day using cotton-based Salivette® tubes and analyzed using Spectria® Cortisol I125. A visual analog scale was used for estimation of pain.Results: The median cortisol concentration was 16.0 (5.8–30.2 nmol/L at 8 am, 5.8 (3.0–16.4 at 1 pm, 2.8 (1.6–8.0 at 8 pm, and 14.0 (7.5–28.7 at 8 am the next day. Total secretion and rate of cortisol secretion during the day (8 am–8 pm and the concentration of cortisol on the next morning were lower (12.5 nmol/L in the reference group. No significant correlations with age, gender, BMI, duration of PD, Hoehn and Yahr score, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III score, gait, pain, or cortisol concentrations were found.Conclusion: The neurodegenerative changes in PD does not seem to interfere with the

Significance of urinary full-length megalin in patients with IgA nephropathy.

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Takuto Seki

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Megalin is highly expressed at the apical membranes of proximal tubular epithelial cells. A urinary full-length megalin (C-megalin assay is linked to the severity of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the relationship between levels of urinary C-megalin and histological findings in adult patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Urine samples voided in the morning on the day of renal biopsy were obtained from 73 patients with IgAN (29 men and 44 women; mean age, 33 years and 5 patients with membranous nephropathy (MN. Renal pathologic variables were analyzed using the Oxford classification of IgAN, the Shigematsu classification and the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan. The levels of urinary C-megalin were measured by sandwich ELISA. RESULTS: Histological analysis based on the Oxford classification revealed that the levels of urinary C-megalin were correlated with mesangial hypercellularity in IgAN patients (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-3.27, P<0.05. There was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary C-megalin and the severity of chronic extracapillary abnormalities according to the Shigematsu classification in IgAN patients (β = 0.33, P = 0.008. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in all risk levels of IgAN patients requiring dialysis using the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan than in the control group. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in the high risk and very high risk grades than in the low risk grade (P<0.05. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in MN patients compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of urinary C-megalin are associated with histological abnormalities in adult IgAN patients. There is a possibility that urinary C-megalin is an independent predictor of disease progression of IgAN. In addition, our results suggest that

Spot sputum samples are at least as good as early morning samples for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Michael E; Phillips, Patrick P J; Mendel, Carl M; Bongard, Emily; Bateson, Anna L C; Hunt, Robert; Murthy, Saraswathi; Singh, Kasha P; Brown, Michael; Crook, Angela M; Nunn, Andrew J; Meredith, Sarah K; Lipman, Marc; McHugh, Timothy D; Gillespie, Stephen H

2017-10-27

The use of early morning sputum samples (EMS) to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) can result in treatment delay given the need for the patient to return to the clinic with the EMS, increasing the chance of patients being lost during their diagnostic workup. However, there is little evidence to support the superiority of EMS over spot sputum samples. In this new analysis of the REMoxTB study, we compare the diagnostic accuracy of EMS with spot samples for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis pre- and post-treatment. Patients who were smear positive at screening were enrolled into the study. Paired sputum samples (one EMS and one spot) were collected at each trial visit pre- and post-treatment. Microscopy and culture on solid LJ and liquid MGIT media were performed on all samples; those missing corresponding paired results were excluded from the analyses. Data from 1115 pre- and 2995 post-treatment paired samples from 1931 patients enrolled in the REMoxTB study were analysed. Patients were recruited from South Africa (47%), East Africa (21%), India (20%), Asia (11%), and North America (1%); 70% were male, median age 31 years (IQR 24-41), 139 (7%) co-infected with HIV with a median CD4 cell count of 399 cells/μL (IQR 318-535). Pre-treatment spot samples had a higher yield of positive Ziehl-Neelsen smears (98% vs. 97%, P = 0.02) and LJ cultures (87% vs. 82%, P = 0.006) than EMS, but there was no difference for positivity by MGIT (93% vs. 95%, P = 0.18). Contaminated and false-positive MGIT were found more often with EMS rather than spot samples. Surprisingly, pre-treatment EMS had a higher smear grading and shorter time-to-positivity, by 1 day, than spot samples in MGIT culture (4.5 vs. 5.5 days, P spot samples in those with unfavourable outcomes, there were no differences in smear or culture results, and positive results were not detected earlier in Kaplan-Meier analyses in either EMS or spot samples. Our data do not support the hypothesis that EMS

Clinical significance of non-mydriatic fundus photography in screening for preschool children ocular fundus disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Luo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: To observe the incidence of ocular fundus disease in preschool children examined by non-mydriatic fundus camera and evaluate its effectiveness compared with direct inspection shadow mirror. METHODS: Three thousand eight hundred and ninety-six preschool children from April 2012 to October 2013 were examined by Topcon TRC-NW300 color fluorescence fundus camera and direct inspection shadow mirror, and images were saved immediately. RESULTS: Detection rate of non-mydriatic fundus photography was higher than that of direct inspection shadow mirror. In 3 896 cases, 41 eyes were detected abnormal fundus accounting for 1.05%. The retinal myelinated nerve fibers, morning glory syndrome, retinitis pigmentosa, congenital retinoschisis were common, accounted for 24.39%, 21.95%, 14.63%, 12.20% respectively. The children eye diseases were often accompanied by abnormal vision(68.30%, ametropia(63.41%, strabismus(19.51%.CONCLUSION: Non-mydriatic fundus photography is a mydriatic method without medicine, so it is easy for preschool children to accept. Image results could directly display the fundus lesions. It shows important significance in the screening for preschool children eye diseases.

Self- and rater-assessed effectiveness of "thinking-aloud" and "regular" morning report to intensify young physicians' clinical skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Hui-Chi; Lee, Fa-Yauh; Yang, Ying-Ying; Tsao, Yen-Po; Lee, Wen-Shin; Chuang, Chiao-Lin; Chang, Ching-Chih; Huang, Chia-Chang; Huang, Chin-Chou; Ho, Shung-Tai

2015-09-01

This study compared the effects of the "thinking aloud" (TA) morning report (MR), which is characterized by sequential and interactive case discussion by all participants, with "regular" MR for clinical skill training of young physicians. Between February 2011 and February 2014, young physicians [including postgraduate year-1 (PGY1) residents, interns, and clerks) from our hospital were sequentially enrolled and followed for 3 months. The self- and rater-assessed educational values of two MR models for building up clinical skills of young physicians were compared. The junior (intern and clerk) attendees had higher self-assessed educational values scores and reported post-training application frequency of skills trained by TA MR compared with the senior (PGY1 resident) attendees. Higher average and percentage of increased overall rater-assessed OSCE scores were noted among the regular MR senior attendees and TA MR junior attendees than in their corresponding control groups (regular MR junior attendees and TA MR senior attendees). Interestingly, regular MRs provided additional beneficial effects for establishing the "professionalism, consulting skills and organization efficiency" aspects of clinical skills of senior/junior attendees. Moreover, senior and junior attendees benefited the most by participating in seven sessions of regular MR and TA MR each month, respectively. TA MR effectively trains junior attendees in basic clinical skills, whereas regular MR enhances senior attendees' "work reports, professionalism, organizational efficiency, skills in dealing with controversial and professional issues." Undoubtedly, all elements of the two MR models should be integrated together to ensure patient safety and good discipline among young physicians. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Fitness consequences of cotyledon and mature-leaf damage in the ivyleaf morning glory.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchcombe, John R

2002-04-01

To understand the evolutionary and ecological consequences of natural enemy damage to plants, it is essential to determine how the fitness effects of damage differ depending on the tissues damaged and the subsequent pattern of damage. In a field experiment with the ivyleaf morning glory, the direct and indirect effects on fitness of herbivore damage to cotyledons and mature leaves was evaluated. Damage to mature leaves had negligible direct effects on fitness and no indirect effects on fitness through other correlated traits. Damage to cotyledons also did not directly affect fitness, but did so indirectly through its effects on plant size. These findings suggest that increased resistance to cotyledon damage or increased compensatory growth following cotyledon damage could be effective strategies for plants of this species to counteract the negative effects of herbivory.

Serum concentration of alpha-1 antitrypsin is significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients than in healthy controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez-Holanda, Sergio; Blanco, Ignacio; Menéndez, Manuel; Rodrigo, Luis

2014-01-01

The association between alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency and colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently controversial. The present study compares AAT serum concentrations and gene frequencies between a group of CRC patients and a control group of healthy unrelated people (HUP). 267 CRC subjects (63% males, 72 ± 10 years old) were enlisted from a Hospital Clinic setting in Asturias, Spain. The HUP group comprised 327 subjects (67% males, mean age 70 ± 7.5 years old) from the same geographical region. Outcome measures were AAT serum concentrations measured by nephelometry, and AAT phenotyping characterization by isoelectric focusing. Significantly higher serum concentrations were found among CRC (208 ± 60) than in HUP individuals (144 ± 20.5) (p = 0.0001). No differences were found in the phenotypic distribution of the Pi*S and Pi*Z allelic frequencies (p = 0.639), although the frequency of Pi*Z was higher in CRC (21%) than in HUP subjects (15%). The only statistically significant finding in this study was the markedly higher AAT serum concentrations found in CRC subjects compared with HUP controls, irrespective of whether their Pi* phenotype was normal (Pi*MM) or deficient (Pi*MS, Pi*MZ and Pi*SZ). Although there was a trend towards the more deficient Pi* phenotype the more advanced the tumor, the results were inconclusive due to the small sample size. Consequently, more powerful studies are needed to reach firmer conclusions on this matter

AAS 228: Day 2 morning

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-06-01

extremely data-rich. The Galaxy Zoo project also suggests the promising prospect of synergizing the help from citizen scientists and machine learning in analyzing extremely large datasets.Extrasolar Planets: Atmospheres (by Leonardo dos Santos)Antonija Oklopi (Caltech) explains that Raman scattering of light, which works similarly to Rayleigh scattering (the process that makes Earths sky blue), can be used in the future to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Her work is to create model spectra containing these features, from which we can learn about the presence and altitude of atmospheric clouds. Dr. Carl Melis (University of California, San Diego) studies the inner composition of exoplanets by looking at their remnants after they are destroyed by a dying star. His most recent work suggests that there is a differentiated pollution (from the core and the crust of a planet) in the disk orbiting of a white dwarf star. Samuel Grunblatt (University of Hawaii) introduces us to the main subject of his thesis: a hot-Jupiter observed by Keplers K2 mission transiting an evolved, red giant star. They used some pretty tricky data analysis in order to filter out the noise intrinsic to this type of star.Grunblatt shows the K2 transit before and after removal of granulation effects.Avi Shporer (JPL) asks the question: why are hot Jupiters so large? His research aims to study the correlation between stellar irradiation and planetary radius, and in order to have a more complete picture, they need to detect more gas giants on lower stellar irradiation regions. This idea gave rise to LCOGT K2 Warm Jupiter project, which recently discovered a brown dwarf in a long-period orbit around a Sun-like star. Paul Mason (New Mexico State University) proposes that the Milky Way is evolving to a more habitable galaxy, due to the expansion of the universe, the processing of heavier material inside stars, and the general decrease of ionizing radiation.Evolution of Galaxies (by Ben Cook)Tuesday mornings

Significantly higher Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) catch in conventionally than in organically managed Christmas tree plantations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagge, Søren; Lund, Malthe; Rønn, Regin

2012-01-01

Carabid beetles play an important role as consumers of pest organisms in forestry and agriculture. Application of pesticides may negatively affect abundance and activity of carabid beetles, thus reducing their potential beneficial effect. We investigated how abundance and diversity of pitfall...... trapped carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) varied between conventionally and organically managed Caucasian Fir (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.)) plantations, in northern Zealand, Denmark. We recorded significantly higher numbers of carabid beetle specimens and species at conventionally than at organically...

Correlation between breakfast tryptophan content and morning-evening in Japanese infants and students aged 0-15 yrs.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Tetsuo; Hirotani, Masaaki; Maeda, Mari; Nomura, Hiromi; Takeuchi, Hitomi

2007-03-01

Tryptophan can be metabolized via 5-hydroxytryptamine=serotonin to melatonin by a series of 4 enzymes in pineal body. Lack of serotonin in body fluid in the brain during daytime can lead to several psychiatric disorders, while shortage of plasma-melatonin at night can be related to sleep disorders. The Morning-Evening (M-E) questionnaire and the original questionnaire including questions on sleep habits, mental symptoms, and contents of meals were administered to 1055 infants aged 0-6 yrs, 751 students attending an elementary school, and 473 students attending junior high school in Kochi City (33 degrees N). The index of tryptophan taken at breakfast (Trp-Index) was calculated as tryptophan amount per one meal based on the tryptophan included in each 100 g of the foods and a standard amount of food per one meal. A significant positive-correlation between M-E scores and Trp-Index was not shown by relatively older students, aged 9-15 yrs (Pearson's test, r=0.044-0.123, p=0.071-0.505), whereas a significant positive correlation was shown by infants and young elementary school students aged 0-8 yrs (r=0.180, 0.258, phigh quality of sleep, and indirectly good mental health, presumably, through the metabolism of tryptophan to serotonin in daytime and further to melatonin at night.

Morning glory syndrome associated with primary open angle glaucoma: Case report

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Božić Marija

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Morning glory syndrome (MGS is a rare congenital optic disc anomaly, first reported in 1970. MGS is a nonprogressive and untreatable condition, which usually occurs as an isolated ocular anomaly, and can be associated with the increased incidence of nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and also with strabismus, afferent pupillary defect, visual field defects, presence of hyaloids artery remnants, ciliary body cyst, congenital cataract, lid hemangioma and preretinal gliosis. Case Outline. We report a clinical case of MGS associated with primary open angle glaucoma. The use of sophisticated diagnostic tools, such as retinal tomography and visual field testing is limited if multiple eye conditions are present, since optic disc does not have “usual” appearance that can be analyzed according to standard statistical databases. Conclusion. In treating and follow up of glaucoma cases associated with other diseases and conditions that affect the appearance and function of the optic nerve head, sometimes the use of modern technological methods is limited due to difficult interpretation of the obtained results.

Effect of daily movement of dairy cattle to fresh grass in morning or afternoon on intake, grazing behaviour, rumen fermentation and milk production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abrahamse, P.A.; Tamminga, S.; Dijkstra, J.

2009-01-01

Twenty Holstein cows were split into two equal groups to test the effect of daily move to a previously ungrazed strip after morning milking (MA) or afternoon milking (AA) on herbage intake, grazing behaviour, rumen characteristics and milk production using a randomized block design with three

Morning pressor surge, blood pressure variability, and arterial stiffness in essential hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Pucci, Giacomo; Battista, Francesca; Anastasio, Fabio; Schillaci, Giuseppe

2017-02-01

An excess morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) may portend an increased cardiovascular risk, but the mechanisms thereof have been little investigated. The link between MBPS, short-term blood pressure (BP) variability, and arterial stiffness has not been entirely defined. In 602 consecutive untreated hypertensive patients (48 ± 12 years, 61% men, office BP 149/93 ± 17/10 mmHg), we measured carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV, SphygmoCor) and 24-h ambulatory BP. Using self-reported sleep and wake times, MBPS was defined as sleep-trough (ST-MBPS), prewaking, rising. Short-term BP variability was calculated as weighted 24-h SBP SD and average real variability of 24-h SBP (ARV), that is, average of absolute differences between consecutive SBP readings. ST-MBPS (r = 0.16, P < 0.001) and rising MBPS (r = 0.12, P = 0.003) showed a direct correlation with cf-PWV, whereas prewaking MBPS had no such relation (r = 0.06, P = 0.14). Only ST-MBPS was independently associated with cf-PWV (t = 1.96, P = 0.04) after adjustment for age, sex, height, office mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and renal function. This association was lost after further adjustment for weighted 24-h SBP SD (P = 0.13) or ARV (P = 0.24). ARV was a significant mediator of the relationship between ST-MBPS and cf-PWV (P = 0.003). In untreated hypertension, ST-MBPS has a direct relation with aortic stiffness, which is mediated by an increased ARV. The adverse effects of MBPS may be partly explained by its link with arterial stiffness, mediated by short-term SBP variability.

Circumnutation and its dependence on the gravity response in rice, morning glory and pea plants: verification by spaceflight experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Hideyuki; Kobayashi, Akie; Fujii, Nobuharu; Yano, Sachiko; Shimazu, Toru; Kim, Hyejeong; Tomita, Yuuta; Miyazawa, Yutaka

Plant organs display helical growth movement known as circumnutation. This movement helps plant organs find suitable environmental cues. The amplitude, period and shape of the circumnutation differ depending on plant species or organs. Although the mechanism for circumnutation is unclear, it has long been argued whether circumnutation is involved with gravitropic response. Previously, we showed that shoots of weeping morning glory (we1 and we2) are impaired in not only the differentiation of endodermis (gravisensing cells) and gravitropic response, but also winding and circumnutation (Kitazawa et al., PNAS 102: 18742-18747, 2005). Here, we report a reduced circumnutation in the shoots of rice and the roots of pea mutants defective in gravitropic response. Coleoptiles of clinorotated rice seedlings and decapped roots of pea seedlings also showed a reduction of their circumnutational movement. These results suggest that circumnutation is tightly related with gravitropic response. In the proposed spaceflight experiments, “Plant Rotation”, we will verify the hypothesis that circumnutation requires gravity response, by using microgravity environment in KIBO module of the International Space Station. We will grow rice and morning glory plants under both muG and 1G conditions on orbit and monitor their growth by a camera. The downlinked images will be analyzed for the measurements of plant growth and nutational movements. This experiment will enable us to answer the question whether circumnutation depends on gravity response or not.

Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew David Vigotsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Many strength and conditioning coaches utilize the good morning (GM to strengthen the hamstrings and spinal erectors. However, little research exists on its electromyography (EMG activity and kinematics, and how these variables change as a function of load. The purpose of this investigation was to examine how estimated hamstring length, integrated EMG (IEMG activity of the hamstrings and spinal erectors, and kinematics of the lumbar spine, hip, knee, and ankle are affected by changes in load. Fifteen trained male participants (age = 24.6 ± 5.3 years; body mass = 84.7 ± 11.3 kg; height = 180.9 ± 6.8 cm were recruited for this study. Participants performed five sets of the GM, utilizing 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% of one-repetition maximum (1RM in a randomized fashion. IEMG activity of hamstrings and spinal erectors tended to increase with load. Knee flexion increased with load on all trials. Estimated hamstring length decreased with load. However, lumbar flexion, hip flexion, and plantar flexion experienced no remarkable changes between trials. These data provide insight as to how changing the load of the GM affects EMG activity, kinematic variables, and estimated hamstring length. Implications for hamstring injury prevention are discussed. More research is needed for further insight as to how load affects EMG activity and kinematics of other exercises.

An extremely high altitude plume seen at Mars morning terminator

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Lavega, Agustin; Garcia-Muñoz, Antonio; Garcia-Melendo, Enrique; Perez-Hoyos, Santiago; Gomez-Forrellad, Josep M.; Pellier, Christophe; Delcroix, Marc; Lopez-Valverde, Miguel Angel; Gonzalez-Galindo, Francisco; Jaeschke, Wayne; Parker, Donald C.; Phillips, James H.; Peach, Damian

2014-11-01

We report the occurrence in March and April 2012 of two bright very high altitude plumes at the Martian terminator at 250 km or more above the surface, thus well into the ionosphere and bordering on the exosphere. They were located at about 195 deg West longitude and -45 deg latitude (at Terra Cimmeria) and lasted for about 10 days. The features showed day-to-day variability, and were seen at the morning terminator but not at the evening limb, which indicates rapid evolution in less than 10 hours and a cyclic behavior. Photometric measurements are used to explore two possible scenarios to explain their nature. If the phenomenon is due to suspended particles (dust, CO2 or H2O ice clouds) reflecting solar radiation, the mean size is about 0.1 microns with a nadir optical depth > 0.06. Alternatively, the plume could be auroral emission above a region with a strong magnetic anomaly and where aurora has previously been detected. Importantly, both explanations defy our current understanding of the Mars upper atmosphere.AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by the Spanish MINECO projects AYA2012-36666 with FEDER support, CONSOLIDER program ASTROMOL CSD2009-00038 and AYA2011-30613-CO2-1. Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT765-13 and UPV/EHU UFI11/55.

LANGUAGE APPRAISAL ON ATTITUDINAL SYSTEMS FOR EXPLORING IDEOLOGY IN DEATH PENALTY IN SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND HERALD SUN EDITORIALS

OpenAIRE

Rosyida Ekawati

2016-01-01

This article deals with the ideology represented by newspaper editorials. It is from the idea that every language use is never neutral and not ideology-free. Language is used to convey meanings in a broad sense. There are meanings related to the opinions through the language as resources of evaluation. Editorial is one practice of language use full of opinions towards a certain issue on people or things. Sydney Morning Herald and Herald Sun are used as both Australian newspaper posit themselv...

Salivary cortisol differs with age and sex and shows inverse associations with WHR in Swedish women: a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindblad Ulf

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most studies on cortisol have focused on smaller, selected samples. We therefore aimed to sex-specifically study the diurnal cortisol pattern and explore its association with abdominal obesity in a large unselected population. Methods In 2001–2004, 1811 men and women (30–75 years were randomly selected from the Vara population, south-western Sweden (81% participation rate. Of these, 1671 subjects with full information on basal morning and evening salivary cortisol and anthropometric measurements were included in this cross-sectional study. Differences between groups were examined by general linear model and by logistic and linear regression analyses. Results Morning and Δ-cortisol (morning – evening cortisol were significantly higher in women than men. In both genders older age was significantly associated with higher levels of all cortisol measures, however, most consistently with evening cortisol. In women only, age-adjusted means of WHR were significantly lower in the highest compared to the lowest quartile of morning cortisol (p = 0.036 and Δ-cortisol (p Conclusion In summary, our findings of generally higher cortisol levels in women than men of all ages are novel and the stronger results seen for Δ-cortisol as opposed to morning cortisol in the association with WHR emphasise the need of studying cortisol variation intra-individually. To our knowledge, the associations in this study have never before been investigated in such a large population sample of both men and women. Our results therefore offer important knowledge on the descriptive characteristics of cortisol in relation to age and gender, and on the impact that associations previously seen between cortisol and abdominal obesity in smaller, selected samples have on a population level.

The Growing Trend of Reading Movements in Japan: Animacion a la Lectura, Ten-Minutes Reading in the Morning, and Reading Aloud by Parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Sachiko

This study examines the growing trend of reading movements in Japan and their origins. There are three main movements: Animacion a la Lectura; Ten-Minutes Reading in the Morning; and Reading Aloud by Parents in schools. This paper reports on the three movements from a review of the literature, personal observations, and practice. The paper…

Endoscopic treatment of trans-sellar trans-sphenoidal encephalocele associated with morning glory syndrome presenting with non-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasani, M; Ozer, A F; Aydin, A L

2009-03-01

Basal encephaloceles are rare, accounting for about 1.5% of all encephaloceles. The trans-sellar trans-sphenoidal encephalocele variety is the rarest. Morning glory syndrome is often associated with basal encephalocele. Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrheas are the least common of these, accounting for only 3% to 5% of all CSF rhinorrheas. The authors describe the outcome of a 10-year follow-up study of a 26-year-old male patient with a spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea occurring trans-sphenoidal encephalocele associated with bilateral morning glory syndrome that was treated with an endoscopic endonasal approach. Endoscopic exploration of the sella floor was performed and closed with abdomen fat packing and muscle fascia. The postoperative course was uneventful. A follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) image at 6 months postoperatively showed extension of encephalocele in the sphenoidal sinus, which was repaired. The patient had no further CSF rhinorrhea and showed no ophthalmologic changes over a follow-up period of over 10 years. Ophthalmologic findings such as strabismus, in association with anomalies of the optic nerve, should alert the physician to the possible presence of an unrecognized skull base midline defect and encephalocele before CSF leakage is seen. The authors believe that a surgeon who has equal confidence in performing the endoscopic endonasal and conventional microscopic trans-sphenoidal approaches should choose the less invasive surgery.

Long term evolution of temperature in the venus upper atmosphere at the evening and morning terminators

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, P.; Sornig, M.; Wischnewski, C.; Kostiuk, T.; Livengood, T. A.; Herrmann, M.; Sonnabend, G.; Stangier, T.; Wiegand, M.; Pätzold, M.; Mahieux, A.; Vandaele, A. C.; Piccialli, A.; Montmessin, F.

2018-01-01

This paper contains a comprehensive dataset of long-term observations between 2009 and 2015 at the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere providing temperature values at different locations of the morning and evening side of the terminator of Venus. Temperature information is obtained by line-resolved spectroscopy of Doppler broadened CO2 transitions features. Results are restricted to a pressure level of 1 μbar, ∼110 km altitude due the nature of the addressed non-LTE CO2 emission line at 10 μm. The required high spectral resolution of the instrumentation is provided by the ground-based spectrometers THIS (University of Cologne) and HIPWAC (NASA GSFC). For the first time upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere temperatures at the Venusian terminator derived from IR-het spectroscopy between 2009 and 2015 are investigated in order to clarify the local-time dependences, latitudinal dependences and the long-term trend. Measured temperatures were distributed in the range between 140 K and 240 K, with mean values equal to 199 K ± 17 K for the morning side of the terminator and 195 K ± 19 K for the evening side of the terminator. Within the uncertainty no difference between the averaged morning and evening terminator side temperature is found. In addition, no strong latitudinal dependency is observed at these near terminator local times. In contrast IR-het data from 2009 show a strong latitudinal dependency at noon, with a temperature difference of around 60 K between the equatorial and polar region (Sonnabend et al., 2012). Accord with the instruments of the Venus Express mission a northern-southern hemispherical symmetry is observed (Mahieux et al., 2012; Piccialli et al., 2015). The data shows no consistent long-term temperature trend throughout the six years of observation, but a variability in the order of tens of Kelvin for the different observing runs representing a time step of few month to two years. This is about the same order of magnitude as the variability

Effect of timing and type of supplementary grain on herbage intake, nitrogen utilization and milk production in dairy cows grazed on perennial ryegrass pasture from evening to morning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Koichiro; Mitani, Tomohiro; Kondo, Seiji

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to clarify the effect of timing and type of supplementary grain in grazing dairy cows on herbage dry matter intake (HDMI), nitrogen utilization and milk production. Eight lactating cows were allowed to graze from evening to morning during three seasonal periods (spring, summer, autumn). They were randomly allocated to four treatments (timing: pre- (Pre) or post-grazing (Post), for large grain allotments consisting of 75% of daily grain offered; grain type: barley or corn) in 4 × 4 Latin square designs in each period. In the spring period, HDMI was greater for cows fed corn than those fed barley (P = 0.005), whereas cows in the Pre treatment had a similar HDMI, higher (P = 0.049) urinary purine derivative concentration and greater (P = 0.004) milk yield compared with cows in the Post treatment. In the summer and autumn periods, timing treatments did not affect HDMI, nitrogen utilization or milk production, but cows supplemented with barley had higher urinary purine derivatives concentration (P production without reducing HDMI regardless of grain type. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Use of day 1 early morning cortisol to predict the need for glucocorticoid replacement after pituitary surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bondugulapati, L N Rao; Campbell, Christopher; Chowdhury, Sharmistha Roy; Goetz, Pablo; Davies, J Stephen; Rees, D Aled; Hayhurst, Caroline

2016-01-01

Assessment of adrenal reserve in patients who have undergone pituitary surgery is crucial. However, there is no clear consensus with regards to the type and timing of the test that should be used in the immediate post-operative period. Recently, there has been increased interest in measuring post-operative cortisol levels. We present our data utilising day 1 post-operative early morning cortisol as a tool to assess adrenal reserve in steroid-naive patients. A retrospective analysis of endoscopic pituitary surgery undertaken over a 2-year period. 82 patients underwent 84 surgeries in total. Patients who were already on glucocorticoids pre-operatively and patients with Cushing's disease, pituitary apoplexy and those without follow-up data were excluded, leaving a study group of 44 patients with 45 operations. A 9am day 1 post-operative cortisol value of > 400 nmol/L was taken as an indicator of adequate adrenal reserve. All the patients were reassessed at 6 weeks with a standard short synacthen test (SST) using 250 micrograms of intravenous synacthen. 22 out of 45 patients had a cortisol value of > 400 nmol/L on day 1 post-operatively and were discharged without glucocorticoid supplementation. Of these, only 2 patients subsequently failed the SST when reassessed at 6-8 weeks. The remaining 23 patients had a cortisol value of cortisol levels whereas the remaining fourteen patients showed adequate adrenal reserve. The 9 am cortisol value had high specificity (81.8%) and positive predictive value (90.9%) for integrity of the HPA axis. Sensitivity was 58.8% and negative predictive value was 39.1%. A day 1 post-operative early morning cortisol is a useful tool to predict adrenal reserve post-pituitary surgery, enabling clinicians to avoid unnecessary blanket glucocorticoid replacement.

Circadian rhythm in concentrations of Mg, K, Ca and Mn in Japanese morning glory during flowering process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeue, Natsuko; Tanoi, Keitaro; Furukawa, Jun; Yokota, Harumi; Okuni, Yoko; Nakanishi, Tomoko M.

2001-01-01

Concentrations of 4 trace elements, Mg, K, Ca and Mn, in each tissues of Japanese morning glory were analyzed during the flower development. To determine the element amount, neutron activation analysis with gamma-ray spectroscopy was performed. In this study, we focused on the movement of the trace elements especially with short-day treatment. Each element showed its specific distribution in the parts of a plant. The concentration of each element was changed rhythmically within a day. It was noted that, in the apical bud, concentrations of Mg, Ca and Mn were decreased from 5 h (2 h before light was on) to 7 h and increased again after 9 h. (author)

Circadian rhythm in concentrations of Mg, K, Ca and Mn in Japanese morning glory during flowering process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeue, Natsuko; Tanoi, Keitaro; Furukawa, Jun; Yokota, Harumi; Okuni, Yoko; Nakanishi, Tomoko M. [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences

2001-06-01

Concentrations of 4 trace elements, Mg, K, Ca and Mn, in each tissues of Japanese morning glory were analyzed during the flower development. To determine the element amount, neutron activation analysis with gamma-ray spectroscopy was performed. In this study, we focused on the movement of the trace elements especially with short-day treatment. Each element showed its specific distribution in the parts of a plant. The concentration of each element was changed rhythmically within a day. It was noted that, in the apical bud, concentrations of Mg, Ca and Mn were decreased from 5 h (2 h before light was on) to 7 h and increased again after 9 h. (author)

Effect of morning bright light on body temperature, plasma cortisol and wrist motility measured during 24 hour of constant conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Foret, J; Aguirre, A; Touitou, Y; Clodoré, M; Benoit, O

1993-06-11

Using 24 h constant conditions, time course of body temperature, plasma cortisol and wrist motility was measured in response to a 3 day morning 2 h bright light pulse. This protocol demonstrated that a 2000 lux illumination was sufficient to elicit a shift of about 2 h of temperature minimum and cortisol peak. In reference session, actimetric recordings showed a circadian time course, closely in relation with core temperature. Bright light pulse resulted in a decrease of amplitude and a disappearance of circadian pattern of actimetry.

Natural selection maintains a single-locus leaf shape cline in Ivyleaf morning glory, Ipomoea hederacea.

Science.gov (United States)

Campitelli, Brandon E; Stinchcombe, John R

2013-02-01

Clines in phenotypic traits with an underlying genetic basis potentially implicate natural selection. However, neutral evolutionary processes such as random colonization, spatially restricted gene flow, and genetic drift could also result in similar spatial patterns, especially for single-locus traits because of their susceptibility to stochastic events. One way to distinguish between adaptive and neutral mechanisms is to compare the focal trait to neutral genetic loci to determine whether neutral loci demonstrate clinal variation (consistent with a neutral cline), or not. Ivyleaf morning glory, Ipomoea hederacea, exhibits a latitudinal cline for a Mendelian leaf shape polymorphism in eastern North America, such that lobed genotypes dominate northern populations and heart-shaped genotypes are restricted to southern populations. Here, we evaluate potential evolutionary mechanisms for this cline by first determining the allele frequencies at the leaf shape locus for 77 populations distributed throughout I. hederacea's range and then comparing the geographical pattern at this locus to neutral amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. We detected both significant clinal variation and high genetic differentiation at the leaf shape locus across all populations. In contrast, 99% of the putatively neutral loci do not display clinal variation, and I. hederacea populations show very little overall genetic differentiation, suggesting that there is a moderate level of gene flow. In addition, the leaf shape locus was identified as a major F(ST) outlier experiencing divergent selection, relative to all the AFLP loci. Together, these data strongly suggest that the cline in leaf shape is being maintained by spatially varying natural selection. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A Sorrow Halved? A Daily Diary Study on Talking About Experienced Workplace Incivility and Next-Morning Negative Affect.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremmel, Stephanie; Sonnentag, Sabine

2017-08-31

Incivility by coworkers and customers can have detrimental consequences for employees' affective well-being at work. However, little is known about whether incivility also impairs employees' affect at home and how long these negative effects may last. In this diary study, we examine whether incivility by coworkers and customers is related to next-morning negative affect via negative affect at the end of the workday and at bedtime, and investigate different modes of social sharing (i.e., conversations about experienced mistreatment) as day-level moderators of this relationship. Daily diary data collected over 10 workdays (N = 113 employees) revealed that coworker incivility was indirectly related to bedtime negative affect via negative affect at the end of the workday, and customer incivility was indirectly related to next-morning negative affect via negative affect at the end of the workday and at bedtime. Although we found no moderating effect for conversations in an affective sharing mode (i.e., conversation partners provide comfort and consolation), the relationship between workplace incivility and employees' negative affect was buffered by conversations in a cognitive sharing mode (i.e., conversation partners suggest alternative explanations or reappraisal of uncivil behavior). In line with social sharing theory, our results suggest that talking about experienced mistreatment can, under specific circumstances, offset the negative relationship of uncivil coworker and customer behavior and employees' negative affect. This study advances current research on workplace incivility by studying negative affect 3 times a day and thus sheds light on the mechanism connecting workplace incivility and employees' affective well-being at home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Highway driving performance and cognitive functioning the morning after bedtime and middle-of-the-night use of gaboxadol, zopiclone and zolpidem.

Science.gov (United States)

Leufkens, Tim R M; Lund, Jesper S; Vermeeren, Annemiek

2009-12-01

Gaboxadol is a selective extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptor agonist previously in development for the treatment of insomnia. Due to its short half-life (1.5-2 h) it is expected to be free from residual effects the next morning. The present study assessed the residual effects of evening and middle-of-the-night administration of 15 mg of gaboxadol on cognitive, psychomotor and driving performance. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers entered the study with 25 (12 women; mean age 31.4 years) completing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-referenced five-way cross-over study. Each treatment night subjects ingested one capsule at 23:00 hours and one at 04:00 hours. Treatments were placebo at both times, 15 mg gaboxadol or 7.5 mg zopiclone followed by placebo, and placebo followed by 15 mg gaboxadol or 10 mg zolpidem. Effects on cognition and psychomotor performance were assessed between 07:30 and 08:30 hours and on driving between 09:00 and 10:00 hours. Driving, as measured by standard deviation of lateral position in an on-the-road driving test, was almost significantly (P driving were significant. Evening administration of gaboxadol had minor effects on divided attention only, whereas middle-of-the-night administration impaired performance significantly in all tests except memory. Zolpidem and zopiclone impaired performance significantly in every test except tracking after zopiclone; 15 mg of gaboxadol can produce minor residual effects on driving after evening administration. Administration later at night is associated with moderately impairing residual effects on driving and psychomotor performance but not on memory.

AAS 228: Day 1 morning

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-06-01

Editors Note:This week were at the 228th AAS Meeting in San Diego, CA. Along with a team ofauthors from astrobites.com, I will bewritingupdates on selectedevents at themeeting and posting twiceeach day. Follow along here or atastrobites.com, or catch ourlive-tweeted updates from the@astrobites Twitter account. The usual posting schedule for AAS Nova will resumenext week.Come visit astrobites at the AAS booth we have swag!Things kicked off last night at our undergraduate reception booth. Thanks to all of you who stopped by we were delightedto hear from undergrads who already know and love the site, educators who want to use it in their classrooms, and students who had not yet been introduced to astrobites and were excited about a new resource!For the rest of the meeting we will be stationed at theAAS booth in the exhibit hall (booth #211-213), so drop by if you want to learn more (or pick up swag: weve got lots of stickers and sunglasses)!Mondaymorning was the official start of the meeting. Here are just a few of the talks and workshops astrobiters attended this morning.Opening Address(by Susanna Kohler)AAS President Meg Urry kicked off the meeting this morning at 8am with an overview of some of the great endeavors AAS is supporting. We astrobiters had personal motivation to drag ourselves out of bed that early: during this session, Urryannounced the new partnership between AAS and astrobites!Urry touched on some difficult topics in her welcome, including yesterdays tragedy in Orlando. Shereiteratedthe AASs support fortheCommittee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA). She also reminded meeting attendees about the importance ofkeeping conference interactions professional, and pointed to the meetings anti-harassment policy.Partnership Announcement (by Michael Zevin)This morning, the American Astronomical Society announced the new partnership that it will have with Astrobites! We are beyond excited to embark on this new partnership with the

Circadian typology, age, and the alternative five-factor personality model in an adult women sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Muro, Anna; Gomà-i-Freixanet, Montserrat; Adan, Ana; Cladellas, Ramon

2011-10-01

Research on personality and circadian typology indicates evening-type women are more impulsive and novelty seeking, neither types are more anxious, and morning types tend to be more active, conscientious, and persistent. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences between circadian typologies in the light of the Zuckerman's Alternative Five-Factor Model (AFFM) of personality, which has a strong biological basis, in an adult sample of 412 women 18 to 55 yrs of age. The authors found morning-type women had significant higher scores than evening-type and neither-type women on Activity, and its subscales General Activity and Work Activity. In contrast, evening-type women scored significantly higher than morning-type women on Aggression-Hostility, Impulsive Sensation Seeking, and its subscale Sensation Seeking. In all groups, results were independent of age. These findings are in accordance with those previously obtained in female student samples and add new data on the AFFM. The need of using personality models that are biologically based in the study of circadian rhythms is discussed.

Recurrent nocturnal hypoglycaemia as a cause of morning fatigue in treated Addison's disease--favourable response to dietary management: a case report.

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Petersen, Kristina S; Rushworth, R Louise; Clifton, Peter M; Torpy, David J

2015-10-24

Addison's disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency, is often associated with reduced well-being and fatigue despite use of currently recommended adrenal hormone replacement. Hypoglycaemia is a known manifestation of glucocorticoid deficiency, but is generally considered rare in adults and not relevant to troubling ongoing symptoms in patients with Addison's disease. A 43 year old woman with a three year history of Addison's disease complained of severe morning fatigue and headaches, despite standard glucocorticoid replacement therapy in the form of thrice daily hydrocortisone and mineralocorticoid replacement with fludrocortisone. Alternative glucocorticoid replacement regimens and the addition of dehydroepiandrosterone replacement therapy had no effect. Nocturnal hypoglycaemia was suspected and a 4-day continuous glucose monitor system (CGMS) revealed hypoglycaemia (interstitial glucose < 2.2 mmol/L) between 0200-0400 h on 3 of 4 days. The patient was counselled to take an evening snack designed to ensure slow absorption of ingested carbohydrates. Nocturnal hypoglycaemia was then absent on follow up CGMS assessment. The patient noted a marked symptomatic improvement in morning symptoms, but with persistent fatigue during the day. Currently, the best strategy for control of non-specific symptoms in treated Addison's disease is unknown, but it may be that investigation for hypoglycaemia and treatment, where necessary, could assist some sufferers to achieve improved wellbeing. A systematic study of this phenomenon in Addison's disease is required.

Reevaluation of the role of duration of morning stiffness in the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis activity.

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Khan, Nasim A; Yazici, Yusuf; Calvo-Alen, Jaime; Dadoniene, Jolanta; Gossec, Laure; Hansen, Troels M; Huisman, Margriet; Kallikorm, Riina; Muller, Raili; Liveborn, Margareth; Oding, Rolf; Luchikhina, Elena; Naranjo, Antonio; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Taylor, Peter; Tlustochowich, Witold; Tsirogianni, Afrodite; Sokka, Tuulikki

2009-11-01

To evaluate the utility of the duration of morning stiffness (MS), as a patient-reported outcome (PRO), in assessing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity. We acquired information on 5439 patients in QUEST-RA, an international database of patients with RA evaluated by a standard protocol. MS duration was assessed from time of waking to time of maximal improvement. Ability of MS duration to differentiate RA activity states, based on Disease Activity Score (DAS)28, was assessed by analysis of variance; and a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted for discriminating clinically active (DAS28 > 3.2) from less active (DAS28 3.2). MS duration has a moderate correlation with RA disease activity. Assessment of MS duration may be clinically helpful in patients with low RAPID3 scores.

High and low use of electronic media during nighttime before going to sleep: A comparative study between adolescents attending a morning or afternoon school shift.

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Arrona-Palacios, Arturo

2017-12-01

This study compared the effects of time spent on electronic media devices during nighttime before going to sleep on the sleep-wake cycle, daytime sleepiness, and chronotype in 568 Mexican students (288 girls, mean age = 14.08) attending a double school shift system (287 from morning shift and 281 from afternoon shift). Students completed anonymous self-report questionnaires. Results suggest that high exposure to an electronic media device may have an impact on their sleep-wake cycle, regardless of their school shift. Adolescents from the afternoon shift reported more time spent on devices. Those from the morning shift reported daytime sleepiness with the use of MP3 player, and from the afternoon shift with the use of computer, MP3 player, and television. Both school shifts reported an intermediate chronotype with all electronic media devices, but the afternoon shift with a tendency towards eveningness with the use of the computer, smartphone, and MP3 player. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normal LVEF measurements are significantly higher in females asassessed by post-stress resting Tc-99m sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

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Kim, Jong Ho; Shin, Eak Kyun

1999-01-01

Volume-LVEF relationship is one of the most important factors of automatic EF quantification algorithm from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT(gMPS) (Germano et al. JNM, 1995). Gender difference whereby normal LVEF measurements are higher in females assessed by gMPS (Yao et al. JNM 1997). To validate true physiologic value of LVEF vs sampling or measured error, various parameters were evaluated statistically in both gender and age matched 200 subjects (mean age= 58.41±15.01) with normal LVEF more than 50%, and a low likelihood of coronary artery disease. Correlation between LVEDVi(ml/m2) and LVEF was highly significant (r=-0.62, p<0.0001) with similar correlations noted in both male (r=-0.45, p<0.0001) and female (r=-0.67, p<0.0001) subgroups. By multivariate analysis, LV volume and stroke volume was the most significant factor influencing LVEF in male and female, respectively. In conclusion, there is a significant negative correlation between LV volume and LVEF as measured by Tc-99m gated SPECT. Higher normal LVEF value should be applied to females as assessed by post-stress resting Tc-99m Sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

Dim Light Melatonin Onset and Affect in Adolescents With an Evening Circadian Preference.

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Dolsen, Michael R; Harvey, Allison G

2018-01-01

A shift toward an evening circadian preference and the onset of mood problems often occur during adolescence. Although these changes are linked to poorer outcomes, few studies have considered how positive and negative affect are related to the circadian rhythm during adolescence. This study examined the relationship between evening and morning affect ratings and dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), a measure of endogenous circadian rhythm. Age and sex were tested as moderators. This study is based on a subset of 163 (94 female, age = 14.7) adolescents with an evening circadian preference from a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-funded study. Participants provided saliva for melatonin analysis and rated evening and morning affect. Higher evening negative affect was related to a later DLMO. Evening positive affect was not significantly related to DLMO timing. Age but not sex was a significant moderator such that higher negative and lower positive affect were related to a later DLMO for 10- to 13-year-olds, whereas higher positive affect was related to a later DLMO for 17- to 18-year-olds. DLMO was not significantly related to morning affect ratings. There is evidence that higher negative and lower positive affect may be related to the shift toward an evening circadian preference observed in adolescents, particularly for younger adolescents. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morningness-eveningness, sex, and the Alternative Five Factor Model of personality.

Science.gov (United States)

Muro, Anna; Gomà-i-Freixanet, Montserrat; Adan, Ana

2009-08-01

Recent research on personality and circadian typology indicates that evening-type subjects are more extraverted, impulsive, and novelty-seeking, while morning ones tend to be more introverted, conscientious, agreeable, and emotionally stable. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between circadian typologies on the Zuckerman's Alternative Five Factor Model of personality (AFFM), which has a strong biological basis, controlling for sex and age. A sample of 533 university students (168 men) participated in the study. Results showed that morning-type subjects had significant higher scores than evening-type and neither-type subjects in Activity, and in its subscales General Activity and Work Activity. A significant interaction between circadian typology and sex was found for Neuroticism-Anxiety: morning-type men showed higher scores than evening-type and neither-type, who had the lowest scores. Women presented the opposite pattern: neither-type obtained the highest scores, while morning-type showed the lowest. This is the first time the AFFM has been used in the context of circadian rhythms research. The results suggest that activity is the only trait related to extraversion associated with morningness, while Neuroticism-Anxiety was modulated by sex. These results might help highlight previous results on the association between morningness-eveningness and other models of personality assessment, and they offer new data that calls for further research.

Hormonal monitoring of early pregnancy by a direct radioimmunoassay of steroid glucuronides in first morning urine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendizabal, A.F.; Quiroga, S.; Farinati, Z.; Lahoz, M.; Nagle, C.

1984-01-01

The usefulness of the direct 4-hour radioimmunoassay of estriol-16-glucuronide (E 3 G) and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (P 2 G) in first morning urine (FMU) for establishing a prognosis of the early pregnancy outcome was evaluated in 106 patients that became pregnant. Microaliquots of FMU were serially assayed from day 3 of the conception cycle until day 80 of pregnancy. The E 3 G and P 2 G profiles of 19 pregnancies which terminated in spontaneous abortion with either a diagnosis of the blighted ovum syndrome (n = 11) or presumption of a corpus luteum/trophoblast failure (n = 8) have been compared with those of clinically normal pregnancies (n = 87). Normal pregnancies displayed typical patterns of E 3 G and P 2 G development, while variations were observed in abortive events that reflected changes of the fetoplacental unit

ASSESSING SELF-STUDY WORK’S SIGNIFICANT SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL LEARNING IN THE HIGHER SCHOOL

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Galina V. Milovanova

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: the problem of organizing students’ independent work/self-study is not new, but the changes in the higher school for the last two decades show that the experience accumulated in the traditional educational model can be applied only when it is processed in the present-day conditions. The article analyses the innovative component of the educational process in terms of a significant increase in the volume of compulsory independent work in the university. Particular attention is paid to determining the levels of the formation of skills for independent work in terms of students’ readiness for its implementa¬tion. The aim of the research is to identify the most significant skills of independent work for successful study at the university. Materials and Methods: the research is based on general scholarly methods: analysis, comparison, generalisation. A questionnaire survey was carried out and a correlation analysis of the results was presented. The mathematical statistics methods in Excel application were u sed for processing the survey data. Results: the article focused on the relevance of formation the students’ ability to work independently in the learning process. Requirements for professionals recognize the need for knowledge and skills, but more importantly, the ability and readiness to complete this knowledge and be in a state of continuous education and self-education. In turn, readiness to self-education cannot exist without independent work. The ratio of students to work independently and their skills’ levels in this area of the gnostic, design, structural, organisational and communicative blocks were identified because o f the research. Discussion and Conclusions: the levels of the formation of the skills for independent work influence on the success of the learning. There is a correlation between indicators of achievement and the ability to work independently. Organisation and communication skills have significant

Effect of integrated yoga therapy on pain, morning stiffness and anxiety in osteoarthritis of the knee joint: A randomized control study

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John Ebnezar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To study the effect of integrated yoga on pain, morning stiffness and anxiety in osteoarthritis of knees. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifty participants with OA knees (35-80 years were randomly assigned to yoga or control group. Both groups had transcutaneous electrical stimulation and ultrasound treatment followed by intervention (40 min for two weeks with follow up for three months. The integrated yoga consisted of yogic loosening and strengthening practices, asanas, relaxation, pranayama and meditation. The control group had physiotherapy exercises. Assessments were done on 15 th (post 1 and 90 th day (post 2. Results: Resting pain (numerical rating scale reduced better (P<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test in yoga group (post 1=33.6% and post 2=71.8% than control group (post 1=13.4% and post 2=37.5%. Morning stiffness decreased more (P<0.001 in yoga (post 1=68.6% and post 2=98.1% than control group (post 1=38.6% and post 2=71.6%. State anxiety (STAI-1 reduced (P<0.001 by 35.5% (post 1 and 58.4% (post 2 in the yoga group and 15.6% (post 1 and 38.8% (post 2 in the control group; trait anxiety (STAI 2 reduced (P<0.001 better (post 1=34.6% and post 2=57.10% in yoga than control group (post 1=14.12% and post 2=34.73%. Systolic blood pressure reduced (P<0.001 better in yoga group (post 1=−7.93% and post 2=−15.7% than the control group (post 1=−1.8% and post 2=−3.8%. Diastolic blood pressure reduced (P<0.001 better in yoga group (post 1=−7.6% and post 2=−16.4% than the control group (post 1=−2.1% and post 2=−5.0%. Pulse rate reduced (P<0.001 better in yoga group (post 1=−8.41% and post 2=−12.4% than the control group (post 1=−5.1% and post 2=−7.1%. Conclusion: Integrated approach of yoga therapy is better than physiotherapy exercises as an adjunct to transcutaneous electrical stimulation and ultrasound treatment in reducing pain, morning stiffness, state and trait anxiety, blood pressure and pulse rate in patients

Morning and Evening Oscillators Cooperate to Reset Circadian Behavior in Response to Light Input

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Pallavi Lamba

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Light is a crucial input for circadian clocks. In Drosophila, short light exposure can robustly shift the phase of circadian behavior. The model for this resetting posits that circadian photoreception is cell autonomous: CRYPTOCHROME senses light, binds to TIMELESS (TIM, and promotes its degradation, which is mediated by JETLAG (JET. However, it was recently proposed that interactions between circadian neurons are also required for phase resetting. We identify two groups of neurons critical for circadian photoreception: the morning (M and the evening (E oscillators. These neurons work synergistically to reset rhythmic behavior. JET promotes acute TIM degradation cell autonomously in M and E oscillators but also nonautonomously in E oscillators when expressed in M oscillators. Thus, upon light exposure, the M oscillators communicate with the E oscillators. Because the M oscillators drive circadian behavior, they must also receive inputs from the E oscillators. Hence, although photic TIM degradation is largely cell autonomous, neural cooperation between M and E oscillators is critical for circadian behavioral photoresponses.

Morning sector drift-bounce resonance driven ULF waves observed in artificially-induced HF radar backscatter

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L. J. Baddeley

Full Text Available HF radar backscatter, which has been artificially-induced by a high power RF facility such as the EISCAT heater at Tromsø, has provided coherent radar ionospheric electric field data of unprecedented temporal resolution and accuracy. Here such data are used to investigate ULF wave processes observed by both the CUTLASS HF radars and the EISCAT UHF radar. Data from the SP-UK-OUCH experiment have revealed small-scale (high azimuthal wave number, m -45 waves, predominantly in the morning sector, thought to be brought about by the drift-bounce resonance processes. Conjugate observations from the Polar CAM-MICE instrument indicate the presence of a non-Maxwellian ion distribution function. Further statistical analysis has been undertaken, using the Polar TIMAS instrument, to reveal the prevalence and magnitude of the non-Maxwellian energetic particle populations thought to be responsible for generating these wave types.

Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; wave-particle interactions Magnetospheric physics (MHD waves and instabilities

Morning sector drift-bounce resonance driven ULF waves observed in artificially-induced HF radar backscatter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. J. Baddeley

2002-09-01

Full Text Available HF radar backscatter, which has been artificially-induced by a high power RF facility such as the EISCAT heater at Tromsø, has provided coherent radar ionospheric electric field data of unprecedented temporal resolution and accuracy. Here such data are used to investigate ULF wave processes observed by both the CUTLASS HF radars and the EISCAT UHF radar. Data from the SP-UK-OUCH experiment have revealed small-scale (high azimuthal wave number, m -45 waves, predominantly in the morning sector, thought to be brought about by the drift-bounce resonance processes. Conjugate observations from the Polar CAM-MICE instrument indicate the presence of a non-Maxwellian ion distribution function. Further statistical analysis has been undertaken, using the Polar TIMAS instrument, to reveal the prevalence and magnitude of the non-Maxwellian energetic particle populations thought to be responsible for generating these wave types.Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; wave-particle interactions Magnetospheric physics (MHD waves and instabilities

Ramadan fasting in Saudi Arabia is associated with altered expression of CLOCK, DUSP and IL-1alpha genes, as well as changes in cardiometabolic risk factors.

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Ghada M A Ajabnoor

Full Text Available During the fasting month of Ramadan, practicing Saudis develop severe disturbances in sleeping and feeding patterns. Concomitantly, cortisol circadian rhythm is abolished, diurnal cortisol levels are elevated and circulating levels of several adipokines are altered favouring insulin resistance.To examine changes in the expression of CLOCK and glucocorticoid-controlled genes, such as DUSP1 and IL-1α in Saudi adults before and during Ramadan, and to investigate possible associations with selected cardiometabolic risk factors.Healthy young volunteers (5 females, 18 males; mean age +SEM = 23.2 +1.2 years were evaluated before Ramadan and two weeks into it. Blood samples were collected at 9 am (±1 hour and twelve hours later for determination of serum lipid profile, high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP, and adiponectin. The expression of CLOCK, DUSP1 and IL-1α was evaluated in circulating leukocytes.Mean levels of GGT and morning adiponectin decreased, while those of LDL-c/ HDL-c and atherogenic index (AI increased significantly in Ramadan compared to Shabaan. There was no significant difference between morning and evening adiponectin during Ramadan, while the diurnal rhythm of hsCRP was lost. CLOCK gene expression mean was significantly higher in morning than in evening during Shabaan. Mean morning and evening DUSP1 mRNA levels showed significant increase during Ramadan compared to Shabaan, however, its diurnal rhythm was maintained. Morning IL-1α mRNA expression remained significantly higher than in the evening during Ramadan, but was markedly decreased compared to Shabaan.Ramadan fasting in Saudi Arabia is associated with improvements in some cardiometabolic risk factors, such as circulating GGT and hsCRP and leukocyte expression of IL-1α mRNA, suggesting that intermittent fasting might have a beneficial component. These benefits may be offset by the previously reported dysregulation in the circadian rhythm, excess glucocorticoid levels and action

Hygromorphic Scales for Use in Water from Morning Dew and Elementary Model of Hydrogel Expansion Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Margolis, Nate

Secure access to water is a growing problem in the world today. Millions of people do not have contact with fresh or clean water for drinking. Consuming dirty water leads to many illnesses and deaths every year. When water is scarce people are less likely to follow basic hygiene which also adds to the problem of sickness from water. Currently most of the population gets their water from run-off such as rivers, lakes and other fresh water bodies. Aquafers can also provide water, however, once they do not replenish themselves so once they are empty they will no longer provide a fresh water source. This is a serious problem because the population has grown to 7 billion people and only 2% of the world's water is fresh water. Of this, most the fresh water is locked in the polar ice caps. This leaves only .77% of the available fresh water accessible for human use. While wealthy countries may not feel this burden due to their infrastructure. Impoverish countries will feel the full burden of a lack of water. This has led to a growing number of water conflicts over the years some of which have resulted in human deaths. There are several ways that people can collect water from the atmosphere such as collecting rain water or using a solar still to evaporate water out of an undrinkable source. In parts of the world where fog is prevalent, meshes have been used to collect the moisture from the air. However, these systems only work where the environment allows for it. In some places in the world, the only amount of water may come from morning dew. Certain places receive more water from morning dew than they do from annual precipitation. By studying nature, a novel water collection device was developed, tested and modeled. The model is compared to the test data to see the ways in which the device can be optimized. This could be used to help alleviate the growing problems of water shortages in specific parts of the world. The model and device design shows promising data but still

Highly resilient coping entails better perceived health, high social support and low morning cortisol levels in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Robledillo, N; De Andrés-García, S; Pérez-Blasco, J; González-Bono, E; Moya-Albiol, L

2014-03-01

The negative consequences of caring for people with developmental disabilities have been widely described. However, the ability to bounce back from the stress derived from care situations has been less studied. Those caregivers who have shown this ability are considered as resilient. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between resilience and self-reported health and cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a sample of caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It also aims to evaluate the role of social support as a mediator in the association between resilience and health. Caregivers with higher resilience show better perceived health, lower morning cortisol levels, and less area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg). Social support was positively related to resilience and mediated the relationship between resilience and perceived health. This mediating effect was not found in the association between resilience and CAR. Resilience could be a protective factor that modulates the negative consequences of chronic stress in the care context. Social support could be an important variable mediating the effects of resilience on health outcomes in caregivers. All these results must be considered when implementing effective psychological programs for helping caregivers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hormonal monitoring of early pregnancy by a direct radioimmunoassay of steroid glucuronides in first morning urine

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Mendizabal, A.F.; Quiroga, S.; Farinati, Z.; Lahoz, M.; Nagle, C.

1984-11-01

The usefulness of the direct 4-hour radioimmunoassay of estriol-16-glucuronide (E/sub 3/G) and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (P/sub 2/G) in first morning urine (FMU) for establishing a prognosis of the early pregnancy outcome was evaluated in 106 patients that became pregnant. Microaliquots of FMU were serially assayed from day 3 of the conception cycle until day 80 of pregnancy. The E/sub 3/G and P/sub 2/G profiles of 19 pregnancies which terminated in spontaneous abortion with either a diagnosis of the blighted ovum syndrome (n = 11) or presumption of a corpus luteum/trophoblast failure (n = 8) have been compared with those of clinically normal pregnancies (n = 87). Normal pregnancies displayed typical patterns of E/sub 3/G and P/sub 2/G development, while variations were observed in abortive events that reflected changes of the fetoplacental unit.

Efficacy of prokinetics with a split-dose of polyethylene glycol in bowel preparation for morning colonoscopy: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyoung Jun; Kim, Tae Oh; Shin, Bong Chul; Woo, Jae Gon; Seo, Eun Hee; Joo, Hee Rin; Heo, Nae-Yun; Park, Jongha; Park, Seung Ha; Yang, Sung Yeon; Moon, Young Soo; Shin, Jin-Yong; Lee, Nae Young

2012-01-01

Currently, a split-dose of polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the mainstay of bowel preparation due to its tolerability, bowel-cleansing action, and safety. However, bowel preparation with PEG is suboptimal because residual fluid reduces the polyp detection rate and requires a more thorough colon inspection. The aim of our study was to demonstrate the efficacy of a sufficient dose of prokinetics on bowel cleansing together with split-dose PEG. A prospective endoscopist-blinded study was conducted. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups: prokinetic with split-dose PEG or split-dose PEG alone. A prokinetic [100 mg itopride (Itomed)], was administered twice simultaneously with each split-dose of PEG. Bowel-cleansing efficacy was measured by endoscopists using the Ottawa scale and the segmental fluidity scale score. Each participant completed a bowel preparation survey. Mean scores from the Ottawa scale, segmental fluid scale, and rate of poor preparation were compared between both groups. Patients in the prokinetics with split-dose PEG group showed significantly lower total Ottawa and segmental fluid scores compared with patients in the split-dose of PEG alone group. A sufficient dose of prokinetics with a split-dose of PEG showed efficacy in bowel cleansing for morning colonoscopy, largely due to the reduction in colonic fluid. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Chronotype of Elite Athletes

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Roach, Gregory D.; Halson, Shona L.; Sargent, Charli

2016-01-01

Abstract The aims of this study were (i) to compare the chronotype distribution of elite athletes to a young adult population and (ii) to determine if there was a tendency for athletes to select and/or participate in sports which suited their chronotype. A total of 114 elite athletes from five sports (cricket, cycling, hockey, soccer and triathlon) participated in this study. The participants’ chronotype, sleepiness, sleep satisfaction and sleep quality were determined using the Horne and Östberg Morningness and Eveningness questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and questions concerning their sleep satisfaction and quality. All questionnaires were administered during a typical training phase that was not in the lead up to competition and/or post competition. No differences between chronotype group for sleepiness, sleep satisfaction or sleep quality were found. There was a significantly higher proportion of triathletes that were morning and intermediate types compared to the control group χ2 (2) = 7.5, p = 0.02. A significant relationship between sport and chronotype group (χ2(4)=15.9, p = 0.04) was observed, with a higher frequency of morning types involved in sports that required morning training. There was a clear indication that athletes tended to select and pursue sports that suited their chronotype. This was evident by the amount of morning types involved in morning sports. Given that athletes are more likely to pursue and excel in sports which suit their chronotype, it is recommended that coaches consider the athlete’s chronotype during selection processes or if possible design and implement changes to training schedules to either suit the athletes’ chronotype or the timing of an upcoming competition. PMID:28031772

Morning and afternoon appetite and gut hormone responses to meal and stress challenges in obese individuals with and without binge eating disorder.

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Carnell, S; Grillot, C; Ungredda, T; Ellis, S; Mehta, N; Holst, J; Geliebter, A

2017-12-13

Eating late in the day is common, and stress can induce eating. Little is understood about how time of day and stress interact to affect appetite and thereby body weight. These may be particularly important influences in binge eaters, who tend to binge in the evening, and in response to stress. Obese participants with (n=16) and without (n=16) Binge Eating Disorder (BED) participated in two identical test protocols beginning either in the morning or the afternoon (AM condition/PM condition), each following an 8 h fast. For each protocol they first received a standardized liquid meal (9:00am/4:00pm), then a stress test (Socially-Evaluated Cold Pressor Test, 11:10am/6:1pm), then a multi-item ad libitum buffet meal (11:40am/6:40pm), while rating appetite and stress and having blood drawn for hormone measures. Appetite at baseline was greater in the PM than AM condition (higher hunger, lower fullness). Following the liquid meal, AUC values for hunger and ghrelin were greater, and AUC values for PYY lower, in the PM than AM condition. Only those with BED showed lower fullness AUC in the PM condition, as well as a pattern of higher initial PM and lower initial AM ghrelin. Following the stress test, cortisol and ghrelin increased in both the AM and PM conditions, but higher ghrelin AUC and lower cortisol AUC were observed in the PM condition. Again, only participants with BED showed lower fullness AUC in the PM condition. Buffet meal intake was similar across groups and conditions, but those with BED reported greater loss of control and binge resemblance than those without. Afternoon/evening may be a high-risk period for overeating, particularly when paired with stress exposure, and for those with binge eating.International Journal of Obesity accepted article preview online, 13 December 2017. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.307.

La formule des traces tordue d’après le Friday Morning Seminar

CERN Document Server

Labesse, Jean-Pierre

2013-01-01

La formule des traces pour un groupe réductif connexe arbitraire est due à James Arthur. Le cas tordu a fait l'objet du Friday Morning Seminar à l'Institute for Advanced Study de Princeton pendant l'année académique 1983-1984. Lors de ce séminaire, des exposés ont été présentés par Laurent Clozel, Jean-Pierre Labesse et Robert Langlands. Les notes de ces exposés, rédigées dans l'urgence, avaient besoin d'être revues et complétées. L'ambition des auteurs du présent ouvrage est de donner, en s'appuyant sur ces notes, une preuve complète pour la formule des traces tordue, dans sa version primitive i.e. sa forme non invariante. Ceci est la première étape du projet de l'équipe parisienne animée par Laurent Clozel et Jean-Loup Waldspurger, dont le but est de donner une preuve complète de la stabilisation de la formule des traces tordue, qui est l'outil fondamental utilisé par J. Arthur dans son livre à paraître sur l'endoscopie tordue pour le groupe linéaire avec application aux groupes ...

Significance of perfectionism in understanding different forms of insomnia

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Totić-Poznanović Sanja

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Studies consistently show a connection between perfectionism as a multidimensional construct with various psychological and psychopathological states and characteristics. However, studies that analyze the connection between this concept and sleep disturbances, especially modalities of insomnia, are rare. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine whether dimensions of perfectionism can explain different forms of insomnia; difficulties initiating sleep (insomnia early, difficulties during the sleep (insomnia middle, waking in early hours of the morning (insomnia late and dissatisfaction with sleep quality (subjective insomnia. Methods. The sample consisted of 254 students of the School of Medicine in Belgrade. Predictive significance of nine perfectionism dimensions, measured by Frost’s and Hewitt’s and Flett’s scales of multi-dimensional perfectionism, related to four modalities of insomnia, measured by a structured questionnaire, was analyzed by multiple linear regression method. Results. Perfectionism dimensions are significant predictors of each of the tested forms of insomnia. Doubt about actions significantly predicts initial insomnia; to other-oriented perfectionism in the negative pole and socially prescribed perfectionism underlie the difficulties during the sleep, while organization and parental criticism underlie late insomnia. Significant predictors of subjective insomnia are personal standards and organization and to other-oriented perfectionism on the negative pole. Three of nine analyzed dimensions were not confirmed as significant; concern over mistakes, parental expectations and self-oriented perfectionism. Conclusion. Various aspects of perfectionism can be considered as a vulnerability factor for understanding some forms of insomnia. Out of all forms of insomnia tested, perfectionism as the personality trait proved to be the most significant for understanding subjective insomnia.

Circadian rhythm of elemental concentration in Japanese morning-glory revealed by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, N.I.; Tanoi, K.; Nakanishi, T.M.

2007-01-01

Elemental concentration in each tissue of Japanese morning-glory (Pharbitis nil) during the growth was analyzed by INAA. Plants were grown in water culture for 4 days under 12-hour light and 12-hour dark condition. During the growth, 10 plants in the same developmental stage were periodically harvested. Then the plants were separated into 9 tissues to determine elemental concentration and water content. There was an elemental specific profile within the plant tissue, for example, Na and K concentrations were high in root whereas Mg and Ca concentrations were high at the upper part of the plants. Among the elements studied, Ca and Mg showed rhythmical change in concentration, increased during the day and decreased during the night. This tendency was especially noted at shoot apex. However, water content in all of the tissue was increased about 6 hours prior to the light period and showed maximum in the middle of the light period. About 6 hour difference of water content movement to those of Ca and Mg concentration suggested that water movement drives more dynamic change of each elemental concentration within a plant. (author)

Water Exchange Produces Significantly Higher Adenoma Detection Rate Than Water Immersion: Pooled Data From 2 Multisite Randomized Controlled Trials.

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Leung, Felix W; Koo, Malcolm; Cadoni, Sergio; Falt, Premysl; Hsieh, Yu-Hsi; Amato, Arnaldo; Erriu, Matteo; Fojtik, Petr; Gallittu, Paolo; Hu, Chi-Tan; Leung, Joseph W; Liggi, Mauro; Paggi, Silvia; Radaelli, Franco; Rondonotti, Emanuele; Smajstrla, Vit; Tseng, Chih-Wei; Urban, Ondrej

2018-03-02

To test the hypothesis that water exchange (WE) significantly increases adenoma detection rates (ADR) compared with water immersion (WI). Low ADR was linked to increased risk for interval colorectal cancers and related deaths. Two recent randomized controlled trials of head-to-head comparison of WE, WI, and traditional air insufflation (AI) each showed that WE achieved significantly higher ADR than AI, but not WI. The data were pooled from these 2 studies to test the above hypothesis. Two trials (5 sites, 14 colonoscopists) that randomized 1875 patients 1:1:1 to AI, WI, or WE were pooled and analyzed with ADR as the primary outcome. The ADR of AI (39.5%) and WI (42.4%) were comparable, significantly lower than that of WE (49.6%) (vs. AI P=0.001; vs. WI P=0.033). WE insertion time was 3 minutes longer than that of AI (Prate (vs. AI) of the >10 mm advanced adenomas. Right colon combined advanced and sessile serrated ADR of AI (3.4%) and WI (5%) were comparable and were significantly lower than that of WE (8.5%) (vs. AI P<0.001; vs. WI P=0.039). Compared with AI and WI, the superior ADR of WE offsets the drawback of a significantly longer insertion time. For quality improvement focused on increasing adenoma detection, WE is preferred over WI. The hypothesis that WE could lower the risk of interval colorectal cancers and related deaths should be tested.

Agreement of pesticide biomarkers between morning void and 24-h urine samples from farmers and their children.

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Scher, Deanna P; Alexander, Bruce H; Adgate, John L; Eberly, Lynn E; Mandel, Jack S; Acquavella, John F; Bartels, Michael J; Brzak, Kathy A

2007-07-01

In pesticide biomonitoring studies, researchers typically collect either single voids or daily (24-h) urine samples. Collection of 24-h urine samples is considered the "gold-standard", but this method places a high burden on study volunteers, requires greater resources, and may result in misclassification of exposure or underestimation of dose due to noncompliance with urine collection protocols. To evaluate the potential measurement error introduced by single void samples, we present an analysis of exposure and dose for two commonly used pesticides based on single morning void (MV) and 24-h urine collections in farmers and farm children. The agreement between the MV concentration and its corresponding 24-h concentration was analyzed using simple graphical and statistical techniques and risk assessment methodology. A consistent bias towards overprediction of pesticide concentration was found among the MVs, likely in large part due to the pharmacokinetic time course of the analytes in urine. These results suggest that the use of single voids can either over- or under-estimate daily exposure if recent pesticide applications have occurred. This held true for both farmers as well as farm children, who were not directly exposed to the applications. As a result, single void samples influenced the number of children exposed to chlorpyrifos whose daily dose estimates were above levels of toxicologic significance. In populations where fluctuations in pesticide exposure are expected (e.g., farm families), the pharmacokinetics of the pesticide and the timing of exposure events and urine collection must be understood when relying on single voids as a surrogate for longer time-frames of exposure.

Combining bimodal presentation schemes and buzz groups improves clinical reasoning and learning at morning report.

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Balslev, Thomas; Rasmussen, Astrid Bruun; Skajaa, Torjus; Nielsen, Jens Peter; Muijtjens, Arno; De Grave, Willem; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen

2014-12-11

Abstract Morning reports offer opportunities for intensive work-based learning. In this controlled study, we measured learning processes and outcomes with the report of paediatric emergency room patients. Twelve specialists and 12 residents were randomised into four groups and discussed the same two paediatric cases. The groups differed in their presentation modality (verbal only vs. verbal + text) and the use of buzz groups (with vs. without). The verbal interactions were analysed for clinical reasoning processes. Perceptions of learning and judgment of learning were reported in a questionnaire. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by a 20-item multiple-choice test. Combined bimodal presentation and buzz groups increased the odds ratio of clinical reasoning to occur in the discussion of cases by a factor of 1.90 (p = 0.013), indicating superior reasoning for buzz groups working with bimodal materials. For specialists, a positive effect of bimodal presentation was found on perceptions of learning (p presentation on diagnostic accuracy was noted in the specialists (p presentation and buzz group discussion of emergency cases improves clinicians' clinical reasoning and learning.

Site Effect Assessment of the Gros-Morne Hill Area in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Part A: Geophysical-Seismological Survey Results

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Sophia Ulysse

2018-04-01

Full Text Available After the M = 7.0 Haiti earthquake in 2010, many teams completed seismic risk studies in Port-au-Prince to better understand why this not extraordinarily strong event had induced one of the most severe earthquake disasters in history (at least in the Western World. Most highlighted the low construction quality as the main cause for the disaster, but some also pointed to possible soil and topographic amplification effects, especially in the lower and central parts of Port-au-Prince (e.g., close to the harbor. However, very detailed local studies of such site effects have not been completed yet. A Belgian-Haitian collaboration project was established in order to develop a detailed local seismic hazard study for Gros-Morne hill located in the district of Pétion-Ville, southeast of Port-au-Prince. In order to have a better understanding of the amplification on the Gros-Morne hill, in the southeastern part of Port-au-Prince, site effects were investigated by using near surface geophysical methods. The horizontal to vertical spectral ratio technique was applied to ambient vibrations and earthquake data, and multichannel analysis of surface waves and P-wave refraction tomography calculation were applied to seismic data. Standard spectral ratios were computed for the S-wave windows of the earthquake data recorded by a small temporary seismic network. Electrical resistivity tomography profiles were also performed in order to image the structure of the subsurface and detect the presence of water, if any. The spectral ratio results generally show low to medium (1.5–6 resonance amplitudes at one or several different resonance frequencies (for the same site, between 0.5 and 25 Hz. At most of the investigated sites, the fundamental resonance frequency varies between 7 and 10 Hz. By using the multichannel surface wave analyses of the seismic data, we were able to determine shear wave velocities ranging between 200 and 850 m/s, up to a depth of about 15–20

Ratings of Perceived Exertion and Self-reported Mood State in Response to High Intensity Interval Training. A Crossover Study on the Effect of Chronotype

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Jacopo A. Vitale

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of chronotype on mood state and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE before and in response to acute high intensity interval exercise (HIIE performed at different times of the day. Based on the morningness–eveningness questionnaire, 12 morning-types (M-types; N = 12; age 21 ± 2 years; height 179 ± 5 cm; body mass 74 ± 12 kg and 11 evening-types (E-types; N = 11; age 21 ± 2 years; height 181 ± 11 cm; body mass 76 ± 11 kg were enrolled in a randomized crossover study. All subjects underwent measurements of Profile of Mood States (POMS, before (PRE, after 12 (POST12 and 24 h (POST24 the completion of both morning (08.00 am and evening (08.00 p.m. training. Additionally, Global Mood Disturbance and Energy Index (EI were calculated. RPE was obtained PRE and 30 min POST HIIE. Two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test of POMS parameters during morning training showed significant differences in fatigue, vigor and EI at PRE and POST24 between M-types and E-types. In addition, significant chronotype differences were found only in POST12 after the evening HIIE for fatigue, vigor and EI. For what concerns Borg perceived exertion, comparing morning versus evening values in PRE condition, a higher RPE was observed in relation to evening training for M-types (P = 0.0107 while E-types showed higher RPE values in the morning (P = 0.008. Finally, intragroup differences showed that E-types had a higher RPE respect to M-types before (P = 0.002 and after 30 min (P = 0.042 the morning session of HIIE. No significant changes during the evening training session were found. In conclusion, chronotype seems to significantly influence fatigue values, perceived exertions and vigor in relation to HIIE performed at different times of the day. Specifically, E-types will meet more of a burden when undertaking a physical task early in the day. Practical results suggest that performing a HIIE at those times

Diurnal trend in EEG interhemispheric asymmetry in endogenous depressions

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T S Melnikova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A trend in EEG interhemispheric asymmetry was studied in patients with endogenous depressions in morning and evening hours. In the morning, the spectral power of alpha rhythm particularly in the occipital cortical regions, proved to be higher than that in the evening. In the morning, the interhemispheric differences in the power of occipital alpha rhythm were leveled off while in the evening there was normalization of interhemispheric balance with the higher power of alpha rhythm in the right occipital region. Analysis of the mean coherence (mean Coh of alpha rhythm in individual cortical regions revealed that the patients with endogenous depression had higher readings mainly in the parietal and central regions of both hemispheres and in the right temporal regions in the morning than in the evening. The occipital and posttemporal regions showed an inverse trend in the mean Coh - it was lower in the morning than in the evening

Daily Work Stress and Awakening Cortisol in Mothers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Fragile X Syndrome.

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Wong, Jen D; Mailick, Marsha R; Greenberg, Jan S; Hong, Jinkuk; Coe, Christopher L

2014-02-01

The effect of daily work stress on the next morning's awakening cortisol level was determined in a sample of 124 mothers (M age = 49.89, SD= 6.33) of adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and compared to 115 mothers (M age = 46.19, SD = 7.08) of individuals without disabilities. Mothers participated in 8 days of diary telephone interviews and provided saliva samples. Multilevel models revealed that mothers of individuals with developmental disabilities had lower awakening cortisol levels than comparison mothers. Work stress interacted with parental status to predict the awakening cortisol level on the following morning. When mothers of individuals with developmental disabilities experienced a work stressor, their awakening cortisol level was significantly higher on the subsequent morning, but for comparison mothers, work stressors were not significantly associated with cortisol level. Findings extend understanding of the differential impacts of specific types of stressors on physiological functioning of mothers of individuals with and without developmental disabilities.

Can Personal Exposures to Higher Nighttime and Early Morning Temperatures Increase Blood Pressure?

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Environmental temperatures are inversely related to BP; however, the effects of short-term temperature changes within a 24-hour period and measured with high accuracy at the personal level have not been described. Fifty-one nonsmoking patients living in the Detroit area had up to...

The relative importance of family socioeconomic status and school-based peer hierarchies for morning cortisol in youth: an exporatory study.

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West, Patrick; Sweeting, Helen; Young, Robert; Kelly, Shona

2010-04-01

This paper examines the relative importance of family socioeconomic status (SES) and school-based peer hierarchies for young people's psychoneuroendocrine response, represented by cortisol level. Data are drawn from a study of 2824, 15-year-olds in 22 Scottish secondary schools in 2006 who provided information on family SES (parental occupation, material deprivation and family affluence) and social position in school hierarchies, together with two morning salivary cortisol samples. School social position was assessed by participants placing themselves on seven 'ladders', from which three factors were derived, termed scholastic, peer and sports hierarchies. Controlling for confounds, there was little or no variation in cortisol by any SES measure. By contrast, each school hierarchy was independently associated with cortisol, but in different ways. For the scholastic hierarchy, an inverse linear relationship was found for females, cortisol increasing with lower position. For peer hierarchy, an opposite (direct) linear relationship occurred for males, while for females elevated cortisol was associated only with 'top' position. For sports, elevated cortisol among males was associated with 'bottom' position, among females with all except the 'top'. These results are interpreted in the context of Sapolsky's (Sapolsky, 2005) predictions for stress responses to hierarchical position in stable and unstable social systems, the former represented by the scholastic hierarchy involving elevated cortisol in lower positions, the latter by peer hierarchy with elevated cortisol in higher positions. Overall, the results highlight the greater importance of school-based peer groups than family SES for young people's psychoneuroendocrine response. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Noise Induce Stress Assessment via Salivary Cortisol Measuring

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2013-02-01

Result: On the rest day and work day, between morning salivary cortisol was no significant difference in two groups. Comparing evening cortisol concentrations in work day with rest day a significant difference was observed, in worker group, but it was not significant in the other group. The evening cortisol in the working day in was significantly higher among workers than officers. .Conclusion: This study revealed that industrial noise exposure with levels higher than 80 dBA has a significant effect on salivary cortisol elevation.

Significant enhancement in thermoelectric performance of nanostructured higher manganese silicides synthesized employing a melt spinning technique.

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Muthiah, Saravanan; Singh, R C; Pathak, B D; Avasthi, Piyush Kumar; Kumar, Rishikesh; Kumar, Anil; Srivastava, A K; Dhar, Ajay

2018-01-25

The limited thermoelectric performance of p-type Higher Manganese Silicides (HMS) in terms of their low figure-of-merit (ZT), which is far below unity, is the main bottle-neck for realising an efficient HMS based thermoelectric generator, which has been recognized as the most promising material for harnessing waste-heat in the mid-temperature range, owing to its thermal stability, earth-abundant and environmentally friendly nature of its constituent elements. We report a significant enhancement in the thermoelectric performance of nanostructured HMS synthesized using rapid solidification by optimizing the cooling rates during melt-spinning followed by spark plasma sintering of the resulting melt-spun ribbons. By employing this experimental strategy, an unprecedented ZT ∼ 0.82 at 800 K was realized in spark plasma sintered 5 at% Al-doped MnSi 1.73 HMS, melt spun at an optimized high cooling rate of ∼2 × 10 7 K s -1 . This enhancement in ZT represents a ∼25% increase over the best reported values thus far for HMS and primarily originates from a nano-crystalline microstructure consisting of a HMS matrix (20-40 nm) with excess Si (3-9 nm) uniformly distributed in it. This nanostructure, resulting from the high cooling rates employed during the melt-spinning of HMS, introduces a high density of nano-crystallite boundaries in a wide spectrum of nano-scale dimensions, which scatter the low-to-mid-wavelength heat-carrying phonons. This abundant phonon scattering results in a significantly reduced thermal conductivity of ∼1.5 W m -1 K -1 at 800 K, which primarily contributes to the enhancement in ZT.

Bromocriptine and insulin sensitivity in lean and obese subjects

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L Bahler

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Bromocriptine is a glucose-lowering drug, which was shown to be effective in obese subjects with insulin resistance. It is usually administered in the morning. The exact working mechanism of bromocriptine still has to be elucidated. Therefore, in this open-label randomized prospective cross-over mechanistic study, we assessed whether the timing of bromocriptine administration (morning vs evening results in different effects and whether these effects differ between lean and obese subjects. We studied the effect of bromocriptine on insulin sensitivity in 8 lean and 8 overweight subjects using an oral glucose tolerance test. The subjects used bromocriptine in randomized cross-over order for 2 weeks in the morning and 2 weeks in the evening. We found that in lean subjects, bromocriptine administration in the evening resulted in a significantly higher post-prandial insulin sensitivity as compared with the pre-exposure visit (glucose area under the curve (AUC 742 mmol/L * 120 min (695–818 vs 641 (504–750, P = 0.036, AUC for insulin did not change, P = 0.575. In obese subjects, both morning and evening administration of bromocriptine resulted in a significantly higher insulin sensitivity: morning administration in obese: insulin AUC (55,900 mmol/L * 120 min (43,236–96,831 vs 36,448 (25,213–57,711, P = 0.012 and glucose AUC P = 0.069; evening administration in obese: glucose AUC (735 mmol/L * 120 min (614–988 vs 644 (568–829, P = 0.017 and insulin AUC, P = 0.208. In conclusion, bromocriptine increases insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese subjects. In lean subjects, this effect only occurred when bromocriptine was administrated in the evening, whereas in the obese, insulin sensitivity increased independent of the timing of bromocriptine administration.

Evaluation of the Structure of Morning Report Sessions of the Wards of Type One Educational Hospitals and Comparison with Announced Standards of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education

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Shahram Yazdani

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Morning report is a long-standing method that its promotion has an important role in medical education. The present research was done with the aim of studying the structure of morning report sessions of the wards of type one educational hospitals and comparison with announced standards of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.Methods: This study was performed in five main educational hospitals included wards of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Psychiatry, Neurology, Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Infectious Disease, and Intensive Care Unit wards were evaluated 8 approved standards 3 times for each one, and totally 73 cases. The studied standards consisted of the time of patient introduction, number of patients, duration of session, appropriateness of the session place, the venue, near ward place, Availability of teaching aids, number of sessions per week and a simple reception during the session.Results: Mean time for introduction of each patient was 4.4 minutes, mean number of introduced patients was 3.2 cases, mean duration of the session was 47.4 minutes, presentation in the ward (61.6%, appropriateness of place capacity 95.9%, and mean number of sessions per week was 4.2. No simple reception was seen in any sessions. Abundance of teaching aids was 79.5% for physical examination bed Negatoscope 89%, white board 93.2%, computer 87.7%, printer 19.2%, internet 17.8%, and video projector 83.6%.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the general structure of morning report in the studied university was appropriate and fulfilled 6 out of 8 Standards. Also, the simple reception was not standard, and the standard of teaching aids was appropriate for 5 out of 7, and printer and internet were inappropriate.

Tribes and Territories in the 21st Century: Rethinking the Significance of Disciplines in Higher Education. International Studies in Higher Education

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Trowler, Paul, Ed.; Saunders, Murray, Ed.; Bamber, Veronica, Ed.

2012-01-01

The "tribes and territories" metaphor for the cultures of academic disciplines and their roots in different knowledge characteristics has been used by those interested in university life and work since the early 1990s. This book draws together research, data and theory to show how higher education has gone through major change since then…

A statistical comparison of SuperDARN spectral width boundaries and DMSP particle precipitation boundaries in the morning sector ionosphere

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G. Chisham

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Determining reliable proxies for the ionospheric signature of the open-closed field line boundary (OCB is crucial for making accurate ionospheric measurements of many magnetospheric processes (e.g. magnetic reconnection. This study compares the latitudes of Spectral Width Boundaries (SWBs, identified in the morning sector ionosphere using the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN, with Particle Precipitation Boundaries (PPBs determined using the low-altitude Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP spacecraft, in order to determine whether the SWB represents a good proxy for the ionospheric projection of the OCB. The latitudes of SWBs and PPBs were identified using automated algorithms applied to 5 years (1997-2001 of data measured in the 00:00-12:00 Magnetic Local Time (MLT range. A latitudinal difference was measured between each PPB and the nearest SWB within a ±10min Universal Time (UT window and within a ±1h MLT window. The results show that the SWB represents a good proxy for the OCB close to midnight (~00:00-02:00 MLT and noon (~08:00-12:00 MLT, but is located some distance (~2°-4° equatorward of the OCB across much of the morning sector ionosphere (~02:00-08:00 MLT. On the basis of this and other studies we deduce that the SWB is correlated with the poleward boundary of auroral emissions in the Lyman-Birge-Hopfield ``Long" (LBHL UV emission range and hence, that spectral width is inversely correlated with the energy flux of precipitating electrons. We further conclude that the combination of two factors may explain the spatial distribution of spectral width values in the polar ionospheres. The small-scale structure of the convection electric field leads to an enhancement in spectral width in regions close to the OCB, whereas increases in ionospheric conductivity (relating to the level of incident electron energy flux lead to a reduction in spectral width in regions just equatorward of the OCB.

Postprandial Metabolism and Appetite Do Not Differ between Lean Adults that Eat Breakfast or Morning Fast for 6 Weeks.

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Chowdhury, Enhad A; Richardson, Judith D; Tsintzas, Kostas; Thompson, Dylan; Betts, James A

2018-01-01

It remains unknown whether sustained daily feeding-fasting patterns modify the acute response to specific feedings on a given day. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to establish if daily breakfast consumption or fasting until noon modifies the acute metabolic and appetitive responses to a fixed breakfast and ad libitum lunch. With the use of a parallel group design, we randomly assigned 31 healthy, lean men and women (22-56 y) to 6 wk of either consuming ≥700 kcal of self-selected items before 1100 or fasting (0 kcal) until 1200 daily. Following 48 h of diet and physical activity standardization, we examined metabolic and appetite responses to a standardized breakfast and ad libitum lunch before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using 3- and 2-way ANCOVA. Systemic concentrations of energy balance regulatory hormones total and acylated ghrelin, leptin, and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine) responded similarly to breakfast and lunch before and after 6 wk of either morning fasting or regular breakfast, with the exception of a tendency for increased glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations from baseline to follow-up in the Breakfast Group compared with a decrease over that period in the Fasting Group [P = 0.06, partial eta squared value (ƞ2) = 0.16]. Subjective appetite sensations also did not differ over the course of the day, and ad libitum energy intake at lunch was not systematically affected by either intervention, decreasing by 27 kcal (95% CI: -203, 149 kcal) with fasting and by 77 kcal (95% CI: -210, 56 kcal) with breakfast. Similarly, glycemic, insulinemic, lipemic, and thermogenic responses to breakfast and lunch were very stable at baseline and follow-up and, thus, did not differ between treatment groups. Our results indicate that a sustained period of either extended morning fasting or eating a daily breakfast has minimal effect upon acute metabolic and appetite responses in lean adults. This trial was registered at www.isrctn.org as ISRCTN

Chronotype differences in suicidal behavior and impulsivity among suicide attempters.

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Selvi, Yavuz; Aydin, Adem; Atli, Abdullah; Boysan, Murat; Selvi, Fatih; Besiroglu, Lutfullah

2011-03-01

Morning- and evening-type individuals differ on a number of psychological and biological variables. There has been increasing interest in the relationship between chronotype and personality traits. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and chronotype in suicide attempters. Eighty-nine suicide attempters were included in the study, and systematic information on suicide attempts was recorded. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was applied to determine chronotype, and attempter impulsivity was measured by the total score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Significant differences between chronotype and impulsivity scores were found. Evening-type subjects reported significantly higher impulsivity scores than both neither- and morning-types. A significant association between chronotype and type of suicide attempt was detected. The largest proportion of violent suicide attempters were evening-type subjects. Violent suicide attempters also reported significantly higher impulsivity scores than nonviolent attempters. Previous studies have pointed out possible relations between eveningness and impulsivity. Current findings suggest that eveningness may be a risk factor for violent suicide attempts by increasing impulsivity.

Morning Sleep Inertia in Alertness and Performance: Effect of Cognitive Domain and White Light Conditions

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Santhi, Nayantara; Groeger, John A.; Archer, Simon N.; Gimenez, Marina; Schlangen, Luc J. M.; Dijk, Derk-Jan

2013-01-01

The transition from sleep to wakefulness entails a temporary period of reduced alertness and impaired performance known as sleep inertia. The extent to which its severity varies with task and cognitive processes remains unclear. We examined sleep inertia in alertness, attention, working memory and cognitive throughput with the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), n-back and add tasks, respectively. The tasks were administered 2 hours before bedtime and at regular intervals for four hours, starting immediately after awakening in the morning, in eleven participants, in a four-way cross-over laboratory design. We also investigated whether exposure to Blue-Enhanced or Bright Blue-Enhanced white light would reduce sleep inertia. Alertness and all cognitive processes were impaired immediately upon awakening (pinertia varies with cognitive domain and that it’s spectral/intensity response to light is different from that of sleepiness. That is, just increasing blue-wavelength in light may not be sufficient to reduce sleep inertia. These findings have implications for critical professions like medicine, law-enforcement etc., in which, personnel routinely wake up from night-time sleep to respond to emergency situations. PMID:24260280

On-the-Road Driving Performance the Morning after Bedtime Use of Suvorexant 20 and 40 mg: A Study in Non-Elderly Healthy Volunteers.

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Vermeeren, Annemiek; Sun, Hong; Vuurman, Eric F P M; Jongen, Stefan; Van Leeuwen, Cees J; Van Oers, Anita C M; Palcza, John; Li, Xiadong; Laethem, Tine; Heirman, Ingeborg; Bautmans, An; Troyer, Matthew D; Wrishko, Rebecca; McCrea, Jacqueline

2015-11-01

To evaluate next-morning driving performance in adults younger than 65 years, after single and repeated doses of suvorexant 20 and 40 mg. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-period crossover study. Maastricht University, The Netherlands. 28 healthy volunteers (15 females), aged 23 to 64 years. Suvorexant (20 and 40 mg) for 8 consecutive nights; zopiclone 7.5 mg nightly on day 1 and 8; placebo. Performance on day 2 and 9 (9 h after dosing) using a one-hour standardized highway driving test in normal traffic, measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). Drug-placebo changes in SDLP > 2.4 cm were considered to reflect meaningful driving impairment. Mean drug-placebo changes in SDLP following suvorexant 20 and 40 mg were 1.01 and 1.66 cm on day 2, and 0.48 and 1.31 cm on Day 9, respectively. The 90% CIs of these changes were all below 2.4 cm. Symmetry analysis showed that more subjects had SDLP changes > 2.4 cm than driving tests--all following suvorexant--stop prematurely due to self-reported somnolence. As assessed by mean changes in standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), there was no clinically meaningful residual effect of suvorexant in doses of 20 and 40 mg on next-morning driving (9 h after bedtime dosing) in healthy subjects < 65 years old. There may be some individuals who experience next-day effects, as suggested by individual changes in SDLP and prematurely stopped tests. clinicaltrials.gov NCT01311882. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Parenting stressors and morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers.

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Hibel, Leah C; Mercado, Evelyn; Trumbell, Jill M

2012-10-01

The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a normative rise in cortisol levels across the 30 minutes post awakening. Both the levels and the degree of change in cortisol across this time period are sensitive to the perceived challenges of the day and are thought to prepare the individual to meet these tasks. However, working parents of young children may be under unique strains at this time as they attempt to simultaneously care for their children while also preparing themselves for the workday ahead. In these analyses we examined the contributions of both work and parenting stress on maternal cortisol levels and awakening responses, and how these relationships differed on workdays compared with nonworkdays. To do this, saliva samples were collected from 56 working mothers (25% single) with a child between the ages of 2 and 4 years old (mode = 2 children), at awakening and 30 min postawakening. Samples were collected on 4 consecutive days-2 nonworkdays followed by 2 workdays. Analyses revealed mothers reporting higher levels of parenting stress had higher average a.m. cortisol on workdays compared with nonworkdays. Further, mothers reporting a combination of high job strain and high parenting stress had significantly higher cortisol levels and steeper CAR increases on workdays compared with nonworkdays. Findings are discussed by integrating knowledge from the fields of parenting stress, work-family, and stress physiology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Circadian variation of transient myocardial ischemia in the early out-of-hospital period after first acute myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mickley, H; Pless, P; Nielsen, J R

1991-01-01

with a peak activity occurring in the evening hours (p less than 0.01). Thus, 43% of ischemic episodes and 42% of ischemic time occurred between 6 P.M. and 12 midnight. The characteristics of morning and evening episodes were similar, except for the heart rate at maximal ST-segment depression, which...... was significantly higher during morning episodes (p less than 0.02). Patients with transient myocardial ischemia had a diurnal distribution similar to the circadian variation displayed during ischemic activity. Thus, 16 of the 21 patients had ischemic episodes from 6 P.M. to 12 midnight versus 10 patients from 6 A...

Circadian Macronutrients Variations over the First 7 Weeks of Human Milk Feeding of Preterm Infants.

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Moran-Lev, Hadar; Mimouni, Francis B; Ovental, Amit; Mangel, Laurence; Mandel, Dror; Lubetzky, Ronit

2015-09-01

Little is known about circadian variations of macronutrients content of expressed preterm human milk (HM). This study evaluated diurnal variations of macronutrients and energy content of preterm HM over the first 7 weeks of lactation and tested the hypothesis that values obtained during a morning sample are predictive of those obtained from an evening sample. Expressed HM was obtained from 32 mothers of preterm infants (26-33 weeks in gestational age), who routinely expressed all their milk every 3 hours from the beginning of the second to the seventh week after delivery. One aliquot was obtained from the first morning expression and the second from the evening expression. Energy and macronutrients contents were measured using an HM analyzer. Mean fat and energy contents of all samples obtained during the whole period were significantly higher in evening samples (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between morning and evening carbohydrates and protein contents. Concentrations of protein, carbohydrates, and fat from morning samples were predictive of evening concentrations to different extents (R(2) = 0.720, R(2) = 0.663, and R(2) = 0.20, respectively; p < 0.02). The predictability of evening values by morning values was not influenced by the week of lactation at sampling or by individual patients. In repeated-measures analysis of variance performed on 11 patients who completed the whole 7-week period, over time, there was a significant decrease in fat, energy, and protein contents, whereas carbohydrates content remained unchanged. Day-night differences remained significant only for fat content. Circadian variations in fat and energy concentrations of HM are consistent over the first 7 weeks of lactation. There are no consistent circadian variations in HM protein and carbohydrates. Over a given day, there are little variations in protein and carbohydrates content, but fat concentrations are more variable, and evening values are less well predicted by

The combined effect of sleep and time of day on emotion decoding from dynamic visual cues in older adults

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Tsokanaki P

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Paraskevi Tsokanaki,1 Despina Moraitou,1 Georgia Papantoniou2 1Section of Cognitive and Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 2Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece Abstract: It is well known that night sleep is a decisive factor for the effective functioning of the human body and mind. In addition to the role of sleep, older adults report that they are “morning types” and that their cognitive and emotional abilities seem to be at a higher level in the morning hours. In this vein, this study is aimed at examining the effect of sleep combined with the “time of day” condition on a specific ability that is crucial for interpersonal communication, namely, emotion recognition, in older adults. Specifically, the study compared older adults’ performance in decoding emotions from ecologically valid, dynamic visual cues, in two conditions: “early in the morning and after night sleep”, and “in the afternoon and after many hours since night sleep”. An emotion recognition task was administered twice to 37 community-dwelling older adults. The results showed a statistically significant higher performance in the morning in decoding all emotions presented, compared to the afternoon condition. Pleasant surprise, sadness, and anxiety were revealed as the most difficult emotions to be recognized in the afternoon condition. Keywords: aging, cognition, emotion recognition

A Comparison of Different Modes of Morning Priming Exercise on Afternoon Performance.

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Russell, Mark; King, Aden; Bracken, Richard M; Cook, Christian J; Giroud, Thibault; Kilduff, Liam P

2016-09-01

To assess the effects of different modes of morning (AM) exercise on afternoon (PM) performance and salivary hormone responses in professional rugby union players. On 4 occasions (randomized, crossover design), 15 professional rugby players provided AM (~8 AM) and PM (~2 PM) saliva samples before PM assessments of countermovement-jump height, reaction time, and repeated-sprint ability. Control (passive rest), weights (bench press: 5 × 10 repetitions, 75% 1-repetition maximum, 90-s intraset recovery), cycling (6 × 6-s maximal sprint cycling, 7.5% body mass load, 54-s intraset recovery), and running (6 × 40-m maximal sprints, 20-s intraset recovery) interventions preceded (~5 h) PM testing. PM sprint performance improved (P 0.15 ± 0.19 s, >2.04% ± 2.46%) and running (>0.15 ± 0.17 s, >2.12% ± 2.22%) but not cycling (P > .05). PM jump height increased after cycling (0.012 ± 0.009 m, 2.31% ± 1.76%, P < .001) and running (0.020 ± 0.009 m, 3.90% ± 1.79%, P < .001) but not weights (P = .936). Reaction time remained unchanged between trials (P = .379). Relative to control (131 ± 21 pg/mL), PM testosterone was greater in weights (21 ± 23 pg/mL, 17% ± 18%, P = .002) and running (28 ± 26 pg/mL, 22% ± 20%, P = .001) but not cycling (P = .072). Salivary cortisol was unaffected by AM exercise (P = .540). All modes of AM exercise improved at least 1 marker of PM performance, but running appeared the most beneficial to professional rugby union players. A rationale therefore exists for preceding PM competition with AM exercise.

Adolescent Adrenocortical Activity and Adiposity: Differences by Sex and Exposure to Early Maternal Depression

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Ruttle, Paula L.; Klein, Marjorie H.; Slattery, Marcia J.; Kalin, Ned H.; Armstrong, Jeffrey M.; Essex, Marilyn J.

2014-01-01

Summary Prior research has linked either basal cortisol levels or stress-induced cortisol responses to adiposity; however, it remains to be determined whether these distinct cortisol measures exert joint or independent effects. Further, it is unclear how they interact with individual and environmental characteristics to predict adiposity. The present study aims to address whether morning cortisol levels and cortisol responses to a psychosocial stressor independently and/or interactively influence body mass index (BMI) in 218 adolescents (117 female) participating in a longitudinal community study, and whether associations are moderated by sex and exposure to early maternal depression. Reports of maternal depressive symptoms were obtained in infancy and preschool. Salivary cortisol measures included a longitudinal morning cortisol measure comprising sampling points across ages 11, 13, 15, and 18 and measures of stress-induced cortisol responses assessed via the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) at age 18. Lower morning cortisol and higher TSST cortisol reactivity independently predicted higher age 18 BMI. Morning cortisol also interacted with sex and exposure to early maternal depression to predict BMI. Specifically, girls exposed to lower levels of early maternal depression displayed a strong negative morning cortisol-BMI association, and girls exposed to higher levels of maternal depression demonstrated a weaker negative association. Among boys, those exposed to lower levels of maternal depression displayed no association, while those exposed to higher levels of maternal depression displayed a negative morning cortisol-BMI association. Results point to the independent, additive effects of morning and reactive cortisol in the prediction of BMI and suggest that exposure to early maternal depression may exert sexually dimorphic effects on normative cortisol-BMI associations. PMID:25001956

Rib fractures and their association With solid organ injury: higher rib fractures have greater significance for solid organ injury screening.

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Rostas, Jack W; Lively, Timothy B; Brevard, Sidney B; Simmons, Jon D; Frotan, Mohammad A; Gonzalez, Richard P

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to identify patients with rib injuries who were at risk for solid organ injury. A retrospective chart review was performed of all blunt trauma patients with rib fractures during the period from July 2007 to July 2012. Data were analyzed for association of rib fractures and solid organ injury. In all, 1,103 rib fracture patients were identified; 142 patients had liver injuries with 109 (77%) associated right rib fractures. Right-sided rib fractures with highest sensitivity for liver injury were middle rib segment (5 to 8) and lower segment (9 to 12) with liver injury sensitivities of 68% and 43%, respectively (P rib fractures. Left middle segment rib fractures and lower segment rib fractures had sensitivities of 80% and 63% for splenic injury, respectively (P Rib fractures higher in the thoracic cage have significant association with solid organ injury. Using rib fractures from middle plus lower segments as indication for abdominal screening will significantly improve rib fracture sensitivity for identification of solid organ injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Significance of Blackstone's Understanding of Sovereign Immunity for America's Public Institutions of Higher Education.

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Snow, Brian A.; Thro, William E.

2001-01-01

Asserts that from the perspective of America's public institutions of higher education, Blackstone's greatest legacy is his understanding of sovereign immunity. Explores the similarities between Blackstone's understanding of sovereign immunity and the current jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court. (EV)

Quantitative genetic variance and multivariate clines in the Ivyleaf morning glory, Ipomoea hederacea.

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Stock, Amanda J; Campitelli, Brandon E; Stinchcombe, John R

2014-08-19

Clinal variation is commonly interpreted as evidence of adaptive differentiation, although clines can also be produced by stochastic forces. Understanding whether clines are adaptive therefore requires comparing clinal variation to background patterns of genetic differentiation at presumably neutral markers. Although this approach has frequently been applied to single traits at a time, we have comparatively fewer examples of how multiple correlated traits vary clinally. Here, we characterize multivariate clines in the Ivyleaf morning glory, examining how suites of traits vary with latitude, with the goal of testing for divergence in trait means that would indicate past evolutionary responses. We couple this with analysis of genetic variance in clinally varying traits in 20 populations to test whether past evolutionary responses have depleted genetic variance, or whether genetic variance declines approaching the range margin. We find evidence of clinal differentiation in five quantitative traits, with little evidence of isolation by distance at neutral loci that would suggest non-adaptive or stochastic mechanisms. Within and across populations, the traits that contribute most to population differentiation and clinal trends in the multivariate phenotype are genetically variable as well, suggesting that a lack of genetic variance will not cause absolute evolutionary constraints. Our data are broadly consistent theoretical predictions of polygenic clines in response to shallow environmental gradients. Ecologically, our results are consistent with past findings of natural selection on flowering phenology, presumably due to season-length variation across the range. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Benzene in blood as a biomarker of low level occupational exposure

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Brugnone, F.; Perbellini, L.; Romeo, L.; Cerpelloni, M.; Bianchin, M.; Tonello, A. [Institute of Occupational Medicine, University of Verona, Policlinico Borgo Roma, 37134 Verona (Italy)

1999-09-01

The occupational airborne exposure to benzene of 150 workers employed in petrol stations and a refinery plant was assessed using personal sampling pumps. All workers provided blood samples after the end of work and on the following morning before resuming work. Benzene concentrations in the blood of 243 non-occupationally-exposed subjects were also measured. The median occupational benzene exposure for all 150 workers studied was 80 {mu}g/m{sup 3}. Overall median blood benzene of all workers was 251 ng/l at the end of the shift, and 174 ng/l the following morning. The benzene concentrations measured in blood collected the following morning proved to be significantly lower than those measured at the end of the shift. Median blood benzene for the 243 'normal' subjects was 128 ng/l, which was significantly lower than that measured in the workers before a new work shift. The median blood benzene concentration was significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers, both in the general population (210 ng/l vs. 110 ng/l) and in the exposed workers at the end of the shift (476 ng/l vs. 132 ng/l) and the following morning (360 ng/l vs. 99 ng/l). End-of-shift blood benzene correlated significantly with environmental exposure; this correlation was better in the 83 non-smokers than in the 67 smokers. In non-smokers with the median benzene occupational exposure of 50 {mu}g/m{sup 3}, no difference was found in blood benzene concentration in exposed and non-exposed subjects.

Influence of room heating on ambulatory blood pressure in winter: a randomised controlled study.

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Saeki, Keigo; Obayashi, Kenji; Iwamoto, Junko; Tanaka, Yuu; Tanaka, Noriyuki; Takata, Shota; Kubo, Hiroko; Okamoto, Nozomi; Tomioka, Kimiko; Nezu, Satoko; Kurumatani, Norio

2013-06-01

Previous studies have proposed that higher blood pressure (BP) in winter is an important cause of increased mortality from cardiovascular disease during the winter. Some observational and physiological studies have shown that cold exposure increases BP, but evidence from a randomised controlled study assessing the effectiveness of intensive room heating for lowering BP was lacking. The present study aimed to determine whether intensive room heating in winter decreases ambulatory BP as compared with weak room heating resulting in a 10°C lower target room temperature when sufficient clothing and bedclothes are available. We conducted a parallel group, assessor blinded, simple randomised controlled study with 1:1 allocation among 146 healthy participants in Japan from November 2009 to March 2010. Ambulatory BP was measured while the participants stayed in single experimental rooms from 21:00 to 8:00. During the session, participants could adjust the amount of clothing and bedclothes as required. Compared with the weak room heating group (mean temperature ± SD: 13.9 ± 3.3°C), systolic morning BP (mean BP 2 h after getting out of bed) of the intensive room heating group (24.2 ± 1.7°C) was significantly lower by 5.8 mm Hg (95% CI 2.4 to 9.3). Sleep-trough morning BP surges (morning BP minus lowest night-time BP) in the intensive room heating group were significantly suppressed to about two thirds of the values in the weak room heating group (14.3 vs 21.9 mm Hg; pheating decreased morning BP and the morning BP surge in winter.

With and Without ‘General’: The Representation of Wiranto in The Sydney Morning Herald during Indonesia’s 2004 General Election

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Aylanda Hidayati Dwi-Nugroho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports an analysis on the naming and title-giving practices of The Sydney Morning Herald toward General Wiranto in the news about Indonesia‟s 2004 General Election when he contested as a presidential candidate but failed. In the news data he was mostly related to the allegations of his responsibility as the Commander of Indonesia‟s armed forces for a number of atrocities committed by the Indonesian military and Jakarta-backed militias in East Timor. Honorification is one standard referencing in news. Its presence is believed to indicate respects, and its absence can be interpreted as either showing solidarity or less respect. However, Wiranto was negatively represented both when he was referred to with and without his military title. Such a representation suggests the newspaper‟s perception and stereotype it has had about Wiranto.

Circadian Rhythm of Wrist Temperature among Shift Workers in South Korea: A Prospective Observational Study.

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Jang, Tae-Won; Kim, Hyunjoo; Kang, Suk-Hoon; Choo, Sang-Hyo; Lee, In-Seok; Choi, Kyung-Hwa

2017-09-24

Background : Human body temperature varies with circadian rhythm. To determine the effect of shift work on the circadian rhythm of the distal-skin temperature, wrist temperatures were measured. Methods : Wrist-skin temperatures were measured by an iButton ® Temperature Logger. It was measured every 3 min for two and eight consecutive working days in the day and shift workers, respectively. Mesor, amplitude, and acrophase were measured by Cosinor analysis. Results : The shift-worker amplitude dropped significantly as the night shift progressed (0.92 to 0.85 °C), dropped further during rest (0.69 °C), and rose during the morning-shift days (0.82 °C). Day workers still had higher amplitudes (0.93 °C) than the morning-shift workers. The acrophase was delayed during the four night-shift days, then advanced during rest days and the morning-shift days. Nevertheless, the morning-shift worker acrophase was still significantly delayed compared to the day workers (08:03 a.m. vs. 04:11 a.m.). Conclusions : The further reduction of wrist-temperature amplitude during rest after the night shift may be due to the signal circadian rhythm disruption. Reduced amplitudes have been reported to be associated with intolerance to shift work. The findings of our study may help to design the most desirable schedule for shift workers.

Circadian Rhythm of Wrist Temperature among Shift Workers in South Korea: A Prospective Observational Study

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Kim, Hyunjoo; Kang, Suk-Hoon; Choo, Sang-Hyo; Lee, In-Seok; Choi, Kyung-Hwa

2017-01-01

Background: Human body temperature varies with circadian rhythm. To determine the effect of shift work on the circadian rhythm of the distal-skin temperature, wrist temperatures were measured. Methods: Wrist-skin temperatures were measured by an iButton® Temperature Logger. It was measured every 3 min for two and eight consecutive working days in the day and shift workers, respectively. Mesor, amplitude, and acrophase were measured by Cosinor analysis. Results: The shift-worker amplitude dropped significantly as the night shift progressed (0.92 to 0.85 °C), dropped further during rest (0.69 °C), and rose during the morning-shift days (0.82 °C). Day workers still had higher amplitudes (0.93 °C) than the morning-shift workers. The acrophase was delayed during the four night-shift days, then advanced during rest days and the morning-shift days. Nevertheless, the morning-shift worker acrophase was still significantly delayed compared to the day workers (08:03 a.m. vs. 04:11 a.m.). Conclusions: The further reduction of wrist-temperature amplitude during rest after the night shift may be due to the signal circadian rhythm disruption. Reduced amplitudes have been reported to be associated with intolerance to shift work. The findings of our study may help to design the most desirable schedule for shift workers. PMID:28946653

How private vehicle use increases ambient air pollution concentrations at schools during the morning drop-off of children

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Adams, Matthew D.; Requia, Weeberb J.

2017-09-01

A child's exposure to environmental pollutants can have life-long health effects. Thus it is critical to understand the potential exposure pathways. In this paper, we examine the increase in ambient PM2.5 concentrations at schools from private vehicle use for dropping children off at school. In North America, students are commonly driven to school in a private vehicle. Additionally, students walk or cycle, or take a school bus. Our vehicle surveys recorded between 23 and 116 personal vehicles at 25 schools, where enrolment ranged from 160 to 765 students. We fit a linear regression model to predict the number of vehicles at schools we did not observe within our study area, which explained 57% of the variation in our surveys. A microsimulation traffic model was created for each of the 86 schools we studied. Outputs from the traffic model were used to determine the emissions generated at each school. PM2.5 emissions varied from 0.14 to 6.38 g. Lastly, we dispersed the emissions produced by private vehicles dropping off students, which are emissions generated by unnecessary trips because students further than walking distance are provided transportation by the school board. At the drop-off location in front of the school, we found ambient concentration increases of at least 5 μg/m3, 10 μg/m3, 25 μg/m3 and 50 μg/m3 during 16.8%, 7.6%, 2.0% and 0.5% of the mornings, respectively. This research was conducted in a medium-sized North American city and should allow transferability to similar cities. We conclude that the use of private vehicles can significantly increase local concentrations, regardless of background conditions.

Early morning awakening and nonrestorative sleep are associated with increased minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time.

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Chiu, Hsiao-Yean; Wang, Mei-Yeh; Chang, Cheng-Kuei; Chen, Ching-Min; Chou, Kuei-Ru; Tsai, Jen-Chen; Tsai, Pei-Shan

2014-10-01

The relationship between a composite measure of insomnia and occupational or fatal accidents has been investigated previously; however, little is known regarding the effect of various insomnia symptoms on minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time. We investigated the predicting role of insomnia symptoms on minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time. Data from the 2005 Taiwan Social Development Trend Survey of 36,473 Taiwanese aged ≥18 years were analyzed in 2013. Insomnia symptoms, including difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), and nonrestorative sleep (NRS) were investigated. A minor non-fatal accident was defined as any mishap such as forgetting to turn off the gas or faucets, accidental falls, and abrasions or cuts occurring during work and leisure time in the past month that do not require immediate medical attention. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) of minor non-fatal accidents (as a binary variable) for each insomnia symptom compared with those of people presenting no symptoms, while controlling for possible confounders. EMA and NRS increased the odds of minor non-fatal accidents occurring during work and leisure time (adjusted OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.08-1.32 and adjusted OR=1.27, 95% CI=1.17-1.37, respectively). EMA and NRS are two symptoms that are significantly associated with an increased likelihood of minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time after adjusting for of a range of covariates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time to first cigarette in the morning as an index of ability to quit smoking: Implications for nicotine dependence

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Timothy B.; Piper, Megan E.; McCarthy, Danielle E.; Bolt, Daniel M.; Smith, Stevens S.; Kim, Su-Young; Colby, Suzanne; Conti, David; Giovino, Gary A.; Hatsukami, Dorothy; Hyland, Andrew; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; Niaura, Raymond; Perkins, Kenneth A.; Toll, Benjamin A.

2010-01-01

An inability to maintain abstinence is a key indicator of tobacco dependence. Unfortunately, little evidence exists regarding the ability of the major tobacco dependence measures to predict smoking cessation outcome. This paper used data from four placebo-controlled smoking cessation trials and one international epidemiologic study to determine relations between the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND; Heatherton et al., 1991), the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI; Kozlowski et al., 1994), the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS; Shiffman et al., 2004) and the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM; Piper et al. 2004) with cessation success. Results showed that much of the predictive validity of the FTND could be attributed to its first item, time to first cigarette in the morning, and this item had greater validity than any other single measure. Thus, the time to first cigarette item appears to tap a pattern of heavy, uninterrupted, and automatic smoking and may be a good single-item measure of nicotine dependence. PMID:18067032

SAC-C Mission and the Morning Constellation

Science.gov (United States)

Colomb, F. R.; Alonso, C.; Hofmann, C.; Frulla, L.; Nollmann, I.; Milovich, J.; Kuba, J.; Ares, F.; Kalemkarian, M.

2002-01-01

components (ICARE), provided by CNES will permit improvement of risk estimation models for radiation effect on last generation integrated circuit technology. . On June 14th, 2000 CONAE and NASA signed an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding for the SAC-C mission in order that the SAC-C satellite, were included in a constellation - named "Morning Constellation". It is integrated by USA satellites Landsat 7, EO 1, Terra, and Argentine SAC-C that feature on-board instruments from the United States, Argentina, Denmark, Italy, France, and Japan. The four satellite tracks on the Earth's surface are the same, their orbital height being 705 km and their inclination, 98.21 degrees. They cross the Equator at 10:00, 10:01, 10:15, and 10:30 hours, respectively (local time). Satellites comply with the World Wide Reference System. The Constellation has been working since March 2001 as a single mission and several cooperative activities have been undertaken and will be presented in this paper. Several jointly sponsored technical workshops have been held, and also collaborative spacecraft navigation experiments have been made. One of the objectives of the AM Constellation is the collaboration in the case of emergencies, NASA and CONAE agreed to give preference in those situation in the planification of their satellite acquisitions. From all the possible hazardous events, the most important for the country are fire and floods. In relation to fires, CONAE is presently adapting and developing the algorithms for using MODIS data to generate a fire map product. Additionally research on fire detection is carried out using the data from the HSTC camera. In relation to flooding, CONAE works in cooperation to national institutions providing the data and, in some cases, producing flood extent maps. In particular MMRS data is demonstrating to be very effective due to its spectral and radiometric resolutions, and its large swath which is well suited for extended countries like Argentina.

Saturday Morning Television Advertisements Aired on English and Spanish Language Networks along the Texas-Mexico Border.

Science.gov (United States)

Barroso, Cristina S; Rodriguez, Dianeth; Camacho, Perla L

2011-10-18

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this content analysis study is to characterize the TV advertisements aired to an at-risk child population along the Texas-Mexico border. METHODS: We characterized the early Saturday morning TV advertisements aired by three broadcast network categories (U.S. English language, U.S. Spanish language, and Mexican Spanish language) in Spring 2010. The number, type (food related vs. non-food related), target audience, and persuasion tactics used were recorded. Advertised foods, based on nutrition content, were categorized as meeting or not meeting current dietary guidelines. RESULTS: Most commercials were non-food related (82.7%, 397 of 480). The majority of the prepared foods (e.g., cereals, snacks, and drinks) advertised did not meet the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Additionally, nutrition content information was not available for many of the foods advertised on the Mexican Spanish language broadcast network category. CONCLUSIONS: For U.S. children at risk for obesity along the Texas-Mexico border exposure to TV food advertisements may result in the continuation of sedentary behavior as well as an increased consumption of foods of poor nutritional quality. An international regulatory effort to monitor and enforce the reduction of child-oriented food advertising is needed.

Saturday Morning Television Advertisements Aired on English and Spanish Language Networks along the Texas-Mexico Border

Science.gov (United States)

Barroso, Cristina S.; Rodriguez, Dianeth; Camacho, Perla L.

2011-01-01

Objectives The aim of this content analysis study is to characterize the TV advertisements aired to an at-risk child population along the Texas-Mexico border. Methods We characterized the early Saturday morning TV advertisements aired by three broadcast network categories (U.S. English language, U.S. Spanish language, and Mexican Spanish language) in Spring 2010. The number, type (food related vs. non-food related), target audience, and persuasion tactics used were recorded. Advertised foods, based on nutrition content, were categorized as meeting or not meeting current dietary guidelines. Results Most commercials were non-food related (82.7%, 397 of 480). The majority of the prepared foods (e.g., cereals, snacks, and drinks) advertised did not meet the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Additionally, nutrition content information was not available for many of the foods advertised on the Mexican Spanish language broadcast network category. Conclusions For U.S. children at risk for obesity along the Texas-Mexico border exposure to TV food advertisements may result in the continuation of sedentary behavior as well as an increased consumption of foods of poor nutritional quality. An international regulatory effort to monitor and enforce the reduction of child-oriented food advertising is needed. PMID:22209760

Higher light intensity induces modulations in brain activity even during regular daytime working hours

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smolders, K.C.H.J.; de Kort, Y.A.W.; Cluitmans, P.J.M.

2016-01-01

We investigated the effect of exposure to bright white light as compared to a commonly experienced illuminance (1000 lx vs. 200 lx at eye level, 4000 K) on electroencephalography spectral power density during daytime. Spectral power density was measured during one hour of exposure in the morning and

Reward magnitude, but not time of day, influences the trial-spacing effect in autoshaping with rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, B; Huneycutt, D; Papini, M R

1998-12-01

The arousal hypothesis of the trial-spacing effect suggests that spaced-trial training increases emotional arousal and thus invigorates Pavlovian behavior, relative to massed-trial conditions. Emotional arousal was manipulated by varying reinforcer magnitude during training (either one or five food pellets/trial, across groups). In addition, autoshaping training was administered either in the morning (0900 h) or in the evening (1700 h). Rats were housed in an enclosed colony room and exposed to a regular light:dark cycle (light from 0700 to 1900 h). Available evidence indicates that reinforcer magnitude and time of day are related to arousal levels. As expected, a larger reinforcer magnitude led to a highly significant trial spacing effect. Evening training led to a higher response rate than morning training, but the trial-spacing effect was equally strong whether training was administered in the morning or in the evening. These results provide partial support for the arousal hypothesis and are discussed in the context of research on schedule-induced behavior.

Ranges of diurnal variation and the pattern of body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate in laboratory beagle dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Hiroyasu; Yoshida, Mutsumi; Samura, Keiji; Matsumoto, Hiroyoshi; Ikemoto, Fumihiko; Tagawa, Masahiro

2002-01-01

Ranges in diurnal variation and the patterns of body temperature (T), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and locomotor activity (LA) in 61 laboratory beagle dogs were analyzed using a telemetry system. Body temperature, BP, HR and LA increased remarkably at feeding time. Locomotor activity increased sporadically during the other periods. Body temperature was maintained at the higher value after feeding but had decreased by 0.2 C by early the next morning. Blood pressure fell to a lower value after feeding but had increased by 2.8% by early the next morning. Heart rate decreased progressively after feeding and was 14.5% lower the next morning. This study determined that in laboratory beagles the ranges of diurnal variation and patterns of T, BP and HR are significantly different from those reported in humans and rodents, and that over 24 hr these physiological changes were associated with their sporadic wake-sleep cycles of the dogs.

An hour of bright white light in the early morning improves performance and advances sleep and circadian phase during the Antarctic winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbett, R W; Middleton, B; Arendt, J

2012-09-13

Previous work has demonstrated that exposure to an hour of bright light in the morning and the evening during the Polar winter has beneficial effects on circadian phase. This study investigated the effect of a single hour of bright white morning light on circadian phase, sleep, alertness and cognitive performance. Nine individuals (eight male, one female, median age 30 years), wintering at Halley Research Station (75°S), Antarctica from 7th May until 6th August 2007, were exposed to bright white light for a fortnight from 08:30 to 09:30 h, with two fortnight control periods on either side. This sequence was performed twice, before and following Midwinter. Light exposure, sleep and alertness were assessed daily by actigraphy, sleep diaries and subjective visual analogue scales. Circadian phase (assessed by urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin rhythm) and cognitive performance were evaluated at the end of each fortnight. During light exposure circadian phase was advanced from 4.97 ± 0.96 decimal hours (dh) (mean ± SD) to 4.08 ± 0.68 dh (p = 0.003). Wake-up time was shifted by a similar margin from 8.45 ± 1.83 dh to 7.59 ± 0.78 dh (p < 0.001). Sleep start time was also advanced (p = 0.047) but by a lesser amount, consequently, actual sleep time was slightly reduced. There was no change in objective or subjective measures of sleep quality or subjective measures of alertness. An improvement in cognitive performance was found with both the Single Letter Cancellation Test (p < 0.001) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (p = 0.026) with preserved circadian variation. These beneficial effects of a single short duration light treatment may have implications not only for the Antarctic but other remote environments where access to natural light and delayed circadian phase, is problematic. These results require validation in larger studies at varying locations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shared Leadership Transforms Higher Education IT

Science.gov (United States)

Duin, Ann Hill; Cawley, Steve; Gulachek, Bernard; O'Sullivan, Douglas M.; Wollner, Diane

2011-01-01

Globalization, immersive research and learning environments, unlimited access to information and analytics, and fiscal realities continue to impact higher education--and higher education IT. Although IT organizations face immense pressure to meet significantly greater expectations at significantly less cost, with such pressure comes the…

No effect of caloric restriction on salivary cortisol levels in overweight men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Charmaine S; Frost, Elizabeth A; Xie, Wenting; Rood, Jennifer; Ravussin, Eric; Redman, Leanne M

2014-02-01

The effect of weight loss by diet or diet and exercise on salivary cortisol levels, a measure of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal activity, in overweight individuals is not known. The objective was to test the hypothesis that 24 weeks of moderate caloric restriction (CR) (25%) by diet or diet and aerobic exercise would alter morning and diurnal salivary cortisol levels. Randomized control trial in an institutional research center. Thirty-five overweight (BMI: 27.8±0.7 kg/m(2)) but otherwise healthy participants (16 M/19 F). Participants were randomized to either calorie restriction (CR: 25% reduction in energy intake, n=12), calorie restriction+exercise (CR+EX: 12.5% reduction in energy intake+12.5% increase in exercise energy expenditure, n=12) or control (healthy weight-maintenance diet, n=11) for 6 months. Salivary cortisol measured at 8:00, 8:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:30, 13:00, 16:00 and 16:30. Morning cortisol was defined as the mean cortisol concentration at 08:00 and 08:30. Diurnal cortisol was calculated as the mean of the 8 cortisol measures across the day. In the whole cohort, higher morning and diurnal cortisol levels were associated with impaired insulin sensitivity (morning: P=0.004, r(2)=0.24; diurnal: P=0.02, r(2)=0.15). Using mixed model analysis, there was no significant effect of group, time or sex on morning or diurnal cortisol levels. A 10% weight loss with a 25% CR diet alone or with exercise did not impact morning or diurnal salivary cortisol levels. © 2013.

Predictors of improvement in subjective sleep quality reported by older adults following group-based cognitive behavior therapy for sleep maintenance and early morning awakening insomnia.

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Lovato, Nicole; Lack, Leon; Wright, Helen; Kennaway, David J

2013-09-01

Cognitive behavior therapy is an effective nonpharmacologic treatment for insomnia. However, individualized administration is costly and often results in substantial variability in treatment response across individual patients, particularly so for older adults. Group-based administration has demonstrated impressive potential for a brief and inexpensive answer to the effective treatment of insomnia in the older population. It is important to identify potential predictors of response to such a treatment format to guide clinicians when selecting the most suitable treatment for their patients. The aim of our study was to identify factors that predict subjective sleep quality of older adults following group-based administration of cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Eighty-six adults (41 men; mean age, 64.10 y; standard deviation [SD], 6.80) with sleep maintenance or early morning awakening insomnia were selected from a community-based sample to participate in a 4-week group-based treatment program of CBT-I. Participants were required to complete 7-day sleep diaries and a comprehensive battery of questionnaires related to sleep quality and daytime functioning. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to identify factors predicting subjective sleep quality immediately following treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Sleep diaries reported average nightly sleep efficiency (SE), which was used as the outcome measure of sleep quality. Participants with the greatest SE following treatment while controlling for pretreatment SE were relatively younger and had more confidence in their ability to sleep at pretreatment. These characteristics may be useful to guide clinicians when considering the use of a group-based CBT-I for sleep maintenance or early morning awakening insomnia in older adults. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Values of iodine metabolism biomarkers in assessing the iodine nutrition status in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease.

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Han, Jian-hua; Wu, Lian; Yu, Song-lin; Fang, Hui-ling; Kamg, Wei-ming; Cheng, Xin-qi; Lu, Jie; Yu, Jian-chun; Qiu, Ling

2015-04-01

To assess the clinical application value of iodine metabolism biomarkers in assessing iodine nutrition status in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease. Blood,morning urine and 24-hour urine samples were collected in 31 healthy volunteers and in 30 surgically treated patients with thyroid disease before and after surgery. Iodine concentration was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The iodine metabolism biomarkers including serum iodine (SI), morning urine iodine(UI), morning urine iodine/urine creatinine ratio (UI/UCr), 24-hour urine iodine (24 h UI), and 24-hour urine iodine excretion (24 h UIE) were evaluated in these two groups. In addition, the validation coincidence rate of iodine metabolism biomarkers in healthy volunteers to different reference ranges including World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, and Quest Diagnostics were calculated. The UI/UCr ratio of pre-operative thyroid disease patients was significantly lower than that of healthy volunteers (P0.05) between these two groups. The SI, UI ,and 24 h UI in postoperative thyroid disease patients were significantly higher than those of the pre-operative patients (all Piodine metabolism biomarkers. The UI/UCr ratio may be used for iodine nutrition evaluation in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease.

Flinging a New Star: “Fire and Cloud” and “Bright and Morning Star” as Reflections of Richard Wright’s Changing Relationship with Communism

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April Conley Kilinski

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Richard Wright's collection of short novella's, Uncle Tom's Children, was originally published in 1938; in 1940, after the success of Native Son, a new printing of the text appeared with two additions. The first was the introductory essay entitled "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow," which was written in 1937, and later served as part of Black Boy. The second was the novella "Bright and Morning Star." Michel Fabre notes that Harper's Magazine rejected this story, "but since it fit Party specifications even better than had the four previous stories, New Masses published it as part of a special literary supplement on May 10, [1938]" (164 . In fact, perhaps because New Masses originally published the final story, critical attention to the revised edition of book almost exclusively posits that the 1940 edition reflects Wright's commitment to Communism at the time. However, several of Wright's other writings-including the introductory essay to the 1940 edition, "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow;" "Blue print for Negro Writing," first published in New Challenge in the fall of 1937; "I Tried to be a Communist," first published in Atlantic Monthly in August and September 1944; and his responses to the Communist party's review of Native Son in 1940-also indicate that his focus in the late 1930s was more on the development of an individual black consciousness than on advancing the causes of the Communist party. By juxtaposing the final two stories, "Fire and Cloud" and "Bright and Morning Star," and considering them in terms of the other writings indicated above, I argue that the 1940 edition of Uncle Tom's Children (with the two additions demonstrates Wright's growing ambivalence with the Communist Party between the years of 1937 and 1940.

Comparative milk and serum cholesterol content in dairy cow and camel

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Bernard Faye

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In order to compare cholesterol contents in cow and camel milk in similar farming conditions, milk and blood of seven cows and seven camels maintained at normal diet at the middle of lactation were sampled at morning and evening, then after two weeks of keeping them at low protein diet. The cholesterol content in camel milk (5.64 ± 3.18 mg/100 g, SD was not significantly lower than in cow milk (8.51 ± 9.07 mg/100 g, SD. Fat contents in cow milk were higher. Cholesterol/fat ratios were similar in the two species (camel: 225 ± 125 mg/100 g fat; cow: 211 ± 142 mg/100 g fat. The serum cholesterol concentration was significantly higher in cow (227.8 ± 60.5 mg/100 ml than in camel (106.4 ± 28.9 mg/100 ml. There was a significant difference between morning and evening milking in milk fat compositions and concentrations in cholesterol. Fat levels increased in cow after two-week low energy-protein diet.

The period of the day affects the twenty-four hour blood pressure response to an acute combined exercise session in Brazilian jiu jitsu athletes

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Rafaello Pinheiro Mazzoccante

2015-09-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe purpose of this study was to compare the effect of a combined exercise session performed at different periods of the day on the 24h blood pressure (BP response. Anaerobic threshold (AT and 12 repetition maximum (12RM tests were evaluated in nine Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes (male (22±3.7 y; 176±5.0 cm; 73.4±9.7 kg; 6.8±2.1 % body fat. Four experimental sessions were performed: resistance exercise followed by aerobic exercise [Morning (MornS and Afternoon (AfternS] and Control (C [Morning and Afternoon]. The morning sessions were conducted at 09:00 a.m. and the afternoon sessions were conducted at 3:00 p.m. The resistance exercise consisted of three sets at 90% of a 12RM for six resistance exercises. The aerobic exercise consisted of 15min at 90% of the AT. Blood pressure (BP was measured before, during and 1h (Microlife(r BP3A1C after the performance of exercises in laboratory, and then during daily activities for the succeeding 23h by ambulatory BP monitoring (Dyna-MAPA(r. Analysis of the area under the curve (AUC indicated significant reductions in blood pressure parameters at various time points during the 24h monitoring period. For systolic BP (SBP, significantly lower values were shown following the morning session versus the control (MornS: 1756.2±100.8 vs. C: 1818.2±84.3 mmHg*15h; p < .05 and total-24h (MornS: 2695.8±143.3 vs. C: 2784.1±143.2 mmHg*24h; p < .05. The total-24h mean BP (MAP was also significantly lower following the morning session versus the control (MornS: 2015.7±121.2 vs. C: 2087.3±153.8 mmHg*24h; p < .05. There were significant differences in the sleeping AUC of SBP (AfternS: 883.6±27.0 vs. C: 965.2±67.9 mmHg*9h; p< .05, diastolic BP (DBP (AfternS: 481.4±30.9 vs. MornS: 552.9±34.2 and C: 562.1±52.3 mmHg*9h; p < .01 and MBP (AfternS: 651.9±22.4 vs. MornS: 708.7±43.1 and C: 726.9±64.7 mmHg*9h; p < .01. The combined exercise performed at different periods of the day contributed distinctly to

Relationship between circadian typology and big five personality domains.

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Tonetti, Lorenzo; Fabbri, Marco; Natale, Vincenzo

2009-02-01

We explored the relationship between personality, based on the five-factor model, and circadian preference. To this end, 503 participants (280 females, 223 males) were administered the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the self-report version of the Big Five Observer (BFO) to determine circadian preference and personality features, respectively. Morning types scored significantly higher than evening and intermediate types on the conscientiousness factor. Evening types were found to be more neurotic than morning types. With reference to the big five personality model, our data, together with those of all the previous studies, indicate that the conscientiousness domain is the one that best discriminates among the three circadian types. Results are discussed with reference to neurobiological models of personality.

Restless Legs Syndrome in shift workers: A cross sectional study on male assembly workers

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Rahimi Mohsen

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS is a common neurological movement disorder characterized by symptoms that follow a circadian pattern. Night and rotating shift work schedules exert adverse effects on functions of the human body by disturbing circadian rhythms, and they are known to cause sleep disturbances and insomnia. In this paper, we investigate the possible association between shift work and RLS. Methods This cross sectional study was conducted in an automobile manufacturing factory in Tehran, Iran. A total of 780 male assembly workers were recruited in three groups, each with 260 workers: workers on a permanent morning shift (A and two different rotating shift schedules (B and C with morning, afternoon and night shifts. We used the international RLS study group criteria for diagnosis of RLS, and the severity scale for severity assessment in subjects with RLS. Self administered questionnaires were used to gather information on age, smoking, work history, medical condition, and existence and severity of RLS symptoms. Results The prevalence of RLS was significantly higher in rotational shift workers (15% than workers with permanent morning work schedule (8.5%. In workers suffering from RLS, we found greater mean values of age and work experience, higher percentages of drug consumption, smoking, and co-morbid illnesses compared with subjects who did not have RLS, although these differences were statistically significant only for age, work experience and drug consumption. Conclusion Rotational shift work acts as a risk or exacerbating factor for Restless Legs Syndrome.

Restless Legs Syndrome in shift workers: A cross sectional study on male assembly workers.

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Sharifian, Akbar; Firoozeh, Marjan; Pouryaghoub, Gholamreza; Shahryari, Mehran; Rahimi, Mohsen; Hesamian, Mohammad; Fardi, Ali

2009-09-14

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological movement disorder characterized by symptoms that follow a circadian pattern. Night and rotating shift work schedules exert adverse effects on functions of the human body by disturbing circadian rhythms, and they are known to cause sleep disturbances and insomnia. In this paper, we investigate the possible association between shift work and RLS. This cross sectional study was conducted in an automobile manufacturing factory in Tehran, Iran. A total of 780 male assembly workers were recruited in three groups, each with 260 workers: workers on a permanent morning shift (A) and two different rotating shift schedules (B and C) with morning, afternoon and night shifts. We used the international RLS study group criteria for diagnosis of RLS, and the severity scale for severity assessment in subjects with RLS. Self administered questionnaires were used to gather information on age, smoking, work history, medical condition, and existence and severity of RLS symptoms. The prevalence of RLS was significantly higher in rotational shift workers (15%) than workers with permanent morning work schedule (8.5%). In workers suffering from RLS, we found greater mean values of age and work experience, higher percentages of drug consumption, smoking, and co-morbid illnesses compared with subjects who did not have RLS, although these differences were statistically significant only for age, work experience and drug consumption. Rotational shift work acts as a risk or exacerbating factor for Restless Legs Syndrome.

The relationship between breakfast, lunch and dinner eating pattern and hemodialysis sessions, quality of life, depression and appetite in hemodialysis patients.

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Afsar, Baris; Elsurer, Rengin; Kanbay, Mehmet

2012-10-01

To evaluate the relationship between eating pattern (regular breakfast, lunch and dinner) and dialysis sessions, laboratory and sociodemographic characteristics in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In this cross-sectional study eating patterns, sociodemographic, laboratory and clinical parameters, depressive symptoms, quality of life, cognitive function and appetite status were assessed. Eighty-two HD patients on morning session and 60 patients on midday HD session schedules were included. Ten patients had only breakfast, 17 patients had only lunch, 26 patients had only dinner, 5 patients had breakfast and lunch but not dinner, 28 patients had breakfast and dinner but not lunch, 29 patients had lunch and dinner but not breakfast, and 19 patients had neither breakfast, nor lunch, nor dinner. In the whole group, only 8 patients reported that they had regularly eaten breakfast, lunch or dinner in all days of the week. Midday HD session, better appetite, and higher income were independently associated with having breakfast. Morning HD session, better appetite score, and higher income were independently associated with having lunch. Morning session versus midday session, nPNA, presence of hypertension, and the Mental Component Summary Score of SF-36 were independently associated with having dinner. The majority of HD patients eat one or two meals per day. Having breakfast (or lunch) is associated with midday dialysis session (or morning dialysis session, respectively), better appetite, and satisfactory income. Eating dinner was associated with morning dialysis session, hypertension, higher protein intake and higher SF-36 mental component summary score.

Influence of Superparameterization and a Higher-Order Turbulence Closure on Rainfall Bias Over Amazonia in Community Atmosphere Model Version 5: How Parameterization Changes Rainfall

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Zhang, Kai [Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX USA; Fu, Rong [Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX USA; Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles CA USA; Shaikh, Muhammad J. [Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX USA; Ghan, Steven [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Wang, Minghuai [Institute for Climate and Global Change Research and School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Nanjing China; Leung, L. Ruby [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Dickinson, Robert E. [Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX USA; Marengo, Jose [Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas aos Desastres Naturais, São Jose dos Campos Brazil

2017-09-21

We evaluate the Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 (CAM5) with a higher-order turbulence closure scheme, named Cloud Layers Unified By Binomials (CLUBB), and a Multiscale Modeling Framework (MMF) with two different microphysics configurations to investigate their influences on rainfall simulations over Southern Amazonia. The two different microphysics configurations in MMF are the one-moment cloud microphysics without aerosol treatment (SAM1MOM) and two-moment cloud microphysics coupled with aerosol treatment (SAM2MOM). Results show that both MMF-SAM2MOM and CLUBB effectively reduce the low biases of rainfall, mainly during the wet season. The CLUBB reduces low biases of humidity in the lower troposphere with further reduced shallow clouds. The latter enables more surface solar flux, leading to stronger convection and more rainfall. MMF, especially MMF-SAM2MOM, unstablizes the atmosphere with more moisture and higher atmospheric temperatures in the atmospheric boundary layer, allowing the growth of more extreme convection and further generating more deep convection. MMF-SAM2MOM significantly increases rainfall in the afternoon, but it does not reduce the early bias of the diurnal rainfall peak; LUBB, on the other hand, delays the afternoon peak time and produces more precipitation in the early morning, due to more realistic gradual transition between shallow and deep convection. MMF appears to be able to realistically capture the observed increase of relative humidity prior to deep convection, especially with its two-moment configuration. In contrast, in CAM5 and CAM5 with CLUBB, occurrence of deep convection in these models appears to be a result of stronger heating rather than higher relative humidity.

Peculiarities of Changes in Daily Blood Pressure and Its Variability in Patients with Essential Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

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E.Yu. Gura

2014-09-01

In patients with essential hypertension combined with diabetes type 2 dipper and non-dipper circadian rhythms prevailed. They had higher values of SBP variability in the daytime, load with high blood pressure in the daytime and at night; the degree of the insufficient night reduction and morning increase of BP. Those parameters were significantly in non-dipper circadian rhythm.

Neural reactivity to visual food stimuli is reduced in some areas of the brain during evening hours compared to morning hours: an fMRI study in women.

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Masterson, Travis D; Kirwan, C Brock; Davidson, Lance E; LeCheminant, James D

2016-03-01

The extent that neural responsiveness to visual food stimuli is influenced by time of day is not well examined. Using a crossover design, 15 healthy women were scanned using fMRI while presented with low- and high-energy pictures of food, once in the morning (6:30-8:30 am) and once in the evening (5:00-7:00 pm). Diets were identical on both days of the fMRI scans and were verified using weighed food records. Visual analog scales were used to record subjective perception of hunger and preoccupation with food prior to each fMRI scan. Six areas of the brain showed lower activation in the evening to both high- and low-energy foods, including structures in reward pathways (P foods compared to low-energy foods (P food stimuli tended to produce greater fMRI responses than low-energy food stimuli in specific areas of the brain, regardless of time of day. However, evening scans showed a lower response to both low- and high-energy food pictures in some areas of the brain. Subjectively, participants reported no difference in hunger by time of day (F = 1.84, P = 0.19), but reported they could eat more (F = 4.83, P = 0.04) and were more preoccupied with thoughts of food (F = 5.51, P = 0.03) in the evening compared to the morning. These data underscore the role that time of day may have on neural responses to food stimuli. These results may also have clinical implications for fMRI measurement in order to prevent a time of day bias.

LANGUAGE APPRAISAL ON ATTITUDINAL SYSTEMS FOR EXPLORING IDEOLOGY IN DEATH PENALTY IN SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND HERALD SUN EDITORIALS

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Rosyida Ekawati

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the ideology represented by newspaper editorials. It is from the idea that every language use is never neutral and not ideology-free. Language is used to convey meanings in a broad sense. There are meanings related to the opinions through the language as resources of evaluation. Editorial is one practice of language use full of opinions towards a certain issue on people or things. Sydney Morning Herald and Herald Sun are used as both Australian newspaper posit themselves as the high-rank newspaper in terms of circulation and online accessed. This article tries to uncover the ideologies represented by both newspaper editorials concerning death penalty of Bali Nine executed in Indonesia. Attitudinal perspective proposed by Martin and White (2005 in term of affect, judgement, and appreciation of language appraisal is used to explore ideology in the newspaper. From appraisal analysis, it is found that Indonesia dominantly appraised in negative There is no positive appreciation for Indonesia in both newspaper editorials. judgement while Australia is portrayed in positive view for the issue of death penalty in Indonesia.

Significant determinants of academic performance by new students enrolled in the higher distance education system of Ecuador. The case of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

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Luis F. Moncada Mora

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we present the significant determiners of academic performance of new students enrolled in the higher distance education system of Ecuador. A description and correlation of the variables were undertaken to formalize the probabilistic model that confirms the positive, negative, individual and global effects.

[Quality of sleep and academic performance in high school students].

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Bugueño, Maithe; Curihual, Carolina; Olivares, Paulina; Wallace, Josefa; López-AlegrÍa, Fanny; Rivera-López, Gonzalo; Oyanedel, Juan Carlos

2017-09-01

Sleeping and studying are the day-to-day activities of a teenager attending school. To determine the quality of sleep and its relationship to the academic performance among students attending morning and afternoon shifts in a public high school. Students of the first and second year of high school answered an interview about socio-demographic background, academic performance, student activities and subjective sleep quality; they were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The interview was answered by 322 first year students aged 15 ± 5 years attending the morning shift and 364 second year students, aged 16 ± 0.5 years, attending the afternoon shift. The components: sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, drug use and daytime dysfunction were similar and classified as good in both school shifts. The components subjective sleep quality and duration of sleep had higher scores among students of the morning shift. The mean grades during the first semester of the students attending morning and afternoon shifts were 5.9 and 5.8, respectively (of a scale from 1 to 7). Among students of both shifts, the PSQI scale was associated inversely and significantly with academic performance. A bad sleep quality influences academic performance in these students.

Adrenocortical Production Is Associated with Higher Levels of Luteinizing Hormone in Nonobese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Luciana Tock

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Insulin resistance (IR and ovarian and adrenal hyperandrogenism are a common finding in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS. The aim of the present study was to access possible differences in insulin resistance, gonadotropins, and androgens production in obese and nonobese PCOS women. Study Design. We studied 37 PCOS women (16 nonobese and 21 obese and 18 nonobese controls. Fasting glucose, insulin, androgens, and gonadotropins levels were determined. Salivary cortisol was measured basal and in the morning after dexamethasone (DEX 0.25 mg. Results. Nonobese PCOS women showed higher basal salivary cortisol and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and luteinizing hormone (LH levels than controls and obese PCOS. These hormones levels did not differ between the obese and control groups. After DEX administration no differences were found between the three groups. In PCOS women, salivary cortisol levels showed negative correlation with BMI (r=-0.52; P=0.001 and insulin (r=-0.47; P=0.003 and positive correlation with LH (r=0.40; P=0.016. Conclusion. Our results show an increased adrenocortical production in nonobese PCOS women, not related to IR and associated with a normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal suppression. Higher LH levels might be involved in this event.

Disruptive Technologies in Higher Education

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Flavin, Michael

2012-01-01

This paper analyses the role of "disruptive" innovative technologies in higher education. In this country and elsewhere, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have invested significant sums in learning technologies, with Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) being more or less universal, but these technologies have not been universally…

Variation of airborne bacteria and fungi at Emperor Qin's Terra-Cotta Museum, Xi'an, China, during the "Oct. 1" gold week period of 2006.

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Chen, Yi-Ping; Cui, Ying; Dong, Jun-Gang

2010-02-01

of fungi were higher and those of bacteria were lower during the afternoon than for the morning, for outdoor air. (4) As for the comparison of indoor samples, the bacterial daily concentrations and fungal daily concentrations were higher during the afternoon (13:00) than those for the mornings (9:00) over the 10 days. For the comparison of outdoor samples, the bacterial concentration was lower, and the fungal concentrations were higher during the afternoon (13:00) than those for the morning (9:00) over the 10 days. The results also show that the numbers of airborne bacteria and fungi had a daily character in indoor air and were higher in the afternoon. The airborne microbe concentrations were found to be similar to residential indoor values from other reports; the indoor museum maximum of microbial concentrations was 90 CFU/m(3) and did not exceed the Chinese indoor bioaerosol guideline. However, microorganisms may fall on the surface of display items as a result of particle sedimentation and would, as such, be capable of degrading objects by way of their secretions, e.g., enzymes and organic acids. Therefore, the right steps should be taken to prevent any deterioration in the quality of displayed artifacts. The results show that museum air was affected by human activity; therefore, it is imperative that the number of visitors be strictly limited and that windows be opened regularly to avoid air pollution. The data provide a significant scientific basis for indoor air quality control and museum scientific management. It is recommended that the number of visitors be strictly limited.

Trauma morning report is the ideal environment to teach and evaluate resident communication and sign-outs in the 80 hour work week.

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Ottinger, Mary E; Monaghan, Sean F; Gregg, Shea C; Stephen, Andrew H; Connolly, Michael D; Harrington, David T; Adams, Charles A; Cioffi, William G; Heffernan, Daithi S

2017-09-01

The 80h work week has raised concerns that complications may increase due to multiple sign-outs or poor communication. Trauma Surgery manages complex trauma and acute care surgical patients with rapidly changing physiology, clinical demands and a large volume of data that must be communicated to render safe, effective patient care. Trauma Morning Report format may offer the ideal situation to study and teach sign-outs and resident communication. Surgery Residents were assessed on a 1-5 scale for their ability to communicate to their fellow residents. This consisted of 10 critical points of the presentation, treatment and workup from the previous night's trauma admissions. Scores were grouped into three areas. Each area was scored out of 15. Area 1 consisted of Initial patient presentation. Area 2 consisted of events in the trauma bay. Area 3 assessed clarity of language and ability to communicate to their fellow residents. The residents were assessed for inclusion of pertinent positive and negative findings, as well as overall clarity of communication. In phase 1, residents were unaware of the evaluation process. Phase 2 followed a series of resident education session about effective communication, sign-out techniques and delineation of evaluation criteria. Phase 3 was a resident-blinded phase which evaluated the sustainability of the improvements in resident communication. 50 patient presentations in phase 1, 200 in phase 2, and 50 presentations in phase 3 were evaluated. Comparisons were made between the Phase 1 and Phase 2 evaluations. Area 1 (initial events) improved from 6.18 to 12.4 out of 15 (p<0.0001). Area 2 (events in the trauma bay) improved from 9.78 to 16.53 (p<0.0077). Area 3 (communication and language) improved from 8.36 to 12.22 out of 15 (P<0.001). Phase 2 to Phase 3 evaluations were similar, showing no deterioration of skills. Trauma Surgery manages complex surgical patients, with rapidly changing physiologic and clinical demands. Trauma Morning

EP3/FP dual receptor agonist ONO-9054 administered morning or evening to patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension: results of a randomised crossover study

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Berlin, Michael S; Rowe-Rendleman, Cheryl; Ahmed, Ike; Ross, Douglas T; Fujii, Akifumi; Ouchi, Takafumi; Quach, Christine; Wood, Andrew; Ward, Caroline L

2016-01-01

Background/aims The novel prostaglandin E (EP) 3 and prostaglandin F (FP) receptor agonist ONO-9054 is effective in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma when administered once daily. This study compares the effects of morning (AM) versus evening (PM) dosing of ONO-9054 on tolerability and IOP lowering. Methods This was a single-centre, randomised, double-masked, two-sequence, placebo-controlled crossover study in 12 subjects with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Two 14-day crossover regimens were separated by a 2-week washout: ONO-9054 (1 drop to each eye) in the morning (07:00) and vehicle in the evening (19:00) and vice versa. IOP was measured multiple times during select days. Ocular examinations also evaluated safety and tolerability. Results Mild ocular hyperaemia, reported by six subjects with PM dosing, was the most frequent adverse event. Mild to moderate dryness was also slightly more frequent after PM dosing. Maximum IOP reduction from baseline occurred on day 2 with decreases from baseline of −7.4 mm Hg (−30.8%) for AM dosing and −9.1 mm Hg, (−38.0%) for PM dosing; after 14 days, mean reduction in IOP was −6.8 mm Hg (−28.6%) for AM dosing and −7.5 mm Hg (−31.0%) for PM dosing. Conclusions PM dosing of ONO-0954 was associated with a slightly increased frequency of mild hyperaemia and mild to moderate dryness. Both dosing schedules provided sustained reduction in IOP. Trial registration number NCT01670266. PMID:26453641

[11C]Doxepin binding to histamine H1 receptors in living human brain in association with attentive waking and circadian rhythm

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Kazuhiko eYanai

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Molecular imaging in neuroscience is a new research field that enables visualization of the impact of molecular events on brain structure and function in humans. While magnetic resonance-based imaging techniques can provide complex information at the level of system, positron emission tomography (PET enables determination of the distribution and density of receptor and enzyme in the human brain. Previous studies using [11C]raclopride revealed that the release of neuronal dopamine was increased in human brain by psychostimulants or reward stimuli. Following on from these previous studies, we examined whether the levels of neuronal release of histamine might change [11C]doxepin binding to the H1 receptors under the influence of physiological stimuli. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of quantitative measurement of [11C]doxepin binding between morning and afternoon and between resting and attentive waking conditions in healthy human subjects. There was a trend for a decrease in [11C]doxepin binding during attentive calculation tasks compared with that in resting conditions, but the difference (approximately 10% was not significant. In contrast, the binding potential of [11C]doxepin in the anterior cingulate gyrus was significantly higher in the morning than that in the afternoon (approximately 19%, suggesting that higher histamine release in the morning would decrease the [11C]doxepin binding in the afternoon. This study suggests that non-invasive measurement of neuronal histamine release is feasible in humans by PET ligand-activation study, although the development of a tracer with better signal-to-noise properties is needed.

Commuter exposure to inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles in various transportation modes in Delhi.

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Kumar, Pramod; Gupta, N C

2016-01-15

A public health concern is to understand the linkages between specific pollution sources and adverse health impacts. Commuting can be viewed as one of the significant-exposure activity in high-vehicle density areas. This paper investigates the commuter exposure to inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles in various transportation modes in Delhi, India. Air pollution levels are significantly contributed by automobile exhaust and also in-vehicle exposure can be higher sometime than ambient levels. Motorcycle, auto rickshaw, car and bus were selected to study particles concentration along two routes in Delhi between Kashmere Gate and Dwarka. The bus and auto rickshaw were running on compressed natural gas (CNG) while the car and motorcycle were operated on gasoline fuel. Aerosol spectrometer was employed to measure inhalable, thoracic and alveolic particles during morning and evening rush hours for five weekdays. From the study, we observed that the concentration levels of these particles were greatly influenced by transportation modes. Concentrations of inhalable particles were found higher during morning in auto rickshaw (332.81 ± 90.97 μg/m(3)) while the commuter of bus exhibited higher exposure of thoracic particles (292.23 ± 110.45 μg/m(3)) and car commuters were exposed to maximum concentrations of alveolic particles (222.37 ± 26.56 μg/m(3)). We observed that in evening car commuters experienced maximum concentrations of all sizes of particles among the four commuting modes. Interestingly, motorcycle commuters were exposed to lower levels of inhalable and thoracic particles during morning and evening hours as compared to other modes of transport. The mean values were found greater than the median values for all the modes of transport suggesting that positive skewed distributions are characteristics of naturally occurring phenomenon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The ratio of nurse consultation and physician efficiency index of senior rheumatologists is significantly higher than junior physicians in rheumatology residency training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emamifar, Amir; van Bui Hansen, Morten Hai; Jensen Hansen, Inger Marie

2017-01-01

To elucidate the difference between ratios of nurse consultation sought by senior rheumatologists and junior physicians in rheumatology residency training, and also to evaluate physician efficiency index respecting patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Data regarding outpatient visits for RA...... patients between November 2013 and 2015 were extracted. The mean interval (day) between consultations, the nurse/physician visits ratio, and physician efficiency index (nurse/physician visits ratio × mean interval) for each senior and junior physicians were calculated. Disease Activity Score in 28 joints....../physician visits ratio (P = .01) and mean efficiency index (P = .04) of senior rheumatologists were significantly higher than that of junior physicians. Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between physician postgraduate experience and physician efficiency index adjusted for DAS28 at baseline...

Morning sleep inertia in alertness and performance: effect of cognitive domain and white light conditions.

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Nayantara Santhi

Full Text Available The transition from sleep to wakefulness entails a temporary period of reduced alertness and impaired performance known as sleep inertia. The extent to which its severity varies with task and cognitive processes remains unclear. We examined sleep inertia in alertness, attention, working memory and cognitive throughput with the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT, n-back and add tasks, respectively. The tasks were administered 2 hours before bedtime and at regular intervals for four hours, starting immediately after awakening in the morning, in eleven participants, in a four-way cross-over laboratory design. We also investigated whether exposure to Blue-Enhanced or Bright Blue-Enhanced white light would reduce sleep inertia. Alertness and all cognitive processes were impaired immediately upon awakening (p<0.01. However, alertness and sustained attention were more affected than cognitive throughput and working memory. Moreover, speed was more affected than accuracy of responses. The light conditions had no differential effect on performance except in the 3-back task (p<0.01, where response times (RT at the end of four hours in the two Blue-Enhanced white light conditions were faster (200 ms than at wake time. We conclude that the effect of sleep inertia varies with cognitive domain and that it's spectral/intensity response to light is different from that of sleepiness. That is, just increasing blue-wavelength in light may not be sufficient to reduce sleep inertia. These findings have implications for critical professions like medicine, law-enforcement etc., in which, personnel routinely wake up from night-time sleep to respond to emergency situations.

A puzzle form of a non-verbal intelligence test gives significantly higher performance measures in children with severe intellectual disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Bello, Katrina D; Goharpey, Nahal; Crewther, Sheila G; Crewther, David P

2008-08-01

Assessment of 'potential intellectual ability' of children with severe intellectual disability (ID) is limited, as current tests designed for normal children do not maintain their interest. Thus a manual puzzle version of the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was devised to appeal to the attentional and sensory preferences and language limitations of children with ID. It was hypothesized that performance on the book and manual puzzle forms would not differ for typically developing children but that children with ID would perform better on the puzzle form. The first study assessed the validity of this puzzle form of the RCPM for 76 typically developing children in a test-retest crossover design, with a 3 week interval between tests. A second study tested performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in a sample of 164 children with ID. In the first study, no significant difference was found between performance on the puzzle and book forms in typically developing children, irrespective of the order of completion. The second study demonstrated a significantly higher performance and completion rate for the puzzle form compared to the book form in the ID population. Similar performance on book and puzzle forms of the RCPM by typically developing children suggests that both forms measure the same construct. These findings suggest that the puzzle form does not require greater cognitive ability but demands sensory-motor attention and limits distraction in children with severe ID. Thus, we suggest the puzzle form of the RCPM is a more reliable measure of the non-verbal mentation of children with severe ID than the book form.

Higher measured than modeled ozone production at increased NOx levels in the Colorado Front Range

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B. C. Baier

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Chemical models must correctly calculate the ozone formation rate, P(O3, to accurately predict ozone levels and to test mitigation strategies. However, air quality models can have large uncertainties in P(O3 calculations, which can create uncertainties in ozone forecasts, especially during the summertime when P(O3 is high. One way to test mechanisms is to compare modeled P(O3 to direct measurements. During summer 2014, the Measurement of Ozone Production Sensor (MOPS directly measured net P(O3 in Golden, CO, approximately 25 km west of Denver along the Colorado Front Range. Net P(O3 was compared to rates calculated by a photochemical box model that was constrained by measurements of other chemical species and that used a lumped chemical mechanism and a more explicit one. Median observed P(O3 was up to a factor of 2 higher than that modeled during early morning hours when nitric oxide (NO levels were high and was similar to modeled P(O3 for the rest of the day. While all interferences and offsets in this new method are not fully understood, simulations of these possible uncertainties cannot explain the observed P(O3 behavior. Modeled and measured P(O3 and peroxy radical (HO2 and RO2 discrepancies observed here are similar to those presented in prior studies. While a missing atmospheric organic peroxy radical source from volatile organic compounds co-emitted with NO could be one plausible solution to the P(O3 discrepancy, such a source has not been identified and does not fully explain the peroxy radical model–data mismatch. If the MOPS accurately depicts atmospheric P(O3, then these results would imply that P(O3 in Golden, CO, would be NOx-sensitive for more of the day than what is calculated by models, extending the NOx-sensitive P(O3 regime from the afternoon further into the morning. These results could affect ozone reduction strategies for the region surrounding Golden and possibly other areas that do not comply with national ozone

Technology Use in Higher Education Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Elzarka, Sammy

2012-01-01

The significance of integrating technology use in higher education instruction is undeniable. The benefits include those related to access to instruction by underserved populations, adequately preparing students for future careers, capitalizing on best instructional practices, developing higher order thinking activities, and engaging students…

Defence responses of arabidopsis thaliana to infection by pseudomonas syringae are regulated by the circadian clock

KAUST Repository

Bhardwaj, Vaibhav

2011-10-31

The circadian clock allows plants to anticipate predictable daily changes in abiotic stimuli, such as light; however, whether the clock similarly allows plants to anticipate interactions with other organisms is unknown. Here we show that Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) has circadian clock-mediated variation in resistance to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000), with plants being least susceptible to infection in the subjective morning. We suggest that the increased resistance to Pst DC3000 observed in the morning in Col-0 plants results from clock-mediated modulation of pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity. Analysis of publicly available microarray data revealed that a large number of Arabidopsis defence-related genes showed both diurnal- and circadian-regulation, including genes involved in the perception of the PAMP flagellin which exhibit a peak in expression in the morning. Accordingly, we observed that PAMP-triggered callose deposition was significantly higher in wild-type plants inoculated with Pst DC3000 hrpA in the subjective morning than in the evening, while no such temporal difference was evident in arrhythmic plants. Our results suggest that PAMP-triggered immune responses are modulated by the circadian clock and that temporal regulation allows plants to anticipate and respond more effectively to pathogen challenges in the daytime. © 2011 Bhardwaj et al.

Daily Work Stress and Awakening Cortisol in Mothers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Fragile X Syndrome

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Wong, Jen D.; Mailick, Marsha R.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk; Coe, Christopher L.

2014-01-01

The effect of daily work stress on the next morning’s awakening cortisol level was determined in a sample of 124 mothers (M age = 49.89, SD= 6.33) of adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and compared to 115 mothers (M age = 46.19, SD = 7.08) of individuals without disabilities. Mothers participated in 8 days of diary telephone interviews and provided saliva samples. Multilevel models revealed that mothers of individuals with developmental disabilities had lower awakening cortisol levels than comparison mothers. Work stress interacted with parental status to predict the awakening cortisol level on the following morning. When mothers of individuals with developmental disabilities experienced a work stressor, their awakening cortisol level was significantly higher on the subsequent morning, but for comparison mothers, work stressors were not significantly associated with cortisol level. Findings extend understanding of the differential impacts of specific types of stressors on physiological functioning of mothers of individuals with and without developmental disabilities. PMID:25313265

Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness.

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Chang, Anne-Marie; Aeschbach, Daniel; Duffy, Jeanne F; Czeisler, Charles A

2015-01-27

In the past 50 y, there has been a decline in average sleep duration and quality, with adverse consequences on general health. A representative survey of 1,508 American adults recently revealed that 90% of Americans used some type of electronics at least a few nights per week within 1 h before bedtime. Mounting evidence from countries around the world shows the negative impact of such technology use on sleep. This negative impact on sleep may be due to the short-wavelength-enriched light emitted by these electronic devices, given that artificial-light exposure has been shown experimentally to produce alerting effects, suppress melatonin, and phase-shift the biological clock. A few reports have shown that these devices suppress melatonin levels, but little is known about the effects on circadian phase or the following sleep episode, exposing a substantial gap in our knowledge of how this increasingly popular technology affects sleep. Here we compare the biological effects of reading an electronic book on a light-emitting device (LE-eBook) with reading a printed book in the hours before bedtime. Participants reading an LE-eBook took longer to fall asleep and had reduced evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin secretion, later timing of their circadian clock, and reduced next-morning alertness than when reading a printed book. These results demonstrate that evening exposure to an LE-eBook phase-delays the circadian clock, acutely suppresses melatonin, and has important implications for understanding the impact of such technologies on sleep, performance, health, and safety.

Higher insulin sensitivity in vegans is not associated with higher mitochondrial density.

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Gojda, J; Patková, J; Jaček, M; Potočková, J; Trnka, J; Kraml, P; Anděl, M

2013-12-01

Vegans have a lower incidence of insulin resistance (IR)-associated diseases and a higher insulin sensitivity (IS) compared with omnivores. The aim of this study was to examine whether the higher IS in vegans relates to markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and to intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content. Eleven vegans and 10 matched (race, age, sex, body mass index, physical activity and energy intake) omnivorous controls were enrolled in a case-control study. Anthropometry, bioimpedance (BIA), ultrasound measurement of visceral and subcutaneous fat layer, parameters of glucose and lipid homeostasis, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and muscle biopsies were performed. Citrate synthase (CS) activity, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and IMCL content were assessed in skeletal muscle samples. Both groups were comparable in anthropometric and BIA parameters, physical activity and protein-energy intake. Vegans had significantly higher glucose disposal (M-value, vegans 8.11±1.51 vs controls 6.31±1.57 mg/kg/min, 95% confidence interval: 0.402 to 3.212, P=0.014), slightly lower IMCL content (vegans 13.91 (7.8 to 44.0) vs controls 17.36 (12.4 to 78.5) mg/g of muscle, 95% confidence interval: -7.594 to 24.550, P=0.193) and slightly higher relative muscle mtDNA amount (vegans 1.36±0.31 vs controls 1.13±0.36, 95% confidence interval:-0.078 to 0.537, P=0.135). No significant differences were found in CS activity (vegans 18.43±5.05 vs controls 18.16±5.41 μmol/g/min, 95% confidence interval: -4.503 to 5.050, P=0.906). Vegans have a higher IS, but comparable mitochondrial density and IMCL content with omnivores. This suggests that a decrease in whole-body glucose disposal may precede muscle lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction in IR development.

Occult pneumothoraces in Chinese patients with significant blunt chest trauma: radiological classification and proposed clinical significance.

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Lee, Ryan K L; Graham, Colin A; Yeung, Janice H H; Ahuja, Anil T; Rainer, Timothy H

2012-12-01

An occult pneumothorax (OP) is a pneumothorax not seen on a supine chest X-ray (CXR) but detected on abdominal or thoracic computed tomography (CT) scanning. With the increasing use of CT in the management of significantly injured trauma patients, more OPs are being detected. The aim of this study was to classify OPs diagnosed on thoracic CT (TCT) and correlate them with their clinical significance. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected trauma registry data. Total 36 (N=36) consecutive significantly injured trauma patients admitted through the emergency department (ED) who sustained blunt chest trauma and underwent TCT between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2008 were included. OP was defined as the identification (by a consultant radiologist) of a pneumothorax on TCT that had not been detected on supine CXR. OPs were classified by laterality (unilateral/bilateral) and location (apical, basal, non apical/basal). The size of pneumothoraces, severity of injury [including number of associated thoracic injuries and injury severity score (ISS)], length of hospital stay and mortality were compared between groups. The need for tube thoracostomy and clinical outcome were also analysed. Patients with bilateral OPs (N=8) had significantly more associated thoracic injuries (median: 2 vs. 1, p=0.01), higher ISS (median: 35 vs. 23, p=0.02) and longer hospital stay (median: 20 days vs. 11 days, p=0.01) than those with a unilateral OP (N=28). Basal OPs (N=7) were significantly larger than apical (N=10) and non-apical/basal Ops (N=11). Basal OPs were associated with significantly more associated thoracic injuries (median: 2 vs. 1, p=0.01), higher ISS (median: 35 vs. 25, p=0.04) and longer hospital stays (median: 23 days vs. 17 days, p=0.02) than apical Ops, which had higher ISS (median: 35 vs. 25, p=0.04) and longer hospital stays (median: 23 days vs. 15 days, p=0.02) than non-apical/basal OPs. Non-apical/basal OPs were associated with more related injuries (median: 2

Solar cells from 120 PPMA carbon-contaminated feedstock without significantly higher reverse current or shunt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manshanden, P.; Coletti, G. [ECN Solar Energy, Petten (Netherlands)

2012-09-15

In a bid to drive down the cost of silicon wafers, several options for solar grade silicon feedstock have been investigated over the years. All methods have in common that the resulting silicon contains higher levels of impurities like dopants, oxygen, carbon or transition metals, the type and level of impurities depending on the raw materials and refining processes. In this work wafers from a p-type mc-Si ingot made with feedstock contaminated with 120 ppma of carbon have been processed into solar cells together with reference uncontaminated feedstock from semiconductor grade polysilicon with <0.4 ppma carbon. The results show that comparable reverse current, shunts, and efficiencies can be reached for both types of wafers. Gettering and defect hydrogenation effectiveness also did not deviate from the reference. Electroluminescence pictures do not show increased hotspot formation, even at -16V.

Morning Sickness

Science.gov (United States)

... Careers Archives Health Topics Pregnancy Before or between pregnancies Nutrition, weight & fitness Prenatal care Is it safe? Labor & ... Report Cards Careers Archives Pregnancy Before or between pregnancies Nutrition, weight & fitness Prenatal care Is it safe? Labor & ...

Morning sickness

Science.gov (United States)

... for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2015;(9):CD007575. PMID: 26348534 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26348534 . West EH, Hark L, Catalano PM. Nutrition during pregnancy. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson ...

Noise pollution in the hospital environment of a developing country: A case study of Lahore (Pakistan).

Science.gov (United States)

Baqar, Mujtaba; Arslan, Muhammad; Abbasi, Saddam A; Ashraf, Uzma; Khalid, Anam; Zahid, Hina

2017-08-24

The present study investigates the noise pollution levels in public- and private-sector hospitals of Lahore. The noise pollution parameters were investigated from 20 public and 10 private hospitals. We observed that the equivalent continuous sound level (Leq) values varied significantly in different departments of the hospitals as well as at different times of the day. The public-sector hospitals had significantly higher noise pollution compared to the private-sector hospitals. The Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney two-sample rank-sum test revealed significant difference between noise levels in intensive care unit (ICU) during morning and in emergency, waiting area, intensive care unit (ICU), and reception during daytimes. However, no significant differences were found for any department during the evening. The Leq values were found to be higher than the international norms (WHO standards) for all hospitals, higher than USEPA for 29 hospitals and higher than local standards for 27 hospitals. Overall, significantly lower sound levels were always observed in private hospitals.

Glucose concentration and blood acid-basis status in high-yielding dairy cows during heat stress

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Vujanac Ivan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to examine the effect of heat stress on glucose and pH values in blood of high-yielding dairy cows in the early stage of lactation, as well as to determine whether the changes in these parameters are interdependent under such conditions. An experiment was performed on high-yielding dairy cows during the summer and the spring periods. Forty cows were selected, twenty each for the two periods under investigation. In the course of the experiment, the temperature humidity index (THI was determined for the entire period of investigations, and then also the average daily THI, nightmorning THI (average value of hourly THI measured from 22h on the previous day until 10h of the current day, as well as the day-night THI (average value of hourly THI measured during the period from 10h to 22h of the current day. The pH and glucose concentration were determined in blood samples taken in the morning and afternoon of days 30, 60, and 90 of lactation during the spring and summer periods of the investigations. Based on the results for the THI, it was established that the animals were not exposed to the effect of extreme heat stress during the spring period of investigations, while they were periodically exposed to moderate but also extreme heat stress during the summer, in particular in the afternoon hours. It can be concluded from the results obtained for the blood pH that the cows were in respiratory alkalosis during the summer in the morning and afternoon hours on day 30, in the afternoon hours of days 60 and 90 of lactation, as well as in the afternoon on day 90 of lactation during the spring period of investigations. During the summer period, there were no statistically significant differences between the pH value determined in the morning and afternoon hours on day 30 of lactation, while the pH value was significantly higher in the afternoon hours than in the morning hours on days 60 and 90 of lactation. There were no

[CO2 flux characteristics and their influence on the carbon budget of a larch plantation in Maoershan region of Northeast China].

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Ling; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Wang, Wen-Jie; Sun, Wei; Su, Dong-Xue; Zheng, Guang-Yu

2011-01-01

From January to December 2008, the CO2 flux in a larch plantation (Larix gmeilinii) in Maoershan region of Shangzhi County, Heilongliang Province was measured by eddy covanance method, and the diurnal changes of leaf photosynthetic rate were measured in growth season (from May to October). There existed differences in the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of the plantation in different time periods under the effects of environmental factors. In the afternoon (12:00-24:00), the NEE changed more slowly with the variation of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) than in the morning (0:00-12:00); and in the morning, tbe light use efficiency was 0.6284 mol x mol(-1), 14% more than that in afternoon. The NEE increased with increasing temperature, and the increment in the morning was 50% higher than that in the afternoon (air temperature > 15 degrees C). These differences in responding to environmental changes led to 88% NEE implemented in the morning, and only 12% NEE implemented in the afternoon. The annual gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in the morning took a percentage of 60%, and that in afternoon took 40%. These findings were supported by the observation at leaf level, i.e., on average of whole growth season, the leaf photosynthetic capacity in the morning was over 2-fold higher than that in afternoon. Generally, the annual NEE, ecosystem respiration (Re), and GEP of the plantation in 2008 were 263-264 g C x m(-2), 718-725 g C x m(-2), and 981-989 g C x m(-2), respectively.

Significance of Lead Residues in Mallard Tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Longcore, J.R.; Locke, L.N.; Bagley, George E.; Andrews, R.

1974-01-01

Tissues of adult, lead-dosed mallards that either died or were sacrificed were analyzed for lead. Lead levels in brains, tibiae, and breast muscle of ducks that died and in tibiae of ducks that were sacrificed increased significantly from dosage until death. Lead in the heart, lung, and blood from sacrificed ducks decreased significantly from dosage until death. Lead concentrations in tissues from ducks in the two groups were not significantly different except for the liver, kidney, and lung. Average lead levels in the livers and kidneys of ducks that died were significantly higher than those in ducks that were sacrificed. The mean concentration of lead in the lungs of the ducks sacrificed was significantly higher than the mean level in the lungs of ducks that died. Measurements of the lead concentrations in this study, when compared with lead levels reported in the literature for avian and non-avian species, showed that arbitrary diagnostic levels indicating lead poisoning could be set. In mallard ducks, lead levels exceeding 3 ppm in the brain, 6 to 20 ppm in the kidney or liver, or 10 ppm in clotted blood from the heart indicated acute exposure to lead.

Altered structure and function in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Shariq A; Keaser, Michael L; Meiller, Timothy F; Seminowicz, David A

2014-08-01

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a debilitating, idiopathic chronic pain condition. For many BMS patients, burning oral pain begins in late morning and becomes more intense throughout the day, peaking by late afternoon or evening. We investigated brain gray matter volume (GMV) with voxel-based morphometry (VBM), white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional connectivity in resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI) in a tightly screened, homogeneous sample of 9 female, postmenopausal/perimenopausal BMS patients and 9 matched healthy control subjects. Patients underwent 2 scanning sessions in the same day: in the morning, when ongoing pain/burning was low, and in the afternoon, when pain/burning was significantly higher. Patients had increased GMV and lower FA in the hippocampus (Hc), and decreased GMV in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). rsfMRI revealed altered connectivity patterns in different states of pain/burning, with increased connectivity between mPFC (a node in the default mode network) and anterior cingulate cortex, occipital cortex, ventromedial PFC, and bilateral Hc/amygdala in the afternoon compared with the morning session. Furthermore, mPFC-Hc connectivity was higher in BMS patients than control subjects for the afternoon but not the morning session. mPFC-Hc connectivity was related to Beck depression inventory scores both between groups and between burning states within patients, suggesting that depression and anxiety partially explain pain-related brain dysfunction in BMS. Overall, we provide multiple lines of evidence supporting aberrant structure and function in the mPFC and Hc, and implicate a circuit involving the mPFC and Hc in regulating mood and depressive symptoms in BMS. Copyright © 2014 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soccer-related performance in eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players: effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day.

Science.gov (United States)

Tounsi, Mohamed; Jaafar, Hamdi; Aloui, Asma; Souissi, Nizar

2018-04-01

This study aimed to examine the combined effects of menstrual cycle phase and moment of day on female soccer players' performances in the five-jump test (5JT), the repeated shuttle-sprint ability test (RSSA), and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRT1). Eleven eumenorrheic Tunisian high-level soccer players volunteered to participate. Each subject individually participated in three testing periods: one in the early follicular phase (menses), one in the late follicular phase, and another in the luteal phase. In each period, two test sessions were conducted: one at 07:30 and another at 17:30. The testing routines included the 5JT, the RSSA, and the YYIRT1. None of the measured variables were altered due to menstrual cycle phase (all P>0.05). Mean time during RSSA was significantly lower in the afternoon session compared to the morning session (8.48±0.27 s and 8.77±0.34 s, respectively, P<0.001), while 5JT performance was significantly higher in the afternoon compared to the morning (9.08±0.58 m and 8.60±0.56 m, respectively, P<0.001). Soccer-specific endurance as well as jumping and repeated sprinting ability of Tunisian female high-level soccer players are not affected due to menstrual cycle phase neither in the morning nor in the afternoon.

Light Modulates Leptin and Ghrelin in Sleep-Restricted Adults

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Mariana G. Figueiro

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Acute and chronic sleep restrictions cause a reduction in leptin and an increase in ghrelin, both of which are associated with hunger. Given that light/dark patterns are closely tied to sleep/wake patterns, we compared, in a within-subjects study, the impact of morning light exposures (60 lux of 633-nm [red], 532-nm [green], or 475-nm [blue] lights to dim light exposures on leptin and ghrelin concentrations after subjects experienced 5 consecutive days of both an 8-hour (baseline and a 5-hour sleep-restricted schedule. In morning dim light, 5-hour sleep restriction significantly reduced leptin concentrations compared to the baseline, 8-hour sleep/dim-light condition (1,32 = 2.9; =0.007. Compared to the 5-hour sleep/dim-light condition, the red, green, and blue morning light exposures significantly increased leptin concentrations (1,32 = 5.7; <0.0001, 1,32 = 3.6; =0.001, and 1,32 = 3.0; =0.005, resp.. Morning red light and green light exposures significantly decreased ghrelin concentrations (1,32 = 3.3; <0.003 and 1,32 = 2.2; =0.04, resp., but morning blue light exposures did not. This study is the first to demonstrate that morning light can modulate leptin and ghrelin concentrations, which could have an impact on reducing hunger that accompanies sleep deprivation.

Physiological and Molecular Response of Ostrich to the Seasonal and Diurnal Variations in Egyptian conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, M.H.; Khalifa, H.H; Elaroussi, M.A.; Elsayed, M.A.; Basuony, H.A.

2013-01-01

Twelve immature ostrich›s birds, 7 months old were used to evaluate the effect of ambient temperature variation and diurnal effect on response changes of some physiological and chemical parameters. All birds were reared out doors and exposed to daily ambient temperatures fluctuations during summer and winter. Blood samples were taken twice, one in the morning at 7 Am and once in the afternoon at 3 Pm during a representative 7 hot days of June (summer) (40±2ºC) and the 7 cold days of January (winter) (18±2ºC). Serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus, sodium, potassium, uric acid concentrations and aldosterone level were determined. The amount of total body water (TBW) and serum heat shock proteins (HSP) were estimated. Serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium concentrations in ostrich were significantly decreased, while uric acid concentration and aldosterone hormone level were significantly increased in summer as compared in winter during both at morning and at afternoon periods. Concerning the diurnal variation, serum calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium concentrations and aldosterone hormone level in ostrich were significantly increased, while uric acid concentration was significantly decreased at morning as compared at afternoon during both summer and winter seasons. TBW was significantly higher in summer season by 15.04% than winter season. It is concluded from the present study that heat or cold stress has a negative effect on most of the parameters studied and we recommend must be supplement diet with some nutrients like vitamins C, and E, sodium bicarbonate or yeast to overcome the negative effect and to better perform under such conditions

Trends in size classified particle number concentration in subtropical Brisbane, Australia, based on a 5 year study

Science.gov (United States)

Mejía, J. F.; Wraith, D.; Mengersen, K.; Morawska, L.

Particle number size distribution data in the range from 0.015 to 0.630 μm were collected over a 5-year period in the central business district (CBD) of Brisbane, Australia. Particle size distribution was summarised by total number concentration and number median diameter (NMD) as well as the number concentration of the 0.015-0.030 ( N15-30), 0.030-0.050 ( N30-50), 0.050-0.100 ( N50-100), 0.100-0.300 ( N100-300) and 0.300-0.630 ( N300-630) μm size classes. Morning (6:00-10:00) and afternoon (16:00-19:00) measurements, the former representing fresh traffic emissions (based on the local meteorological conditions) and the latter well-mixed emissions from the CBD, during weekdays were extracted and the respective monthly mean values were estimated for time series analysis. For all size fractions, average morning concentrations were about 1.5 higher than in the afternoon whereas NMD did not vary between the morning and afternoon. The trend and seasonal components were extracted through weighted linear regression models, using the monthly variance as weights. Only the morning measurements exhibited significant trends. During this time of the day, total particle number increased by 105.7% and the increase was greater for larger particles, resulting in a shift in NMD by 7.9%. Although no seasonal component was detected the evidence against it remained weak due to the limitations of the database.

Change and clinical significance of serum PG in patients with chronic gastritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Hua Huan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To observe the change and clinical significance of serum PG in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG. Methods: ELISA was used to detect the peripheral blood PG level in patients confirmed with CAG, gastric polyps, and gastric cancer who were admitted in our hospital from January, 2015 to January, 2016. The normal individuals who came for physical examinations were served as the control group. The peripheral blood PG level in patients with various gastric diseases was observed. Results: The serum PG Ⅰ expression and PG I/PG Ⅱ in the gastritis group were significantly lower than those in the gastric polyps group and control group, but were significantly higher than those in the gastric cancer group; while PG Ⅱ expression was significantly higher than that in the gastric polyps group and control group, but was significantly lower than those in the gastric cancer group. PG Ⅰ expression and PG I/ PG Ⅱ in the gastric polyps group were significantly higher than those in the gastritis group and gastric cancer group, while PG Ⅱ expression was significantly lower than that in the gastritis group and gastric cancer group. PG Ⅰ expression and PG I/ PG Ⅱ in the gastric cancer group were significantly lower than those in the other three groups, while PG Ⅱ expression was significantly higher than that in the other three groups. The serum PG Ⅰ expression in patients with positive HP infection in the gastritis group and gastric cancer group was significantly higher than that in patients with negative HP infection, but the comparison of PG I/ PG Ⅱ was not statistically significant. The serum PG Ⅰ expression and PG I/ PG Ⅱ in patients with negative and positive HP infection in the gastritis group were significantly higher than those in patients with negative and positive HP infection in the gastric cancer group; while PG Ⅱ expression was significantly was significantly lower than that in the gastric cancer group

Lighting Quality Affects Eyestrain of Operators at Sorting Station in Beverage Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Anizar; Erwin

2017-03-01

This study observes sorters’ performance in two beverage industries whose job is to separate defect products found. Sorters observe bottles quality and beverage quality continuously, therefore requiring more focused eyes which makes eyes’ load heavier. Sorters’ eyestrain causes more defect products pass the selection. In this study, measurement is conducted toward ilumintation, operators’ time response, and defect products that pass the selection. Measurement is hold in 2 beverage industries for four days with four measurements per day, twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Ilumination is measured with 4 in 1 environmental meter in grid 1m x 1m, while operators’ time response is measured with Flicker Fusion. Illuminance is generally higher in the morning than in the evening, but still under the standard of Indonesia. Overall, sorters’ time response is higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Higher time response shows that operators experiencing lower fatigue than lower time response. The sorting duration also affects operators’ time response and defect products which pass the selection.

Higher cortisol is associated with poorer executive functioning in preschool children: The role of parenting stress, parent coping and quality of daycare

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Shannon L.; Cepeda, Ivan; Krieger, Dena; Maggi, Stefania; D’Angiulli, Amedeo; Weinberg, Joanne; Grunau, Ruth E.

2016-01-01

Child executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory) are key to success in school. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is known to affect cognition; however, there is limited information about how child cortisol levels, parenting factors and child care context relate to executive functions in young children. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between child cortisol, parenting stress, parent coping, and daycare quality in relation to executive functions in children aged 3–5 years. We hypothesized that (1) poorer executive functioning would be related to higher child cortisol and higher parenting stress, and (2) positive daycare quality and positive parent coping style would buffer the effects of child cortisol and parenting stress on executive functions. A total of 101 children (53 girls, 48 boys, mean age 4.24 years ±0.74) with complete data on all measures were included. Three saliva samples to measure cortisol were collected at the child’s daycare/preschool in one morning. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool Version (BRIEF-P), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) was used to measure the quality of daycare. It was found that children with poorer executive functioning had higher levels of salivary cortisol, and their parents reported higher parenting stress. However, parent coping style and quality of daycare did not modulate these relationships. Identifying ways to promote child executive functioning is an important direction for improving school readiness. PMID:26335047

An examination of sleep health, lifestyle and mental health in junior high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Hideki; Taira, Kazuhiko; Arakawa, Masashi; Masuda, Atushi; Yamamoto, Yukari; Komoda, Yoko; Kadegaru, Hathuko; Shirakawa, Shuichiro

2002-06-01

The factors that influence sleep health and mental health in junior high school students' lifestyles was examined. The proportion of students who replied that they feel bad in the morning, and who do not have breakfast was significantly higher in poor sleepers. The proportion of students who regularly take exercise was significantly lower among poor sleepers. Compared with good sleepers, poor sleepers had a higher number of illnesses and their General Health Questionnaire score was worse. The study's results suggest that sleep health is closely related to both physical and mental health, and that habits such as exercise, and regular sleeping and eating, are important for maintaining and improving students' sleep health.

The risk of being depressed is significantly higher in cancer patients than in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartung, T J; Brähler, E; Faller, H

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common co-morbidity of cancer that has a detrimental effect on quality of life, treatment adherence and potentially survival. We conducted an epidemiological multi-center study including a population-based random comparison sample and estimated the prevalence...... of depressive symptoms by cancer site, thereby identifying cancer patients with the highest prevalence of depression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 4020 adult cancer inpatients and outpatients from five distinct regions across Germany in a proportional stratified random sample based on the nationwide cancer......% participated (51% women, mean age = 58 years). We estimated that one in four cancer patients (24%) is depressed (PHQ-9 ≥ 10). The odds of being depressed among cancer patients were more than five times higher than in the general population (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 4.6-6.2). Patients with pancreatic (M = 8.0, SD = 5...

Effect of Transdermal Tulobuterol Added to Inhaled Corticosteroids in Asthma Patients

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Gen Tamura

2005-01-01

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, multicenter trial was conducted. Male and female patients with a diagnosis of asthma requiring inhaled short-acting β2-agonists despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids took tulobuterol tape (1 mg or 2 mg and corresponding placebo tapes for 4 weeks. Results: Mean morning peak expiratory flows (PEF in the 1 and 2 mg/day groups were significantly increased from the baseline value by 23.8 and 35.9 L/min at week 4, respectively. The increase in mean morning PEF in the 2 mg/day group was significantly higher than that in the 1 mg/day group. The mean evening PEF was significantly increased in both treatment groups compared with baseline values. Although the increase in mean evening PEF in the 2 mg/day group was greater than that in the 1 mg/day group, the difference between groups was statistically significant only at week 1. The safety profiles of the two treatments were similar. Conclusions: In patients with persistent asthma who require inhaled short-acting β2-agonists while receiving inhaled corticosteroids, transdermal tulobuterol significantly improved PEF in a dose-dependent manner, i.e., greater effect with 2 mg than with 1 mg per day.

INTERNATIONALIZATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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Catalina Crisan-Mitra

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Internationalization of higher education is one of the key trends of development. There are several approaches on how to achieve competitiveness and performance in higher education and international academic mobility; students’ exchange programs, partnerships are some of the aspects that can play a significant role in this process. This paper wants to point out the student’s perception regarding two main directions: one about the master students’ expectation regarding how an internationalized master should be organized and should function, and second the degree of satisfaction of the beneficiaries of internationalized master programs from Babe-Bolyai University. This article is based on an empirical qualitative research that was implemented to students of an internationalized master from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. This research can be considered a useful example for those preoccupied to increase the quality of higher education and conclusions drawn have relevance both theoretically and especially practically.

Radiosensitivity of higher plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Zhijie

1992-11-01

The general views on radiosensitivity of higher plants have been introduced from published references. The radiosensitivity varies with species, varieties and organs or tissues. The main factors of determining the radiosensitivity in different species are nucleus volume, chromosome volume, DNA content and endogenous compounds. The self-repair ability of DNA damage and chemical group of biological molecules, such as -SH thiohydroxy of proteins, are main factors to determine the radiosensitivity in different varieties. The moisture, oxygen, temperature radiosensitizer and protector are important external factors for radiosensitivity. Both the multiple target model and Chadwick-Leenhouts model are ideal mathematical models for describing the radiosensitivity of higher plants and the latter has more clear significance in biology

Day-by-Day: Higher Education in Afghanistan

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Roof, David J.

2015-01-01

This paper examines higher education in Afghanistan. Based on qualitative research, including interviews with key policymakers and stakeholders, the paper examines the primary issues, challenges, progress, and future vision for higher education in the country. The research reveals that one of the most significant issues in the country in the…

Maternal salivary cortisol levels during pregnancy are positively associated with overweight children.

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Hohwü, Lena; Henriksen, Tine B; Grønborg, Therese K; Hedegaard, Morten; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Obel, Carsten

2015-02-01

Animal and human studies suggest that programing of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be involved in the development of obesity, but human studies of biological indicators of HPA axis activity are lacking. We studied the association between levels of the stress hormone cortisol during pregnancy and overweight offspring during childhood into adolescence. Salivary samples from 655 Danish pregnant women with singleton pregnancies (1989-1991) were collected once in the morning and once in the evening in their second and third trimester. We followed the offspring from two to 16 years of age with at least one measurement of height and weight, and classified their body mass index into overweight and normal weight. The adjusted relative difference in median salivary cortisol (with 95% confidence interval (CI)) during pregnancy (the four samples), in second and third trimester (morning and evening samples) between overweight and normal weight offspring was estimated. Furthermore, the adjusted median ratio between morning and evening maternal salivary cortisol level was estimated for normal weight and overweight children. All the analyses were stratified into the equal age groups: 2-6, 7-11, and 12-16 years. We found non-significant higher maternal cortisol levels during pregnancy in offspring that were overweight at the age of 2-6, 7-11 and 12-16 years than in normal weight peers; adjusted relative difference in median salivary cortisol 11% (95% CI: -2; 25), 6% (95% CI: -7; 20), and 9% (95% CI: -4; 24), respectively. A statistically significantly higher level of maternal cortisol was found in the second trimester in 2-6-year-old and 12-16-year-old overweight offspring; relative difference 19% (95% CI: 3; 37), and 20% (95% CI: 3; 41), respectively. The median ratio between morning and evening maternal salivary cortisol level was similar for overweight and normal weight children; e.g. at age 2-6 years in third trimester 4.31 (95% CI: 4.05; 4.60)nmol/l and 4

Higher Eating Frequency Does Not Decrease Appetite in Healthy Adults.

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Perrigue, Martine M; Drewnowski, Adam; Wang, Ching-Yun; Neuhouser, Marian L

2016-01-01

Consumption of small, frequent meals is suggested as an effective approach to control appetite and food intake and might be a strategy for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. Despite much speculation on the topic, scientific evidence is limited to support such a relation in the absence of changes to diet composition. We examined the effects of high compared with low eating frequency (EF) on self-reported appetite as a secondary outcome in a controlled trial. We conducted a randomized, crossover intervention trial in 12 participants (4 men, 8 women) who completed 2 isocaloric 3-wk intervention phases of low EF (3 eating occasions/d) compared with high EF (8 eating occasions/d). On the last morning of each study phase, participants completed a 4-h appetite testing session. During the appetite testing session, participants completing the low EF phase consumed a meal at 0800. Participants completing the high EF intervention consumed the same meal spread evenly over 2 eating occasions at 0800 and 1030. Standardized ratings of hunger, desire to eat, fullness, thirst, and nausea were completed every 30 min with the use of paper-and-pencil semianchored 100-mm visual analog scales. A composite appetite score was calculated as the mean of hunger, desire to eat, and the inverse of fullness (calculated as 100-fullness rating). Linear regression analysis compared ratings between low EF and high EF conditions. The mean composite appetite score was higher in the high EF condition for the total testing period (baseline through 1200) (P appetite. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02548026. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Sterol 27-Hydroxylase Polymorphism Significantly Associates With Shorter Telomere, Higher Cardiovascular and Type-2 Diabetes Risk in Obese Subjects

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Sofia Pavanello

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background/objectivesThe pathologic relationship linking obesity and lipid dismetabolism with earlier onset of aging-related disorders, including cardiovascular disease (CVD and type-2 diabetes (T2D, is not fully elucidate. Chronic inflammatory state, in obese individuals, may accelerate cellular aging. However, leukocyte telomere length (LTL, the cellular biological aging indicator, is elusively linked with obesity. Recent studies indicate that sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1 is an emerging antiatherogenic enzyme, that, by converting extrahepatic cholesterol to 27-hydroxycholesterol, facilitates cholesterol removal via high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C. We tested the hypothesis that obese subjects who carry at least three copies of CYP27A1 low-hydroxylation (LH activity genome-wide-validated alleles (rs4674345A, rs1554622A, and rs4674338G present premature aging, as reflected in shorter LTL and higher levels of CVD/T2D risk factors, including reduced HDL-C.Subjects/methodsObese subjects from SPHERE project {n = 1,457; overweight [body mass index (BMI 25–30 kg/m2] 65.8% and severe-obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2 34.2%} were characterized for the presence from 0 to 6 LH-CYP27A1 allele copy number. Univariate and multivariable sex–age–smoking-adjusted linear-regression models were performed to compare CVD/T2D risk factors and biological aging (LTL in relation to the combined BMI-LH groups: overweight-LH: 0–2, overweight-LH: 3–6, severe-obese-LH: 0–2, and severe-obese-LH: 3–6.ResultsHigher LTL attrition was found in severe-obese than overweight individuals (p < 0.001. Multivariable model reveals that among severe-obese patients those with LH: 3–6 present higher LTL attrition than LH: 0–2 (p < 0.05. Univariate and multivariable models remarkably show that insulin resistance is higher both in overweight-LH: 3–6 vs overweight-LH: 0–2 (p < 0.001 and in severe-obese-LH: 3–6 vs severe-obese-LH: 0–2 (p�

Resistance to change in Greek higher education

OpenAIRE

Kremmyda, Stamatia

2015-01-01

This thesis is a study of resistance to the changes in Greek higher education that were implemented within the framework of the 1999 Bologna Agreement of the European Union in the period 2007-2008. The changes that occurred were of great significance for Greece’s education system as they introduced important changes in the structure and function of Greek higher education. This thesis argues that the organisational culture that had been created throughout the history of Greek higher education ...

Accreditation and Its Significance for Programs of Higher Education in Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Antony E.

The development of minimum standards in higher education through the evolution of accreditation in specialized disciplines, and standard setting in criminology and criminal justice education are examined. The very different experiences with the concept of accreditation encountered in the fields of public administration and law are considered. Law…

Emissions characteristics of higher alcohol/gasoline blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautam, M.; Martin, D.W.; Carder, D.

2000-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the emissions characteristics of higher alcohols and gasoline (UTG96) blends. While lower alcohols (methanol and ethanol) have been used in blends with gasoline, very little work has been done or reported on higher alcohols (propanol, butanol and pentanol). Comparisons of emissions and fuel characteristics between higher alcohol/gasoline blends and neat gasoline were made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of blending higher alcohols with gasoline. All tests were conducted on a single-cylinder Waukesha Cooperative Fuel Research engine operating at steady state conditions and stoichiometric air-fuel (A/F) ratio. Emissions test were conducted at the optimum spark timing-knock limiting compression ratio combination for the particular blend being tested. The cycle emission [mass per unit time (g/h)] of CO, CO 2 and organic matter hydrocarbon equivalent (OMHCE) from the higher alcohol/gasoline blends were very similar to those from neat gasoline. Cycle emissions of NO x from the blends were higher than those from neat gasoline. However, for all the emissions species considered, the brake specific emissions (g/kW h) were significantly lower for the higher alcohol/gasoline blends than for neat gasoline. This was because the blends had greater resistance to knock and allowed higher compression ratios, which increased engine power output. The contribution of alcohols and aldehydes to the overall OMHCE emissions was found to be minimal. Cycle fuel consumption (g/h) of higher alcohol/gasoline blends was slightly higher than with neat gasoline due to the lower stoichiometric A/F ratios required by the blends. However, the brake specific fuel consumption (g/kW h) for the blends was significantly lower than that for neat gasoline. (Author)

Mesoscale structure of a morning sector ionospheric shear flow region determined by conjugate Cluster II and MIRACLE ground-based observations

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O. Amm

Full Text Available We analyse a conjunction event of the Cluster II spacecraft with the MIRACLE ground-based instrument net-work in northern Fennoscandia on 6 February 2001, between 23:00 and 00:00 UT. Shortly after the spacecraft were located at perigee, the Cluster II satellites’ magnetic footpoints move northwards over Scandinavia and Svalbard, almost perfectly aligned with the central chain of the IMAGE magnetometer network, and cross a morning sector ionospheric shear zone during this passage. In this study we focus on the mesoscale structure of the ionosphere. Ionospheric conductances, true horizontal currents, and field-aligned currents (FAC are calculated from the ground-based measurements of the IMAGE magnetometers and the STARE coherent scatter radar, using the 1-D method of characteristics. An excellent agreement between these results and the FAC observed by Cluster II is reached after averaging the Cluster measurements to mesoscales, as well as between the location of the convection reversal boundary (CRB, as observed by STARE and by the Cluster II EFW instrument. A sheet of downward FAC is observed in the vicinity of the CRB, which is mainly caused by the positive divergence of the electric field there. This FAC sheet is detached by 0.5°–2° of latitude from a more equatorward downward FAC sheet at the poleward flank of the westward electrojet. This latter FAC sheet, as well as the upward FAC at the equatorward flank of the jet, are mainly caused by meridional gradients in the ionospheric conductances, which reach up to 25 S in the electrojet region, but only ~ 5 S poleward of it, with a minimum at the CRB. Particle measurements show that the major part of the downward FAC is carried by upward flowing electrons, and only a small part by downward flowing ions. The open-closed field line boundary is found to be located 3°–4° poleward of the CRB, implying significant errors if the latter is used as a proxy of the former.

Key words

Mesoscale structure of a morning sector ionospheric shear flow region determined by conjugate Cluster II and MIRACLE ground-based observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Amm

2003-08-01

Full Text Available We analyse a conjunction event of the Cluster II spacecraft with the MIRACLE ground-based instrument net-work in northern Fennoscandia on 6 February 2001, between 23:00 and 00:00 UT. Shortly after the spacecraft were located at perigee, the Cluster II satellites’ magnetic footpoints move northwards over Scandinavia and Svalbard, almost perfectly aligned with the central chain of the IMAGE magnetometer network, and cross a morning sector ionospheric shear zone during this passage. In this study we focus on the mesoscale structure of the ionosphere. Ionospheric conductances, true horizontal currents, and field-aligned currents (FAC are calculated from the ground-based measurements of the IMAGE magnetometers and the STARE coherent scatter radar, using the 1-D method of characteristics. An excellent agreement between these results and the FAC observed by Cluster II is reached after averaging the Cluster measurements to mesoscales, as well as between the location of the convection reversal boundary (CRB, as observed by STARE and by the Cluster II EFW instrument. A sheet of downward FAC is observed in the vicinity of the CRB, which is mainly caused by the positive divergence of the electric field there. This FAC sheet is detached by 0.5°–2° of latitude from a more equatorward downward FAC sheet at the poleward flank of the westward electrojet. This latter FAC sheet, as well as the upward FAC at the equatorward flank of the jet, are mainly caused by meridional gradients in the ionospheric conductances, which reach up to 25 S in the electrojet region, but only ~ 5 S poleward of it, with a minimum at the CRB. Particle measurements show that the major part of the downward FAC is carried by upward flowing electrons, and only a small part by downward flowing ions. The open-closed field line boundary is found to be located 3°–4° poleward of the CRB, implying significant errors if the latter is used as a proxy of the former.Key words. Ionosphere

Dew variability in three habitats of a sand dune transect in a desert oasis ecotone, Northwestern China

CERN Document Server

Zhuang, Yanli

2014-01-01

Dew, as a supplementary water source, may have an important ecological role in arid and semi-arid regions. During August and September of 2007 and 2008, measurements were taken to investigate the dew accumulation and evaporation patterns in the very early morning hours, in three different habitats (dunetop, footslope, and interdune lowland) of a fixed sand dune in Northwest China. Dew quantities were measured using the cloth-plate method. The results indicated that there was a positive correlation between dew amounts and relative humidity, but a negative correlation between dew amounts and mean temperature. Clear mornings were characterized by higher dew amounts and longer dew duration, whereas less dew was recorded during cloudy and especially windy mornings. Dew continued to condense even after sunrise, although a shorter warming time after dawn is also of vital importance in dew formation. The higher average maximum dew quantities (0.06mm) and longer average dew duration (2.3h) occurred in the interdune lo...

Skin temperature during sunbathing--relevance for skin cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Bibi; Philipsen, Peter Alshede; Wulf, Hans Christian

2014-01-01

It has been found that exposure to heat and infrared radiation (IR) can be carcinogenic, and that a combination of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and IR possibly amplifies carcinogenesis. To investigate how the skin temperature is affected by sunbathing, we measured the skin temperature on 20 healthy...... volunteers over 6 days' sun holiday in Egypt. Temperatures were measured with an infrared thermometer gun at 8 skin sites on the volunteers while they were indoors in the morning and when sunbathing during the day. Skin temperatures were higher during sunbathing (33.5 °C ± 2.1 °C) (mean ± SD) than when...... indoors in the morning (32.6 °C ± 1.4 °C) (mean ± SD) (P skin temperature for men was higher than for women by 0.40 °C in the morning (P = 0.02) and by 0.44 °C during sunbathing (P skin temperature, which possibly...

Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: An Analysis of the Outcomes of Significant Increases in Supply and Competition

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Wilkins, Stephen

2010-01-01

During the last decade, several countries across the Middle and Far East have established higher education hubs, some of which have grown rapidly by attracting foreign universities to set up international branch campuses. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is by far the largest host of international branch campuses globally, having over 40 providers…

Analysis of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Pregnant Women With Diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Law, Graham R; Ellison, George T H; Secher, Anna L

2015-01-01

with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Functional data analysis (FDA) was applied to 1.68 million glucose measurements from 759 measurement episodes, obtained from two previously published randomized controlled trials of CGM in pregnant women with diabetes. A total of 117 women with type 1 diabetes (n = 89...... developed LGA. LGA was associated with lower mean glucose (7.0 vs. 7.1 mmol/L; P FDA showed that glucose was significantly lower midmorning (0900-1100 h) and early...... evening (1900-2130 h) in trimester 1, significantly higher early morning (0330-0630 h) and throughout the afternoon (1130-1700 h) in trimester 2, and significantly higher during the evening (2030-2330 h) in trimester 3 in women whose infants were LGA. CONCLUSIONS: FDA of CGM data identified specific times...

Phthalate metabolites in Norwegian mothers and children: Levels, diurnal variation and use of personal care products.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakhi, Amrit Kaur; Sabaredzovic, Azemira; Cequier, Enrique; Thomsen, Cathrine

2017-12-01

Exposure to phthalates has been associated with reproductive and developmental toxicity. Data on levels of these compounds in the Norwegian population is limited. In this study, urine samples were collected from 48 mothers and their children in two counties in Norway. Eleven different phthalate metabolites originating from six commonly used phthalates in consumer products were determined. Concentrations of phthalate metabolites were significantly higher in children compared to mothers except for mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP). The mothers provided several urine samples during 24hours (h) and diurnal variation showed that the concentrations in the morning urine samples (24-8h) were significantly higher than at other time-periods for most of the phthalate metabolites. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for 24-hour time-period were in the range of 0.49-0.81. These moderate to high ICCs indicate that one spot urine sample can be used to estimate the exposure to phthalates. Since a significant effect of time of day was observed, it is still advisable to standardize the collection time point to reduce the variation. For the mothers, the use of personal care products (PCPs) were less associated with morning urine samples than early day (8-12h) and evening (16-24h) urine samples. The use of perfume and hair products were positively associated with the urinary concentrations of low molecular weight phthalates. Use of shower soap and shampoo were positively associated with urinary concentration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites. For children, face cream use was positively associated with phthalate metabolites in the morning samples, and hand soap use was negatively associated with concentration of urinary DEHP metabolites in afternoon/evening samples. Since different PCPs were associated with the urinary phthalate metabolites in different time-periods during a day, more than one spot urine sample might be required to study associations between urinary

Comparing Neonatal Outcome Following the Use of Ondansetron versus Vitamin B6 in Pregnant Females with Morning Sickness: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Shahraki

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting or morning sickness with an overall prevalence rate of 80% is commonly appeared at the eighth week and frequently disappeared in most pregnant females at the 16th week of gestation. The severe form of the condition named hyperemesis occurs in one per 200 to 300 pregnancies; it is accompanied by dehydration, electrolyte instability and nutritional deficits and needs medical interventions. Limited data are available on harmful effects of common antiemetic medications used within pregnancy on human neonates. Objectives The current study aimed to compare the effects of ondansetron and vitamin B6 on neonatal outcome in pregnant females with pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Neonatal outcome included the probable difference in neonates’ gestational age, weight, height, head circumference and frequency of apparent congenital anomalies. Methods This randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 188 primipara singleton pregnant females with pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting who referred to state healthcare centers of Zabol, Iran, in 2014. The pregnant females were randomly assigned to receive drug packages including ondansetron tablets (4 mg or vitamin B6 tablets (40 mg and patients were instructed to take one tablet twice daily. Females were followed up until delivery and neonatal outcomes including any congenital anomaly, weight, height and head circumference at birth were assessed. Results There was no difference between the groups in the mean age of mother and the mean age of gestation. No differences were found between the groups regarding birth weight (3006.93 ± 441.86 versus 2949.65 ± 457.36 g, P= 0.67, height at birth (49.50 ± 1.45 versus 48.97 ± 1.47 cm, P= 0.75 and head circumference at birth (34.23 ± 1.22 versus 33.88 ± 1.26 cm, P = 0.56. No neonatal anomaly was observed in the two groups. Conclusions No significant differences were observed between the groups based

Valid Competency Assessment in Higher Education

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Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the 15 collaborative projects conducted during the new funding phase of the German research program Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education—Validation and Methodological Innovations (KoKoHs is to make a significant contribution to advancing the field of modeling and valid measurement of competencies acquired in higher education. The KoKoHs research teams assess generic competencies and domain-specific competencies in teacher education, social and economic sciences, and medicine based on findings from and using competency models and assessment instruments developed during the first KoKoHs funding phase. Further, they enhance, validate, and test measurement approaches for use in higher education in Germany. Results and findings are transferred at various levels to national and international research, higher education practice, and education policy.

Significance of serum endostatin levels in patients with primary lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Qunxin; Ling Chunhua; Ji Cheng

2005-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the serum level of endostatin and the clinical pathophysiological characteristics in patients with primary lung cancer. Methods: The serum levels of endostatin were detected in 48 patients with primary lung cancer and 50 patients with benign pulmonary diseases by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: Serum endostatin level in patients with primary lung cancer was significantly higher than it in patients with benign pulmonary diseases (P<0.01). It was higher in adenocarcinoma group than that in squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma group (P<0.05). The level of serum endostatin in lung cancer with TNM stage III + IV was higher than that in patients in stage I + II (P<0.01). And it was also higher in patients suffering from lung cancer with metastasis than that in patients with no metastasis (P<0.05). However, there was not a significant relation between serum endostatin level the location of the tumor and lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Serum endostatin level in expressed higher in patients with primary lung cancer. There is significant relationship between serum endostatin level, histological classification, TNM stage and metastasis of lung cancer. (authors)

Significance of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance on ThinPrep papanicolaou smears.

Science.gov (United States)

Eltabbakh, G H; Lipman, J N; Mount, S L; Morgan, A

2000-10-01

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors predictive of dysplasia among women seen in a gynecologic oncology service with the cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) on Papanicolaou smears obtained by the ThinPrep method. Patients with ASCUS ThinPrep Papanicolaou smears seen at the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Vermont, between 1997 and 1999 were identified. The cytologic smears were reviewed and subtyped into reactive or suggestive of squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL). The charts of these patients were reviewed and the following information was abstracted: age, gravidity, parity, menopausal status, use of hormonal replacement therapy, smoking, history of pelvic cancer, history of radiation therapy, history of abnormal Papanicolaou smear and its treatment, history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and follow-up information including results of repeat Papanicolaou smears, colposcopy, and biopsies. The prevalence of dysplasia was calculated. The demographic features of women with ASCUS, reactive, were compared with those with ASCUS, SIL, using a two-sample t test, chi(2), and Fisher's exact test. Risk factors predictive of dysplasia were calculated using the odds ratio and the 95% confidence interval. P ASCUS on ThinPrep Papanicolaou smear were identified; 63 patients had ASCUS, reactive, and 63 patients had ASCUS, SIL. The demographic features of both groups were similar. The overall prevalence of dysplasia was 15.9% and was significantly higher among women with ASCUS, SIL, than among women with ASCUS, reactive (25.4% versus 6.4%, P = 0.003). The type of ASCUS cytology (reactive versus SIL), smoking, and history of HPV were significant risk factors for dysplasia (P = 0.003, 0.037, and 0. 042, respectively). The prevalence of dysplasia among women seen in a gynecologic oncology service with ASCUS cytology on ThinPrep Papanicolaou smears is 15.9%. Women with ASCUS favor

Eating meals before wheel-running exercise attenuate high fat diet-driven obesity in mice under two meals per day schedule.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Yuta; Ikeda, Yuko; Kamagata, Mayo; Shibata, Shigenobu

2015-06-01

Mice that exercise after meals gain less body weight and visceral fat compared to those that exercised before meals under a one meal/exercise time per day schedule. Humans generally eat two or three meals per day, and rarely have only one meal. To extend our previous observations, we examined here whether a "two meals, two exercise sessions per day" schedule was optimal in terms of maintaining a healthy body weight. In this experiment, "morning" refers to the beginning of the active phase (the "morning" for nocturnal animals). We found that 2-h feeding before 2-h exercise in the morning and evening (F-Ex/F-Ex) resulted in greater attenuation of high fat diet (HFD)-induced weight gain compared to other combinations of feeding and exercise under two daily meals and two daily exercise periods. There were no significant differences in total food intake and total wheel counts, but feeding before exercise in the morning groups (F-Ex/F-Ex and F-Ex/Ex-F) increased the morning wheel counts. These results suggest that habitual exercise after feeding in the morning and evening is more effective for preventing HFD-induced weight gain. We also determined whether there were any correlations between food intake, wheel rotation, visceral fat volume and skeletal muscle volumes. We found positive associations between gastrocnemius muscle volumes and morning wheel counts, as well as negative associations between morning food intake volumes/body weight and morning wheel counts. These results suggest that morning exercise-induced increase of muscle volume may refer to anti-obesity. Evening exercise is negatively associated with fat volume increases, suggesting that this practice may counteract fat deposition. Our multifactorial analysis revealed that morning food intake helps to increase exercise, and that evening exercise reduced fat volumes. Thus, exercise in the morning or evening is important for preventing the onset of obesity.

Melatonin prevents inflammation and oxidative stress caused by abdominopelvic and total body irradiation of rat small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Guney, Y; Hicsonmez, A; Uluoglu, C; Guney, H Z; Ozel Turkcu, U; Take, G; Yucel, B; Caglar, G; Bilgihan, A; Erdogan, D; Nalca Andrieu, M; Kurtman, C; Zengil, H

2007-10-01

We investigated the day-night differences in intestinal oxidative-injury and the inflammatory response following total body (TB) or abdominopelvic (AP) irradiation, and the influence of melatonin administration on tissue injury induced by radiation. Rats (male Wistar, weighing 220-280 g) in the irradiated groups were exposed to a dose of 8 Gy to the TB or AP region in the morning (resting period - 1 h after light onset) or evening (activity span - 13 h after light onset). Vehicle or melatonin was administered immediately before, immediately after and 24 h after irradiation (10, 2.0 and 10 mg/kg, ip, respectively) to the irradiated rats. AP (P < 0.05) and TB (P < 0.05) irradiation applied in the morning caused a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels. Melatonin treatment in the morning (P < 0.05) or evening (P < 0.05) decreased TBARS levels after TB irradiation. After AP irradiation, melatonin treatment only in the morning caused a significant decrease in TBARS levels (P < 0.05). Although we have confirmed the development of inflammation after radiotherapy by histological findings, neither AP nor TB irradiation caused any marked changes in myeloperoxidase activity in the morning or evening. Our results indicate that oxidative damage is more prominent in rats receiving TB and AP irradiation in the morning and melatonin appears to have beneficial effects on oxidative damage irrespective of the time of administration. Increased neutrophil accumulation indicates that melatonin administration exerts a protective effect on AP irradiation-induced tissue oxidative injury, especially in the morning.

Melatonin prevents inflammation and oxidative stress caused by abdominopelvic and total body irradiation of rat small intestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Guney

2007-10-01

Full Text Available We investigated the day-night differences in intestinal oxidative-injury and the inflammatory response following total body (TB or abdominopelvic (AP irradiation, and the influence of melatonin administration on tissue injury induced by radiation. Rats (male Wistar, weighing 220-280 g in the irradiated groups were exposed to a dose of 8 Gy to the TB or AP region in the morning (resting period - 1 h after light onset or evening (activity span - 13 h after light onset. Vehicle or melatonin was administered immediately before, immediately after and 24 h after irradiation (10, 2.0 and 10 mg/kg, ip, respectively to the irradiated rats. AP (P < 0.05 and TB (P < 0.05 irradiation applied in the morning caused a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS levels. Melatonin treatment in the morning (P < 0.05 or evening (P < 0.05 decreased TBARS levels after TB irradiation. After AP irradiation, melatonin treatment only in the morning caused a significant decrease in TBARS levels (P < 0.05. Although we have confirmed the development of inflammation after radiotherapy by histological findings, neither AP nor TB irradiation caused any marked changes in myeloperoxidase activity in the morning or evening. Our results indicate that oxidative damage is more prominent in rats receiving TB and AP irradiation in the morning and melatonin appears to have beneficial effects on oxidative damage irrespective of the time of administration. Increased neutrophil accumulation indicates that melatonin administration exerts a protective effect on AP irradiation-induced tissue oxidative injury, especially in the morning.

Temporal variation in the specific dynamic action of juvenile New Zealand rock lobsters, Jasus edwardsii.

Science.gov (United States)

Radford, Craig A; Marsden, Islay D; Davison, William

2004-09-01

To enhance the on-growing of Jasus edwardsii in culture, it is important to understand the feeding physiology of juveniles. In crustaceans, there is a loss of energy and an increase in oxygen consumption (specific dynamic action or SDA) associated with feeding. The present research measured the SDA of juvenile J. edwardsii fed either in the morning or at night held at 15 degrees C. Closed box respirometry was used to measure oxygen consumption (MO(2)) and ammonia excretion in juvenile lobsters. Juveniles exhibited a nocturnal rhythm in both MO(2) and ammonia excretion. The factorial rise in MO(2) (1.58+/-0.03 times) for lobsters fed in the morning was significantly less than lobsters fed at night (1.80+/-0.01 times). Lobsters fed in the morning had a significantly shorter SDA (30+/-1.2 h) response compared to lobsters fed at night (36+/-1 h). Energy loss as a result of digestion was less for lobsters fed in the morning. Therefore, if juvenile J. edwardsii are fed in the morning, they could optimise the energy content of the meal and this could result in increased growth.

Diverse patterns of neuroendocrine activity in maltreated children.

Science.gov (United States)

Cicchetti, D; Rogosch, F A

2001-01-01

Cortisol regulation was investigated in a sample of school-aged maltreated (n = 175) and demographically comparable low-income nonmaltreated (n = 209) children in the context of a day camp research program. Overall group differences between maltreated and nonmaltreated children were not found for average morning or average afternoon cortisol levels. However, significant variations were found that were based on the subtypes of maltreatment that the children had experienced. Maltreated children who had been both physically and sexually abused (as well as neglected or emotionally maltreated) exhibited substantial elevations in morning cortisol levels; children who had high (>1 SD) cortisol levels in both the morning and afternoon were also overrepresented in the multiple abuse group. Developmental timing of maltreatment did not account for these group differences, whereas the severity of sexual abuse was implicated. In contrast to the multiple abuse group, a subgroup of physically abused children showed evidence of a trend toward lower morning cortisol relative to nonmaltreated children with a significantly smaller decrease in cortisol levels from morning to afternoon. The findings are discussed in terms of the diversity of atypical cortisol regulation patterns that are exhibited among maltreated children.

Overweight and obese children have lower cortisol levels than normal weight children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kjölhede, E Allansson; Gustafsson, P E; Gustafsson, P A; Nelson, N

2014-03-01

The stress hormone cortisol is vital to survival, and a disturbed circadian rhythm can be deleterious to health. However, little is known about cortisol levels in healthy children. The aim of this study was to examine cortisol levels in relation to body mass index (BMI), age and sex. Salivary samples were collected in early morning, late morning and evening, on four consecutive days, from 342 children aged 6-12 years using Salivette(®) tubes. Samples were analysed using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA). School nurses measured the children's height and weight, and these measurements were used to calculate their BMI. The children displayed a circadian rhythm in cortisol secretion, with morning zeniths and evening nadirs. Average cortisol levels in early morning, late morning and evening were significantly lower in overweight and obese children than in their normal weight counterparts. Cortisol levels did not vary significantly with age or sex. Our findings may suggest cortisol suppression in overweight and obese children. We found no evidence that sex or age influences cortisol levels. These findings highlight the need for further research on the relationship between stress and obesity in children. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association between workaholism and sleep problems among hospital nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Kazumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Nakata, Akinori; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2010-01-01

The present study examined the association between workaholism, the tendency to work excessively hard in a compulsive fashion, and sleep problems among Japanese nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 600 nurses from 2 university hospitals in Japan using a self-reported questionnaire on workaholism, sleep, job-related variables (i.e., job demands, job control, and worksite support), and demographic variables. A total of 394 nurses returned the questionnaire (response rate=65.7%) and complete data from 312 female nurses were used for analyses (final coverage rate=52.0%). Workaholics, as measured using the Japanese version of the Dutch Workaholism Scale, were defined as those having high scores on both the "work excessively" and "work compulsively" subscales. Logistic regression analyses revealed that workaholics had higher risks for sleep problems in terms of subjective sleep insufficiency, excessive daytime sleepiness at work, difficulty awakening in the morning, and feeling tired when waking up in the morning (odds ratios [OR] of 4.40, 3.18, 3.48, and 4.61, respectively, p<0.05). These remained significant even after adjusting for demographic and job-related variables (OR 3.41, 5.36, 2.56, and 2.77, respectively). However, no significant associations were found between workaholism and insomnia symptoms. These results suggest that workaholic nurses had higher risks for impaired awakening, insufficient sleep, and workplace sleepiness.

Higher-order techniques in computational electromagnetics

CERN Document Server

Graglia, Roberto D

2016-01-01

Higher-Order Techniques in Computational Electromagnetics explains 'high-order' techniques that can significantly improve the accuracy, computational cost, and reliability of computational techniques for high-frequency electromagnetics, such as antennas, microwave devices and radar scattering applications.

Individual differences in chronotypes associated with academic performance among Chilean University students.

Science.gov (United States)

Valladares, Macarena; Ramírez-Tagle, Rodrigo; Muñoz, Miss Alexandra; Obregón, Ana María

2018-04-01

A chronotype is an individual trait that determines circadian rhythm (dark/light cycle) characteristics, associated with bedtime, waking, and other daily activities. A chronotype is classified as morning, intermediate, and evening. The objective is to associate chronotypes with academic performance in university students. A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the chronotype of university students (n = 703) by Horne-Ostberg questionnaire and associated with academic performance. The group with higher GPAs had higher chronotype scores (p = 0.002). Morning and intermediate chronotypes exhibited better academic performance; however, more studies are necessary to determine the underlying causes, which could influence cognitive aspects.

Access to Higher Education in China: Differences in Opportunity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Houxiong

2011-01-01

Access to higher education in China has opened up significantly in the move towards a mass higher education system. However, aggregate growth does not necessarily imply fair or reasonable distribution of opportunity. In fact, the expansion of higher education has a rather more complex influence on opportunity when admissions statistics are viewed…

The effect and clinical significance of Shuxuetong injection on the changes of plasma TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1α levels in patients after hip orthopedic operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Zhaoguang; Xu Shenggen; Wu Qingxin; Zhu Huihua; Liu Bingsheng; Yu Binwei; Xu Shang'ao; Zheng Yihua

2011-01-01

Objective: To investigate shuxuetong injection on the changes of thromboxane B 2 (TXB 2 ) and 6-keto-prostacyclin(6-Keto-PGF 1α ) levels on the patients after hip orthopedic operation and its clinical significance. Methods: 50 hip orthopedic surgery patients were randomly divided into the shuxuetong group and the low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) group. Both groups were treated with conventional therapy. Shuxuetong group were 23 cases, including 7 cases of total hip replacement (THR), 16 patients of internal fixation after hip fracture. Each patient were given Shuxuetong intravenous injection 6 ml once a day, LMWH group contain 27 patients, including 9 cases of total hip replacement(THR), 18 patients of applying internal fixation to hip fracture. Each patient was given LMWH 5000 IU subcutaneously once daily. Both groups were treated for 14 days. In the day of surgery and the morning after therapy,fasting venous blood were collected respectively. The levels of plasma TXB 2 and 6-Keto-PGF 1α were measured by radioimmunoassay. Seven days after the surgery, patients in both groups were given low extremity venography examination. The changes of TXB 2 , 6-Keto-PGF 1α level and the incidence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) between two groups were compared before and after treatment. Results: The levels of TXB 2 and 6-Keto-PGF 1α is not mach significant difference between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment,the increased of 6-Keto-PGF 1α and the decreased of TXB 2 were statistically significant difference (P 1α level of LMWH group was significantly higher after the treatment (P 2 had no obvious difference (P>0.05). The levels of TXB 2 and 6-Keto-PGF 1α was significant difference between the two groups after treatment(P 0.05). Two groups were not found more intraoperative and postoperative bleeding and the consequent adverse reactions. Conclusion: Shuxuetong injection adjust the plasma TXB 2 /6-Keto-PGF 1α balance after hip

[Formula: see text]Higher cortisol is associated with poorer executive functioning in preschool children: The role of parenting stress, parent coping and quality of daycare.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Shannon L; Cepeda, Ivan; Krieger, Dena; Maggi, Stefania; D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Weinberg, Joanne; Grunau, Ruth E

2016-01-01

Child executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory) are key to success in school. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is known to affect cognition; however, there is limited information about how child cortisol levels, parenting factors and child care context relate to executive functions in young children. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between child cortisol, parenting stress, parent coping, and daycare quality in relation to executive functions in children aged 3-5 years. We hypothesized that (1) poorer executive functioning would be related to higher child cortisol and higher parenting stress, and (2) positive daycare quality and positive parent coping style would buffer the effects of child cortisol and parenting stress on executive functions. A total of 101 children (53 girls, 48 boys, mean age 4.24 years ±0.74) with complete data on all measures were included. Three saliva samples to measure cortisol were collected at the child's daycare/preschool in one morning. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version (BRIEF-P), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ECERS-R) was used to measure the quality of daycare. It was found that children with poorer executive functioning had higher levels of salivary cortisol, and their parents reported higher parenting stress. However, parent coping style and quality of daycare did not modulate these relationships. Identifying ways to promote child executive functioning is an important direction for improving school readiness.

Games and simulation in higher education

OpenAIRE

Juan, Angel A.; Loch, Birgit; Daradoumis, Thanasis; Ventura, Sebastian

2017-01-01

The evolution of computer technologies, together with the increasing speed of Internet-based communications, has promoted the use of simulation software and serious games in higher education. These technological and methodological tools can significantly enrich the learning experience in almost any knowledge area. In particular, they will have a significant impact on how the learning process is performed in the so called Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. T...

Efficacy of a Micro-Prompting Technology in Reducing Support Needed by People With Severe Acquired Brain Injury in Activities of Daily Living: A Randomized Control Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

OʼNeill, Brian; Best, Catherine; OʼNeill, Lauren; Ramos, Sara D S; Gillespie, Alex

2017-11-29

To evaluate the effectiveness of an automated interactive prompting technology in supporting the morning routine of persons with acquired brain injury. The morning routine included maintaining personal hygiene and dressing. An inpatient neurorehabilitation hospital. Persons with acquired brain injury who required prompting when following their morning routine (n = 24), but were not limited by physical disability or dysphasia, took part in the study. Participants (67% with traumatic brain injury) had impairment on indices of memory and executive function. A randomized control trial evaluated the effect of an automated interactive micro-prompting device on the number of prompts by trained staff required for successful completion of the morning routine. Study-specific checklists assessed sequence performance, errors, and verbal prompts required over baseline, rehabilitation as usual, intervention, and return to baseline conditions. The intervention significantly reduced the support required to complete the task compared with usual rehabilitation. Micro-prompting technology is an effective assistive technology for cognition, which reduces support needs in people with significant cognitive impairments.

Imagining a multilingual academy: rethinking language in higher ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Language affects all aspects of the academy as a platform for the cultivation of critical thinking. The extension of multilingualism (ie "more people using more languages in more registers and in more domains") in higher education would contribute significantly to "improving the quality of the higher education sector".

Contact Lens-Induced Discomfort and Inflammatory Mediator Changes in Tears.

Science.gov (United States)

Masoudi, Simin; Zhao, Zhenjun; Stapleton, Fiona; Willcox, Mark

2017-01-01

Studies indicate that contact lens (CL) discontinuation mostly occurs because of dryness and discomfort symptoms. This study aimed to investigate relationships between changes in the concentration of tear inflammatory mediators with subjective comfort ratings with CL wear and no contact lens wear between morning and evening. Forty-five subjects collected tears twice daily in the morning and in the evening with or without lenses. Comfort was rated subjectively on a scale from 1 to 100 (where 100 was extremely comfortable) just before each tear collection. Tear samples were assayed for complement components (C3 and C3a), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and bradykinin using commercially available immuno-based assay kits. Comfort ratings showed a statistically significant decline from morning to evening both with CL (89.0±10.1 AM vs. 76.7±15.2 PM; P0.05). Leukotriene B4 levels were slightly higher in CL (CL 43.4±12.6 pg/ml vs. No CL 39.4±13.4 pg/mL; P=0.034), whereas the concentration of LTB4, C3, C3a, and sIgA dropped by the end of the day in the presence or absence of lens wear (Ptear levels were not correlated with comfort ratings in any of the conditions. Leukotriene B4 had a higher concentration in the evening, and when measured as a ratio to sIgA, there was a trend for increased concentration of this mediator during CL wear. Although specific mediators showed changes from morning to evening with and without lens wear, most of these were not correlated with subjective comfort ratings in lens wear. The only mediator that showed an increase in concentration during the day and during lens wear was LTB4, and further studies on this mediator are warranted.

Human isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium from Taiwan displayed significantly higher levels of antimicrobial resistance than those from Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Torpdahl, Mia; Lauderdale, Tsai-Ling; Liang, Shiu-Yun; Li, Ishien; Wei, Sung-Hsi; Chiou, Chien-Shun

2013-02-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a major zoonotic pathogen with a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. This pathogen can disseminate across borders and spread far distances via the food trade and international travel. In this study, we compared the genotypes and antimicrobial resistance of 378 S. Typhimurium isolates collected in Taiwan and Denmark between 2009 and 2010. Genotyping revealed that many S. Typhimurium strains were concurrently circulating in Taiwan, Denmark and other countries in 2009 and 2010. When compared to the isolates collected from Denmark, the isolates from Taiwan displayed a significantly higher level of resistance to 11 of the 12 tested antimicrobials. Seven genetic clusters (A-G) were designated for the isolates. A high percentage of the isolates in genetic clusters C, F and G were multidrug-resistant. Of the isolates in cluster C, 79.2% were ASSuT-resistant, characterized by resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline. In cluster F, 84.1% of the isolates were ACSSuT-resistant (resistant to ASSuT and chloramphenicol). Cluster G was unique to Taiwan and characterized in most isolates by the absence of three VNTRs (ST20, ST30 and STTR6) as well as a variety of multidrug resistance profiles. This cluster exhibited very high to extremely high levels of resistance to several first-line drugs, and among the seven clusters, it displayed the highest levels of resistance to cefotaxime and ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in S. Typhimurium from Taiwan highlights the necessity to strictly regulate the use of antimicrobials in the agriculture and human health care sectors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higher Eating Frequency Does Not Decrease Appetite in Healthy Adults12

Science.gov (United States)

Perrigue, Martine M; Drewnowski, Adam; Wang, Ching-Yun; Neuhouser, Marian L

2016-01-01

Background: Consumption of small, frequent meals is suggested as an effective approach to control appetite and food intake and might be a strategy for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. Despite much speculation on the topic, scientific evidence is limited to support such a relation in the absence of changes to diet composition. Objective: We examined the effects of high compared with low eating frequency (EF) on self-reported appetite as a secondary outcome in a controlled trial. Methods: We conducted a randomized, crossover intervention trial in 12 participants (4 men, 8 women) who completed 2 isocaloric 3-wk intervention phases of low EF (3 eating occasions/d) compared with high EF (8 eating occasions/d). On the last morning of each study phase, participants completed a 4-h appetite testing session. During the appetite testing session, participants completing the low EF phase consumed a meal at 0800. Participants completing the high EF intervention consumed the same meal spread evenly over 2 eating occasions at 0800 and 1030. Standardized ratings of hunger, desire to eat, fullness, thirst, and nausea were completed every 30 min with the use of paper-and-pencil semianchored 100-mm visual analog scales. A composite appetite score was calculated as the mean of hunger, desire to eat, and the inverse of fullness (calculated as 100-fullness rating). Linear regression analysis compared ratings between low EF and high EF conditions. Results: The mean composite appetite score was higher in the high EF condition for the total testing period (baseline through 1200) (P appetite. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02548026. PMID:26561409

Towards higher intensities

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

Over the past 2 weeks, commissioning of the machine protection system has advanced significantly, opening up the possibility of higher intensity collisions at 3.5 TeV. The intensity has been increased from 2 bunches of 1010 protons to 6 bunches of 2x1010 protons. Luminosities of 6x1028 cm-2s-1 have been achieved at the start of fills, a factor of 60 higher than those provided for the first collisions on 30 March.   The recent increase in LHC luminosity as recorded by the experiments. (Graph courtesy of the experiments and M. Ferro-Luzzi) To increase the luminosity further, the commissioning crews are now trying to push up the intensity of the individual proton bunches. After the successful injection of nominal intensity bunches containing 1.1x1011 protons, collisions were subsequently achieved at 450 GeV with these intensities. However, half-way through the first ramping of these nominal intensity bunches to 3.5 TeV on 15 May, a beam instability was observed, leading to partial beam loss...

Fungi, beta-Glucan, and Bacteria in Nasal Lavage of Greenhouse Workers and Their Relation to Occupational Exposure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, A. M.; Tendal, K.; Thilsing, T.

2013-01-01

occupational exposure to fungi, -glucan, and bacteria and contents of fungi, -glucan, and bacteria in nasal lavage (NAL) of greenhouse workers. We also studied whether contents of microorganisms in NAL were related to gender, time of the work week, and runny nose. NAL samples (n 135) were taken Monday morning....... The ratios of fungi in NAL between Thursday at noon and Monday morning were 14 (median value) for men and 3.5 for women. Gender had no effect on the exposure level but had a significant effect on the content of fungi, -glucan, and bacteria in NAL, with the highest contents in NAL of men. On Thursdays......, the median content of fungi in NAL samples of men without runny noses was 9408 cfu per NAL sample, whereas the same content for women was 595 cfu per NAL sample. Workers with runny noses had fewer fungi in NAL than workers without runny noses. A higher content of -glucan per fungal spore was found in NAL...

Morning-After Pill

Science.gov (United States)

... of emergency birth control (contraception). The purpose of emergency contraception is to prevent pregnancy after a woman has ... wall and has already begun to develop. Risks Emergency contraception is an effective option for preventing pregnancy after ...

What Role for Private Higher Education in Europe?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teixeira, Pedro N.; Biscaia, Ricardo; Rocha, Vera

2016-01-01

In recent decades, we have seen the emergence of private higher education in many European countries. This has been associated with the waves of significant expansion of the higher education system and with changes in regulation patterns, which have promoted a growing private-like behavior...... of public higher education institutions and the development of private provision in several European countries. The aim of this text is to discuss the relevance of the various dimensions of privatization in European higher education and to explore the relationship between public and private sectors...... in several European countries. This analysis points out some major patterns of the private higher education sector in Europe and reflects about the major issues faced by those systems regarding the potential contribution of private higher education....

Emergency department overcrowding and inpatient boarding: a statewide glimpse in time.

Science.gov (United States)

Felton, Brent M; Reisdorff, Earl J; Krone, Christopher N; Laskaris, Gus A

2011-12-01

This was a point-prevalence study designed to quantify the magnitude of emergency department (ED) overcrowding and inpatient boarding. Every ED in Michigan was surveyed at a single point in time on a Monday evening. Given the high patient volumes on Monday evenings, the effect on inpatient boarding the next morning was also reviewed. All 134 EDs within the state of Michigan were contacted and surveyed on Monday evening, March 16, 2009, over a single hour and again the following morning. Questions included data on annual census, bed number, number of admitted patients within the ED, ambulance diversion, and ED length of stay. Data were obtained from 109 of the 134 (81%) hospitals on Monday evening and 99 (74%) on Tuesday morning. There was no difference in annual visits or ED size between participating and nonparticipating EDs. Forty-seven percent of EDs were boarding inpatients on Monday evening, compared with 30% on Tuesday morning. The mean estimated boarding times were 3.7 hours (Monday evening) and 7.2 hours (Tuesday morning). Twenty-four percent of respondents met the definition of overcrowded during sampling times. There was a significant relationship between inpatient boarding and ED overcrowding (p boarding inpatients, while 24% were operating beyond capacity. On the following morning (Tuesday), EDs had fewer boarded inpatients than on Monday evening. However, these boarded inpatients remained in the ED for a significantly longer duration. © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

The theory of planned behavior as applied to preoperative smoking abstinence.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yu; Ehlers, Shawna; Warner, David O

2014-01-01

Abstinence from smoking on the morning of surgery may improve outcomes. This study examined the explicatory power of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict smoking behavior on the morning of surgery, testing the hypothesis that the constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) will predict intent to abstain from smoking the morning of surgery, and that intent will predict behavior. TPB constructs were assessed in 169 pre-surgical patients. Smoking behavior on the morning of surgery was assessed by self-report and CO monitoring. Correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to determine associations between measures and behavior. All TPB measures, including intent as predicted by the TPB, were correlated with both a lower rate of self-reported smoking on the morning of surgery and lower CO levels. The SEM showed a good fit to the data. In the SEM, attitude and PBC, but not subjective norm, were significantly associated with intent to abstain, explaining 46% of variance. The effect of PBC on CO levels was partially mediated by intent. The amount of variance in behavior explained by these TPB constructs was modest (10% for CO levels). Thus, attitude and perceived behavioral control explain a substantial portion of the intent to maintain preoperative abstinence on the morning of elective surgery, and intent and perceived behavioral control explain a more modest but significant amount of the variance in actual smoking behavior. Clinical Trials.gov registration: NCT01014455.

Significance assessment of the external control effects of lecturers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurbatova Margarita, V.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The state policy regarding higher education has changed in the last decade. These changes were part of the efficiency programs of the public sector. Governments of different countries ruined previously existing system of higher education state regulation and attempted to build the quasi-market structure in the higher education industry. Such transformations served as timely and progressive reforms in the recent studies of the economics of education. Substitution of bureaucratic management mechanisms and modern competition managerial tools are articulated. Economic and institutional and sociological studies on the effects of the introduction of quasi-markets and managerial tools in higher education governance oppose to orthodox market approach. They drew attention to the fact that evaluation methods and improve the effectiveness of organizations and employees that are typical of the private sector often produce results that differ from those in the public sector. To assess the consequences of the introduction of managerial tools of external control activities of university lecturers used a methodology based on the allocation of the individual structural components (effects and building on their basis of a multi-level hierarchical model in the research. Each component of the model (single effect is characterized by a degree of significance (importance and the degree of severity. The results of the systematization and assessment of the significance of the effects of external control activity of lecturers of Russian universities implemented in conditions of quasi-market mechanisms of the higher education system are highlighted in the paper.

THE EFFECT OF BLOOD AND MILK SERUM ZINC CONCENTRATION ON MILK SOMATIC CELL COUNT IN DAIRY COWS

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Ivana Davidov

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood and milk zinc concentration on somatic cell count and occurrence of subclinical mastitis cases. The study was performed on thirty Holstein cows approximate same body weight, ages 3 to 5 years, with equally milk production. Blood samples were taken after the morning milking from the caudal vein and milk from all four quarters was taken before morning milking. All samples of blood and milk were taken to determined zinc, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. 37.67% (11/30 cows have blood serum zinc concentration below 7µmol/l, and 63.33% or 19/30 cows have blood serum zinc concentration higher then 13µmol/l. Also 30% (9/30 cows have somatic cell count lower then 400.000/ml which indicate absence of subclinical mastitis, but 70% (21/30 cows have somatic cell count higher then 400.000/ml which indicate subclinical mastitis. Results indicate that cows with level of zinc in blood serum higher then 13 µmol/l have lower somatic cell count. Cows with lower zinc blood serum concentration then 7 µmol/l have high somatic cell count and high incidence of subclinical mastitis. According to results in this research there is no significant effect of milk serum zinc concentration on somatic cell count in dairy cows.

Competition and Performance in European Higher Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teixeira, Pedro; Biscaia, Ricardo; Rocha, Vera

2014-01-01

Higher education institutions face today a demanding and complex context in which they are asked to fulfill multiple roles. Many of these challenges have to be faced in a complex financial context in which traditional modes of funding have been transformed and public sources are not as generous...... as they often were in the past.Like in many other public services, in recent years it became a rather common statement that higher education institutions should be more efficient in the use of taxpayers’ resources, which had a clear impact in visible changes in the funding of public higher education in Europe....... In this paper we will analyse the major trends in higher education funding in Europe and underline to what extent the current debates about higher education and its funding have been significantly influenced by economic considerations. We will identify some of the main issues that dominate the current debate...

Cambodian higher education in transition : an institutional governance perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sam, Chanphirun

2017-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to ascertain the governance arrangements of higher education providers in Cambodia and to seek insights into institutional governance while its higher education sector is in a significant transition towards the market model. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical research

Transitions in U.S. Higher Education: Implications for Geography Learning

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Nellis, M. Duane

2017-01-01

In the United States, higher education institutions and structures governing higher education are going through dramatic change. The implications of new technology and changing modes of course structure, and evolving federal and state policies have the potential for significant impact on higher education. The historic federal mandates regarding…

Variation of serum and urine cotinine in passive and active smokers and applicability in preconceptional smoking cessation counseling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weerd, Sabina de; Thomas, Chris M.G.; Kuster, Josien E.T.G.; Cikot, Rolf J.L.M.; Steegers, Eric A.P.

2002-01-01

This study assessed the applicability of serum and urine cotinine as a biochemical marker of self-reported smoking habits for use in a preconception smoking cessation program. The variation of serum and urine cotinine over the course of the day was investigated in a sample of 21 smokers and 8 passive smokers who reported their smoking habits and exposure to smoke daily in a questionnaire for 10 consecutive days. Blood and urine samples were collected on two sampling days, 1 week apart. Both serum and urine cotinine assay could distinguish between passive and active smokers, but not between higher categories of smokers (1019 and ≥20 cigarettes per ay) due to significant intersubject overlap. In serum, no significant differences were found between morning and afternoon cotinine concentrations in either day, in contrast to urine cotinine (with lower excretions observed n the morning). An overall coefficient of variation of 22- was observed for both specimens in smokers. Because serum cotinine is subject to lower variability over the course of the day, it is more practical for use in a clinical setting where appointments are scheduled throughout the day in order o confirm smoking status

Metropolitan garbage dumps: possible winter migratory raptor monitoring stations in peninsular India

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S. Pande

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Winter raptor migration and movement is poorly documented for peninsular India, mainly due to the lack of geographical bottlenecks. We describe, for the first time, the use of a garbage dump in a metropolitan city as an alternative visual winter raptor monitoring station. The daily count, adult to juvenile ratios and species composition of three migratory raptor species, Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis, Black-eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus and Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax are presented. Ground temperatures at the garbage dump site and surrounding area, and the wing beat rate of migratory raptors before and after arrival in the early morning were measured. A total of 355 raptors migrating over a period of six observation days with 250 adults and 105 juveniles were recorded. The temperature of the garbage dump was significantly higher than the surrounding area, while the wing flapping rate was significantly lower over the garbage dump area. It is possible that migrating raptors use garbage dump thermals in the early morning to save energy with soaring and gliding flight (versus flapping flight. We propose that such sites may be used as visual winter migration monitoring stations in metropolitan cities in peninsular India.

Spatially resolved flux measurements of NOx from London suggest significantly higher emissions than predicted by inventories.

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Vaughan, Adam R; Lee, James D; Misztal, Pawel K; Metzger, Stefan; Shaw, Marvin D; Lewis, Alastair C; Purvis, Ruth M; Carslaw, David C; Goldstein, Allen H; Hewitt, C Nicholas; Davison, Brian; Beevers, Sean D; Karl, Thomas G

2016-07-18

To date, direct validation of city-wide emissions inventories for air pollutants has been difficult or impossible. However, recent technological innovations now allow direct measurement of pollutant fluxes from cities, for comparison with emissions inventories, which are themselves commonly used for prediction of current and future air quality and to help guide abatement strategies. Fluxes of NOx were measured using the eddy-covariance technique from an aircraft flying at low altitude over London. The highest fluxes were observed over central London, with lower fluxes measured in suburban areas. A footprint model was used to estimate the spatial area from which the measured emissions occurred. This allowed comparison of the flux measurements to the UK's National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) for NOx, with scaling factors used to account for the actual time of day, day of week and month of year of the measurement. The comparison suggests significant underestimation of NOx emissions in London by the NAEI, mainly due to its under-representation of real world road traffic emissions. A comparison was also carried out with an enhanced version of the inventory using real world driving emission factors and road measurement data taken from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI). The measurement to inventory agreement was substantially improved using the enhanced version, showing the importance of fully accounting for road traffic, which is the dominant NOx emission source in London. In central London there was still an underestimation by the inventory of 30-40% compared with flux measurements, suggesting significant improvements are still required in the NOx emissions inventory.

Composition and abundance of fishes in the interface between open water and macrophyte banks, and the dynamics of this interface during morning and evening twilight, in lake Catalão, Amazonas, Brazil

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Igor David da Costa

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This work studied the composition and abundance of the fishes that move between macrophyte banks and open water during the morning twilight (CM and afternoon twilight (CV. The collections were made using gillnets, along banks of Paspalum repens, at Catalão lake, in Amazonas, Brazil. A total of 222 individuals and 37 species were collected. Of these, 130 individuals were collected during the CM and 92 during the CV; 80 individuals were leaving during the CM and 40 individuals were leaving during the CV. Auchenipterus nuchalis, Pellona castelnaeana, Triportheus angulatus and T. albus were the most common and concentrated species collected in the CM and Pimelodus blochii was the most common species collected in the CV.

Evening chronotype is associated with changes in eating behavior, more sleep apnea, and increased stress hormones in short sleeping obese individuals.

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Lucassen, Eliane A; Zhao, Xiongce; Rother, Kristina I; Mattingly, Megan S; Courville, Amber B; de Jonge, Lilian; Csako, Gyorgy; Cizza, Giovanni

2013-01-01

Short sleep duration and decreased sleep quality are emerging risk factors for obesity and its associated morbidities. Chronotype, an attribute that reflects individual preferences in the timing of sleep and other behaviors, is a continuum from morningness to eveningness. The importance of chronotype in relation to obesity is mostly unknown. Evening types tend to have unhealthy eating habits and suffer from psychological problems more frequently than Morning types, thus we hypothesized that eveningness may affect health parameters in a cohort of obese individuals reporting sleeping less than 6.5 hours per night. BASELINE DATA FROM OBESE (BMI: 38.5±6.4 kg/m(2)) and short sleeping (5.8±0.8 h/night by actigraphy) participants (n = 119) of the Sleep Extension Study were analyzed (www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT00261898). Assessments included the Horne and Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire, a three-day dietary intake diary, a 14-day sleep diary, 14 days of actigraphy, and measurements of sleep apnea. Twenty-four hour urinary free cortisol, 24 h urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine levels, morning plasma ACTH and serum cortisol, fasting glucose and insulin, and lipid parameters were determined. Eveningness was associated with eating later in the day on both working and non-working days. Progression towards eveningness was associated with an increase in BMI, resting heart rate, food portion size, and a decrease in the number of eating occasions and HDL-cholesterol. Evening types had overtly higher 24 h urinary epinephrine and morning plasma ACTH levels, and higher morning resting heart rate than Morning types. In addition, Evening types more often had sleep apnea, independent of BMI or neck circumference. Eveningness was associated with eating later and a tendency towards fewer and larger meals and lower HDL-cholesterol levels. In addition, Evening types had more sleep apnea and higher stress hormones. Thus, eveningness in obese, chronically sleep

Evening chronotype is associated with changes in eating behavior, more sleep apnea, and increased stress hormones in short sleeping obese individuals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliane A Lucassen

Full Text Available Short sleep duration and decreased sleep quality are emerging risk factors for obesity and its associated morbidities. Chronotype, an attribute that reflects individual preferences in the timing of sleep and other behaviors, is a continuum from morningness to eveningness. The importance of chronotype in relation to obesity is mostly unknown. Evening types tend to have unhealthy eating habits and suffer from psychological problems more frequently than Morning types, thus we hypothesized that eveningness may affect health parameters in a cohort of obese individuals reporting sleeping less than 6.5 hours per night.BASELINE DATA FROM OBESE (BMI: 38.5±6.4 kg/m(2 and short sleeping (5.8±0.8 h/night by actigraphy participants (n = 119 of the Sleep Extension Study were analyzed (www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT00261898. Assessments included the Horne and Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire, a three-day dietary intake diary, a 14-day sleep diary, 14 days of actigraphy, and measurements of sleep apnea. Twenty-four hour urinary free cortisol, 24 h urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine levels, morning plasma ACTH and serum cortisol, fasting glucose and insulin, and lipid parameters were determined. Eveningness was associated with eating later in the day on both working and non-working days. Progression towards eveningness was associated with an increase in BMI, resting heart rate, food portion size, and a decrease in the number of eating occasions and HDL-cholesterol. Evening types had overtly higher 24 h urinary epinephrine and morning plasma ACTH levels, and higher morning resting heart rate than Morning types. In addition, Evening types more often had sleep apnea, independent of BMI or neck circumference.Eveningness was associated with eating later and a tendency towards fewer and larger meals and lower HDL-cholesterol levels. In addition, Evening types had more sleep apnea and higher stress hormones. Thus, eveningness in obese

Futures for Higher Education: Analysing Trends. Higher Education: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century

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Universities UK, 2012

2012-01-01

Higher education in the United Kingdom is undergoing a period of significant change. This is being driven by a number of factors: political, cultural, economic, and technological. The trends are global in their scope, and far reaching in their impact. They affect every aspect of university provision, the environment in which universities operate,…

A WD40-repeat protein controls proanthocyanidin and phytomelanin pigmentation in the seed coats of the Japanese morning glory.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Kyeung-Il; Hoshino, Atsushi

2012-03-15

The protein complex composed of the transcriptional regulators containing R2R3-MYB domains, bHLH domains, and WDR in plants controls various epidermal traits, including anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin pigmentation, trichome and root hair formation, and vacuolar pH. In the Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil), InMYB1 having R2R3-MYB domains and InWDR1 containing WDR were shown to regulate anthocyanin pigmentation in flowers, and InWDR1 was reported to control dark-brown pigmentation and trichome formation on seed coats. Here, we report that the seed pigments of I. nil mainly comprise proanthocyanidins and phytomelanins and that these pigments are drastically reduced in the ivory seed coats of an InWDR1 mutant. In addition, a transgenic plant of the InWDR1 mutant carrying the active InWDR1 gene produced dark-brown seeds, further confirming that InWDR1 regulates seed pigmentation. Early steps in anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthetic pathways are thought to be common. In the InWDR1 mutant, none of the structural genes for anthocyanin biosynthesis that showed reduced expression in the white flowers were down-regulated in the ivory seeds, which suggests that InWDR1 may activate different sets of the structural genes for anthocyanin biosynthesis in flowers and proanthocyanidin production in seeds. As in the flowers, however, we noticed that the expression of InbHLH2 encoding a bHLH regulator was down-regulated in the seeds of the InWDR1 mutant. We discuss the implications of these results with respect to the proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in the seed coats. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Eating your feelings? Testing a model of employees' work-related stressors, sleep quality, and unhealthy eating.

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Liu, Yihao; Song, Yifan; Koopmann, Jaclyn; Wang, Mo; Chang, Chu-Hsiang Daisy; Shi, Junqi

2017-08-01

Although organizational research on health-related behaviors has become increasingly popular, little attention has been paid to unhealthy eating. Drawing on the self-regulation perspective, we conducted 2 daily diary studies to examine the relationships between work-related stressors, sleep quality, negative mood, and eating behaviors. Study 1 sampled 125 participants from 5 Chinese information technology companies and showed that when participants experienced higher levels of job demands in the morning, they consumed more types of unhealthy food and fewer types of healthy food in the evening. In addition, sleep quality from the previous night buffered the effect of morning job demands on evening unhealthy food consumption. Study 2 used data from 110 customer service employees from a Chinese telecommunications company and further demonstrated a positive association between morning customer mistreatment and evening overeating behaviors, as well as the buffering effect of sleep quality. Results from Study 2 also supported afternoon negative mood as a mediator linking morning customer mistreatment to evening overeating behaviors. Finally, our findings revealed that the buffering effect of sleep quality was channeled through employees' vigor in the morning, which subsequently weakened the effect of customer mistreatment on negative mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Responses of Chinese Higher Education to the Information Society

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Cai, Yuzhuo; Guo, Wenge

2006-01-01

Compared to the advanced industrial countries, the use of information technology in Chinese higher education came relatively late. Nevertheless, recent Chinese practices have achieved significant progress in the country's efforts to bridge the digital divide. This article focuses special attention on the responses of Chinese higher education to…

Electromagnetic cloaking in higher order spherical cloaks

Science.gov (United States)

Sidhwa, H. H.; Aiyar, R. P. R. C.; Kulkarni, S. V.

2017-06-01

The inception of transformation optics has led to the realisation of the invisibility devices for various applications, one of which is spherical cloaking. In this paper, a formulation for a higher-order spherical cloak has been proposed to reduce its physical thickness significantly by introducing a nonlinear relation between the original and transformed coordinate systems and it has been verified using the ray tracing approach. Analysis has been carried out to observe the anomalies in the variation of refractive index for higher order cloaks indicating the presence of poles in the relevant equations. Furthermore, a higher-order spherical cloak with predefined values of the material characteristics on its inner and outer surfaces has been designed for practical application.

Philanthropic Commitment Traits for Waqf in Higher Education

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Siti Khadijah, A. M.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Philanthropic commitment in the form of waqf is important particularly among younger working adults in ensuring sustainable flow of funds for charitable purposes. One of the vital usages of such funds is funding for higher education. A question is raised on the commitment of younger adults in such giving. This study examines waqf commitment traits among waqif (waqf contributors for higher education funding. The specific objective of this study is to measure the factors that influence the waqif to contribute their property or income into waqf for higher education fund. For the purpose of this study, 400 questionnaires have been distributed to working young adult respondents in the Klang Valley area. Waqf commitment attributes comprising of Religiosity, Trust, Altruism, Personal Characteristics, SelfImage, Psychological Benefits, Social Norms and Personal Satisfaction are examined. The findings reveal that Religiosity, Altruism, Personal Satisfaction and Commitment are significant attributes in explaining waqf commitment. However, Trust and Social Norm are not significant.

Preimplantation genetic screening for all 24 chromosomes by microarray comparative genomic hybridization significantly increases implantation rates and clinical pregnancy rates in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization with poor prognosis

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Majumdar, Gaurav; Majumdar, Abha; Lall, Meena; Verma, Ishwar C.; Upadhyaya, Kailash C.

2016-01-01

CONTEXT: A majority of human embryos produced in vitro are aneuploid, especially in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with poor prognosis. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) for all 24 chromosomes has the potential to select the most euploid embryos for transfer in such cases. AIM: To study the efficacy of PGS for all 24 chromosomes by microarray comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) in Indian couples undergoing IVF cycles with poor prognosis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective, case–control study was undertaken in an institution-based tertiary care IVF center to compare the clinical outcomes of twenty patients, who underwent 21 PGS cycles with poor prognosis, with 128 non-PGS patients in the control group, with the same inclusion criterion as for the PGS group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single cells were obtained by laser-assisted embryo biopsy from day 3 embryos and subsequently analyzed by array CGH for all 24 chromosomes. Once the array CGH results were available on the morning of day 5, only chromosomally normal embryos that had progressed to blastocyst stage were transferred. RESULTS: The implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate (PR) per transfer were found to be significantly higher in the PGS group than in the control group (63.2% vs. 26.2%, P = 0.001 and 73.3% vs. 36.7%, P = 0.006, respectively), while the multiple PRs sharply declined from 31.9% to 9.1% in the PGS group. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, we have shown that PGS by array CGH can improve the clinical outcome in patients undergoing IVF with poor prognosis. PMID:27382234

Study on Learning Motivation of Higher Vocational Colleges Students in Tianjin

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

HAO Dong-ze

2015-01-01

Learning motivation occupies an important position in non-intelligence factors,as it plays a pivotal role in university students’ successful completion of their studies and strengthening of professional knowledge base.However,the present university students generally lack motivation in higher education.This research used questionnaire method,which is a questionnaire random sample in 500 students of learning motivation from four comprehensive higher vocational colleges of Tianjin,and explores the sta⁃tus quo of learning motivation in higher vocational students of Tianjin.The result shows:The learning motivation level of higher vocational colleges students is above middle level;Male on the learning motivation total level is significantly higher than female;Rural students in the learning motivation on the aggregate level is significantly higher than that of urban students;Look from the different grades,sophomore students have lowest level of learning motivation;Freshmen learning motivation is at highest level.

Particulate matter and carbon monoxide multiple regression models using environmental characteristics in a high diesel-use area of Baguio City, Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassidy, Brandon E.; Naeher, Luke P.; Alabanza-Akers, Mary Anne; Akers, Timothy A.; Hall, Daniel B.; Ryan, P. Barry; Bayer, Charlene W.

2007-01-01

In Baguio City, Philippines, a mountainous city of 252,386 people where 61% of motor vehicles use diesel fuel, ambient particulate matter 2.5 ) and 10 ) in aerodynamic diameter and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured at 30 street-level locations for 15 min apiece during the early morning (4:50-6:30 am), morning rush hour (6:30-9:10 am) and afternoon rush hour (3:40-5:40 pm) in December 2004. Environmental observations (e.g. traffic-related variables, building/roadway designs, wind speed and direction, etc.) at each location were noted during each monitoring event. Multiple regression models were formulated to determine which pollution sources and environmental factors significantly affect ground-level PM 2.5 , PM 10 and CO concentrations. The models showed statistically significant relationships between traffic and early morning particulate air pollution [(PM 2.5 p = 0.021) and PM 10 (p = 0.048)], traffic and morning rush hour CO (p = 0.048), traffic and afternoon rush hour CO (p = 0.034) and wind and early morning CO (p 0.044). The mean early morning, street-level PM 2.5 (110 ± 8 μg/m 3 ; mean ± 1 standard error) was not significantly different (p-value > 0.05) from either rush hour PM 2.5 concentration (morning = 98 ± 7 μg/m 3 ; afternoon = 107 ± 5 μg/m 3 ) due to nocturnal inversions in spite of a 100% increase in automotive density during rush hours. Early morning street-level CO (3.0 ± 1.7 ppm) differed from morning rush hour (4.1 ± 2.3 ppm) (p 0.039) and afternoon rush hour (4.5 ±2.2 ppm) (p = 0.007). Additionally, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and select volatile organic compounds were continuously measured at a downtown, third-story monitoring station along a busy roadway for 11 days. Twenty-four-hour average ambient concentrations were: PM 2.5 = 72.9 ± 21 μg/m 3 ; CO = 2.61 ± 0.6 ppm; NO 2 = 27.7 ± 1.6 ppb; benzene = 8.4 ± 1.4 μg/m 3 ; ethylbenzene = 4.6 ± 2.0 μg/m 3 ; p-xylene = 4.4 ± 1.9 μg/m 3 ; m-xylene = 10.2 ± 4

Immigration and Higher Education: The Crisis and the Opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, David W.

1991-01-01

Changes in immigration patterns bring problems and opportunities to higher education. New federal law significantly changes the ethnic and skills mix of the immigrant pool. Issues emerging include potential brain drain; pressure for curriculum change; language as a barrier to access; and the rights of illegal immigrants to higher education. (MSE)

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are significantly shorter than those with Becker muscular dystrophy, with the higher incidence of short stature in Dp71 mutated subgroup.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Masaaki; Awano, Hiroyuki; Lee, Tomoko; Takeshima, Yasuhiro; Matsuo, Masafumi; Iijima, Kazumoto

2017-11-01

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) are caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene and are characterized by severe and mild progressive muscle wasting, respectively. Short stature has been reported as a feature of DMD in the Western hemisphere, but not yet confirmed in Orientals. Height of young BMD has not been fully characterized. Here, height of ambulant and steroid naive Japanese 179 DMD and 42 BMD patients between 4 and 10 years of age was retrospectively examined using height standard deviation score (SDS). The mean height SDS of DMD was -1.08 SD that was significantly smaller than normal (p < 0.001), indicating short stature of Japanese DMD. Furthermore, the mean height SDS of BMD was -0.27 SD, suggesting shorter stature than normal. Remarkably, the mean height SDS of DMD was significantly smaller than that of BMD (p < 0.0001). In DMD higher incidence of short stature (height SDS < -2.5 SD) was observed in Dp71 subgroup having mutations in dystrophin exons 63-79 than others having mutations in exons 1-62 (27.8% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.017). These suggested that height is influenced by dystrophin in not only DMD but also BMD and that dystrophin Dp71 has a role in height regulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE PRICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND INDIVIDUAL DEMAND

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Filiz Golpek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The rise in the living standards in most of the world, the rise in population and schooling rates have increased the demand for higher education. The attribution of semi public property becomes determinant to decide whom will provide the supply and the production in semi public properties is realized by means of a supply and demand mechanism. The supply of higher education is mostly secured in accordance with the public demand as well as the resources available.  In addition, the fact that higher education services have produced significant benefits has led to over demand. This situation relates to a simple economic rule that a commodity or service which costs almost nothing or little will increase until the mariginal benefit of its demand equals to 0 or almost 0. However, the educational supply and demand is difficult to identify in accordance to the supply and demand and balance of price as observed in the economic theory. The high profits that would be attracted in the future are significant factors influencing individual’s decisions for investment. The decision for investment depends on the possible return in the future, the cost of investment, and the current interest rates. Higher education with investment purposes is influenced by these three factors and higher education is demanded more and more by individuals on the expectation that they will gain high profits In theory, it is accepted that the basic factors identifying the demand for higher education are in harmony with empirical research results in several countries including Turkey.

The clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag combined with CD105 in patients with cervical cancer during the early stage diagnosis

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Ru-Chan Ma

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To invest the clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag combined with CD105 in early diagnosis of cervical cancer to provide new ideas for early diagnosis and clinical treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 74 cases cervical cancer patients were selected as cervical cancer group, and 52 cases uterine fibroids patients were selected as normal cervical group, serum samples were collected in the early morning fasting condition, SCC-Ag and CD105 were checked by ELISA method, SCC-Ag and CD105 of two groups were analyzed by t-test, and to compare SCC-Ag and CD105 in different TMN staging, lymph gland metastasis and non-lymph gland metastasis in patients with cervical cancer, the correlation analysis was used by Pearson correlation analysis method. Results: These results came from ELISA method, comparing with normal cervical group, the SCC-Ag and CD105 of cervical cancer group increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with Ⅰ period of TMN staging, SCC-Ag and CD105 of Ⅱ period increased, Ⅲ, Ⅳ period increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with Ⅱ period, SCC-Ag and CD105 of Ⅲ, Ⅳ period increased, the difference was statistically significant. Comparing with non-lymph gland metastasis, SCC-Ag and CD105 of lymph gland metastasis increased in cervical cancer with surgical treatment, the difference was statistically significant. According to Pearson correlation analysis, SCC-Ag and CD105 were positively correlated. Conclusion: SCC-Ag and CD105 in patients with cervical cancer increase highly, it has important clinical value that of serum SCCAg combined with CD105 in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer, especially it has clinical guiding significance to staging and lymph gland metastasis of cervical cancer, and it is worthy of clinical reference.

Combination of meal and exercise timing with a high-fat diet influences energy expenditure and obesity in mice.

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Sasaki, Hiroyuki; Ohtsu, Teiji; Ikeda, Yuko; Tsubosaka, Miku; Shibata, Shigenobu

2014-11-01

In mice, obesity has been observed not only in those freely fed a high-fat diet (HFD) but also in those fed while physically inactive. In contrast, a HFD during physically active periods protects against obesity and the impairments in the circadian rhythm induced by free feeding of a HFD. Although exercise is known to be effective for obesity prevention and management, the optimal timing of exercise has not yet been determined. In the present experiments, we aimed to determine the best combination of daily timing of HFD consumption and exercise for the prevention of HFD-induced weight gain in mice. In this experiment, "morning" refers to the beginning of the active phase (the "morning" for nocturnal animals). Increases in body weight related to free feeding of a HFD was significantly reduced with 4 h of exercise during the late (evening) or middle (noon) active period compared to 4 h of exercise during the early (morning) active period or free access to exercise, which resulted in hours of exercise similar to that of morning exercise. These results suggested that eating in the morning or at noon followed by exercise in the evening could prevent weight gain more effectively than exercise in the morning followed by eating at noon or in the evening. The group fed a HFD for 4 h in the morning had lower body weight than the group fed a HFD for 4 h in the evening without exercise. The last group of experiments tested the hypothesis that there would be an interaction between mealtime and exercise time (i.e. time of day) versus order (i.e. which comes first) effects. We compared groups that exercised for 4 h at noon and were fed either in the morning or evening and groups that were fed for 4 h at noon and either exercised in the morning or evening. We found that the groups that were fed before exercise gained less body and fat weight and more skeletal muscle weight compared to the groups that exercised before eating. Corresponding to the body and fat weight

Higher Education Globalization in the Context of American Guidelines

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Bidyuk, Natalya

2016-01-01

The article deals with the problem of globalization impact on higher education system in the United Stated of America. It has been concluded that globalization as a phenomenon has been acquiring much significance in all the spheres, especially in higher education. Different views on the essence of globalization, especially in the context of higher…

Diurnal, seasonal and long-term variations of global formaldehyde columns inferred from combined OMI and GOME-2 observations

Science.gov (United States)

De Smedt, I.; Stavrakou, T.; Hendrick, F.; Danckaert, T.; Vlemmix, T.; Pinardi, G.; Theys, N.; Lerot, C.; Gielen, C.; Vigouroux, C.; Hermans, C.; Fayt, C.; Veefkind, P.; Müller, J.-F.; Van Roozendael, M.

2015-11-01

We present the new version (v14) of the BIRA-IASB algorithm for the retrieval of formaldehyde (H2CO) columns from spaceborne UV-visible sensors. Applied to OMI measurements from Aura and to GOME-2 measurements from MetOp-A and MetOp-B, this algorithm is used to produce global distributions of H2CO representative of mid-morning and early afternoon conditions. Its main features include (1) a new iterative DOAS scheme involving three fitting intervals to better account for the O2-O2 absorption, (2) the use of earthshine radiances averaged in the equatorial Pacific as reference spectra, and (3) a destriping correction and background normalisation resolved in the across-swath position. For the air mass factor calculation, a priori vertical profiles calculated by the IMAGES chemistry transport model at 09:30 and 13:30 LT are used. Although the resulting GOME-2 and OMI H2CO vertical columns are found to be highly correlated, some systematic differences are observed. Afternoon columns are generally larger than morning ones, especially in mid-latitude regions. In contrast, over tropical rainforests, morning H2CO columns significantly exceed those observed in the afternoon. These differences are discussed in terms of the H2CO column variation between mid-morning and early afternoon, using ground-based MAX-DOAS measurements available from seven stations in Europe, China and Africa. Validation results confirm the capacity of the combined satellite measurements to resolve diurnal variations in H2CO columns. Furthermore, vertical profiles derived from MAX-DOAS measurements in the Beijing area and in Bujumbura are used for a more detailed validation exercise. In both regions, we find an agreement better than 15 % when MAX-DOAS profiles are used as a priori for the satellite retrievals. Finally, regional trends in H2CO columns are estimated for the 2004-2014 period using SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 data for morning conditions, and OMI for early afternoon conditions. Consistent features

Bi-directional associations between psychological arousal, cortisol, and sleep

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garde, Anne Helene; Albertsen, Karen; Persson, Roger

2012-01-01

The aim was to elucidate the possible bi-directional relation between daytime psychological arousal, cortisol, and self-reported sleep in a group of healthy employees in active employment. Logbook ratings of sleep (Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire), stress, and energy, as well as positive...... and negative experiences in work and private life, were collected together with salivary cortisol over 3 days (n = 265). Higher bedtime ratings of stress and problems during the day were associated with morning ratings of poor sleep. Poorer morning ratings of sleep were associated with higher ratings of stress...... and problems during the day. The results underpin the possibility that arousal and poor sleep might create a self-reinforcing vicious circle that negatively affects a person's well-being....

Bisphenol A, phthalate metabolites and glucose homeostasis in healthy normal-weight children

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Amalie Carlsson

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Bisphenol A and several of the most commonly used phthalates have been associated with adverse metabolic health effects such as obesity and diabetes. Therefore, we analyzed these man-made chemicals in first morning urine samples from 107 healthy normal-weight Danish children and adolescents. Method: This was a cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited as part of the Copenhagen Puberty Study. The subjects were evaluated by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA scan, direct oxygen uptake measurement during cycle ergometry and fasting blood samples. First morning urine was collected and phthalate metabolites and BPA were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS with prior enzymatic deconjugation. Individual chemical concentrations were divided into tertiles and analyzed in relation to biological outcome. Results: Children in the lowest tertile of urinary BPA had significantly higher peak insulin levels during OGTT (P = 0.01, lower insulin sensitivity index (P < 0.01, higher leptin (P = 0.03, triglyceride (P < 0.01 and total cholesterol levels (P = 0.04, lower aerobic fitness (P = 0.02 and a tendency toward higher fat mass index (P = 0.1 compared with children in the highest tertile for uBPA. No significant differences in anthropometrics, body composition or glucose metabolism were associated with any of the phthalate metabolites measured. Conclusion: This pilot study on healthy normal-weight children suggests an inverse association between BPA and insulin resistance. Our findings contrast other cross-sectional studies showing a positive association for BPA, which may be due to confounding or reverse causation because diet is an important source of both BPA exposure and obesity.

Refraction in the lower troposphere: Higher order image distortion effects due to refractive profile curvature

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Daniel J.

There are many applications that rely on the propagation of light through the atmosphere - all of which are subject to atmospheric conditions. While there are obvious processes such as scattering due to particulates like clouds and dust that affect the received intensity of the radiation, the clear atmosphere can also cause significant effects. Refraction is a clear air effect that can cause a variety of phenomena such as apparent relocation, stretching and compression of objects when viewed through the atmosphere. Recently, there has been significant interest in studying the refractive effects for low angle paths within the troposphere, and in particular, near-horizontal paths in the Earth's boundary layer, which is adjacent to the ground. Refractive effects in this case become problematic for many terrestrial optical applications. For example, the pointing of a free space optical communication or a remote sensing system can suffer wandering effects, high-resolution imagery can present distorted and/or dislocated targets, optical tracking of targets can be inaccurate, and optical geodetic surveying accuracy is also very sensitive to the effects of refraction. The work in this dissertation was inspired by data from a time-lapse camera system that collects images of distant targets over a near-horizontal path along the ground. This system was used previously to study apparent diurnal image displacement and this dissertation extends that work by exploring the higher order effects that result from curvature in the vertical refractive index profile of the atmosphere. There are surprisingly few experiments involving atmospheric refractive effects that carefully correlate field data to analytical expressions and other factors such as meteorological data. In working with the time-lapse data, which is comprised of sequences of hundreds or thousands of images collected over durations of weeks or months, it is important to develop straightforward analysis techniques that can

Expression and significance of TRAIL and NF-kB in osteosarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Xiumin; You Murong; Qi Falian; Hu Chengjin

2005-01-01

To investigate the relationship between expressions of TRAIL, NF-kB and cell proliferation in human osteosarcomas, the expressions of TRAIL and NF-kB in 16 cases of osteosarcoma, 5 cases of giant cell tumor of bone and 6 cases of chondrosarcoma were studied by flow cytometry. The expressions of TRAIL and NF-kB in osteosarcomas of different differentiation states were higher than those in other two kinds of tumors significantly in our study(P 0.05). The expressions of TRAIL and NF-kB in chondrosarcoma and giant cell tumor of bone were not different significantly(P>0.05). The higher expression of TRAIL in osteosarcoma with different differentiation states could not induce apoptosis because of the higher expression of NF-kB. NF-kB may restrain the apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating the NF-kB- induced apoptosis path way in osteosarcoma. (authors)

Assessing clinical significance of treatment outcomes using the DASS-21.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronk, Fiona R; Korman, James R; Hooke, Geoffrey R; Page, Andrew C

2013-12-01

Standard clinical significance classifications are based on movement between the "dysfunctional" and "functional" distributions; however, this dichotomy ignores heterogeneity within the "dysfunctional" population. Based on the methodology described by Tingey, Lambert, Burlingame, and Hansen (1996), the present study sought to present a 3-distribution clinical significance model for the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; P. F. Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) using data from a normative sample (n = 2,914), an outpatient sample (n = 1,000), and an inpatient sample (n = 3,964). DASS-21 scores were collected at pre- and post-treatment for both clinical samples, and patients were classified into 1 of 5 categories based on whether they had made a reliable change and whether they had moved into a different functional range. Evidence supported the validity of the 3-distribution model for the DASS-21, since inpatients who were classified as making a clinically significant change showed lower symptom severity, higher perceived quality of life, and higher clinician-rated functioning than those who did not make a clinically significant change. Importantly, results suggest that the new category of recovering is an intermediate point between recovered and making no clinically significant change. Inpatients and outpatients have different treatment goals and therefore use of the concept of clinical significance needs to acknowledge differences in what constitutes a meaningful change. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Effects of seasonal variations on thermoregulation of ostrich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basuony, H.A.M.

2011-01-01

Twelve ostrich aged 7 months old were used during summer and winter from the breeding flock of the ostrich farm, at the Nuclear Research Center in Inshas, of Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt. In the study all birds were exposed to ambient temperatures in summer and winter, and the birds were fed grower ration ad libitum (19% protein and 2450 K cal ME /Kg).The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of temperature variation during summer and winter seasons and diurnal effect on changes in some physiological and blood chemical parameters, the daily feed consumption (g/bird/day) and water consumption (ml/bird/day) these parameters were measured during 7 days in each season. Cloacal temperatures was measured and blood samples were taken twice, one in the morning at 7 am and once in the afternoon at 3 pm during a representative 7 hot days of June (40±2 degree C) (summer) and the 7 cold days of January (18±2 degree C) (winter). Red blood cell (RBCs) counts and total white blood cell (WBCs) counts, hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) were determined. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (MCHC) were calculated. Serum, total protein (TP), albumen (A) and globulin (G) concentrations were measured. Furthermore, serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), glucose and triglycerides concentrations were determined. Also, serum triiodothyronine (T 3 ), and aldosterone levels were estimated. Also, the amount of total body water was determined by the antipyren method. Finally, serum protein profile it was conducted by Native-PAGE method (Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) on vertical slab gel to determine protein profiles in blood proteins of ostrich. Results indicated that feed consumption unlike water consumption was significantly increased during winter than in summer season. Moreover, body temperature increased significantly during the

External quality assurance agencies and excellence in higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josep Grifoll

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The article presents briefly the complexity of the concept of “excellence” in higher education. Taking into account this reality, the fundamental question is how agencies can consider this complexity in building up criteria on excellence and the use of the concept “excellence” in their improvement strategies and accountability processes in the sector of higher education. Public-private nature of higher education and its growing internationalisation have significant impact on how excellence in education is described and promoted as a tool.

Intensifying the intrinsic motivation by differentiating the teaching strategies in higher education

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Tulbure, C.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Learning motivation represents one of the most importantpredictors of academic achievement in higher education. In this empirical study, we have implemented a formative program to improve the university students’ academic achievement and their intrinsic learning motivation. To fully use their intellectual potential, students were treated according to their learning style, throughout one academic year. When we considered the within subject design, both intrinsic motivation and academic achievement significantly increased at the end of the study. Only intrinsic motivation proved to be significantly higher for the between subject comparison. Because our formative program proved to have a significant impact on students’ learning motivation, we recommend the differentiated teaching strategies to improve the academic achievement in higher education.

Revisiting the daily human birth pattern: time of delivery at Casa de Maternidad in Madrid (1887-1892).

Science.gov (United States)

Varea, Carlos; Fernández-Cerezo, Susana

2014-01-01

Among the ancestral characteristics of the primate group to which Homo sapiens belongs we find a pattern of daytime physical activity, but one notable exception is birthing which usually begins with night-time labor. In populations with a moderate or high level of medicalized labor, there is evidence that the medical preferences interfere with the underlying biological mechanism for the circadian pattern of human birth. This study analyses the hourly patterns of 4,599 single live births in the House of Maternity in Madrid between 1887 and 1892, a period of very limited obstetric intervention and without the influence of artificial lighting. In order to determine the influence of natural light on labor, two periods of maximum and minimum light have been established around the summer and winter solstices of the years in question. A clear circadian pattern of births emerges, with very early morning and early morning births dominating, and a sharp drop from midday until nightfall. The hourly distribution on both solstices follows this pattern, but with a clear peak shift: in winter, there is a greater concentration of deliveries in the early morning, whereas in the summer, the highest concentration is between 8 and 12 in the morning. The results confirm that non-intervened human birth has a clear diurnal cycle, with a higher incidence of deliveries in the early morning or morning. The shift in distribution during the winter and summer solstices seems to confirm the effect of light on the labor process. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sources of Inspiration: The role of significant persons in young people's choice of science in higher education

Science.gov (United States)

Sjaastad, Jørgen

2012-07-01

The objectives of this article were to investigate to which extent and in what ways persons influence students' choice of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in tertiary education, and to assess the suitability of an analytical framework for describing this influence. In total, 5,007 Norwegian STEM students completed a questionnaire including multiple-choice as well as open-ended questions about sources of inspiration for their educational choice. Using the conceptualisation of significant persons suggested by Woelfel and Haller, the respondents' descriptions of parents and teachers are presented in order to elaborate on the different ways these significant persons influence a STEM-related educational choice. Parents engaged in STEM themselves are models, making the choice of STEM familiar, and they help youngsters define themselves through conversation and support, thus being definers. Teachers are models by displaying how STEM might bring fulfilment in someone's life and by giving pupils a positive experience with the subjects. They help young people discover their STEM abilities, thus being definers. Celebrities are reported to have minor influence on STEM-related educational choices. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses indicate that interpersonal relationships are key factors in order to inspire and motivate a choice of STEM education. Implications for recruitment issues and for research on interpersonal influence are discussed. It is suggested that initiatives to increase recruitment to STEM might be aimed at parents and other persons in interpersonal relationships with youth as a target group.

Clinical significance of determination of serum cortisol and insulin levels in neonates with asphyxia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Yingfei; Chen Linxing; Chen Sihong; Zhang Jinchi; Huang Hua

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the changes of serum cortisol and insulin levels in neonates with asphyxia. Methods: Serum cortisol levels were determined with CLIA and serum insulin levels with RIA in 38 neonates with asphyxia (mild degree 20, advanced 18) and 30 controls. Results: 1) In mild cases, serum insulin levels were significantly higher than those in controls (p<0.01) and serum cortisol levels were very significantly higher (p<0.001). 2) In advanced cases, both serum insulin and cortisol levels were very significantly higher than those in the controls (p<0.001). Conclusion: Hypoxia in the neonates with asphyxia is a very severe stress and will induce hypersecretion of cortisol and hyperglycemia which is detrimental to the patients. However hypersecretion of insulin will result in hypoglycemia, which is also very damaging. Physicians in charge should be aware of these possibilities and deal with them appropriately

Signs of chronic stress in women with recurrent candida vulvovaginitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrström, Sophia M; Kornfeld, Dan; Thuresson, Jessica; Rylander, Eva

2005-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between recurrent vulvovaginal candida and chronic stress. Chronic stress affects the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which influences the immune function. Recurrent candida vulvovaginitis is increasing. Women with recurrent vulvovaginal candida (n = 35) and age-matched healthy control subjects (n = 35) collected saliva for the analysis of cortisol. Hormone analyses of blood samples and vulvovaginal examinations were performed. A questionnaire was completed. Morning rise cortisol level was significantly blunted among patients compared with control subjects (P vulvovaginal candida, compared with control subjects. More patients than control subjects reported a history of condyloma, bacterial vaginosis, and herpes genitalis. No differences were seen between patients and control subjects regarding sexual hormone binding globulin, dihydroepiandrosterone, testosterone or Hemoglobin A1c. Morning rise salivary cortisol level is blunted in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candida, which indicates signs of chronic stress. The higher incidence of vulvovaginal infections in these women compared with control subjects may reflect impaired immunity, which may be due to chronic stress.

Subjective and objective symptoms of psychical load in nuclear power plant operators in connection with shift operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozeny, J.; Prochazkova, Z.

1992-01-01

A group of 56 operators (mean age=34.6 years, S.D. 3.4 year, range=30-40 years; university graduates of technical direction) in a nuclear power plant was followed during the morning, afternoon and night shift from the standpoint of subjective symptoms (an evaluation scale assessed at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the shift) and objective symptoms (critical flicker frequency determined at the same time) of the psychical load. No significant differences were found by multivariation analysis between subjective perception of the work load and its objective reflection. The night shift, where the load lies particularly in the monotony of stimuli, appears to exert a higher psychical load aimed at maintaining mental activity when compared with the afternoon and morning shift. In contrast to subjective assessment of the psychical condition where the data fluctuated during the whole shift, the psychical activity reflected in the objective data, decreased until the middle of the shift when stabilization occurred. (author) 1 tab., 8 refs

Eating carbohydrate mostly at lunch and protein mostly at dinner within a covert hypocaloric diet influences morning glucose homeostasis in overweight/obese men.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Raquel Duarte Moreira; de Oliveira, Fernanda Cristina Esteves; Hermsdorff, Helen Hermana Miranda; Abete, Itziar; Zulet, María Angeles; Martínez, José Alfredo; Bressan, Josefina

2014-02-01

To evaluate the effects of two dietary patterns in which carbohydrates and proteins were eaten mostly at lunch or dinner on body weight and composition, energy metabolism, and biochemical markers in overweight/obese men. Fifty-eight men (30.0 ± 7.4 years; 30.8 ± 2.4 kg/m(2)) followed a covert hypocaloric balanced diet (-10 % of daily energy requirements) during 8 weeks. Subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: control diet (CT); diurnal carbohydrate/nocturnal protein (DCNP); and nocturnal carbohydrate/diurnal protein (NCDP). Main analyzed outcomes were weight loss, body composition, diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), and glucose/lipid profile. In all groups, a significant decrease in body weight, BMI, and fat mass (kg and %) was verified, without differences between groups. Interestingly, within group analyses showed that the fat-free mass (kg) significantly decreased in NCDP and in CT after 8-week intervention, but not in DCNP. A detrimental increase in fasting glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMAIR) was verified only in DCNP, while NCDP and CT groups presented a non-significant reduction. Moreover, significant differences between DCNP and the other groups were detected for fasting insulin and HOMAIR. After the adjustments, NCDP presented a significantly higher DIT and energy expenditure after lunch, compared with DCNP, but after dinner, there were no differences among groups. Eating carbohydrates mostly at dinner and protein mostly at lunch within a hypocaloric balanced diet had similar effect on body composition and biochemical markers, but higher effect on DIT compared with control diet. Moreover, eating carbohydrates mostly at lunch and protein mostly at dinner had a deleterious impact on glucose homeostasis.

Harmonious Expansion of China's Higher Education: A New Growth Pattern

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jiafeng

2012-01-01

How can one country narrow the regional disparity during the tremendous expansion of higher education? This issue remains unexamined and critical analysis is needed to unveil the spatial dynamics behind expansion of higher education. The spatial analysis shows that there is significant strategic interaction among neighboring provinces in China…

Particulate matter and carbon monoxide multiple regression models using environmental characteristics in a high diesel-use area of Baguio City, Philippines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cassidy, Brandon E.; Naeher, Luke P. [The University of Georgia (UGA), College of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Science, Athens, Georgia, GA 30602-2102 (United States); Alabanza-Akers, Mary Anne [UGA, College of Environment and Design, Athens, Georgia (United States); Akers, Timothy A. [Kennesaw State University, WellStar College of Health and Human Services, Kennesaw, Georgia (United States); Hall, Daniel B. [UGA, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Statistics, Athens, Georgia (United States); Ryan, P. Barry [Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Bayer, Charlene W. [Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, Georgia (United States)

2007-08-01

In Baguio City, Philippines, a mountainous city of 252,386 people where 61% of motor vehicles use diesel fuel, ambient particulate matter < 2.5 {mu}m (PM{sub 2.5}) and < 10 {mu}m (PM{sub 10}) in aerodynamic diameter and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured at 30 street-level locations for 15 min apiece during the early morning (4:50-6:30 am), morning rush hour (6:30-9:10 am) and afternoon rush hour (3:40-5:40 pm) in December 2004. Environmental observations (e.g. traffic-related variables, building/roadway designs, wind speed and direction, etc.) at each location were noted during each monitoring event. Multiple regression models were formulated to determine which pollution sources and environmental factors significantly affect ground-level PM{sub 2.5}, PM{sub 10} and CO concentrations. The models showed statistically significant relationships between traffic and early morning particulate air pollution [(PM{sub 2.5}p = 0.021) and PM{sub 10} (p = 0.048)], traffic and morning rush hour CO (p = 0.048), traffic and afternoon rush hour CO (p = 0.034) and wind and early morning CO (p 0.044). The mean early morning, street-level PM{sub 2.5} (110 {+-} 8 {mu}g/m{sup 3}; mean {+-} 1 standard error) was not significantly different (p-value > 0.05) from either rush hour PM{sub 2.5} concentration (morning = 98 {+-} 7 {mu}g/m{sup 3}; afternoon = 107 {+-} 5 {mu}g/m{sup 3}) due to nocturnal inversions in spite of a 100% increase in automotive density during rush hours. Early morning street-level CO (3.0 {+-} 1.7 ppm) differed from morning rush hour (4.1 {+-} 2.3 ppm) (p 0.039) and afternoon rush hour (4.5 {+-}2.2 ppm) (p = 0.007). Additionally, PM{sub 2.5}, PM{sub 10}, CO, nitrogen dioxide (NO{sub 2}) and select volatile organic compounds were continuously measured at a downtown, third-story monitoring station along a busy roadway for 11 days. Twenty-four-hour average ambient concentrations were: PM{sub 2.5} = 72.9 {+-} 21 {mu}g/m{sup 3}; CO = 2.61 {+-} 0.6 ppm; NO{sub 2} = 27

The significance of serum concentration of PRL determination in schizophrenia cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhigang; Li Yuzhen; Wang Hongzhi; Cui Guofu

1997-01-01

The serum concentration of PRL is determined by radioimmunoassay on 32 patients with schizophrenia before and 4 or 8 weeks after treatment. The results show that the serum concentration of PRL in patients who have with schizophrenia is higher than normal control. The serum concentration of PRL in patients who have received chlorpromazine therapy is significantly higher than those who have received chlozepine therapy

Outsourcing in Higher Education: An Empirical Examination

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Atul; Herath, S. Kanthi; Mikouiza, Nathalie C.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To measure the degree of implementation and satisfaction level with the outsourcing initiatives from higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Uses a survey questionnaire to measure the levels of satisfaction with the institutions' services and the questionnaire was based on six factors that are deemed significant in…

Dietary Mannoheptulose Does Not Significantly Alter Daily Energy Expenditure in Adult Labrador Retrievers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leslie L McKnight

Full Text Available Mannoheptulose (MH, a sugar found in avocados that inhibits glycolysis in vitro, has been preliminarily investigated as a novel food ingredient for dogs. This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary MH, delivered as an extract of un-ripened avocado, on energy expenditure (EE in healthy adult Labrador Retriever dogs (total of 12 dogs, 26.99 ± 0.634 kg, 4.9 ± 0.2 y. The study was a double-blind, cross-over with each dog receiving both dietary treatments, control (CON and MH (400 mg/kg of diet; 6 mg/kg BW, in random order. Resting and post-prandial (10 h EE and respiratory quotient (RQ were determined by indirect calorimetry (d 42. The following day, body composition was assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Continuous activity monitoring was conducted using an Atical® accelerometer (d 43-47. A vastus lateralis muscle biopsy was obtained prior to the morning meal (d 49 and 4 h after consumption of their meal (d 56 to determine the protein content and phosphorylation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK. Diet did not affect body weight, resting EE or skeletal muscle AMPK phosphorylation. Dogs fed MH had significantly lower post-prandial RQ (p = 0.02 and ratio of fat to lean body mass (p = 0.02. Physical activity during light time periods (but not dark was lower in dogs fed MH (p < 0.05 during weekends, but not on weekdays. These results suggest that MH affects energy balance of adult dogs, but that these effects are not dose dependent and not due to physical activity.

Observational study to characterise 24-hour COPD symptoms and their relationship with patient-reported outcomes: results from the ASSESS study.

Science.gov (United States)

Miravitlles, Marc; Worth, Heinrich; Soler Cataluña, Juan José; Price, David; De Benedetto, Fernando; Roche, Nicolas; Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; van der Molen, Thys; Löfdahl, Claes-Göran; Padullés, Laura; Ribera, Anna

2014-10-21

Few studies have investigated the 24-hour symptom profile in patients with COPD or how symptoms during the 24-hour day are inter-related. This observational study assessed the prevalence, severity and relationship between night-time, early morning and daytime COPD symptoms and explored the relationship between 24-hour symptoms and other patient-reported outcomes. The study enrolled patients with stable COPD in clinical practice. Baseline night-time, early morning and daytime symptoms (symptom questionnaire), severity of airflow obstruction (FEV1), dyspnoea (modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale), health status (COPD Assessment Test), anxiety and depression levels (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), sleep quality (COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale) and physical activity level (sedentary, moderately active or active) were recorded. The full analysis set included 727 patients: 65.8% male, mean ± standard deviation age 67.2 ± 8.8 years, % predicted FEV1 52.8 ± 20.5%. In each part of the 24-hour day, >60% of patients reported experiencing ≥1 symptom in the week before baseline. Symptoms were more common in the early morning and daytime versus night-time (81.4%, 82.7% and 63.0%, respectively). Symptom severity was comparable for each period assessed. Overall, in the week before baseline, 56.7% of patients had symptoms throughout the whole 24-hour day (3 parts of the day); 79.9% had symptoms in ≥2 parts of the 24-hour day. Symptoms during each part of the day were inter-related, irrespective of disease severity (all p < 0.001). Early morning and daytime symptoms were associated with the severity of airflow obstruction (p < 0.05 for both). Night-time, early morning and daytime symptoms were all associated with worse dyspnoea, health status and sleep quality, and higher anxiety and depression levels (all p < 0.001 versus patients without symptoms in each corresponding period). In each part of the 24-hour day, there was also an association between

Types of electric-field distribution and corresponding types of convection in the polar ionosphere - A model

Science.gov (United States)

Uvarov, V. M.; Barashkov, P. D.

1989-08-01

A model for the continuous distribution of large-scale electric fields is used to reproduce all the experimentally known types of distributions of the evening-morning electric field component along the morning-evening meridian. The corresponding convection patterns are then calculated, which are shown to diverge significantly from previous theoretical considerations. Depending on conditions in the interplanetary medium, two-, three-, or four-vortex convection patterns occur.

Retrofitting the 5045 Klystron for Higher Efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, Aaron; Fazio, Michael; Haase, Andy; Jongewaard, Erik; Kemp, Mark; Neilson, Jeff

2015-01-01

The 5045 klystron has been in production and accelerating particles at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for over 25 years. Although the design has undergone some changes there are still significant opportunities for improvement in performance. Retrofitting the 5045 for higher efficiencies and a more mono-energetic spent beam profile is presented.

Do Circadian Preferences Influence the Sleep Patterns of Night Shift Drivers?

Science.gov (United States)

Narciso, Fernanda V.; Esteves, Andrea M.; Oliveira e Silva, Luciana; Bittencourt, Lia R.A.; Silva, Rogerio S.; Pires, Maria Laura N.; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. Subjects and Methods A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. The Horne and Östberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. Results The mean age was 42.54 ± 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for ≥15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. Conclusion The drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. PMID:23988815

Do circadian preferences influence the sleep patterns of night shift drivers?

Science.gov (United States)

Narciso, Fernanda V; Esteves, Andrea M; Oliveira e Silva, Luciana; Bittencourt, Lia R A; Silva, Rogerio S; Pires, Maria Laura N; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. The Horne and Östberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. The mean age was 42.54 ± 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for ≥15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. The drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Scenarios of Quality Assurance of Stakeholder Relationships in Finnish Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Lyytinen, Anu; Kohtamäki, Vuokko; Kivistö, Jussi; Pekkola, Elias; Hölttä, Seppo

2017-01-01

Although the role and significance of the external stakeholders of higher education institutions has grown in recent years, quality assurance of stakeholder relationships remains a new phenomenon in the management practices of higher education institutions and in higher education research. Based on interviews and expert panel data, this article…

Historical Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities of Higher Education in Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Bishaw, Alemayehu; Melesse, Solomon

2017-01-01

There is a massive higher education expansion in Ethiopia. However, the efforts to expand higher education are characterized by great opportunities and significant challenges. The current higher education policy formulation and practice are the result of long history of traditional education in Ethiopia, the western countries' influence and the…

Asian American Giving to US Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoda, Kozue

2010-01-01

Asian Americans have had significant impacts on and within mainstream US society, and their great efforts and gifts in the name of charitable causes are no exception. This study aims to examine perceptions within American university development offices about Asian American giving to US higher education. The article begins with a literature review…

Clinical and prognostic significance of plasma fibrinogen in lung cancer

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Chen YS

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Hyperfibrinogenemia is a common problem associated with various carcinomas. The recent studies have shown that high plasma fibrinogen concentration is associated with invasion, growth and metastases of cancer. Furthermore, the recent studies focus on the prognostic significance of fibrinogen in the patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB -IV. However, the prognostic significance of the plasma fibrinogen levels in early stage NSCLC patients (stage I -IIIA still remains unclear. In addition, it remains unclear whether or not chemotherapy-induced changes in fibrinogen level relate to the prognosis. The aims of this study were to 1 further explore the relationship between the plasma fibrinogen concentration and the stage and metastases of lung cancer 2 evaluate the prognostic significance of the basal plasma fibrinogen level in patients with lung cancer 3 explore the prognostic value of the change in fibrinogen levels between pre and post-chemotherapy. Methods: In this retrospective study, the data from 370 patients with lung cancer were enrolled into this study. The plasma fibrinogen levels were compared with the clinical and prognostic significance of lung cancer. The association between the plasma fibrinogen level and clinical-prognostic characteristics were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software. Results: 1 The median pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen levels were 4.20g/L. Pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen levels correlated significantly with gender (p = 0.013. A higher plasma fibrinogen concentration was associated with squamous cell carcinoma versus adenocarcinoma (4.83±1.50 g/L versus 4.15±1.30 g/L; P<0.001, there was a significant association between plasma fibrinogen level and metastases of lung cancer, pointing a higher plasma fibrinogen level in lymph nodes or distant organ metastases (p < 0.001. 2 Patients with low plasma fibrinogen concentration demonstrates higher overall survival compared with those with high plasma fibrinogen

Indexed effective orifice area is a significant predictor of higher mid- and long-term mortality rates following aortic valve replacement in patients with prosthesis-patient mismatch.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Lin, Yiyun; Kang, Bo; Wang, Zhinong

2014-02-01

Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) is defined as a too-small effective orifice area (EOA) of an inserted prosthetic relative to body size, resulting in an abnormally high postoperative gradient. It is unclear, however, whether residual stenosis after aortic valve replacement (AVR) has a negative impact on mid- and long-term survivals. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline and the Cochrane controlled trials register, through October 2012, to identify published full-text English studies on the association between PPM and mortality rates. A significant PPM was defined as an indexed EOA (iEOA)<0.85 cm2/m2, and severe PPM as an iEOA<0.65 cm2/m2. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies for inclusion and extracted data. Fourteen observational studies, involving 14 874 patients, met our final inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated that PPM significantly increased mid-term (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.69) and long-term (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.26-1.84) all-cause mortalities. Subgroup analysis showed that PPM was associated with higher mid- and long-term mortality rates only in younger and predominantly female populations. Risk-adjusted sensitivity analysis showed that severe PPM was associated with reduced survival (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.50, 95% CI 1.24-1.80), whereas moderate PPM was not (adjusted HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.86-1.07). Regardless of severity, however, PPM had a negative effect on survival in patients with impaired ejection fraction (adjusted HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09-1.47). PPM (iEOA<0.85 cm2/m2) after AVR tended to be associated with increased long-term all-cause mortality in younger patients, females and patients with preoperative left ventricular dysfunction. Severe PPM (iEOA<0.65 cm2/m2) was a significant predictor of reduced long-term survival in all populations undergoing AVR.

Investigating the Significance of VFR Visits to International Students

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Ruth; Shanka, Tekle; Pope, Jeff

2004-01-01

Higher education, particularly in the area of international education has exhibited significant growth since the mid-1980s. Whilst it is beginning to attract research from both educational and tourism industry perspectives, the current body of knowledge regarding this market is still quite limited. This is particularly the case in the area of…

HigherEd 2.0: Using social media in engineering education

OpenAIRE

Berger, Edward

2014-01-01

Social media (blogs, wikis, video, and a digital authoring culture) has emerged in the last decade as a dominant feature of the technology landscape, especially for our current generation of digital-native students. Leveraging these tools for higher education in general, and engineering education in particular, should be of immediate and pressing concern for engineering educators. This discussion summarizes the HigherEd 2.0 project, the creative convergence of higher education and “web 2.0” t...

Digital exclusion in higher education contexts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khalid, Md. Saifuddin; Pedersen, Mette Jun Lykkegaard

2016-01-01

The integration and adoption of digital technologies have enabled improvements in the quality of and inclusion in higher education. However, a significant proportion of the population has either remained or become digitally excluded. This systematic literature review elucidates the factors...... underlying the concepts of “digital exclusion” and the “digital divide” in higher education. The identified factors are grouped into three categories: social exclusion (i.e., low income, ICT-avoidance as the norm, lack of motivation and commitment, and physical or mental disability), digital exclusion (i.......e., lack of hardware devices and Internet services) and accessibility (which include the division between rural and urban areas, as well as disparities in ICT literacy and information literacy). These factors are multi-tiered and overlapping. Studies on the digital divide, digital exclusion, and barriers...

The optimal time of day for training during Ramadan: A review study

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Hamdi Chtourou

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Literature concerning the effects of Ramadan fasting on sports performance presents conflicting results. In this context, some studies reported a significant impairment of sports performance during the month of Ramadan. However, other studies suggested that Ramadan fasting has no significant effect on physical performance.  The discrepancies between the studies could be explained by time-of-day variations in testing. In this regard, recent studies reported that Ramadan negatively affects the afternoon sports performance; however, the morning and the evening (after breaking the fast performances were not affected by fasting. This suggests that the optimal time of day for training during Ramadan is the morning or the evening. Therefore, coaches should schedule the training sessions in the morning or evening during the month of Ramadan. However, further studies should investigate the effect of training at a specific time of day on sports performance during Ramadan.

The Optimal Time of Day for Training during Ramadan: A Review Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamdi Chtourou

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Literature concerning the effects of Ramadan fasting on sports performance presents conflicting results. In this context, some studies reported a significant impairment of sports performance during the month of Ramadan. However, other studies suggested that Ramadan fasting has no significant effect on physical performance. The discrepancies between the studies could be explained by time-of-day variations in testing. In this regard, recent studies reported that Ramadan negatively affects the afternoon sports performance; however, the morning and the evening (after breaking the fast performances were not affected by fasting. This suggests that the optimal time of day for training during Ramadan is the morning or the evening. Therefore, coaches should schedule the training sessions in the morning or evening during the month of Ramadan. However, further studies should investigate the effect of training at a specific time of day on sports performance during Ramadan.

Some compositional and health indicators of milk quality of dairy cows with higher milk yield at including of selected corn species into feeding ration

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Jan Pozdíšek

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Because of economical reasons the substitution of maize by feed corn as wheat (Sulamit and triticale (Kitaro was revolved in concentrate part of dairy cow feeding rations. The design of mentioned replacement in feeding rations was carried out according to results of previous research (Pozdíšek and Vaculová, 2008 for nutrition experiment. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the possible effects of corn replacement in cow feeding rations on milk composition and properties. The expressively different variants of corn were selected for experiment in comparison to maize (reference. Dairy cows were fed by total mixed ration on the basis of maize and clover silage and hay. Otherwise the identical day feeding rations among cow groups differed only in concentrate portions ((K, control group maize 1.5 kg, wheat (P1 2.0 kg and triticale (P2 2.0 kg (experimental groups. Group feeding rations 1 (K, 2 (P1 and 3 (P2 had: NEL/kg dry (DM matter (6.524, 6.512 and 6.491; NL % in DM (17.9, 18.2 and 17.9; fibre % in DM (15.96, 15.74 and 15.72; PDIN/PDIE (1.189, 1.189 and 1.191. The experiment took six weeks, there were included 8, 9 and 9 cows (n = 26 of Czech Fleckvieh breed. Feed groups were well balanced in terms of milk yield, days in milk and number of lactation. The tie stable and pipeline milking equipment were used in experiment. Animals were milked twice a day and sampled at morning milking in intervals about seven days approximately. Cows were relatively healthy in terms of occurrence of milk secretion disorders. Within groups the individual milk samples (in total 182 in experiment were aggregated into bulk samples (n = 21 = 3 groups × 7 sampling periods, which were analysed on 45 milk indicators, 18 of them were evaluated in this paper. The differences in milk yield were significantly advantageous for K group (15.32 > 14.07 (wheat or 13.86 kg (triticale at morning milking, while fat (3.27 < 3.47 or 3.44 % was lower (P < 0.05. Lactose was not

Overview of Commercial Building Partnerships in Higher Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schatz, Glenn [Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2013-03-01

Higher education uses less energy per square foot than most commercial building sectors. However, higher education campuses house energy-intensive laboratories and data centers that may spend more than this average; laboratories, in particular, are disproportionately represented in the higher education sector. The Commercial Building Partnership (CBP), a public/private, cost-shared program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), paired selected commercial building owners and operators with representatives of DOE, its national laboratories, and private-sector technical experts. These teams explored energy-saving measures across building systems–including some considered too costly or technologically challenging–and used advanced energy modeling to achieve peak whole-building performance. Modeling results were then included in new construction or retrofit designs to achieve significant energy reductions.

INCORPORATING MARKET ORIENTATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

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Gordan Camelia

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the main issues surrounding the concept of market orientation applied in the context of higher education. Considering the important changes taking place in this sector, a strong willingness of universities to adopt marketing concepts can be noticed. The paper seeks to provide a retrospect on this process, starting with the incorporation of marketing in higher education, and moving on to its implementation, which has come to be known as market orientation. Following a stream of the most relevant literature in the field, we present definitions of the main concepts, and integrate them in the education context, with the purpose of establishing the relevance and importance of market orientation for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage and higher institutional performance. The paper does not aim at providing an exhaustive literature review, but rather at presenting the main elements that define a market orientation, and at supporting its implementation, by outlining the significant benefits that could follow. While theoretical by nature, this research contributes to the body of literature in the field, through closely examining the conceptualization and operationalization of market orientation, and also providing the fundamental components that define the concept and help its implementation. Furthermore, the paper provides practitioners with a number of suggested research directions, which could potentially help improve educational institutions’ activity, while also contributing to a better understanding of the concept, and to building richer theories in the field of marketing education. Given that the marketing literature in Romania has mostly overlooked market orientation, both this paper, and all following research in this area will prove to be significant for education managers and researchers alike, promoting the importance and significance of relevant knowledge, and encouraging a

Professional Staff Contributions to Student Retention and Success in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Jenny

2018-01-01

Student attrition remains a persistent problem within the Australian higher education sector. Contributing factors include financial, reputational and quality issues, which can pose significant risks for a university's sustainability. Institutional culture is fundamental to decisions student make about withdrawing or remaining in higher education.…

Higher order mode damping in Kaon factory RF cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enegren, T.; Poirier, R.; Griffin, J.; Walling, L.; Thiessen, H.A.; Smythe, W.R.

1989-05-01

Proposed designs for Kaon factory accelerators require that the rf cavities support beam currents on the order of several amperes. The beam current has Fourier components at all multiples of the rf frequency. Empty rf buckets produce additional components at all multiples of the revolution frequency. If a Fourier component of the beam coincides with the resonant frequency of a higher order mode of the cavity, which is inevitable if the cavity has a large frequency swing, significant excitation of this mode can occur. The induced voltage may then excite coupled bunch mode instabilities. Effective means are required to damp higher order modes without significantly affecting the fundamental mode. A mode damping scheme based on coupled transmission lines has been investigated and is report

Clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in outcome of patients with scrub typhus

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Kwon Keun-Sang

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was designed to investigate the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia as a marker of severity and mortality in patients with Scrub typhus. Methods The patients with scrub typhus were divided into two groups based on the serum albumin levels; Group I (serum albumin Results Of the total 246 patients who underwent the study, 84 patients (34.1% were categorized as Group I and 162 patients were (65.9% as Group II. Group I showed significantly higher incidence of confusion (24.6% vs. 5.3%, p p = 0.002, pleural effusion (22.8% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.03, arrhythmia (12.3% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.008 and non-oliguric acute renal failure (40.4% vs. 11.1%, p p p = 0.012, and higher hospital cost compared to Group II. Conclusions This study showed hypoalbuminemia in scrub typhus was closely related to the frequency of various complication, longer hospital stay, consequently the higher medical cost, necessitating more efficient management of patients, including medical resources.

Mozart in the Morning.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaustad, Susan

1983-01-01

A year-long music instruction unit introduces students to information about the lives of nine great composers of the classics and to their works. Each month a different composer is featured. No special training for teachers is necessary. (PP)

Profil Hematologi dan Status Metabolit Darah Domba Garut yang Diberi Pakan Limbah Tauge pada Pagi atau Sore Hari (BLOOD HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE AND METABOLITE STATUS OF GARUT LAMB FED DIETS MUNG BEAN SPROUT WASTE IN THE MORNING OR EVENING

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Sri Rahayu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diet containing mung bean sprout waste (MBSW and feeding times on the hematological profiles and metabolite status of garut lambs. Experimental design used in this study was a factorial randomized block design with two factors of diet and two feeding times. Two factors of diets were 60% concentrate 1+40% natural grass and 60% concentrate 2+40% MBSW. Feeding times were in the morning (6:00-7:00 am or the evening (5:00-6:00 pm. The animals were reared in individual cages and fed with 5% DM/kg body weight/day. The hematological profiles of the goat were examined and analyzed with Anova. The results showed the treatment of rations significant effect on blood glucose, whereas feeding time very significant to glucose, erythrocytes and hemoglobin, and the interaction of both treatments significantly affect hemoglobin, hematocrit, and glucose level. Meanwhile,leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, neutrophils/lymphocyte ratio (N/L, urea-N, and blood cholesterol were not affected by the treatments and their interactions. But overall the number of erythrocytes 8.72-12.78x106/mm3, hemoglobin 7.6-10.02 g/dL, leukocytes 8.94-12.27x103/mm3, neutrophils 33.00-52.20%, lymphocytes 38.80-52.40%, N/L 0.78-1.66, glucose 41.94-54.24 mg/dL, urea-N 29.91-35.87 mg/dL, and blood cholesterol 24.57-30.28 mg/dL. These results suggest that diets containing 40% MBSW together with a morning or an evening feeding time did not cause disturbances in haematological profile and blood metabolite status of garut lamb. ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi efek ransum mengandung hijauan limbah tauge dan waktu pemberian yang berbeda terhadap profil hematologi dan status metabolit darah domba garut. Materi penelitian berupa 20 ekor domba garut berumur 6-7 bulan (bobot badan 15,42 ± 2,42 kg dipelihara selama tiga bulan dan dikandangkan secara individu serta diberi pakan sebanyak 5% bahan kering/kg berat badan

Commercialization of higher education: characteristics and trends

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M. V. Klyov

2014-04-01

Much attention is given to the variety of approaches to the study of higher education. Today, sociological discourses used to analyze modern innovation in the education sphere, such as multiculturalism, diversification, confessionalization, regionalization, cosmopolitan atmosphere in the modern world, including the global information technology to the higher education. In the course of innovation and modernization of higher education, commercialization becomes significantly prevalent a phenomenon and a social process of educational institutions, which requires considerable research. The review of the US and European models of higher education makes it possible to understand the essence of appearance in the literature of such concepts as «academic capitalism», «university of market­type» and «entrepreneurial University», analyze relation to the appearance of private education and income and define the priority of commercialization. Indisputably, with both positive and negative, as a result of the reform of higher education appeared the peculiar environment of business education, which requires the existence of new rules of interaction, status­role relationships, values and norms . In some extent, commercialization is a transformation of knowledge into a commodity (speaking in the context of consumer society; however, it is the growing influence of market relations on the purpose and objectives of higher education, the growth of the importance of knowledge as a resource for economic development that focuses on  the concept of an economy based on knowledge.

RELATION BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND REASONING ABILITY OF HIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS

OpenAIRE

C. Daisy Nambikkai; Dr. A.Veliappan

2017-01-01

The present study aims to find out the relationship between emotional intelligence and reasoning ability of the higher secondary students. Among the population, 724 samples of higher secondary students were selected randomly from Puducherry region. Findings of the study were i) significant difference is found between male and female higher secondary students in their reasoning ability in science on analogical reasoning, classification as reasoning, eclectic reasoning, deductive reasoning and ...

Ingestive behavior of Nellore steers in feedlot fed with diets containing different corn hybrids

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Ivone Yurika Mizubuti

2014-02-01

afternoon, night and early morning. To the time spent feeding, ruminating and idle it was found that animals fed with diets containing flint corn had higher feeding time than those fed with diets containing semi-flint corn and semi-dent corn. Among the other variables there was no significant difference between treatments. It can be concluded that animals fed diets containing semident corn spent more time chewing food had more ruminal bolus than those fed flint corn in the diet. Animals fed diets containing flint corn spent more time feeding than those fed diets with semi-flint or semi-dent corn. The chewing time and number of ruminal bolus is biggest in the morning and decrease in the afternoon, night and early morning.

Oral temperatures of the elderly in nursing homes in summer and winter in relation to activities of daily living

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, K.; Tanaka, Masatoshi; Motohashi, Yutaka; Maeda, Akira

This study was conducted to clarify the seasonal difference in body temperature in summer and winter, and to document the thermal environment of the elderly living in nursing homes. The subjects were 57 healthy elderly people aged >=63 years living in two nursing homes in Japan. One of the homes was characterized by subjects with low levels of activities of daily living (ADL). Oral temperatures were measured in the morning and afternoon, with simultaneous recording of ambient temperature and relative humidity. Oral temperatures in summer were higher than in winter, with statistically significant differences (Pchanges in ambient temperature.

Dance History Matters in British Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Alexandra

2007-01-01

In response to concerns about the place and nature of dance history in British higher education curricula, a database was compiled of representative but significant examples of modules which focused directly on the teaching and learning of history, or had history as a key component. An analysis is presented of these modules in terms of the place…

Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions

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César Tapia-Fonllem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The role that higher education plays in the promotion of sustainable development outstands in the declarations on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD, besides being a research priority in higher education. However, few studies exist that evaluate sustainable lifestyles among university students. The aim of this study was to analyze the mission and vision, processes and actions undertaken to promote sustainability in higher education institutions, and to compare the pro-sustainability orientation (PSO reported by 360 students coursing first or last semesters at college. The study was intended to evaluate the influence that four higher education institutions in Sonora, Mexico, have on students’ PSO. Results of the study indicate that a coherent PSO factor emerges from the interrelations among pro-environmental dispositional and behavioral variables reported by students. However, university programs and actions do not produce statistically significant differences between freshmen and senior students. Possible reasons explaining the lack of positive influence of those universities on students’ PSO are discussed.

Clinical significance of serum leptin levels in patients with graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Ying; Du Fuman; Teng Haikun; Yang Yuzhi

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the levels of serum leptin in patients with graves' disease. Methods: Serum leptin levels were measured with IRMA in 51 patients with hyperthyroidism as well as 46 hypothyroid and 50 euthyroid subjects as controls. Serum TSH, free T 3 and free T 4 (FT 3 and FT 4 ) were also measured. Body fat percentage (% Fat) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Results: Serum leptin levels were significantly lower in patients with graves' disease (male 2.05 ± 1.54μg/L, female 7.47±5. 08 μg/L), than those in hypothyroid and euthyroid subjects. Levels in hypothyroid patients were significantly higher than those in controls, however, excluding the body fat factor, there were no obvious difference. Serum leptin levels in all the 3 groups were significantly positively correlated with BMI. The levels were negatively correlated with FT 3 , FT 4 levels and positively correlated with TSH levels but both were not significant. Serum leptin levels were 2-3 times higher in women than in men among all 3 groups. Conclusion: Thyroid functional status affected serum leptin levels indirectly through the amount of body fat. (authors)

Clinical Significance of CK19 Negative Breast Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujisue, Mamiko, E-mail: nishimura.reiki@cityhosp-kumamoto.jp; Nishimura, Reiki; Okumura, Yasuhiro [Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto City Hospital, 1-1-60 Kotoh, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 862-8505 (Japan); Tashima, Rumiko [Department of Surgery, Kumamoto City Hospital, 1-1-60 Kotoh, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 862-8505 (Japan); Nishiyama, Yasuyuki; Osako, Tomofumi [Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto City Hospital, 1-1-60 Kotoh, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 862-8505 (Japan); Toyozumi, Yasuo; Arima, Nobuyuki [Department of Pathology, Kumamoto City Hospital, 1-1-60 Kotoh, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 862-8505 (Japan)

2012-12-21

Analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) by means of One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) is gaining widespread use as a quick and accurate method. This assay detects the expression level of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) which is present in some but not all breast tumors. In this study, the clinical significance of negative CK19 was investigated in 219 cases of primary breast cancer. In 179 patients with clinically negative nodes, OSNA and imprint smear cytology of SLN were performed simultaneously. The OSNA revealed a node-positive rate of 24.6%. Negative CK19 correlated significantly with negative ER/PgR and higher Ki-67 values, and marginally with higher nuclear grade and p53 overexpression. The triple negative subtype showed lower CK19 expression. OSNA revealed that one of the negative CK19 cases was actually a false negative but this was corrected with the use of the imprint smear cytology. In conclusion, CK19 negativity reflected the aggressiveness of primary breast cancer. OSNA assay used to analyze SLN was useful, but there is a possibility that it will mistakenly detect false negatives in CK19 negative tumors. Therefore, in tumors with negative CK19, the imprint smear cytology may be more useful in cases with macrometastasis.

Clinical Significance of CK19 Negative Breast Cancer

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Nobuyuki Arima

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs by means of One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA is gaining widespread use as a quick and accurate method. This assay detects the expression level of cytokeratin 19 (CK19 which is present in some but not all breast tumors. In this study, the clinical significance of negative CK19 was investigated in 219 cases of primary breast cancer. In 179 patients with clinically negative nodes, OSNA and imprint smear cytology of SLN were performed simultaneously. The OSNA revealed a node-positive rate of 24.6%. Negative CK19 correlated significantly with negative ER/PgR and higher Ki-67 values, and marginally with higher nuclear grade and p53 overexpression. The triple negative subtype showed lower CK19 expression. OSNA revealed that one of the negative CK19 cases was actually a false negative but this was corrected with the use of the imprint smear cytology. In conclusion, CK19 negativity reflected the aggressiveness of primary breast cancer. OSNA assay used to analyze SLN was useful, but there is a possibility that it will mistakenly detect false negatives in CK19 negative tumors. Therefore, in tumors with negative CK19, the imprint smear cytology may be more useful in cases with macrometastasis.

Clinical Significance of CK19 Negative Breast Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujisue, Mamiko; Nishimura, Reiki; Okumura, Yasuhiro; Tashima, Rumiko; Nishiyama, Yasuyuki; Osako, Tomofumi; Toyozumi, Yasuo; Arima, Nobuyuki

2012-01-01

Analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) by means of One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) is gaining widespread use as a quick and accurate method. This assay detects the expression level of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) which is present in some but not all breast tumors. In this study, the clinical significance of negative CK19 was investigated in 219 cases of primary breast cancer. In 179 patients with clinically negative nodes, OSNA and imprint smear cytology of SLN were performed simultaneously. The OSNA revealed a node-positive rate of 24.6%. Negative CK19 correlated significantly with negative ER/PgR and higher Ki-67 values, and marginally with higher nuclear grade and p53 overexpression. The triple negative subtype showed lower CK19 expression. OSNA revealed that one of the negative CK19 cases was actually a false negative but this was corrected with the use of the imprint smear cytology. In conclusion, CK19 negativity reflected the aggressiveness of primary breast cancer. OSNA assay used to analyze SLN was useful, but there is a possibility that it will mistakenly detect false negatives in CK19 negative tumors. Therefore, in tumors with negative CK19, the imprint smear cytology may be more useful in cases with macrometastasis

The Significance of Prolonged and Saddleback Fever in Hospitalised Adult Dengue.

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Deborah Hl Ng

Full Text Available Dengue fever is gaining importance in Singapore with an increase in the number of cases and mortality in recent years. Although prolonged and saddleback fever have been reported in dengue fever, there are no specific studies on their significance in dengue. This study aims to examine the prevalence of prolonged and saddleback fever in dengue as well as their associations with dengue severity. A total of 2843 polymerase-chain reaction (PCR confirmed dengue patients admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital from 2004 to 2008 were included in the study. Sixty-nine percent of them were male with a median age of 34 years. Prolonged fever (fever > 7 days duration was present in 572 (20.1% of patients. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF, dengue shock syndrome (DSS and severe dengue (SD were significantly more likely to occur in patients with prolonged fever. Mucosal bleeding, anorexia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, lethargy, rash, clinical fluid accumulation, hepatomegaly, nosocomial infection, leukopenia, higher neutrophil count, higher hematocrit, higher alanine transaminase (ALT and aspartate transaminase (AST, higher creatinine, lower protein and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT were significantly associated with prolonged fever but not platelet count or prothrombin time (PT. Saddleback fever was present in 165 (5.8%. Although DHF and SD were more likely to occur in patients in those with saddleback fever, DSS was not. Compared with prolonged fever, saddleback fever did not show many significant associations except for diarrhea, abdominal pain, clinical fluid accumulation, hematocrit and platelet change, and lower systolic blood pressure. This study demonstrates that prolonged fever may be associated with various warning signs and more severe forms of dengue (SD, DSS, DHF, while saddleback fever showed associations with DHF and SD but not DSS. The presence of prolonged or saddleback fever in dengue patients should therefore

Traditional Classroom vs E-learning in Higher Education: Difference between Students' Behavioral Engagement

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Fei Li

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We discuss traditional classroom, e-learning, behavioral engagement and difference between behavioral engagements in two kind of instruction environment. Results from variance analyses suggest that there is no significant difference between engagements of active learning in different classroom conditions, and there exist significant differences on higher-level learning of innovative and critical thinking. Our findings highlight students' behavioral engagements in two environments have no significant advantage over each other, but e-learning facilitates higher-level learning better.

TIME-OF-DAY EFFECTS ON EMG PARAMETERS DURING THE WINGATE TEST IN BOYS

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Hichem Souissi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In boys, muscle power and strength fluctuate with time-of-day with morning nadirs and afternoon maximum values. However, the exact underlying mechanisms of this daily variation are not studied yet. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the time-of-day effects on electromyographic (EMG parameters changes during a Wingate test in boys. Twenty-two boys performed a 30-s Wingate test (measurement of muscle power and fatigue at 07:00 and 17:00-h on separate days. Surface EMG activity was recorded in the Vastus lateralis, rectus femoris and vastus medialis muscles throughout the test and analyzed over a 5-s span. The root-mean-square (RMS and mean-power-frequency (MPF were calculated. Neuromuscular efficiency (NME was estimated from the ratio of power to RMS. Muscle power (8.22 ± 0.92 vs. 8.75 ± 0.99 W·kg-1 for peak power and 6.96 ± 0. 72 vs. 7.31 ± 0.77 W·kg-1 for mean power, p < 0.001 and fatigue (30.27 ± 7.98 vs. 34.5 ± 10. 15 %, p < 0.05 during the Wingate test increased significantly from morning to evening. Likewise, MPF (102.14 ± 18.15 vs. 92.38 ± 12.39 Hz during the first 5-s, p < 0.001 and NME (4.78 ± 1.7 vs. 3.88 ± 0.79 W·mV-1 during the first 5-s, p < 0.001 were higher in the evening than the morning; but no significant time-of-day effect was noticed for RMS. Taken together, these results suggest that peripheral mechanisms are more likely the cause of the child's diurnal variations of muscle power and fatigue during the Wingate test

The H3 antagonist ABT-288 is tolerated at significantly higher exposures in subjects with schizophrenia than in healthy volunteers.

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Othman, Ahmed A; Haig, George; Florian, Hana; Locke, Charles; Gertsik, Lev; Dutta, Sandeep

2014-06-01

ABT-288 is a potent and selective H3 receptor antagonist with procognitive effects in several preclinical models. In previous studies, 3 mg once daily was the maximal tolerated dose in healthy volunteers. This study characterized the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of ABT-288 in stable subjects with schizophrenia. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating study of ABT-288 (10 dose levels, from 1 to 60 mg once daily for 14 days) in stable subjects with schizophrenia treated with an atypical antipsychotic. In each dose group, five to seven and two to three participants were assigned to ABT-288 and placebo, respectively. Of the 67 participants enrolled, nine participants (on ABT-288) were prematurely discontinued, in seven of these due to adverse events. ABT-288 was generally safe and tolerated at doses up to 45 mg once daily. The most common adverse events, in decreasing frequency (from 31 to 5%), were abnormal dreams, headache, insomnia, dizziness, somnolence, dysgeusia, dry mouth, psychotic disorder, parosmia and tachycardia. Adverse events causing early termination were psychotic events (four) and increased creatine phosphokinase, pyrexia and insomnia (one each). The half-life of ABT-288 ranged from 28 to 51 h, and steady state was achieved by day 12 of dosing. At comparable multiple doses, ABT-288 exposure in subjects with schizophrenia was 45% lower than that previously observed in healthy subjects. At trough, ABT-288 cerebrospinal fluid concentrations were 40% of the total plasma concentrations. ABT-288 was tolerated at a 15-fold higher dose and 12-fold higher exposures in subjects with schizophrenia than previously observed in healthy volunteers. The greater ABT-288 tolerability was not due to limited brain uptake. © 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.

Are studies reporting significant results more likely to be published?

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Koletsi, Despina; Karagianni, Anthi; Pandis, Nikolaos; Makou, Margarita; Polychronopoulou, Argy; Eliades, Theodore

2009-11-01

Our objective was to assess the hypothesis that there are variations of the proportion of articles reporting a significant effect, with a higher percentage of those articles published in journals with impact factors. The contents of 5 orthodontic journals (American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Angle Orthodontist, European Journal of Orthodontics, Journal of Orthodontics, and Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research), published between 2004 and 2008, were hand-searched. Articles with statistical analysis of data were included in the study and classified into 4 categories: behavior and psychology, biomaterials and biomechanics, diagnostic procedures and treatment, and craniofacial growth, morphology, and genetics. In total, 2622 articles were examined, with 1785 included in the analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied with statistical significance as the dependent variable, and whether the journal had an impact factor, the subject, and the year were the independent predictors. A higher percentage of articles showed significant results relative to those without significant associations (on average, 88% vs 12%) for those journals. Overall, these journals published significantly more studies with significant results, ranging from 75% to 90% (P = 0.02). Multivariate modeling showed that journals with impact factors had a 100% increased probability of publishing a statistically significant result compared with journals with no impact factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.99; 95% CI, 1.19-3.31). Compared with articles on biomaterials and biomechanics, all other subject categories showed lower probabilities of significant results. Nonsignificant findings in behavior and psychology and diagnosis and treatment were 1.8 (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.51-2.67) and 3.5 (OR, 3.50; 95% CI, 2.27-5.37) times more likely to be published, respectively. Journals seem to prefer reporting significant results; this might be because of authors

The Impact of Digital Games on Student Persistence and Retention in an Online Higher Education Context

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Case, Randall E.

2013-01-01

Enrollment in online higher education programs has been climbing for the past decade but research suggests that online courses exhibit significantly higher attrition rates than their face-to-face counterparts. Consequently, while significantly more students are enrolling in higher education programs, far too few are graduating. Self-determination…

Differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance

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Ben-Zhou Feng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the differential expression of GPR30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue and its clinical significance. Methods: Preeclampsia placenta tissue and normal placenta tissue were collected and GPR30 expression levels were detected; human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and processed with GRP30 inhibitor and GRP30 agonist combined with hypoxia-reoxygenation respectively, and cell apoptosis as well as pro-angiogenesis molecule and apoptosis molecule contents were detected. Results: mRNA content and protein content of GRP30 in preeclampsia placenta tissue were significantly lower than those in normal placenta tissue; apoptosis rate of G15 group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of H/R group was significantly higher than that of control group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly lower than those of control group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly higher than those of control group; apoptosis rate of G1 group was significantly lower than that of H/R group, VEGF and bFGF contents in supernatant were significantly higher than those of H/R group, and mRNA contents of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in cells were significantly lower than those of H/R group. Conclusions: Low expression of GPR30 in placenta tissue is closely associated with the occurrence of preeclampsia, enhancing GPR function can reduce endothelial cell apoptosis and increase the contents of pro-angiogenesis factors, and it has endothelial protection effect.

A chronotype comparison of South African and Dutch marathon runners: The role of scheduled race start times and effects on performance.

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Henst, Rob H P; Jaspers, Richard T; Roden, Laura C; Rae, Dale E

2015-01-01

Netherlands (n = 98) completed a questionnaire capturing demographics, training and race history, as well as the Horne-Östberg morningness-eveningness personality questionnaire. All participants donated buccal cell samples from which genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to genotype them for the PER3 VNTR polymorphism, which has previously been associated with chronotype. The main finding was that South African runners were significantly more morning-orientated than Dutch runners suggesting that participation in an endurance sport with an earlier start time may influence chronotype. Secondly, both the South African and Dutch runners were significantly more morning-orientated than their respective control groups, indicating that individuals who train for and participate in recreational endurance sport races have an earlier chronotype than physically active but non-competitive males. Thirdly, mean chronotype scores were similar between the South African and Dutch control groups, suggesting that climate does not seem to affect chronotype in these groups. Fourthly, the PER3 VNTR polymorphism distribution was similar between the four groups and was not associated with chronotype, suggesting that the difference in chronotype between the four groups in this study is not explained by the PER3 VNTR genotype. Lastly, in the South African runners group, a higher preference for mornings was associated with a better personal best half-marathon and current marathon performance.

Administrative Behaviors and Emotional and Social Competences of Higher Education Administrators: A Cross-Cultural Study

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Osman Ferda BEYTEKİN

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, higher education administrators, administrative behaviors; as educator, leader and manager, emotional competency; as self awareness and self management and social competency; as social awareness and social skills were compared according to two different cultures. The data was collected by inventories from 165 educators, and head of the departments Istanbul, and Helsinki Universities in 2008-2009 educational year. Elkins' administrative behaviors of higher education administrators inventory and Goleman's emotional and social competence inventory were conducted to test the differences. The manager behaviors of Istanbul University administrators are significantly higher than University of Helsinki administrators. The emotional competences of University of Helsinki administrators are significantly higher than the administrators of Istanbul University in the dimensions of self-awareness, self management, emotional selfcontrol, achievement orientation and positive outlook. The social competencies of University of Helsinki administrators are significantly higher than the administrators of Istanbul University in the dimensions of social awareness, empathy, and conflict management. On the other hand, the social competencies of Istanbul University administrators are significantly higher than the administrators of University of Helsinki in the dimensions of organizational awareness, coach and mentor, influence and teamwork. There is a significant positive relationship between the leadership behaviors and emotional and social competencies administrators in both Istanbul University and University of Helsinki. Significant differences are found between faculties and administrators about the administrative behaviors and emotional and social competences of administrators both at İstanbul University and University of Helsinki.

Pituitary response to a dopamine antagonist at different times of the day in normal women.

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Pérez-López, F R; González-Moreno, C M; Abós, M D; Andonegui, J A; Corvo, R H

1982-08-01

In order to determine whether or not pituitary responsiveness to the dopaminergic antagonist clebopride changes during the nyctohemeral cycle, 10 healthy women with regular cycles were given 1 mg of clebopride orally at 09.00 h and 24.00 h with at least a 5 day interval between each test. In addition, 5 of the women were given a placebo instead of clebopride at midnight to evaluate the spontaneous hormonal changes. During the 24.00 h test the women had significantly higher (P less than 0.05) mean TSH basal levels. Serum prolactin (Prl) increased significantly (P less than 0.001) after clebopride administration while these changes did not occur when placebo was used instead of clebopride at midnight. The Prl response to clebopride was qualitatively similar at 09.00 h and at 24.00 h. Clebopride given at midnight induced a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in serum TSH while this change did not occur when the drug was given at 09.00 h or when placebo was given at midnight. The administration of clebopride resulted in no discernible alternations in serum LH, FSH or GH in either the 09.00 h or the 24.00 h tests. Thus, Prl responses to clebopride were similar in the morning and at midnight, TSH significantly increased after clebopride at midnight whereas this did not occur when the drug was given in the morning, and no significant changes were induced in LH, FSH or GH at the times studied.

Are there associations among physical activity, fatigue, sleep quality and pain in people with mental illness? A pilot study.

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Connaughton, J; Patman, S; Pardoe, C

2014-10-01

Good mental health is imperative to well-being. Symptoms of fatigue, chronic pain and poor sleep are common in people with mental illness and contribute to substantial loss of functioning. Physical exercise interventions have shown to decrease these symptoms in a range of populations; however, their possible association with physical activity related to day-to-day functioning have not been explored in people hospitalized with severe mental illness. Inpatients (n = 4) of a metropolitan mental health facility were fitted with an Actiwatch, which collected physical activity and sleep measures for an anticipated 14-day data collection period. During this time, morning and evening pain and fatigue scores were collected on an 11-point numerical rating scale. Significant associations were found between morning pain and morning fatigue scores (β = -0.44, P = 0.023), morning pain and physical activity (β = 12.34, P = 0.042), and physical activity and evening pain scores (β = 0.20, P = 0.017). Fatigue tended towards interfering more with quality of life than did pain, but this was not significant (P = 0.07). This study provided preliminary data suggesting associations between pain and fatigue, and intensity of pain and physical activity levels. This information can be used to generate hypotheses for future clinical trials. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Erythrocyte osmotic fragility of pigs administered ascorbic acid and ...

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