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Sample records for significantly positive correlation

  1. A significant positive correlation between endogenous trans-zeatin content and total arsenic in arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris cretica var. nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuemei; Yang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Hongbin; Li, Qinchun; Wang, Haijuan; Li, Yanyan

    2017-04-01

    A pot experiment was conducted to compare the content of endogenous trans-zeatin (Z), plant arsenic (As) uptake and physiological indices in the fronds of As-hyperaccumulator (Pteris cretica var. nervosa) and non-hyperaccumulator (Pteris ensiformis). Furthermore, a stepwise regression method was used to study the relationship among determined indices, and the time-course effect of main indices was also investigated under 100mg/kg As stress with time extension. In the 100-200mg/kg As treatments, plant height showed no significant difference and endogenous Z content significantly increased in P. cretica var. nervosa compared to the control, but a significant decrease of height and endogenous Z was observed in P. ensiformis. The concentrations of As (III) and As (V) increased significantly in the fronds of two plants, but this increase was much higher in P. cretica var. nervosa. Compared to the control, the contents of chlorophyll and soluble protein were significantly increased in P. cretica var. nervosa but decreased in P. ensiformis in the 200mg/kg As treatment, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the contents of endogenous Z and total As in P. cretica var. nervosa, but such a correlation was not found in P. ensiformis. Additionally, in the time-course effect experiment, a peak value of each index was appeared in the 43rd day in two plants, except for chlorophyll in P. ensiformis, but this value was significantly higher in P. cretica var. nervosa than that in P. ensiformis. In conclusion, a higher endogenous Z content contributed to As accumulation of P. cretica var. nervosa under As stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Lateral sesamoid position in hallux valgus: correlation with the conventional radiological assessment.

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    Agrawal, Yuvraj; Desai, Aravind; Mehta, Jaysheel

    2011-12-01

    We aimed to quantify the severity of the hallux valgus based on the lateral sesamoid position and to establish a correlation of our simple assessment method with the conventional radiological assessments. We reviewed one hundred and twenty two dorso-plantar weight bearing radiographs of feet. The intermetatarsal and hallux valgus angles were measured by the conventional methods; and the position of lateral sesamoid in relation to first metatarsal neck was assessed by our new and simple method. Significant correlation was noted between intermetatarsal angle and lateral sesamoid position (Rho 0.74, p lateral sesamoid position and hallux valgus angle (Rho 0.56, p lateral sesamoid position is simple, less time consuming and has statistically significant correlation with that of the established conventional radiological measurements. Copyright © 2011 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. EEG Correlates of Ten Positive Emotions.

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    Hu, Xin; Yu, Jianwen; Song, Mengdi; Yu, Chun; Wang, Fei; Sun, Pei; Wang, Daifa; Zhang, Dan

    2017-01-01

    Compared with the well documented neurophysiological findings on negative emotions, much less is known about positive emotions. In the present study, we explored the EEG correlates of ten different positive emotions (joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love). A group of 20 participants were invited to watch 30 short film clips with their EEGs simultaneously recorded. Distinct topographical patterns for different positive emotions were found for the correlation coefficients between the subjective ratings on the ten positive emotions per film clip and the corresponding EEG spectral powers in different frequency bands. Based on the similarities of the participants' ratings on the ten positive emotions, these emotions were further clustered into three representative clusters, as 'encouragement' for awe, gratitude, hope, inspiration, pride, 'playfulness' for amusement, joy, interest, and 'harmony' for love, serenity. Using the EEG spectral powers as features, both the binary classification on the higher and lower ratings on these positive emotions and the binary classification between the three positive emotion clusters, achieved accuracies of approximately 80% and above. To our knowledge, our study provides the first piece of evidence on the EEG correlates of different positive emotions.

  4. Significant association between renal function and amyloid-positive area in renal biopsy specimens in AL amyloidosis

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    Kuroda Takeshi

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The kidney is a major target organ for systemic amyloidosis that often affects the kidney including proteinura, and elevated serum creatinine (Cr. The correlation between amount of amyloid deposits and clinical parameters is not known. The aim of this study was to clarify correlation the amyloid area in all renal biopsy specimen and clinical parameters. Methods Fifty-eight patients with an established diagnosis of AL amyloidosis participated in the study. All patients showed amyloid deposits in renal biopsies. We retrospectively investigated the correlation between clinical data and amyloid occupied area in whole renal biopsy specimens. Results The area occupied by amyloid was less than 10% in 57 of the 58 patients, and was under 2% in 40. For statistical analyses, %amyloid-positive areas were transformed to common logarithmic values (Log10%amyloid. Cr showed significant correlation with Log10%amyloid and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR showed the significant negative correlation. Patient age, cleatinine clearance (Ccr, blood urea nitorogen, and urinary protein was not significantly correlated with Log10%amyloid. The correlation with other clinical factors such as sex, and serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins, compliments was evaluated. None of these factors significantly correlated with Log10%amyloid. According to sex- and age- adjusted multiple linear regression analysis, Log10%amyloid had significant positive association with Cr and significant negative association with eGFR. Conclusion There is significant association between amyloid-positive area in renal tissue and renal function, especially Cr and eGFR. The level of Cr and eGFR may be a marker of amount of amyloid in renal tissue.

  5. Correlation between working positions and lactic acid levels with musculoskeletal complaints among dentists

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    Fiory Dioptis Putriwijaya

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Musculoskeletal complaints have been common for dentists since their body is unknowingly often in inappropriate positions when caring for patients. For example, they bend towards patients, suddenly move, and then rotate from one side to another. The repetitive movements are done in long term. High activities and sufficient recovery time can cause a buildup of lactic acid in their blood leading to obstruction of the energy intake from the aerobic system in their muscle cells, resulting in fatigue. As a result, such conditions trigger decreased muscle performances. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the correlation between working positions and lactic acid levels with the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists at Public Health Centers in Surabaya. Method: This research was an analytical observational research using cross sectional approach. Sampling technique used in this research was cluster random sampling with nineteen samples. To evaluate the working positions of those samples, a rapid entire body assessment (REBA method was used. Meanwhile, to observe the musculoskeletal disorders of those samples, a Nordic body map was used. Data obtained then were analyzed using Pearson correlation test with a significance level (p<0.05. Result: Results of data analysis using the Pearson correlation test showed that the significance value obtained was 0.036. It indicates that there was a correlation between the working positions and the lactic acid levels with the musculoskeletal disorders in those dentists. The results of the Pearson correlation test also revealed that there was a correlation between the working positions and the lactic acid levels among those dentists with a significance value of 0.025. Conclusion: It may be concluded that the wrong body positions during working can increase lactic acid level in the body of dentists. The increased level of lactic acid then can affect their muscles, leading to the high risk of

  6. Positive Correlation Between Academic Library Services and High-Impact Practices for

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    Saori Wendy Herman, MLIS, AHIP

    2016-03-01

    positive correlation with HIP 5. Each of the positive correlations was of high significance. As the rating of library alignment with each HIP increased, so did the total rating of each library scale. Along with the quantitative data, various themes for each HIP relating to the library’s support practices emerged from the qualitative feedback. No significant trends were noted from the demographic questions. Conclusion – Library deans or directors can utilize the conceptual framework presented in this study to connect the impact of library services to terminology and practices commonly understood by university administrators. Further research using the conceptual framework would benefit future discussion on how academic libraries measure impact or success of their library services.

  7. Intelligence and Semen Quality Are Positively Correlated

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    Arden, Rosalind; Gottfredson, Linda S.; Miller, Geoffrey; Pierce, Arand

    2009-01-01

    Human cognitive abilities inter-correlate to form a positive matrix, from which a large first factor, called "Spearman's g" or general intelligence, can be extracted. General intelligence itself is correlated with many important health outcomes including cardio-vascular function and longevity. However, the important evolutionary question of…

  8. Lack of Correlation Between External Fiducial Positions and Internal Tumor Positions During Breath-Hold CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunjan, Sandeep; Starkschall, George; Prado, Karl; Dong Lei; Balter, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: For thoracic tumors, if four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) is unavailable, the internal margin can be estimated by use of breath-hold (BH) CT scans acquired at end inspiration (EI) and end expiration (EE). By use of external surrogates for tumor position, BH accuracy is estimated by minimizing the difference between respiratory extrema BH and mean equivalent-phase free breathing (FB) positions. We tested the assumption that an external surrogate for BH accuracy correlates with internal tumor positional accuracy during BH CT. Methods and Materials: In 16 lung cancer patients, 4DCT images, as well as BH CT images at EI and EE, were acquired. Absolute differences between BH and mean equivalent-phase (FB) positions were calculated for both external fiducials and gross tumor volume (GTV) centroids as metrics of external and internal BH accuracy, respectively, and the results were correlated. Results: At EI, the absolute difference between mean FB and BH fiducial displacement correlated poorly with the absolute difference between FB and BH GTV centroid positions on CT images (R 2 = 0.11). Similarly, at EE, the absolute difference between mean FB and BH fiducial displacements correlated poorly with the absolute difference between FB and BH GTV centroid positions on CT images (R 2 = 0.18). Conclusions: External surrogates for tumor position are not an accurate metric of BH accuracy for lung cancer patients. This implies that care should be taken when using such an approach because an incorrect internal margin could be generated.

  9. Tryptase-positive mast cells correlate with angiogenesis in early breast cancer patients.

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    Ranieri, Girolamo; Ammendola, Michele; Patruno, Rosa; Celano, Giuseppe; Zito, Francesco Alfredo; Montemurro, Severino; Rella, Addolorata; Di Lecce, Valentina; Gadaleta, Cosmo Damiano; Battista De Sarro, Giovanni; Ribatti, Domenico

    2009-07-01

    Literature data indicate that mast cells (MCs) are involved in tumor angiogenesis due to the release of several pro-angiogenetic factors among which tryptase, a serine protease stored in MCs granules, is one of the most active. However, no data are available concerning the role of MCs in angiogenesis in primary human breast cancer. In this study, we have evaluated the correlations between the number of MCs positive to tryptase (MCDPT), the area occupied by MCs positive to tryptase (MCAPT) and microvascular density (MVD) and endothelial area (EA) in a series of 88 primary T1-3, N0-2 M0 female breast cancer, by means of immunohistochemistry and image analysis methods. Data demonstrated a significant (r = from 0.78 to 0.89; p-value from 0.001 to 0.002 by Pearson's analysis respectively) correlation between MCDPT, MCAPT, MVD, EA to each other. No correlation concerning MCDPT, MCAPT, MVD, EA and the main clinicopathological features was found. Our results suggest that tryptase-positive MCs play a role in breast cancer angiogenesis. In this context several tryptase inhibitors such as gabexate mesilate and nafamostat mesilate might be evaluated in clinical trials as a new anti-angiogenetic approach.

  10. A systematic review of the neural correlates of positive emotions

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    Leonardo Machado

    Full Text Available Objective: To conduct a systematic literature review of human studies reporting neural correlates of positive emotions. Methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched in January 2016 for scientific papers written in English. No restrictions were placed on year of publication. Results: Twenty-two articles were identified and 12 met the established criteria. Five had been published during the last 4 years. Formation and regulation of positive emotions, including happiness, are associated with significant reductions in activity in the right prefrontal cortex and bilaterally in the temporoparietal cortex, as well as with increased activity in the left prefrontal regions. They are also associated with increased activity in the cingulate gyrus, inferior and middle temporal gyri, amygdalae, and ventral striatum. Conclusion: It is too early to claim that there is an established understanding of the neuroscience of positive emotions and happiness. However, despite overlap in the brain regions involved in the formation and regulation of positive and negative emotions, we can conclude that positive emotions such as happiness activate specific brain regions.

  11. GONOME: measuring correlations between GO terms and genomic positions

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    Bailey Timothy L

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Current methods to find significantly under- and over-represented gene ontology (GO terms in a set of genes consider the genes as equally probable "balls in a bag", as may be appropriate for transcripts in micro-array data. However, due to the varying length of genes and intergenic regions, that approach is inappropriate for deciding if any GO terms are correlated with a set of genomic positions. Results: We present an algorithm – GONOME – that can determine which GO terms are significantly associated with a set of genomic positions given a genome annotated with (at least the starts and ends of genes. We show that certain GO terms may appear to be significantly associated with a set of randomly chosen positions in the human genome if gene lengths are not considered, and that these same terms have been reported as significantly over-represented in a number of recent papers. This apparent over-representation disappears when gene lengths are considered, as GONOME does. For example, we show that, when gene length is taken into account, the term "development" is not significantly enriched in genes associated with human CpG islands, in contradiction to a previous report. We further demonstrate the efficacy of GONOME by showing that occurrences of the proteosome-associated control element (PACE upstream activating sequence in the S. cerevisiae genome associate significantly to appropriate GO terms. An extension of this approach yields a whole-genome motif discovery algorithm that allows identification of many other promoter sequences linked to different types of genes, including a large group of previously unknown motifs significantly associated with the terms 'translation' and 'translational elongation'. Conclusion: GONOME is an algorithm that correctly extracts over-represented GO terms from a set of genomic positions. By explicitly considering gene size, GONOME avoids a systematic bias toward GO terms linked to large genes

  12. Positive Correlation of Resistin with Blood Lipids in Gestational Diabetes

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    Z Zare

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Background &Objective: Resistin is an important adipokin, secreted from adipocytes and causes insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes (GDM is characterized by insulin resistance in insulin target tissues. The goal of this research was to investigate whether there is a relationship among resistin and various clinical and metabolic parameters in GDM.Materials & Methods: 76 pregnant women who got the diagnosis of GDM were enrolled as the study group. 70 gestational age-matched pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance were recruited as the control group of the study. Serum resistin concentration, in addition to various metabolic and biochemical parameters, were measured in two groups.Results: Plasma resistin was not significantly different in GDM patients and subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Correlation analysis revealed that LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglyceride were positively correlated with plasma resistin (P < 0.004, 0.01, and 0.02, respectively.Conclusion: Plasma resistin is correlated with insulin resistance, high serum LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and TG in the Iranian GDM patients.

  13. Correlational study of impacted and non-functional lower third molar position with occurrence of pathologies

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    Igor Batista Camargo

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lower third molar (M3 eruption is unpredictable. The purpose of this study was to correlate radiographic position of M3 on a preexistent film with the current clinical, histopathological, and radiographic findings. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed. The sample was collected from a database of patients covered by Medical Fund of Brazilian Army. Radiographs were obtained a minimum of 5 years prior to the presurgical visit and after their clinical exam. The primary outcome variables were the teeth positions using Pell and Gregory/Winter classifications on panoramic X-rays. Those variables were analyzed at both the beginning (T0 and end of the study (T1. Clinical assessments and histopathological study of the thirds that were extracted were performed only at T1. Correlation between the teeth positions were related to the clinical, histopathological, and radiographic parameters using statistical analysis tests with significance set at p < 0.05. Results Twenty-six patients with 49 M3 were assessed over 10 months. Mean age was 14.92 years at T0 and 21.87 years at T1. The average time between T0 and T1 was 6.77 years. A significant relationship (p = 0.024 was found between the presences of root resorption on the second molar if M3 presented in an IB horizontal position at T1. There was also a significant correlation (p = 0.039 between dental crowding of the anterior lower teeth with IIIB position at T0 and if the patient finished orthodontic treatment without lingual retainers. Conclusions Lower M3 in position IIIB seen in a teenager and IB seen in an adult is more likely to have negative consequences and should be followed closely.

  14. Prevalence and correlates of positive mental health in Chinese adolescents.

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    Guo, Cheng; Tomson, Göran; Keller, Christina; Söderqvist, Fredrik

    2018-02-17

    Studies investigating the prevalence of positive mental health and its correlates are still scarce compared to the studies on mental disorders, although there is growing interest of assessing positive mental health in adolescents. So far, no other study examining the prevalence and determinants of positive mental health in Chinese adolescents has been found. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of positive mental health in Chinese adolescents. This cross-sectional study used a questionnaire including Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) and items regarding multiple aspects of adolescent life. The sample involved a total of 5399 students from grade 8 and 10 in Weifang, China. Multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between potential indicators regarding socio-economic situations, life style, social support and school life and positive mental health and calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. More than half (57.4%) of the participants were diagnosed as flourishing. The correlated factors of positive mental health in regression models included gender, perceived family economy, the occurrence of sibling(s), satisfaction of self-appearance, physical activity, sleep quality, stress, social trust, desire to learn, support from teachers and parents as well as whether being bullied at school (OR ranging from 1.23 to 2.75). The Hosmer-Lemeshow p-value for the final regression model (0.45) indicated adequate model fit. This study gives the first overview on prevalence and correlates of positive mental health in Chinese adolescents. The prevalence of positive mental health in Chinese adolescents is higher than reported in most of the previous studies also using MHC-SF. Our findings suggest that adolescents with advantageous socio-economic situations, life style, social support and school life are experiencing better positive mental health than others.

  15. Positive aspects of caregiving and its correlates in caregivers of schizophrenia: a study from north India.

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    Kate, N; Grover, S; Kulhara, P; Nehra, R

    2013-06-01

    OBJECTIVE. To study the positive aspects of caregiving and its correlates in primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS. A total of 100 patients with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers were evaluated. Regarding the caregivers, their positive aspects of caregiving were assessed on the Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience (SPACE). To examine the correlates of positive aspects of caregiving, they were also assessed on the Family Burden Interview (FBI) Schedule, the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire (IEQ), coping checklist, the Social Support Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (Hindi version), the WHO Quality of Life-Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs Scale, as well as the General Health Questionnaire-12. The patients were assessed on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. RESULTS. On the SPACE, the highest mean score was seen in the domain of motivation for the caregiving role (2.7), followed by that of caregiver satisfaction (2.4) and caregiver gains (2.3). The mean score was least for the domain of self-esteem and social aspect of caring (1.9). The SPACE domain of caregiver satisfaction correlated negatively with many aspects of burden as assessed by FBI Schedule and coping as assessed by the coping checklist; whereas the self-esteem and social aspect of caring domain correlated positively with worrying-urging II domain and the total IEQ score. No significant correlations between the SPACE and socio-demographics as well as most of the clinical variables were noted. Motivation for the caregiving had a positive correlation with the PANSS negative symptom scale. Multiple correlations were found between the SPACE and quality of life, suggesting that higher positive caregiving experience was associated with better quality of life in caregivers. CONCLUSION. Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia do enjoy positive aspects of

  16. Correlation of circRNAs’ differential expression to negative- positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia

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    Ling-ming KONG

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective To explore the correlation of circRNAs' expression level to the negative- and positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia (SZ. Methods Gene chip screening was performed with the peripheral blood samples from each five of SZ patients and normal controls. Nine circRNAs showing differentiate expression were confirmed, and further verification was done by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in 102 SZ patients and 103 normal controls. All the SZ patients were assessed with Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS. Results It was revealed that the expression levels of circRNA_102101, circRNA_102315, circRNA_104597, circRNA_101835 and circRNA_101836 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.01 or P<0.05, and circRNA_103102 and circRNA_103704 were up-regulated in SZ group (P<0.01. The ΔCT value of circRNA_102101 and circRNA_103102 was positively correlated to the positive symptoms (P<0.01 or P<0.05, and the ΔCT value of circRNA_103704 also showed positive correlation with positive symptoms and general psychopathological symptoms (P<0.01 or P<0.05. The ΔCT values of circRNA_102101, circRNA_103102, circRNA_102315, circRNA_103704 and circRNA_102802 were correlated with thinking disorder (P<0.01 or P<0.05, and the ΔCT values of circRNA_102101, circRNA_103102, circRNA_104597, circRNA_103704 and circRNA_102802 were correlated with the activation (P<0.01 or P<0.05. The ΔCT values of circRNA_102101, circRNA_103102, circRNA_103704 and circRNA_102802 were positively correlated with paranoid (P<0.01 or P<0.05, and of circRNA_102101, circRNA_103102, circRNA_103704 and circRNA_102802 were markedly correlated with assault (P<0.01 or P<0.05. Therefore, circRNA_103704 was chosen into regressive equation of positive symptoms (P<0.01, and circRNA_103704 and circRNA_102315 were chosen into regressive equation of general pathological findings (P<0.01 or P<0.05. Conclusion The expression levels of circRNA_103704 and circRNA_103102 are obviously up

  17. Significance levels for studies with correlated test statistics.

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    Shi, Jianxin; Levinson, Douglas F; Whittemore, Alice S

    2008-07-01

    When testing large numbers of null hypotheses, one needs to assess the evidence against the global null hypothesis that none of the hypotheses is false. Such evidence typically is based on the test statistic of the largest magnitude, whose statistical significance is evaluated by permuting the sample units to simulate its null distribution. Efron (2007) has noted that correlation among the test statistics can induce substantial interstudy variation in the shapes of their histograms, which may cause misleading tail counts. Here, we show that permutation-based estimates of the overall significance level also can be misleading when the test statistics are correlated. We propose that such estimates be conditioned on a simple measure of the spread of the observed histogram, and we provide a method for obtaining conditional significance levels. We justify this conditioning using the conditionality principle described by Cox and Hinkley (1974). Application of the method to gene expression data illustrates the circumstances when conditional significance levels are needed.

  18. Positive Noise Cross Correlation in a Copper Pair Splitter.

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    Das, Anindya; Ronen, Yuval; Heiblum, Moty; Shtrikman, Hadas; Mahalu, Diana

    2012-02-01

    Entanglement is in heart of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox, in which non-locality is a fundamental property. Up to date spin entanglement of electrons had not been demonstrated. Here, we provide direct evidence of such entanglement by measuring: non-local positive current correlation and positive cross correlation among current fluctuations, both of separated electrons born by a Cooper-pair-beam-splitter. The realization of the splitter is provided by injecting current from an Al superconductor contact into two, single channel, pure InAs nanowires - each intercepted by a Coulomb blockaded quantum dot (QD). The QDs impedes strongly the flow of Cooper pairs allowing easy single electron transport. The passage of electron in one wire enables the simultaneous passage of the other in the neighboring wire. The splitting efficiency of the Cooper pairs (relative to Cooper pairs actual current) was found to be ˜ 40%. The positive cross-correlations in the currents and their fluctuations (shot noise) are fully consistent with entangled electrons produced by the beam splitter.

  19. Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa.

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    Duncan, Laramie; Yilmaz, Zeynep; Gaspar, Helena; Walters, Raymond; Goldstein, Jackie; Anttila, Verneri; Bulik-Sullivan, Brendan; Ripke, Stephan; Thornton, Laura; Hinney, Anke; Daly, Mark; Sullivan, Patrick F; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Breen, Gerome; Bulik, Cynthia M

    2017-09-01

    The authors conducted a genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa and calculated genetic correlations with a series of psychiatric, educational, and metabolic phenotypes. Following uniform quality control and imputation procedures using the 1000 Genomes Project (phase 3) in 12 case-control cohorts comprising 3,495 anorexia nervosa cases and 10,982 controls, the authors performed standard association analysis followed by a meta-analysis across cohorts. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to calculate genome-wide common variant heritability (single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP]-based heritability [h 2 SNP ]), partitioned heritability, and genetic correlations (r g ) between anorexia nervosa and 159 other phenotypes. Results were obtained for 10,641,224 SNPs and insertion-deletion variants with minor allele frequencies >1% and imputation quality scores >0.6. The h 2 SNP of anorexia nervosa was 0.20 (SE=0.02), suggesting that a substantial fraction of the twin-based heritability arises from common genetic variation. The authors identified one genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 12 (rs4622308) in a region harboring a previously reported type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorder locus. Significant positive genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia, neuroticism, educational attainment, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and significant negative genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and body mass index, insulin, glucose, and lipid phenotypes. Anorexia nervosa is a complex heritable phenotype for which this study has uncovered the first genome-wide significant locus. Anorexia nervosa also has large and significant genetic correlations with both psychiatric phenotypes and metabolic traits. The study results encourage a reconceptualization of this frequently lethal disorder as one with both psychiatric and metabolic etiology.

  20. Resting venous plasma adrenalin in 70-year-old men correlated positively to survival in a population study: the significance of the physical working capacity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Niels Juel; Schultz-Larsen, K

    1994-01-01

    in a comprehensive medical examination. INTERVENTIONS. Plasma NA and A were measured in blood samples collected after the subjects had rested in the supine position for 15 min. The subjects have now been followed for 7 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Seven years later, 115 men and 63 women had died. RESULTS. Cox...... of physical working capacity was included in the Cox regression analysis, both plasma NA and plasma A became insignificant, whereas a strong positive correlation appeared between physical working capacity and survival (P

  1. Positive-operator-valued measure optimization of classical correlations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hamieh, S; Kobes, R; Zaraket, H

    We study the problem of optimization over positive-operator-valued measures to extract classical correlation in a bipartite quantum system. The proposed method is applied to binary states only. Moreover, to illustrate this method, an explicit example is studied in detail.

  2. On the relationship between positive and negative affect: Their correlation and their co-occurrence.

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    Larsen, Jeff T; Hershfield, Hal E; Stastny, Bradley J; Hester, Neil

    2017-03-01

    Understanding the nature of emotional experience requires understanding the relationship between positive and negative affect. Two particularly important aspects of that relationship are the extent to which positive and negative affect are correlated with one another and the extent to which they co-occur. Some researchers have assumed that weak negative correlations imply greater co-occurrence (i.e., more mixed emotions) than do strong negative correlations, but others have noted that correlations may imply very little about co-occurrence. We investigated the relationship between the correlation between positive and negative affect and co-occurrence. Participants in each of 2 samples provided moment-to-moment happiness and sadness ratings as they watched an evocative film and listened to music. Results indicated (a) that 4 measures of the correlation between positive and negative affect were quite highly related to 1 another; (b) that the strength of the correlation between measures of mixed emotions varied considerably; (c) that correlational measures were generally (but not always) weakly correlated with mixed emotion measures; and (d) that bittersweet stimuli consistently led to elevations in mixed emotion measures but did not consistently weaken the correlation between positive and negative affect. Results highlight that the correlation between positive and negative affect and their co-occurrence are distinct aspects of the relationship between positive and negative affect. Such insight helps clarify the implications of existing work on age-related and cultural differences in emotional experience and sets the stage for greater understanding of the experience of mixed emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. The CN–CH Positive Correlation in the Globular Cluster NGC 5286

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    Lim, Dongwook; Hong, Seungsoo; Lee, Young-Wook, E-mail: dwlim@yonsei.ac.kr, E-mail: ywlee2@yonsei.ac.kr [Center for Galaxy Evolution Research and Department of Astronomy, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-07-20

    We performed low-resolution spectroscopy of the red giant stars in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 5286, which is known to show intrinsic heavy element abundance variations. We found that the observed stars in this GC are clearly divided into three subpopulations by CN index (CN-weak, CN-intermediate, and CN-strong). The CN-strong stars are also enhanced in the calcium HK′ (7.4 σ ) and CH (5.1 σ ) indices, while the CN-intermediate stars show no significant difference in the strength of the HK′ index from the CN-weak stars. From the comparison with high-resolution spectroscopic data, we found that the CN- and HK′-strong stars are also enhanced in the abundances of Fe and s -process elements. It appears, therefore, that these stars are later-generation stars affected by some supernova enrichment in addition to the asymptotic giant branch ejecta. In addition, unlike normal GCs, sample stars in NGC 5286 show the CN–CH positive correlation, strengthening our previous suggestion that this positive correlation is only discovered in GCs with heavy element abundance variations, such as M22 and NGC 6273.

  4. Correlation between orbital volume, body mass index, and eyeball position in healthy East asians.

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    Yoo, Jun Ho; Lee, Young Hen; Lee, Hwa; Kim, Jung Wan; Chang, Minwook; Park, Minsoo; Baek, Sehyun

    2013-05-01

    The objectives of this study were measure the orbital volume of healthy Koreans and analyze the differences between orbital tissue volume with respect to age and sex and to assess any correlation between body mass index (BMI), eyeball position, and orbital volume. We retrospectively evaluated the scan results of patients who had undergone orbital computed tomography scans between November 2010 and November 2011. We assessed the scan results of 184 orbits in 92 adults who had no pathology of the orbit. The individuals were classified into 3 groups with respect to age. Orbital volume, effective orbital volume (defined as the difference between orbital and eyeball volume), extraocular muscle volume, orbital fat volume, and transverse globe protrusion were recorded and analyzed. The records of the subjects were reviewed retrospectively, and BMI was calculated. A correlation analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between BMI, eyeball position, and orbital volume. Orbital tissue volume, with the exception of orbital fat volume, was larger in men compared with women. In both sexes, orbital fat volume increased with increasing age, whereas the other volumes decreased. Orbital tissue volumes increased with increasing BMI, but transverse globe protrusion was not significantly related to BMI. In addition, orbital volume and effective orbital volume were positively correlated with transverse globe protrusion. These results provide basic information about the effects of age, sex, and BMI on orbital volume and eyeball position in healthy Koreans. Furthermore, these results will be helpful in the diagnosis of orbital diseases and in planning orbital surgeries.

  5. Significant positive relationship between serum magnesium and muscle quality in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okazaki, Hisanori; Ishimura, Eiji; Okuno, Senji; Norimine, Kyoko; Yamakawa, Kenjiro; Yamakawa, Tomoyuki; Shoji, Shigeichi; Nishizawa, Yoshiki; Inaba, Masaaki

    2013-01-01

    Serum magnesium (Mg) levels have been associated with muscle performance in the general population. We hypothesized that serum Mg would be associated with muscle quality in hemodialysis patients. A total of 310 patients were examined (age: 58 ± 12 years, hemodialysis duration: 6.4 ± 6.0 years, 60.6% men, and 36.1% diabetics). Arm lean mass was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on the dominant side. Arm muscle quality was defined as the ratio of the handgrip strength to the arm lean mass of the same side (kg/kg). Serum Mg was 1.15 ± 0.16 mmol/L (2.8 ± 0.4 mg/dL), being higher than the reference range of normal subjects. There was a significant negative correlation between muscle quality and age (r = -0.326, p<0.0001) and duration of hemodialysis (r = -0.253, p<0.0001). The muscle quality of the diabetics was significantly lower than that of the non-diabetics (p<0.001). There was a significant, positive correlation between muscle quality and serum Mg (r = 0.118, p<0.05), but not serum calcium or phosphate. In multiple regression analysis, age, gender, hemodialysis duration, diabetes, and serum Mg (β = 0.129, p<0.05) were significantly and independently associated with muscle quality (R(2) = 0.298, p<0.0001). These results demonstrated that a lower serum Mg concentration was significantly associated with poor muscle quality in hemodialysis patients. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism by which lower serum Mg affects muscle quality.

  6. Comorbid behavioural problems in Tourette's syndrome are positively correlated with the severity of tic symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yan; Leung, Kai Man; Liu, Po-zi; Zhou, Ming; Su, Lin-yan

    2006-01-01

    We studied the comorbid behavioural and mood problems in children with non-psychiatric Tourette's syndrome (TS) and their relationship with severity of tic disorder. Sixty-nine TS children and 69 healthy controls were assessed by Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). The relationships between behavioural problems and severity of tic symptoms were analysed statistically by comparison, correlation and multiple linear regression. Tourette's syndrome patients scored significantly lower (ptic symptoms is positively correlated with the severity of overall impairment in school and social competence. When the behavioural and mood problems commonly associated with TS were studied in detail, we found that delinquent behaviour, thought problems, attention problems, aggressive behaviour and externalizing are positively correlated with severity of tic symptoms. The findings indicated that children with TS-only also had a broad range of behavioural problems, and some of these were related to the severity of tic symptoms.

  7. Robust Correlation Analyses: False Positive and Power Validation Using a New Open Source Matlab Toolbox

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pernet, Cyril R.; Wilcox, Rand; Rousselet, Guillaume A.

    2012-01-01

    Pearson’s correlation measures the strength of the association between two variables. The technique is, however, restricted to linear associations and is overly sensitive to outliers. Indeed, a single outlier can result in a highly inaccurate summary of the data. Yet, it remains the most commonly used measure of association in psychology research. Here we describe a free Matlab(R) based toolbox (http://sourceforge.net/projects/robustcorrtool/) that computes robust measures of association between two or more random variables: the percentage-bend correlation and skipped-correlations. After illustrating how to use the toolbox, we show that robust methods, where outliers are down weighted or removed and accounted for in significance testing, provide better estimates of the true association with accurate false positive control and without loss of power. The different correlation methods were tested with normal data and normal data contaminated with marginal or bivariate outliers. We report estimates of effect size, false positive rate and power, and advise on which technique to use depending on the data at hand. PMID:23335907

  8. Robust correlation analyses: false positive and power validation using a new open source matlab toolbox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pernet, Cyril R; Wilcox, Rand; Rousselet, Guillaume A

    2012-01-01

    Pearson's correlation measures the strength of the association between two variables. The technique is, however, restricted to linear associations and is overly sensitive to outliers. Indeed, a single outlier can result in a highly inaccurate summary of the data. Yet, it remains the most commonly used measure of association in psychology research. Here we describe a free Matlab((R)) based toolbox (http://sourceforge.net/projects/robustcorrtool/) that computes robust measures of association between two or more random variables: the percentage-bend correlation and skipped-correlations. After illustrating how to use the toolbox, we show that robust methods, where outliers are down weighted or removed and accounted for in significance testing, provide better estimates of the true association with accurate false positive control and without loss of power. The different correlation methods were tested with normal data and normal data contaminated with marginal or bivariate outliers. We report estimates of effect size, false positive rate and power, and advise on which technique to use depending on the data at hand.

  9. Testing the Difference of Correlated Agreement Coefficients for Statistical Significance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwet, Kilem L.

    2016-01-01

    This article addresses the problem of testing the difference between two correlated agreement coefficients for statistical significance. A number of authors have proposed methods for testing the difference between two correlated kappa coefficients, which require either the use of resampling methods or the use of advanced statistical modeling…

  10. Positive correlation between retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and triglyceride level in central obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oktaria, S.; Sari, D. K.; Dalimunthe, D.; Eyanoer, P. C.

    2018-03-01

    Obesity has become an epidemic in both developed and developing countries. Central obesity considered a risk factor that is closely related to several chronic diseases. Central obesity is associated with elevated triglyceride levels and associated with RBP4 which can lead to insulin resistance. Increased level of RBP4 can cause lipid metabolism disorders and can become a marker for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. This study aims to find the correlation of RBP4 with triglycerides and Apo B100 in central obesity. It was a cross- sectional study on 46 subjects with central obesity, aged 20-50 years old. Blood samples were taken in cubital vein and examined for RBP4 and triglyceride levels. Data analysis was performed using Spearman correlation test. The results showed that gender frequency distribution showed little difference between men and women, i. e., men 43.5% and women 56.5%. RBP4 level was positively correlated with triglyceride (r = 0.48) and statistically significant (p = 0.001). The rbp4 level was positively correlated with triglyceride, indicating the role of RBP4 on high triglyceride level in central obesity.

  11. Positive Aspects of Caregiving and Its Correlates among Caregivers of Bipolar Affective Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grover, S; Kate, N; Chakrabarti, S; Avasthi, A

    2017-12-01

    To evaluate the positive aspects of caregiving and its correlates (socio-demographic and clinical variables, caregiver burden, coping, quality of life, psychological morbidity) in the primary caregivers of patients with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). A total of 60 primary caregivers of patients with a diagnosis of BPAD were evaluated on the Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience (SPACE) and the Hindi version of Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire, Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS), modified Hindi version of Coping Checklist, shorter Hindi version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), and Hindi translated version of 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Caregivers of patients with BPAD had the highest mean score in the SPACE domain of Motivation for caregiving role (2.45), followed by Caregiver satisfaction (2.38) and Caregiving personal gains (2.20). The mean score was the lowest for the domain of Self-esteem and social aspect of caring (2.01). In terms of correlations, age of onset of BPAD had a negative correlation with various domains of SPACE. The mean number of total lifetime affective and depressive episodes correlated positively with Self-esteem and social aspect of caring. Caregiver satisfaction correlated negatively with FBIS domains of Disruption of routine family activities, Effect on mental health of others, and subjective burden. Coercion as a coping mechanism correlated positively with domains of Caregiving personal gains, Caregiver satisfaction, and the total score on SPACE. Three (Physical health, Psychological health, Environment) out of 5 domains of the WHOQOL-BREF correlated positively with the total SPACE score. No association was noted between GHQ-12 and SPACE scores. Positive caregiving experience in primary caregivers of patients with BPAD is associated with better quality of life of the caregivers.

  12. Positive expression of LSD1 and negative expression of E-cadherin correlate with metastasis and poor prognosis of colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jie, Ding; Zhongmin, Zhang; Guoqing, Liao; Sheng, Liu; Yi, Zhang; Jing, Wen; Liang, Zeng

    2013-06-01

    The first identified lysine-specific demethylase, LSD1, plays an important role in the metastatic progression of several types of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate LSD1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin expression in colon cancer specimens and their clinical significance. The expression of LSD1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in colon cancer specimens was determined by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship between the expression of the respective molecules and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. The positive expression rates of LSD1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in colon cancer specimens were 66.7 % (72/108), 85.2 % (92/108), and 41.7 % (45/108), respectively. LSD1 was significantly more highly expressed in colon cancer specimens classified as high TNM stage lesions and with distant metastasis (P colon cancer specimens classified as high TNM stage lesions and with distant metastasis (P clinical and pathological characteristics (P > 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that LSD1 expression was negatively correlated with E-cadherin expression (r s = -0.318, P = 0.001), but not evidently correlated with N-cadherin expression (r s = 0.182, P = 0.06). Colon cancer specimens with positive LSD1 expression and negative E-cadherin expression were correlated with significantly lower overall survival. LSD1 showed a significantly higher expression, in contrast to the significantly lower expression of E-cadherin, in colon cancer specimens classified as high TNM stage lesions and with distant metastasis. Positive expression of LSD1 and negative expression of E-cadherin may be predictors of a worse colon cancer prognosis.

  13. Experience of Early Childhood Caries May Positively Correlate with Psychomotor Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Chen-Yi; Liu, Yen-Chun; Shieh, Tien-Yu; Lin, Jia-Rong; Tseng, Yi-Chun; Teng, Andy Yen-Tung

    2015-01-01

    To examine the as yet unknown relationship between dental caries and the child's psychomotor development. A cross-sectional study was designed by screening the kindergartens from urban areas of two cities in southern Taiwan. Besides the personal, demographic and dietary information, the common measures for caries (dmft) and the amended comprehensive scales (CCDI) for psychomotor development were used to assess their relationship(s). A power analysis showed that 334 subjects would be required. One-way ANOVA vs multiple linear regression analysis were used to compare the differences of variables between gender, age and dmft scales, vs the relationship among all variables tested, respectively. A total of 433 children completed the study. The results demonstrated that there was a positive relationship between higher (i.e. dmft≥4 and 5) but not lower or extremely high caries experience and aspects of psychomotor development (i.e. personal-social and expressive language) in children aged 4 to 6 years. The present results are important for paediatric dentists, as they suggest a positive correlation between caries experience (dmft 3 to 6) and psychomotor development in pre-school children and that such a correlation may occur more significantly as an attribute of the most affected teeth (incisors and molars) during the critical stage of personal-social and expressive language development (speech-communication).

  14. Positive schizotypy scores correlate with left visual field interference for negatively valenced emotional words: A lateralized emotional Stroop study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Strien, Jan W; Van Kampen, Dirk

    2009-10-30

    Fourteen men scoring high and 14 men scoring low on a positive schizotypy scale participated in a lateralized emotional Stroop task. Vocal reaction times for color naming of neutral, positive and negative emotional words were recorded. Across participants, the color naming of neutral and emotional words was slightly faster to right than to left visual field presentations. In men with high scores on positive schizotypy, the presentation of negative words to the left visual field (right hemisphere) resulted in significant affective interference with color naming, which was significantly larger than in men with low scores. Correlational analysis also showed that positive schizotypy was significantly associated with emotional interference in response to LVF negative words. The outcome is discussed in terms of right hemispheric engagement in negative emotions in high positive schizotypic men.

  15. Patient positioning method based on binary image correlation between two edge images for proton-beam radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Akira; Yoda, Kiyoshi; Numano, Masumi; Futami, Yasuyuki; Yamashita, Haruo; Murayama, Shigeyuki; Tsugami, Hironobu

    2005-01-01

    A new technique based on normalized binary image correlation between two edge images has been proposed for positioning proton-beam radiotherapy patients. A Canny edge detector was used to extract two edge images from a reference x-ray image and a test x-ray image of a patient before positioning. While translating and rotating the edged test image, the absolute value of the normalized binary image correlation between the two edge images is iteratively maximized. Each time before rotation, dilation is applied to the edged test image to avoid a steep reduction of the image correlation. To evaluate robustness of the proposed method, a simulation has been carried out using 240 simulated edged head front-view images extracted from a reference image by varying parameters of the Canny algorithm with a given range of rotation angles and translation amounts in x and y directions. It was shown that resulting registration errors have an accuracy of one pixel in x and y directions and zero degrees in rotation, even when the number of edge pixels significantly differs between the edged reference image and the edged simulation image. Subsequently, positioning experiments using several sets of head, lung, and hip data have been performed. We have observed that the differences of translation and rotation between manual positioning and the proposed method were within one pixel in translation and one degree in rotation. From the results of the validation study, it can be concluded that a significant reduction in workload for the physicians and technicians can be achieved with this method

  16. Correlates of HCV seropositivity among familial contacts of HCV positive patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matera Antonio

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Determinants of intrafamilial HCV transmission are still being debated. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlates of HCV seropositivity among familial contacts of HCV positive patients in Italy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 175 HCV positive patients (index cases, recruited from Policlinico Gemelli in Rome as well as other hospitals in Central Italy between 1995 and 2000 (40% female, mean age 57 ± 15.2 years, and 259 familial contacts. Differences in proportions of qualitative variables were tested with non-parametric tests (χ2, Yates correction, Fisher exact test, and a p value Results Seropositivity for HCV was found in 8.9% of the contacts. From the univariate analysis, risk factors significantly associated to HCV positivity in the contacts were: intravenous drug addiction (p = 0.004 and intercourse with drug addicts (p = 0.005. The only variables associated significantly and independently to HCV seropositivity in patients' contacts were intercourse with drug addicts (OR = 19.28; 95% CI: 2.01 – 184.94, the retirement status from work (OR = 3.76; 95% CI: 1.17 – 11.98, the time of the relationship (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00 – 1.11 and tattoos (OR = 7.68; 95% CI: 1.00 – 60.20. Conclusion The present study confirms that having intercourse with a drug addict is the most significant risk factor for intrafamilial HCV transmission. The association with retirement status from work could be related to both a long-term relationship with an index case and past exposure to common risk factors.

  17. Sociotropic personality traits positively correlate with the severity of social anxiety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurhan Fistikci

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To investigate sociotropic-autonomic personality characteristics and their clinical implications in social anxiety disorder (SAD.  Methods. The study included 68 consecutive patients who were either being followed up on an outpatient basis or presented for the first time to the psychiatric clinics of Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery or Trakya University School of Medicine between May 2012 and May 2013, and were diagnosed primarily with generalised SAD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS, Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS and a sociodemographic data collection form designed by the authors were used as primary assessment instruments.  Results. The mean age (standard deviation (SD of the sample group was 23.73 (8.85 years; 37 (54.4% were female and 31 (45.6% were male. LSAS mean (SD total fear score was 63.51 (13.74, mean total avoidance score was 61.24 (14.26, BDI mean score was 16.99 (9.58, SAS mean sociotropy score was 71.06 (16.79, and mean autonomy score was 63.22 (16.04. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between SAS sociotropy scores and LSAS fear and avoidance total scores, BDI scores and all subscales of SCL-90-R (p0.05.  Conclusion. Sociotropic personality characteristics in patients with SAD have been found to positively correlate with depression and social anxiety levels. Addressing this finding during treatment sessions and helping the patient increase flexibility in appraisal of social life events may have a positive impact on treatment outcome.

  18. Correlation between oro and hypopharynx shape and position with endotracheal intubation difficulty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daher Rabadi

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and objective: Prediction of intubation difficulty can save patients from major preoperative morbidity or mortality. The purpose of this paper is to assess the correlation between oro-hypo pharynx position, neck size, and length with endotracheal intubation difficulty. The study also explored the diagnostic value of Friedman Staging System in prediction cases with difficult intubation. Method: The consecutive 500 ASA (I, II adult patients undergoing elective surgery were evaluated for oro and hypopharynx shape and position by modified Mallampati, Cormack and Lehane score as well as Friedman obstructive sleep apnea classification systems. Neck circumference and length were also measured. All cases were intubated by a single anesthesiologist who was uninformed of the above evaluation and graded intubation difficulty in visual analog score. Correlation between these findings and difficulty of intubation was assessed. Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive and Negative Predictive Values were also reported. Results: Cormack-Lehane grade had the strongest correlation with difficulty of intubation followed by Friedman palate position. Friedman palate position was the most sensitive and had higher positive and negative predictive values than modified Mallampati classification. Cormack-Lehane grade was found to be the most specific with the highest negative predictive value among the four studied classifications. Conclusion: Friedman palate position is a more useful, valuable and sensitive test compared to the modified Mallampati screening test for pre-anesthetic prediction of difficult intubation where its involvement in Multivariate model may raise the accuracy and diagnostic value of preoperative assessment of difficult airway.

  19. Positive Correlation of Serum Adiponectin with Lipid Profile in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is Affected by Metabolic Syndrome Status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eslamian, Mohammad; Mohammadinejad, Payam; Aryan, Zahra; Nakhjavani, Manouchehr; Esteghamati, Alireza

    2016-04-01

    Type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and Metabolic syndrome (MetS) are both associated with dyslipidemia which may lead to development of vascular complications. Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory protein synthesized by the adipose tissue. There is controversy regarding the association of adiponectin with lipid profile. To evaluate the correlation between serum adiponectin concentration and metabolic profile in patients with type-2 DM. A single center cross-sectional study was conducted on 173 patients with type-2 DM (82 males and 91 females). Plasma adiponectin concentration, lipid profile, glucose profile, and anthropometric features were investigated. Insulin resistance was determined using Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Correlation of serum adiponectin with lipid profile of patients with type-2 DM was assessed. Adiponectin was negatively correlated with waist circumference (r = -0.16, P = 0.06) and positively with HbA1c (r = 0.19, P = 0.032), total cholesterol (r = 0.23, P = 0.017), LDL (r = 0.30, P = 0.001), SD-LDL (r = 0.41, P < 0.001), and SD-LDL/LDL (r = 0.22, P = 0.023). We found a positive correlation between adiponectin and total cholesterol (r = 0.27, P = 0.055), LDL (r = 0.34, P = 0.026) and SD-LDL (r = 0.41, P = 0.006) in patients with at least 3 components of MetS criteria. Correlation of adiponectin with LDL and SD-LDL remained positively significant with increasing the number of MetS components. In patients with 5 components of MetS, serum adiponectin was significantly correlated with serum triglyceride (r = 0.89). Significant interaction was observed between adiponectin and metabolic syndrome in relation to serum lipid profile. The results of the present study suggest that in patients with type-2 DM and MetS, lipid profile is strongly correlated with blood concentration of adiponectin. The strongest association was observed between serum adiponectin and LDL.

  20. Habitual physical activity levels are positively correlated with CD4 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Habitual physical activity levels are positively correlated with CD4 counts in an ... per month) and functional independence as assessed from the responses to the ... and between CD4 cell counts and total habitual physical activity levels (p ...

  1. Correlation of regional cerebral blood flow and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients: covariate SPM analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Ki Chun; Kim, J. S.; Kim, C. Y.; Lee, H. K.; Moon, D. H. [Ulsan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-07-01

    We investigated the relations between rCBF and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients using a SPM99. Thirty-two patients(M/F:22/10, 25{+-}5,6yr) with active symptoms of schizophrenia and 15 age matched normal controls underwent Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT. Psychopathology of all patients were also assessed according to PANSS (positive and negative syndrome scale in schizophrenia). By covariate SPM analysis, specific areas where rCBF correlated with sum scores of positive/negative synptoms were identified. Regional CBF of schizophrenics was different in several cortical regions from normal controls. Sum scores of positive symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both rectal and inferior frontal gyri and right transverse temporal gyrus, and negatively correlated with rCBF of left lingual and right middle temporal gyri (p<0.01). Sum scores of negative symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both middle temporal gyri and negatively correlated with rCBF of right superior parietal lobule and medial frontal gyrus (p<0.01). Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were correlated with rCBF change in different regions of cerebral association cortex.

  2. Correlation of regional cerebral blood flow and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients: covariate SPM analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Ki Chun; Kim, J. S.; Kim, C. Y.; Lee, H. K.; Moon, D. H.

    2002-01-01

    We investigated the relations between rCBF and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients using a SPM99. Thirty-two patients(M/F:22/10, 25±5,6yr) with active symptoms of schizophrenia and 15 age matched normal controls underwent Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT. Psychopathology of all patients were also assessed according to PANSS (positive and negative syndrome scale in schizophrenia). By covariate SPM analysis, specific areas where rCBF correlated with sum scores of positive/negative synptoms were identified. Regional CBF of schizophrenics was different in several cortical regions from normal controls. Sum scores of positive symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both rectal and inferior frontal gyri and right transverse temporal gyrus, and negatively correlated with rCBF of left lingual and right middle temporal gyri (p<0.01). Sum scores of negative symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both middle temporal gyri and negatively correlated with rCBF of right superior parietal lobule and medial frontal gyrus (p<0.01). Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were correlated with rCBF change in different regions of cerebral association cortex

  3. Significance and properties of internucleon correlation functions

    OpenAIRE

    Suzuki, Y.; Horiuchi, W.

    2008-01-01

    We show that a nuclear Hamiltonian and a set of internucleon correlation functions is in a one-to-one correspondence. The correlation functions for $s$-shell nuclei interacting via the two-nucleon interaction of AV8$^\\prime$ type are calculated to exhibit the importance of tensor correlations as well as short-range central correlation. The asymptotic behavior of the correlation functions is also discussed.

  4. Eosinophil count is positively correlated with coronary artery calcification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Muhei; Fukui, Michiaki; Yamasaki, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Goji; Oda, Yohei; Nakamura, Naoto; Tomiyasu, Ki-ichiro; Akabame, Satoshi; Nakano, Koji

    2012-01-01

    Recent studies suggested that allergic disorders and increased eosinophil count were associated with atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between eosinophil count and coronary artery calcification (CAC). We performed a cross-sectional study in 1363 consecutive participants with clinical suspicion of coronary heart disease (CHD). We evaluated the relationships between CAC score determined by multislice CT and peripheral eosinophil count as well as major cardiovascular risk factors, including age, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus (DM), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Sex (P=0.0004), hypertension (P=0.0002), dyslipidemia (P=0.0004) and DM (P=0.0061) were associated with log (CAC+1), respectively. Positive correlations were found between log (CAC+1), and age (r=0.325, P<0.0001) and eosinophil count (r=0.165, P<0.0001). Negative correlations were found between log (CAC+1) and eGFR (r=-0.166, P<0.0001). Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that age (β=0.314, P<0.0001), sex (β=0.124, P<0.0001), hypertension (β=0.084, P=0.0008), DM (β=0.108, P<0.0001), eGFR (β=-0.079, P=0.0021) and eosinophil count (β=0.147, P<0.0001) were independent determinants of log (CAC+1). In conclusion, eosinophil count correlated positively with CAC in participants with clinical suspicion of CHD. (author)

  5. Proteomic Analysis of Saliva in HIV-positive Heroin Addicts Reveals Proteins Correlated with Cognition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dominy, Stephen; Brown, Joseph N.; Ryder, Mark I.; Gritsenko, Marina A.; Jacobs, Jon M.; Smith, Richard D.

    2014-04-01

    The prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remains high despite effective antiretroviral therapies. Multiple etiologies have been proposed over the last few years to account for this phenomenon, including the neurotoxic effects of antiretrovirals and co-morbid substance abuse. However, no underlying molecular mechanism has been identified. Emerging evidence in several fields has linked the gut to brain diseases, but the effect of the gut on the brain during HIV infection has not been explored. Saliva is the most accessible gut biofluid, and is therefore of great scientific interest for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. This study presents a longitudinal, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics study investigating saliva samples taken from 8 HIV-positive (HIV+) and 11 -negative (HIV-) heroin addicts. In the HIV+ group, 58 proteins were identified that show significant correlations with cognitive scores and that implicate disruption of protein quality control pathways by HIV. Notably, no proteins from the HIV- heroin addict cohort showed significant correlations with cognitive scores. In addition, the majority of correlated proteins have been shown to be associated with exosomes, allowing us to propose that the salivary glands and/or oral epithelium may modulate brain function during HIV infection through the release of discrete packets of proteins in the form of exosomes.

  6. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are positively correlated with metastatic potential of human gastric cancers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Hao

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The prognosis of gastric cancer patients is difficult to predict because of defects in establishing the surgical-pathological features. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs have been found to play prominent role in promoting tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Thus raises the hypothesis that the extent of CAFs prevalence may help to establish the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Methods Immunochemistry and realtime-PCR experiments were carried out to compare the expression of proteins which are specific markers of CAFs or secreted by CAFs in the tumor and normal tissue specimens. The extent of CAFs' prevalence was graded according to immunochemical staining, and correlation was further analyzed between CAFs' prevalence and other tumor characteristics which may influence the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Results Nearly 80 percent of normal gastric tissues were negative or weak positive for CAFs staining, while more than 60 percent of gastric cancer tissues were moderate or strong positive for CAFs staining. Realtime-PCR results also showed significant elevated expression of FAP, SDF-1 and TGF-β1 in gastric cancer tissues compared to normal gastric tissues. Further analysis showed that CAFs' prevalence was correlated with tumor size, depth of the tumor, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis or peritoneum metastasis. Conclusions Reactive cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs were frequently accumulated in gastric cancer tissues, and the prevalence of CAFs was correlated with tumor size, depth of the tumor and tumor metastasis, thus give some supports for establishing the prognosis of the gastric cancer patients.

  7. On the significance of δ13C correlations in ancient sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derry, Louis A.

    2010-08-01

    A graphical analysis of the correlations between δc and ɛTOC was introduced by Rothman et al. (2003) to obtain estimates of the carbon isotopic composition of inputs to the oceans and the organic carbon burial fraction. Applied to Cenozoic data, the method agrees with independent estimates, but with Neoproterozoic data the method yields results that cannot be accommodated with standard models of sedimentary carbon isotope mass balance. We explore the sensitivity of the graphical correlation method and find that the variance ratio between δc and δo is an important control on the correlation of δc and ɛ. If the variance ratio σc/ σo ≥ 1 highly correlated arrays very similar to those obtained from the data are produced from independent random variables. The Neoproterozoic data shows such variance patterns, and the regression parameters for the Neoproterozoic data are statistically indistinguishable from the randomized model at the 95% confidence interval. The projection of the data into δc- ɛ space cannot distinguish between signal and noise, such as post-depositional alteration, under these circumstances. There appears to be no need to invoke unusual carbon cycle dynamics to explain the Neoproterozoic δc- ɛ array. The Cenozoic data have σc/ σo vs. ɛ correlation is probably geologically significant, but the analyzed sample size is too small to yield statistically significant results.

  8. Antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody: positivity and clinical correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Téllez, Goitybell; Torres Rives, Bárbara; Rangel Velázquez, Suchiquil; Sánchez Rodríguez, Vicky; Ramos Ríos, María Antonia; Fuentes Smith, Lisset Evelyn

    2015-01-01

    To determine positivity and clinical correlation of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), taking into account the interference of antinuclear antibodies (ANA). A prospective study was conducted in the Laboratory of Immunology of the National Cuban Center of Medical Genetic during one year. Two hounded sixty-seven patients with indication for ANCA determination were included. ANCA and ANA determinations with different cut off points and assays were determined by indirect immunofluorescense. Anti proteinase 3 and antimyeloperoxidase antibodies were determined by ELISA. Most positivity for ANCA was seen in patients with ANCA associated, primary small-vessel vasculitides, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Presence of ANCA without positivity for proteinase 3 and myeloperoxidase was higher in patients with ANA and little relation was observed between the perinuclear pattern confirmed in formalin and specificity by myeloperoxidase. Highest sensibility and specificity values for vasculitides diagnostic were achieved by ANCA determination using indirect immunofluorescense with a cut off 1/80 and confirming antigenic specificities with ELISA. ANCA can be present in a great number of chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disorders in the population studied. This determination using indirect immunofluorescence and following by ELISA had a great value for vasculitis diagnosis. Anti mieloperoxidasa assay has a higher utility than the formalin assay when ANA is present. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  9. EPPUR SI MUOVE: POSITIONAL AND KINEMATIC CORRELATIONS OF SATELLITE PAIRS IN THE LOW Z UNIVERSE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Famaey, Benoit; Martin, Nicolas; Lewis, Geraint F.; Ibata, Neil G.

    2015-01-01

    We have recently shown that pairs of satellite galaxies located diametrically opposite to each other around their host possess predominantly anti-correlated velocities. This is consistent with a scenario in which ≳50% of satellite galaxies belong to kinematically coherent rotating planar structures. Here we extend this analysis, examining satellites of giant galaxies drawn from an SDSS photometric redshift catalog. We find that there is a ∼17% overabundance (>3σ significance) of candidate satellites at positions diametrically opposite to a spectroscopically confirmed satellite. We show that ΛCDM cosmological simulations do not possess this property when contamination is included. After subtracting contamination, we find ∼2 times more satellites diametrically opposed to a spectroscopically confirmed satellite than at 90° from it, at projected distances ranging from 100 to 150 kpc from the host. This independent analysis thus strongly supports our previous results on anti-correlated velocities. We also find that those satellite pairs with anti-correlated velocities have a strong preference (∼3:1) to align with the major axis of the host whereas those with correlated velocities display the opposite behavior. We finally show that repeating a similar analysis to Ibata et al. with same-side satellites is generally hard to interpret, but is not inconsistent with our previous results when strong quality cuts are applied on the sample. This addresses all of the concerns recently raised by Cautun et al., who did not uncover any flaw in our previous analysis, but may simply have hinted at the physical extent of planar satellite structures by pointing out that the anti-correlation signal weakens at radii >150 kpc. All these unexpected positional and kinematic correlations strongly suggest that a substantial fraction of satellite galaxies are causally linked in their formation and evolution

  10. EPPUR SI MUOVE: POSITIONAL AND KINEMATIC CORRELATIONS OF SATELLITE PAIRS IN THE LOW Z UNIVERSE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Famaey, Benoit; Martin, Nicolas [Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l’Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Lewis, Geraint F. [Sydney Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics A28, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Ibata, Neil G., E-mail: rodrigo.ibata@astro.unistra.fr [Trinity College, Trinity Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ (United Kingdom)

    2015-05-20

    We have recently shown that pairs of satellite galaxies located diametrically opposite to each other around their host possess predominantly anti-correlated velocities. This is consistent with a scenario in which ≳50% of satellite galaxies belong to kinematically coherent rotating planar structures. Here we extend this analysis, examining satellites of giant galaxies drawn from an SDSS photometric redshift catalog. We find that there is a ∼17% overabundance (>3σ significance) of candidate satellites at positions diametrically opposite to a spectroscopically confirmed satellite. We show that ΛCDM cosmological simulations do not possess this property when contamination is included. After subtracting contamination, we find ∼2 times more satellites diametrically opposed to a spectroscopically confirmed satellite than at 90° from it, at projected distances ranging from 100 to 150 kpc from the host. This independent analysis thus strongly supports our previous results on anti-correlated velocities. We also find that those satellite pairs with anti-correlated velocities have a strong preference (∼3:1) to align with the major axis of the host whereas those with correlated velocities display the opposite behavior. We finally show that repeating a similar analysis to Ibata et al. with same-side satellites is generally hard to interpret, but is not inconsistent with our previous results when strong quality cuts are applied on the sample. This addresses all of the concerns recently raised by Cautun et al., who did not uncover any flaw in our previous analysis, but may simply have hinted at the physical extent of planar satellite structures by pointing out that the anti-correlation signal weakens at radii >150 kpc. All these unexpected positional and kinematic correlations strongly suggest that a substantial fraction of satellite galaxies are causally linked in their formation and evolution.

  11. Apparent diffusion coefficient ratio correlates significantly with prostate cancer gleason score at final pathology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesen, Lars; Chabanova, Elizaveta; Løgager, Vibeke

    2015-01-01

    PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient measurements (ADCtumor and ADCratio ) and the Gleason score from radical prostatectomy specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with clinically localized prostate cancer scheduled for radical prostatectomy...... correlated with the Gleason score from the prostatectomy specimens. RESULTS: The association between ADC measurements and Gleason score showed a significant negative correlation (P ... ) and 0.90 (ADCratio ) when discriminating Gleason score ≤7(3+4) from Gleason score ≥7(4+3). CONCLUSION: ADC measurements showed a significant correlation with tumor Gleason score at final pathology. The ADCratio demonstrated the best correlation compared to the ADCtumor value and radically improved...

  12. Positive correlations between cerebral choline and renal dysfunction in chronic renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Osamu; Nakahama, Hajime; Nakamura, Satoko; Inenaga, Takashi; Kawano, Yuhei; Hattori, Noriaki; Inoue, Noriko; Sawada, Tohru; Kohno, Shigeru

    2006-01-01

    Cerebral metabolism in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients has not been fully evaluated. This study examined cerebral metabolites in CRF, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Subjects comprised 19 CRF patients and 21 healthy volunteers. Spectra were acquired from voxels of interest positioned in the parietal gray and white matter, and concentrations of the following cerebral metabolites were measured: N-acetyl group (NA), creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds (Cho), myo-inositol and glutamate + glutamine. Among the 19 CRF patients, 9 who were started on hemodialysis (HD) underwent careful follow-up. Proton MRS was performed before and about 2 weeks after starting HD. In six patients in whom follow-up was possible, a third MRS was performed after about 18 months. The NA/Cr ratio was not significantly changed in CRF. However, elevations in the Cho/Cr ratio were found in both gray and white matter compared with controls. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of positive correlations between the Cho/Cr ratio in both regions and serum osmotic pressure. (orig.)

  13. Paternally expressed, imprinted insulin-like growth factor-2 in chorionic villi correlates significantly with birth weight.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charalambos Demetriou

    Full Text Available Fetal growth involves highly complex molecular pathways. IGF2 is a key paternally expressed growth hormone that is critical for in utero growth in mice. Its role in human fetal growth has remained ambiguous, as it has only been studied in term tissues. Conversely the maternally expressed growth suppressor, PHLDA2, has a significant negative correlation between its term placental expression and birth weight.The aim of this study is to address the role in early gestation of expression of IGF1, IGF2, their receptors IGF1R and IGF2R, and PHLDA2 on term birth weight.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to investigate mRNA expression of IGF1, IGF2, IGF1R, IGF2R and PHLDA2 in chorionic villus samples (CVS (n = 260 collected at 11-13 weeks' gestation. Expression was correlated with term birth weight using statistical package R including correction for several confounding factors.Transcript levels of IGF2 and IGF2R revealed a significant positive correlation with birth weight (0.009 and 0.04, respectively. No effect was observed for IGF1, IGF1R or PHLDA2 and birth weight. Critically, small for gestational age (SGA neonates had significantly lower IGF2 levels than appropriate for gestational age neonates (p = 3.6 × 10(-7.Our findings show that IGF2 mRNA levels at 12 weeks gestation could provide a useful predictor of future fetal growth to term, potentially predicting SGA babies. SGA babies are known to be at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. This research reveals an imprinted, parentally driven rheostat for in utero growth.

  14. Mitochondrial respiratory efficiency is positively correlated with human sperm motility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferramosca, Alessandra; Provenzano, Sara Pinto; Coppola, Lamberto; Zara, Vincenzo

    2012-04-01

    To correlate sperm mitochondrial respiratory efficiency with variations in sperm motility and with sperm morphologic anomalies. Sperm mitochondrial respiratory activity was evaluated with a polarographic assay of oxygen consumption carried out in hypotonically-treated sperm cells. A possible relationship among sperm mitochondrial respiratory efficiency, sperm motility, and morphologic anomalies was investigated. Mitochondrial respiratory efficiency was positively correlated with sperm motility and negatively correlated with the percentage of immotile spermatozoa. Moreover, midpiece defects impaired mitochondrial functionality. Our data indicate that an increase in sperm motility requires a parallel increase in mitochondrial respiratory capacity, thereby supporting the fundamental role played by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in sperm motility of normozoospermic subjects. These results are of physiopathological relevance because they suggest that disturbances of sperm mitochondrial function and of energy production could be responsible for asthenozoospermia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. PA positioning significantly reduces testicular dose during sacroiliac joint radiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mekis, Nejc [Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia); Mc Entee, Mark F., E-mail: mark.mcentee@ucd.i [School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin 4 (Ireland); Stegnar, Peter [Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2010-11-15

    Radiation dose to the testes in the antero-posterior (AP) and postero-anterior (PA) projection of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) was measured with and without a scrotal shield. Entrance surface dose, the dose received by the testicles and the dose area product (DAP) was used. DAP measurements revealed the dose received by the phantom in the PA position is 12.6% lower than the AP (p {<=} 0.009) with no statistically significant reduction in image quality (p {<=} 0.483). The dose received by the testes in the PA projection in SIJ imaging is 93.1% lower than the AP projection when not using protection (p {<=} 0.020) and 94.9% lower with protection (p {<=} 0.019). The dose received by the testicles was not changed by the use of a scrotal shield in the AP position (p {<=} 0.559); but was lowered by its use in the PA (p {<=} 0.058). Use of the PA projection in SIJ imaging significantly lowers, the dose received by the testes compared to the AP projection without significant loss of image quality.

  16. The Health Significance of Positive Emotions in Adulthood and Later Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Anthony D; Mroczek, Daniel K; Riffin, Catherine

    2011-08-01

    A growing body of literature supports a link between positive emotions and health in older adults. In this article, we review evidence of the effects of positive emotions on downstream biological processes and meaningful clinical endpoints, such as adult morbidity and mortality. We then present relevant predictions from lifespan theories that suggest changes in cognition and motivation may play an important role in explaining how positive emotions are well maintained in old age, despite pervasive declines in cognitive processes. We conclude by discussing how the application of psychological theory can inform greater understanding of the adaptive significance of positive emotions in adulthood and later life.

  17. Significance of measuring oxidative stress in lifestyle-related diseases from the viewpoint of correlation between d-ROMs and BAP in Japanese subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukui, Toshiki; Yamauchi, Kazuhiro; Maruyama, Mie; Yasuda, Tadashi; Abe, Youichi; Kohno, Masakazu

    2011-01-01

    In recent years, oxidative stress has been postulated to be an important factor in the pathogenesis and development of lifestyle-related diseases. In this study, we investigated the association between the derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), as an index of products of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and biological antioxidant potential (BAP), as an index of antioxidant potential. We also investigated the associations between d-ROMs or BAP and the risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases or metabolic syndrome-associated factors to evaluate their usefulness in preventive medicine. There were 442 subjects who underwent health checkup examination in our facilities. In addition to standard medical checkup items, we analyzed d-ROMs, BAP, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and visceral fat area (VFA) visualized on a computed tomography scan. The mean d-ROM value in females was significantly higher than that in males. There was a positive correlation between the d-ROM and VFA levels. On correlation analysis, there was a negative correlation between the d-ROM and creatinine levels. As factors that influence d-ROMs, the level of VFA was selected, suggesting the significance of oxidative stress measurement with d-ROMs. In addition, there was a positive correlation between d-ROMs and BAP values. Further research is required to resolve whether increased production of ROS or the antioxidant potential that can compensate for such an increase of ROS is more important in vivo. (author)

  18. Clinical significance of pneumatosis intestinalis - correlation of MDCT-findings with treatment and outcome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Treyaud, Marc-Olivier; Duran, Rafael; Knebel, Jean-Francois; Meuli, Reto A.; Schmidt, Sabine [Lausanne University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne (Switzerland); Zins, Marc [Fondation Hopital St Joseph, Department of Radiology, Paris (France)

    2017-01-15

    To evaluate the clinical significance of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) including the influence on treatment and outcome. Two radiologists jointly reviewed MDCT-examinations of 149 consecutive emergency patients (53 women, mean age 64, range 21-95) with PI of the stomach (n = 4), small (n = 68) and/or large bowel (n = 96). PI extension, distribution and possibly associated porto-mesenteric venous gas (PMVG) were correlated with other MDCT-findings, risk factors, clinical management, laboratory, histopathology, final diagnosis and outcome. The most frequent cause of PI was intestinal ischemia (n = 80,53.7 %), followed by infection (n = 18,12.1 %), obstructive (n = 12,8.1 %) and non-obstructive (n = 10,6.7 %) bowel dilatation, unknown aetiologies (n = 8,5.4 %), drugs (n = 8,5.4 %), inflammation (n = 7,4.7 %), and others (n = 6,4 %). Neither PI distribution nor extension significantly correlated with underlying ischemia. Overall mortality was 41.6 % (n = 62), mostly related to intestinal ischemia (p = 0.003). Associated PMVG significantly correlated with underlying ischemia (p = 0.009), as did the anatomical distribution of PMVG (p = 0.015). Decreased mural contrast-enhancement was the only other MDCT-feature significantly associated with ischemia (p p < 0.001). Elevated white blood count significantly correlated with ischemia (p = 0.03). In emergency patients, ischemia remains the most common aetiology of PI, showing the highest mortality. PI with associated PMVG is an alerting sign. PI together with decreased mural contrast-enhancement indicates underlying ischemia. (orig.)

  19. PA positioning significantly reduces testicular dose during sacroiliac joint radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mekis, Nejc; Mc Entee, Mark F.; Stegnar, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Radiation dose to the testes in the antero-posterior (AP) and postero-anterior (PA) projection of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) was measured with and without a scrotal shield. Entrance surface dose, the dose received by the testicles and the dose area product (DAP) was used. DAP measurements revealed the dose received by the phantom in the PA position is 12.6% lower than the AP (p ≤ 0.009) with no statistically significant reduction in image quality (p ≤ 0.483). The dose received by the testes in the PA projection in SIJ imaging is 93.1% lower than the AP projection when not using protection (p ≤ 0.020) and 94.9% lower with protection (p ≤ 0.019). The dose received by the testicles was not changed by the use of a scrotal shield in the AP position (p ≤ 0.559); but was lowered by its use in the PA (p ≤ 0.058). Use of the PA projection in SIJ imaging significantly lowers, the dose received by the testes compared to the AP projection without significant loss of image quality.

  20. Measurement of the length and position of the lower oesophageal sphincter by correlation of external measurements and radiographic estimations in dogs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waterman, A.E.; Hashim, M.A.

    1991-01-01

    Fifty dogs were investigated in order to correlate the length and position of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) with external measurements. Various external measurements were taken while the dogs were anaesthetised and positioned in lateral recumbency. An oesophageal tube was then introduced into the oesophagus and thoracic radiographs were taken. The 'real internal length of the oesophagus' was calculated as the length from the lower jaw incisor tooth to the position of the oesophageal tube at the costal border of the diaphragm. A highly significant linear correlation was found between this internal length and the external length from lower jaw incisor tooth to the anterior border of the head of the 10th rib. Using oesophageal manometry, the length and position of the LOS was also studied in 25 clinically normal bitches. The mean length of the LOS was found to be 4.6 +/- 0.92 cm. The position of the LOS was a mean of 4.4 +/- 1.69 cm cranial to the costal border of the diaphragm. The findings of this study indicate that the external measurements can be used to position catheters for accurate oesophageal manometry in the dog

  1. Variation in habitat connectivity generates positive correlations between species and genetic diversity in a metacommunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamy, T; Jarne, P; Laroche, F; Pointier, J-P; Huth, G; Segard, A; David, P

    2013-09-01

    An increasing number of studies are simultaneously investigating species diversity (SD) and genetic diversity (GD) in the same systems, looking for 'species- genetic diversity correlations' (SGDCs). From negative to positive SGDCs have been reported, but studies have generally not quantified the processes underlying these correlations. They were also mostly conducted at large biogeographical scales or in recently degraded habitats. Such correlations have not been looked for in natural networks of connected habitat fragments (metacommunities), and the underlying processes remain elusive in most systems. We investigated these issues by studying freshwater snails in a pond network in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles). We recorded SD and habitat characteristics in 232 ponds and assessed GD in 75 populations of two species. Strongly significant and positive SGDCs were detected in both species. Based on a decomposition of SGDC as a function of variance-covariance of habitat characteristics, we showed that connectivity (opportunity of water flow between a site and the nearest watershed during the rainy season) has the strongest contribution on SGDCs. More connective sites received both more alleles and more species through immigration resulting in both higher GD and higher SD. Other habitat characteristics did not contribute, or contributed negatively, to SGDCs. This is true of the desiccation frequency of ponds during the dry season, presumably because species markedly differ in their ability to tolerate desiccation. Our study shows that variation in environmental characteristics of habitat patches can promote SGDCs at metacommunity scale when the studied species respond homogeneously to these environmental characteristics. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. An On-Chip RBC Deformability Checker Significantly Improves Velocity-Deformation Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Hung Dylan Tsai

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available An on-chip deformability checker is proposed to improve the velocity–deformation correlation for red blood cell (RBC evaluation. RBC deformability has been found related to human diseases, and can be evaluated based on RBC velocity through a microfluidic constriction as in conventional approaches. The correlation between transit velocity and amount of deformation provides statistical information of RBC deformability. However, such correlations are usually only moderate, or even weak, in practical evaluations due to limited range of RBC deformation. To solve this issue, we implemented three constrictions of different width in the proposed checker, so that three different deformation regions can be applied to RBCs. By considering cell responses from the three regions as a whole, we practically extend the range of cell deformation in the evaluation, and could resolve the issue about the limited range of RBC deformation. RBCs from five volunteer subjects were tested using the proposed checker. The results show that the correlation between cell deformation and transit velocity is significantly improved by the proposed deformability checker. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients are increased from an average of 0.54 to 0.92. The effects of cell size, shape and orientation to the evaluation are discussed according to the experimental results. The proposed checker is expected to be useful for RBC evaluation in medical practices.

  3. Correlations and Correlated Responses in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Echekwu, CA.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Plant breeders must be concerned with the total array of economic characters in their efforts to develop a crop variety acceptable to farmers. Their selection endeavours must therefore take into consideration how changes in one trait affect, simultaneously changes in other economic attributes. The importance of correlations and correlated responses is therefore self evident in plant breeding endeavours. In this study F3 progenies from a cross between two cotton lines SAMCOT-9 x Y422 were evaluated for two years and performance data were used to obtain correlations between nine agronomic and fibre quality traits in upland cotton. The results indicated that plant helght was significantly and positively correlated with seed cotton yield, number of sympodial and monopodial branches, seed index, fibre length and micronaire index. Positive and significant correlations were also obtained between : seed cotton yield, tint percent and fibre strength and fibre length. Significant negative correlations were obtained between : plant height and lint percent ; number of monopodial branches, sympodial branches and lint percent ; fibre length, fibre strength and micronaire index. The correlated responses in the other eight traits when selection was practiced for seed cotton yield in the present study shows that it might be more profitable to practice direct selection for seed cotton yield compared to selecting for seed cotton yield through any of the other traits.

  4. A correlation study on position and volume variation of primary lung cancer during respiration by four-dimensional CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yingjie; Li Jianbin; Tian Shiyu; Li Fengxiang; Fan Tingyong; Shao Qian; Xu Min; Lu Jie

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the correlation of position movement of primary tumor with interested organs and skin markers, and to investigate the correlation of volume variation of primary tumors and lungs during different respiration phases for patients with lung cancer at free breath condition scanned by four-dimensional CT (4DCT) simulation. Methods: 16 patients with lung cancer were scanned at free breath condition by simulation 4DCT which connected to a respiration-monitoring system. A coordinate system was created based on image of T 5 phase,gross tumor volume (GTV) and normal tissue structures of 10 phases were contoured. The three dimensional position variation of them were measured and their correlation were analyzed, and the same for the volume variation of GTV and lungs of 10 respiratory phases. Results: Movement range of lung cancer in different lobe differed extinct: 0.8 - 5.0 mm in upper lobe, 5.7 -5.9 mm in middle lobe and 10.2 - 13.7 mm in lower lobe, respectively. Movement range of lung cancer in three dimensional direction was different: z-axis 4.3 mm ± 4.3 mm > y-axis 2.2 mm ± 1.0 mm > x-axis 1.7 mm ± 1.5 mm (χ 2 =16.22, P =0.000), respectively. There was no statistical significant correlation for movement vector of GTV and interested structures (r =-0.50 - -0.01, P =0.058 - -0.961), nor for volume variation of tumor and lung (r =0.23, P =0.520). Conclusions: Based on 4DCT, statistically significant differences of GTV centroid movement are observed at different pulmonary lobes and in three dimensional directions. So individual 4DCT measurement is necessary for definition of internal target volume margin for lung cancer. (authors)

  5. Functional correlates of positional and gender-specific renal asymmetry in Drosophila.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venkateswara R Chintapalli

    Full Text Available In humans and other animals, the internal organs are positioned asymmetrically in the body cavity, and disruption of this body plan can be fatal in humans. The mechanisms by which internal asymmetry are established are presently the subject of intense study; however, the functional significance of internal asymmetry (outside the brain is largely unexplored. Is internal asymmetry functionally significant, or merely an expedient way of packing organs into a cavity?Like humans, Drosophila shows internal asymmetry, with the gut thrown into stereotyped folds. There is also renal asymmetry, with the rightmost pair of renal (Malpighian tubules always ramifying anteriorly, and the leftmost pair always sitting posteriorly in the body cavity. Accordingly, transcriptomes of anterior-directed (right-side and posterior-directed (left-side Malpighian (renal tubules were compared in both adult male and female Drosophila. Although genes encoding the basic functions of the tubules (transport, signalling were uniformly expressed, some functions (like innate immunity showed positional or gender differences in emphasis; others, like calcium handling or the generation of potentially toxic ammonia, were reserved for just the right-side or left-side tubules, respectively. These findings correlated with the distinct locations of each tubule pair within the body cavity. Well known developmental genes (like dorsocross, dachshund and doublesex showed continuing, patterned expression in adult tubules, implying that somatic tissues maintain both left-right and gender identities throughout life. Gender asymmetry was also noted, both in defence and in male-specific expression of receptors for neuropeptide F and sex-peptide: NPF elevated calcium only in male tubules.Accordingly, the physical asymmetry of the tubules in the body cavity is directly adaptive. Now that the detailed machinery underlying internal asymmetry is starting to be delineated, our work invites the

  6. H. Pylori Positivity and Various Pathological, Endoscopic and Clinical Features Correlated with Each Other

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coskun, A.; Yukselen, V.; Yasa, M. H.; Karaoglu, A. O.; Meteoglu, I.; Ergin, F.; Kadikoylu, G.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the relationship between dyspepsia symptom scores and endoscopic appearances, and histopathological findings and helicobacter pylori positivity in patients having dyspepsia symptom. Methods: The study was conducted at the gastroenterology outpatient clinic of Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey from April 2012 to July 2012 and comprised patients between 18-65 years of age who were admitted with dyspepsia. Glasgow dyspepsia severity scoring was done with questions posed orally to the patients. In histopathological evaluation of biopsy specimens according to Sydney criteria, chronic inflammation, activity, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and helicobacter pylori parameters were used. Total number of eosinophils and number of mast cells were recorded. Results: Of the 60 patients with dyspepsia, 38(63.3 percent) were female and 22(36.7 percent) were male. The degree of activation and severity of inflammation increased significantly with increasing helicobacter pylori positivity(r=0.459'p<0.0001; r=0.475'p<0.0001). A significant relationship was found between inflammation, activation and the number of mast cells (p<0.05).There was no relationship between helicobacter pylori intensity and the eosinophil count (r=0.171; p=0.093). There was also a statistically significant correlation between severity of inflammation and activation and the number of eosinophils (r=0.313;p=0.002;r=0.245;p=0.016). Conclusion: Mast cell density was seen to have a role in the inflammatory processes of helicobacter pylori infection. (author)

  7. Negative relationship behavior is more important than positive: Correlates of outcomes during stressful life events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivers, Alannah Shelby; Sanford, Keith

    2018-04-01

    When people who are married or cohabiting face stressful life situations, their ability to cope may be associated with two separate dimensions of interpersonal behavior: positive and negative. These behaviors can be assessed with the Couple Resilience Inventory (CRI). It was expected that scales on this instrument would correlate with outcome variables regarding life well-being, stress, and relationship satisfaction. It was also expected that effects for negative behavior would be larger than effects for positive and that the effects might be curvilinear. Study 1 included 325 married or cohabiting people currently experiencing nonmedical major life stressors and Study 2 included 154 married or cohabiting people with current, serious medical conditions. All participants completed an online questionnaire including the CRI along with an alternate measure of couple behavior (to confirm scale validity), a measure of general coping style (to serve as a covariate), and measures of outcome variables regarding well-being, quality of life, perceived stress, and relationship satisfaction. The effects for negative behavior were larger than effects for positive in predicting most outcomes, and many effects were curvilinear. Notably, results remained significant after controlling for general coping style, and scales measuring positive and negative behavior demonstrated comparable levels of validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Estimates of statistical significance for comparison of individual positions in multiple sequence alignments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sadreyev Ruslan I

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Profile-based analysis of multiple sequence alignments (MSA allows for accurate comparison of protein families. Here, we address the problems of detecting statistically confident dissimilarities between (1 MSA position and a set of predicted residue frequencies, and (2 between two MSA positions. These problems are important for (i evaluation and optimization of methods predicting residue occurrence at protein positions; (ii detection of potentially misaligned regions in automatically produced alignments and their further refinement; and (iii detection of sites that determine functional or structural specificity in two related families. Results For problems (1 and (2, we propose analytical estimates of P-value and apply them to the detection of significant positional dissimilarities in various experimental situations. (a We compare structure-based predictions of residue propensities at a protein position to the actual residue frequencies in the MSA of homologs. (b We evaluate our method by the ability to detect erroneous position matches produced by an automatic sequence aligner. (c We compare MSA positions that correspond to residues aligned by automatic structure aligners. (d We compare MSA positions that are aligned by high-quality manual superposition of structures. Detected dissimilarities reveal shortcomings of the automatic methods for residue frequency prediction and alignment construction. For the high-quality structural alignments, the dissimilarities suggest sites of potential functional or structural importance. Conclusion The proposed computational method is of significant potential value for the analysis of protein families.

  9. ADAM10 mediates trastuzumab resistance and is correlated with survival in HER2 positive breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldinger, Katharina; Generali, Daniele; Kramer-Marek, Gabriela; Gijsen, Merel; Ng, Tzi Bun; Wong, Jack Ho; Strina, Carla; Cappelletti, Mariarosa; Andreis, Daniele; Li, Ji-Liang; Bridges, Esther; Turley, Helen; Leek, Russell; Roxanis, Ioannis; Capala, Jacek; Murphy, Gillian; Harris, Adrian L.; Kong, Anthony

    2014-01-01

    Trastuzumab prolongs survival in HER2 positive breast cancer patients. However, resistance remains a challenge. We have previously shown that ADAM17 plays a key role in maintaining HER2 phosphorylation during trastuzumab treatment. Beside ADAM17, ADAM10 is the other well characterized ADAM protease responsible for HER ligand shedding. Therefore, we studied the role of ADAM10 in relation to trastuzumab treatment and resistance in HER2 positive breast cancer. ADAM10 expression was assessed in HER2 positive breast cancer cell lines and xenograft mice treated with trastuzumab. Trastuzumab treatment increased ADAM10 levels in HER2 positive breast cancer cells (p≤0.001 in BT474; p≤0.01 in SKBR3) and in vivo (p≤0.0001) compared to control, correlating with a decrease in PKB phosphorylation. ADAM10 inhibition or knockdown enhanced trastuzumab response in naïve and trastuzumab resistant breast cancer cells. Trastuzumab monotherapy upregulated ADAM10 (p≤0.05); and higher pre-treatment ADAM10 levels correlated with decreased clinical response (p≤0.05) at day 21 in HER2 positive breast cancer patients undergoing a trastuzumab treatment window study. Higher ADAM10 levels correlated with poorer relapse-free survival (p≤0.01) in a cohort of HER2 positive breast cancer patients. Our studies implicate a role of ADAM10 in acquired resistance to trastuzumab and establish ADAM10 as a therapeutic target and a potential biomarker for HER2 positive breast cancer patients. PMID:24952873

  10. Death attitudes and positive coping in Spanish nursing undergraduates: a cross-sectional and correlational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edo-Gual, Montserrat; Monforte-Royo, Cristina; Aradilla-Herrero, Amor; Tomás-Sábado, Joaquín

    2015-09-01

    To analyse the relationship between death attitudes, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem in a sample of nursing undergraduates. The death attitudes held by nursing students may influence the care they offer to end-of-life patients and their families. Emotional intelligence, resilience and self-esteem are important social and emotional competencies for coping positively with death and dying. Cross-sectional and correlational study. Participants were 760 nursing undergraduates from four nursing schools in Spain. Data were collected in 2013-2014. The students responded anonymously to a self-report questionnaire that gathered socio-demographic data and which assessed the following aspects: fear of death (Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale), death anxiety (Death Anxiety Inventory-Revised), perceived emotional intelligence (Trait Meta-Mood Scale, with its three dimensions: attention, clarity and repair), resilience (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) and self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). In addition to descriptive statistics, analyses of variance, mean differences, correlations and regression analyses were computed. Linear regression analysis indicated that attention to feelings, resilience and self-esteem are the significant predictors of death anxiety. The results show that death anxiety and fear of death are modulated by social and emotional competencies associated with positive coping. The training offered to future nurses should include not only scientific knowledge and technical skills but also strategies for developing social and emotional competencies. In this way, they will be better equipped to cope positively and constructively with the suffering and death they encounter at work, thus helping them to offer compassionate patient-centred care and minimising the distress they experience in the process. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. On bounded rank positive semidefinite matrix completions of extreme partial correlation matrices.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Eisenberg-Nagy (Marianna); M. Laurent (Monique); A. Varvitsiotis (Antonios)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractWe study a new geometric graph parameter $egd(G)$, defined as the smallest integer $r\\ge 1$ for which any partial symmetric matrix which is completable to a correlation matrix and whose entries are specified at the positions of the edges of $G$, can be completed to a matrix in the convex

  12. Algorithm of reducing the false positives in IDS based on correlation Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianyi; Li, Sida; Zhang, Ru

    2018-03-01

    This paper proposes an algorithm of reducing the false positives in IDS based on correlation Analysis. Firstly, the algorithm analyzes the distinguishing characteristics of false positives and real alarms, and preliminary screen the false positives; then use the method of attribute similarity clustering to the alarms and further reduces the amount of alarms; finally, according to the characteristics of multi-step attack, associated it by the causal relationship. The paper also proposed a reverse causation algorithm based on the attack association method proposed by the predecessors, turning alarm information into a complete attack path. Experiments show that the algorithm simplifies the number of alarms, improve the efficiency of alarm processing, and contribute to attack purposes identification and alarm accuracy improvement.

  13. Significant CD4, CD8, and CD19 lymphopenia in peripheral blood of sarcoidosis patients correlates with severe disease manifestations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweiss, Nadera J; Salloum, Rafah; Gandhi, Seema; Ghandi, Seema; Alegre, Maria-Luisa; Sawaqed, Ray; Badaracco, Maria; Pursell, Kenneth; Pitrak, David; Baughman, Robert P; Moller, David R; Garcia, Joe G N; Niewold, Timothy B

    2010-02-05

    Sarcoidosis is a poorly understood chronic inflammatory condition. Infiltration of affected organs by lymphocytes is characteristic of sarcoidosis, however previous reports suggest that circulating lymphocyte counts are low in some patients with the disease. The goal of this study was to evaluate lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood in a cohort of sarcoidosis patients to determine the prevalence, severity, and clinical features associated with lymphopenia in major lymphocyte subsets. Lymphocyte subsets in 28 sarcoid patients were analyzed using flow cytometry to determine the percentage of CD4, CD8, and CD19 positive cells. Greater than 50% of patients had abnormally low CD4, CD8, or CD19 counts (p<4x10(-10)). Lymphopenia was profound in some cases, and five of the patients had absolute CD4 counts below 200. CD4, CD8, and CD19 lymphocyte subset counts were significantly correlated (Spearman's rho 0.57, p = 0.0017), and 10 patients had low counts in all three subsets. Patients with severe organ system involvement including neurologic, cardiac, ocular, and advanced pulmonary disease had lower lymphocyte subset counts as a group than those patients with less severe manifestations (CD4 p = 0.0043, CD8 p = 0.026, CD19 p = 0.033). No significant relationships were observed between various medical therapies and lymphocyte counts, and lymphopenia was present in patients who were not receiving any medical therapy. Significant lymphopenia involving CD4, CD8, and CD19 positive cells was common in sarcoidosis patients and correlated with disease severity. Our findings suggest that lymphopenia relates more to disease pathology than medical treatment.

  14. Pelvic floor muscle strength evaluation in different body positions in nulliparous healthy women and its correlation with sexual activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Orsi Gameiro

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective The aim of this study was to assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM strength in different body positions in nulliparous healthy women and its correlation with sexual activity. Materials and Methods Fifty healthy nulliparous women with mean age of 23 years were prospectively studied. Subjective evaluation of PFM was assessed by transvaginal digital palpation (TDP of anterior and posterior areas regarding the vaginal introitus. A perineometer with inflatable vaginal probe was used to assess the PFM strength in four different positions: supine with extended lower limbs (P1; bent-knee supine (P2; sitting (P3; standing (P4. Results Physical activity, 3 times per week, was reported by 58% of volunteers. Sexual activity was observed in 80% of women and 82% of them presented orgasm. The average body mass index (BMI was 21.76 kg/m2, considered as normal according World Health Organization (WHO. We observed that 68% of volunteers were conscious about the PFM contraction. TDP showed concordance of 76% when anterior and posterior areas were compared (p = 0.00014. There was not correlation between PFM strength and orgasm in subjective evaluation. The PFM strength was significantly higher in standing position when compared with the other positions (p < 0.000. No statistical difference was observed between orgasm and PFM strength when objective evaluations were performed. Conclusions There was concordance between anterior and posterior areas in 76% of cases when subjective PFM strength was assessed. In objective evaluation, higher PFM strength was observed when volunteers were standing. No statistical correlation was observed between PFM strength and orgasm in nulliparous healthy women.

  15. On bounded rank positive semidefinite matrix completions of extreme partial correlation matrices.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Eisenberg-Nagy (Marianna); M. Laurent (Monique); A. Varvitsiotis (Antonios)

    2012-01-01

    htmlabstractWe study a new geometric graph parameter egd(G), defined as the smallest integer r ≥ 1 for which any partial symmetric matrix which is completable to a correlation matrix and whose entries are specified at the positions of the edges of G, can be completed to a matrix in the convex hull

  16. Clinicopathological correlation and prognostic significance of sonic hedgehog protein overexpression in human gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Yanyang; Li, Fang; Tang, Bo; Shi, Yan; Hao, Yingxue; Yu, Peiwu

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the expression of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) protein in gastric cancer, and correlated it with clinicopathological parameters. The prognostic significance of Shh protein was analyzed. Shh protein expression was evaluated in 113 cases of gastric cancer and 60 cases of normal gastric mucosa. The immunoreactivity was scored semi quantitatively as: 0 = absent; 1 = weak; 2 = moderate; and 3 = strong. All cases were further classified into two groups, namely non-overexpression group with score 0 or 1, and overexpression group with score 2 or 3. The overexpression of Shh protein was correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Survival analysis was then performed to determine the Shh protein prognostic significance in gastric cancer. In immunohistochemistry study, nineteen (31.7%) normal gastric mucosa revealed Shh protein overexpression, while eighty-one (71.7%) gastric cancer revealed overexpression. The expression of Shh protein were significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues than in normal gastric mucosa (P overexpression and non-expression groups P = 0.168 and 0.071). However, Shh overexpression emerged as a significant independent prognostic factor in multivariate Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio 1.187, P = 0.041). Shh protein expression is upregulated and is statistically correlated with age, tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, pathologic staging, and nodal metastasis. The Shh protein overexpression is a significant independent prognostic factor in multivariate Cox regression analysis in gastric cancer.

  17. Reporting instructions significantly impact false positive rates when reading chest radiographs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robinson, John W.; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia; Lewis, Sarah J. [The University of Sydney, Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group, Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lidcombe, NSW (Australia)

    2016-10-15

    To determine the impact of specific reporting tasks on the performance of radiologists when reading chest radiographs. Ten experienced radiologists read a set of 40 postero-anterior (PA) chest radiographs: 21 nodule free and 19 with a proven solitary nodule. There were two reporting conditions: an unframed task (UFT) to report any abnormality and a framed task (FT) reporting only lung nodule/s. Jackknife free-response operating characteristic (JAFROC) figure of merit (FOM), specificity, location sensitivity and number of true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) and false negative (FN) decisions were used for analysis. JAFROC FOM for tasks showed a significant reduction in performance for framed tasks (P = 0.006) and an associated decrease in specificity (P = 0.011) but no alteration to the location sensitivity score. There was a significant increase in number of FP decisions made during framed versus unframed tasks for nodule-containing (P = 0.005) and nodule-free (P = 0.011) chest radiographs. No significant differences in TP were recorded. Radiologists report more FP decisions when given specific reporting instructions to search for nodules on chest radiographs. The relevance of clinical history supplied to radiologists is called into question and may induce a negative effect. (orig.)

  18. Reporting instructions significantly impact false positive rates when reading chest radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robinson, John W.; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia; Lewis, Sarah J.

    2016-01-01

    To determine the impact of specific reporting tasks on the performance of radiologists when reading chest radiographs. Ten experienced radiologists read a set of 40 postero-anterior (PA) chest radiographs: 21 nodule free and 19 with a proven solitary nodule. There were two reporting conditions: an unframed task (UFT) to report any abnormality and a framed task (FT) reporting only lung nodule/s. Jackknife free-response operating characteristic (JAFROC) figure of merit (FOM), specificity, location sensitivity and number of true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) and false negative (FN) decisions were used for analysis. JAFROC FOM for tasks showed a significant reduction in performance for framed tasks (P = 0.006) and an associated decrease in specificity (P = 0.011) but no alteration to the location sensitivity score. There was a significant increase in number of FP decisions made during framed versus unframed tasks for nodule-containing (P = 0.005) and nodule-free (P = 0.011) chest radiographs. No significant differences in TP were recorded. Radiologists report more FP decisions when given specific reporting instructions to search for nodules on chest radiographs. The relevance of clinical history supplied to radiologists is called into question and may induce a negative effect. (orig.)

  19. A position-sensitive scintillation detector for two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation using metal-package position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Koji; Nagai, Yasuyoshi; Saito, Haruo; Nagashima, Yasuyuki; Hyodo, Toshio; Muramatsu, Shinichi; Nagai, Shota

    1999-01-01

    We have constructed and tested a prototype of a new position sensitive γ-ray detector which consists of an array of 2.6x2.6x18 mm 3 BGO scintillator blocks, a light guide, and four metal-package position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes (R5900-00-C8) recently developed by Hamamatsu Photonics Co. Ltd. Scalability of the detector of this type makes it possible to construct a larger detector using many PS-PMTs, which will be useful for the two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation apparatus

  20. No Correlation between Distorted Body Representations Underlying Tactile Distance Perception and Position Sense

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew R. Longo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Both tactile distance perception and position sense are believed to require that immediate afferent signals be referenced to a stored representation of body size and shape (the body model. For both of these abilities, recent studies have reported that the stored body representations involved are highly distorted, at least in the case of the hand, with the hand dorsum represented as wider and squatter than it actually is. Here, we investigated whether individual differences in the magnitude of these distortions are shared between tactile distance perception and position sense, as would be predicted by the hypothesis that a single distorted body model underlies both tasks. We used established task to measure distortions of the represented shape of the hand dorsum. Consistent with previous results, in both cases there were clear biases to overestimate distances oriented along the medio-lateral axis of the hand compared to the proximo-distal axis. Moreover, within each task there were clear split-half correlations, demonstrating that both tasks show consistent individual differences. Critically, however, there was no correlation between the magnitudes of distortion in the two tasks. This casts doubt on the proposal that a common body model underlies both tactile distance perception and position sense.

  1. Entorhinal cortex volume measured with 3T MRI is positively correlated with the Wechsler memory scale-revised logical/verbal memory score for healthy subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goto, Masami; Abe, Osamu; Takao, Hidemasa; Inano, Sachiko; Mori, Harushi; Kunimatsu, Akira; Ohtomo, Kuni; Miyati, Tosiaki; Yoshikawa, Takeharu; Hayashi, Naoto; Kabasawa, Hiroyuki; Aoki, Shigeki; Ino, Kenji; Iida, Kyouhito; Yano, Keiichi

    2011-01-01

    Previous studies revealed a correlation between local brain volume and cognitive function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between local gray matter volume and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) logical/verbal memory (WMS-R-verbal) score in healthy adults using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained in 1,169 healthy adults. The T1-weighted images in native space were bias-corrected, spatially normalized, and segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid images with Statistical Parametric Mapping 5. To investigate regionally the specific effects of the WMS-R-verbal score on the gray matter images, simple regression analysis was performed by VBM treating age, total intracranial volume, and gender as confounding covariates. A P value of less than 0.05 corrected with false discovery rate in voxel difference was considered to be statistically significant. Our study showed a significant positive correlation between the WMS-R-verbal score and the bilateral entorhinal cortex volume. In the right entorhinal, T value is 4.75, and the size of the clusters is 155 voxels. In the left entorhinal, T value is 4.08, and the size of the clusters is 23 voxels. A significant negative correlation was not found. To our knowledge, this is the first VBM study showing that entorhinal cortex volume is positively correlated with the WMS-R-verbal score for healthy subjects. Therefore, in our structural neuroimaging study, we add evidence to the hypothesis that the entorhinal cortex is involved in verbal memory processing. (orig.)

  2. Entorhinal cortex volume measured with 3T MRI is positively correlated with the Wechsler memory scale-revised logical/verbal memory score for healthy subjects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goto, Masami [University of Tokyo Hospital, Department of Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Kanazawa University, Tsunomatyou, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa (Japan); Abe, Osamu; Takao, Hidemasa; Inano, Sachiko; Mori, Harushi; Kunimatsu, Akira; Ohtomo, Kuni [University of Tokyo Hospital, Department of Radiology, Tokyo (Japan); Miyati, Tosiaki [Kanazawa University, Tsunomatyou, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa (Japan); Yoshikawa, Takeharu; Hayashi, Naoto [University of Tokyo Hospital, Department of Computational Diagnostic Radiology and Preventive Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Kabasawa, Hiroyuki [GE Healthcare, Japan Applied Science Laboratory, Hino (Japan); Aoki, Shigeki [Juntendo University, Department of Radiology, Tokyo (Japan); Ino, Kenji; Iida, Kyouhito; Yano, Keiichi [University of Tokyo Hospital, Department of Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

    2011-08-15

    Previous studies revealed a correlation between local brain volume and cognitive function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between local gray matter volume and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) logical/verbal memory (WMS-R-verbal) score in healthy adults using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained in 1,169 healthy adults. The T1-weighted images in native space were bias-corrected, spatially normalized, and segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid images with Statistical Parametric Mapping 5. To investigate regionally the specific effects of the WMS-R-verbal score on the gray matter images, simple regression analysis was performed by VBM treating age, total intracranial volume, and gender as confounding covariates. A P value of less than 0.05 corrected with false discovery rate in voxel difference was considered to be statistically significant. Our study showed a significant positive correlation between the WMS-R-verbal score and the bilateral entorhinal cortex volume. In the right entorhinal, T value is 4.75, and the size of the clusters is 155 voxels. In the left entorhinal, T value is 4.08, and the size of the clusters is 23 voxels. A significant negative correlation was not found. To our knowledge, this is the first VBM study showing that entorhinal cortex volume is positively correlated with the WMS-R-verbal score for healthy subjects. Therefore, in our structural neuroimaging study, we add evidence to the hypothesis that the entorhinal cortex is involved in verbal memory processing. (orig.)

  3. Evaluation of significance of positive familial history in prevalence of hypertension in Isfahan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tavassoli A

    1997-09-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors of vascular heart disease. Control of hypertension in different age groups has a significant effect upon the control and prevention of vascular heart disease. A familial pattern is observed in the distribution of blood pressure in different societies. Family history of hypertension has a profound effect on the future risk of developing hypertension. The blood pressure of approximately 8150 inhabitants of Isfahan aged above 18 years was measured during 1993-94. Blood pressure measurements were performed according to the standards set by WHO i.e., on two separate occasions, in the sitting position, and from both arms. A questionnaire was completed consisting of 26 questions, including questions regarding history of hypertension in first and second-degree relatives. Cases with a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or more, were referred to the Cardiovascular Research Center of Isfahan for further evaluation. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was higher in cases with a positive family history of hypertension. In this study, 37.4% of the men with hypertension and 45.4% of hypertensive women had positive history of hypertension in first-degree relatives. The association between positive family history and hypertension was not significant in men (P=0.62, but it was significant in women (P=0.000. This difference was less pronounced in the older age groups, which could be explained by the illiteracy of most of the older cases and their ignorance of the existence of hypertension in family members. After correcting for the effects of confounding factors, it appears that positive family history has a stronger association with the development of hypertension in women. Moreover, positive family history is a strong prognostic factor in the likelihood of hypertension in the children of affected cases. These findings emphasize the importance of routine blood pressure measurement in children and

  4. Correlation of cancer incidence with diet, smoking and socio- economic position across 22 districts of Tehran in 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohani-Rasaf, Marzieh; Abdollahi, Morteza; Jazayeri, Shima; Kalantari, Naser; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen

    2013-01-01

    Variation in cancer incidence in geographical locations is due to different lifestyles and risk factors. Diet and socio-economic position (SEP) have been identified as important for the etiology of cancer but patterns are changing and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations of the incidence of common cancers with food groups, total energy, smoking, and SEP. In an ecological study, disaggregated cancer data through the National Cancer Registry in Iran (2008) and dietary intake, smoking habits and SEP obtained through a population based survey within the Urban Health Equity Assessment (Urban-HEART) project were correlated across 22 districts of Tehran. Consumption of fruit, meat and dairy products adjusted for energy were positively correlated with bladder, colorectal, prostate and breast and total cancers in men and women, while these cancers were adversely correlated with bread and fat intake. Also prostate, breast, colorectal, bladder and ovarian cancers had a positive correlation with SEP; there was no correlation between SEP and skin cancer in both genders and stomach cancer in men. The incidence of cancer was higher in some regions of Tehran which appeared to be mainly determined by SEP rather than dietary intake. Further individual data are required to investigate reasons of cancer clustering.

  5. A high-significance measurement of correlation between unresolved IRAS sources and optically-selected galaxy clusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hincks, Adam D.; Hajian, Amir [Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8 (Canada); Addison, Graeme E., E-mail: hincks@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: ahajian@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: gaddison@phas.ubc.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 (Canada)

    2013-05-01

    We cross-correlate the 100 μm Improved Reprocessing of the IRAS Survey (IRIS) map and galaxy clusters at 0.1 < z < 0.3 in the maxBCG catalogue taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, measuring an angular cross-power spectrum over multipole moments 150 < l < 3000 at a total significance of over 40σ. The cross-spectrum, which arises from the spatial correlation between unresolved dusty galaxies that make up the cosmic infrared background (CIB) in the IRIS map and the galaxy clusters, is well-fit by a single power law with an index of −1.28±0.12, similar to the clustering of unresolved galaxies from cross-correlating far-infrared and submillimetre maps at longer wavelengths. Using a recent, phenomenological model for the spectral and clustering properties of the IRIS galaxies, we constrain the large-scale bias of the maxBCG clusters to be 2.6±1.4, consistent with existing analyses of the real-space cluster correlation function. The success of our method suggests that future CIB-optical cross-correlations using Planck and Herschel data will significantly improve our understanding of the clustering and redshift distribution of the faint CIB sources.

  6. Perceived parenting, school climate and positive youth development ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    For this purpose, 400 female high school students of Kerman responded to the scale of parenting style perception, school climate perception, and positive youth development. The results of correlation analysis indicated a positive and significant correlation between school climate dimensions (teacher support, autonomy ...

  7. Evidence for a positive correlation between serum cortisol levels and IL-1beta production by peripheral mononuclear cells in anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limone, P; Biglino, A; Bottino, F; Forno, B; Calvelli, P; Fassino, S; Berardi, C; Ajmone-Catt, P; Bertagna, A; Tarocco, R P; Rovera, G G; Molinatti, G M

    2000-01-01

    A hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been reported in anorexia nervosa (AN), together with some immunological abnormalities, involving citokine - and particularly Tumor Necrosis-Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) - production by polymorphonuclear cells. The ability of pro-inflammatory cytokines to activate the HPA axis is well known; however, there are no data demonstrating an interdependence between immunological and endocrine response in AN. To investigate the presence of a correlation between immune response and pituitary-adrenal function, plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were measured in 13 AN patients and in the same number of controls. TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta production by ex-vivo unstimulated and LPS-stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells was also assessed. Circulating cortisol concentrations were higher (p<0.01) in AN (156.7 +/- 45.1 microg/l, mean +/- SD) than in controls (105.9 +/- 25.7 microg/l). Unstimulated IL-1beta release in supernatants of mononuclear cell cultures was slightly but not significantly higher in AN than in controls, while TNF-alpha release was similar in the two groups. A positive correlation was found between IL-1beta concentrations in unstimulated culture supranatants and serum cortisol levels in AN (r=0.782, p=0.002), while in normal subjects there was a trend toward a negative correlation; a slight positive correlation, while not significant, between IL-1beta and plasma ACTH, as well as between TNF-alpha and serum cortisol was also found in AN. These data suggest that the normal relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines release, particularly IL-1beta, and cortisol secretion is deranged in AN.

  8. Serum liver fatty acid binding protein levels correlate positively with obesity and insulin resistance in Chinese young adults.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Shi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1 plays an inconclusive role in adiposity. We investigated the association of serum FABP1 levels with obesity and insulin resistance in Chinese young people under 30 years old. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cross-sectional analysis including 200 obese and 172 normal-weight subjects matched for age and sex, anthropometric measurements were performed and serum FABP1 and biochemical characteristics were measured. Insulin resistance was determined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR and by the insulin sensitivity index (S(i derived from Bergman's minimal model. FABP1 levels in obese subjects were significantly higher than those in normal-weight subjects (p<0.001 and the significance remained after adjustment for age, gender, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (p<0.001. Serum FABP1 levels were significantly correlated with many metabolic-related parameters, with BMI and triglycerides as the independent determinants. FABP1 levels remained an independent risk factor of insulin resistance assessed by binary S(i (OR = 1.868 per SD unit, 95% CI [1.035-3.373], p = 0.038 after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol,. FABP1 levels were also elevated with an increasing number of components of the metabolic syndrome (p for trend <0.001. Multiple regression modeling for the MetS and its components demonstrated that hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol were significantly correlated to serum FABP1 levels. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Serum FABP1 correlates positively with obesity and insulin resistance in Chinese young adults. Our data supports the fact that FABP1 might be an important mediator participating in fatty acid metabolism and energy balance.

  9. Experimental assessment of the importance of amino acid positions identified by an entropy-based correlation analysis of multiple-sequence alignments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietrich, Susanne; Borst, Nadine; Schlee, Sandra; Schneider, Daniel; Janda, Jan-Oliver; Sterner, Reinhard; Merkl, Rainer

    2012-07-17

    The analysis of a multiple-sequence alignment (MSA) with correlation methods identifies pairs of residue positions whose occupation with amino acids changes in a concerted manner. It is plausible to assume that positions that are part of many such correlation pairs are important for protein function or stability. We have used the algorithm H2r to identify positions k in the MSAs of the enzymes anthranilate phosphoribosyl transferase (AnPRT) and indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) that show a high conn(k) value, i.e., a large number of significant correlations in which k is involved. The importance of the identified residues was experimentally validated by performing mutagenesis studies with sAnPRT and sIGPS from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. For sAnPRT, five H2r mutant proteins were generated by replacing nonconserved residues with alanine or the prevalent residue of the MSA. As a control, five residues with conn(k) values of zero were chosen randomly and replaced with alanine. The catalytic activities and conformational stabilities of the H2r and control mutant proteins were analyzed by steady-state enzyme kinetics and thermal unfolding studies. Compared to wild-type sAnPRT, the catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(M)) were largely unaltered. In contrast, the apparent thermal unfolding temperature (T(M)(app)) was lowered in most proteins. Remarkably, the strongest observed destabilization (ΔT(M)(app) = 14 °C) was caused by the V284A exchange, which pertains to the position with the highest correlation signal [conn(k) = 11]. For sIGPS, six H2r mutant and four control proteins with alanine exchanges were generated and characterized. The k(cat)/K(M) values of four H2r mutant proteins were reduced between 13- and 120-fold, and their T(M)(app) values were decreased by up to 5 °C. For the sIGPS control proteins, the observed activity and stability decreases were much less severe. Our findings demonstrate that positions with high conn(k) values have an

  10. Correlation of Merkel cell polyomavirus positivity with PDGFRα mutations and survivin expression in Merkel cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batinica, M; Akgül, B; Silling, S; Mauch, C; Zigrino, P

    2015-07-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a neuroendocrine cancer of the skin postulated to originate through Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) oncogenesis and/or by mutations in molecules implicated in the regulation of cell growth and survival. Despite the fact that MCPvV is detected more broadly within the population, only a part of the infected people also develop MCC. It is thus conceivable that together, virus and for example mutations, are necessary for disease development. However, apart from a correlation between MCPyV positivity or mutations and MCC development, less is known about the association of these factors with progressive disease. To analyze MCPyV positivity, load and integration in MCC as well as presence of mutations in PDGFRα and TP53 genes and correlate these with clinical features and disease progression to identify features with prognostic value for clinical progression. This is a study on a MCC population group of 64 patients. MCPyV positivity, load and integration in parallel to mutations in the PDGFRα and TP53 were analyzed on genomic DNA from MCC specimens. In addition, expression of PDGFRα, survivin and p53 proteins was analyzed by immunodetection in tissues specimens. All these parameters were analyzed as function of patient's disease progression status. 83% of MCCs were positive for the MCPyV and among these 36% also displayed virus-T integration. Viral load ranged from 0.006 to 943 viral DNA copies/β-globin gene and was highest in patients with progressive disease. We detected more than one mutation within the PDGFRα gene and identified two new SNPs in 36% of MCC patients, whereas no mutations were found in TP53 gene. Survivin was expressed in 78% of specimens. We could not correlate either mutations in PDGFR or expression of PDGFR, p53 and surviving either to the disease progression or to the MCPyV positivity. In conclusion, our data indicate that the viral positivity when associated with high viral load, correlates with poor disease

  11. Radiation propagation in random media: From positive to negative correlations in high-frequency fluctuations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, Anthony B.; Mineev-Weinstein, Mark B.

    2011-01-01

    We survey research on radiation propagation or ballistic particle motion through media with randomly variable material density, and we investigate the topic with an emphasis on very high spatial frequencies. Our new results are based on a specific variability model consisting of a zero-mean Gaussian scaling noise riding on a constant value that is large enough with respect to the amplitude of the noise to yield overwhelmingly non-negative density. We first generalize known results about sub-exponential transmission from regular functions, which are almost everywhere continuous, to merely 'measurable' ones, which are almost everywhere discontinuous (akin to statistically stationary noises), with positively correlated fluctuations. We then use the generalized measure-theoretic formulation to address negatively correlated stochastic media without leaving the framework of conventional (continuum-limit) transport theory. We thus resolve a controversy about recent claims that only discrete-point process approaches can accommodate negative correlations, i.e., anti-clustering of the material particles. We obtain in this case the predicted super-exponential behavior, but it is rather weak. Physically, and much like the alternative discrete-point process approach, the new model applies most naturally to scales commensurate with the inter-particle distance in the material, i.e., when the notion of particle density breaks down due to Poissonian-or maybe not-so-Poissonian-number-count fluctuations occur in the sample volume. At the same time, the noisy structure must prevail up to scales commensurate with the mean-free-path to be of practical significance. Possible applications are discussed.

  12. Expression of integrin α3β1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) are positively correlated in human breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Anshu; Al-Rohil, Rami N; Batra, Anupam; Feustel, Paul J; Jones, David M; DiPersio, C Michael

    2014-01-01

    Expression of integrin α3β1 is associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis in several cancers, including breast cancer. Moreover, preclinical studies have revealed important pro-tumorigenic and pro-metastatic functions for this integrin, including tumor growth, survival, invasion, and paracrine induction of angiogenesis. Our previously published work in a preclinical breast cancer model showed that integrin α3β1 promotes expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2/PTGS2), a known driver of breast cancer progression. However, the clinical significance of this regulation was unknown. The objective of the current study was to assess the clinical relevance of the relationship between integrin α3β1 and COX2 by testing for their correlated expression among various forms of human breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess co-expression of α3 and COX2 in specimens of human invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), either on a commercial tissue microarray (n = 59 samples) or obtained from Albany Medical Center archives (n = 68 samples). Immunostaining intensity for the integrin α3 subunit or COX2 was scored, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis was performed to assess their co-expression across and within different tumor subtypes or clinicopathologic criteria. Although expression of integrin α3 or COX2 varied among clinical IDC samples, a statistically significant, positive correlation was detected between α3 and COX2 in both tissue microarrays (r s = 0.49, p < 0.001, n = 59) and archived samples (r s = 0.59, p < 0.0001, n = 68). In both sample sets, this correlation was independent of hormone receptor status, histological grade, or disease stage. COX2 and α3 are correlated in IDC independently of hormone receptor status or other clinicopathologic features, supporting the hypothesis that integrin α3β1 is a determinant of COX2 expression in human breast cancer. These results support the clinical relevance of α3β1

  13. Significance of radiographic abnormalities in patients with tibial stress injuries: correlation with magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kijowski, Richard; Choi, James; Smet, Arthur de; Mukharjee, Rajat

    2007-01-01

    The objective was to correlate radiographic findings with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with suspected tibial stress injuries in order to determine the significance of radiographic signs of stress injury in these individuals. The study group consisted of 80 patients with suspected tibial stress injuries who underwent a radiographic and MR examination of the tibia. Nineteen patients had bilateral involvement. Thus, a total of 99 tibias were evaluated. All radiographs and MR examinations were retrospectively reviewed, 1 month apart, in consensus by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The radiographs were reviewed without knowledge of the site of the clinical symptoms. Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association between a positive radiograph and the presence of various MRI signs of a high-grade stress injury. There was a strong association between the presence of periosteal reaction on radiographs at the site of the clinical symptoms and a Fredericson grade 4 stress injury on MRI. The presence of periosteal reaction on radiographs at the site of clinical symptoms is predictive of a high-grade stress injury by MRI criteria. (orig.)

  14. Proverb interpretation in schizophrenia: the significance of symptomatology and cognitive processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sponheim, Scott R; Surerus-Johnson, Christa; Leskela, Jennie; Dieperink, Michael E

    2003-12-15

    Although clinicians have patients interpret proverbs in mental status exams for psychosis, there are few empirical studies investigating the significance of proverb interpretation. In schizophrenia patients, we found abstraction positively correlated with overall intelligence but no symptom measures, concreteness negatively correlated with overall intelligence, executive functioning, attention, and memory, and bizarre-idiosyncratic responses associated with positive formal thought disorder but no cognitive functions.

  15. Serum uric acid levels correlate with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celikbilek, A; Gencer, Z K; Saydam, L; Zararsiz, G; Tanik, N; Ozkiris, M

    2014-01-01

    Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a frequently encountered condition that can severely affect the quality of life. In this study, we aimed to assess the possible relations between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and BPPV. Fifty patients with BPPV, and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. All the patients and controls underwent a complete audio-vestibular test battery including the Dix-Hallpike maneuver and supine roll test for posterior semicircular canal (PSC) and horizontal semicircular canal, respectively. Routine hematological and biochemical analyses were performed in both groups. In the BPPV group, measurements of SUA levels were repeated 1 month after the vertigo attack. The lipid profiles and SUA levels were higher in patients with BPPV than detected in controls (P multiple logistic regression models (P decrement in SUA level 1 month after the vertigo attack compared with the values obtained during the attack (P 0.05). Elevated SUA is positively correlated with BPPV, requiring further efforts to clarify the exact mechanism. © 2013 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2013 EFNS.

  16. EMMPRIN expression positively correlates with WHO grades of astrocytomas and meningiomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Wen-Chiuan; Chen, Ying; Huang, Li-Chun; Lee, Herng-Sheng; Ma, Hsin-I; Huang, Shih-Ming; Sytwu, Huey-Kang; Hueng, Dueng-Yuan

    2013-09-01

    High-grade primary brain tumors possessed poor outcome due to invasiveness. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) stimulates peri-tumoral fibroblasts to secrete matrix metalloproteinase and promote invasiveness. This study hypothesized that high-grade brain tumors overexpress EMMPRIN. Analyzing the public delinked database from the Gene Expression Omnibus profile, the results showed that the EMMPRIN mRNA level was higher in WHO grade IV (n = 81) than in grade III (n = 19, p EMMPRIN levels positively correlated with WHO grades for astrocytomas (p = 0.008) and meningiomas (p = 0.048). EMMPRIN mRNA levels in conventional glioma cell lines (n = 36) was not less than those in glioma primary culture cells (n = 27) and glioblastoma stem-like cells (n = 12). The GBM8401, U87MG, and LN229 human glioma cell lines also overexpressed EMMPRIN. Hematoxylin and eosin, IHC, and immunofluorescence staining of xenografts confirmed that high-grade brain tumors overexpressed EMMPRIN. Lastly, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed poorer survival in WHO grade IV (n = 56) than in grade III astrocytomas (n = 21, by log-rank test; p = 0.0001, 95 % CI: 1.842-3.053). However, in high-grade astrocytomas, there was no difference in survival between high and low EMMPRIN mRNA levels. Thus, this study identified that high-grade brain tumors overexpress EMMPRIN, which positively correlates with WHO grades in human astrocytomas and meningiomas, and suggests that EMMPRIN may be a therapeutic target of brain tumor.

  17. Cell size is positively correlated between different tissues in passerine birds and amphibians, but not necessarily in mammals

    OpenAIRE

    Kozłowski, J.; Czarnołęski, M.; François-Krassowska, A.; Maciak, S.; Pis, T.

    2010-01-01

    We examined cell size correlations between tissues, and cell size to body mass relationships in passerine birds, amphibians and mammals. The size correlated highly between all cell types in birds and amphibians; mammalian tissues clustered by size correlation in three tissue groups. Erythrocyte size correlated well with the volume of other cell types in birds and amphibians, but poorly in mammals. In birds, body mass correlated positively with the size of all cell types including erythrocytes...

  18. Correlation between liver morphology and haemodynamics in alcoholic liver disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogsgaard, K; Gluud, C; Henriksen, J H

    1985-01-01

    destruction and wedged-to-free hepatic vein pressure (W-FHVP) (p less than 0.001). The degree of necrosis, fatty change and inflammation showed no correlation with portal pressure, whereas a significant positive correlation was found between the occurrence of Mallory bodies and W-FHVP (p less than 0......, hepatic architectural destruction (p less than 0.01) was positively correlated to hepatic resistance. Necrosis, fatty change, occurrence of Mallory bodies or inflammation showed no significant correlation with hepatic resistance. Mean hepatocyte volume was calculated in 29 patients, but no correlation...

  19. Correlation between natural radiation exposure and cancer mortality, (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noguchi, Kunikazu; Shimizu, Masami; Onishi, Masaaki; Sairenji, Eiko

    1986-01-01

    In the previous study, a statistically significant positive correlation between natural background radiation exposure rates and crude (non-age-adjusted) cancer mortality rates was observed in 46 Japanese prefectures over the period from 1968 until 1978. In the present investigation, however, the significance of this correlation mostly disappeared through age adjustment with only the two exceptions of female stomach and uterine cancers. Age adjusted male esophagus cancer mortality rate still showed a significant negative correlation. Female esophagus and pancreas cancers became negatively correlated with exposure rate through age adjustment. It was suggested that natural radiation levels are positively correlated with prefectural population component ratios older than 40, 50 and 65 years, which was considered to be one of the causes of apparent correlation between exposure rates and crude cancer mortality rates. (author)

  20. Basal metabolic rate is positively correlated with parental investment in laboratory mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadowska, Julita; Gębczyński, Andrzej K.; Konarzewski, Marek

    2013-01-01

    The assimilation capacity (AC) hypothesis for the evolution of endothermy predicts that the maternal basal metabolic rate (BMR) should be positively correlated with the capacity for parental investment. In this study, we provide a unique test of the AC model based on mice from a long-term selection experiment designed to produce divergent levels of BMR. By constructing experimental families with cross-fostered litters, we were able to control for the effect of the mother as well as the type of pup based on the selected lines. We found that mothers with genetically determined high levels of BMR were characterized by higher parental investment capacity, measured as the offspring growth rate. We also found higher food consumption and heavier visceral organs in the females with high BMR. These findings suggested that the high-BMR females have higher energy acquisition abilities. When the effect of the line type of a foster mother was controlled, the pup line type significantly affected the growth rate only in the first week of life, with young from the high-BMR line type growing more rapidly. Our results support the predictions of the AC model. PMID:23282996

  1. The Correlation of Initial Sputum Smear Positivity on Treatment Failure of Category 1 Therapy for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puput Dyah Ayu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Tuberculosis is an infectious disease and is an important public health problem. Based on data from East Java Province Health Department reported that number of tuberculosis patient in Surabaya is the highest in East Java on year 2014. Early identification and good treatment based on the result of sputum identification are the strategy use to control tuberculosis widespread. So that why, microscopic observation to identify acid fast bacilli (AFB is the fundamental stage to determine recovery treatment. Initial sputum smear positivity is necessary to determine infectious graded. The objectives of the study were to identify of initial sputum smear positivity on treatment failure of category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in RS Paru Surabaya year 2011-2014. This study used case control method with quantitative approach. Forty two samples were taken from secondary data. Case group is 21 samples who have treatment failure and control group is 21 successful treatment. Samples were selected by simple random sampling. The chi square correlation showed that highly positive initial smear (p = 0,045; OR = 5,4 have correlated and risk factor to treatment failure on category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis. The conclusion is patient’s high positive sputum smear initially correlated to treatment failure on category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in RS Paru Surabaya year 2011–2014. Keywords: initial sputum smear positivity, treatment failure,, category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis

  2. Significance of clinicopathological correlation in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gopal Ambadasrao Pandit

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Psoriasis affects about 1.5% to 3% of world′s population. Other papulosquamous dermatoses are Pityriasis rosea, Lichen planus, Seborrheic dermatitis, Pityriasis rubra pilaris and Parapsoriasis. Drug eruptions, tinea corporis, and secondary syphilis may also have papulosquamous morphology. Because all papulosquamous disorders are characterized by scaling papules, clinical confusion may result during their diagnosis. Separation of each of these becomes important because the treatment and prognosis for each tends to be disease-specific. Aim: To study the pattern of clinical and histopathological features of psoriasis of the skin with clinicopathological correlation. Material and methods: The present study of 42 cases of psoriasis of the skin was carried out in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care centre from December 2009 to October 2011. In this study, the patients which were clinically diagnosed as psoriasis of skin, before starting the treatment and attending the outdoor skin department were selected. Histopathological findings were interpreted in light of clinical details. Results: Out of 42 cases of psoriasis 24 (57.14% were males, 18 (42.86% were females with male to female ratio of 1.33:1. Mean age was 34.45 years. Maximum number of cases 22 (52.38% were encountered in 3rd and 4th decade of life. Histopathological findings: parakeratosis, acanthosis, suprapapillary thinning, Munro microabscesses and hypogranulosis were noted in most of the cases. Conclusion: Histopathology serves as a diagnostic tool and rules out other lesions which mimic psoriasis. The most accurate diagnosis is the one that most closely correlates with clinical outcome and helps to direct the most appropriate clinical intervention.

  3. Replication protein A in nonearly ovarian adenocarcinomas: correlation with MCM-2, MCM-5, Ki-67 index and prognostic significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levidou, Georgia; Ventouri, Kiriaki; Nonni, Afroditi; Gakiopoulou, Hariklia; Bamias, Aristotle; Sotiropoulou, Maria; Papaspirou, Irene; Dimopoulos, Meletios A; Patsouris, Efstratios; Korkolopoulou, Penelope

    2012-07-01

    Replication protein A (RPA) is an ssDNA-binding protein required for the initiation of DNA replication and the stabilization of ssDNA. Collaboration with several molecules, that is, the MCM2-7 complex, has been suggested to be imperative for its multifaceted role. In this study, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of the RPA2 subunit in correlation with the MCM-2 and MCM-5 and Ki67 index, and assessed its prognostic significance in 76 patients with nonearly ovarian adenocarcinomas, the majority of whom had a serous histotype. RPA2 protein expression was observed in all cases, whereas the staining intensity varied from weak to strong. RPA2 expression was correlated with the tumor stage in the entire cohort and in serous tumors (P=0.0053 in both relationships). Moreover, RPA2 immunoexpression was positively correlated with MCM-2 (P=0.0001) and MCM-5 (P0.10). In multivariate survival analysis, RPA2 expression emerged as an independent predictor of adverse outcome (PMCM-2 and MCM-5 expression and when analysis was restricted to serous carcinomas (P=0.004). Our results further support the interrelation of RPA2 protein with MCM-2 and MCM-5 in OCs. Moreover, RPA2 protein may play an important role in ovarian tumorigenesis, and may serve as a useful independent molecular marker for stratifying patients with OC in terms of prognosis.

  4. Information Literacy Skills Are Positively Correlated with Writing Grade and Overall Course Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Elizabeth Scott

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available A Review of: Shao, X., & Purpur, G. (2016. Effects of information literacy skills on student writing and course performance. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 42(6, 670-678. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2016.08.006 Abstract Objective – To measure the correlation of tested information literacy skills with individual writing scores and overall course grade. Design – Online, multiple-choice survey. Setting – Public research university in North Carolina, United States of America. Subjects – Freshmen students enrolled in either first-year seminar (UCO1200 or basic English writing course (ENG1000. Methods – A 25-question, forced-choice test was piloted with 30 students and measured for internal consistency using Cronbach’s Alphas. The survey instrument was slightly revised before being administered online via SelectSurvey, to 398 students in 19 different sections of either UCO1200 or ENG1000, during class sessions. The test measured students’ information literacy skills in four areas: research strategies, resource types, scholarly vs. popular, and evaluating websites. The preliminary questions asked for each student’s name, major (by category, number of library instruction sessions attended, and the names of library services utilized. The students’ information literacy scores were compared to their writing scores and overall course grades, both of which were obtained from course instructors. The information literacy scores were also analyzed for correlation to the number of library instruction sessions attended or the types of library services utilized. Main Results – Information literacy skills positively correlated with writing scores (n=344, r=-.153, p=0.004 and final course grades (n=345, r=0.112, p=0.037. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients results demonstrated relationships between writing scores and the information literacy test section “Scholarly versus Popular Sources” (n=344, r=0.145, p=0.007, and final

  5. Bose-Einstein study of position-momentum correlations of charged pions in hadronic $Z^{0}$ decays

    CERN Document Server

    Abbiendi, G.; Akesson, P.F.; Alexander, G.; Anagnostou, G.; Anderson, K.J.; Asai, S.; Axen, D.; Bailey, I.; Barberio, E.; Barillari, T.; Barlow, R.J.; Batley, R.J.; Bechtle, P.; Behnke, T.; Bell, Kenneth Watson; Bell, P.J.; Bella, G.; Bellerive, A.; Benelli, G.; Bethke, S.; Biebel, O.; Boeriu, O.; Bock, P.; Boutemeur, M.; Braibant, S.; Brown, Robert M.; Burckhart, H.J.; Campana, S.; Capiluppi, P.; Carnegie, R.K.; Carter, A.A.; Carter, J.R.; Chang, C.Y.; Charlton, D.G.; Ciocca, C.; Csilling, A.; Cuffiani, M.; Dado, S.; Dallavalle, G.M.; De Roeck, A.; De Wolf, E.A.; Desch, K.; Dienes, B.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Duerdoth, I.P.; Etzion, E.; Fabbri, F.; Ferrari, P.; Fiedler, F.; Fleck, I.; Ford, M.; Frey, A.; Gagnon, P.; Gary, John William; Geich-Gimbel, C.; Giacomelli, G.; Giacomelli, P.; Giunta, Marina; Goldberg, J.; Gross, E.; Grunhaus, J.; Gruwe, M.; Gupta, A.; Hajdu, C.; Hamann, M.; Hanson, G.G.; Harel, A.; Hauschild, M.; Hawkes, C.M.; Hawkings, R.; Herten, G.; Heuer, R.D.; Hill, J.C.; Horvath, D.; Igo-Kemenes, P.; Ishii, K.; Jeremie, H.; Jovanovic, P.; Junk, T.R.; Kanzaki, J.; Karlen, D.; Kawagoe, K.; Kawamoto, T.; Keeler, R.K.; Kellogg, R.G.; Kennedy, B.W.; Kluth, S.; Kobayashi, T.; Kobel, M.; Komamiya, S.; Kramer, T.; Krasznahorkay, A., Jr.; Krieger, P.; von Krogh, J.; Kuhl, T.; Kupper, M.; Lafferty, G.D.; Landsman, H.; Lanske, D.; Lellouch, D.; Lettso, J.; Levinson, L.; Lillich, J.; Lloyd, S.L.; Loebinger, F.K.; Lu, J.; Ludwig, A.; Ludwig, J.; Mader, W.; Marcellini, S.; Martin, A.J.; Mashimo, T.; Mattig, Peter; McKenna, J.; McPherson, R.A.; Meijers, F.; Menges, W.; Merritt, F.S.; Mes, H.; Meyer, N.; Michelini, A.; Mihara, S.; Mikenberg, G.; Miller, D.J.; Mohr, W.; Mori, T.; Mutter, A.; Nagai, K.; Nakamura, I.; Nanjo, H.; Neal, H.A.; O'Neale, S.W.; Oh, A.; Oreglia, M.J.; Orito, S.; Pahl, C.; Pasztor, G.; Pater, J.R.; Pilcher, J.E.; Pinfold, J.; Plane, D.E.; Pooth, O.; Przybycien, M.; Quadt, A.; Rabbertz, K.; Rembser, C.; Renkel, P.; Roney, J.M.; Rossi, A.M.; Rozen, Y.; Runge, K.; Sachs, K.; Saeki, T.; Sarkisyan, E.K.G.; Schaile, A.D.; Schaile, O.; Scharff-Hansen, P.; Schieck, J.; Schorner-Sadenius, T.; Schroder, M.; Schumacher, M.; Seuster, R.; Shears, T.G.; Shen, B.C.; Sherwood, P.; Skuja, A.; Smith, A.M.; Sobie, R.; Soldner-Rembold, S.; Spano, F.; Stahl, A.; Strom, David M.; Strohmer, R.; Tarem, S.; Tasevsky, M.; Teuscher, R.; Thomson, M.A.; Torrence, E.; Toya, D.; Trigger, I.; Trocsanyi, Z.; Tsur, E.; Turner-Watson, M.F.; Ueda, I.; Ujvari, B.; Vollmer, C.F.; Vannerem, P.; Vertesi, R.; Verzocchi, M.; Voss, H.; Vossebeld, J.; Ward, C.P.; Ward, D.R.; Watkins, P.M.; Watson, A.T.; Watson, N.K.; Wells, P.S.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Wilson, G.W.; Wilson, J.A.; Wolf, G.; Wyatt, T.R.; Yamashita, S.; Zer-Zion, D.; Zivkovic, Lidija

    2007-01-01

    A study of Bose-Einstein correlations in pairs of identically charged pions produced in e+e- annihilations at the Z0 peak has been performed for the first time assuming a non-static emitting source. The results are based on the high statistics data obtained with the OPAL detector at LEP. The correlation functions have been analyzed in intervals of the average pair transverse momentum and of the pair rapidity, in order to study possible correlations between the pion production points and their momenta (position-momentum correlations). The Yano-Koonin and the Bertsch-Pratt parameterizations have been fitted to the measured correlation functions to estimate the geometrical parameters of the source as well as the velocity of the source elements with respect to the overall centre-of-mass frame. The source rapidity is found to scale approximately with the pair rapidity, and both the longitudinal and transverse source dimensions are found to decrease for increasing average pair transverse momenta.

  6. A method for the estimation of the significance of cross-correlations in unevenly sampled red-noise time series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Max-Moerbeck, W.; Richards, J. L.; Hovatta, T.; Pavlidou, V.; Pearson, T. J.; Readhead, A. C. S.

    2014-11-01

    We present a practical implementation of a Monte Carlo method to estimate the significance of cross-correlations in unevenly sampled time series of data, whose statistical properties are modelled with a simple power-law power spectral density. This implementation builds on published methods; we introduce a number of improvements in the normalization of the cross-correlation function estimate and a bootstrap method for estimating the significance of the cross-correlations. A closely related matter is the estimation of a model for the light curves, which is critical for the significance estimates. We present a graphical and quantitative demonstration that uses simulations to show how common it is to get high cross-correlations for unrelated light curves with steep power spectral densities. This demonstration highlights the dangers of interpreting them as signs of a physical connection. We show that by using interpolation and the Hanning sampling window function we are able to reduce the effects of red-noise leakage and to recover steep simple power-law power spectral densities. We also introduce the use of a Neyman construction for the estimation of the errors in the power-law index of the power spectral density. This method provides a consistent way to estimate the significance of cross-correlations in unevenly sampled time series of data.

  7. IGF-1 levels are significantly correlated with patient-reported measures of sexual function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pastuszak, A W; Liu, J S; Vij, A; Mohamed, O; Sathyamoorthy, K; Lipshultz, L I; Khera, M

    2011-01-01

    Growth hormone (GH) supplementation may help to preserve erectile function. We assessed whether serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, a surrogate for GH levels, correlate with sexual function scores in 65 men who completed the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) and Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaires, and had serum IGF-1 and testosterone levels determined. Median±s.d. IGF-1 level, SHIM and EPIC scores were 235.0±86.4, 19.5±8.7 and 56.4±28.3 mg ml(-1), respectively. IGF-1 levels and total SHIM score correlate significantly (r=0.31, P=0.02), as do IGF-1 levels and all individual SHIM question scores, and IGF-1 levels and the sexual domain of the EPIC questionnaire (r=0.30, P=0.02). No correlation was observed between IGF-1 levels and Gleason score, IGF-1 and testosterone level or SHIM score and testosterone level. These data support a potential role for the GH axis in erectile function.

  8. Correlation between HBsAg, prothrombin time activity, and indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FAN Wenhai

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between HBsAg, prothrombin time activity (PTA, and indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (ICG R15 in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection. MethodsA total of 92 patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection who were admitted to The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from December 2015 to April 2016 were enrolled and divided into chronic hepatitis B (CHB group (24 patients, compensated liver cirrhosis group (38 patients, and decompensated liver cirrhosis group (30 patients. Serum HBsAg quantitation, PTA test, and liver reserve function test (ICG R15 were performed for all patients. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, an analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and a Pearson correlation analysis was also performed. ResultsThere were significant differences between the three groups in serum HBsAg quantitation (3.82±0.43 log10IU/ml vs 2.88±0.36 log10IU/ml vs 2.60±0.27 log10IU/ml, F=25.19, P<0.001, ICG R15 (7.51%±3.10% vs 9.57%±8.18% vs 24.13%±14.28%, F=24.00, P=0.001, and PTA (8100%±1762% vs 83.08%±9.64% vs 62.32%±16.90%, F=13.42, P=0.009. The correlation analysis showed that PTA was negatively correlated with ICG R15 in all three groups (r=-0.948, -0.602, and -0.735, all P<0.01. In the compensated liver cirrhosis group and decompensated liver cirrhosis group, HBsAg was positively correlated with PTA (r=0.410 and 0.473, both P<0.05 and negatively correlated with ICG R15 (r=-0.427 and -0.768, P<0.01. ConclusionIn HBeAg positive patients, there are certain correlations between HBsAg, PTA, and ICG R15, which, to a certain degree, reflects the liver reserve function in patients with chronic HBV infection.

  9. Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the positions of nearby active galactic nuclei

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abraham, J.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.; Aguirre, C.; Allard, D.; Allekotte, I.; Allen, J.; Allison, P.; Alvarez-Muniz, J.; Ambrosio, M.; Anchordoqui, L.; Andringa, S.; Anzalone, A.; Aramo, C.; Argiro, S.; Arisaka, K.; Armengaud, E.; Arneodo, F.; Arqueros, F.; Asch, T.; Asorey, H.; Assis, P.; Atulugama, B. S.; Aublin, J.; Ave, M.; Avila, G.; Baecker, T.; Badagnani, D.; Barbosa, A. F.; Barnhill, D.; Barroso, S. L. C.; Bauleo, P.; Beatty, J. J.; Beau, T.; Becker, B. R.; Becker, K. H.; Bellido, J. A.; BenZvi, S.; Berat, C.; Bergmann, T.; Bernardini, P.; Bertou, X.; Biermann, P. L.; Billoir, P.; Blanch-Bigas, O.; Blanco, F.; Blasi, P.; Bleve, C.; Bluemer, H.; Bohacova, M.; Bonifazi, C.; Bonino, R.; Brack, J.; Brogueira, P.; Brown, W. C.; Buchholz, P.; Bueno, A.; Burton, R. E.; Busca, N. G.; Caballero-Mora, K. S.; Cai, B.; Camin, D. V.; Caramete, L.; Caruso, R.; Carvalho, W.; Castellina, A.; Catalano, O.; Cataldi, G.; Cazon, L.; Cester, R.; Chauvin, J.; Chiavassa, A.; Chinellato, J. A.; Chou, A.; Chye, J.; Clay, R. W.; Colombo, E.; Conceicao, R.; Connolly, B.; Contreras, F.; Coppens, J.; Cordier, A.; Cotti, U.; Coutu, S.; Covault, C. E.; Creusot, A.; Criss, A.; Cronin, J.; Curutiu, A.; Dagoret-Campagne, S.; Daumiller, K.; Dawson, B. R.; de Almeida, R. M.; De Donato, C.; Bg, S. J. de Jong; De La Vega, G.; de Mello, W. J. M.; de Mello Neto, J. R. T.; De Mitri, I.; de Souza, V.; del Peral, L.; Deligny, O.; Della Selva, A.; Delle Fratte, C.; Dembinski, H.; Di Giulio, C.; Diaz, J. C.; Diep, P. N.; Dobrigkeit, C.; D'Olivo, J. C.; Dong, P. N.; Dornic, D.; Dorofeev, A.; dos Anjos, J. C.; Dova, M. T.; D'Urso, D.; Dutan, I.; DuVernois, M. A.; Engel, R.; Epele, L.; Escobar, C. O.; Etchegoyen, A.; Luis, P. Facal San; Falcke, H.; Farrar, G.; Fauth, A. C.; Fazzini, N.; Ferrer, F.; Ferry, S.; Fick, B.; Filevich, A.; Filipcic, A.; Fleck, I.; Fracchiolla, C. E.; Fulgione, W.; Garcia, B.; Gaimez, D. Garcia; Garcia-Pinto, D.; Garrido, X.; Geenen, H.; Gelmini, G.; Gemmeke, H.; Ghia, P. L.; Giller, M.; Glass, H.; Gold, M. S.; Golup, G.; Albarracin, F. Gomez; Berisso, M. Gomez; Herrero, R. Gomez; Goncalves, P.; do Amaral, M. Goncalves; Gonzalez, D.; Gonzalezc, J. G.; Gonzalez, M.; Gora, D.; Gorgi, A.; Gouffon, P.; Grassi, V.; Grillo, A. F.; Grunfeld, C.; Guardincerri, Y.; Guarino, F.; Guedes, G. P.; Gutierrez, J.; Hague, J. D.; Hamilton, J. C.; Hansen, P.; Harari, D.; Harmsma, S.; Harton, J. L.; Haungs, A.; Hauschildt, T.; Healy, M. D.; Hebbeker, T.; Hebrero, G.; Heck, D.; Hojvat, C.; Holmes, V. C.; Homola, P.; Hoerandel, J.; Horneffer, A.; Horvat, M.; Hrabovsky, M.; Huege, T.; Hussain, M.; Larlori, M.; Insolia, A.; Ionita, F.; Italiano, A.; Kaducak, M.; Kampert, K. H.; Karova, T.; Kegl, B.; Keilhauer, B.; Kemp, E.; Kieckhafer, R. M.; Klages, H. O.; Kleifges, M.; Kleinfeller, J.; Knapik, R.; Knapp, J.; Koanga, V. -H.; Krieger, A.; Kroemer, O.; Kuempel, D.; Kunka, N.; Kusenko, A.; La Rosa, G.; Lachaud, C.; Lago, B. L.; Lebrun, D.; LeBrun, P.; Lee, J.; de Oliveira, M. A. Leigui; Lopez, R.; Letessier-Selvon, A.; Leuthold, M.; Lhenry-Yvon, I.; Aguera, A. Lopez; Bahilo, J. Lozano; Garcia, R. Luna; Maccarone, M. C.; Macolino, C.; Maldera, S.; Mancarella, G.; Mancenido, M. E.; Mandatat, D.; Mantsch, P.; Mariazzi, A. G.; Maris, I. C.; Falcon, H. R. Marquez; Martello, D.; Martinez, J.; Bravo, O. Martinez; Mathes, H. J.; Matthews, J.; Matthews, J. A. J.; Matthiae, G.; Maurizio, D.; Mazur, P. O.; McCauley, T.; McEwen, M.; McNeil, R. R.; Medina, M. C.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Meli, A.; Melo, D.; Menichetti, E.; Menschikov, A.; Meurer, Chr.; Meyhandan, R.; Micheletti, M. I.; Miele, G.; Miller, W.; Mollerach, S.; Monasor, M.; Ragaigne, D. Monnier; Montanet, F.; Morales, B.; Morello, C.; Moreno, J. C.; Morris, C.; Mostafa, M.; Muller, M. A.; Mussa, R.; Navarra, G.; Navarro, J. L.; Navas, S.; Necesal, P.; Nellen, L.; Newman-Holmes, C.; Newton, D.; Nhung, P. T.; Nierstenhoefer, N.; Nitz, D.; Nosek, D.; Nozka, L.; Oehlschlaeger, J.; Ohnuki, T.; Olinto, A.; Olmos-Gilbaja, V. M.; Ortiz, M.; Ortolani, F.; Ostapchenko, S.; Otero, L.; Pacheco, N.; Selmi-Dei, D. Pakk; Palatka, M.; Pallotta, J.; Parente, G.; Parizot, E.; Parlati, S.; Pastor, S.; Patel, M.; Paul, T.; Pavlidou, V.; Payet, K.; Pech, M.; Pekala, J.; Pelayo, R.; Pepe, I. M.; Perrone, L.; Petrera, S.; Petrinca, P.; Petrov, Y.; Pichel, A.; Piegaia, R.; Pierog, T.; Pimenta, M.; Pinto, T.; Pirronello, V.; Pisanti, O.; Platino, M.; Pochon, J.; Privitera, P.; Prouza, M.; Quel, E. J.; Rautenberg, J.; Redondo, A.; Reucroft, S.; Revenu, B.; Rezende, F. A. S.; Ridky, J.; Riggi, S.; Risse, M.; Riviere, C.; Rizi, V.; Roberts, M.; Robledo, C.; Rodriguez, G.; Martino, J. Rodriguez; Rojo, J. Rodriguez; Rodriguez-Cabo, I.; Rodriguez-Frias, M. D.; Ros, G.; Rosado, J.; Roth, M.; Rouille-d'Orfeuil, B.; Roulet, E.; Roverok, A. C.; Salamida, F.; Salazar, H.; Salina, G.; Sanchez, F.; Santander, M.; Santo, C. E.; Santos, E. M.; Sarazin, F.; Sarkar, S.; Sato, R.; Scherini, V.; Schieler, H.; Schmidt, A.; Schmidt, F.; Schmidt, T.; Scholten, O.; Schovanek, P.; Schuessler, F.; Sciutto, S. J.; Scuderi, M.; Segreto, A.; Semikoz, D.; Settimo, M.; Shellard, R. C.; Sidelnik, I.; Siffert, B. B.; Sigl, G.; De Grande, N. Smetniansky; Smialkowski, A.; Smida, R.; Smith, A. G. K.; Smith, B. E.; Snow, G. R.; Sokolsky, P.; Sommers, P.; Sorokin, J.; Spinka, H.; Squartini, R.; Strazzeri, E.; Stutz, A.; Suarez, F.; Suomijarvi, T.; Supanitsky, A. D.; Sutherland, M. S.; Swain, J.; Szadkowski, Z.; Takahashi, J.; Tamashiro, A.; Tamburro, A.; Tascau, O.; Tcaciuc, R.; Thao, N. T.; Thomas, D.; Ticona, R.; Tiffenberg, J.; Timmermans, C.; Tkaczyk, W.; Peixoto, C. J. Todero; Tome, B.; Tonachini, A.; Torres, I.; Travnicek, P.; Tripathi, A.; Tristram, G.; Tscherniakhovski, D.; Tueros, M.; Ulrich, R.; Unger, M.; Urban, M.; Galicia, J. F. Valdes; Valino, I.; Valore, L.; van den Berg, A. M.; van Elewyck, V.; Vazquez, R. A.; Veberic, D.; Veiga, A.; Velarde, A.; Venters, T.; Verzi, V.; Videla, M.; Villasenor, L.; Vorobiov, S.; Voyvodic, L.; Wahlberg, H.; Wainberg, O.; Warner, D.; Watson, A. A.; Westerhoff, S.; Wieczorek, G.; Wiencke, L.; Wilczynska, B.; Wilczynski, H.; Wileman, C.; Winnick, M. G.; Wu, H.; Wundheiler, B.; Yamamoto, T.; Younk, P.; Zas, E.; Zavrtanik, D.; Zavrtanik, M.; Zech, A.; Zepeda, A.; Ziolkowski, M.

    Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory provide evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of the cosmic rays with the highest-energies, which are correlated with the positions of relatively nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) [Pierre Auger Collaboration, Science 318 (2007) 938]. The

  10. Correlative Studies in Clinical Trials: A Position Statement From the International Thyroid Oncology Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bible, Keith C; Cote, Gilbert J; Demeure, Michael J; Elisei, Rossella; Jhiang, Sissy; Ringel, Matthew D

    2015-12-01

    Patients with progressive thyroid cancer in distant metastatic sites represent a population with a need for new therapeutic options. Aspiring to improve the treatment of such patients, the objective of this position statement from the International Thyroid Oncology Group (ITOG) is to clarify the importance of incorporating high-quality correlative studies into clinical trials. ITOG was formed to develop and support high-quality multicenter and multidisciplinary clinical trials for patients with aggressive forms of thyroid cancer. The Correlative Sciences Committee of the ITOG focuses on the quality and types of correlative studies included in ITOG-associated clinical trials. This document represents expert consensus from ITOG regarding this issue based on extensive collective experience in clinical and translational trials informed by basic science. The Correlative Studies Committee identified an international writing group representative of diverse specialties, including basic sciences. Drafts were reviewed by all members of the writing group, the larger committee, and the ITOG board. After consideration of all comments by the writing group and modification of the document, the final document was then approved by the authors and the ITOG board. High-quality correlative studies, which include variety in the types of correlates, should be intrinsic to the design of thyroid cancer clinical trials to offer the best opportunity for each study to advance treatment for patients with advanced and progressive thyroid cancer.

  11. Soluble sortilin is present in excess and positively correlates with progranulin in CSF of aging individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molgaard, Simon; Demontis, Ditte; Nicholson, Alexandra M; Finch, Nicole A; Petersen, Ronald C; Petersen, Claus M; Rademakers, Rosa; Nykjaer, Anders; Glerup, Simon

    2016-11-01

    Mutations in progranulin are a major cause of frontotemporal lobe degeneration (FTLD). Hence, plasma progranulin is an attractive biomarker in FTLD but poorly reflects levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting tissue-specific regulation of progranulin levels. Sortilin was recently identified as a progranulin scavenger receptor that destines it for lysosomal degradation. Proteolysis or alternative splicing generates soluble sortilin variants that retain progranulin binding and potentially functions as a decoy receptor. In the present study, we analyzed soluble sortilin and progranulin in plasma and CSF in 341 aging individuals. We found that soluble sortilin exists in CSF in ten-fold molar excess compared to progranulin and observed a highly significant positive correlation between soluble sortilin and progranulin levels in CSF but not in plasma. However, carriers of the minor allele of SNP rs646776 in SORT1 encoding sortilin displayed significantly increased soluble sortilin and reduced progranulin specifically in plasma but not in CSF. Taken together, our findings suggest that soluble sortilin may affect progranulin levels in both a tissue-specific and genotype-dependent manner. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Hemoglobin A1c Is Positively Correlated with Framingham Risk Score in Older, Apparently Healthy Nondiabetic Korean Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Hye Shin

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested that elevated levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD in nondiabetic individuals. However, it is unclear whether HbA1c levels can serve as a simple screening marker for increased CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c levels and CVD risk using the Framingham risk score (FRS in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults.MethodsWe retrospectively studied 2,879 Korean adults between the ages of 40 and 79 who underwent voluntary health check-ups at the Health Promotion Center of our hospital from July 2009 to June 2011. Subjects were subdivided based on their HbA1c levels into four groups: tertiles within the HbA1c normal tolerance range and a group for subjects with an increased risk for diabetes (IRD.ResultsThe mean FRS for the upper tertile (9.6±3.8 group was significantly higher than that of the middle tertile (8.4±4.0 and lower tertile (7.6±3.8 groups. In addition, FRS was highest in the IRD group (10.5±3.7. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that HbA1c levels exhibited a significant positive correlation with FRS when adjusted for confounding variables in all subjects (β±standard error [SE], 0.018±0.002; R2, 0.131, women (β±SE, 0.023±0.003; R2, 0.170, and men (β±SE, 0.016±0.004; R2, 0.109.ConclusionHbA1c levels were positively correlated with FRS in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults. We propose that HbA1c levels may reflect CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals.

  13. Clinical significance of the position of dorsal root ganglia in degenerative lumbar diseases. Correlation between anatomic study and imaging study with MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seki, Masahiro; Kikuchi, Tomiichi [Fukushima Medical Coll., Matsuoka (Japan)

    1995-06-01

    In order to estimate the ralationship between the position of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and radicular symptoms, anatomical study was done on 81 cadavers, and a clinical study with MRI was done on 20 cases of lumbar disc herniation and 20 of lumbar spondylosis with L{sub 5} radiculopathy. The position of DRG is not related to the occurrence of radicular symptoms in disc herniation, while in lumbar spondylosis proximally placed DRG are related to both of unilateral and bilateral occurrence of redicular symptoms. Unilateral occurrence of radicular symptoms is influenced by surrounding tissues of the nerve root, rather than the position of DRG. (author).

  14. Clinical significance of the position of dorsal root ganglia in degenerative lumbar diseases. Correlation between anatomic study and imaging study with MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seki, Masahiro; Kikuchi, Tomiichi

    1995-01-01

    In order to estimate the ralationship between the position of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and radicular symptoms, anatomical study was done on 81 cadavers, and a clinical study with MRI was done on 20 cases of lumbar disc herniation and 20 of lumbar spondylosis with L 5 radiculopathy. The position of DRG is not related to the occurrence of radicular symptoms in disc herniation, while in lumbar spondylosis proximally placed DRG are related to both of unilateral and bilateral occurrence of redicular symptoms. Unilateral occurrence of radicular symptoms is influenced by surrounding tissues of the nerve root, rather than the position of DRG. (author)

  15. Interferometric constraints on quantum geometrical shear noise correlations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, Aaron; Glass, Henry; Richard Gustafson, H.; Hogan, Craig J.; Kamai, Brittany L.; Kwon, Ohkyung; Lanza, Robert; McCuller, Lee; Meyer, Stephan S.; Richardson, Jonathan W.; Stoughton, Chris; Tomlin, Ray; Weiss, Rainer

    2017-07-20

    Final measurements and analysis are reported from the first-generation Holometer, the first instrument capable of measuring correlated variations in space-time position at strain noise power spectral densities smaller than a Planck time. The apparatus consists of two co-located, but independent and isolated, 40 m power-recycled Michelson interferometers, whose outputs are cross-correlated to 25 MHz. The data are sensitive to correlations of differential position across the apparatus over a broad band of frequencies up to and exceeding the inverse light crossing time, 7.6 MHz. By measuring with Planck precision the correlation of position variations at spacelike separations, the Holometer searches for faint, irreducible correlated position noise backgrounds predicted by some models of quantum space-time geometry. The first-generation optical layout is sensitive to quantum geometrical noise correlations with shear symmetry---those that can be interpreted as a fundamental noncommutativity of space-time position in orthogonal directions. General experimental constraints are placed on parameters of a set of models of spatial shear noise correlations, with a sensitivity that exceeds the Planck-scale holographic information bound on position states by a large factor. This result significantly extends the upper limits placed on models of directional noncommutativity by currently operating gravitational wave observatories.

  16. On the Existence and Robustness of Steady Position-Momentum Correlations for Time-Dependent Quadratic Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Gianfreda

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We discuss conditions giving rise to stationary position-momentum correlations among quantum states in the Fock and coherent basis associated with the natural invariant for the one-dimensional time-dependent quadratic Hamiltonian operators such as the Kanai-Caldirola Hamiltonian. We also discuss some basic features such as quantum decoherence of the wave functions resulting from the corresponding quantum dynamics of these systems that exhibit no timedependence in their quantum correlations. In particular, steady statistical momentum averages are seen over well-defined time intervals in the evolution of a linear superposition of the basis states of modified exponentially damped mass systems.

  17. Positive correlation of serum leptin with estradiol levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mendonça H.C.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS usually are obese, insulin resistant and hyperinsulinemic. The known association between leptin, obesity andinsulin action suggests that leptin may have a role in PCOS but this has only been addressed peripherally. This study was designed to assess the relationship between serum leptin and the anthropometric, metabolic and endocrine variables of obese (body mass index, BMI ³30 kg/m² and non-obese (BMI <30 kg/m² PCOS patients. Twenty-eight PCOS patients and 24 control women subdivided into obese and non-obese groups were evaluated. Leptin, androgens, lipids, gonadotrophins and insulin-glucose response to the oral glucose tolerance test were measured by radioimmunoassay in all participants. The assays were done all in one time. The areas under the insulin curve (AUC-I and the glycemia curve were calculated to identify patients with insulin resistance. Mean leptin levels were not significantly higher in patients with PCOS compared to the control group (21.2 ± 10.2 vs 27.3 ± 12.4 ng/ml. Leptin levels were found to be significantly higher in the obese subgroups both in patients with PCOS (26.9 ± 9.3 vs 14.1 ± 7.0 ng/ml and in the control group (37.3 ± 15.5 vs 12.9 ± 5.8 ng/ml. The leptin of the PCOS group was correlated with BMI (r = 0.74; P < 0.0001 and estradiol (r = 0.48; P < 0.008 and tended to be correlated with the AUC-I (r = 0.36; P = 0.05. Of the parameters which showed a correlation with leptin in PCOS, only estradiol and probably insulinemia (AUC-I did not show a significant correlation with BMI, suggesting that the other parameters were correlated with leptin due to their correlation with BMI. Estradiol correlated with leptin in PCOS patients regardless of their weight.

  18. Factors correlating with significant differences between X-ray structures of myoglobin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashin, Alexander A.; Domagalski, Marcin J.; Zimmermann, Michael T.; Minor, Wladek; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Jernigan, Robert L.

    2014-01-01

    Conformational differences between myoglobin structures are studied. Most structural differences in whale myoglobin beyond the uncertainty threshold can be correlated with a few specific structural factors. There are always exceptions and a search for additional factors is needed. The results might have serious implications for biological insights from conformational differences. Validation of general ideas about the origins of conformational differences in proteins is critical in order to arrive at meaningful functional insights. Here, principal component analysis (PCA) and distance difference matrices are used to validate some such ideas about the conformational differences between 291 myoglobin structures from sperm whale, horse and pig. Almost all of the horse and pig structures form compact PCA clusters with only minor coordinate differences and outliers that are easily explained. The 222 whale structures form a few dense clusters with multiple outliers. A few whale outliers with a prominent distortion of the GH loop are very similar to the cluster of horse structures, which all have a similar GH-loop distortion apparently owing to intermolecular crystal lattice hydrogen bonds to the GH loop from residues near the distal histidine His64. The variations of the GH-loop coordinates in the whale structures are likely to be owing to the observed alternative intermolecular crystal lattice bond, with the change to the GH loop distorting bonds correlated with the binding of specific ‘unusual’ ligands. Such an alternative intermolecular bond is not observed in horse myoglobins, obliterating any correlation with the ligands. Intermolecular bonds do not usually cause significant coordinate differences and cannot be validated as their universal cause. Most of the native-like whale myoglobin structure outliers can be correlated with a few specific factors. However, these factors do not always lead to coordinate differences beyond the previously determined uncertainty

  19. Factors correlating with significant differences between X-ray structures of myoglobin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rashin, Alexander A., E-mail: alexander-rashin@hotmail.com [BioChemComp Inc., 543 Sagamore Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (United States); Iowa State University, 112 Office and Lab Bldg, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Domagalski, Marcin J. [University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Jordan Hall, Room 4223, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (United States); Zimmermann, Michael T. [Iowa State University, 112 Office and Lab Bldg, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Minor, Wladek [University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Jordan Hall, Room 4223, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (United States); Chruszcz, Maksymilian [University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Jordan Hall, Room 4223, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (United States); University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Jernigan, Robert L. [Iowa State University, 112 Office and Lab Bldg, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); BioChemComp Inc., 543 Sagamore Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (United States)

    2014-02-01

    Conformational differences between myoglobin structures are studied. Most structural differences in whale myoglobin beyond the uncertainty threshold can be correlated with a few specific structural factors. There are always exceptions and a search for additional factors is needed. The results might have serious implications for biological insights from conformational differences. Validation of general ideas about the origins of conformational differences in proteins is critical in order to arrive at meaningful functional insights. Here, principal component analysis (PCA) and distance difference matrices are used to validate some such ideas about the conformational differences between 291 myoglobin structures from sperm whale, horse and pig. Almost all of the horse and pig structures form compact PCA clusters with only minor coordinate differences and outliers that are easily explained. The 222 whale structures form a few dense clusters with multiple outliers. A few whale outliers with a prominent distortion of the GH loop are very similar to the cluster of horse structures, which all have a similar GH-loop distortion apparently owing to intermolecular crystal lattice hydrogen bonds to the GH loop from residues near the distal histidine His64. The variations of the GH-loop coordinates in the whale structures are likely to be owing to the observed alternative intermolecular crystal lattice bond, with the change to the GH loop distorting bonds correlated with the binding of specific ‘unusual’ ligands. Such an alternative intermolecular bond is not observed in horse myoglobins, obliterating any correlation with the ligands. Intermolecular bonds do not usually cause significant coordinate differences and cannot be validated as their universal cause. Most of the native-like whale myoglobin structure outliers can be correlated with a few specific factors. However, these factors do not always lead to coordinate differences beyond the previously determined uncertainty

  20. Significant difference in p53 and p21 protein immunoreactivity in HPV 16 positive and HPV negative breast carcinomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hennig, E.M.; Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo; Kvinnsland, S.; Holm, R.; Nesland, J.M.

    1999-01-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 has previously been found in 19/41 breast carcinomas (46%) in women with a history of HPV 16 positive CIN III lesions. There was no significant difference in distribution of histological subtypes, mean or median tumour diameter or number of regional lymph node metastases in the HPV positive and HPV negative breast carcinoma groups. P53, p21 and c-erbB-2 proteins were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in the HPV 16 positive and HPV negative breast carcinomas. There was a significant difference in p53 and p21 protein immunoreactivity between HPV 16 positive and HPV negative breast carcinomas (p=0.0091 and p=0.0040), with a significant less detectable p53 and p21 protein immunoreactivity in the HPV 16 positive cases. There was also a significant difference in the coexpression of p53/p21 between the HPV 16 positive and HPV 16 negative breast carcinomas (p=0.002). No significant difference in immunostaining for c-erbB-2 protein in the two groups was found (p=0.15), or for the coexpression of p53/c-erbB-2 (p=0.19). The significantly lower expression of p53 and p21 proteins in HPV 16 positive than in HPV 16 negative breast carcinomas supports the hypothesis of inactivation and degradation of wild-type p53 proteins by HPV 16 E6 and that p53 mutation is not necessary for transformation in the HPV 16 positive cases. (orig.)

  1. Prognostic Significance of Progesterone Receptor–Positive Tumor Cells Within Immunohistochemically Defined Luminal A Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prat, Aleix; Cheang, Maggie Chon U.; Martín, Miguel; Parker, Joel S.; Carrasco, Eva; Caballero, Rosalía; Tyldesley, Scott; Gelmon, Karen; Bernard, Philip S.; Nielsen, Torsten O.; Perou, Charles M.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Current immunohistochemical (IHC)-based definitions of luminal A and B breast cancers are imperfect when compared with multigene expression-based assays. In this study, we sought to improve the IHC subtyping by examining the pathologic and gene expression characteristics of genomically defined luminal A and B subtypes. Patients and Methods Gene expression and pathologic features were collected from primary tumors across five independent cohorts: British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) tamoxifen-treated only, Grupo Español de Investigación en Cáncer de Mama 9906 trial, BCCA no systemic treatment cohort, PAM50 microarray training data set, and a combined publicly available microarray data set. Optimal cutoffs of percentage of progesterone receptor (PR) –positive tumor cells to predict survival were derived and independently tested. Multivariable Cox models were used to test the prognostic significance. Results Clinicopathologic comparisons among luminal A and B subtypes consistently identified higher rates of PR positivity, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negativity, and histologic grade 1 in luminal A tumors. Quantitative PR gene and protein expression were also found to be significantly higher in luminal A tumors. An empiric cutoff of more than 20% of PR-positive tumor cells was statistically chosen and proved significant for predicting survival differences within IHC-defined luminal A tumors independently of endocrine therapy administration. Finally, no additional prognostic value within hormonal receptor (HR) –positive/HER2-negative disease was observed with the use of the IHC4 score when intrinsic IHC-based subtypes were used that included the more than 20% PR-positive tumor cells and vice versa. Conclusion Semiquantitative IHC expression of PR adds prognostic value within the current IHC-based luminal A definition by improving the identification of good outcome breast cancers. The new proposed IHC-based definition of luminal A

  2. Significant Correlation Between the Infant Gut Microbiome and Rotavirus Vaccine Response in Rural Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Vanessa C; Armah, George; Fuentes, Susana; Korpela, Katri E; Parashar, Umesh; Victor, John C; Tate, Jacqueline; de Weerth, Carolina; Giaquinto, Carlo; Wiersinga, Willem Joost; Lewis, Kristen D C; de Vos, Willem M

    2017-01-01

     Rotavirus (RV) is the leading cause of diarrhea-related death in children worldwide and 95% of RV-associated deaths occur in Africa and Asia where RV vaccines (RVVs) have lower efficacy. We hypothesize that differences in intestinal microbiome composition correlate with the decreased RVV efficacy observed in poor settings.  We conducted a nested, case-control study comparing prevaccination, fecal microbiome compositions between 6-week old, matched RVV responders and nonresponders in rural Ghana. These infants' microbiomes were then compared with 154 age-matched, healthy Dutch infants' microbiomes, assumed to be RVV responders. Fecal microbiome analysis was performed in all groups using the Human Intestinal Tract Chip.  We analyzed findings in 78 Ghanaian infants, including 39 RVV responder and nonresponder pairs. The overall microbiome composition was significantly different between RVV responders and nonresponders (FDR, 0.12), and Ghanaian responders were more similar to Dutch infants than nonresponders (P = .002). RVV response correlated with an increased abundance of Streptococcus bovis and a decreased abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum in comparisons between both Ghanaian RVV responders and nonresponders (FDR, 0.008 vs 0.003) and Dutch infants and Ghanaian nonresponders (FDR, 0.002 vs 0.009).  The intestinal microbiome composition correlates significantly with RVV immunogenicity and may contribute to the diminished RVV immunogenicity observed in developing countries. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  3. The significance of lower jaw position in relation to postural stability. Comparison of a premanufactured occlusal splint with the Dental Power Splint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohlendorf, D; Riegel, M; Lin Chung, T; Kopp, S

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on postural stability of two different lower jaw positions held in place by splints with eyes open and eyes closed. The postural stability in 21 healthy adult volunteers was investigated using two different sets of occlusal conditions with the lower jaw being at rest either with the eyes opened or closed. Two occlusal splints (standard splint and DPS splint) were used in order to maintain this lower jaw position. The balance behaviour was recorded using a balance platform. In a comparison of the habitual occlusion with the two occlusal splints, the balance posturographic values with the eyes opened fell between 7-9% and those for weight distribution with the eyes closed between 22-26% (with greater improvement being achieved with DPS) with the result that the variability in the range of fluctuations was reduced. The level of positioning accuracy deteriorated with the wearing of a splint between 13% with the DPS splint and 30% with the standard splint. Gender-specific differences of minor importance in relation to the positioning accuracy were recorded, with there being significant differences in the female participants (P≤0.00). An occlusal change in the stomatognathic system impacts on postural stability. Balance deficits seem to correlate with deteriorated body sway, which, according to the results, can be improved by a myocentric bite position using a DPS splint. This is more the case with the eyes closed than with the eyes opened.

  4. Interelement correlations in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markert, B.

    1987-01-01

    The concentration of 25 elements in 4 plant species (Citrus aurantia, Brassica oleracea, Lycopersicon esculentum and Pinus strobus) were linearly correlated. For some element pairs (Ce-Fe, Ce-Ni, Ce-Sb, Ce-Sc, Ce-Zn, Fe-Sb, Fe-Sc, Fe-U, Fe-Zn, K-Cd, La-U, Ni-Sb, Sc-U and Sc-Zn) a high positive correlation coefficient (r = +1) was found. The element pairs Ca-Mg, Hg-U, Ni-Sr and Sr-Zn show a significant negative correlation (r = -1). Plants seem to process some constant interelement relations, independent of plant species. (orig.)

  5. High energy electron radiography system design and simulation study of beam angle-position correlation and aperture effect on the images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Quantang; Cao, S.C.; Liu, M.; Sheng, X.K.; Wang, Y.R.; Zong, Y.; Zhang, X.M.; Jing, Y.; Cheng, R.; Zhao, Y.T.; Zhang, Z.M.; Du, Y.C.; Gai, W.

    2016-01-01

    A beam line dedicated to high-energy electron radiography experimental research with linear achromat and imaging lens systems has been designed. The field of view requirement on the target and the beam angle-position correlation correction can be achieved by fine-tuning the fields of the quadrupoles used in the achromat in combination with already existing six quadrupoles before the achromat. The radiography system is designed by fully considering the space limitation of the laboratory and the beam diagnostics devices. Two kinds of imaging lens system, a quadruplet and an octuplet system are integrated into one beam line with the same object plane and image plane but with different magnification factor. The beam angle-position correlation on the target required by the imaging lens system and the aperture effect on the images are studied with particle tracking simulation. It is shown that the aperture position is also correlated to the beam angle-position on the target. With matched beam on the target, corresponding aperture position and suitable aperture radius, clear pictures can be imaged by both lens systems. The aperture is very important for the imaging. The details of the beam optical requirements, optimized parameters and the simulation results are presented.

  6. Pharyngeal and cervical cancer incidences significantly correlate with personal UV doses among whites in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godar, Dianne E; Tang, Rong; Merrill, Stephen J

    2014-09-01

    Because we found UV-exposed oral tissue cells have reduced DNA repair and apoptotic cell death compared with skin tissue cells, we asked if a correlation existed between personal UV dose and the incidences of oral and pharyngeal cancer in the United States. We analyzed the International Agency for Research on Cancer's incidence data for oral and pharyngeal cancers by race (white and black) and sex using each state's average annual personal UV dose. We refer to our data as 'white' rather than 'Caucasian,' which is a specific subgroup of whites, and 'black' rather than African-American because blacks from other countries around the world reside in the U.S. Most oropharyngeal carcinomas harboured human papilloma virus (HPV), so we included cervical cancer as a control for direct UV activation. We found significant correlations between increasing UV dose and pharyngeal cancer in white males (p=0.000808) and females (p=0.0031) but not in blacks. Shockingly, we also found cervical cancer in whites to significantly correlate with increasing UV dose (p=0.0154). Thus, because pharyngeal and cervical cancer correlate significantly with increasing personal UV dose in only the white population, both direct (DNA damage) and indirect (soluble factors) effects may increase the risk of HPV-associated cancer. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  7. Positive correlation between serum and peritoneal fluid CA-125 levels in women with pelvic endometriosis

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    Vivian Ferreira do Amaral

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: One of the diagnostic markers of endometriosis is CA-125, and elevated levels of this are caused by high concentrations in the ectopic endometrium. The objective of this study was to correlate CA-125 levels in serum and peritoneal fluid from women with and without pelvic endometriosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, controlled study of consecutive pa-tients undergoing laparoscopy for infertility, pelvic pain or tubal ligation, during early follicular phase, at the university hospital of Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. METHODS: Fifty-two patients were divided into two groups: endometriosis group, consisting of 35 patients with biopsy-confirmed pelvic endometriosis, and control group, consisting of 17 patients without endometriosis. CA-125 levels in serum samples and peritoneal fluid were determined by chemiluminescence. RESULTS: CA-125 levels in serum and peritoneal fluid were higher in patients with advanced pelvic endometriosis (means of 39.1 ± 45.8 U/ml versus 10.5 ± 5.9 U/ml in serum, p < 0.005; 1,469.4 ± 1,350.4 U/ml versus 888.7 ± 784.3 U/ml in peritoneal fluid, p < 0.05, and showed a positive correlation between each other (correlation coefficient (r = 0.4880. Women with more advanced degrees of endometriosis showed higher CA-125 levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid (p = 0.0001. CONCLUSION: There is a positive correlation between serum and peritoneal fluid values of CA-125 in women with and without endometriosis, and their levels are higher in peritoneal fluid. Advanced endometriosis is related to higher levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid.

  8. 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)

  9. The positive correlation of the CCL2-CCR2 axis with the disease activity may indicate the fundamental role in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Jingfang; Yang, Xi; Zeng, Qi; Yang, Linglan; Cheng, Bin; Tao, Xiaoan

    2016-01-01

    The important roles of CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 had been reported in a series of inflammatory disorders. However, few studies investigated the potential role of CCL2/CCR2 axis in oral lichen planus (OLP). Therefore, this study aimed to detect the expression of CCL2 and CCR2 in OLP lesions and compare their changes before and after treatment. CCL2 and CCR2 expression was investigated using immunohistochemical staining and real-time RT-PCR in 32 patients with OLP and eight controls. Moreover, changes in their expression after treatment with triamcinolone acetonide were assessed in lesions from three patients. CCL2+ and CCR2+ cells were few in the controls and remarkably increased in the epithelial and subepithelial layers of lesions (n = 32, all P < 0.001). However, the densities of CCL2+ and CCR2+ cells were not significantly different between reticular (n = 12) and erythematous/erosive lesions (n = 20), although they significantly decreased after treatment (627.7 ± 108.2 vs. 258.3 ± 148.3, P = 0.017; 1034.7 ± 74.6 vs. 648 ± 77.6, P = 0.003, respectively). CCL2+/CCR2+ cell numbers were positively correlated with disease activity (correlation coefficient, 0.588; P < 0.001; correlation coefficient, 0.409; P = 0.02, respectively). The results of this study indicated that the CCL2-CCR2 axis was involved in the pathogenesis of OLP and was positively correlated with disease activity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The Relationship Between Depression And Positive Signs In Chronic Schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bahaoddini S S

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: The results of studies about relationship between depression and positive signs in schizophrenia are controversial and clarifying the nature of this association may be difficult. The aim of present study is to investigate relationship between depressive symptoms and positive signs, in acute phase of patients with chronic schizophrenia, who have been admitted in Roozbeh Hospital. Materials and Methods: Assessments were performed using the Beck depression Inventory for depression (subjectively and positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS for psychotic symptoms. Results: The results demonstrated a significant correlation between depressive symptoms and positive signs in these patients. Also, a significant correlation existed between depression and these items: delusions, hallucinatory behavior, excitement, hostility. Conclusion: depressive symptoms and positive signs in schizophrenia may have a common underlying pathophysiological origin.

  11. Adolescent Age Moderates Genetic and Environmental Influences on Parent-Adolescent Positivity and Negativity: Implications for Genotype-Environment Correlation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marceau, Kristine; Knopik, Valerie S.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Lichtenstein, Paul; Spotts, Erica L.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Reiss, David

    2015-01-01

    In the present study we examined how genotype-environment correlation processes differ as a function of adolescent age. We tested whether adolescent age moderates genetic and environmental influences on positivity and negativity in mother-adolescent and father-adolescent relationships using parallel samples of twin parents from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden and twin/sibling adolescents from the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development Study. We inferred differences in the role of passive and non-passive genotype-environment correlation based on biometric moderation findings. Findings indicated that non-passive rGE played a stronger role for positivity in mother- and father- adolescent relationships in families with older adolescents than families with younger adolescents, and that passive rGE played a stronger role for positivity in the mother-adolescent relationship in families with younger adolescents than in families with older adolescents. Implications of these findings for the timing and targeting of interventions on family relationships are discussed. PMID:25924807

  12. The Correlation of Smile Line with the Vertical Cephalometric Parameters of Anterior Facial Height

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Hosseinzadeh–Nik

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Statement of the problem: In the evolution of orthodontics, the changes in soft tissue,especially smile line attracts considerable attention.Purpose: The present study was carried out to evaluate the correlation of the smile line with the vertical parameters of anterior part of face.Materials and Methods: Forty-six Iranian adults, aged between 18-25 years were selected. Five quantitative and three qualitative variables of smile analysis were recorded for each subject. Cephalometric analysis was carried out using angular and linear parameters. The correlations between smile line variables and cephalometric parameters were calculated using Spearman and Pearson’s correlation analyses.Results: The result of this study showed that the cephalometric parameters of N-Me,Pn-Line, N-B, N-Pg had significant correlations with quantitative variable of toothlower lip position. The P-values were P=0.003, P=0.027, P=0.006, P=0.002 respectively. N-Me, N-B, N-Pg represented significant correlations with interlabial gapon smile (P= 0.006, P=0.036, P=0.002 respectively. There was a significant correlation between N-Pg and quantitative factor of tooth-upper lip position (P=0.034. Upper incisor to palatal plane showed a significant correlation with qualitative variable oftooth-upper lip position (P=0.019, interlabial gap on smile (P=0.004, and tooth-upper lip position (P=0.006. Upper incisor to FH represented a reverse relation with incisal edge to lower lip (P=0.028.This parameter also showed significant correlations withquantitative factors of tooth-lower lip position (P=0.040 and crown height (P=0.002.Conclusions: According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that, linear skeletal and dental vertical factors affect the vertical features of smile. Angular vertical parameters, except gonial angle, influence the vertical position of smile.

  13. Ergodic channel capacity of spatial correlated multiple-input multiple-output free space optical links using multipulse pulse-position modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huiqin; Wang, Xue; Cao, Minghua

    2017-02-01

    The spatial correlation extensively exists in the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) free space optical (FSO) communication systems due to the channel fading and the antenna space limitation. Wilkinson's method was utilized to investigate the impact of spatial correlation on the MIMO FSO communication system employing multipulse pulse-position modulation. Simulation results show that the existence of spatial correlation reduces the ergodic channel capacity, and the reception diversity is more competent to resist this kind of performance degradation.

  14. Correlation among body height, intelligence, and brain gray matter volume in healthy children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taki, Yasuyuki; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Sassa, Yuko; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Asano, Michiko; Asano, Kohei; Kotozaki, Yuka; Nouchi, Rui; Wu, Kai; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Kawashima, Ryuta

    2012-01-16

    A significant positive correlation between height and intelligence has been demonstrated in children. Additionally, intelligence has been associated with the volume of gray matter in the brains of children. Based on these correlations, we analyzed the correlation among height, full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) and gray matter volume applying voxel-based morphometry using data from the brain magnetic resonance images of 160 healthy children aged 5-18 years of age. As a result, body height was significantly positively correlated with brain gray matter volume. Additionally, the regional gray matter volume of several regions such as the bilateral prefrontal cortices, temporoparietal region, and cerebellum was significantly positively correlated with body height and that the gray matter volume of several of these regions was also significantly positively correlated with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) scores after adjusting for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Our results demonstrate that gray and white matter volume may mediate the correlation between body height and intelligence in healthy children. Additionally, the correlations among gray and white matter volume, height, and intelligence may be at least partially explained by the effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormones. Given the importance of the effect of environmental factors, especially nutrition, on height, IQ, and gray matter volume, the present results stress the importance of nutrition during childhood for the healthy maturation of body and brain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Endometriosis: frequency and correlation between symptomatology and disease stage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehmud, G.; Akhtar, T.; Sadia, S.

    2007-01-01

    To determine the frequency of endometriosis in general gynecological and infertile women presenting to hospital and to correlate symptomatology and stage of disease. Fifty patients with diagnosis of endometriosis on laparoscopy were included in the study. The degree of pain symptoms was graded according to 1-4 point verbal rating scale designed by Biberoglu and Behrman. Endometriosis was staged according to Revised American Fertility Society (R-AFS) scoring on laparoscopy. Correlation coefficient-Spearman rank order correlation test was applied to analyze data. The frequency of endometriosis in infertile women was 24% (33) and in women with general gynecological complaints, it was 23% (17). There was a significant positive correlation between chronic pelvic pain and R-AFS scoring. Increasing severity of pelvic pain was also positively correlated with presence of endometrioma and complete obliteration of pouch of Douglas. No correlation between dysmenorrhoea and R-AFS scoring could be detected. Dysmenorrhoea was strongly and positively correlated with the presence of superficial implants. Dyspareunia was found to have positive correlation with R-AFS score and also with complete obliteration of pouch of Douglas. The frequency of endometriosis in infertile women was 24% (33) and in women with general gynecological complaints, it was 23% (17). Chronic pelvic pain and dyspareunia had strong positive correlation with R-AFS score while dysmenorrhoea had no such correlation. (author)

  16. Studies on correlation of positive surgical margin with clinicopathological factors and prognoses in breast conserving surgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimura, Reiki; Nagao, Kazuharu; Miyayama, Haruhiko

    1999-01-01

    Out of 484 cases with breast conserving surgery between April 1989 and March 1999, surgical procedures of 34 cases were changed to total mastectomy due to positive surgical margins. In this study we evaluated a clinical significance of surgical margin in relation to clinicopathological factors and prognoses. Ninety-nine cases (20.5%) had positive margins that were judged when cancer cells existed within 5 mm from margin. In multivariate analysis of factors for surgical margin, EIC-comedo status, ly, located site, proliferative activity, and age were significant and independent factors. Regarding local recurrence, positive margin, age, ER and proliferative activity were significant factors in multivariate analysis, especially in cases not receiving postoperative radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may be beneficial for patients with positive surgical margin. And patients with breast recurrence alone had significantly higher survival rates. Therefore, it is suggested that surgical margin may not reflect survival, although it is a significant factor for local recurrence. (author)

  17. Studies on correlation of positive surgical margin with clinicopathological factors and prognoses in breast conserving surgery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishimura, Reiki; Nagao, Kazuharu; Miyayama, Haruhiko [Kumamoto City Hospital (Japan)

    1999-09-01

    Out of 484 cases with breast conserving surgery between April 1989 and March 1999, surgical procedures of 34 cases were changed to total mastectomy due to positive surgical margins. In this study we evaluated a clinical significance of surgical margin in relation to clinicopathological factors and prognoses. Ninety-nine cases (20.5%) had positive margins that were judged when cancer cells existed within 5 mm from margin. In multivariate analysis of factors for surgical margin, EIC-comedo status, ly, located site, proliferative activity, and age were significant and independent factors. Regarding local recurrence, positive margin, age, ER and proliferative activity were significant factors in multivariate analysis, especially in cases not receiving postoperative radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may be beneficial for patients with positive surgical margin. And patients with breast recurrence alone had significantly higher survival rates. Therefore, it is suggested that surgical margin may not reflect survival, although it is a significant factor for local recurrence. (author)

  18. The Association between Positive Parenting and Externalizing Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boeldt, Debra L; Rhee, Soo Hyun; Dilalla, Lisabeth F; Mullineaux, Paula Y; Schulz-Heik, R Jay; Corley, Robin P; Young, Susan E; Hewitt, John K

    2012-01-01

    The present study examined the role of positive parenting on externalizing behaviors in a longitudinal, genetically informative sample. It often is assumed that positive parenting prevents behavior problems in children via an environmentally mediated process. Alternatively, the association may be due to either an evocative gene-environment correlation, in which parents react to children's genetically-influenced behavior in a positive way, or a passive gene-environment correlation, where parents passively transmit a risk environment and the genetic risk factor for the behavioral outcome to their children. The present study estimated the contribution of these processes in the association between positive parenting and children's externalizing behavior. Positive parenting was assessed via observations at ages 7, 9, 14, 24, and 36 months and externalizing behaviors were assessed through parent report at ages 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 years. The significant association between positive parenting and externalizing behavior was negative, with children of mothers who showed significantly more positive parenting during toddlerhood having lower levels of externalizing behavior in childhood; however, there was not adequate power to distinguish whether this covariation was due to genetic, shared environmental, or nonshared environmental influences.

  19. Prognostic significance of interleukin-8 and CD163-positive cell-infiltration in tumor tissues in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yohei Fujita

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: We investigated whether serum interleukin (IL-8 reflects the tumor microenvironment and has prognostic value in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Fifty OSCC patients who received radical resection of their tumor(s were enrolled. Preoperative sera were measured for IL-8 by ELISA. Expression of IL-8 and the infiltration of immune cells in tumor tissues were analyzed by an immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens. RESULTS: We found that disease-free survival (DFS was significantly longer in the Stage I/II OSCC patients with low serum IL-8 levels compared to those with high levels (p = 0.001. The tumor expression of IL-8, i.e., IL-8(T and the density of CD163-positive cells in the tumor invasive front, i.e., CD163(IF were correlated with the serum IL-8 level (p = 0.033 and p = 0.038, respectively, and they were associated with poor clinical outcome (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002, respectively, in DFS in all patients. A multivariate analysis revealed that N status, IL-8(T and CD163(IF significantly affected the DFS of the patients. Further analysis suggested that combination of N status with serum IL-8, IL-8(T or CD163(IF may be a new criterion for discriminating between OSCC patients at high and low risk for tumor relapse. Interestingly, the in vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-8 enhanced generation of CD163-positive M2 macrophages from peripheral blood monocytes, and that the cells produced IL-10. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that IL-8 may be involved in poor clinical outcomes via generation of CD163-positive M2 macrophages, and that these factors in addition to N status may have prognostic value in patients with resectable OSCSS.

  20. Revision 1 size and position of the healthy meniscus, and its correlation with sex, height, weight, and bone area- a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloecker, Katja; Englund, Martin; Wirth, Wolfgang; Hudelmaier, Martin; Burgkart, Rainer; Frobell, Richard B; Eckstein, Felix

    2011-10-28

    Meniscus extrusion or hypertrophy may occur in knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, currently no data are available on the position and size of the meniscus in asymptomatic men and women with normal meniscus integrity. Three-dimensional coronal DESSwe MRIs were used to segment and quantitatively measure the size and position of the medial and lateral menisci, and their correlation with sex, height, weight, and tibial plateau area. 102 knees (40 male and 62 female) were drawn from the Osteoarthritis Initiative "non-exposed" reference cohort, including subjects without symptoms, radiographic signs, or risk factors for knee OA. Knees with MRI signs of meniscus lesions were excluded. The tibial plateau area was significantly larger (p sexes, and that tibial coverage by the meniscus is similar between men and women.

  1. Positive expression of p53, c-erbB2 and MRP proteins is correlated with survival rates of NSCLC patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yujin; Wang, Liancong; Zheng, Xiao; Liu, Guan; Wang, Yuezhen; Lai, Xiaojing; Li, Jianqiang

    2013-05-01

    The incidence of lung cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic and predictive importance of p53, c-erbB2 and multidrug resistance proteins (MRP) expression and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Expression of p53, c-erbB2 and MRP proteins in 152 tumor samples from resected primary NSCLCs was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation of proteins, survival and clinicopathological characteristics was investigated in 152 patients undergoing potentially curative surgery. The positive rates of p53, c-erbB2 and MRP expression were 53.9 (82/152), 44.1 (67/152) and 43.4% (66/152), respectively. Overall survival rates of patients were markedly correlated with the overexpression of p53, c-erbB2 and MRP proteins. One, 2- and 3-year survival rates of patients exhibiting a positive expression of these proteins were 72.6, 54.8 and 32.2%, respectively. These rates were lower compared with those of patients with a negative expression of these proteins (92.1, 78.5 and 63.4%) (P=0.02, 0.01 or 0.00, respectively). Results of Cox's regression analysis showed that c-erbB2 expression and cell differentiation were independent prognostic factors in patients with NSCLC. These findings suggest that the positive expression of p53, c-erbB2 and MRP proteins is correlated with the survival rates of NSCLC patients. Detection of positive p53, c-erbB2 and MRP expression may be a useful predictive indicator of prognosis. Positive c-erbB2 expression is an independent prognostic factor, with a potential to be used as a predictive indicator of chemotherapy efficacy in NSCLC patients.

  2. The Episodicity of Verbal Reports of Personally Significant Autobiographical Memories: Vividness Correlates with Narrative Text Quality More than with Detailedness or Memory Specificity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habermas, Tilmann; Diel, Verena

    2013-01-01

    How can we tell from a memory report whether a memory is episodic or not? Vividness is required by many definitions, whereas detailedness, memory specificity, and narrative text type are competing definitions of episodicity used in research. We explored their correlations with vividness in personally significant autobiographical memories to provide evidence to support their relative claim to define episodic memories. In addition, we explored differences between different memory types and text types as well as between memories with different valences. We asked a lifespan sample (N = 168) of 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 40-, and 65-year-olds of both genders (N = 27, 29, 27, 27, 28, 30) to provide brief oral life narratives. These were segmented into thematic memory units. Detailedness of person, place, and time did not correlate with each other or either vividness, memory specificity, or narrative text type. Narrative text type, in contrast, correlated both with vividness and memory specificity, suggesting narrative text type as a good criterion of episodicity. Emotionality turned out to be an even better predictor of vividness. Also, differences between narrative, chronicle, and argument text types and between specific versus more extended and atemporal memories were explored as well as differences between positive, negative, ambivalent, neutral, contamination, and redemption memory reports. It is concluded that temporal sequentiality is a central characteristic of episodic autobiographical memories. Furthermore, it is suggested that the textual quality of memory reports should be taken more seriously, and that evaluation and interpretation are inherent aspects of personally significant memories. PMID:23966918

  3. The episodicity of verbal reports of personally significant autobiographical memories: vividness correlates with narrative text quality more than with detailedness or memory specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habermas, Tilmann; Diel, Verena

    2013-01-01

    How can we tell from a memory report whether a memory is episodic or not? Vividness is required by many definitions, whereas detailedness, memory specificity, and narrative text type are competing definitions of episodicity used in research. We explored their correlations with vividness in personally significant autobiographical memories to provide evidence to support their relative claim to define episodic memories. In addition, we explored differences between different memory types and text types as well as between memories with different valences. We asked a lifespan sample (N = 168) of 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 40-, and 65-year-olds of both genders (N = 27, 29, 27, 27, 28, 30) to provide brief oral life narratives. These were segmented into thematic memory units. Detailedness of person, place, and time did not correlate with each other or either vividness, memory specificity, or narrative text type. Narrative text type, in contrast, correlated both with vividness and memory specificity, suggesting narrative text type as a good criterion of episodicity. Emotionality turned out to be an even better predictor of vividness. Also, differences between narrative, chronicle, and argument text types and between specific versus more extended and atemporal memories were explored as well as differences between positive, negative, ambivalent, neutral, contamination, and redemption memory reports. It is concluded that temporal sequentiality is a central characteristic of episodic autobiographical memories. Furthermore, it is suggested that the textual quality of memory reports should be taken more seriously, and that evaluation and interpretation are inherent aspects of personally significant memories.

  4. The episodicity of verbal reports of personally significant autobiographical memories: Vividness correlates with narrative text quality more than with detailedness or memory specificity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilmann eHabermas

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available How can we tell from a memory report whether a memory is episodic or not? Vividness is required by many definitions, whereas detailedness, memory specificity, and narrative text type are competing definitions of episodicity used in research. We explored their correlations with vividness in personally significant autobiographical memories to provide evidence to support their relative claim to define episodic memories. In addition, we explored differences between different memory types and text types as well as between memories with different valences. We asked a lifespan sample (N = 168 of 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 40-, and 65-year-olds of both genders (N = 27, 29, 27, 27, 28, 30 to provide brief oral life narratives. These were segmented into thematic memory units. Detailedness of person, place, and time did not correlate with each other or either vividness, memory specificity, or narrative text type. Narrative text type, in contrast, correlated both with vividness and memory specificity, suggesting narrative text type as a good criterion of episodicity. Emotionality turned out to be an even better predictor of vividness. Also, differences between narrative, chronicle, and argument text types and between specific versus more extended and atemporal memory were explored as well as differences between positive, negative, ambivalent, neutral, contamination, and redemption memory reports. It is concluded that temporal sequentiality is a central characteristic of episodic autobiographical memories. Furthermore, it is suggested that the textual quality of memory reports should be taken more seriously, and that evaluation and interpretation are inherent aspects of personally significant memories.

  5. [In patients with Graves' disease signal-averaged P wave duration positively correlates with the degree of thyrotoxicosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czarkowski, Marek; Oreziak, Artur; Radomski, Dariusz

    2006-04-01

    Coexistence of the goitre, proptosis and palpitations was observed in XIX century for the first time. Sinus tachyarytmias and atrial fibrillation are typical cardiac symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Atrial fibrillation occurs more often in patients with toxic goiter than in young patients with Grave's disease. These findings suggest that causes of atrial fibrillation might be multifactorial in the elderly. The aims of our study were to evaluate correlations between the parameters of atrial signal averaged ECG (SAECG) and the serum concentration of thyroid free hormones. 25 patient with untreated Grave's disease (G-B) (age 29,6 +/- 9,0 y.o.) and 26 control patients (age 29,3 +/- 6,9 y.o.) were enrolled to our study. None of them had history of atrial fibrillation what was confirmed by 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring. The serum fT3, fT4, TSH were determined in the venous blood by the immunoenzymatic method. Atrial SAECG recording with filtration by zero phase Butterworth filter (45-150 Hz) was done in all subjects. The duration of atrial vector magnitude (hfP) and root meat square of terminal 20ms of atrial vector magnitude (RMS20) were analysed. There were no significant differences in values of SAECG parameters (hfP, RMS20) between investigated groups. The positive correlation between hfP and serum fT3 concentration in group G-B was observed (Spearman's correlation coefficient R = 0.462, p Grave's disease depends not only on hyperthyroidism but on serum concentration of fT3 also.

  6. Prognostic significance of urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA expression in lymph node- and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leissner, Philippe; Verjat, Thibault; Bachelot, Thomas; Paye, Malick; Krause, Alexander; Puisieux, Alain; Mougin, Bruno

    2006-01-01

    One of the most thoroughly studied systems in relation to its prognostic relevance in patients with breast cancer, is the plasminogen activation system that comprises of, among others, the urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA) and its main inhibitor, the Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 at the mRNA level in lymph node- and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The study included a retrospective series of 87 patients with hormone-receptor positive and axillary lymph node-positive breast cancer. All patients received radiotherapy, adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy and five years of tamoxifen treatment. The median patient age was 54 and the median follow-up time was 79 months. Distant relapse occurred in 30 patients and 22 patients died from breast cancer during follow-up. We investigated the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 at the mRNA level as measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. uPA and PAI-1 gene expression was not found to be correlated with any of the established clinical and pathological factors. Metastasis-free Survival (MFS) and Breast Cancer specific Survival (BCS) were significantly shorter in patients expressing high levels of PAI-1 mRNA (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001; respectively). In Cox multivariate analysis, the level of PAI-1 mRNA appeared to be the strongest prognostic factor for MFS (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 10.12; p = 0.0002) and for BCS (HR = 13.17; p = 0.0003). Furthermore, uPA gene expression was not significantly associated neither with MFS (p = 0.41) nor with BCS (p = 0.19). In a Cox-multivariate regression analysis, uPA expression did not demonstrate significant independent prognostic value. These findings indicate that high PAI-1 mRNA expression represents a strong and independent unfavorable prognostic factor for the development of metastases and for breast cancer specific survival in a population of hormone receptor- and lymph node-positive breast cancer

  7. Prognostic significance of urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA expression in lymph node- and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krause Alexander

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the most thoroughly studied systems in relation to its prognostic relevance in patients with breast cancer, is the plasminogen activation system that comprises of, among others, the urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA and its main inhibitor, the Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 at the mRNA level in lymph node- and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Methods The study included a retrospective series of 87 patients with hormone-receptor positive and axillary lymph node-positive breast cancer. All patients received radiotherapy, adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy and five years of tamoxifen treatment. The median patient age was 54 and the median follow-up time was 79 months. Distant relapse occurred in 30 patients and 22 patients died from breast cancer during follow-up. We investigated the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 at the mRNA level as measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Results uPA and PAI-1 gene expression was not found to be correlated with any of the established clinical and pathological factors. Metastasis-free Survival (MFS and Breast Cancer specific Survival (BCS were significantly shorter in patients expressing high levels of PAI-1 mRNA (p PAI-1 mRNA appeared to be the strongest prognostic factor for MFS (Hazard Ratio (HR = 10.12; p = 0.0002 and for BCS (HR = 13.17; p = 0.0003. Furthermore, uPA gene expression was not significantly associated neither with MFS (p = 0.41 nor with BCS (p = 0.19. In a Cox-multivariate regression analysis, uPA expression did not demonstrate significant independent prognostic value. Conclusion These findings indicate that high PAI-1 mRNA expression represents a strong and independent unfavorable prognostic factor for the development of metastases and for breast cancer specific survival in a population of hormone receptor- and lymph node-positive breast cancer patients.

  8. Positive carotenoid balance correlates with greater reproductive performance in a wild bird.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca J Safran

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Carotenoids can confer somatic and reproductive benefits, but most evidence is from captive animal experimentation or single time-point sampling. Another perhaps more informative means by which to assess physiological contributions to animal performance is by tracking an individual's ability to increase or sustain carotenoids or other health-related molecules over time, as these are likely to be temporally variable. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a field study of North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster, we analyzed within-individual changes in carotenoid concentrations by repeatedly sampling the carotenoid profiles of individuals over the course of the breeding season. Our results demonstrate that carotenoid concentrations of individuals are temporally dynamic and that season-long balance of these molecules, rather than single time-point samples, predict reproductive performance. This was true even when controlling for two important variables associated with reproductive outcomes: (1 timing of breeding and (2 sexually selected plumage coloration, which is itself positively correlated with and concomitantly changes with circulating carotenoid concentrations. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While reproduction itself is purported to impose health stress on organisms, these data suggest that free-ranging, high-quality individuals can mitigate such costs, by one or several genetic, environmental (diet, or physiological mechanisms. Moreover, the temporal variations in both health-linked physiological measures and morphological traits we uncover here merit further examination in other species, especially when goals include the estimation of signal information content or the costs of trait expression.

  9. Correlation between three color coordinates of human teeth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yong-Keun

    2014-11-01

    The objective was to determine whether there were significant correlations in the three color coordinates within each of two color coordinate systems, such as the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* system, and the lightness, chroma, and hue angle system, of human vital teeth. The color of six maxillary and six mandibular anterior teeth was measured by the Shade Vision System. Pearson correlations between each pair of the color coordinates were determined (α=0.01). The influence of two color coordinates on the other color coordinate was determined with a multiple regression analysis (α=0.01). Based on correlation analyses, all the color coordinate pairs showed significant correlations except for the chroma and hue angle pair. The CIE L* was negatively correlated with the CIE a*, b*, and chroma, but positively correlated with the hue angle. The CIE a* was positively correlated with the CIE b* and chroma. Tooth color coordinates were correlated each other. Lighter teeth were less chromatic both in the CIE a* and b* coordinates. Therefore, it was postulated that the three color coordinates of human teeth were harmonized within certain color attribute ranges, and a lack of correlations in these coordinates might indicate external/internal discolorations and/or anomalies of teeth.

  10. Future time perspective and positive health practices in young adults: an extension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahon, N E; Yarcheski, T J; Yarcheski, A

    1997-06-01

    A sample of 69 young adults attending a public university responded to the Future Time Perspective Inventory, two subscales of the Time Experience Scales (Fast and Slow Tempo), and the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire in classroom settings. A statistically significant correlation (.52) was found between scores for future time perspective and the ratings for the practice of positive health behaviors in young adults. This correlation was larger than those previously found for middle and late adolescents. Scores on subscales of individual health practices and future time perspective indicated statistically significant correlations for five (.25 to .56) of the six subscales. Scores on neither Fast nor Slow Tempo were related to ratings of positive health practices or ratings on subscales measuring positive health practices.

  11. Positive Correlation between Serum Osteocalcin and Testosterone in Male Hyperthyroidism Patients with High Bone Turnover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, N; Xu, B; Cui, R; Xu, M; Su, J; Zhang, Z; Liu, Y; Li, L; Sheng, C; Sheng, H; Qu, S

    2016-07-01

    Animal studies suggested that there is an independent bone-osteocalcin-gonadal axis, except of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Based on this hypothesis, the higher osteocalcin during the high bone turnover should be followed by higher testosterone formation. Yet such clinical evidence is limited. The patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism are proper model with high bone turnover. If this hypothesis is true, there should be high testosterone level in patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. Therefore, Graves' disease patients were recruited to study the correlation between osteocalcin and testosterone. 50 male hyperthyroidism patients with Graves' disease and 50 health persons matched by age and gender were enrolled in our cross-section study. Serum markers for thyroid hormone, sex hormone and bone metabolic markers including free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and osteocalcin (OC), C-terminal telopeptide fragments of type I collagen (CTX) were examined. The demographic parameters such as duration of disease were also collected. All data was analyzed by SPSS 20.0. High testosterone and osteocalcin level was observed in the hyperthyroidism patients (T 36.35±10.72 nmol/l and OC 46.79±26.83 ng/ml). In simple Pearson correlation, testosterone was positively associated with OC (r=0.486, Phyperthyroidism patients, osteocalcin was positively correlated with serum testosterone, which indirectly supports the hypothesis that serum osteocalcin participates in the regulation of sex hormone. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  12. Identification of sequence motifs significantly associated with antisense activity

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    Peek Andrew S

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Predicting the suppression activity of antisense oligonucleotide sequences is the main goal of the rational design of nucleic acids. To create an effective predictive model, it is important to know what properties of an oligonucleotide sequence associate significantly with antisense activity. Also, for the model to be efficient we must know what properties do not associate significantly and can be omitted from the model. This paper will discuss the results of a randomization procedure to find motifs that associate significantly with either high or low antisense suppression activity, analysis of their properties, as well as the results of support vector machine modelling using these significant motifs as features. Results We discovered 155 motifs that associate significantly with high antisense suppression activity and 202 motifs that associate significantly with low suppression activity. The motifs range in length from 2 to 5 bases, contain several motifs that have been previously discovered as associating highly with antisense activity, and have thermodynamic properties consistent with previous work associating thermodynamic properties of sequences with their antisense activity. Statistical analysis revealed no correlation between a motif's position within an antisense sequence and that sequences antisense activity. Also, many significant motifs existed as subwords of other significant motifs. Support vector regression experiments indicated that the feature set of significant motifs increased correlation compared to all possible motifs as well as several subsets of the significant motifs. Conclusion The thermodynamic properties of the significantly associated motifs support existing data correlating the thermodynamic properties of the antisense oligonucleotide with antisense efficiency, reinforcing our hypothesis that antisense suppression is strongly associated with probe/target thermodynamics, as there are no enzymatic

  13. Circulating CD34-positive cells, glomerular filtration rate and triglycerides in relation to hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Yuji; Sato, Shimpei; Koyamatsu, Jun; Yamanashi, Hirotomo; Nagayoshi, Mako; Kadota, Koichiro; Maeda, Takahiro

    2015-11-01

    Serum triglycerides have been reported to be independently associated with the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is known to play a role in vascular disturbance. On the other hand, circulating CD34-positve cells, including endothelial progenitor cells, are reported to contribute to vascular repair. However, no studies have reported on the correlation between triglycerides and the number of CD34-positive cells. Since hypertension is well known factor for vascular impairment, the degree of correlation between serum triglycerides and circulating CD34-positve cells should account for hypertension status. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 274 elderly Japanese men aged ≥ 60 years (range 60-79 years) undergoing general health checkups. Multiple linear regression analysis of non-hypertensive subjects adjusting for classical cardiovascular risk factors showed that although triglyceride levels (1SD increments; 64 mg/dL) did not significantly correlate with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (β = -2.06, p = 0.163), a significant positive correlation was seen between triglycerides and the number of circulating CD34-positive cells (β = 0.50, p = 0.004). In hypertensive subjects, a significant inverse correlation between triglycerides and GFR was observed (β = -2.66, p = 0.035), whereas no significant correlation between triglycerides and the number of circulating CD34-positive cells was noted (β = -0.004, p = 0.974). Since endothelial progenitor cells (CD34-positive cells) have been reported to contribute to vascular repair, our results indicate that in non-hypertensive subjects, triglycerides may stimulate an increase in circulating CD34-positive cells (vascular repair) by inducing vascular disturbance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Significant Differences Characterise the Correlation Coefficients between Biocide and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oggioni, Marco R; Coelho, Joana Rosado; Furi, Leonardo; Knight, Daniel R; Viti, Carlo; Orefici, Graziella; Martinez, Jose-Luis; Freitas, Ana Teresa; Coque, Teresa M; Morrissey, Ian

    2015-01-01

    There is a growing concern by regulatory authorities for the selection of antibiotic resistance caused by the use of biocidal products. We aimed to complete the detailed information on large surveys by investigating the relationship between biocide and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of a large number of Staphylococcus aureus isolates using four biocides and antibiotics commonly used in clinical practice. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for most clinically-relevant antibiotics was determined according to the standardized methodology for over 1600 clinical S. aureus isolates and compared to susceptibility profiles of benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, triclosan, and sodium hypochlorite. The relationship between antibiotic and biocide susceptibility profiles was evaluated using non-linear correlations. The main outcome evidenced was an absence of any strong or moderate statistically significant correlation when susceptibilities of either triclosan or sodium hypochlorite were compared for any of the tested antibiotics. On the other hand, correlation coefficients for MICs of benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine were calculated above 0.4 for susceptibility to quinolones, beta-lactams, and also macrolides. Our data do not support any selective pressure for association between biocides and antibiotics resistance and furthermore do not allow for a defined risk evaluation for some of the compounds. Importantly, our data clearly indicate that there does not involve any risk of selection for antibiotic resistance for the compounds triclosan and sodium hypochlorite. These data hence infer that biocide selection for antibiotic resistance has had so far a less significant impact than feared.

  15. Intraspecific chemical diversity among neighbouring plants correlates positively with plant size and herbivore load but negatively with herbivore damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bustos-Segura, Carlos; Poelman, Erik H; Reichelt, Michael; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Gols, Rieta

    2017-01-01

    Intraspecific plant diversity can modify the properties of associated arthropod communities and plant fitness. However, it is not well understood which plant traits determine these ecological effects. We explored the effect of intraspecific chemical diversity among neighbouring plants on the associated invertebrate community and plant traits. In a common garden experiment, intraspecific diversity among neighbouring plants was manipulated using three plant populations of wild cabbage that differ in foliar glucosinolates. Plants were larger, harboured more herbivores, but were less damaged when plant diversity was increased. Glucosinolate concentration differentially correlated with generalist and specialist herbivore abundance. Glucosinolate composition correlated with plant damage, while in polycultures, variation in glucosinolate concentrations among neighbouring plants correlated positively with herbivore diversity and negatively with plant damage levels. The results suggest that intraspecific variation in secondary chemistry among neighbouring plants is important in determining the structure of the associated insect community and positively affects plant performance. © 2016 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Determination of the length and position of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) by correlation of external measurements with combined radiographic and manometric estimations in the cat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashim, M.A.; Waterman, A.E.

    1992-01-01

    Fifty DSH cats were studied radiographically and a highly significant linear correlation was found between the length of the oesophagus measured to the diaphragmatic line on the radiographs and the externally measured distance from the lower jaw incisor teeth to the anterior border of the head of 10th rib. A subsequent manometric study utilizing this correlation in 40 cats suggests that the functional lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) is situated almost at the level of the diaphragm in the cat. Significant differences were found between the length of the LOS in cats anaesthetized with ketamine compared to alphaxalone-alphadolone or xylazine-ketamine-atropine. The mean lengths of the LOS was 1.42 +/- 0.3 cm. The findings of this study indicate that external measurements can be used to position catheters for accurate oesophageal manometry in the cat

  17. Detecting positive quadrant dependence and positive function dependence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janic-Wróblewska, A.; Kallenberg, W.C.M.; Ledwina, T.

    2004-01-01

    There is a lot of interest in positive dependence going beyond linear correlation. In this paper three new rank tests for testing independence against positive dependence are introduced. The first one is directed on positive quadrant dependence, the second and third one concentrate on positive

  18. Detecting positive quadrant dependence and positive function dependence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janic-Wróblewska, A.; Kallenberg, W.C.M.; Ledwina, T.

    2003-01-01

    There is a lot of interest in positive dependence going beyond linear correlation. In this paper three new rank tests for testing independence against positive dependence are introduced. The first one is directed on positive quadrant dependence, the second and third one concentrate on positive

  19. Brain regions associated with Anhedonia in healthy adults: a PET correlation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Young Chul; Chun, Ji Won; Kim, Jae Jin; Park, Hae Jeong; Lee, Jong Doo; Seok, Jeong Ho

    2005-01-01

    Anhedonia has been proposed to be the result of a basic neurophysiologic dysfunction and a vulnerability marker that precede and contribute to the liability of developing schizophrenia. We hypothesized that anhedonia, as a construct reflecting the decreased capacity to experience pleasure, should be associated with decreased positive hedonic affect trait. This study examined the relationship between anhedonia and positive hedonic affect trait and searched for the brain regions which correlate with anhedonia in normal subjects. Using 18 F-FDG PET scan, we investigated the brain activity of twenty one subjects during resting state. Questionnaires were administrated after the scan in order to assess the self-rated individual differences in physical/social anhedonia and positive/negative affect traits. Negative correlation between physical anhedonia score and positive affect trait score was significant (Pearson coefficient=-0.440, ρ <0.05). The subjects' physical and social anhedonia scores showed positive correlation with metabolic rates in the cerebellum and negative correlation with metabolic rates in the inferior temporal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. In addition, the positive affect trait score positively correlated with various areas, most prominent with the inferior temporal gyrus. These results suggest that neural substrates, such as the inferior temporal gyrus and prefrontal-cerebellar circuit, which dysfunction has been proposed to be involved with the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, may also play a significant role in the liability of affective deficits like anhedonia

  20. Inverse correlation between the standard deviation of R-R intervals in supine position and the simplified menopausal index in women with climacteric symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagihara, Nobuyuki; Seki, Meikan; Nakano, Masahiro; Hachisuga, Toru; Goto, Yukio

    2014-06-01

    Disturbance of autonomic nervous activity has been thought to play a role in the climacteric symptoms of postmenopausal women. This study was therefore designed to investigate the relationship between autonomic nervous activity and climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal Japanese women. The autonomic nervous activity of 40 Japanese women with climacteric symptoms and 40 Japanese women without climacteric symptoms was measured by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability using a standard hexagonal radar chart. The scores for climacteric symptoms were determined using the simplified menopausal index. Sympathetic excitability and irritability, as well as the standard deviation of mean R-R intervals in supine position, were significantly (P standard deviation of mean R-R intervals in supine position and the simplified menopausal index score. The lack of control for potential confounding variables was a limitation of this study. In climacteric women, the standard deviation of mean R-R intervals in supine position is negatively correlated with the simplified menopausal index score.

  1. Serum TGF-beta2 and TGF-beta3 are increased and positively correlated to pain, functionality, and radiographic staging in osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapetanakis, Stilianos; Drygiannakis, Ioannis; Kazakos, Kostantinos; Papanas, Nikolaos; Kolios, George; Kouroumalis, Elias; Verettas, Dionysios-Alexandros

    2010-08-11

    The goal of this study was to verify or reject the hypothesis that systematic differences exist in various profibrotic or antifibrotic factors between osteoarthritic patients and controls, as well as between different stages of osteoarthritis. The study group comprised 63 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 18 controls. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)1, -2, -3; tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 protein levels; and gelatinolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -2, -3, -9 activities were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gelatin zymography, respectively. Visual analog scale scores, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, Lequesne clinical osteoarthritis scales, and Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grading were recorded for each patient.Transforming growth factor-beta2 and -3 (in contrast to TGF-beta1 and TIMP-1) serum protein levels were significantly higher in osteoarthritic patients compared to controls (210%+/-14% [P<.001] and 232%+/-7% [P<10(-7)], respectively). Additionally, TGF-beta2 and -3 were strongly positively correlated to Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grading of the disease (P<10(-5) and P<10(-7), respectively). Moreover, TGF-beta2 correlated positively with the WOMAC scale (P=.007). However, TIMP-1 decreased as osteoarthritis progressed clinically, but remained irrelevant to radiographic staging. Furthermore, activities of MMP-2 and -9, but not MMP-1+/-3, were lower in patients with osteoarthritis. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

  2. Correlates of unprotected anal intercourse: the influence of anal sex position among men who have sex with men in Beijing, china.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heng; Lu, Hongyan; Pan, Stephen W; Xia, Dongyan; Zhao, Yuejuan; Xiao, Yan; He, Xiong; Yue, Hai; Sun, Zheya; Xu, Yunan; Ruan, Yuhua; Shao, Yiming

    2015-02-01

    Understanding barriers to consistent condom use among men who have sex with men (MSM) requires consideration of the context in which risk behaviors occur. Anal sex position is one such context. This pooled cross-sectional study used survey data from 1,230 MSM and their 2,618 reported male sexual partnerships. Overall, nearly half of the participants engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with at least one of upto three partners in the past 6 months. "Insertive" men engaged in less UAI (39 %) than "receptive" (53 %) or "versatile" (51 %) men. Regardless of sexual position, UAI was associated with cohabiting with a male or female partner and perceiving great or moderate risk of HIV from male contact at the individual level, and steady (vs. casual) partnership at the dyad level. However, early MSM anal sex debut, high number of male partners, alcohol use, receiving and buying condoms, HIV testing, and MSM sex-seeking venues were found to be only statistically significantly correlated with UAI among some but not all sexual positions, implying that interventions to increase condom use should take into account how anal sex position may influence willingness and ability to engage in safer sex. Dyad level data appear to provide additional insight into the influence of sexual positions, and should be used to complement individual data for future intervention designs.

  3. Correlating data from different sensors to increase the positive predictive value of alarms: an empiric assessment [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/RKkXdB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuval Bitan

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Alarm fatigue from high false alarm rate is a well described phenomenon in the intensive care unit (ICU. Progress to further reduce false alarms must employ a new strategy. Highly sensitive alarms invariably have a very high false alarm rate. Clinically useful alarms have a high Positive-Predictive Value. Our goal is to demonstrate one approach to suppressing false alarms using an algorithm that correlates information across sensors and replicates the ways that human evaluators discriminate artifact from real signal. Methods: After obtaining IRB approval and waiver of informed consent, a set of definitions, (hypovolemia, left ventricular shock, tamponade, hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia, and hemodynamically significant supraventricular tachycardia, were installed in the monitors in a 10 bed cardiothoracic ICU and evaluated over an 85 day study period. The logic of the algorithms was intended to replicate the logic of practitioners, and correlated information across sensors in a way similar to that used by practitioners. The performance of the alarms was evaluated via a daily interview with the ICU attending and review of the tracings recorded over the previous 24 hours in the monitor. True alarms and false alarms were identified by an expert clinician, and the performance of the algorithms evaluated using the standard definitions of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Results: Between 1 and 221 instances of defined events occurred over the duration of the study, and the positive predictive value of the definitions varied between 4.1% and 84%. Conclusions: Correlation of information across alarms can suppress artifact, increase the positive predictive value of alarms, and can employ more sophisticated definitions of alarm events than present single-sensor based systems.

  4. Correlation between expression of p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 proteins and their prognostic significance in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu Jia

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tumor Protein p53 (p53, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21/WAF1, and murine double minute 2 (MDM2 participate in the regulation of cell growth. Altered expression of these gene products has been found in malignant tumors and has been associated with poor prognosis. Our aim was to investigate the expression of the 3 proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and their prognostic significance. Methods We examined p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 expression in 181 pairs of HCC tissues and the adjacent hepatic tissues by performing immunohistochemistry and examined the expression of the 3 proteins in 7 pairs of HCC tissues and the adjacent hepatic tissues by using western blot analysis. Results The expression of p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 in the HCC tissues was significantly higher than those in the adjacent hepatic tissues (P P = 0.008. A statistical correlation was observed between expression of p53 and p21/WAF1 (R = 0.380, P = 0.000, p53 and MDM2 (R = 0.299, P = 0.000, p21/WAF1 and MDM2 (R = 0.285, P = 0.000 in 181 liver tissues adjacent to the tumor. Patients with a low pathologic grade HCC (I+II had a higher tendency to express p53 on tumor cells than the patients with high pathologic grade HCC (III+IV (P = 0.007. Survival analysis showed that positive p21/WAF1 expression or/and negative MDM2 expression in HCC was a predictor of better survival of patients after tumor resection (P Conclusions The proteins p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 were overexpressed in all the HCC cases in this study, and p53 and p21/WAF1 overexpression were positively correlated. The expression of p21/WAF1 and MDM2 can be considered as 2 useful indicators for predicting the prognosis of HCC.

  5. Succinate production positively correlates with the affinity of the global transcription factor Cra for its effector FBP in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Li-Na; Zhu, Li-Wen; Tang, Ya-Jie

    2016-01-01

    Effector binding is important for transcription factors, affecting both the pattern and function of transcriptional regulation to alter cell phenotype. Our previous work suggested that the affinity of the global transcription factor catabolite repressor/activator (Cra) for its effector fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) may contribute to succinate biosynthesis. To support this hypothesis, single-point and three-point mutations were proposed through the semi-rational design of Cra to improve its affinity for FBP. For the first time, a positive correlation between succinate production and the affinity of Cra for FBP was revealed in Escherichia coli . Using the best-fit regression function, a cubic equation was used to examine and describe the relationship between succinate production and the affinity of Cra for FBP, demonstrating a significant positive correlation between the two factors (coefficient of determination R 2  = 0.894, P  = 0.000 Cra and DNA showed that Cra bound to the promoter regions of pck and aceB to activate the corresponding genes. Normally, Cra-regulated operons under positive control are deactivated in the presence of FBP. Therefore, theoretically, the enhanced affinity of Cra for FBP will inhibit the activation of pck and aceB . However, the activation of genes involved in CO 2 fixation and the glyoxylate pathway was further improved by the Cra mutant, ultimately contributing to succinate biosynthesis. Enhanced binding of Cra to FBP or active site mutations may eliminate the repressive effect caused by FBP, thus leading to increased activation of genes associated with succinate biosynthesis in the Cra mutant. This work demonstrates an important transcriptional regulation strategy in the metabolic engineering of succinate production and provides useful information for better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of transcription factors.

  6. The Association between Positive Parenting and Externalizing Behavior1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boeldt, Debra L.; Rhee, Soo Hyun; DiLalla, Lisabeth F.; Mullineaux, Paula Y.; Schulz-Heik, R. Jay; Corley, Robin P.; Young, Susan E.; Hewitt, John. K.

    2011-01-01

    The present study examined the role of positive parenting on externalizing behaviors in a longitudinal, genetically informative sample. It often is assumed that positive parenting prevents behavior problems in children via an environmentally mediated process. Alternatively, the association may be due to either an evocative gene-environment correlation, in which parents react to children’s genetically-influenced behavior in a positive way, or a passive gene-environment correlation, where parents passively transmit a risk environment and the genetic risk factor for the behavioral outcome to their children. The present study estimated the contribution of these processes in the association between positive parenting and children’s externalizing behavior. Positive parenting was assessed via observations at ages 7, 9, 14, 24, and 36 months and externalizing behaviors were assessed through parent report at ages 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 years. The significant association between positive parenting and externalizing behavior was negative, with children of mothers who showed significantly more positive parenting during toddlerhood having lower levels of externalizing behavior in childhood; however, there was not adequate power to distinguish whether this covariation was due to genetic, shared environmental, or nonshared environmental influences. PMID:22577341

  7. Prevalence of Malaria, Dengue, and Chikungunya Significantly Associated with Mosquito Breeding Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Mohammad Nazrul; ZulKifle, Mohammad; Sherwani, Arish Mohammad Khan; Ghosh, Susanta Kumar; Tiwari, Satyanarayan

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: To observe the prevalence of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya and their association with mosquito breeding sites. Methods: The study was observational and analytical. A total of 162 houses and 670 subjects were observed during the study period. One hundred forty-two febrile patients were eligible for the study. After obtaining informed consent from all febrile patients, 140 blood samples were collected to diagnose malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. Larval samples were collected by the standard protocol that follows. Correlation of data was performed by Pearson correlation test. Results: Forty-seven blood samples were found positive: 33 for chikungunya, 3 for dengue, and 11 for malaria. Fifty-one out of 224 larval samples were found positive. Out of the 51 positive samples, 37 were positive for Aedes, 12 were positive for Anopheles, and two were positive for Culex larvae. Interpretation and Conclusion: Mosquito-borne fevers, especially malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, have shown a significant relationship with mosquito breeding sites. PMID:23610486

  8. Frontal parietal control network regulates the anti-correlated default and dorsal attention networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wei; Lin, Weili

    2012-01-01

    Recent reports demonstrate the anti-correlated behaviors between the default (DF) and the dorsal attention (DA) networks. We aimed to investigate the roles of the frontal parietal control (FPC) network in regulating the two anti-correlated networks through three experimental conditions, including resting, continuous self-paced/attended sequential finger tapping (FT), and natural movie watching (MW), respectively. The two goal-directed tasks were chosen to engage either one of the two competing networks-FT for DA whereas MW for default. We hypothesized that FPC will selectively augment/suppress either network depending on how the task targets the specific network; FPC will positively correlate with the target network, but negatively correlate with the network anti-correlated with the target network. We further hypothesized that significant causal links from FPC to both DA and DF are present during all three experimental conditions, supporting the initiative regulating role of FPC over the two opposing systems. Consistent with our hypotheses, FPC exhibited a significantly higher positive correlation with DA (P = 0.0095) whereas significantly more negative correlation with default (P = 0.0025) during FT when compared to resting. Completely opposite to that observed during FT, the FPC was significantly anti-correlated with DA (P = 2.1e-6) whereas positively correlated with default (P = 0.0035) during MW. Furthermore, extensive causal links from FPC to both DA and DF were observed across all three experimental states. Together, our results strongly support the notion that the FPC regulates the anti-correlated default and DA networks. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Correlation between natural radiation exposure and cancer mortality, (4)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noguchi, Kunikazu; Shimizu, Masami; Sairenji, Eiko; Anzai, Ikuro.

    1987-01-01

    In the previous studies, using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, we found that in most cases of cancers, statistically significant positive correlations were observed between natural background radiation exposure rate and crude cancer mortality rate over the period 1950 - 1978. Furthermore, we found that the statistical significance of correlation between natural background radiation exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in the same period mostly disappeared. We studied the cause of this apparent correlation and found that the prefecture with a higher natural background radiation exposure rate had a greater component ratio of older people. In Japan, a number of prefectures with a higher natural background exposure rate are located in relatively thinly populated districts which have been experiencing an outflow of the younger generation to more highly industrialized and urbanized areas. Therefore, statistically significant positive correlations were observed for almost all cancers between natural background radiation exposure rate and crude cancer mortality rate. In the present investigation, we statistically tested the frequency distributions of natural background radiation exposure rate and age-adjusted cancer mortality rate, and calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between natural background radiation exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate. The frequency distribution of the natural background radiation exposure rate and that of the age-adjusted mortality rate appeared normal in most cases of cancer, and the statistical significance of correlation between natural background exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate did not differ much on the whole, even though we used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between them. (author)

  10. Correlation between natural radiation exposure and cancer mortality, (4)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noguchi, Kunikazu; Shimizu, Masami; Sairenji, Eiko; Anzai, Ikuro

    1987-03-01

    In the previous studies, using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, we found that in most cases of cancers, statistically significant positive correlations were observed between natural background radiation exposure rate and crude cancer mortality rate over the period 1950 - 1978. Furthermore, we found that the statistical significance of correlation between natural background radiation exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in the same period mostly disappeared. We studied the cause of this apparent correlation and found that the prefecture with a higher natural background radiation exposure rate had a greater component ratio of older people. In Japan, a number of prefectures with a higher natural background exposure rate are located in relatively thinly populated districts which have been experiencing an outflow of the younger generation to more highly industrialized and urbanized areas. Therefore, statistically significant positive correlations were observed for almost all cancers between natural background radiation exposure rate and crude cancer mortality rate. In the present investigation, we statistically tested the frequency distributions of natural background radiation exposure rate and age-adjusted cancer mortality rate, and calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between natural background radiation exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate. The frequency distribution of the natural background radiation exposure rate and that of the age-adjusted mortality rate appeared normal in most cases of cancer, and the statistical significance of correlation between natural background exposure rate and the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate did not differ much on the whole, even though we used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between them.

  11. Positive effects of neurofeedback on autism symptoms correlate with brain activation during imitation and observation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datko, Michael; Pineda, Jaime A; Müller, Ralph-Axel

    2018-03-01

    Autism has been characterized by atypical task-related brain activation and functional connections, coinciding with deficits in sociocommunicative abilities. However, evidence of the brain's experience-dependent plasticity suggests that abnormal activity patterns may be reversed with treatment. In particular, neurofeedback training (NFT), an intervention based on operant conditioning resulting in self-regulation of brain electrical oscillations, has shown increasing promise in addressing abnormalities in brain function and behavior. We examined the effects of ≥ 20 h of sensorimotor mu-rhythm-based NFT in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a matched control group of typically developing children (ages 8-17). During a functional magnetic resonance imaging imitation and observation task, the ASD group showed increased activation in regions of the human mirror neuron system following the NFT, as part of a significant interaction between group (ASD vs. controls) and training (pre- vs. post-training). These changes were positively correlated with behavioral improvements in the ASD participants, indicating that mu-rhythm NFT may be beneficial to individuals with ASD. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. On correlations in IMRT planning aims

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Arkajyoti; Das, Indra J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose was to study correlations amongst IMRT DVH evaluation points and how their relaxation impacts the overall plan. 100 head‐and‐neck cancer cases, using the Eclipse treatment planning system with the same protocol, are statistically analyzed for PTV, brainstem, and spinal cord. To measure variations amongst the plans, we use (i) interquartile range (IQR) of volume as a function of dose, (ii) interquartile range of dose as a function of volume, and (iii) dose falloff. To determine correlations for institutional and ICRU goals, conditional probabilities and medians are computed. We observe that most plans exceed the median PTV dose (average D50 = 104% prescribed dose). Furthermore, satisfying D50 reduced the probability of also satisfying D98, constituting a negative correlation of these goals. On the other hand, satisfying D50 increased the probability of satisfying D2, suggesting a positive correlation. A positive correlation is also observed between the PTV V105 and V110. Similarly, a positive correlation between the brainstem V45 and V50 is measured by an increase in the conditional median of V45, when V50 is violated. Despite the imposed institutional and international recommendations, significant variations amongst DVH points can occur. Even though DVH aims are evaluated independently, sizable correlations amongst them are possible, indicating that some goals cannot be satisfied concurrently, calling for unbiased plan criteria. PACS number(s): 87.55.dk, 87.53.Bn, 87.55.Qr, 87.55.de. PMID:27929480

  13. Clinical significance of changes of expression of anti-dsDNA antibody in serum in patients with SLE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xingguo; Zhang Xiaoli; Liu Chunyan; Cao Jiwei; Du Tongxing; Wang Zizheng

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the significance of anti-dsDNA antibody in diagnosis and treatment of SLE through measurement of changes of serum anti-dsDNA antibody expression in patients with SLE. Methods: Serum anti-dsDNA antibody was detected with radioisotope method in 60 patients with SLE and 33 controls (consisted of patients with other collagen diseases including Sjogren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, ankylosing spondylitis). Clinical manifestation and laboratory findings in the SLE patients were studied in detail. Results: (1) Serum anti-dsDNA antibody was positive in 39 of the 60 SLE patients with only two false positive cases in the 33 controls: a sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 93. 3%. (2) In SLE patients, positivity of anti-dsDNA antibody was not correlated with positivity of anti-Sm antibody (P>0.05), but was correlated with positivity of anti-SSA antibody (P<0.05). (3) Incidences of alopecia, skin rashes, oral mucosal ulcer, proteinuria were significantly higher in SLE patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibody than those in SLE patients with negative anti-dsDNA antibody (P<0.05). (4) Incidences of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were also significantly higher in SLE patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibody (P<0.05). Conclusion: Anti-dsDNA antibody could be taken as a specific marker of SLE and the serum expression were positively correlated with the activity and severity of the disease. (authors)

  14. The Impact of Childhood Bullying among HIV-Positive Men: Psychosocial Correlates and Risk Factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamen, Charles; Bergstrom, Jessica; Vorasarun, Chaniga; Mardini, Mona; Patrick, Rudy; Lee, Susanne; Lazar, Rachael; Koopman, Cheryl; Gore-Felton, Cheryl

    2012-01-01

    Objectives While some studies have examined the deleterious effects of childhood bullying on adults, no studies to date have focused on the effects of bullying on Persons Living with HIV (PLH), a particularly at-risk population. PLH experience higher rates of childhood and adulthood physical and sexual abuse than the population at large, and experience of childhood abuse appears to be predictive of sexual and other risk behaviors in this population. Thus it remains critical to examine rates of childhood bullying and correlates of bullying in adult PLH. Methods A sample of 171 HIV-positive men over 18 years of age were recruited from the San Francisco Bay Area. All participants reported experiencing symptoms of traumatic stress. The participants were recruited as part of a larger study assessing a group intervention for individuals with HIV and symptoms of trauma. Self-report questionnaires were administered to assess participants’ exposure to bullying in childhood and trauma symptoms in adulthood. Results Bullying was commonly reported by men in the current sample, with 91% of the sample endorsing having experienced some level of bullying before age 18. Having been bullied in childhood was significantly (p bullying in childhood predicted additional, unique variance in trauma symptoms in adulthood above and beyond the effect of exposure to other forms of trauma, resulting in a better-fitting model. Conclusions The current study highlights the association between rate of childhood bullying and symptoms of trauma in adulthood, accounting for the effect of exposure to other forms of trauma. Given the impact of trauma symptoms on disease progression in PLH, exposure to bullying must be considered in any intervention aiming to reduce trauma symptoms or improve mental or physical health among HIV-positive populations. PMID:23294606

  15. Brain regions associated with Anhedonia in healthy adults: a PET correlation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jung, Young Chul; Chun, Ji Won; Kim, Jae Jin; Park, Hae Jeong; Lee, Jong Doo [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Seok, Jeong Ho [Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-10-15

    Anhedonia has been proposed to be the result of a basic neurophysiologic dysfunction and a vulnerability marker that precede and contribute to the liability of developing schizophrenia. We hypothesized that anhedonia, as a construct reflecting the decreased capacity to experience pleasure, should be associated with decreased positive hedonic affect trait. This study examined the relationship between anhedonia and positive hedonic affect trait and searched for the brain regions which correlate with anhedonia in normal subjects. Using {sup 18}F-FDG PET scan, we investigated the brain activity of twenty one subjects during resting state. Questionnaires were administrated after the scan in order to assess the self-rated individual differences in physical/social anhedonia and positive/negative affect traits. Negative correlation between physical anhedonia score and positive affect trait score was significant (Pearson coefficient=-0.440, {rho} <0.05). The subjects' physical and social anhedonia scores showed positive correlation with metabolic rates in the cerebellum and negative correlation with metabolic rates in the inferior temporal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. In addition, the positive affect trait score positively correlated with various areas, most prominent with the inferior temporal gyrus. These results suggest that neural substrates, such as the inferior temporal gyrus and prefrontal-cerebellar circuit, which dysfunction has been proposed to be involved with the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, may also play a significant role in the liability of affective deficits like anhedonia.

  16. Economic Policy Uncertainty and Long-Run Stock Market Volatility and Correlation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Asgharian, Hossein; Christiansen, Charlotte; Hou, Ai Jun

    We use Baker, Bloom, and Davis’s (2016) economic policy uncertainty indices in combination with the mixed data sampling (MIDAS) approach to investigate long-run stock market volatility and correlation, primarily for the US and UK. Long-run US–UK stock market correlation depends positively on US...... economic policy uncertainty shocks. The dependence is asymmetric, with only positive shocks - increasing uncertainty - being of importance. The US long-run stock market volatility depends significantly on US economic policy uncertainty shocks but not on UK shocks, while the UK long-run stock market...... volatility depends significantly on both. Allowing for US economic policy uncertainty shocks improves the out-of-sample forecasting of US–UK stock market correlation and enhances portfolio performance. Similar results apply to the long-run correlation between the US and Canada, China, and Germany....

  17. Clinical significance of nailfold capillaroscopy in systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with endothelial cell activation markers and disease activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuryliszyn-Moskal, A; Ciolkiewicz, M; Klimiuk, P A; Sierakowski, S

    2009-01-01

    To evaluate whether nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) changes are associated with the main serum endothelial cell activation markers and the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), and soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 80 SLE patients and 33 healthy controls. Nailfold capillary abnormalities were seen in 74 out of 80 (92.5%) SLE patients. A normal capillaroscopic pattern or mild changes were found in 33 (41.25%) and moderate/severe abnormalities in 47 (58.75%) of all SLE patients. In SLE patients a capillaroscopic score >1 was more frequently associated with the presence of internal organ involvement (p 1 and controls. SLE patients with severe/moderate capillaroscopic abnormalities showed significantly higher VEGF serum levels than patients with mild changes (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the severity of capillaroscopic changes and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) (p < 0.005) as well as between capillaroscopic score and VEGF serum levels (p < 0.001). Our findings confirm the usefulness of NC as a non-invasive technique for the evaluation of microvascular involvement in SLE patients. A relationship between changes in NC, endothelial cell activation markers and clinical features of SLE suggest an important role for microvascular abnormalities in clinical manifestation of the disease.

  18. The Gap of Self - States and Its Association to an Individual‟s Interaction and Emotional Bond to their Significant Relationships: A Correlational Study about Filipino Youth‟s Self - Discrepancy and Their Attachment Styl

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mae R. Galing

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available A youth is expected to experience difficulties due to the opposing desire to be free while still remaining dependent to family and other significant individuals in their lives. Filipino youth are known as being family - oriented and being submissive which is one of the factors that pounds the importance of what people around them utters. Thus, creating a gap or discrepancy between what they truly want and what other people expect them to do. When these internal battles began, significant external aspects such as social interaction can be compromised. These occurrences can be elucidated by using the two frameworks Self - Discrepancy Theory and Attachment Style. In this study, correlational research design and survey method were employed to 384 Filipino Youth from Makati whom are selected through convenience sampling. Results of the study showed that the respondents have positive image of themselves. Also, a big majority of the respondents were discerned to have high discrepancies between their self - states. In this study, it was also seen that the respondents were dismissive and were characterized to be independent, self - reliant, and gave low importance to relationships. Finally, findings of this study revealed a weak positive correlation between secure attachment s tyle towards the self - discrepancy of the respondents while weak negative correlation was found between the rest of the attachment styles towards the discrepancy among their self - states. With this, the researchers recommended stabilizing internal discrepanc ies and strengthening significant relationships as the two were seen as big factors in respondents’ social interaction and self - esteem.

  19. Cognitive ability correlates positively with son birth and predicts cross-cultural variation of the offspring sex ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dama, Madhukar Shivajirao

    2013-06-01

    Human populations show remarkable variation in the sex ratio at birth which is believed to be related to the parental condition. In the present study, the global variation of sex ratio at birth (SRB, proportion of male offspring born) was analyzed with respect to indirect measure of condition, the intelligence quotient (IQ). IQ correlates strongly with lifespan across nations, which makes it a good indicator of health of the large populations. Relation between three standard measures of average national IQ and SRB was studied using multiple linear regression models. Average national IQ was positively correlated with SRB ( r = 0.54 to 0.57, p difference in general condition of populations.

  20. Correlation Between TNF- α and Degree of Gastritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricky Rivalino

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: TNF- α is a cytokine that plays an active role in the pathogenesis of gastritis. The correlation of TNF-α levels in the gastric mucosa with the severity of gastritis has long been known. However, few studies have assessed TNF-α levels in serum of gastritis patients. This study aims to evaluate correlation between serum TNF-α level with the degree of gastritis based on histopathology. Method: A cross sectional study on eighty gastritis patients that fulfilled the inclusion criteria underwent serum TNF-α examination, endoscopy, and biopsy. Rapid urease test was used for diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The severity of gastritis based on lymphocyte infiltration, neutrophil infiltration, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia according to Updated Sydney System. Univariate and bivariate analysis (Chi-square, fisher's exact, spearman correlation, and independent T-test were done using SPSS version 22. Results: There were 41.25% patients infected with Helicobacter pylori. Serum TNF-α levels in the infected group were significantly higher compared to negative H. pylori (p < 0.05. There was significant positive correlation between serum TNF-α levels and degree of gastritis based on lymphocyte infiltration (r = 0.333; p = 0.003. Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between serum TNF-α level with the severity of gastritis based on lymphocyte infiltration.

  1. Neural correlates of preparatory and regulatory control over positive and negative emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Dongju; Olman, Cheryl A; Haut, Kristen M; Sinha, Rajita; MacDonald, Angus W; Patrick, Christopher J

    2014-04-01

    This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activation during preparatory and regulatory control while participants (N = 24) were instructed either to simply view or decrease their emotional response to, pleasant, neutral or unpleasant pictures. A main effect of emotional valence on brain activity was found in the right precentral gyrus, with greater activation during positive than negative emotion regulation. A main effect of regulation phase was evident in the bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC), precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, right putamen and temporal and occipital lobes, with greater activity in these regions during preparatory than regulatory control. A valence X regulation interaction was evident in regions of ventromedial PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, reflecting greater activation while regulating negative than positive emotion, but only during active emotion regulation (not preparation). Conjunction analyses revealed common brain regions involved in differing types of emotion regulation including selected areas of left lateral PFC, inferior parietal lobe, temporal lobe, right cerebellum and bilateral dorsomedial PFC. The right lateral PFC was additionally activated during the modulation of both positive and negative valence. Findings demonstrate significant modulation of brain activity during both preparation for, and active regulation of positive and negative emotional states.

  2. The Health Significance of Positive Emotions in Adulthood and Later Life

    OpenAIRE

    Ong, Anthony D.; Mroczek, Daniel K.; Riffin, Catherine

    2011-01-01

    A growing body of literature supports a link between positive emotions and health in older adults. In this article, we review evidence of the effects of positive emotions on downstream biological processes and meaningful clinical endpoints, such as adult morbidity and mortality. We then present relevant predictions from lifespan theories that suggest changes in cognition and motivation may play an important role in explaining how positive emotions are well maintained in old age, despite perva...

  3. Study of correlations of positive and negative charged particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Y.; Chan, C.H.; Dong, B.L.; Duthie, J.G.; Gregory, J.C.; Hayashi, T.; Yokomi, H.; Christl, M.J.; Derrickson, J.H.; Eby, P.B.; Fountain, W.F.; Parnell, T.A.; Roberts, F.E.; Nagamiya, S.; Dake, S.; Tominaga, T.; Fuki, M.; Iyono, A.; Ogata, T.; Miyamura, O.

    1991-01-01

    Particle correlations of the central collision events of 32 S + Pb at 200 GeV/AMU have been studied by utilizing a Magnetic-Interferomagnetic-Emulsion-Chamber (MAGIC) detector. Particle angles, momentum, and charge-signs are measured for all produced charged tracks for each event. Two-particle correlation functions, C 2 = dN (vertical strokep 1 - p 2 vertical stroke = q)/dp 1 dp 2 , for (++), (--) and (+-) particles are examined. A source radius around 4 - 6 fm is observed for overall identical particle correlations, while unexpected short-range correlations of unlike-sign pairs are observed in the high rapidity region. An analysis of unlike-sign pairs in terms of resonance decays indicated that a large amount (40% relative to pions) of η or ω mesons (decaying into 3 π), or of scalar iso-scalar σ mesons (decaying into 2 π) would be required to explain some of the data. Multi-particle charge-sign clusters are recognized; however, their 'run-test' and 'conjugate-test' show small deviations from statistical fluctuations. (orig.)

  4. Extra-nodal extension is a significant prognostic factor in lymph node positive breast cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sura Aziz

    Full Text Available Presence of lymph node (LN metastasis is a strong prognostic factor in breast cancer, whereas the importance of extra-nodal extension and other nodal tumor features have not yet been fully recognized. Here, we examined microscopic features of lymph node metastases and their prognostic value in a population-based cohort of node positive breast cancer (n = 218, as part of the prospective Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program NBCSP (1996-2009. Sections were reviewed for the largest metastatic tumor diameter (TD-MET, nodal afferent and efferent vascular invasion (AVI and EVI, extra-nodal extension (ENE, number of ENE foci, as well as circumferential (CD-ENE and perpendicular (PD-ENE diameter of extra-nodal growth. Number of positive lymph nodes, EVI, and PD-ENE were significantly increased with larger primary tumor (PT diameter. Univariate survival analysis showed that several features of nodal metastases were associated with disease-free (DFS or breast cancer specific survival (BCSS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated an independent prognostic value of PD-ENE (with 3 mm as cut-off value in predicting DFS and BCSS, along with number of positive nodes and histologic grade of the primary tumor (for DFS: P = 0.01, P = 0.02, P = 0.01, respectively; for BCSS: P = 0.02, P = 0.008, P = 0.02, respectively. To conclude, the extent of ENE by its perpendicular diameter was independently prognostic and should be considered in line with nodal tumor burden in treatment decisions of node positive breast cancer.

  5. Physical properties of naked DNA influence nucleosome positioning and correlate with transcription start and termination sites in yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soler-López Montserrat

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In eukaryotic organisms, DNA is packaged into chromatin structure, where most of DNA is wrapped into nucleosomes. DNA compaction and nucleosome positioning have clear functional implications, since they modulate the accessibility of genomic regions to regulatory proteins. Despite the intensive research effort focused in this area, the rules defining nucleosome positioning and the location of DNA regulatory regions still remain elusive. Results Naked (histone-free and nucleosomal DNA from yeast were digested by microccocal nuclease (MNase and sequenced genome-wide. MNase cutting preferences were determined for both naked and nucleosomal DNAs. Integration of their sequencing profiles with DNA conformational descriptors derived from atomistic molecular dynamic simulations enabled us to extract the physical properties of DNA on a genomic scale and to correlate them with chromatin structure and gene regulation. The local structure of DNA around regulatory regions was found to be unusually flexible and to display a unique pattern of nucleosome positioning. Ab initio physical descriptors derived from molecular dynamics were used to develop a computational method that accurately predicts nucleosome enriched and depleted regions. Conclusions Our experimental and computational analyses jointly demonstrate a clear correlation between sequence-dependent physical properties of naked DNA and regulatory signals in the chromatin structure. These results demonstrate that nucleosome positioning around TSS (Transcription Start Site and TTS (Transcription Termination Site (at least in yeast is strongly dependent on DNA physical properties, which can define a basal regulatory mechanism of gene expression.

  6. [Expression of IMP3 in osteosarcoma and its clinical significance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kang-hua; Huang, Yue-ping; Zhang, Jun; Li, Guo-jun; Li, Si-hong

    2009-05-01

    To analyze the expressional variability of IMP3 between osteosarcoma and osteochondroma and explore its clinical significance. Paraffin sections from 68 patients with osteosarcoma and 20 patients with osteochondroma were examined for the expression of IMP3 by SP immunohistochemistry. The negative, weak positive, moderate positive and strong positive expression rates of IMP3 in 68 patients with osteosarcoma were 4.41% (3/68), 22.06% (15/68), 22.74% (19/68), 45.59% (31/68), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in 20 cases of osteochondroma tissues (P<0.01). The positive expression of IMP3 in osteosarcoma was negative correlation with the 3-year survival rate of osteosarcoma patients after the operation (P<0.01). The results suggest that IMP3 plays important roles in the tumorigenesis, progress and prognosis of osteosarcoma, and the expression of IMP3 may be an important feature of osteosarcoma.

  7. The circumvaginal musculature: correlation between pressure and physical assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKey, P L; Dougherty, M C

    1986-01-01

    This study assessed two recently developed techniques to assess the circumvaginal musculature (CVM), the CVM Rating Scale and the pressure sensitive intravaginal balloon device (IVBD), and correlated results of the two methods. Thirty women volunteers, aged 20 to 42, were studied. CVM Rating Scale total scores and IVBD maximal contraction variables were measured for resting pressure, rate of rise, maximal pressure, rate of return, and time that a submaximal contraction could be sustained (endurance contraction). Age, parity, self-reported orgasm, self-reported Kegel exercises, and self-reported physical exercise were separately correlated with CVM Rating Scale total scores and IVBD maximal pressure results. A positive significant correlation was found between the CVM Rating Scale total scores and the IVBD maximal contraction results for the variables rate of rise, r = .50, p less than .01, maximum pressure, r = .82, p less than .01, and rate of return, r = .44, p less than .01. Self-reported orgasm had a positive significant correlation to the CVM Rating Scale total scores, rho = .34, p less than .05, and to the IVBD maximal pressure results, r = .52, p less than .01. A positive correlation was found between self-reported physical exercise and the CVM Rating Scale total scores, rho = .31, p less than .05. IBVD maximal pressure results were negatively correlated with age, r = -.34, p less than .05, and parity, r = -.34, p less than .05.

  8. Prospective Assessment of Optimal Individual Position (Prone Versus Supine) for Breast Radiotherapy: Volumetric and Dosimetric Correlations in 100 Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lymberis, Stella C.; Wyngaert, John Keith de; Parhar, Preeti; Chhabra, Arpit M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Chang Jengwha; Hochman, Tsivia; Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Damage to heart and lung from breast radiotherapy is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and lung cancer development. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate which position is best to spare lung and heart from radiotherapy exposure. Methods and Materials: One hundred consecutive Stage 0–IIA breast cancer patients consented to participate in a research trial that required two computed tomography simulation scans for planning both supine and prone positions. The optimal position was defined as that which best covered the contoured breast and tumor bed while it minimized critical organ irradiation, as quantified by the in-field heart and lung volume. The trial was designed to plan the first 100 patients in each position to study correlations between in-field volumes of organs at risk and dose. Results: Fifty-three left and 47 right breast cancer patients were consecutively accrued to the trial. In all patients, the prone position was optimal for sparing lung volume compared to the supine setup (mean lung volume reduction was 93.5 cc for right and 103.6 cc for left breast cancer patients). In 46/53 (87%) left breast cancer patients best treated prone, in-field heart volume was reduced by a mean of 12 cc and by 1.8 cc for the other 7/53 (13%) patients best treated supine. As predicted, supine-prone differences in in-field volume and mean dose of heart and lung were highly correlated (Spearman's correlation coefficient for left breast cancer patients was 0.90 for heart and 0.94 for lung and 0.92 for right breast cancer patients for lung). Conclusions: Prone setup reduced the amount of irradiated lung in all patients and reduced the amount of heart volume irradiated in 87% of left breast cancer patients. In-field organ volume is a valid surrogate for predicting dose; the trial continued to the planned target of 400.

  9. A study of respiration-correlated cone-beam CT scans to correct target positioning errors in radiotherapy of thoracic cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santoro, J. P.; McNamara, J.; Yorke, E.; Pham, H.; Rimner, A.; Rosenzweig, K. E.; Mageras, G. S. [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States); Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065 (United States)

    2012-10-15

    Purpose: There is increasingly widespread usage of cone-beam CT (CBCT) for guiding radiation treatment in advanced-stage lung tumors, but difficulties associated with daily CBCT in conventionally fractionated treatments include imaging dose to the patient, increased workload and longer treatment times. Respiration-correlated cone-beam CT (RC-CBCT) can improve localization accuracy in mobile lung tumors, but further increases the time and workload for conventionally fractionated treatments. This study investigates whether RC-CBCT-guided correction of systematic tumor deviations in standard fractionated lung tumor radiation treatments is more effective than 2D image-based correction of skeletal deviations alone. A second study goal compares respiration-correlated vs respiration-averaged images for determining tumor deviations. Methods: Eleven stage II-IV nonsmall cell lung cancer patients are enrolled in an IRB-approved prospective off-line protocol using RC-CBCT guidance to correct for systematic errors in GTV position. Patients receive a respiration-correlated planning CT (RCCT) at simulation, daily kilovoltage RC-CBCT scans during the first week of treatment and weekly scans thereafter. Four types of correction methods are compared: (1) systematic error in gross tumor volume (GTV) position, (2) systematic error in skeletal anatomy, (3) daily skeletal corrections, and (4) weekly skeletal corrections. The comparison is in terms of weighted average of the residual GTV deviations measured from the RC-CBCT scans and representing the estimated residual deviation over the treatment course. In the second study goal, GTV deviations computed from matching RCCT and RC-CBCT are compared to deviations computed from matching respiration-averaged images consisting of a CBCT reconstructed using all projections and an average-intensity-projection CT computed from the RCCT. Results: Of the eleven patients in the GTV-based systematic correction protocol, two required no correction

  10. A study of respiration-correlated cone-beam CT scans to correct target positioning errors in radiotherapy of thoracic cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santoro, J. P.; McNamara, J.; Yorke, E.; Pham, H.; Rimner, A.; Rosenzweig, K. E.; Mageras, G. S.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: There is increasingly widespread usage of cone-beam CT (CBCT) for guiding radiation treatment in advanced-stage lung tumors, but difficulties associated with daily CBCT in conventionally fractionated treatments include imaging dose to the patient, increased workload and longer treatment times. Respiration-correlated cone-beam CT (RC-CBCT) can improve localization accuracy in mobile lung tumors, but further increases the time and workload for conventionally fractionated treatments. This study investigates whether RC-CBCT-guided correction of systematic tumor deviations in standard fractionated lung tumor radiation treatments is more effective than 2D image-based correction of skeletal deviations alone. A second study goal compares respiration-correlated vs respiration-averaged images for determining tumor deviations. Methods: Eleven stage II–IV nonsmall cell lung cancer patients are enrolled in an IRB-approved prospective off-line protocol using RC-CBCT guidance to correct for systematic errors in GTV position. Patients receive a respiration-correlated planning CT (RCCT) at simulation, daily kilovoltage RC-CBCT scans during the first week of treatment and weekly scans thereafter. Four types of correction methods are compared: (1) systematic error in gross tumor volume (GTV) position, (2) systematic error in skeletal anatomy, (3) daily skeletal corrections, and (4) weekly skeletal corrections. The comparison is in terms of weighted average of the residual GTV deviations measured from the RC-CBCT scans and representing the estimated residual deviation over the treatment course. In the second study goal, GTV deviations computed from matching RCCT and RC-CBCT are compared to deviations computed from matching respiration-averaged images consisting of a CBCT reconstructed using all projections and an average-intensity-projection CT computed from the RCCT. Results: Of the eleven patients in the GTV-based systematic correction protocol, two required no correction

  11. The expression and significance of P-glycoprotein, lung resistance protein and multidrug resistance-associated protein in gastric cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Yan

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To detect the expression of multidrug resistance molecules P-glycoprotein (P-gp, Lung resistnce protein (LRP and Multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP and analyze the relationship between them and the clinico-pathological features. Methods The expressions of P-gp, LRP and MRP in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 59 gastric cancer patients were determined by a labbelled Streptavidin-Peroxidase (SP immunohistochemical technique, and the results were analyzed in correlation with clinicopathological data. None of these patients received chemotherapy prior to surgery. Results The positive rates of P-gp, LRP, MRP were 86.4%, 84.7% and 27.1%, respectively. The difference between the positive rate of P-gp and MRP was significant statistically, as well as the difference between the expression of MRP and LRP. No significant difference was observed between P-gp and LRP, but the positively correlation between the expression of P-gp and LRP had been found. No significant correlation between the expression of P-gp, LRP, MRP and the grade of differentiation were observed. The expression of P-gp was correlated with clinical stages positively (r = 0.742, but the difference with the expression of P-gp in different stages was not significant. Conclusion The expressions of P-gp, LRP and MRP in patients with gastric cancer without prior chemotherapy are high, indicating that innate drug resistance may exist in gastric cancer.

  12. Correlation between maternal and umbilical cord blood in pregnant women of Pokhara Valley: a cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timilsina, Sameer; Karki, Sirisa; Gautam, Aajeevan; Bhusal, Pujan; Paudel, Gita; Sharma, Deepak

    2018-03-21

    Complete blood count is one of the routinely advised blood investigation during pregnancy. It is also utilized as a diagnostic tool for neonatal anemia, sepsis and determining hemostatic status of the newborn. The present study aims at estimating the complete blood count of maternal and umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery and to establish its correlation. This cross sectional study included 114 mothers and their healthy neonates born through normal vaginal delivery. Complete blood count of umbilical cord blood and maternal blood was estimated using automatic hematology analyzer. The mean maternal and neonatal hemoglobin concentration was 11.14 ± 1.39 g/dL and 16.34 ± 2.01 g/dL respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between maternal and fetal hemoglobin concentration (p correlation between maternal and fetal WBC, RBC and Platelet count was not statistically significant. A significant positive correlation was found between maternal and fetal MCV and MCH while PCV showed a non-significant positive correlation. There was moderately positive correlation between maternal and fetal hemoglobin, MCV and MCH. The cord blood hemoglobin was lower in babies born to anemic mothers. The decrease in hemoglobin followed the severity of anemia, however, the correlation did not exist in anemic mothers. It suggested that fetal hematological parameters are not reflective of maternal hemogram.

  13. Glenohumeral position during CT arthrography with arthroscopic correlation: optimization of diagnostic yield

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simeone, F.J.; Gill, Corey M.; Torriani, Martin; Bredella, Miriam A. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Boston, MA (United States); Taneja, Atul K. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Hospital do Coracao (HCor) and Teleimagem, Musculoskeletal Imaging, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2017-06-15

    To evaluate the diagnostic yield of two acquisitions of single-contrast CT arthrography (CTA) of the shoulder in internal, neutral, or external glenohumeral rotation with arthroscopic correlation. The CT study was obtained using two acquisitions (first the humerus positioned in maximum tolerated external rotation with the arm along the body and the second with the humerus in internal rotation with the palm placed flat on the table). Two independent readers blinded to the arthroscopic results evaluated the CTA images for labral tears, glenoid bone loss/fractures, and cartilage loss. For each CTA acquisition, sensitivity and specificity for detection of the aforementioned pathology were assessed. Inter-reader agreement was quantified by weighted k statistics. Sensitivity and specificity for detecting anteroinferior or posterior labral tears was highest with neutral rotation (sensitivity 91-100%, specificity 61-100%). For glenoid fracture, sensitivity (67%) was highest with external rotation and specificity (100%) was highest with internal rotation. For cartilage loss, sensitivity (64%) and specificity (89%) was highest with external rotation and neutral rotation, respectively. Neutral rotation showed high sensitivity and specificity for glenoid fractures and cartilage loss. Inter-reader agreement ranged from fair to very good. Neutral glenohumeral position in shoulder CT arthrography was adequately sensitive and specific for the detection of intra-articular pathology, avoiding the use of more than one acquisition. (orig.)

  14. Positive emotion, appraisal, and the role of appraisal overlap in positive emotion co-occurrence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Eddie M W; Jia, Lile

    2017-02-01

    Appraisal research has traditionally focused on negative emotions but has not addressed issues concerning the relationships between several positive emotions and appraisals in daily life and the extent to which co-occurrence of positive emotions can be explained by overlap in appraisals. Driven by a priori hypotheses on appraisal-emotion relationships, this study investigated 12 positive emotions and 13 appraisal dimensions using Ecological Momentary Assessment. The results provide strong evidence that positive emotions and appraisals correlate significantly in daily life. Importantly, we found that the positive emotions' overlap on theoretically relevant, as compared to irrelevant, appraisals was stronger and more predictive of their co-occurrence. Furthermore, appraisal overlap on theoretically relevant appraisals predicted the co-occurrence of positive emotions even when the appraisal of pleasantness was excluded, indicating that positive emotions do not co-occur just by virtue of their shared valence. Our findings affirmed and refined the appraisal profiles of positive emotions and underscore the importance of appraisals in accounting for the commonality and differences among positive emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Exercise-induced prostacyclin release positively correlates with VO(2max) in young healthy men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoladz, J A; Majerczak, J; Duda, K; Chłopicki, S

    2009-01-01

    In this study we have evaluated the effect of maximal incremental cycling exercise (IE) on the systemic release of prostacyclin (PGI(2)), assessed as plasma 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) concentration in young healthy men. Eleven physically active - untrained men (mean +/- S.D.) aged 22.7 +/- 2.1 years; body mass 76.3 +/- 9.1 kg; BMI 23.30 +/- 2.18 kg . m(-2); maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) 46.5 +/- 3.9 ml . kg(-1) . min(-1), performed an IE test until exhaustion. Plasma concentrations of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), lactate, and cytokines were measured in venous blood samples taken prior to the exercise and at the exhaustion. The net exercise-induced increase in 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) concentration, expressed as the difference between the end-exercise minus pre-exercise concentration positively correlated with VO(2max) (r=0.78, p=0.004) as well as with the net VO(2) increase at exhaustion (r=0.81, p=0.003), but not with other respiratory, cardiac, metabolic or inflammatory parameters of the exercise (minute ventilation, heart rate, plasma lactate, IL-6 or TNF-alpha concentrations). The exercise-induced increase in 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) concentration?? was significantly higher (p=0.008) in a group of subjects (n=5) with the highest VO(2max) when compared to the group of subjects with the lowest VO(2max), in which no increase in 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) concentration was found. In conclusion, we demonstrated, to our knowledge for the first time, that exercise-induced release of PGI(2) in young healthy men correlates with VO(2max), suggesting that vascular capacity to release PGI(2) in response to physical exercise represents an important factor characterizing exercise tolerance. Moreover, we postulate that the impairment of exercise-induced release of PGI(2) leads to the increased cardiovascular hazard of vigorous exercise.

  16. Clinicopathological significance of c-MYC in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, Yu; Niu, Xiangdong; Cai, Hui; Yang, Xiaojun; Ma, Haizhong; Ma, Shixun; Zhang, Yupeng; Chen, Yifeng

    2017-07-01

    Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors. The oncogene c-MYC is thought to be important in the initiation, promotion, and therapy resistance of cancer. In this study, we aim to investigate the clinicopathologic roles of c-MYC in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue. This study is aimed at discovering and analyzing c-MYC expression in a series of human esophageal tissues. A total of 95 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma samples were analyzed by the western blotting and immunohistochemistry techniques. Then, correlation of c-MYC expression with clinicopathological features of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was statistically analyzed. In most esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases, the c-MYC expression was positive in tumor tissues. The positive rate of c-MYC expression in tumor tissues was 61.05%, obviously higher than the adjacent normal tissues (8.42%, 8/92) and atypical hyperplasia tissues (19.75%, 16/95). There was a statistical difference among adjacent normal tissues, atypical hyperplasia tissues, and tumor tissues. Overexpression of the c-MYC was detected in 61.05% (58/95) esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, which was significantly correlated with the degree of differentiation (p = 0.004). The positive rate of c-MYC expression was 40.0% in well-differentiated esophageal tissues, with a significantly statistical difference (p = 0.004). The positive rate of c-MYC was 41.5% in T1 + T2 esophageal tissues and 74.1% in T3 + T4 esophageal tissues, with a significantly statistical difference (p = 0.001). The positive rate of c-MYC was 45.0% in I + II esophageal tissues and 72.2% in III + IV esophageal tissues, with a significantly statistical difference (p = 0.011). The c-MYC expression strongly correlated with clinical staging (p = 0.011), differentiation degree (p = 0.004), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.003), and invasion depth (p = 0.001) of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The c-MYC was

  17. Correlation of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization with plant growth, nodulation, and shoot npk in legumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javaid, A.; Anjum, T.; Shah, M.H.M.

    2007-01-01

    Correlation of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization with different root and shoot growth, nodulation and shoot NPK parameters was studied in three legumes viz. Trifolium alexandrianum, Medicago polymorpha and Melilotus parviflora. The three test legume species showed different patterns of root and shoot growth, nodulation, mycorrhizal colonization and shoot N, P and K content. Different mycorrhizal structures viz. mycelium, arbuscules and vesicles showed different patters of correlation with different studied parameters. Mycelial infection showed an insignificantly positive correlation with root and shoot dry biomass and total root length. Maximum root length was however, negatively associated with mycelial infection. Both arbuscular and vesicular infections were negatively correlated with shoot dry biomass and different parameters of root growth. The association between arbuscular infection and maximum root length was significant. All the three mycorrhizal structures showed a positive correlation with number and biomass of nodules. The association between arbuscular infection and nodule number was significant. Mycelial infection was positively correlated with percentage and total shoot N and P. Similarly percentage N was also positively correlated with arbuscular and vesicular infections. By contrast, total shoot N showed a negative association with arbuscular as well as vesicular infections. Similarly both percentage and total shoot P were negatively correlated with arbuscular and vesicular infections. All the associations between mycorrhizal parameters and shoot K were negative except between vesicular infection and shoot %K. (author)

  18. Do fish growth rates correlate with PCB body burdens?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew L. Rypel; David R.. Bayne

    2010-01-01

    We evaluated whether growth rates of six fish species correlated with PCB concentrations in a moderately-to-heavily polluted freshwater ecosystem. Using a large dataset (n ¼ 984 individuals), and after accounting for growth effects related to fish age, habitat, sex, and lipids, growth correlated significantly, but positively with lipid-corrected PCB concentrations for...

  19. Correlation of nutritional status with academic achievement in adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinurat, R. S.; Sembiring, T.; Azlin, E.; Faranita, T.; Pratita, W.

    2018-03-01

    Malnutrition is considered a problem that limits learning ability (cognitive function), which is related to poor academic achievement results. This study aimed to determine the relationship of nutritional status with academic achievement in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 junior high school students ranging from 12 to 15 years in Batubara, North Sumatra in January 2015. Nutritional status is determined by weight for height. Academic achievement was recorded from the final results of their school exams. The value of intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed by using the Aptitude Test. Data were then analyzed by using Spearman correlation and Chi-Square test. In conclusion, there was no significant difference between nutritional status with IQ score (p=0,540) but showed a significant relationship (p=0.003) between normal nutritional status with the total value of the report card with positive weak correlation strength (r=0.342). There was also a significant difference (p=0.020) and moderate positive correlation (r=0.541) between overweight with academic achievement based on mathematics.

  20. [Significance and mechanism of MSCT perfusion scan on differentiation of NSCLC].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jin-Kang; Hu, Cheng-Ping; Zhou, Mo-Ling; Zhou, Hui; Xiong, Zeng; Xia, Yu; Chen, Wei

    2009-06-01

    To determine the significance of MSCT perfusion scan on differentiation of NSCLC and to investigate its possible mechanisms. Forty four NSCLC patients underwent CT perfusion scan by MSCT. Among them, 22 cases were selected to detected the two-dimensional tumor microvascular architecture phenotype (2D-TMAP), the relationships between CT perfusion parameters (BF, BV, PEI, TIP), and the differentiation of NSCLC were analysed by using the correlation analysis and trend test. Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the relationships between CT perfusion parameters, differentiation, and 2D-TMAP. The total BF, BV and PEI decreased with decreasing differentiation of NSCLC (P<0.05). The total PEI showed a positive correlation with the total MVD (P<0.05). There were negative correlations between the surrounding area BF, the total BF, BV, and PEI, the uncomplete lumen of the surrounding area MVD, and expression of PCNA, respectively (P<0.05). There were positive correlations between degree of differentiation and the uncomplete lumen of the surrounding area MVD (P<0.05). It was the same as degree of differentiation and expression of PCNA, VEGF, respectively. There were positive correlations between the uncomplete lumen of the surrounding area MVD and expression of VEGF, ephrinB2, EphB4, and PCNA, respectively (P<0.05). Perfusion parameters reflect the difference of density of vassels with mature functional lumen. Careful evaluation of the differences of blood flow pattern in pulmonary space-occupying lesions by MSCT perfusion scan can be used to identify the degree of NSCLC differentiation.

  1. Clinical significance of measurement of serum insulin-like growth factor II and adrenomedulion levels in patients with essential hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Bifu; Ji Naijun; Mei Yibin; Wang Chengyao; Chen Donghai; Li Fuyuan; Guan Lihua; Gao Meiying

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of serum levels of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) and adrenomedullin (ADM) in patients with essential hypertension. Methods: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were measured in 62 cases of hypertension and 40 controls with RIA. Results: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were significantly bigger in hypertensive patients than those in the controls (t = 4.454, p < 0.01; t = 3.992, p < 0.01). The serum IGF II level was significantly positively correlated to the serum ADM levels (r = 0.379, p < 0.05) and both were significantly positively correlated to the mean arterial pressure (r = 0.346, r = 0.353, p < 0.05) but not with BMI. Serum ADM levels increased gradually as the disease progressed from stage I to stage III (p < 0.05) with levels in stage III markedly higher than those in stage I (p < 0.01). In EH patients with heart and/or brain and/or renal complications the serum ADM levels were significantly higher than those in EH patients without complications (t = 2.050, p < 0.05). Such differences did not exist in the case of IGF II. Conclusion: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were increased markedly in hypertensive patients. These two factors were mutually positively correlated and both were positively correlated to mean arterial pressure. ADM levels increased gradually as the disease progressing but IGF II levels remained stable

  2. Correlation between tuberculin skin test and IGRAs with risk factors for the spread of infection in close contacts with sputum smear positive in pulmonary tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza-Galvão, Maria Luiza; Latorre, Irene; Altet-Gómez, Neus; Jiménez-Fuentes, María Ángeles; Milà, Celia; Solsona, Jordi; Seminario, Maria Asunción; Cantos, Adela; Ruiz-Manzano, Juan; Domínguez, José

    2014-05-13

    The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between the tuberculin skin test (TST) and in vitro interferon-gamma released assays (IGRAs) with risk factors for the spread of infection in smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) contacts. We recruited prospective contacts with smear positive pulmonary TB cases. We looked at human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and other conditions of immunosuppression, presence of BCG vaccination and the degree of exposure to the index case. Patients underwent the TST, chest radiography, sputum analysis when necessary, and IGRA assays (QFN-G-IT and T-SPOT.TB). Presence of cough, diagnostic delay (days between first symptoms and TB diagnostic), contact conditions: room size (square meters) and index of overcrowding (square meters per person) were investigated in the index case. 156 contacts (119 adults, 37 children) of 66 TB patients were enrolled, 2.4 (1-14) contacts per TB case. The positivity of the TST did not correlate with the risk factors studied: presence of cough (p = 0.929); delayed diagnosis (p = 0.244); room size (p = 0.462); overcrowding (p = 0.800). Both QFN-G-IT and T-SPOT.TB, showed significant association with cough (p = 0.001, and p = 0.007) and room size (p = 0.020, and p = 0.023), respectively. Both IGRA associated better than TST with certain host-related risk factors involved in the transmission of disease, such as the presence of cough.

  3. The clinical significance of detection of serum Pre-S1 antigen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Xuehua; Huang Zhuqing; Han Yi; Gong Shoujun

    2003-01-01

    To study the clinical significance of detection of serum Pre-S 1 Ag, the serum Pre-S 1 Ag, HBV-marks and HBV-DNA were detected in 338 patients with hepatitis B. The positive rate and the relationship between them were analyzed and compared. In 338 patients, the positive rate of serum Pre-S 1 Ag, HBeAg, HBV-DNA was 63.02%, 48.52%, 68.05% respectively, and the co-positive rate of Pre-S 1 Ag with HBV-DNA, HBeAg was 78.56%, 81.17% respectively. There was a significant correlation between Pre-S 1 Ag, HBeAg and HBV-DNA (P 1 Ag could well reflect the reproductive status of hepatitis B virus, and so it could be used as the clinical marker of the reproductive status of hepatitis B virus

  4. Distributions of positive correlations in sectoral value added growth in the global economic network*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maluck, Julian; Donner, Reik V.

    2017-02-01

    International trade has grown considerably during the process of globalization. Complex supply chains for the production of goods have resulted in an increasingly connected International Trade Network (ITN). Traditionally, direct trade relations between industries have been regarded as mediators of supply and demand spillovers. With increasing network connectivity the question arises if higher-order relations become more important in explaining a national sector's susceptibility to supply and demand changes of its trading partner. In this study we address this question by investigating empirically to what extent the topological properties of the ITN provide information about positive correlations in the production of two industry sectors. We observe that although direct trade relations between industries serve as important indicators for correlations in the industries' value added growth, opportunities of substitution for required production inputs as well as second-order trade relations cannot be neglected. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the relation between trade and economic productivity and can serve as a basis for the improvement of crisis spreading models that evaluate contagion threats in the case of a node's failure in the ITN.

  5. Path coefficient and correlation of yield and yield associated traits in candidate bread wheat (triticum aestivum l)lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muhammad, T.; Haider, S.; Qureshi, M. J.; Shah, G. S.; Zamir, R.

    2005-01-01

    Yield and yield contributing traits were studied in candidate bread wheat lines to find out the genetic contribution of the different characters towards grain yield at NIFA, Peshawar during 2001-02. All the characteristics studied differed significantly from each other. Days to heading showed negative and significant correlation with harvest index and grain yield but was negative and non-significant with the biological yield. Days to maturity were negatively correlated at both genotypic and phenotypic levels with biological yield; harvest index and grain yield and level of correlations were significant with harvest index and grain yield. Plant height showed negative genotypic and phenotypic correlation with harvest index and grain yield. Biological yield had positive and significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations with harvest index and grain yield. Harvest index had positive and highly significant genotypic and phenotypic correlation with grain yield. Genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients revealed that important characters influencing grain yield are harvest index and biological yield. Path analysis showed the importance in order of harvest index, biological yield, plant height, days to maturity and days to heading with grain yield. (author)

  6. Correlates of HIV stigma in HIV-positive women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Anne C; Hart, Trevor A; Mohammed, Saira; Ivanova, Elena; Wong, Joanna; Loutfy, Mona R

    2010-06-01

    We examined the variables associated with HIV stigma in HIV-positive women currently living in Ontario, Canada. Based on previous literature, we predicted that variables of social marginalization (e.g., ethnicity, income, education), medical variables (e.g., higher CD4 count, lower viral load), and increased psychological distress would be associated with higher perceived HIV stigma among HIV-positive women. One hundred fifty-nine HIV-positive women between the ages of 18 and 52 in Ontario completed self-report measures of the aforementioned variables. Women were recruited through 28 AIDS service organizations, eight HIV clinics, and two community health centers. In multiple regression analyses, for women born in Canada, lower educational level and higher anxiety were associated with higher HIV stigma. For women born outside of Canada, having been judged by a physician in Canada for trying to become pregnant was associated with higher HIV stigma. For HIV-positive women born outside of Canada, negative judgment by a physician regarding intentions to become pregnant should be addressed to reduce perceived HIV stigma and vice versa. Health care providers should be trained in the provision of sensitive and effective health care for women living with HIV, especially when providing reproductive health care.

  7. Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Hong; Rao, Jun; Shi, Jianxin; Hu, Chaoyang; Cheng, Fang; Wilson, Zoe A; Zhang, Dabing; Quan, Sheng

    2014-09-01

    Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world's major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While "omics" studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especially in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetically related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield. © 2014 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  8. Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hong Lin; Jun Rao; Jianxin Shi; Chaoyang Hu; Fang Cheng; Zoe AWilson; Dabing Zhang; Sheng Quan

    2014-01-01

    Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world’s major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While “omics”studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especial y in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetical y related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield.

  9. [Correlation analysis of major agronomic characters and the polysaccharide contents in Dendrobium officinale].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei; Zheng, Xi-Long; Qiu, Dao-Shou; Cai, Shi-Ke; Luo, Huan-Ming; Deng, Rui-Yun; Liu, Xiao-Jin

    2013-10-01

    In order to provide theoretical and technological basis for the germplasm innovation and variety breeding in Dendrobium officinale, a study of the correlation between polysaccharide content and agronomic characters was conducted. Based on the polysaccharide content determination and the agronomic characters investigation of 30 copies (110 individual plants) of Dendrobium officinale germplasm resources, the correlation between polysaccharide content and agronomic characters was analyzed via path and correlation analysis. Correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between average spacing and polysaccharide content, the correlation coefficient was -0.695. And the blade thickness was positively correlated with the polysaccharide content, but the correlation was not significant. The path analysis results showed that the stem length was the maximum influence factor to the polysaccharide, and it was positive effect, the direct path coefficient was 1.568. According to thess results, the polysaccharide content can be easily and intuitively estimated by the agronomic characters investigating data in the germpalsm resources screening and variety breeding. Therefore, it is a visual and practical technology guidance in quality variety breeding of Dendrobium officinale.

  10. The effect of flower position on variation and covariation in floral traits in a wild hermaphrodite plant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhi-Gang; Du, Guo-Zhen; Huang, Shuang-Quan

    2010-05-20

    Floral traits within plants can vary with flower position or flowering time. Within an inflorescence, sexual allocation of early produced basal flowers is often female-biased while later produced distal flowers are male-biased. Such temporal adjustment of floral resource has been considered one of the potential advantages of modularity (regarding a flower as a module) in hermaphrodites. However, flowers are under constraints of independent evolution of a given trait. To understand flower diversification within inflorescences, here we examine variation and covariation in floral traits within racemes at the individual and the maternal family level respectively in an alpine herb Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae). We found that floral traits varied significantly with flower position and among families, and position effects were family-specific. Most of the variance of floral traits was among individuals rather than among flowers within individuals or among families. Significant phenotypic correlations between traits were not affected by position, indicating trait integration under shared developmental regulation. In contrast, positive family-mean correlations in floral traits declined gradually from basal to distal flowers (nine significant correlations among floral traits in basal flowers and only three in distal flowers), showing position-specificity. Therefore, the pattern and magnitude of genetic correlations decreased with flower position. This finding on covariation pattern in floral reproductive structures within racemes has not been revealed before, providing insights into temporal variation and position effects in floral traits within plants and the potential advantages of modularity in hermaphrodites.

  11. Observations of geographically correlated orbit errors for TOPEX/Poseidon using the global positioning system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, E. J.; Haines, B. J.; Mccoll, K. C.; Nerem, R. S.

    1994-01-01

    We have compared Global Positioning System (GPS)-based dynamic and reduced-dynamic TOPEX/Poseidon orbits over three 10-day repeat cycles of the ground-track. The results suggest that the prelaunch joint gravity model (JGM-1) introduces geographically correlated errors (GCEs) which have a strong meridional dependence. The global distribution and magnitude of these GCEs are consistent with a prelaunch covariance analysis, with estimated and predicted global rms error statistics of 2.3 and 2.4 cm rms, respectively. Repeating the analysis with the post-launch joint gravity model (JGM-2) suggests that a portion of the meridional dependence observed in JGM-1 still remains, with global rms error of 1.2 cm.

  12. Cephalometric Evaluation of the Hyoid Bone Position in Lebanese Healthy Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daraze, Antoine

    2018-05-01

    The objectives of this study are to assess hyoid sagittal and vertical position, and potential correlations with gender, skeletal class, and anthropometrics. Twenty-seven cephalometric linear, angular, and ratio measurements for the hyoid were recorded on lateral cephalograms obtained from 117 healthy young Lebanese adults. Anthropometric parameters including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and neck circumference (NC) were measured. Statistically significant gender differences were demonstrated for 21 out of 27 parameters considered. All linear and two out of three angular measurements defining the vertical hyoid position were larger in males compared with females. Five linear, one angular, and two ratio measurements showed differences in the sagittal dimension. Skeletal classes did not influence the sagittal and vertical hyoid position. Anthropometric variables as height were strongly correlated to the vertical hyoid position, while weight correlated more sagittally. Cephalometric norms for hyoid position were established, sexual dimorphism and ethnic differences were demonstrated. Skeletal patterns did not influence the sagittal and vertical hyoid bone position. Anthropometric parameters, such as BMI correlated the least to both vertical and sagittal hyoid position measurements, while the impact of height and weight as separate entities made a paradigm shift providing accurate and strong correlation of the vertical hyoid position to the height, and the sagittal hyoid position to the weight of individuals. The cephalometric norms for the hyoid bone position in the Lebanese population established in the present study are of paramount clinical importance and should be considered in planning combined orthodontic and breathing disorders treatments.

  13. Positive transfer operators and decay of correlations

    CERN Document Server

    Baladi, Viviane

    2000-01-01

    Although individual orbits of chaotic dynamical systems are by definition unpredictable, the average behavior of typical trajectories can often be given a precise statistical description. Indeed, there often exist ergodic invariant measures with special additional features. For a given invariant measure, and a class of observables, the correlation functions tell whether (and how fast) the system "mixes", i.e. "forgets" its initial conditions.This book, addressed to mathematicians and mathematical (or mathematically inclined) physicists, shows how the powerful technology of transfer operators,

  14. Developmental Associations between Short-Term Variability and Long-Term Changes: Intraindividual Correlation of Positive and Negative Affect in Daily Life and Cognitive Aging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hülür, Gizem; Hoppmann, Christiane A.; Ram, Nilam; Gerstorf, Denis

    2015-01-01

    Conceptual notions and empirical evidence suggest that the intraindividual correlation (iCorr) of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) is a meaningful characteristic of affective functioning. PA and NA are typically negatively correlated within-person. Previous research has found that the iCorr of PA and NA is relatively stable over time…

  15. Correlation between intake and ingestive behavior of pasture-grazed heifers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hermógenes Almeida Santana Junior

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between intake and ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers in grazing tropical. The experiment was conducted on the Princesa do Mateiro Farm, in the city of Ribeirão do Largo, Bahia. A total of 20 heifers with genetic makeup 5/8 dairy Guzerá and 3/8 Holstein, average age of 18 months and body weight of 187 ± 13.1 kg have been used. The experiment lasted 224 days and involved animals raised in a rotational grazing system with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandú. Grazing time was not correlated with any of the variables associated with intake. Rumination time showed positive correlations with the intake of forage dry matter (DMIF and neutral detergent fiber (NDFI. Variables associated with the time spent on feeding at the trough, overall feeding and total chewing were not correlated with intake (P>0.05. There have been positive correlations between the number of grazing periods (NGP and rumination periods (NRP and total DM intake (TDMI, organic matter (OMI, forage (DMIF, neutral detergent fiber (NDFI, total carbohydrates (TCHI and ether extract (EEI. Crude protein intake (CPI was positively correlated with NGP and NRP. The mouthful rate was positively correlated with TDMI, OMI, DMIF, NDFI, TCHI, EEI and CPI. Average time per swallow was negatively correlated with TDMI, OMI, NDFI, TCHI and EEI. Positive correlations have been observed between the number of mouthfuls per day and TDMI, OMI, DMIF, NDFI, TCHI, EEI. The number of chews per bolus showed negative correlations with DMIS and CPI. The time per cake ruminated has correlated negatively with the intake of crude protein. The number of chews per bolus showed positive correlations with the intakes of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber. The number of boli per day showed positive correlations with DMIF and TCHI. The time spent on chewing showed no significant correlation with intake. In conflict with the national and international

  16. Parental Praise Correlates with Posterior Insular Cortex Gray Matter Volume in Children and Adolescents.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izumi Matsudaira

    Full Text Available A positive parenting style affects psychological and cognitive development in children. Neuroimaging studies revealed that a positive parenting style influenced brain structure in children. Parental praise is a concrete behavior observed in positive parenting. Although previous psychological studies revealed a positive effect of parental praise on children, little is known about the relationship between parental praise and brain structure in children. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether there was a correlation between the parental attitude towards praising their child and gray matter volume in the children (116 boys and 109 girls; mean age, 10.6 years old. We examined the correlation between regional gray matter volume and parental praise using voxel-based morphometry (VBM following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. In addition, to confirm the positive effects of parental praise, we analyzed the correlation between the frequency of parental praise and personality traits in children. We showed that the parental attitude towards praising their child was significantly and positively correlated with the gray matter volume of the left posterior insular cortex in children. Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between parental attitude towards praising their child and the personality traits of conscientiousness and openness to experience in the children. Prior studies said that gray matter volume in the posterior insula was correlated with empathy, and the functional connectivity between this area and the amygdala was associated with emotional regulation. Furthermore, the posterior insula relates to auditory function, and therefore, was likely involved in the processing of parental praise. Considering the possibility of experience-dependent plasticity, frequent parental praise would lead to increased posterior insular gray matter volume in children. Our study is the first to elucidate the relationship between

  17. Understanding volatility correlation behavior with a magnitude cross-correlation function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Woo Cheol; Oh, Gabjin; Kim, Seunghwan

    2006-06-01

    We propose an approach for analyzing the basic relation between correlation properties of the original signal and its magnitude fluctuations by decomposing the original signal into its positive and negative fluctuation components. We use this relation to understand the following phenomenon found in many naturally occurring time series: the magnitude of the signal exhibits long-range correlation, whereas the original signal is short-range correlated. The applications of our approach to heart rate variability signals and high-frequency foreign exchange rates reveal that the difference between the correlation properties of the original signal and its magnitude fluctuations is induced by the time organization structure of the correlation function between the magnitude fluctuations of positive and negative components. We show that this correlation function can be described well by a stretched-exponential function and is related to the nonlinearity and the multifractal structure of the signals.

  18. Understanding volatility correlation behavior with a magnitude cross-correlation function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Woo Cheol; Oh, Gabjin; Kim, Seunghwan

    2006-06-01

    We propose an approach for analyzing the basic relation between correlation properties of the original signal and its magnitude fluctuations by decomposing the original signal into its positive and negative fluctuation components. We use this relation to understand the following phenomenon found in many naturally occurring time series: the magnitude of the signal exhibits long-range correlation, whereas the original signal is short-range correlated. The applications of our approach to heart rate variability signals and high-frequency foreign exchange rates reveal that the difference between the correlation properties of the original signal and its magnitude fluctuations is induced by the time organization structure of the correlation function between the magnitude fluctuations of positive and negative components. We show that this correlation function can be described well by a stretched-exponential function and is related to the nonlinearity and the multifractal structure of the signals.

  19. Heritability, genetic advance and correlation studies of some important traits in rice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bughio, H.R.; Asad, M.A.; Arain, M.A.; Bughio, M.S.

    2009-01-01

    Genetic variability, estimates of broad sense heritability, genetic advance as percent of mean and genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients were observed in eight rice genotypes at Nuclear Institute of Agriculture, Tando Jam in 2005. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was exhibited for number of fertile grains per panicle, number of productive tillers per plant and grain yield per plant, indicating additive gene action and possibility of improving these traits by simple selection. High heritability with moderate genetic advance was exhibited for plant height, 1000-grain weight and panicle length indicating the involvement of additive and non-additive type of gene action and postponement of selection programs for the improvement of these traits. The characters productive tillers per plant, panicle length, number of fertile grains per panicle, panicle fertility percentage and 1000-grain weight showed significant positive correlation with grain yield per plant. While plant height and days to 50% flowering were observed non-significant and negatively correlated with grain yield per plant. Fertile grain had significant and positive correlation with panicle fertility percentage. (author)

  20. Correlation of mRNA Expression and Signal Variability in Chronic Intracortical Electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falcone, Jessica D; Carroll, Sheridan L; Saxena, Tarun; Mandavia, Dev; Clark, Alexus; Yarabarla, Varun; Bellamkonda, Ravi V

    2018-01-01

    The goal for this research was to identify molecular mechanisms that explain animal-to-animal variability in chronic intracortical recordings. Microwire electrodes were implanted into Sprague Dawley rats at an acute (1 week) and a chronic (14 weeks) time point. Weekly recordings were conducted, and action potentials were evoked in the barrel cortex by deflecting the rat's whiskers. At 1 and 14 weeks, tissue was collected, and mRNA was extracted. mRNA expression was compared between 1 and 14 weeks using a high throughput multiplexed qRT-PCR. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between mRNA expression and signal-to-noise ratios at 14 weeks. At 14 weeks, a positive correlation between signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and NeuN and GFAP mRNA expression was observed, indicating a relationship between recording strength and neuronal population, as well as reactive astrocyte activity. The inflammatory state around the electrode interface was evaluated using M1-like and M2-like markers. Expression for both M1-like and M2-like mRNA markers remained steady from 1 to 14 weeks. Anti-inflammatory markers, CD206 and CD163, however, demonstrated a significant positive correlation with SNR quality at 14 weeks. VE-cadherin, a marker for adherens junctions, and PDGFR-β, a marker for pericytes, both partial representatives of blood-brain barrier health, had a positive correlation with SNR at 14 weeks. Endothelial adhesion markers revealed a significant increase in expression at 14 weeks, while CD45, a pan-leukocyte marker, significantly decreased at 14 weeks. No significant correlation was found for either the endothelial adhesion or pan-leukocyte markers. A positive correlation between anti-inflammatory and blood-brain barrier health mRNA markers with electrophysiological efficacy of implanted intracortical electrodes has been demonstrated. These data reveal potential mechanisms for further evaluation to determine potential target mechanisms to improve

  1. Attitudes toward Same-Sex Attraction and Behavior among Chinese University Students: Tendencies, Correlates, and Gender Differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Xinli; Hawk, Skyler T

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined Chinese university students' attitudes toward same-sex attraction and behavior, the socio-demographic correlates of these attitudes, and the potential gender differences in both tendencies and correlates. A total of 2,644 Chinese university students (49.7% male, mean age = 20.27 years) indicated generally negative attitudes toward same-sex attraction and behavior, with males reporting more negative attitudes than females. More years in university (i.e., higher grade levels), higher levels of maternal education, growing up in an urban area, and more frequent Internet use significantly predicted more positive attitudes. Gender significantly moderated one correlate: For female participants, a higher university grade was related to more positive attitudes; this correlation was not significant for male participants. The findings suggest valuable directions for related intervention practices for young people in China.

  2. Correlation between left ventricular filling and ischemic extent during exercise-induced myocardial ischemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ando, Akitada; Yokota, Mitsuhiro; Iwase, Mitsunori

    1993-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine how the extent of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia influence left ventricular filling. Twenty-two consecutive patients with effort angina, consisting of 16 with single vessel disease and 6 with double vessel disease, underwent exercise studies in lying and sitting positions. Extent score (ES) and severity score (SS) were calculated on polar map prepared from early exercise Tl-201 myocardial SPECT images to determine ischemic extent. Pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP), as obtained at exercise in lying position, correlated significantly well with both ES (r=0.75, p<0.001) and SS (r=0.61, p<0.01). There was, however, no significant correlation between the other hemodynamic parameters, such as heart rate, systolic pressure, rate-pressure product, cardiac index and stroke index, and both ES and SS. Either increased PAWP or ischemic extent was not dependent on the number of diseased vessels. In conclusion, the extent of increased left ventricular filling did not correlate with the number of diseased vessels, but correlated positively with ischemic extent. (N.K.)

  3. [False positive results or what's the probability that a significant P-value indicates a true effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cucherat, Michel; Laporte, Silvy

    2017-09-01

    The use of statistical test is central in the clinical trial. At the statistical level, obtaining a Pinformation about the plausibility of the existence of treatment effect. With "Pfalse positive is very high. This is the case if the power is low, if there is an inflation of the alpha risk or if the result is exploratory or chance discoveries. This possibility is important to take into consideration when interpreting the results of clinical trials in order to avoid pushing ahead significant results in appearance, but which are likely to be actually false positive results. Copyright © 2017 Société française de pharmacologie et de thérapeutique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. The position of the arm during blood pressure measurement in sitting position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adiyaman, Ahmet; Verhoeff, Rutger; Lenders, Jacques W M; Deinum, Jaap; Thien, Theo

    2006-12-01

    Determining the influence of the position of the arm on blood pressure measurement in the sitting position. Blood pressure of 128 individuals (the majority being treated hypertensive patients) visiting the outpatient clinic was measured simultaneously on both arms with arms in two different positions. First, both arms were placed at the chair support level and blood pressure was measured three times on both arms after 10 min of rest. Subsequently, while still remaining in the same sitting position, five blood pressure measurements were made simultaneously at both arms with one arm placed on the desk and one arm placed and supported at heart level (mid-sternal). The arm placed at heart level served as the reference arm. The choice of which arm was placed at desk level and which arm was placed at heart level was randomized. Both at desk level and at chair support level, mean (+/-SD) systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher than blood pressure at heart level by 6.1/5.7+/-4.6/3.1 and 9.3/9.4+/-5.4/3.4 mmHg, respectively. The effect of the height differences between the arm positions on the blood pressure readings was smaller than predicted (0.49 mmHg/cm systolic and 0.47 mmHg/cm diastolic). No significant correlation was found between blood pressure difference in the different arm positions (desk and heart level) and age, sex, weight or baseline blood pressure. Different arm positions below heart level have significant effects on blood pressure readings. The leading guidelines about arm position during blood pressure measurement are not in accordance with the arm position used in the Framingham study, the most frequently used study for risk estimations.

  5. Correlated Dirac semimetallic state with unusual positive magnetoresistance in strain-free perovskite SrIrO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujioka, J.; Okawa, T.; Yamamoto, A.; Tokura, Y.

    2017-03-01

    We investigated magnetotransport properties and charge dynamics of strain-free perovskite SrIrO3. Both the longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistivity (MR) are significantly enhanced with decreasing temperature, in accord with the evolution of the Dirac semimetallic state. The electron correlation effect in the Dirac state shows up as a dramatic change in charge dynamics with temperature and as an enhanced paramagnetic susceptibility. We propose that the field-induced topological transition of the Dirac node coupled to the enhanced paramagnetism causes the unique MR of correlated Dirac electrons.

  6. The Relationship Between Brain-Behavioral Systems and Negative and Positive Affect in Patients With Migraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jovharifard

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background Migraine is a chronic headache disorder that affects approximately 12% of the general population. Migraine is known as recurrent headache, pulsating, moderate with severe power, which lasts for 4 to 72 hours, aggravated by daily physical activity along with nausea, vomiting, photophobia or photophobia. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between brain-behavioral systems and negative and positive affects in patients with migraine. Patients and Methods The research population included patients, who had referred to neurology clinics. One hundred and twenty cases were selected by accessible sampling based on the neurologist’s diagnosis of migraine headaches. They completed the Gray-Wilson (1989 Personality Questionnaire as well as Watson, Clark and Telligent (1988 positive and negative affect scale. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 19 software, correlation and stepwise regression. Results The results showed that positive affect had a significant positive correlation with active avoidance parameters and negative significant correlation with passive avoidance and extinction parameters. The findings also indicated that negative affect had a positive and significant relationship with passive avoidance and extinction. Conclusions It can be concluded that brain-behavioral systems may be the foundation of behavioral and emotional tendencies in patients with migraine headaches.

  7. K-mer Content, Correlation, and Position Analysis of Genome DNA Sequences for the Identification of Function and Evolutionary Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron Sievers

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In genome analysis, k-mer-based comparison methods have become standard tools. However, even though they are able to deliver reliable results, other algorithms seem to work better in some cases. To improve k-mer-based DNA sequence analysis and comparison, we successfully checked whether adding positional resolution is beneficial for finding and/or comparing interesting organizational structures. A simple but efficient algorithm for extracting and saving local k-mer spectra (frequency distribution of k-mers was developed and used. The results were analyzed by including positional information based on visualizations as genomic maps and by applying basic vector correlation methods. This analysis was concentrated on small word lengths (1 ≤ k ≤ 4 on relatively small viral genomes of Papillomaviridae and Herpesviridae, while also checking its usability for larger sequences, namely human chromosome 2 and the homologous chromosomes (2A, 2B of a chimpanzee. Using this alignment-free analysis, several regions with specific characteristics in Papillomaviridae and Herpesviridae formerly identified by independent, mostly alignment-based methods, were confirmed. Correlations between the k-mer content and several genes in these genomes have been found, showing similarities between classified and unclassified viruses, which may be potentially useful for further taxonomic research. Furthermore, unknown k-mer correlations in the genomes of Human Herpesviruses (HHVs, which are probably of major biological function, are found and described. Using the chromosomes of a chimpanzee and human that are currently known, identities between the species on every analyzed chromosome were reproduced. This demonstrates the feasibility of our approach for large data sets of complex genomes. Based on these results, we suggest k-mer analysis with positional resolution as a method for closing a gap between the effectiveness of alignment-based methods (like NCBI BLAST and the

  8. Clinical significance of orthostatic dizziness in the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and orthostatic intolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Eun-Ju; Park, Yong-Soo; Park, Shi-Nae; Park, Kyoung-Ho; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Nam, In-Chul; Chang, Ki-Hong

    2013-01-01

    Orthostatic dizziness (OD) and positional dizziness (PD) are considerably common conditions in dizziness clinic, whereas those two conditions are not clearly separated. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of simple OD and OD combined with PD for the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and orthostatic intolerance (OI). Patients presenting with OD (n=102) were divided into two groups according to their symptoms: group PO, presenting with PD as well as OD; group O, presenting with OD. A thorough medical history, physical examination, and vestibular function tests were performed to identify the etiology of the dizziness. Orthostatic vital sign measurement (OVSM) was used to diagnose OI. The majority of patients were in group PO (87.3%). BPPV was the most common cause of OD for entire patients (36.3%) and group PO (37.1%), while OI was most common etiology for group O (38.5%). Total of 17 (16.7%) OI patients were identified by OVSM test. Orthostatic hypotension (n=10) was most frequently found, followed by orthostatic hypertension (n=5), and orthostatic tachycardia (n=2). Group O showed significantly higher percentage (38.5%) of OI than group PO (13.5%) (P=0.039). It is suggested that orthostatic testing such as OVSM or head-up tilt table test should be performed as an initial work up for the patients with simple OD. Positional tests for BPPV should be considered as an essential diagnostic test for patients with OD, even though their dizziness is not associated with PD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Positive Selection or Free to Vary? Assessing the Functional Significance of Sequence Change Using Molecular Dynamics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane R Allison

    Full Text Available Evolutionary arms races between pathogens and their hosts may be manifested as selection for rapid evolutionary change of key genes, and are sometimes detectable through sequence-level analyses. In the case of protein-coding genes, such analyses frequently predict that specific codons are under positive selection. However, detecting positive selection can be non-trivial, and false positive predictions are a common concern in such analyses. It is therefore helpful to place such predictions within a structural and functional context. Here, we focus on the p19 protein from tombusviruses. P19 is a homodimer that sequesters siRNAs, thereby preventing the host RNAi machinery from shutting down viral infection. Sequence analysis of the p19 gene is complicated by the fact that it is constrained at the sequence level by overprinting of a viral movement protein gene. Using homology modeling, in silico mutation and molecular dynamics simulations, we assess how non-synonymous changes to two residues involved in forming the dimer interface-one invariant, and one predicted to be under positive selection-impact molecular function. Interestingly, we find that both observed variation and potential variation (where a non-synonymous change to p19 would be synonymous for the overprinted movement protein does not significantly impact protein structure or RNA binding. Consequently, while several methods identify residues at the dimer interface as being under positive selection, MD results suggest they are functionally indistinguishable from a site that is free to vary. Our analyses serve as a caveat to using sequence-level analyses in isolation to detect and assess positive selection, and emphasize the importance of also accounting for how non-synonymous changes impact structure and function.

  10. The effect of flower position on variation and covariation in floral traits in a wild hermaphrodite plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Du Guo-Zhen

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Floral traits within plants can vary with flower position or flowering time. Within an inflorescence, sexual allocation of early produced basal flowers is often female-biased while later produced distal flowers are male-biased. Such temporal adjustment of floral resource has been considered one of the potential advantages of modularity (regarding a flower as a module in hermaphrodites. However, flowers are under constraints of independent evolution of a given trait. To understand flower diversification within inflorescences, here we examine variation and covariation in floral traits within racemes at the individual and the maternal family level respectively in an alpine herb Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae. Results We found that floral traits varied significantly with flower position and among families, and position effects were family-specific. Most of the variance of floral traits was among individuals rather than among flowers within individuals or among families. Significant phenotypic correlations between traits were not affected by position, indicating trait integration under shared developmental regulation. In contrast, positive family-mean correlations in floral traits declined gradually from basal to distal flowers (nine significant correlations among floral traits in basal flowers and only three in distal flowers, showing position-specificity. Therefore, the pattern and magnitude of genetic correlations decreased with flower position. Conclusions This finding on covariation pattern in floral reproductive structures within racemes has not been revealed before, providing insights into temporal variation and position effects in floral traits within plants and the potential advantages of modularity in hermaphrodites.

  11. Impact of Lesion Length on Functional Significance in Intermediate Coronary Lesions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Safi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The present study aimed at assessing the role of lesion length in predicting Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR value for physiological evaluation of intermediate coronary lesions.Methods: In the current study, 68 patients with 83 coronary lesions were enrolled. All of the patients in this study underwent routine coronary angiography, according to appropriate indications. To evaluate physiologically significant intermediate coronary stenosis (defined between 40% and 70% on visual estimation, the Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR study was performed and the Quantitative Coronary Angiography (QCA data were also assessed for measurement of lesion length. The correlation between QCA data and FFR values was also examined.Results: Eighty-three lesions were evaluated from 68 patients. Stenosis was considered physiologically significant when FFR was lower than 0.75. The FFR was significant in twelve lesions (14.5%. There was a negative correlation between FFR value and lesion length (r = -0.294 and P = 0.013. Moreover, lesion length in physiologically significant FFR group (21.07  ± 6.9 was greater than that of the non-significant FFR group (15.23 ± 6.5 (P value < 0.05. Furthermore, the correlation between QCA data and FFR values was also investigated, yet, there was only a positive correlation between FFR and Minimum Luminal Diameter (MLD values (r = 0.248 and P value = 0.04. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC curve analysis for predicting the significant FFR value demonstrated that a lesion length greater than 17.5 mm was the best cut-off point for prediction of the significant FFR value with acceptable sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 68.8%, respectively.Conclusions: There is a negative correlation between lesion length and FFR value in intermediate coronary lesions. In addition, a lesion length greater than 17.5 mm is the best cut- off point for prediction of significant FFR values.

  12. Software Correlator for Radioastron Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Likhachev, Sergey F.; Kostenko, Vladimir I.; Girin, Igor A.; Andrianov, Andrey S.; Rudnitskiy, Alexey G.; Zharov, Vladimir E.

    In this paper, we discuss the characteristics and operation of Astro Space Center (ASC) software FX correlator that is an important component of space-ground interferometer for Radioastron project. This project performs joint observations of compact radio sources using 10m space radio telescope (SRT) together with ground radio telescopes at 92, 18, 6 and 1.3 cm wavelengths. In this paper, we describe the main features of space-ground VLBI data processing of Radioastron project using ASC correlator. Quality of implemented fringe search procedure provides positive results without significant losses in correlated amplitude. ASC Correlator has a computational power close to real time operation. The correlator has a number of processing modes: “Continuum”, “Spectral Line”, “Pulsars”, “Giant Pulses”,“Coherent”. Special attention is paid to peculiarities of Radioastron space-ground VLBI data processing. The algorithms of time delay and delay rate calculation are also discussed, which is a matter of principle for data correlation of space-ground interferometers. During five years of Radioastron SRT successful operation, ASC correlator showed high potential of satisfying steady growing needs of current and future ground and space VLBI science. Results of ASC software correlator operation are demonstrated.

  13. Correlation of anti C1Q antibodies with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riaz, M.O.; Ahmed, T.A.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To study the correlation of anti C1q antibodies with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Study Design: Cross sectional, observational study. Place and Duration of study: The Department of Immunology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad and Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Jan 2012 to Dec 2013. Material and Methods: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of SLE were included in the study on fulfilling revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria (1997). Main outcome measures were SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score and anti C1q antibody levels in serum. SLEDAI scores were calculated for each patient on the basis of physical examination, patient interviews and previous clinical records. Anti C1q antibody levels in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and correlated with the SLEDAI scores by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient 'r'. The cutoff value for anti C1q antibody positivity in the serum was determined by evaluating the serum levels of anti C1q antibodies in 25 healthy subjects and was 12 U/ml. Results: Six male and forty nine female SLE patients with an age range of 16-47 years (mean 34.5 years) and 8-70 years (mean 31.7 years) respectively were studied. The correlation between anti C1q levels and SLEDAI scores in all patients was demonstrated by calculating the correlation coefficient and was not significant (r=0.19, p=0.14). However, there was an inverse correlation between anti C1q levels and SLEDAI scores in patients with severe disease and this was statistically significant (r=-0.448, p=0.037). The difference in anti C1q antibody positivity between patients with and without nephritis was not significant. The anti C1q antibody levels correlated poorly with anti double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) antibody positivity. A

  14. The Correlation Between Q-angle (Clinical and TTTGdistance (Axial Computed thomography in Firuzgar Hospital, 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Yeganeh

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of the Q angle with respect to the patella position. We assess the correlation between the Q angles(calculated by clinical exam in different positions and CT indices (with more impression on TTTG.Method: Atotal number of 68 knee joints of 50 cases entered the study. Clinical examination was used to measure Q angle (in 3 positions of sitting, standing and supine. CT scan performed in 2 axial view of proximal tibia, and distal femor for   measurement of Tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (TTTG and other CT   indices. Correlation between main variables calculated.and analysed with spss.Results: Supine Q angle were strongly correlated with standing Q angles and moderately with sitting Q angle.Sitting Q angle was moderately correlated with supine and standing Q angle and weakly with PTA.we found no other significant correlation between Q angle and CT indexes.Discussion: Our findings suggest that Q angle is not a valuable index for predicting the presence of patelofemoral malalignment.  

  15. Clinical significance of isolated anti-HBc positivity in cases of chronic liver disease in New Delhi, India

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    Manisha Jain

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The presence of anti-HBc IgG in the absence of HBsAg is usually indicative of a past self-limiting HBV infection. But it is frequently associated with co-infection with HCV which can worsen the existing status of chronic liver disease (CLD. Objectives: The present study was planned to evaluate the significance of isolated HBc IgG positivity in patients of CLD and look for the presence of HCV co-infection in such patients. Methods: Clinical profiles and biochemical tests were done for all the 77 CLD cases included in the study. Blood samples were taken from these patients and tested by the commercially available EIA for the presence of HBsAg, anti-HBc IgG, anti-HBs and anti-HCV. HBV DNA was detected by amplifying the surface region in all the cases. Results: Isolated anti-HBc IgG positivity defined as the presence of anti-HBc IgG in absence of any other serological markers of HBV infection was detected in 28 patients . Out of 64 patients positive for anti-HBc IgG 36 had the markers of HBV, either HBsAg, HBV DNA or anti-HBs alone or in combination. There was a significant association between isolated anti-HBc IgG positivity and HCV co-infection. Conclusion: Anti-HBc IgG should be tested in all patients with CLD as it is frequently the only marker of HBV infection in such patients and they should be monitored closely as such patients can develop CLD. Presence of co-infection with HCV should be actively searched for in such patients.

  16. Damping at positive frequencies in the limit J⊥-->0 in the strongly correlated Hubbard model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Minette M.

    1992-08-01

    I show damping in the two-dimensional strongly correlated Hubbard model within the retraceable-path approximation, using an expansion around dominant poles for the self-energy. The damping half-width ~J2/3z occurs only at positive frequencies ω>5/2Jz, the excitation energy of a pure ``string'' state of length one, where Jz is the Ising part of the superexchange interaction, and occurs even in the absence of spin-flip terms ~J⊥ in contrast to other theoretical treatments. The dispersion relation for both damped and undamped peaks near the upper band edge is found and is shown to have lost the simple J2/3z dependence characteristic of the peaks near the lower band edge. The position of the first three peaks near the upper band edge agrees well with numerical simulations on the t-J model. The weight of the undamped peaks near the upper band edge is ~J4/3z, contrasting with Jz for the weight near the lower band edge.

  17. Increased gray matter volume of left pars opercularis in male orchestral musicians correlate positively with years of musical performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdul-Kareem, Ihssan A; Stancak, Andrej; Parkes, Laura M; Sluming, Vanessa

    2011-01-01

    To compare manual volumetry of gray matter (GM) / white matter (WM) of Broca's area subparts: pars opercularis (POP) and pars triangularis (PTR) in both hemispheres between musicians and nonmusician, as it has been shown that these regions are crucial for musical abilities. A previous voxel-based morphometric (VBM) study conducted in our laboratory reported increased GM density in Broca's area of left hemisphere in male orchestral musicians. Functional segregation of POP/PTR justified separate volumetric analysis of these parts. We used the same cohort for the VBM study. Manual morphometry (stereology) was used to compare volumes between 26/26 right-handed orchestral musicians/nonmusicians. As expected, musicians showed significantly increased GM volume in the Broca's area, specifically in the left POP. No significant results were detected in right POP, left/right PTR GM volumes, and WM volumes for all regions. Results were positively correlated with years of musical performance (r = 0.7, P = 0.0001). This result corroborates the VBM study and is in line with the hypothesis of critical involvement of POP in hearing-action integration being an integral component of frontoparietotemporal mirror neuron network. We hypothesize that increased size of musicians' left POP represent use-dependent structural adaptation in response to intensive audiomotor skill acquisition. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  18. Prognostic significance of Fas and Fas ligand system-associated apoptosis in gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohno, S; Tachibana, M; Shibakita, M; Dhar, D K; Yoshimura, H; Kinugasa, S; Kubota, H; Masunaga, R; Nagasue, N

    2000-12-01

    Previous studies indicate that gastric carcinomas express Fas ligand and down-regulate Fas to escape from the host immune attack; however, the prognostic importance of Fas/FasL expression in this tumor is yet to be evaluated. Specimens from 87 gastric carcinoma patients of different stages treated in a defined period with curative intent were evaluated for apoptosis, Fas, FasL, and CD8 expression using an immunohistochemical method. The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic cells expressed as apoptotic index (AI) was higher in 43 patients when the cut-off value was set at the median value. There were no significant correlations between AI and clinicopathologic parameters. Thirty-nine patients showed a high number of CD8+ cells within cancer nests. Positive FasL and Fas expression was seen in 53 and 72 patients, respectively. CD8 and FasL expressions were related only to patients' age. Fas expression had significant correlations with tumor invasion and Lauren classification. There were significant direct correlations between AI and number of nest CD8+ cells and between AI and grade of Fas expression. Apoptotic index, pT stage, CD8 expression, and Fas expression were identified as independent prognostic factors. Spontaneous apoptosis in gastric carcinoma may be an independent prognosticator for survival and is significantly influenced by tumor Fas expression and number of nest CD8 + cells.

  19. Interplay between past market correlation structure changes and future volatility outbursts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musmeci, Nicoló; Aste, Tomaso; Di Matteo, T.

    2016-11-01

    We report significant relations between past changes in the market correlation structure and future changes in the market volatility. This relation is made evident by using a measure of “correlation structure persistence” on correlation-based information filtering networks that quantifies the rate of change of the market dependence structure. We also measured changes in the correlation structure by means of a “metacorrelation” that measures a lagged correlation between correlation matrices computed over different time windows. Both methods show a deep interplay between past changes in correlation structure and future changes in volatility and we demonstrate they can anticipate market risk variations and this can be used to better forecast portfolio risk. Notably, these methods overcome the curse of dimensionality that limits the applicability of traditional econometric tools to portfolios made of a large number of assets. We report on forecasting performances and statistical significance of both methods for two different equity datasets. We also identify an optimal region of parameters in terms of True Positive and False Positive trade-off, through a ROC curve analysis. We find that this forecasting method is robust and it outperforms logistic regression predictors based on past volatility only. Moreover the temporal analysis indicates that methods based on correlation structural persistence are able to adapt to abrupt changes in the market, such as financial crises, more rapidly than methods based on past volatility.

  20. Serum galectin-1 levels are positively correlated with body fat and negatively with fasting glucose in obese children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acar, Sezer; Paketçi, Ahu; Küme, Tuncay; Tuhan, Hale; Gürsoy Çalan, Özlem; Demir, Korcan; Böber, Ece; Abacı, Ayhan

    2017-09-01

    Galectin-1, a recently identified peptide, is primarily released from the adipose tissue. Although galectin-1 was shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, its specific function is not clearly understood. We aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum galectin-1 levels with clinical and laboratory parameters in childhood obesity. A total of 45 obese children (mean age: 12.1±3.1years) and 35 normal-weight children (mean age: 11.8±2.2years) were enrolled. Clinical [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage of body fat and blood pressure] and biochemical [glucose, insulin, lipids, galectin-1, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and leptin levels] parameters were assessed. Serum galectin-1, hsCRP and leptin levels were significantly higher in obese children than those in normal-weight children (12.4 vs 10.2ng/mL, pobese children, galectin-1 levels correlated negatively with fasting glucose (r=-0.346, p=0.020) and positively with fat mass (r=0.326, p=0.026) and WC standard deviation score (SDS) (r=0.451, p=0.002). The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that serum galectin-1 levels were significantly associated with fasting glucose and WC SDS. This study showed that obese children had significantly higher galectin-1 levels in proportion to fat mass in obese cases than those in healthy children, which may be interpreted as a compensatory increase in an attempt to improve glucose metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Associated Factors of Suicidal Thoughts in HIV-Positive Individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Dabaghzadeh

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available  Objective: As a first study, suicidal ideation and its correlates have been evaluated in Iranian HIV positive population .  Methods:One hundred and fifty HIV-positive individuals were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI and Somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL 90 as self- reported questionnaires were used to assess the patients’ anxiety and depression status, suicidal thoughts, sleep quality and physiological factors, respectively . Results:Antiretroviral therapy and efavirenz intake did not show any significant effects on the patients’ suicidal ideation. Anxiety (p<0.001, depression (p<0.001, poor physical activity (P<0.001 and sleep quality (p<0.001 were significantly associated with the patients’ negative suicidal ideation. From the patients’ demographic data, unemployment (p = 0.04, living alone (p = 0.01, and lack of family support (p = 0.01 were correlated with the patients’ negative suicidal thoughts . Conclusion:Although hospitals are the main referral centers for providing care for HIV-positive individuals in Tehran, Iran, conducting a multi-center study with sufficient sample size from different areas of our country that include individuals with different behaviors and cultures is essential to confirm the results of this study.

  2. Heat production and storage are positively correlated with measures of body size/composition and heart rate drift during vigorous running.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buresh, Robert; Berg, Kris; Noble, John

    2005-09-01

    The purposes of this study were to determine the relationships between: (a) measures of body size/composition and heat production/storage, and (b) heat production/storage and heart rate (HR) drift during running at 95% of the velocity that elicited lactate threshold, which was determined for 20 healthy recreational male runners. Subsequently, changes in skin and tympanic temperatures associated with a vigorous 20-min run, HR, and VO2 data were recorded. It was found that heat production was significantly correlated with body mass (r = .687), lean mass (r = .749), and body surface area (BSA, r = .699). Heat storage was significantly correlated with body mass (r = .519), fat mass (r = .464), and BSA (r = .498). The percentage of produced heat stored was significantly correlated with body mass (r = .427), fat mass (r = .455), and BSA (r = .414). Regression analysis showed that the sum of body mass, percentage of body fat, BSA, lean mass, and fat mass accounted for 30% of the variability in heat storage. It was also found that HR drift was significantly correlated with heat storage (r = .383), percentage of produced heat stored (r = .433), and core temperature change (r = .450). It was concluded that heavier runners experienced greater heat production, heat storage, and core temperature increases than lighter runners during vigorous running.

  3. Activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex during self-related processing: positive subjective value or personal significance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyungmi; Johnson, Marcia K

    2015-04-01

    Well-being and subjective experience of a coherent world depend on our sense of 'self' and relations between the self and the environment (e.g. people, objects and ideas). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is involved in self-related processing, and disrupted vMPFC activity is associated with disruptions of emotional/social functioning (e.g. depression and autism). Clarifying precise function(s) of vMPFC in self-related processing is an area of active investigation. In this study, we sought to more specifically characterize the function of vMPFC in self-related processing, focusing on two alternative accounts: (i) assignment of positive subjective value to self-related information and (ii) assignment of personal significance to self-related information. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants imagined owning objects associated with either their perceived ingroup or outgroup. We found that for ingroup-associated objects, vMPFC showed greater activity for objects with increased than decreased post-ownership preference. In contrast, for outgroup-associated objects, vMPFC showed greater activity for objects with decreased than increased post-ownership preference. Our findings support the idea that the function of vMPFC in self-related processing may not be to represent/evaluate the 'positivity' or absolute preference of self-related information but to assign personal significance to it based on its meaning/function for the self. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Increased levels of advanced glycation end products positively correlate with iron overload and oxidative stress markers in patients with β-thalassemia major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirlohi, Maryam Sadat; Yaghooti, Hamid; Shirali, Saeed; Aminasnafi, Ali; Olapour, Samaneh

    2018-04-01

    The impaired biosynthesis of the β-globin chain in β-thalassemia leads to the accumulation of unpaired alpha globin chains, failure in hemoglobin formation, and iron overload due to frequent blood transfusion. Iron excess causes oxidative stress and massive tissue injuries. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful agents, and their production accelerates in oxidative conditions. This study was conducted on 45 patients with major β-thalassemia who received frequent blood transfusions and chelation therapy and were compared to 40 healthy subjects. Metabolic parameters including glycemic and iron indices, hepatic and renal functions tests, oxidative stress markers, and AGEs (carboxymethyl-lysine and pentosidine) levels were measured. All parameters were significantly increased in β-thalassemia compared to the control except for glutathione levels. Blood glucose, iron, serum ferritin, non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI), MDA, soluble form of low-density lipoprotein receptor, glutathione peroxidase, total reactive oxygen species (ROS), and AGE levels were significantly higher in the β-thalassemia patients. Iron and ferritin showed a significant positive correlation with pentosidine (P overload in β-thalassemia major patients and highlight the enhanced formation of AGEs, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of β-thalassemia major.

  5. Medical Students' Exposure to the Humanities Correlates with Positive Personal Qualities and Reduced Burnout: A Multi-Institutional U.S. Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangione, Salvatore; Chakraborti, Chayan; Staltari, Giuseppe; Harrison, Rebecca; Tunkel, Allan R; Liou, Kevin T; Cerceo, Elizabeth; Voeller, Megan; Bedwell, Wendy L; Fletcher, Keaton; Kahn, Marc J

    2018-05-01

    Literature, music, theater, and visual arts play an uncertain and limited role in medical education. One of the arguments often advanced in favor of teaching the humanities refers to their capacity to foster traits that not only improve practice, but might also reduce physician burnout-an increasing scourge in today's medicine. Yet, research remains limited. To test the hypothesis that medical students with higher exposure to the humanities would report higher levels of positive physician qualities (e.g., wisdom, empathy, self-efficacy, emotional appraisal, spatial skills), while reporting lower levels of negative qualities that are detrimental to physician well-being (e.g., intolerance of ambiguity, physical fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and cognitive weariness). An online survey. All students enrolled at five U.S. medical schools during the 2014-2015 academic year were invited by email to take part in our online survey. Students reported their exposure to the humanities (e.g., music, literature, theater, visual arts) and completed rating scales measuring selected personal qualities. In all, 739/3107 medical students completed the survey (23.8%). Regression analyses revealed that exposure to the humanities was significantly correlated with positive personal qualities, including empathy (p humanities and both a higher level of students' positive qualities and a lower level of adverse traits. These findings may carry implications for medical school recruitment and curriculum design. "[Science and humanities are] twin berries on one stem, grievous damage has been done to both in regarding [them]... in any other light than complemental." (William Osler, Br Med J. 1919;2:1-7).

  6. Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in patients with HPV positive DNA testing and correlation with disease progression by age group: an institutional experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Erika F; Reynolds, Jordan P; Jenkins, Sarah M; Winter, Stephanie M; Henry, Michael R; Nassar, Aziza

    2012-01-01

    Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) is a broad diagnostic category that could be attributed to human papillomavirus infection (HPV), malignant neoplasia and reactive conditions. We evaluated our institutional experience with ASC-US in women who are positive for high risk HPV (HRHPV+) by the Digene hybrid capture method from 2005-2009 to identify the risk of progression to squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in association with age. We reviewed cytologic and follow-up surgical pathology reports for all specimens available. Progression was defined as a diagnosis of at least CINI on follow-up biopsy or resection or SIL on cytology. We identified 2613 cases and follow-up was available in 1839 (70.4%). Of these 74.2% had just one follow-up, 16.2% had a total of 2 follow-ups, 5.3% had a total of 3 follow-ups, and the remaining had as many as 6 follow-ups. Among the 1839 patients, 69.4% were age 30 or younger, 16.0% were between 31 to 40, 9.0% were between 41 to 50, and 5.6% were 51 or older. Among these, 25-30% progressed to dysplasia. The risk of progression varied by age (p=0.04) and was lowest among women between the ages of 41-50. Our findings highlight the importance of continued cytologic follow-up in women with HRHPV+ ASC-US in order to detect progression of disease, although the risk of progression is age dependent.

  7. Psychometric properties of the positivity scale - Brazilian version

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliane Callegaro Borsa

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Positivity Scale (P-Scale. Participants were 730 subjects (65% women, aged from 17 to 70 years old (M = 31.0 years; SD = 11.43, from 21 Brazilian states. The sample was randomly split in two halves to cross-validate the results. With the first half of the sample (n1 = 365, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA was conducted. With the second half of the sample (n2 = 365, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA assessed the fit of the exploratory model. Convergent validity and group differences were also evaluated. The EFA and CFA presented a one-dimensional structure for the P-Scale. Moderate correlations were found between the P-Scale and mental-health, subjective happiness and life-satisfaction. The levels of positivity presented a low positive correlation with age, educational level and financial income. Slightly significant effects were found for occupational status and marital status. Positivity appears to be more closely related to personal dispositions than to sociodemographic aspects. Our results suggest that the P-Scale is a reliable measure with which to evaluate the levels of positivity in Brazil.

  8. Negative cognitive errors and positive illusions for negative divorce events: predictors of children's psychological adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazur, E; Wolchik, S A; Sandler, I N

    1992-12-01

    This study examined the relations among negative cognitive errors regarding hypothetical negative divorce events, positive illusions about those same events, actual divorce events, and psychological adjustment in 38 8- to 12-year-old children whose parents had divorced within the previous 2 years. Children's scores on a scale of negative cognitive errors (catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, and personalizing) correlated significantly with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and self-esteem, and with maternal reports of behavior problems. Children's scores on a scale measuring positive illusions (high self-regard, illusion of personal control, and optimism for the future) correlated significantly with less self-reported aggression. Both appraisal types accounted for variance in some measures of symptomatology beyond that explained by actual events. There was no significant association between children's negative cognitive errors and positive illusions. The implications of these results for theories of negative cognitive errors and of positive illusions, as well as for future research, are discussed.

  9. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports and Students with Significant Disabilities: Where Are We?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurth, Jennifer A.; Enyart, Matt

    2016-01-01

    Although the number of schools implementing schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) has increased dramatically, the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in these efforts remains negligible. This article describes the evolution of positive behavior intervention and supports into the SWPBS approach used in many schools today,…

  10. Correlation between subtalar varus angle and disability in patients with patellofemoral arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patel Birenkumar Jagdishbhai

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To find the correlation between subtalar varus angle & disability in patients with patellofemoral arthritis. Methods: A total of 30 subjects aged (48.86±5.74 referred to the department of physiotherapy, with patellofemoral arthritis and fulfilling the criteria of inclusion were recruited for the study, sampling method being convenient sampling. Disability score was measured of each patient by WOMAC index (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index of Osteoarthritis disability questionnaire and subtalar varus angle was measured in non weight bearing position in prone lying. Results: Pearson’s correlation coefficient test showed a highly significant (p=0.000 positive correlation (r=0.821 between disability scores and subtalar varus angle. Conclusion: There is a highly significant relation between disabilities due to patellofemoral pain in patellofemoral arthritis patients and sub talar varus angle

  11. Does the correlation between solar cycle lengths and Northern Hemisphere land temperatures rule out any significant global warming from greenhouse gases?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laut, Peter; Gundermann, Jesper

    1998-01-01

    Since the discovery of a striking correlation between solar cycle lengths and Northern Hemisphere land temperatures there have been widespread speculations as to whether these findings would rule out any significant contributions to global warming from the enhanced concentrations of greenhouse...... gases. The present analysis shows that a similar degree of correlation is obtained when testing the solar data against a couple of fictitious temperature series representing different global warming trends. Therefore, the correlation cannot be used to estimate the magnitude of a possible contribution...... to global warming from human activities, nor to rule out a sizable contribution from that source....

  12. Effects of positive relative accommodation on adolescent pseudomyopia with visual training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Yue

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the changes of the positive relative accommodation in adolescent pseudomyopia with visual training.METHODS: A total of 42 cases(84 eyeswere randomly divided into the visual training group and the control group. Visual acuity, average refraction of two groups 4wk after the training were measured, as well as positive relative accommodation(5mwere checked before the training and repeated 1, 2, 4wk after the training. Correlation analysis were given.RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference in visual acuity 4wk after the training between the two groups(PP>0.05. There was statistically significant difference in positive relative accommodation(5m1, 2, 4wk after the training between the two groups(PPCONCLUSION: Visual training has significant effect on the positive relative accommodation on adolescent pseudomyopia.

  13. Positive and negative symptom scores are correlated with activation in different brain regions during facial emotion perception in schizophrenia patients: a voxel-based sLORETA source activity study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Do-Won; Kim, Han-Sung; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Im, Chang-Hwan

    2013-12-01

    Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating of all mental illnesses, and has dimensional characteristics that include both positive and negative symptoms. One problem reported in schizophrenia patients is that they tend to show deficits in face emotion processing, on which negative symptoms are thought to have stronger influence. In this study, four event-related potential (ERP) components (P100, N170, N250, and P300) and their source activities were analyzed using EEG data acquired from 23 schizophrenia patients while they were presented with facial emotion picture stimuli. Correlations between positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scores and source activations during facial emotion processing were calculated to identify the brain areas affected by symptom scores. Our analysis demonstrates that PANSS positive scores are negatively correlated with major areas of the left temporal lobule for early ERP components (P100, N170) and with the right middle frontal lobule for a later component (N250), which indicates that positive symptoms affect both early face processing and facial emotion processing. On the other hand, PANSS negative scores are negatively correlated with several clustered regions, including the left fusiform gyrus (at P100), most of which are not overlapped with regions showing correlations with PANSS positive scores. Our results suggest that positive and negative symptoms affect independent brain regions during facial emotion processing, which may help to explain the heterogeneous characteristics of schizophrenia. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. [Study on correlation of glucagons, type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Tao; Shi, Me; Qiu, Yun-Xia; Wang, Yan-Gang

    2014-06-01

    To analyze the changes of patients with type 2 diabetes in different stages in glucagon (GC) and free fatty acid (FFA) in fasting, OGT and L-Arg experiments, and discusses the role of pancreatic alphabeta cells in diabetes pathogenesis by studying the relations among indexes such as glucagon (GC), free fatty acid (FFA) and blood glucose (BG), insulin, insulin homeostasis model (HOMA) and glucose metabolism hormone secretion curve, in order to provide theoretical basis for the treatment of diabetes. Study objects were divided into the T2DM group (45 cases), the IGT group (28 cases) and the NGT group (30 cases) for an OGTT experiment and then an L-Arg experiment on the next day. Under the fasting state, their blood glucose (FBG), insulin (F), glucagon (FGC), free fatty acid (FFA) were detected to calculate HOMA-beta, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HOMA-IR of different groups. Meanwhile, efforts were made to calculate different time quantum detected in OGTT and L-Arg experiments and area under the curve AUC(BG), AUC(INS) and AUC(GC). Obvious overall differences were observed in FFA and FGC of the three groups. FGC of each group was negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI. Among all of the 103 study objects, FGC was positively correlated with FBG and HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI, with no correlation with FINS; FFA was positively correlated with FBG, HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with FINS, HOMA-beta, ISI. FGC and FFA were positively correlated in the T2DM group and the IGT group, but with no statistical correlation in the NGT group. The sequence of the three study objects was T2DM > IGR > NGT in AUC(GC) in the OGTT experiment and T2DM > IGR > NGT in in AUC(GC) in the L-Arg experiment, with the significant positive correlation between AUC(GC) and AUC(BG) and significant negative correlation with AUC(INS). Glucagon and free fatty acid of T2DM and IGT patients increased, which was positively correlated with blood glucose and HOMA

  15. Negative and positive components of psychological masculinity and femininity and their relationships to self-reports of neurotic and acting out behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spence, J T; Helmreich, R L; Holahan, C K

    1979-10-01

    Negatively valued masculinity (M-) and femininity (F-) personality scales were developed to supplement the positively valued Masculinity (M+) and Femininity (F+) scales of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ; Spence & Helmreich). M- consisted of traits that had been judged to be (a) more typical of males than females, (b) undesirable in both sexes, and (c ) agentic or instrumental in content. Two F- scales were developed, both containing stereotypically feminine, undesirable traits, one set of traits referring to communionlike characteristics (Fc-) and the other to verbal passive-aggressive qualities (FVA-). Significant sex differences in the predicted direction were found on all scales. In both sexes, low and typically nonsignificant correlations were found between parallel positive and negative scales, but highly significant negative correlations were found between positive and negative cross-sex scales. These findings provide additional evidence for the multidimentionslity of masculinity and femininity. Scores on a self-esteem measure were positively correlated with M+ and F+, uncorrelated with M-, and negatively correlated with the F- scales. Different patterns of scores were associated with two types of problem behaviors. In both sexes, neuroticism was most highly correlated (in a negative direction) with M+, and acting out behavoir was most strongly correlated (in a positive direction) with M-. The next highest correlation in both instances was with FVA-.

  16. Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive plasma cell infiltration is associated with the clinicopathologic traits and prognosis of pancreatic cancer after curative resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qiaofei; Niu, Zheyu; Li, Yuan; Wang, Mengyi; Pan, Boju; Lu, Zhaohui; Liao, Quan; Zhao, Yupei

    2016-08-01

    Interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and inflammatory cells play crucial roles in the biological behavior of pancreatic cancer. Abundant infiltration of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive plasma cells in the pancreas is the most significant feature of autoimmune pancreatitis; however, the clinical significance of IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration in pancreatic cancer has not previously been reported. Herein, we analyzed intratumoral and peritumoral infiltrations of IgG4-positive plasma cells in 95 pancreatic cancer cases after curative resection. The correlations between IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration and the clinicopathologic traits and overall survival of pancreatic cancer were investigated. IgG4-positive plasma cells were found in 86 % of tumor tissue samples compared with 69 % of peritumoral tissue samples (P = 0.0063). The high-level infiltration of intratumoral IgG4-positive plasma cells was positively correlated with poor histological grade (P = 0.017). The high-level infiltration of intratumoral IgG4-positive plasma cells was significantly correlated with worse prognosis (P = 0.01) in multivariate analysis. We further found that intratumoral M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were positively, linearly correlated with IgG4-positive plasma cells. In conclusion, IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration is correlated with the clinicopathologic traits and overall survival of pancreatic cancer. High-level intratumoral infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells is an independent predictor for poor overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients after curative resection. Intratumoral M2-polarized TAMs probably induce IgG4-positive plasma cells.

  17. Relation Between Intelligence and Family Size, Position, and Income in Adolescent Girls in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osman, Habab; Alahmadi, Maryam; Bakhiet, Salaheldin; Lynn, Richard

    2016-12-01

    Data are reported showing statistically significant negative correlations between intelligence and family size, position, and income in a sample of 604 adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia. There were no statistically significant correlations or associations between whether the mother or father were deceased or both parents were alive, and whether the parents were living together or were divorced. © The Author(s) 2016.

  18. Neural Correlates of Attitude Change Following Positive and Negative Advertisements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Junko; Ide, Hiroko; Kabashima, Ikuo; Kadota, Hiroshi; Takano, Kouji; Kansaku, Kenji

    2009-01-01

    Understanding changes in attitudes towards others is critical to understanding human behaviour. Neuropolitical studies have found that the activation of emotion-related areas in the brain is linked to resilient political preferences, and neuroeconomic research has analysed the neural correlates of social preferences that favour or oppose consideration of intrinsic rewards. This study aims to identify the neural correlates in the prefrontal cortices of changes in political attitudes toward others that are linked to social cognition. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments have presented videos from previous electoral campaigns and television commercials for major cola brands and then used the subjects' self-rated affinity toward political candidates as behavioural indicators. After viewing negative campaign videos, subjects showing stronger fMRI activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lowered their ratings of the candidate they originally supported more than did those with smaller fMRI signal changes in the same region. Subjects showing stronger activation in the medial prefrontal cortex tended to increase their ratings more than did those with less activation. The same regions were not activated by viewing negative advertisements for cola. Correlations between the self-rated values and the neural signal changes underscore the metric representation of observed decisions (i.e., whether to support or not) in the brain. This indicates that neurometric analysis may contribute to the exploration of the neural correlates of daily social behaviour. PMID:19503749

  19. Attitudes toward Same-Sex Attraction and Behavior among Chinese University Students: Tendencies, Correlates, and Gender Differences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinli Chi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The present study examined Chinese university students’ attitudes toward same-sex attraction and behavior, the socio-demographic correlates of these attitudes, and the potential gender differences in both tendencies and correlates. A total of 2,644 Chinese university students (49.7% male, mean age = 20.27 years indicated generally negative attitudes toward same-sex attraction and behavior, with males reporting more negative attitudes than females. More years in university (i.e., higher grade levels, higher levels of maternal education, growing up in an urban area, and more frequent Internet use significantly predicted more positive attitudes. Gender significantly moderated one correlate: For female participants, a higher university grade was related to more positive attitudes; this correlation was not significant for male participants. The findings suggest valuable directions for related intervention practices for young people in China. Key words: Chinese university students, same-sex attraction and behavior, gender differences

  20. Differential expression of OPN, VEGF-A, and HIF-1α and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHENG Yan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo investigate the expression patterns of osteopontin (OPN, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and determine the clinical significance of this differential expression profile. MethodsImmunohistochemical staining of OPN, VEGF-A, and HIF-1α was carried out on primary HCC tissues from 90 patients, HCC-adjacent cirrhosis tissues from 20 of those patients, and normal liver tissues from 15 healthy controls. Correlations between expression levels and HCC clinicopathological characteristics were assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient. ResultsThe majority of HCC tissues showed positive immunostaining for OPN (69/90, 76.67%, VEGF-A (64/90, 71.11%, and HIF-1α (66/90, 73.33%. OPN- and VEGF-A-positivity were significantly higher than the results from the cirrhosis tissues and normal tissues. HIF-1α-positivity was similar between the HCC and cirrhosis tissues, but both were significantly different from the normal tissues. The differential expressions of OPN, VEGF-A, and HIF-1α were significantly correlated with tumor thrombus, capsular integrity, tumor differentiation and stage, and metastasis (P<0.05. ConclusionHCC tissues overexpress OPN, VEGF-A, and HIF-1α and this differential profile may be related to HCC progression. Future investigations of this triad of factors may provide novel insights into the biological characteristics of HCC and reveal important targets of molecular therapy.

  1. Pulse-Wave Analysis of Optic Nerve Head Circulation Is Significantly Correlated with Kidney Function in Patients with and without Chronic Kidney Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoaki Shiba

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To determine whether there is a significant correlation between the optic nerve head (ONH circulation determined by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG and kidney function. Materials. Seventy-one subjects were investigated. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR and serum creatinine, cystatin C, and urinary albumin excretion were measured. The ONH circulation was determined by an analysis of the pulse wave of LSFG, and this parameter was named blowout time (BOT. Chronic kidney disease (CKD was defined to be present when the estimated GFR was <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between the BOT and the kidney function. We also examined whether there were significant differences in all parameters in patients with and without CKD. Results. BOT was significantly correlated with the level of creatinine (r=-0.24, P=0.04, the estimated GFR (r=0.42, P=0.0003, cystatin C (r=-0.29, P=0.01, and urinary albumin excretion (r=-0.29, P=0.01. The BOT level in subjects with CKD was significantly lower than that in subjects without CKD (P=0.002. Conclusion. BOT in ONH by LSFG can detect the organ damage such as kidney dysfunction, CKD.

  2. An Investigation of the Correlation among Sources of Stress, Perceived Stress, and Coping styles in High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhadh Asghari

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Coping with stress is an important issue, especially in regard to source of stress and perceived stress in adolescence period. In this research, the correlation among stress sources, perceived stress, and coping styles was investigated in high school students. Methods: The present research was a descriptive correlational study. The research sample consisted of 575 high school students from the families of personnel of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in education year 2014-15 who were selected by multistage cluster sampling method. Stress source scale, perceived stress scale and Tehran coping styles scale, were used for data collection. The data were analyzed using statistical methods, including Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis. Results: In this study, 50% of students had perceived stress higher than cut-off point. Stress sources of students were related to school and maturity. There was a positive correlation between problem-oriented coping style and perceived stress, and there was a negative and inverse correlation between problem-oriented coping style and stress related to school and maturity. There was a positive correlation between positive emotion-oriented coping style and perceived stress, but there was a negative and inverse correlation between problem-oriented coping style and stress related to school and maturity. There was no significant correlation between emotion-oriented coping style and stress related to school, maturity, family, and peers. There was a positive correlation between negative emotion-oriented coping style and stress related to school, maturity, and peers. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the level of correlation was not significant and no significant relationship could be found between the variables with this level of correlation. Therefore, it is suggested that more extensive researches be conducted on the relationship between

  3. Tackler’s head position relative to the ball carrier is highly correlated with head and neck injuries in rugby

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Yoshinori; Shiota, Yuki; Ota, Chihiro; Yoneda, Takeshi; Tahara, Shigeyuki; Maki, Nobukazu; Matsuura, Takahiro; Sekiguchi, Masahiro; Itoigawa, Yoshiaki; Tateishi, Tomohiko; Kaneko, Kazuo

    2018-01-01

    Objectives To characterise the tackler’s head position during one-on-one tackling in rugby and to determine the incidence of head, neck and shoulder injuries through analysis of game videos, injury records and a questionnaire completed by the tacklers themselves. Methods We randomly selected 28 game videos featuring two university teams in competitions held in 2015 and 2016. Tackles were categorised according to tackler’s head position. The ‘pre-contact phase’ was defined; its duration and the number of steps taken by the ball carrier prior to a tackle were evaluated. Results In total, 3970 tackles, including 317 (8.0%) with the tackler’s head incorrectly positioned (ie, in front of the ball carrier) were examined. Thirty-two head, neck or shoulder injuries occurred for an injury incidence of 0.8% (32/3970). The incidence of injury in tackles with incorrect head positioning was 69.4/1000 tackles; the injury incidence with correct head positioning (ie, behind or to one side of the ball carrier) was 2.7/1000 tackles. Concussions, neck injuries, ‘stingers’ and nasal fractures occurred significantly more often during tackles with incorrect head positioning than during tackles with correct head positioning. Significantly fewer steps were taken before tackles with incorrect head positioning that resulted in injury than before tackles that did not result in injury. Conclusion Tackling with incorrect head position relative to the ball carrier resulted in a significantly higher incidence of concussions, neck injuries, stingers and nasal fractures than tackling with correct head position. Tackles with shorter duration and distance before contact resulted in more injuries. PMID:29162618

  4. To Study Correlation of Body Fat and Blood Lipids with Autonomic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    BMI and W/H ratio were positively correlated with TC, triglyceride,. LDL cholesterol ... analysis revealed LDL cholesterol as the only significant independent explanatory variable of DBT. .... High-density lipoprotein (HDL) analysis: Enzymatic.

  5. Correlation between serum levels of PC III and the degree of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xue; Xu Yu; Li Wenjie; Zhang Jun; Yu Ying; Wang Kun

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the correlation between serum level of PC III and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases. Methods: Serum level of PC III was assayed with RIA and other markers of liver function (including ALT, AST, STB, SDB, TP, ALB, TBA) were assayed with automatic biochemical analyzer in 188 patients with various chronic liver diseases. PC III only were examined in 70 controls. Results: (1) The serum levels of PC III were in this order: chronic severe hepatitis (n=27, 501.17 ± 191.09) > liver cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis (n=27,334.52 ± 139.14) > chronic moderate hepatitis ( n = 32,298.02 ± 151.02) > primary liver cancer (n=39,281.42 ± 143.48) > normal controls (n=70,122.56 ± 92.94). (2) The serum levels of PC III were positively correlated with STB and SDB levels (P<0.05) in patients with chronic severe hepatitis and was significantly positively correlated with ALP levels (P<0.01). (3) The serum level of PC III were significantly positively correlated with STB, SDB, TBA and ALP in patients with cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis (P<0.01). (4) The serum levels of PC III were significantly positively correlated with AST and ALP levels in patients with chronic moderate hepatitis (P<0.01). (5) The serum levels of PC III were significantly positively correlated with STB, SDB, TBA, AST and ALP in patients with primary liver cancer (P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum level of PC III might adequately reflect the activity of the process of hepatic fibrosis, but did not necessarily reflect the degree of fibrosis already attained. (authors)

  6. An Examination of the Demographic and Environmental Variables Correlated with Lyme Disease Emergence in Virginia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seukep, Sara E; Kolivras, Korine N; Hong, Yili; Li, Jie; Prisley, Stephen P; Campbell, James B; Gaines, David N; Dymond, Randel L

    2015-12-01

    Lyme disease is the United States' most significant vector-borne illness. Virginia, on the southern edge of the disease's currently expanding range, has experienced an increase in Lyme disease both spatially and temporally, with steadily increasing rates over the past decade and disease spread from the northern to the southwestern part of the state. This study used a Geographic Information System and a spatial Poisson regression model to examine correlations between demographic and land cover variables, and human Lyme disease from 2006 to 2010 in Virginia. Analysis indicated that herbaceous land cover is positively correlated with Lyme disease incidence rates. Areas with greater interspersion between herbaceous and forested land were also positively correlated with incidence rates. In addition, income and age were positively correlated with incidence rates. Levels of development, interspersion of herbaceous and developed land, and population density were negatively correlated with incidence rates. Abundance of forest fragments less than 2 hectares in area was not significantly correlated. Our results support some findings of previous studies on ecological variables and Lyme disease in endemic areas, but other results have not been found in previous studies, highlighting the potential contribution of new variables as Lyme disease continues to emerge southward.

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

    OpenAIRE

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

    2009-01-01

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

  8. Analysis of tag-position bias in MPSS technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rattray Magnus

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing (MPSS technology was recently developed as a high-throughput technology for measuring the concentration of mRNA transcripts in a sample. It has previously been observed that the position of the signature tag in a transcript (distance from 3' end can affect the measurement, but this effect has not been studied in detail. Results We quantify the effect of tag-position bias in Classic and Signature MPSS technology using published data from Arabidopsis, rice and human. We investigate the relationship between measured concentration and tag-position using nonlinear regression methods. The observed relationship is shown to be broadly consistent across different data sets. We find that there exist different and significant biases in both Classic and Signature MPSS data. For Classic MPSS data, genes with tag-position in the middle-range have highest measured abundance on average while genes with tag-position in the high-range, far from the 3' end, show a significant decrease. For Signature MPSS data, high-range tag-position genes tend to have a flatter relationship between tag-position and measured abundance. Thus, our results confirm that the Signature MPSS method fixes a substantial problem with the Classic MPSS method. For both Classic and Signature MPSS data there is a positive correlation between measured abundance and tag-position for low-range tag-position genes. Compared with the effects of mRNA length and number of exons, tag-position bias seems to be more significant in Arabadopsis. The tag-position bias is reflected both in the measured abundance of genes with a significant tag count and in the proportion of unexpressed genes identified. Conclusion Tag-position bias should be taken into consideration when measuring mRNA transcript abundance using MPSS technology, both in Classic and Signature MPSS methods.

  9. Neural correlates of attitude change following positive and negative advertisements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junko Kato

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Understanding changes in attitudes towards others is critical to understanding human behaviour. Neuropolitical studies have found that the activation of emotion-related areas in the brain is linked to resilient political preferences, and neuroeconomic research has analysed the neural correlates of social preferences that favour or oppose consideration of intrinsic rewards. This study aims to identify the neural correlates in the prefrontal cortices of changes in political attitudes toward others that are linked to social cognition. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI experiments have presented videos from previous electoral campaigns and television commercials for major cola brands and then used the subjects’ self-rated affinity toward political candidates as behavioural indicators. After viewing negative campaign videos, subjects showing stronger fMRI activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lowered their ratings of the candidate they originally supported more than did those with smaller fMRI signal changes in the same region. Subjects showing stronger activation in the medial prefrontal cortex tended to increase their ratings more than did those with less activation. The same regions were not activated by viewing negative advertisements for cola. Correlations between the self-rated values and the neural signal changes underscore the metric representation of observed decisions (i.e., whether to support or not in the brain. This indicates that neurometric analysis may contribute to the exploration of the neural correlates of daily social behaviour.

  10. Dinoflagellate cyst abundance is positively correlated to sediment organic carbon in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay, NSW, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Chang; Doblin, Martina A; Dafforn, Katherine A; Johnston, Emma L; Pei, Haiyan; Hu, Wenrong

    2018-02-01

    There is growing public concern about the global expansion of harmful algal bloom species (HABs), with dinoflagellate microalgae comprising the major portion of the harmful taxa. These motile, unicellular organisms have a lifecycle involving sexual reproduction and resting cyst formation whereby cysts can germinate from sediments and 'seed' planktonic populations. Thus, investigation of dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) distribution in sediments can provide significant insights into HAB dynamics and contribute to indices of habitat quality. Species composition and abundance of dinocysts in relation to sediment characteristics were studied at 18 stations in two densely populated temperate Australian estuaries, Sydney Harbour (Parramatta River/Port Jackson; PS) and Botany Bay (including Georges River; GB). Eighteen dinocyst taxa were identified, dominated by Protoceratium reticulatum and Gonyaulax sp.1 in the PS estuary, together with Archaeperidinium minutum and Gonyaulax sp.1 in the GB estuary. Cysts of Alexandrium catenella, which is one of the causative species of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), were also detected in both estuaries. Out of the measured sediment characteristics (TOC, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), TOC was the parameter explaining most of the variation in dinocyst assemblages and was positively correlated to most of the heavy metals. Given the significant relationship between sediment TOC and dinocyst abundance and heavy metal concentrations, this study suggests that sediment TOC could be broadly used in risk management for potential development of algal blooms and sediment contamination in these estuaries.

  11. The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

    2018-01-01

    Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female) from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS), the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38) and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55). In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38) in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources. PMID:29324823

  12. The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biying Shen

    Full Text Available Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS, the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI and the Big Five Inventory (BFI on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38 and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55. In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38 in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources.

  13. The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Biying; Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

    2018-01-01

    Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female) from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS), the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38) and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55). In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38) in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources.

  14. 147 - 154 Genetic Variability, Heritability and Correlation Coefficient

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    twelve upland rice genotypes during 2013 main cropping season. ... spikelet per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle and biomass yield had a positive and significant correlation ... fertilizers were applied at the rate of 100 kg per hectare. ..... ultimate effect for selecting superior varieties (Ali et al., .... (Brassica napus L.).

  15. Neighbourhood Environment Correlates of Physical Activity: A Study of Eight Czech Regional Towns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dagmar Sigmundová

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available An adequate amount of physical activity (PA is a key factor that is associated with good health. This study assessed socio-environmental factors associated with meeting the health recommendations for PA (achieving 10,000 steps per day. In total, 1,653 respondents randomly selected from across eight regional towns (each >90,000 inhabitants in the Czech Republic participated in the study. The ANEWS questionnaire assessed the environment in neighbourhoods, and participants’ weekly PA was objectively monitored (Yamax Digiwalker SW-700 pedometer. About 24% of participants were sufficiently active, 27% were highly active; 28% participants were overweight and 5% were obese. Although BMI was significantly inversely associated with the daily step counts achieved only in females, for both genders, BMI was generally not significantly associated with the criterion of achieving 10,000 steps per day during the week. Increased BMI in both genders was accompanied with a decline in participation in organized PA and with increasing age. As regards to the demographic/lifestyle factors, for females, more participation in organized PA was significantly positively correlated with the achieved daily step counts. In contrast, older age and higher BMI (for females and smoking (for males were significantly negatively correlated with the achieved daily step counts. In terms of the environmental aspects, pleasant environments were significantly positively correlated to daily step counts for both genders. Additionally, for males, better residencies (more family homes rather than apartment blocks in the neighbourhood were significantly positively correlated with their daily step counts. For females, less accessibility of shops and non-sport facilities (depending on walking distance in minutes were significantly negatively correlated to the achieved daily step counts. Individuals who lived in pleasant neighbourhoods, with better access to shops and who participated in

  16. High Frequency of CD8 Positive Lymphocyte Infiltration Correlates with Lack of Lymph Node Involvement in Early Rectal Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvio Däster

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims. A trend towards local excision of early rectal cancers has prompted us to investigate if immunoprofiling might help in predicting lymph node involvement in this subgroup. Methods. A tissue microarray of 126 biopsies of early rectal cancer (T1 and T2 was stained for several immunomarkers of the innate and the adaptive immune response. Patients’ survival and nodal status were analyzed and correlated with infiltration of the different immune cells. Results. Of all tested markers, only CD8 (P=0.005 and TIA-1 (P=0.05 were significantly more frequently detectable in early rectal cancer biopsies of node negative as compared to node positive patients. Although these two immunomarkers did not display prognostic effect “per se,” CD8+ and, marginally, TIA-1 T cell infiltration could predict nodal involvement in univariate logistic regression analysis (OR 0.994; 95% CI 0.992–0.996; P=0.009 and OR 0.988; 95% CI 0.984–0.994; P=0.05, resp.. An algorithm significantly predicting the nodal status in early rectal cancer based on CD8 together with vascular invasion and tumor border configuration could be calculated (P<0.00001. Conclusion. Our data indicate that in early rectal cancers absence of CD8+ T-cell infiltration helps in predicting patients’ nodal involvement.

  17. [The expression and significance of CD(276) and CD(133) in colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, G F; Huang, L N; Ren, J L; Hu, G M; Zheng, Z H; Wu, J X; Zhu, Y P; Tang, F A

    2018-06-01

    In order to study the significance of CD(276) and CD(133) in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), the expression of CD(276) and CD(133) was detected by immunohistochemistry in CRC and precancerous lesions. The results showed that the intensity of CD(276) and CD(133) in CRC samples was higher than that in adenoma group and non-adenoma group. CD(276) and CD(133) single and double positive expression were significantly correlated with CRC lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and survival. CD(276) and CD(133) are significantly correlated to the development and progression of CRC and associated with poor prognosis.

  18. Objective classification of different head and neck positions and their influence on the radiographic pharyngeal diameter in sport horses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Various head and neck positions in sport horses are significant as they can interfere with upper airway flow mechanics during exercise. Until now, research has focused on subjectively described head and neck positions. The objective of this study was to develop an objective, reproducible method for quantifying head and neck positions accurately. Results Determining the angle between the ridge of the nose and the horizontal plane (ground angle) together with the angle between the ridge of nose and the line connecting the neck and the withers (withers angle) has provided values that allow precise identification of three preselected head and neck positions for performing sport horses. The pharyngeal diameter, determined on lateral radiographs of 35 horses, differed significantly between the established flexed position and the remaining two head and neck positions (extended and neutral). There was a significant correlation between the pharyngeal diameter and the ground angle (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient −0.769, p horses. The ground angle and the withers angle show significant correlation with the measured pharyngeal diameter in resting horses. Hence, these angles provide an appropriate method for assessing the degree of head and neck flexion. Further research is required to examine the influence of increasing head and neck flexion and the related pharyngeal diameter on upper airway function in exercising horses. PMID:24886564

  19. Preferences in Sleep Position Correlate With Nighttime Paresthesias in Healthy People Without Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth Bettlach, Carrie L; Hasak, Jessica M; Krauss, Emily M; Yu, Jenny L; Skolnick, Gary B; Bodway, Greta N; Kahn, Lorna C; Mackinnon, Susan E

    2017-10-01

    Carpal tunnel syndrome has been associated with sleep position preferences. The aim of this study is to assess self-reported nocturnal paresthesias and sleeping position in participants with and without carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis to further clinical knowledge for preventive and therapeutic interventions. A cross-sectional survey study of 396 participants was performed in young adults, healthy volunteers, and a patient population. Participants were surveyed on risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome, nocturnal paresthesias, and sleep preferences. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed comparing participants with rare and frequent nocturnal paresthesias. Subanalyses for participants without carpal tunnel syndrome under and over 21 years of age were performed on all factors significantly associated with subclinical compression neuropathy in the overall population. Thirty-three percent of the study population experienced nocturnal paresthesias at least weekly. Increased body mass index ( P < .001) and sleeping with the wrist flexed ( P = .030) were associated with a higher frequency of nocturnal paresthesias. Side sleeping was associated with less frequent nocturnal symptoms ( P = .003). In participants without carpal tunnel syndrome, subgroup analysis illustrated a relationship between nocturnal paresthesias and wrist position. In participants with carpal tunnel syndrome, sleeping on the side had a significantly reduced frequency of nocturnal paresthesias. This study illustrates nocturnal paresthesias in people without history of carpal tunnel syndrome including people younger than previously reported. In healthy patients with upper extremity subclinical compression neuropathy, sleep position modification may be a useful intervention to reduce the frequency of nocturnal symptoms prior to developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

  20. Weather is not significantly correlated with destination-specific transport-related physical activity among adults: A large-scale temporally matched analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Casey P; Zhang, Kai; Salvo, Deborah

    2017-08-01

    Weather is an element of the natural environment that could have a significant effect on physical activity. Existing research, however, indicates only modest correlations between measures of weather and physical activity. This prior work has been limited by a failure to use time-matched weather and physical activity data, or has not adequately examined the different domains of physical activity (transport, leisure, occupational, etc.). Our objective was to identify the correlation between weather variables and destination-specific transport-related physical activity in adults. Data were sourced from the California Household Travel Survey, collected in 2012-3. Weather variables included: relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, and precipitation. Transport-related physical activity (walking) was sourced from participant-recorded travel diaries. Three-part hurdle models were used to analyze the data. Results indicate statistically or substantively insignificant correlations between the weather variables and transport-related physical activity for all destination types. These results provide the strongest evidence to date that transport-related physical activity may occur relatively independently of weather conditions. The knowledge that weather conditions do not seem to be a significant barrier to this domain of activity may potentially expand the universe of geographic locations that are amenable to environmental and programmatic interventions to increase transport-related walking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A Model for Positively Correlated Count Variables

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jesper; Rubak, Ege Holger

    2010-01-01

    An α-permanental random field is briefly speaking a model for a collection of non-negative integer valued random variables with positive associations. Though such models possess many appealing probabilistic properties, many statisticians seem unaware of α-permanental random fields...... and their potential applications. The purpose of this paper is to summarize useful probabilistic results, study stochastic constructions and simulation techniques, and discuss some examples of α-permanental random fields. This should provide a useful basis for discussing the statistical aspects in future work....

  2. Effects of correlations between particle longitudinal positions and transverse plane on bunch length measurement: a case study on GBS electron LINAC at ELI-NP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabato, L.; Arpaia, P.; Cianchi, A.; Liccardo, A.; Mostacci, A.; Palumbo, L.; Variola, A.

    2018-02-01

    In high-brightness LINear ACcelerators (LINACs), electron bunch length can be measured indirectly by a radio frequency deflector (RFD). In this paper, the accuracy loss arising from non-negligible correlations between particle longitudinal positions and the transverse plane (in particular the vertical one) at RFD entrance is analytically assessed. Theoretical predictions are compared with simulation results, obtained by means of ELEctron Generation ANd Tracking (ELEGANT) code, in the case study of the gamma beam system (GBS) at the extreme light infrastructure—nuclear physics (ELI-NP). In particular, the relative error affecting the bunch length measurement, for bunches characterized by both energy chirp and fixed correlation coefficients between longitudinal particle positions and the vertical plane, is reported. Moreover, the relative error versus the correlation coefficients is shown for fixed RFD phase 0 rad and π rad. The relationship between relative error and correlations factors can help the decision of using the bunch length measurement technique with one or two vertical spot size measurements in order to cancel the correlations contribution. In the case of the GBS electron LINAC, the misalignment of one of the quadrupoles before the RFD between  -2 mm and 2 mm leads to a relative error less than 5%. The misalignment of the first C-band accelerating section between  -2 mm and 2 mm could lead to a relative error up to 10%.

  3. Correlation of cutaneous sensitivity and cytokine response in children with asthma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meenu Singh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Food allergy occurs in a significant portion of pediatric asthma. Various cells and their mediators/cytokines play a pivotal role in orchestrating the airway inflammatory response in asthma. Objective: To study the cutaneous hypersensitivity, Th1, Th2, and Th17 response of pediatric population with asthma and genetic predisposition to atopy, by determining total immunoglobulin E (IgE level in response to various food allergens. Materials and Methods: Fifty asthmatic children with a history of worsening symptoms by various food allergens (study group and twenty healthy children (control group were included. Food allergy was assessed through skin prick test (SPT of various food allergens. Total serum IgE level was measured by sandwich ELISA, and T-cell (Th1, Th2, and Th17-dependent cytokines were measured by flow cytometry. Results: All 50 asthmatic children in the study group showed SPT positivity against various food allergens (rice = 17; banana, fish and groundnut = 10; wheat = 9; milk and orange = 7; egg = 6; and mango = 4. The average total IgE level in the study group was 316.8 ± 189.8 IU/mL. A significant positive correlation of total IgE with interleukin 17 (IL-17 (r = 0.796; P < 0.0001, IL-13 (r = 0.383; P = 0.01, and IL-4 (r = 0.263; P = 0.043 level was noted. A significant negative correlation of total IgE was noted with interferon gamma (r = −0.5823; P < 0.0001 and IL-10 (r = −0.4474; P < 0.001 level and the duration of breastfeeding (r = −0.31, P = 0.03. Conclusions: The present study found a positive correlation between total serum IgE level and Th2, Th17 cytokines in a pediatric population with asthma. A significant negative correlation was found between the duration of breastfeeding and the cytokines.

  4. Clinical significance and correlation of the level change of plasma lysophosphatidic acid in patients before and during radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Liang; Li Hong; Zhu Shengjie

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the effects of radiotherapy on the level of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in different patients. Methods: Three groups of patients (metastatic brain tumor group, non-brain tumor group and primary brain tumor group) were given external irradiation (by linear accelerator). LPA level, white blood cell count and platelet count in the blood plasma were evaluated pre-irradiation and after irradiation with 40 Gy and 60 Gy respectively. Results: The LPA level decreased gradually as irradiation doses increase in metastatic brain tumor group non-brain tumor group (after irradiation with 60 Gy 0.05), and neoplasm volume changed little. White blood cell count and platelet count gradually decreased with the increasing irradiation doses in metastatic brain tumor group and primary brain tumor group, but there was no significant correlation to LPA level. However, there was a negative correlation to LPA level in non-brain tumor group (r=-0.285 and r=-0.237, both P<0.05 ). Conclusions: There is a negative correlation between radiotherapy dose and LPA level in metastatic brain tumor patients and non-brain tumor patients. LPA level could be used as a predictor of the effect of the radiotherapy in tumor treatment. (authors)

  5. Novel model of neuronal bioenergetics: postsynaptic utilization of glucose but not lactate correlates positively with Ca2+ signalling in cultured mouse glutamatergic neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bak, Lasse K; Obel, Linea F; Walls, Anne B; Schousboe, Arne; Faek, Sevan A A; Jajo, Farah S; Waagepetersen, Helle S

    2012-04-05

    We have previously investigated the relative roles of extracellular glucose and lactate as fuels for glutamatergic neurons during synaptic activity. The conclusion from these studies was that cultured glutamatergic neurons utilize glucose rather than lactate during NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate)-induced synaptic activity and that lactate alone is not able to support neurotransmitter glutamate homoeostasis. Subsequently, a model was proposed to explain these results at the cellular level. In brief, the intermittent rises in intracellular Ca2+ during activation cause influx of Ca2+ into the mitochondrial matrix thus activating the tricarboxylic acid cycle dehydrogenases. This will lead to a lower activity of the MASH (malate-aspartate shuttle), which in turn will result in anaerobic glycolysis and lactate production rather than lactate utilization. In the present work, we have investigated the effect of an ionomycin-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ (i.e. independent of synaptic activity) on neuronal energy metabolism employing 13C-labelled glucose and lactate and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis of labelling in glutamate, alanine and lactate. The results demonstrate that glucose utilization is positively correlated with intracellular Ca2+ whereas lactate utilization is not. This result lends further support for a significant role of glucose in neuronal bioenergetics and that Ca2+ signalling may control the switch between glucose and lactate utilization during synaptic activity. Based on the results, we propose a compartmentalized CiMASH (Ca2+-induced limitation of the MASH) model that includes intracellular compartmentation of glucose and lactate metabolism. We define pre- and post-synaptic compartments metabolizing glucose and glucose plus lactate respectively in which the latter displays a positive correlation between oxidative metabolism of glucose and Ca2+ signalling.

  6. Correlation Coefficients: Appropriate Use and Interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schober, Patrick; Boer, Christa; Schwarte, Lothar A

    2018-05-01

    Correlation in the broadest sense is a measure of an association between variables. In correlated data, the change in the magnitude of 1 variable is associated with a change in the magnitude of another variable, either in the same (positive correlation) or in the opposite (negative correlation) direction. Most often, the term correlation is used in the context of a linear relationship between 2 continuous variables and expressed as Pearson product-moment correlation. The Pearson correlation coefficient is typically used for jointly normally distributed data (data that follow a bivariate normal distribution). For nonnormally distributed continuous data, for ordinal data, or for data with relevant outliers, a Spearman rank correlation can be used as a measure of a monotonic association. Both correlation coefficients are scaled such that they range from -1 to +1, where 0 indicates that there is no linear or monotonic association, and the relationship gets stronger and ultimately approaches a straight line (Pearson correlation) or a constantly increasing or decreasing curve (Spearman correlation) as the coefficient approaches an absolute value of 1. Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals can be used to address the statistical significance of the results and to estimate the strength of the relationship in the population from which the data were sampled. The aim of this tutorial is to guide researchers and clinicians in the appropriate use and interpretation of correlation coefficients.

  7. Mediator Effects of Positive Emotions on Social Support and Depression among Adolescents Suffering from Mobile Phone Addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Menglong; Jiang, Xia; Ren, Yujia

    2017-06-01

    Depression is a common mental disorder that is widely seen among adolescents suffering from mobile phone addiction. While it is well known that both positive emtions in adolescents wiotions and social support can have a positive impact by helping individuals to maintain a positive attitude, the correlation between positive emotions, social support, and depression among these adolescents remains to be investigated. This study examined the mediator effects of positive emotions on the relationship between social support and depression among adolescents suffering from mobile phone addiction. For this study, conducted in 2016, we selected 1,346 adolescent students from three middle schools (ranging from Junior Grade One to Senior Grade Three) in Hunan Province of China, to participate in the survey. Participants were selected using the stratified cluster random sampling method, and all participants remained anonymous throughout the study. Each participant completed the Self-made General Situation Questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale. There was significant positive correlation between positive emotions and social support. Both positive emotions and social support demonstrated significant negative correlation with depression. Positive emotions had partial mediator effects on the relationship between social support and depression (Pphone addiction. Social support contributes to positive emoth mobile phone addiction, thereby reducing their levels of depression. These findings suggest that more support and care should be given to this particular adolescent population.

  8. Measuring use of positive thinking skills: psychometric testing of a new scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekhet, Abir K; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A

    2013-09-01

    Positive thinking interventions improve adaptive functioning and quality of life in many populations. However, no direct measure of positive thinking skills taught during intervention exists. This psychometric study of a convenience sample of 109 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) caregivers examined a new eight-item Positive Thinking Skills Scale (PTSS), which measures the frequency of use of positive thinking skills. The PTSS was found to be internally consistent (α = .90). Construct validity was supported by significant correlations (p thinking skills could provide direction for future intervention.

  9. The correlation of serum asymmetric dimethylarginine and anti-Müllerian hormone in primary dysmenorrhea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nermin Akdemir

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH levels in primary dysmenorrhea patients. The study employed a cross-sectional design. Eighty-nine female university students with primary dysmenorrhea were included in the study. All patients underwent complete clinical and laboratory investigations, including serum ADMA, AMH levels, pelvic ultrasonography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis were used to evaluate associations between continuous data. Categorical associations were evaluated using χ2 test. Correlation analysis between serum ADMA and AMH levels in the study group showed a highly significant positive relationship (Pearson correlation = 0.978, p = 0.01. Our study has shown a significant positive correlation between serum ADMA and AMH levels in primary dysmenorrhea. Serum ADMA levels may have the potential to demonstrate ovarian reserve.

  10. Navicular bone position determined by positional MRI

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Philip; Johannsen, Finn E; Hangaard, Stine

    2016-01-01

    -scanner). Scanning was performed in supine and standing position, respectively. Two radiologists evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Reliability and agreement were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95 % limits of agreement as a percentage of the mean (LOA%). RESULTS...

  11. Urinary oxytocin positively correlates with performance in facial visual search in unmarried males, without specific reaction to infant face.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Atsuko; Hamada, Hiroki; Kikusui, Takefumi; Mogi, Kazutaka; Nagasawa, Miho; Mitsui, Shohei; Higuchi, Takashi; Hasegawa, Toshikazu; Hiraki, Kazuo

    2014-01-01

    The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a central role in prosocial and parental behavior in non-human mammals as well as humans. It has been suggested that oxytocin may affect visual processing of infant faces and emotional reaction to infants. Healthy male volunteers (N = 13) were tested for their ability to detect infant or adult faces among adult or infant faces (facial visual search task). Urine samples were collected from all participants before the study to measure the concentration of oxytocin. Urinary oxytocin positively correlated with performance in the facial visual search task. However, task performance and its correlation with oxytocin concentration did not differ between infant faces and adult faces. Our data suggests that endogenous oxytocin is related to facial visual cognition, but does not promote infant-specific responses in unmarried men who are not fathers.

  12. The Correlations of Anti-Mullerian Hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Antral Follicle Count in Different Age Groups of Infertile Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludmila Barbakadze

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: The objective of our study was to identify the correlations between the tests currently used in ovarian reserve assessment: anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH and antral follicle count (AFC and to distinguish the most reliable markers for ovarian reserve in order to select an adequate strategy for the initial stages of infertility treatment. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 112 infertile women were assessed. Subjects were divided into three age groups: group I <35 years (n=39, group II 35-40 years (n=31, and group III 41-46 years (n=42. AMH, FSH and AFC were determined on days 2-3 of the patients’ menstrual cycles. Results: There was a significantly elevated negative correlation between age and AMH level (rs =-0.67, p<0.0001 and AFC (rs =-0.55, p<0.0001. We observed a significantly positive correlation between age and FSH (rs =0.38, p<0.0001. AMH negatively correlated with FSH (rs =-0.48, p<0.0001 and positively with AFC (r=- 0.71, p=0.0001. There was a moderate negative relation between FSH and AFC (r=-0.41, p=0.0001 and moderate positive relation between age and FSH (rs =0.38, p<0.0001. The correlation analysis performed in separate groups showed that AMH and AFC showed a statistically significant positive correlation for group I (r=0.57, p<0.0001, group II (r=0.69, p<0.0001 and group III (r=0.47, p<0.002. A statistically significant correlation between FSH and AMH was detected only in groups I (r=-0.41, p<0.02 and II (r=-0.55, p<0.0001. A statistically significant correlation existed between FSH and AFC only in group III (r=-0.42, p<0.006, as well as between age and AFC only in group I (r=-0.35, p<0.03. Conclusion: Currently, AMH should be considered as the more reliable of the ovarian reserve assessments tests compared to FSH. There is a strong positive correlation between serum AMH level and AFC. The use of AMH combined with AFC may improve ovarian reserve evaluation.

  13. Correlates of Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, Marjorie L.; Weinstein, Stephanie J.; Freedman, D. Michal; Helzlsouer, Kathy; Flanders, W. Dana; Koenig, Karen; Kolonel, Laurence; Laden, Francine; Le Marchand, Loic; Purdue, Mark; Snyder, Kirk; Stevens, Victoria L.; Stolzenberg-Solomon, Rachael; Virtamo, Jarmo; Yang, Gong; Yu, Kai; Zheng, Wei; Albanes, Demetrius; Ashby, Jason; Bertrand, Kimberly; Cai, Hui; Chen, Yu; Gallicchio, Lisa; Giovannucci, Edward; Jacobs, Eric J.; Hankinson, Susan E.; Hartge, Patricia; Hartmuller, Virginia; Harvey, Chinonye; Hayes, Richard B.; Horst, Ronald L.; Shu, Xiao-Ou

    2010-01-01

    Low vitamin D status is common globally and is associated with multiple disease outcomes. Understanding the correlates of vitamin D status will help guide clinical practice, research, and interpretation of studies. Correlates of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations measured in a single laboratory were examined in 4,723 cancer-free men and women from 10 cohorts participating in the Cohort Consortium Vitamin D Pooling Project of Rarer Cancers, which covers a worldwide geographic area. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were examined in relation to 25(OH)D using stepwise linear regression and polytomous logistic regression. The prevalence of 25(OH)D concentrations less than 25 nmol/L ranged from 3% to 36% across cohorts, and the prevalence of 25(OH)D concentrations less than 50 nmol/L ranged from 29% to 82%. Seasonal differences in circulating 25(OH)D were most marked among whites from northern latitudes. Statistically significant positive correlates of 25(OH)D included male sex, summer blood draw, vigorous physical activity, vitamin D intake, fish intake, multivitamin use, and calcium supplement use. Significant inverse correlates were body mass index, winter and spring blood draw, history of diabetes, sedentary behavior, smoking, and black race/ethnicity. Correlates varied somewhat within season, race/ethnicity, and sex. These findings help identify persons at risk for low vitamin D status for both clinical and research purposes. PMID:20562191

  14. Psychosocial correlates of physical activity in school children aged 8-10 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seabra, Ana C; Seabra, André F; Mendonça, Denisa M; Brustad, Robert; Maia, José A; Fonseca, António M; Malina, Robert M

    2013-10-01

    Understanding correlates of physical activity (PA) among children in different populations may contribute to fostering active lifestyles. This study considered gender differences in relationships between biologic (body mass index, BMI), demographic (socioeconomic sport status, SES) and psychosocial correlates of PA and level of PA in Portuguese primary school children. 683 children, aged 8-10 years, from 20 different elementary schools in northern Portugal were surveyed. Weight status was classified using International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria for the BMI. Family SES was estimated from school records. PA level and psychosocial correlates (attraction to PA, perceived physical competence and parental socialization) were obtained with interview and standardized questionnaires, respectively. Sex-specific hierarchical multiple regression analyses (SPSS 18.0) were conducted and included two blocks of predictor variables (biologic and demographic, and psychosocial). Level of PA was significantly higher in boys than girls. Enjoyment of participation in vigorous PA was positively associated with level of PA. Perceived acceptance by peers in games and sports and parental encouragement were positively and significantly related to PA in girls. Perceived physical competence was positively and significantly related to PA in boys. Weight status and SES were not associated with PA. Boys and girls differed in perceived attractiveness of PA and perceived physical competence, both of which influenced level of PA. Differences in perceptions may be important aspects of motivation for PA in school children.

  15. Family correlates of depression among hiv positive patients ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background information: HIV infection may impact negatively on family relationship and vice versa. Members of the family of HIV positive patients may become frustrated because of the stigma of having a family member with HIV infection, and the burden of having to care for the patient. This can result into the family ...

  16. TRAIL Death Receptor-4 Expression Positively Correlates With the Tumor Grade in Breast Cancer Patients With Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanlioglu, Ahter D.; Korcum, Aylin F.; Pestereli, Elif; Erdogan, Gulgun; Karaveli, Seyda; Savas, Burhan; Griffith, Thomas S.; Sanlioglu, Salih V.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells, and a number of clinical trials have recently been initiated to test the safety and antitumoral potential of TRAIL in cancer patients. Four different receptors have been identified to interact with TRAIL: two are death-inducing receptors (TRAIL-R1 [DR4] and TRAIL-R2 [DR5]), whereas the other two (TRAIL-R3 [DcR1] and TRAIL-R4 [DcR2]) do not induce death upon ligation and are believed to counteract TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. Because high levels of DcR2 expression have recently been correlated with carcinogenesis in the prostate and lung, this study investigated the importance of TRAIL and TRAIL receptor expression in breast cancer patients with invasive ductal carcinoma, taking various prognostic markers into consideration. Methods and Materials: Immunohistochemical analyses were performed on 90 breast cancer patients with invasive ductal carcinoma using TRAIL and TRAIL receptor-specific antibodies. Age, menopausal status, tumor size, lymph node status, tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, extracapsular tumor extension, presence of an extensive intraductal component, multicentricity, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, and CerbB2 expression levels were analyzed with respect to TRAIL/TRAIL receptor expression patterns. Results: The highest TRAIL receptor expressed in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma was DR4. Although progesterone receptor-positive patients exhibited lower DR5 expression, CerbB2-positive tissues displayed higher levels of both DR5 and TRAIL expressions. Conclusions: DR4 expression positively correlates with the tumor grade in breast cancer patients with invasive ductal carcinoma

  17. Total homocysteine is positively correlated with body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and fat mass among overweight reproductive women: A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Bayyari, Nahla; Hamadneh, Jehan; Hailat, Rae'd; Hamadneh, Shereen

    2017-12-01

    Conflicting associations between total homocysteine (tHcy), body mass index (BMI) lean body mass, and fat mass in the general population have been reported. We investigated the hypothesis that elevated tHcy levels are associated with increased BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body fat mass percent. In Jordan, obesity and overweight are prevalent among reproductive women and hyperhomocysteinemia, along with obesity and overweight, are independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The participants used in this cross-sectional study were 325 overweight Jordanian women aged between 18 and 49 years old. The main outcome measures were tHcy, BMI, WHR, fat mass, fat-free mass, and total body water. Serum tHcy was analyzed using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS) complete kit. The body compositions were measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Study participants were stratified according to their tHcy level into two groups, ≤10 μmol/L and >10 μmol/L, and the difference between mean values of body compositions was evaluated. The tHcy was significantly and negatively correlated with age, fat-free mass, and total body water, and significantly and positively correlated with BMI, hip circumference, WHR, fat mass, and dry lean weight. The chi-square and the independent sample t-tests showed statistically significant (P ≤ .05) differences between tHcy and BMI, WHR, fat and fat-free mass, and total body water percentages. In conclusion, BMI, WHR and body fat mass were found to be associated with elevated tHcy levels among overweight reproductive women, and they might be used as independent predictors of the tHcy level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Position-dependent correlation function from the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Data Release 10 CMASS sample

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiang, Chi-Ting; Wagner, Christian; Sánchez, Ariel G.; Schmidt, Fabian; Komatsu, Eiichiro

    2015-01-01

    We report on the first measurement of the three-point function with the position-dependent correlation function from the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Data Release 10 CMASS sample. This new observable measures the correlation between two-point functions of galaxy pairs within different subvolumes, ξ-circumflex (ř,ř L ), where ř L is the location of a subvolume, and the corresponding mean overdensities, δ-bar (ř L ). This correlation, which we call the 'integrated three-point function', iζ(r)≡(ξ-circumflex (ř,ř L )δ-bar (ř L )), measures a three-point function of two short- and one long-wavelength modes, and is generated by nonlinear gravitational evolution and possibly also by the physics of inflation. The iζ(r) measured from the BOSS data lies within the scatter of those from the mock galaxy catalogs in redshift space, yielding a ten-percent-level determination of the amplitude of iζ(r). The tree-level perturbation theory in redshift space predicts how this amplitude depends on the linear and quadratic nonlinear galaxy bias parameters (b 1 and b 2 ), as well as on the amplitude and linear growth rate of matter fluctuations (σ 8 and f). Combining iζ(r) with the constraints on b 1σ 8 and fσ 8 from the global two-point correlation function and that on σ 8 from the weak lensing signal of BOSS galaxies, we measure b 2 =0.41±0.41 (68% C.L.) assuming standard perturbation theory at the tree level and the local bias model

  19. Correlation and clinical significance between glomerular filtration rate and age in living-related kidney donors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Xiuyi; Shao Yahui; Wang Yanming; Zhang Aimin; Hao Junwen; Tian Jun; Sun Ben; Han Jiankui

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To quantitatively investigate the effect of age on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in living-related kidney donors. to analyze the clinical value and the dependence of GFR on age and to provide an objective basis for the selection of the living kidney donor. Methods: One hundred and sixty-one living-related kidney donors were divided into four age groups, namely 20-29 years (n=52), 30-39 years (n=44), 40-49 years (n=38) and ≥50 years (n=27). On the other hand, the total donors were divided into the groups older than 55 years (n=24) and younger than 55 years (n=137). To quantify GFR in all the subjects using the 99 Tc m -diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid ( 99 Tc m -DTPA) renography according to standard procedure and to evaluate the effects of age on renal function. Results: The total GFR in living-related kidney donors was calculated as (89.55±12.87) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 . The GFR in the first to the four age groups were (88.27±12.29) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 , (91.85±14.51) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 , (98.25±11.26) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 and (88.24±13.20) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 . The difference of GFR were not significant between the four age groups (F=2.09, P=0.10). The GFR in the donors older than 55 years and younger than 55 years were (88.57±13.14) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 and (89.44±10.34) ml·min -1 ·(1.73 m 2 ) -1 , there no significant difference in GFR between the two groups (F=1.31, P=0.25). When relating GFR to age in all the living-related kidney donors, there was no significant correlation (r=-0.033, P=0.69). No serious complications occurred after living kidney transplantation, serum creatinine values and blood urea nitrogen recovered to the normal levels in a short period, hepatic and renal functions were normal. Conclusion: This study indicated that the GFR values were not correlated with the change of age in living-related kidney donors, and the results were helpful for the selection of living

  20. A correlation comparison between Altmetric Attention Scores and citations for six PLOS journals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wenya; Wang, Peiling; Wu, Qiang

    2018-01-01

    This study considered all articles published in six Public Library of Science (PLOS) journals in 2012 and Web of Science citations for these articles as of May 2015. A total of 2,406 articles were analyzed to examine the relationships between Altmetric Attention Scores (AAS) and Web of Science citations. The AAS for an article, provided by Altmetric aggregates activities surrounding research outputs in social media (news outlet mentions, tweets, blogs, Wikipedia, etc.). Spearman correlation testing was done on all articles and articles with AAS. Further analysis compared the stratified datasets based on percentile ranks of AAS: top 50%, top 25%, top 10%, and top 1%. Comparisons across the six journals provided additional insights. The results show significant positive correlations between AAS and citations with varied strength for all articles and articles with AAS (or social media mentions), as well as for normalized AAS in the top 50%, top 25%, top 10%, and top 1% datasets. Four of the six PLOS journals, Genetics, Pathogens, Computational Biology, and Neglected Tropical Diseases, show significant positive correlations across all datasets. However, for the two journals with high impact factors, PLOS Biology and Medicine, the results are unexpected: the Medicine articles showed no significant correlations but the Biology articles tested positive for correlations with the whole dataset and the set with AAS. Both journals published substantially fewer articles than the other four journals. Further research to validate the AAS algorithm, adjust the weighting scheme, and include appropriate social media sources is needed to understand the potential uses and meaning of AAS in different contexts and its relationship to other metrics.

  1. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy: is there any correlation between the stage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rania Hammami

    2017-02-28

    Feb 28, 2017 ... Paradoxically, the left atrium size correlated positively to both Child (p = 0.01, r = 0.26) ... extra splanchnic organs, including brain, kidneys and liver. .... was significantly lower than the apical strain (−18 ± 3 vs. ..... LVSF, left ventricular shortening fraction; IVS, interventricular septum; RV, right ventricle.

  2. Range of Motion of the Ankle According to Pushing Force, Gender and Knee Position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Kang Hee; Jeon, Yumi; Lee, Hyunkeun

    2016-04-01

    To investigate the difference of range of motion (ROM) of ankle according to pushing force, gender and knee position. One hundred and twenty-eight healthy adults (55 men, 73 women) between the ages of 20 and 51, were included in the study. One examiner measured the passive range of motion (PROM) of ankle by Dualer IQ Inclinometers and Commander Muscle Testing. ROM of ankle dorsiflexion (DF) and plantarflexion (PF) according to change of pushing force and knee position were measured at prone position. There was significant correlation between ROM and pushing force, the more pushing force leads the more ROM at ankle DF and ankle PF. Knee flexion of 90° position showed low PF angle and high ankle DF angle, as compared to the at neutral position of knee joint. ROM of ankle DF for female was greater than for male, with no significant difference. ROM of ankle PF for female was greater than male regardless of the pushing force. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the relationship between pushing force and ROM of ankle joint. There was significant correlation between ROM of ankle and pushing force. ROM of ankle PF for female estimated greater than male regardless of the pushing force and the number of measurement. The ROM of the ankle is measured differently according to the knee joint position. Pushing force, gender and knee joint position are required to be considered when measuring the ROM of ankle joint.

  3. Cardiac MRI in pulmonary artery hypertension: correlations between morphological and functional parameters and invasive measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alunni, Jean-Philippe; Otal, Philippe; Rousseau, Herve; Chabbert, Valerie [CHU Rangueil, Department of Radiology, Toulouse (France); Degano, Bruno; Tetu, Laurent; Didier, Alain [CHU Larrey, Department of Pneumology, Toulouse (France); Arnaud, Catherine [CHU Rangueil, Department of Methods in Clinical Research, Toulouse (France); Blot-Souletie, Nathalie [CHU Rangueil, Department of Cardiology, Toulouse (France)

    2010-05-15

    To compare cardiac MRI with right heart catheterisation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and to evaluate its ability to assess PH severity. Forty patients were included. MRI included cine and phase-contrast sequences, study of ventricular function, cardiac cavity areas and ratios, position of the interventricular septum (IVS) in systole and diastole, and flow measurements. We defined four groups according to the severity of PH and three groups according to IVS position: A, normal position; B, abnormal in diastole; C, abnormal in diastole and systole. IVS position was correlated with pulmonary artery pressures and PVR (pulmonary vascular resistance). Median pulmonary artery pressures and resistance were significantly higher in patients with an abnormal septal position compared with those with a normal position. Correlations were good between the right ventricular ejection fraction and PVR, right ventricular end-systolic volume and PAP, percentage of right ventricular area change and PVR, and diastolic and systolic ventricular area ratio and PVR. These parameters were significantly associated with PH severity. Cardiac MRI can help to assess the severity of PH. (orig.)

  4. Prevention measures for avoiding unexpected drifting of marine component in recovery equipment of significant metals from sea water. Positioning and monitoring system for marine component and improvement of its positioning accuracy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tamada, Masao; Kasai, Noboru; Seko, Noriaki; Hasegawa, Shin; Takeda, Hayato; Katakai, Akio; Sugo, Takanobu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment; Kawabata, Yukiya [Ebara Reseach Co., Ltd., Fujisawa, Kanagawa (Japan); Onuma, Kenji [Mitsubishi Materials Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    2001-11-01

    Positioning and monitoring system for marine component in recovery equipment of significant metals from seawater with adsorbent was designed and assembled to avoid unexpected drifting accident. This system which was set on float part of the marine component obtains the positioning data from GPS satellites and sends them to Takasaki and Mutsu establishments through satellite communication. In both establishments, the position data were shown in computer displays. As characteristic test for 20 days in the real sea, 262 data were obtained every 2 hours. The twice of the distance root mean square (2DRMS) was 223.7 m. To improve this performance, three new functions were added to the present firmware. There are to raise positioning resolutions in longitude and latitude from 0.001 to 0.00001 degree, to remove the reflection of GPS signal from sea surface, and to average remaining three positioning data after maximum and minimum data were omitted from continuous five positioning data. The improved system shows the 2DRMS positioning of 15.5 m. This performance is enough to prevent marine component from its drifting accident. (author)

  5. Urinary oxytocin positively correlates with performance in facial visual search in unmarried males, without specific reaction to infant face

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsuko eSaito

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a central role in prosocial and parental behavior in non-human mammals as well as humans. It has been suggested that oxytocin may affect visual processing of infant faces and emotional reaction to infants. Healthy male volunteers (N = 13 were tested for their ability to detect infant or adult faces among adult or infant faces (facial visual search task. Urine samples were collected from all participants before the study to measure the concentration of oxytocin. Urinary oxytocin positively correlated with performance in the facial visual search task. However, task performance and its correlation with oxytocin concentration did not differ between infant faces and adult faces. Our data suggests that endogenous oxytocin is related to facial visual cognition, but does not promote infant-specific responses in unmarried men who are not fathers.

  6. DNA pattern recognition using canonical correlation algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, B K; Chakraborty, Chiranjib

    2015-10-01

    We performed canonical correlation analysis as an unsupervised statistical tool to describe related views of the same semantic object for identifying patterns. A pattern recognition technique based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was proposed for finding required genetic code in the DNA sequence. Two related but different objects were considered: one was a particular pattern, and other was test DNA sequence. CCA found correlations between two observations of the same semantic pattern and test sequence. It is concluded that the relationship possesses maximum value in the position where the pattern exists. As a case study, the potential of CCA was demonstrated on the sequence found from HIV-1 preferred integration sites. The subsequences on the left and right flanking from the integration site were considered as the two views, and statistically significant relationships were established between these two views to elucidate the viral preference as an important factor for the correlation.

  7. [Expression and clinical significance of KIAA1199 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, C J; Ni, Q C; Ni, K; Zhang, S; Qian, H X

    2018-05-29

    Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of KIAA1199 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: A total of 136 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent tissues were collected. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of KIAA1199 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent tissues. The relationship between KIAA1199 and clinicopathological parameter of primary hepatocellular carcinoma was analyzed. Results: The positive rate of KIAA1199 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma was 82.3% (112/136), which was higher than that in paired para-cancerous tissues (14.7%, 20/136). High expression of KIAA1199 was significantly correlated with age, cirrhosis history, tumor size, tumor number, degree of differentiation, TNM staging and microvenous invasion (MVI) ( P 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that high KIAA1199 expression was associated with poor survival ( P hepatocellular carcinoma, which is significantly correlated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis, high expression of KIAA1199 increased the risk of death in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

  8. Significant correlation of P-wave parameters with left atrial volume index and left ventricular diastolic function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Wei-Chung; Lee, Kun-Tai; Wu, Ming-Tsang; Chu, Chih-Sheng; Lin, Tsung-Hsien; Hsu, Po-Chao; Su, Ho-Ming; Voon, Wen-Chol; Lai, Wen-Ter; Sheu, Sheng-Hsiung

    2013-07-01

    The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a commonly used tool to access left atrial enlargement, which is a marker of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The aim of this study was to evaluate any association of the P-wave measurements in ECG with left atrial volume (LAV) index and LVDD. This study enrolled 270 patients. In this study, 4 ECG P-wave parameters corrected by heart rate, that is, corrected P-wave maximum duration (PWdurMaxC), corrected P-wave dispersion (PWdisperC), corrected P-wave area (PWareaC) and corrected mean P-wave duration (meanPWdurC), were measured. LAV and left ventricular diastolic parameters were measured from echocardiography. LVDD was defined as a pseudonormal or restrictive mitral inflow pattern. The 4 P-wave parameters were significantly correlated with the LAV index after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, body mass index and diastolic blood pressure in multivariate analysis. The standardized β coefficients of PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were 0.338, 0.298, 0.215 and 0.296, respectively. The 4 P-wave parameters were also significantly correlated with LVDD after multivariate logistic regression analysis. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were 1.03 (1.01-1.04), 1.02 (1.04-1.04), 1.04 (1.02-1.07) and 1.01 (1.00-1.02), respectively. This study demonstrated that PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were important determinants of the LAV index and LVDD. Therefore, screening patients by means of the 12-lead ECG may be helpful in identifying a high-risk group of increased LAV index and LVDD.

  9. Analyzing the Cross-Correlation Between Onshore and Offshore RMB Exchange Rates Based on Multifractal Detrended Cross-Correlation Analysis (MF-DCCA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Chi; Zhou, Yingying; Wang, Gangjin; Yan, Xinguo

    We use the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-DCCA) method to explore the multifractal behavior of the cross-correlation between exchange rates of onshore RMB (CNY) and offshore RMB (CNH) against US dollar (USD). The empirical data are daily prices of CNY/USD and CNH/USD from May 1, 2012 to February 29, 2016. The results demonstrate that: (i) the cross-correlation between CNY/USD and CNH/USD is persistent and its fluctuation is smaller when the order of fluctuation function is negative than that when the order is positive; (ii) the multifractal behavior of the cross-correlation between CNY/USD and CNH/USD is significant during the sample period; (iii) the dynamic Hurst exponents obtained by the rolling windows analysis show that the cross-correlation is stable when the global economic situation is good and volatile in bad situation; and (iv) the non-normal distribution of original data has a greater effect on the multifractality of the cross-correlation between CNY/USD and CNH/USD than the temporary correlation.

  10. Positive Orientation and the Five-Factor Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miciuk Łukasz Roland

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between positive orientation (PO defined as a basic predisposition to perceive and evaluate positive aspects of life, the future and oneself and the Five-Factor Model of personality (FFM. Hypotheses postulated positive correlations between PO and extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness; a negative correlation was predicted between PO and neuroticism. Two hundred Polish students completed the following measures: SES (Self-Esteem Scale, Rosenberg, SWLS (The Satisfaction with Life Scale; Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffin, LOT-R (The Life Orientation Test - Revised; Scheier, Carver & Bridges and NEOFFI (NEO Five Factor Inventory, Costa & McCrae. The results confirmed correlations between PO and extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism; correlations with openness and agreeableness were not supported. According to canonical correlations, PO shows a clear affinity to the FFM.

  11. Association of the Mandibular Third Molar Position to the Pericoronitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsvetan Tsvetanov

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Pericoronitis is inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of a partially erupted tooth. Objective: To provide measurement of lower third molar angulation and determine relationship between mandibular third molar position and presence of pericoronitis. Material and methods: We studied 104 patients with lower third molar pericoronitis with clinical manifestations and measurement of lower third molar angulation. The mean age of patients was 25.7 years (range 18-35 years. Results: In this study was used the following statistical analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman’s correlation coefficient (nonparametric version of the Pearson correlation coefficient for measure of the linear correlation between two variables - pericoronitis and angulation of the lower third molars. The chi-square test was used to assesses case incidences. The level of significance was p<0.05. 36.04% of partially impacted mandibular third molars were mesioangular followed by the vertical (25.47%, horizontal (18.97%, distoangular (9.21%, buccal (5.42% and lingual (3.79% position. The lowest part of the mandibular third molars is located in the ramus of mandible (1.08%. The present study was found in relation to mesioangular, distoangular, vertical impaction and pericoronitis (p<0.05. Conclusion: We conclude that the position of lower third molar may be able to be associated with presence of pericoronitis.

  12. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase gene expressions are significantly correlated in human colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linsalata, Michele; Giannini, Romina; Notarnicola, Maria; Cavallini, Aldo

    2006-01-01

    The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a transcription factor that regulates adipogenic differentiation and glucose homeostasis. Spermidine/spermine N 1 -acetyltransferase (SSAT) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) are key enzymes involved in the metabolism of polyamines, compounds that play an important role in cell proliferation. While the PPARγ role in tumour growth has not been clearly defined, the involvement of the altered polyamine metabolism in colorectal carcinogenesis has been established. In this direction, we have evaluated the PPARγ expression and its relationship with polyamine metabolism in tissue samples from 40 patients operated because of colorectal carcinoma. Since it is known that the functional role of K-ras mutation in colorectal tumorigenesis is associated with cell growth and differentiation, polyamine metabolism and the PPARγ expression were also investigated in terms of K-ras mutation. PPARγ, ODC and SSAT mRNA levels were evaluated by reverse transcriptase and real-time PCR. Polyamines were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). ODC and SSAT activity were measured by a radiometric technique. PPARγ expression, as well as SSAT and ODC mRNA levels were significantly higher in cancer as compared to normal mucosa. Tumour samples also showed significantly higher polyamine levels and ODC and SSAT activities in comparison to normal samples. A significant and positive correlation between PPARγ and the SSAT gene expression was observed in both normal and neoplastic tissue (r = 0.73, p < 0.0001; r = 0.65, p < 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, gene expression, polyamine levels and enzymatic activities were increased in colorectal carcinoma samples expressing K-ras mutation as compared to non mutated K-ras samples. In conclusion, our data demonstrated a close relationship between PPARγ and SSAT in human colorectal cancer and this could represent an attempt to decrease polyamine levels and to reduce cell

  13. Correlation Analysis of Personality Characteristics of Children with TIC Disorder with Family Factors

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LI Rui; WANG Liqun; MA Chunxia; MA Lixian

    2016-01-01

    Objective To explore the personality characteristics of children with tic disorders and their relationship with family factors.Methods Sixty cases of children with tic disorders diagnosed in our hospital were selected as the case group and 65 cases of normal children were selected as the control group.The children of two groups were assessed using Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ),Family Environment Scale (FES-CV) and general situation questionnaire of family (GSQ),respectively.The scores of EPQ personality characteristics,FES-CV and GSQ scores were compared for the children in the two groups.The Person correlation analysis method was used to analyze the correlation between personality scores of children in case group and family environment factors.Results The general situation questionnaire results showed that there was significant statistically difference in parenting style,parental education level and family types of the children between case group and control group (P < 0.05);EPQ results showed that the neuroticism and psychoticism scores of children in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P< 0.05) and the lying degree scores in the control group were significantly higher than those in the case group (P< 0.05);FES-CV results showed that the family cohesion scores of the case group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05),and the family conflict scores in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05).The Person correlation analysis results indicated that the psychoticism score was negatively correlated with the score of family cohesion (P<0.05),and positively correlated with family conflict (P<0.05),while the neuroticism score was positively correlated with family conflict score (P<0.05).Conclusion The children with tic disorders have significant personality deviation compared to the normal children,and the personality deviation degree is

  14. Spatial photon correlations in multiple scattering media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smolka, Stephan; Muskens, O.; Lagendijk, A.

    2010-01-01

    We present the first angle-resolved measurements of spatial photon correlations that are induced by multiple scattering of light. The correlation relates multiple scattered photons at different spatial positions and depends on incident photon fluctuations.......We present the first angle-resolved measurements of spatial photon correlations that are induced by multiple scattering of light. The correlation relates multiple scattered photons at different spatial positions and depends on incident photon fluctuations....

  15. Mitigating Errors in External Respiratory Surrogate-Based Models of Tumor Position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malinowski, Kathleen T.; McAvoy, Thomas J.; George, Rohini; Dieterich, Sonja; D'Souza, Warren D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the effect of tumor site, measurement precision, tumor–surrogate correlation, training data selection, model design, and interpatient and interfraction variations on the accuracy of external marker-based models of tumor position. Methods and Materials: Cyberknife Synchrony system log files comprising synchronously acquired positions of external markers and the tumor from 167 treatment fractions were analyzed. The accuracy of Synchrony, ordinary-least-squares regression, and partial-least-squares regression models for predicting the tumor position from the external markers was evaluated. The quantity and timing of the data used to build the predictive model were varied. The effects of tumor–surrogate correlation and the precision in both the tumor and the external surrogate position measurements were explored by adding noise to the data. Results: The tumor position prediction errors increased during the duration of a fraction. Increasing the training data quantities did not always lead to more accurate models. Adding uncorrelated noise to the external marker-based inputs degraded the tumor–surrogate correlation models by 16% for partial-least-squares and 57% for ordinary-least-squares. External marker and tumor position measurement errors led to tumor position prediction changes 0.3–3.6 times the magnitude of the measurement errors, varying widely with model algorithm. The tumor position prediction errors were significantly associated with the patient index but not with the fraction index or tumor site. Partial-least-squares was as accurate as Synchrony and more accurate than ordinary-least-squares. Conclusions: The accuracy of surrogate-based inferential models of tumor position was affected by all the investigated factors, except for the tumor site and fraction index.

  16. Mitigating Errors in External Respiratory Surrogate-Based Models of Tumor Position

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malinowski, Kathleen T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); McAvoy, Thomas J. [Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute of Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); George, Rohini [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Dieterich, Sonja [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); D' Souza, Warren D., E-mail: wdsou001@umaryland.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

    2012-04-01

    Purpose: To investigate the effect of tumor site, measurement precision, tumor-surrogate correlation, training data selection, model design, and interpatient and interfraction variations on the accuracy of external marker-based models of tumor position. Methods and Materials: Cyberknife Synchrony system log files comprising synchronously acquired positions of external markers and the tumor from 167 treatment fractions were analyzed. The accuracy of Synchrony, ordinary-least-squares regression, and partial-least-squares regression models for predicting the tumor position from the external markers was evaluated. The quantity and timing of the data used to build the predictive model were varied. The effects of tumor-surrogate correlation and the precision in both the tumor and the external surrogate position measurements were explored by adding noise to the data. Results: The tumor position prediction errors increased during the duration of a fraction. Increasing the training data quantities did not always lead to more accurate models. Adding uncorrelated noise to the external marker-based inputs degraded the tumor-surrogate correlation models by 16% for partial-least-squares and 57% for ordinary-least-squares. External marker and tumor position measurement errors led to tumor position prediction changes 0.3-3.6 times the magnitude of the measurement errors, varying widely with model algorithm. The tumor position prediction errors were significantly associated with the patient index but not with the fraction index or tumor site. Partial-least-squares was as accurate as Synchrony and more accurate than ordinary-least-squares. Conclusions: The accuracy of surrogate-based inferential models of tumor position was affected by all the investigated factors, except for the tumor site and fraction index.

  17. Significance of Serology by Multi-Antigen ELISA for Tissue Helminthiases in Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    It is clinically important to differentiate tissue-invading helminthiasis. The purpose of this study was to assess the specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody positive rates for clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, cysticercosis, and sparganosis 4 helminthiases from 1996 to 2006 using multi-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Korea. Results of 6,017 samples, which were referred to our institute for serodiagnosis, were analyzed. The subjects with positive serum IgG antibodies were 1,502 (25.0%) for any of the 4 helminthiases. The overall positive numbers for clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, cysticercosis, and sparganosis were 728 (12.1%), 166 (2.8%), 729 (12.1%), and 263 (4.4%), respectively. The positive serologic reaction to multi-antigens was determined in 309 (20.6%) of the 1,502 total seropositive subjects. Those with multi-antigen positivity were regarded as positive for the antigen of strongest reaction but cross-reaction to others with weak positive reaction. Annual seropositive rates for those 4 tissue helminthiases ranged from 12.1% to 35.7%. The highest rate was observed in age from 60 to 69 years old and prevalence of men (27.4%; 1,030/3,763) was significantly higher than of women (19.1%; 332/1,741). Hospital records of 165 ELISA positive patients were reviewed to confirm correlation with their clinical diagnosis. Paragonimiasis was highly correlated as 81.8% (9/11), cysticercosis 29.9% (20/67), clonorchiasis 29.0% (20/69), and sparganosis 11.1% (2/18). In conclusion, the multi-antigen ELISA using 4 helminth antigens is useful to differentiate suspected tissue-invading helminthiases, especially ELISA diagnosis of paragonimiasis is reliable. The seropositivity is still high among suspected patients in Korea. PMID:28581268

  18. The significance of early post-exercise ST segment normalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Rudy; Fordyce, Christopher B; Gao, Min; Chan, Sammy; Gin, Kenneth; Bennett, Matthew

    2015-01-01

    The persistence of ST segment depression in recovery signifies a strongly positive exercise treadmill test (ETT). However, it is unclear if early recovery of ST segments portends a similar prognosis. We sought to determine if persistence of ST depression into recovery correlates with ischemic burden based on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). This was a retrospective analysis of 853 consecutive patients referred for exercise MPI at a tertiary academic center over a 24-month period. Patients were stratified into three groups based on the results of the ETT: normal (negative ETT), persistence (positive ETT with >1mm ST segment depression at 1minute in recovery) and early normalization (positive ETT with normalization, while 105 patients met criteria for persistence. The persistence group had a significantly greater SSS (8.48±7.77) than both the early normalization (4.34±4.98, pnormal (4.47±5.31, pnormalization and normal groups were not statistically different and met the prespecified non-inferiority margin (mean difference 0.12, -0.66=lower 95% CI, pnormal and 7.4% of early normalization groups. Among patients with an electrically positive ETT, recovery of ST segment depression within 1minute was associated with a lower SSS than patients with persistence of ST depression beyond 1minute. Furthermore, early ST segment recovery conferred a similar SSS to patients with a negative ETT. These results suggest that among patients evaluated for chest pain with a positive ETT, early recovery of the ST segment during recovery is associated with a significantly less ischemic burden on subsequent MPI and thus may represent a false positive finding in exercise treadmill testing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Correlated motion of two atoms trapped in a single-mode cavity field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asboth, Janos K.; Domokos, Peter; Ritsch, Helmut

    2004-01-01

    We study the motion of two atoms trapped at distant positions in the field of a driven standing-wave high-Q optical resonator. Even without any direct atom-atom interaction the atoms are coupled through their position dependent influence on the intracavity field. For sufficiently good trapping and low cavity losses the atomic motion becomes significantly correlated and the two particles oscillate in their wells preferentially with a 90 deg. relative phase shift. The onset of correlations seriously limits cavity cooling efficiency, raising the achievable temperature to the Doppler limit. The physical origin of the correlation can be traced back to a cavity mediated crossfriction, i.e., a friction force on one particle depending on the velocity of the second particle. Choosing appropriate operating conditions allows for engineering these long range correlations. In addition this cross-friction effect can provide a basis for sympathetic cooling of distant trapped clouds

  20. Urine Proteomics Revealed a Significant Correlation Between Urine-Fibronectin Abundance and Estimated-GFR Decline in Patients with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marianna Caterino

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background:/Aims: Renal disease is a common cause of morbidity in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS, however the severity of kidney dysfunction is highly variable. To date, there is little information on the pathogenesis, the risk and predictor factors for poor renal outcome in this setting. The present study aims to analyze the spectrum of urinary proteins in BBS patients, in order to potentially identify 1 disease-specific proteomic profiles that may differentiate the patients from normal subjects; 2 urinary markers of renal dysfunction. Methods: Fourteen individuals (7 males and 7 females with a clinical diagnosis of BBS have been selected in this study. A pool of 10 aged-matched males and 10 aged-matched females have been used as controls for proteomic analysis. The glomerular filtration rate (eGFR has been estimated using the CKD-EPI formula. Variability of eGFR has been retrospectively assessed calculating average annual eGFR decline (ΔeGFR in a mean follow-up period of 4 years (3-7. Results: 42 proteins were significantly over- or under-represented in BBS patients compared with controls; the majority of these proteins are involved in fibrosis, cell adhesion and extracellular matrix organization. Statistic studies revealed a significant correlation between urine fibronectin (u-FN (r2=0.28; p<0.05, CD44 antigen (r2 =0.35; p<0.03 and lysosomal alfa glucosidase ( r20.27; p<0.05 abundance with the eGFR. In addition, u-FN (r2 =0.2389; p<0.05 was significantly correlated with ΔeGFR. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that urine proteome of BBS patients differs from that of normal subjects; in addition, kidney dysfunction correlated with urine abundance of known markers of renal fibrosis.

  1. Uncovering the mutation-fixation correlation in short lineages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vallender Eric J

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We recently reported a highly unexpected positive correlation between the fixation probability of nonsynonymous mutations (estimated by ω and neutral mutation rate (estimated by Ks in mammalian lineages. However, this positive correlation was observed for lineages with relatively long divergence time such as the human-mouse lineage, and was not found for very short lineages such as the human-chimpanzee lineage. It was previously unclear how to interpret this discrepancy. It may indicate that the positive correlation between ω and Ks in long lineages is a false finding. Alternatively, it may reflect a biologically meaningful difference between various lineages. Finally, the lack of positive correlation in short lineages may be the result of methodological artifacts. Results Here we show that a strong positive correlation can indeed be seen in short lineages when a method was introduced to correct for the inherently high levels of stochastic noise in the use of Ks as an estimator of neutral mutation rate. Thus, the previously noted lack of positive correlation between ω and Ks in short lineages is due to stochastic noise in Ks that makes it a far less reliable estimator of neutral mutation rate in short lineages as compared to long lineages. Conclusion A positive correlation between ω and Ks can be observed in all mammalian lineages for which large amounts of sequence data are available, including very short lineages. It confirms the authenticity of this highly unexpected correlation, and argues that the correction likely applies broadly across all mammals and perhaps even non-mammalian species.

  2. Significance of Waterway Navigation Positioning Systems On Ship's Manoeuvring Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galor, W.

    The main goal of navigation is to lead the ship to the point of destination safety and efficiently. Various factors may affect ship realisating this process. The ship movement on waterway are mainly limited by water area dimensions (surface and depth). These limitations cause the requirement to realise the proper of ship movement trajectory. In case when this re requirement cant't fulfil then marine accident may happend. This fact is unwanted event caused losses of human health and life, damage or loss of cargo and ship, pollution of natural environment, damage of port structures or blocking the port of its ports and lost of salvage operation. These losses in same cases can be catas- trophical especially while e.i. crude oil spilling could be place. To realise of safety navigation process is needed to embrace the ship's movement trajectory by waterways area. The ship's trajectory is described by manoeuvring lane as a surface of water area which is require to realise of safety ship movement. Many conditions affect to ship manoeuvring line. The main are following: positioning accuracy, ship's manoeuvring features and phenomena's of shore and ship's bulk common affecting. The accuracy of positioning system is most important. This system depends on coast navigation mark- ing which can range many kinds of technical realisation. Mainly used systems based on lights (line), radionavigation (local system or GPS, DGPS), or radars. If accuracy of positiong is higer, then safety of navigation is growing. This article presents these problems exemplifying with approaching channel to ports situated on West Pomera- nian water region.

  3. Correlation and path coefficient analysis of quantitative characters in spine gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aliya, F; Begum, H; Reddy, M T; Sivaraj, N; Pandravada, S R; Narshimulu, G

    2014-05-01

    Fifty genotypes of spine gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.) were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications at the Vegetable Research Station, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India during kharif, 2012. Correlation and path coefficient analysis were carried out to study the character association and contribution, respectively for twelve quantitative characters namely vine length (m), number of stems per plant, days to first female flower appearance, first female flowering node, days to first fruit harvest, days to last fruit harvest, fruiting period (days), fruit length (cm), fruit width (cm), fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant (kg) for identification of the potential selection indices. Correlation and path coefficient analyses revealed that fruiting period and number of fruits per plant not only had positively significant correlation with fruit yield but also had positively high direct effect on it and are regarded as the main determinants of fruit yield. Days to first fruit harvest had positively moderate direct effect on fruit yield and its association was negatively significant, days to last fruit harvest had negatively high direct effect on fruit yield and its association was significant positively, hence restricted simultaneous selection can be made for days to first fruit harvest and days to last fruit harvest. The improvement in fruit yield can be effective if selection is based on days to first fruit harvest, days to last fruit harvest, fruiting period and number of fruits per plant.

  4. Evidence of circadian rhythm, oxygen regulation capacity, metabolic repeatability and positive correlations between forced and spontaneous maximal metabolic rates in lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jon C Svendsen

    Full Text Available Animal metabolic rate is variable and may be affected by endogenous and exogenous factors, but such relationships remain poorly understood in many primitive fishes, including members of the family Acipenseridae (sturgeons. Using juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens, the objective of this study was to test four hypotheses: 1 A. fulvescens exhibits a circadian rhythm influencing metabolic rate and behaviour; 2 A. fulvescens has the capacity to regulate metabolic rate when exposed to environmental hypoxia; 3 measurements of forced maximum metabolic rate (MMR(F are repeatable in individual fish; and 4 MMR(F correlates positively with spontaneous maximum metabolic rate (MMR(S. Metabolic rates were measured using intermittent flow respirometry, and a standard chase protocol was employed to elicit MMR(F. Trials lasting 24 h were used to measure standard metabolic rate (SMR and MMR(S. Repeatability and correlations between MMR(F and MMR(S were analyzed using residual body mass corrected values. Results revealed that A. fulvescens exhibit a circadian rhythm in metabolic rate, with metabolism peaking at dawn. SMR was unaffected by hypoxia (30% air saturation (O(2sat, demonstrating oxygen regulation. In contrast, MMR(F was affected by hypoxia and decreased across the range from 100% O(2sat to 70% O(2sat. MMR(F was repeatable in individual fish, and MMR(F correlated positively with MMR(S, but the relationships between MMR(F and MMR(S were only revealed in fish exposed to hypoxia or 24 h constant light (i.e. environmental stressor. Our study provides evidence that the physiology of A. fulvescens is influenced by a circadian rhythm and suggests that A. fulvescens is an oxygen regulator, like most teleost fish. Finally, metabolic repeatability and positive correlations between MMR(F and MMR(S support the conjecture that MMR(F represents a measure of organism performance that could be a target of natural selection.

  5. Cross-correlating Cosmic IR and X-ray Background Fluctuations: Evidence of Significant Black Hole Populations Among the CIB Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappelluti, N.; Kashlinsky, A.; Arendt, R. G.; Comastri, A.; Fazio, G. G.; Finoguenov, A.; Hasinger, G.; Mather, J. C.; Miyaji, T; Moseley, S. H.

    2013-01-01

    In order to understand the nature of the sources producing the recently uncovered cosmic infrared background (CIB) fluctuations, we study cross-correlations between the fluctuations in the source-subtracted CIB from Spitzer/IRAC data and the unresolved cosmic X-ray background from deep Chandra observations. Our study uses data from the EGS/AEGIS field, where both data sets cover an approx = 8' x 45' region of the sky. Our measurement is the cross-power spectrum between the IR and X-ray data. The cross-power signal between the IRAC maps at 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron and the Chandra [0.5-2] keV data has been detected, at angular scales approx >20'', with an overall significance of approx = 3.8 sigma and approx. = 5.6 sigma, respectively. At the same time we find no evidence of significant cross-correlations at the harder Chandra bands. The cross-correlation signal is produced by individual IR sources with 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron magnitudes m(sub AB) approx. > 25-26 and [0.5-2] keV X-ray fluxes black holes than among the known populations. We discuss the various possible origins for the cross-power signal and show that neither local foregrounds nor the known remaining normal galaxies and active galactic nuclei can reproduce the measurements. These observational results are an important new constraint on theoretical modeling of the near-IR CIB fluctuations. local foregrounds, nor the known remaining normal galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGN) can reproduce the measurements. These observational results are an important new constraint on theoretical modeling of the near-IR CIB fluctuations

  6. Quantification of myocardial perfusion using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging correlates significantly to rubidium-82 positron emission tomography in patients with severe coronary artery disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qayyum, Abbas A; Hasbak, Philip; Larsson, Henrik B W

    2014-01-01

    data was compared with Spearman's rho and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: CMRI results were strongly and significantly correlated with PET results for the absolute global myocardial perfusion differences (r=0.805, p=0.001) and for global myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) (r=0.886, p... territorial level, CMRI results were also significantly correlated with absolute PET myocardial perfusion differences (r=0.737, pr=0.818, pr=0.787, p=0.......001; left anterior descending artery (LAD): r=0.796, p=0.001; left circumflex artery (LCX): r=0.880, pr=0.895, pr=0.886, pr=0.886, p

  7. Correlation between Health Perception, Body Image, and Eating Habits in High School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Ichsan

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mental disorders, including eating disorders, mostly begin during youth. Moreover, negative body image is found to cause unhealthy eating habits in the context of several cross-cultural settings. This study aimed to examine the correlation between health perception and body image with eating habits among high school students. Methods: A structured, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to students of a private high school in Bandung, Indonesia in June-October 2014. The questionnaire included questions about health perception, body image, eating habits, body weight and height, and also other demographic parameters. The school was selected as the study object through purposive sampling, and 140 high school students (72 male and 68 female were ramdomly selected. Results: Male and female did not show considerable differences in health perceptions. Out of 13 statements, 12 statements of male respondents showed better body image than female. While in eating habits statements, female respondents seemed to maintain healthier eating habits than male respondents. No significant correlation was observed between body image and eating habits (r=-0.015, p=0.858. There was significant correlation between health perception and eating habits (r=0.374, p<0.001. Correlation between sex and eating habits was found (p=0.020, there was not significant relationship between eating habits and Body Mass Index (BMI (p=0.368. Conclusions: The negative relationship between body image and eating habits is not significant. However there was a significant positive relationship between health perception and eating habits. Furthermore, there was correlation between sex and eating habits, while the positive relationship between eating habits and BMI was still not found.

  8. Cognitive-perceptual deficits and symptom correlates in first-episode schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riaan M. Olivier

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Thought disorder and visual-perceptual deficits have been well documented, but their relationships with clinical symptoms and cognitive function remain unclear. Cognitive-perceptual deficits may underscore clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients. Aim: This study aimed to explore how thought disorder and form perception are related with clinical symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in first-episode schizophrenia. Setting: Forty-two patients with a first-episode of schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder were recruited from community clinics and state hospitals in the Cape Town area. Methods: Patients were assessed at baseline with the Rorschach Perceptual Thinking Index (PTI, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS and the MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Battery (MCCB. Spearman correlational analyses were conducted to investigate relationships between PTI scores, PANSS factor analysis-derived domain scores and MCCB composite and subscale scores. Multiple regression models explored these relationships further. Results: Unexpectedly, poor form perception (X- % was inversely correlated with the severity of PANSS positive symptoms (r = -0.42, p = 0.02. Good form perception (XA% correlated significantly with speed of processing (r = 0.59, p < 0.01, working memory (r = 0.48, p < 0.01 and visual learning (r = 0.55, p < 0.01. PTI measures of thought disorder did not correlate significantly with PANSS symptom scores or cognitive performance. Conclusions: Form perception is associated with positive symptoms and impairment in executive function during acute psychosis. These findings suggest that there may be clinical value in including sensory-perceptual processing tasks in cognitive remediation and social cognitive training programmes for schizophrenia patients.

  9. Correlation and anti-correlation of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons during the last 21,000 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Xinyu; Liu, Zhengyu; Wang, Shaowu; Cheng, Jun; Zhu, Jiang

    2016-06-22

    Understanding the past significant changes of the East Asia Summer Monsoon (EASM) and Winter Monsoon (EAWM) is critical for improving the projections of future climate over East Asia. One key issue that has remained outstanding from the paleo-climatic records is whether the evolution of the EASM and EAWM are correlated. Here, using a set of long-term transient simulations of the climate evolution of the last 21,000 years, we show that the EASM and EAWM are positively correlated on the orbital timescale in response to the precessional forcing, but are anti-correlated on millennial timescales in response to North Atlantic melt water forcing. The relation between EASM and EAWM can differ dramatically for different timescales because of the different response mechanisms, highlighting the complex dynamics of the East Asian monsoon system and the challenges for future projection.

  10. Prognostic Significance of the Number of Positive Lymph Nodes in Women With T1-2N1 Breast Cancer Treated With Mastectomy: Should Patients With 1, 2, and 3 Positive Lymph Nodes Be Grouped Together?

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    Dai Kubicky, Charlotte, E-mail: charlottedai@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Medicine and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States); Mongoue-Tchokote, Solange [Biostatistics Shared Resource, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States)

    2013-04-01

    Purpose: To determine whether patients with 1, 2, or 3 positive lymph nodes (LNs) have similar survival outcomes. Methods and Materials: We analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry of breast cancer patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2003. We identified 10,415 women with T1-2N1M0 breast cancer who were treated with mastectomy with no adjuvant radiation, with at least 10 LNs examined and 6 months of follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier method and log–rank test were used for survival analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Median follow-up was 92 months. Ten-year overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) were progressively worse with increasing number of positive LNs. Survival rates were 70%, 64%, and 60% (OS), and 82%, 76%, and 72% (CSS) for 1, 2, and 3 positive LNs, respectively. Pairwise log–rank test P values were <.001 (1 vs 2 positive LNs), <.001 (1 vs 3 positive LNs), and .002 (2 vs 3 positive LNs). Multivariate analysis showed that number of positive LNs was a significant predictor of OS and CSS. Hazard ratios increased with the number of positive LNs. In addition, age, primary tumor size, grade, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status, race, and year of diagnosis were significant prognostic factors. Conclusions: Our study suggests that patients with 1, 2, and 3 positive LNs have distinct survival outcomes, with increasing number of positive LNs associated with worse OS and CSS. The conventional grouping of 1-3 positive LNs needs to be reconsidered.

  11. Neural correlates of an early attentional capture by positive distractor words.

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    Hinojosa, José A; Mercado, Francisco; Albert, Jacobo; Barjola, Paloma; Peláez, Irene; Villalba-García, Cristina; Carretié, Luis

    2015-01-01

    Exogenous or automatic attention to emotional distractors has been observed for emotional scenes and faces. In the language domain, however, automatic attention capture by emotional words has been scarcely investigated. In the current event-related potentials study we explored distractor effects elicited by positive, negative and neutral words in a concurrent but distinct target distractor paradigm. Specifically, participants performed a digit categorization task in which task-irrelevant words were flanked by numbers. The results of both temporo-spatial principal component and source location analyses revealed the existence of early distractor effects that were specifically triggered by positive words. At the scalp level, task-irrelevant positive compared to neutral and negative words elicited larger amplitudes in an anterior negative component that peaked around 120 ms. Also, at the voxel level, positive distractor words increased activity in orbitofrontal regions compared to negative words. These results suggest that positive distractor words quickly and automatically capture attentional resources diverting them from the task where attention was voluntarily directed.

  12. Neural correlates of an early attentional capture by positive distractor words

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    José Antonio Hinojosa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Exogenous or automatic attention to emotional distractors has been observed for emotional scenes and faces. In the language domain, however, automatic attention capture by emotional words has been scarcely investigated. In the current event-related potentials study we explored distractor effects elicited by positive, negative and neutral words in a concurrent but distinct target distractor paradigm. Specifically, participants performed a digit categorization task in which task-irrelevant words were flanked by numbers. The results of both temporo-spatial principal component and source location analyses revealed the existence of early distractor effects that were specifically triggered by positive words. At the scalp level, task-irrelevant positive compared to neutral and negative words elicited larger amplitudes in an anterior negative component that peaked around 120 ms. Also, at the voxel level, positive distractor words increased activity in orbitofrontal regions compared to negative words. These results suggest that positive distractor words quickly and automatically capture attentional resources diverting them from the task where attention was voluntarily directed.

  13. Phytotoxicity of pesticides mancozeb and chlorpyrifos: correlation with the antioxidative defence system in Allium cepa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatma, Firdos; Verma, Sonam; Kamal, Aisha; Srivastava, Alka

    2018-02-01

    Pesticides are a group of chemical substances which are widely used to improve agricultural production. However, these substances could be persistent in soil and water, accumulative in sediment or bio-accumulative in biota depending on their solubility, leading to different types of environmental pollution. The present study was done to assess the impact of pesticides-mancozeb and chlorpyrifos, via morphological and physiological parameters using Allium cepa test system. Phytotoxic effects of pesticides were examined via germination percentage, survival percentage, root and shoot length, root shoot length ratio, seedling vigor index, percentage of phytotoxicity and tolerance index. Oxidative stress on Allium seedlings caused by pesticides was also assessed by investigating the activity of antioxidative enzymes viz. catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Correlation was worked out between morphological parameters and antioxidative enzymes to bring out the alliance between them. Mancozeb and chlorpyrifos concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with the activity of antioxidative enzymes and negatively correlated with morphological parameters. Significant positive correlation between various morphological parameters showed their interdependency. However, negative correlation was obtained between activity of antioxidative enzymes and morphological parameters. The enzymes however, showed positive correlation with each other. Based on our result we can conclude that all morphological parameters were adversely affected by the two pesticides as reflected by phytotoxicity in Allium . Their negative correlation with activity of antioxidative enzymes indicates that upregulation of antioxidative enzymes is not sufficient to overcome the toxic effect, thereby signifying the threat being caused by the regular use of these pesticides.

  14. Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of HER-2/neu and VEGF expression in colon carcinomas

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    Li Jing

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background HER-2/neu and VEGF expression is correlated with disease behaviors in various cancers. However, evidence for their expression in colon cancer is rather contradictory both for the protein expression status and prognostic value. HER-2/neu is found to participate in VEGF regulation, and has known correlation with VEGF expression in some tumors. In this study, we investigated HER-2/neu and VEGF expression in Chinese colon patients and explored whether there was any correlation between their expression patterns. Methods HER-2/neu and VEGF were investigated immunohistochemically using tumor samples obtained from 317 colon cancer patients with all tumor stages. Correlation of the degree of staining with clinicopathological parameters and survival was investigated. Results Positive expression rates of HER-2/neu and VEGF in colon cancer were 15.5% and 55.5% respectively. HER-2/neu expression was significantly correlated with tumor size and distant metastases (P (P > 0.05. Expression of VEGF was significantly correlated with tumor size, tumor stage, lymph node metastases, and distant metastases (P (P = 0.146. No correlation between HER-2/neu and VEGF expression was detected (P = 0.151. Conclusions HER-2/neu and VEGF are not important prognostic markers of colon cancer. The present results do not support any association between HER2/neu and VEGF expression in this setting.

  15. Significance and management of positive surgical margins at the time of radical prostatectomy.

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    Silberstein, Jonathan L; Eastham, James A

    2014-10-01

    Positive surgical margins (PSM) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP) result in an increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) and secondary treatment. We review current literature with a focus on stratifying the characteristics of the PSM that may define its significance, the impact of modern imaging and surgical approaches in avoidance of PSM, and management strategies when PSM do occur. We performed a review of the available literature to identify factors associated with PSM and their management. PSM have been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with an increased risk of BCR following RP. The specific characteristics (size, number, location, Gleason score at the margin) of the PSM may influence the risk of recurrence. Novel imaging and surgical approaches are being investigated and may allow for reductions of PSM in the future. The use of adjuvant treatment for a PSM remains controversial and should be decided on an individual basis after a discussion about the risks and benefits. The goal of RP is complete resection of the tumor. PSM are associated with increased risk of BCR and secondary treatments. Of the risk factors associated with BCR after RP, a PSM is directly influenced by surgical technique.

  16. Significance and management of positive surgical margins at the time of radical prostatectomy

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    Jonathan L. Silberstein

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Positive surgical margins (PSM at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP result in an increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR and secondary treatment. We review current literature with a focus on stratifying the characteristics of the PSM that may define its significance, the impact of modern imaging and surgical approaches in avoidance of PSM, and management strategies when PSM do occur. We performed a review of the available literature to identify factors associated with PSM and their management. PSM have been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with an increased risk of BCR following RP. The specific characteristics (size, number, location, Gleason score at the margin of the PSM may influence the risk of recurrence. Novel imaging and surgical approaches are being investigated and may allow for reductions of PSM in the future. The use of adjuvant treatment for a PSM remains controversial and should be decided on an individual basis after a discussion about the risks and benefits. The goal of RP is complete resection of the tumor. PSM are associated with increased risk of BCR and secondary treatments. Of the risk factors associated with BCR after RP, a PSM is directly influenced by surgical technique.

  17. CORRELATION BETWEEN SOME BODY MEASURES OF LIPPIZANER STALLION PER LINES AT ĐAKOVO STUD

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    T. Rastija

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available Body measures of Lippizaner line stallions and their correlation were processed in Đakovo stud. The measures performed by Lydtin rod and stock band included withers height, chest girth and cannon bone circumference on the total of 75 heads. Neapolitano line was characterized by the fewest number of stallions (4 whereas Tulip by the largest one (20. Data attained by the measuring were processed by the statistical program SPSS/PC (Nie et. al. 1975. Neapolitano line stallions had the lowest withers height (164.00 cm measured by the band whereas Conversano line stallions had the highest one (166.33 cm. Withers height measured by the rod was the lowest in the Maestoso line stallion (156.50 cm and the highest one in the Favory line (159.20 cm. Chest girth ranged between 183.82 cm (Pluto line and 186.89 cm (Conversano line. Cannon bone circumference was uniform with all lines ranged from 20.05 cm (Tulipan line and 20.65 cm (Maestoso lines. Correlation between withers height measured by the band and rod and that one measured by the rod and chest girth was positive and highly significant. However, correlation between others ranged from slight positive to slight negative. Neapolitano line was known for the most pronounced correlation per lines whereas Tulip line for the weakest one. Correlation between withers height measured by the band and rod was in all lines highly significant (except Tulip line whereas other correlation varied from positive to negative.

  18. High-Fidelity Coding with Correlated Neurons

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    da Silveira, Rava Azeredo; Berry, Michael J.

    2014-01-01

    Positive correlations in the activity of neurons are widely observed in the brain. Previous studies have shown these correlations to be detrimental to the fidelity of population codes, or at best marginally favorable compared to independent codes. Here, we show that positive correlations can enhance coding performance by astronomical factors. Specifically, the probability of discrimination error can be suppressed by many orders of magnitude. Likewise, the number of stimuli encoded—the capacity—can be enhanced more than tenfold. These effects do not necessitate unrealistic correlation values, and can occur for populations with a few tens of neurons. We further show that both effects benefit from heterogeneity commonly seen in population activity. Error suppression and capacity enhancement rest upon a pattern of correlation. Tuning of one or several effective parameters can yield a limit of perfect coding: the corresponding pattern of positive correlation leads to a ‘lock-in’ of response probabilities that eliminates variability in the subspace relevant for stimulus discrimination. We discuss the nature of this pattern and we suggest experimental tests to identify it. PMID:25412463

  19. The Status of Positive Psychology Strengths within the Romanian School in the Digital Society

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    Georgeta Pânişoară

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to identify the possible correlations between the strengths that are taught in school and those which are necessary for reaching personal success. In order to test the extent to which these strengths correlate, we applied a psychological-assessment tool composed of 24 strengths with a Likert-type response scale. The subjects selected for this research were 100 teachers from Romania, both male and female. The results were processed in SPSS Statistics, where we also calculated Pearson's correlation coefficient. After analyzing the descriptive statistics and the correlation coefficient we noticed that the "Vitality" strength showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the two groups, therefore it is not taught in school but it is considered important for achieving personal success. The "Citizenship" strength showed a statistically significant positive correlation, being concurrently promoted in school and important in achieving success.The neuro-linguistic reprogramming of a young individual will need a considerable effort, first of all as regards being aware of the values which render his well-being, and secondly as regards his orientation towards these values, which as it seems he was not at all oriented to. The new student profile of today’s society, also known as the digital native, needs to assimilate a full set of positive psychology values in order to create a complete model of success for nowadays’ world.

  20. Serum soluble ST2 is associated with ER-positive breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Da-peng; Zhou, Xiang-yu; Yao, Lu-tian; Liu, Cai-gang; Ma, Wei; Jin, Feng; Wu, Yun-fei

    2014-01-01

    ST2, a member of the interleukin (IL)-1receptor family, regulates Th1/Th2 immune responses in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. However, the role of ST2 signaling in tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancers has not been investigated. This study investigated the possible role of soluble ST2 (sST2) in breast cancer. The serum levels of IL-33, sST2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 150 breast cancer patients and 90 healthy women were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor, human epithelial receptor (HER)-2, and cell cycle regulated protein Ki-67 were measured. Clinical stage, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and histological type were also recorded. The serum levels of sST2, IL-33, and VEGF were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in the control group (P < 0.05, each). Serum sST2 levels in ER-positive breast cancer patients were significantly associated with age, histological type, clinical stage, tumor size, and Ki-67 status (P < 0.05, each). Moreover, the serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 in breast cancers significantly correlated with VEGF levels (IL-33: r = 0.375, P < 0.0001; sST2: r = 0.164, P = 0.045). Serum levels of sST2, IL-33, and VEGF decreased after modified radical mastectomy in ER-positive breast cancers. Serum levels of IL-33, sST2, and VEGF and clinicopathological factors were not significantly correlated with disease-free survival and overall survival of ER-positive breast cancer women during follow-up. Serum sST2 levels in ER-positive breast cancer patients are significantly associated with factors that indicate poor prognosis

  1. Significant Association of Streptococcus bovis with Malignant Gastrointestinal Diseases

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    Salah Shanan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Streptococcus bovis is a Gram-positive bacterium causing serious human infections, including endocarditis and bacteremia, and is usually associated with underlying disease. The aims of the current study were to compare prevalence of the bacterium associated with malignant and nonmalignant gastrointestinal diseases and to determine the susceptibility of the isolated strains to different antimicrobial agents. The result showed that the prevalence of S. bovis in stool specimens from patients with malignant or with nonmalignant gastrointestinal diseases was statistically significant. This result may support the idea that there is correlation between S. bovis and the malignant gastrointestinal diseases.

  2. The importance of including local correlation times in the calculation of inter-proton distances from NMR measurements: ignoring local correlation times leads to significant errors in the conformational analysis of the Glc alpha1-2Glc alpha linkage by NMR spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackeen, Mukram; Almond, Andrew; Cumpstey, Ian; Enis, Seth C; Kupce, Eriks; Butters, Terry D; Fairbanks, Antony J; Dwek, Raymond A; Wormald, Mark R

    2006-06-07

    The experimental determination of oligosaccharide conformations has traditionally used cross-linkage 1H-1H NOE/ROEs. As relatively few NOEs are observed, to provide sufficient conformational constraints this method relies on: accurate quantification of NOE intensities (positive constraints); analysis of absent NOEs (negative constraints); and hence calculation of inter-proton distances using the two-spin approximation. We have compared the results obtained by using 1H 2D NOESY, ROESY and T-ROESY experiments at 500 and 700 MHz to determine the conformation of the terminal Glc alpha1-2Glc alpha linkage in a dodecasaccharide and a related tetrasaccharide. For the tetrasaccharide, the NOESY and ROESY spectra produced the same qualitative pattern of linkage cross-peaks but the quantitative pattern, the relative peak intensities, was different. For the dodecasaccharide, the NOESY and ROESY spectra at 500 MHz produced a different qualitative pattern of linkage cross-peaks, with fewer peaks in the NOESY spectrum. At 700 MHz, the NOESY and ROESY spectra of the dodecasaccharide produced the same qualitative pattern of peaks, but again the relative peak intensities were different. These differences are due to very significant differences in the local correlation times for different proton pairs across this glycosidic linkage. The local correlation time for each proton pair was measured using the ratio of the NOESY and T-ROESY cross-relaxation rates, leaving the NOESY and ROESY as independent data sets for calculating the inter-proton distances. The inter-proton distances calculated including the effects of differences in local correlation times give much more consistent results.

  3. CORRELATION LINKS BETWEEN SOME ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE SIGNS IN BROCCOLI

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    E. A. Zablotskaya

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The study of the correlation relationship between the signs, the informativeness of the indicators makes it possible to conduct a preliminary assessment of the plants and more objectively to identify forms with high economically valuable characteristics. Their integrated assessment will identify the best source material for further selection. In literary sources, information on the correlation in broccoli between yields and its elements are not the same. The purpose of our study was to analyze the contingency of various traits and to identify significant correlation links between quantitative traits in broccoli hybrids (42 samples. They were obtained using doubled haploid lines (DH-line of early maturity at 2 planting dates (spring and summer. Studies were conducted in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region in field experience in 2015, 2016. Significant influence on growth and development was provided by the developing weather conditions during the growing period. The fluctuation of humidification and temperature conditions differed significantly during the years of study and the time of planting, which is an important circumstance for analyzing the data obtained. Based on the results of the research, it was concluded that the value of the correlation coefficient and the strength of the correlation relationship between the characteristics (mass, diameter, head height, plant height, vegetation period are different and depend on the set of test specimens and growing conditions. A significant stable manifestation of positive correlation was revealed during all the years of research and the time of planting between the diameter and mass of the head (r = 0.45-0.96. The variability of the correlation of other economically valuable traits is marked. 

  4. Fungible Correlation Matrices: A Method for Generating Nonsingular, Singular, and Improper Correlation Matrices for Monte Carlo Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, Niels G

    2016-01-01

    For a fixed set of standardized regression coefficients and a fixed coefficient of determination (R-squared), an infinite number of predictor correlation matrices will satisfy the implied quadratic form. I call such matrices fungible correlation matrices. In this article, I describe an algorithm for generating positive definite (PD), positive semidefinite (PSD), or indefinite (ID) fungible correlation matrices that have a random or fixed smallest eigenvalue. The underlying equations of this algorithm are reviewed from both algebraic and geometric perspectives. Two simulation studies illustrate that fungible correlation matrices can be profitably used in Monte Carlo research. The first study uses PD fungible correlation matrices to compare penalized regression algorithms. The second study uses ID fungible correlation matrices to compare matrix-smoothing algorithms. R code for generating fungible correlation matrices is presented in the supplemental materials.

  5. [Characteristic and clinical significance of DNA methyltransferase 3B overexpression in endometrial carcinoma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Y; Zhou, M; Ba, X J; Si, J W; Li, W T; Wang, Y; Li, D; Li, T

    2016-10-18

    To determine the clinicopathological significance of the DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) overexpression in endometrial carcinomas and to evaluate its correlation with hormone receptor status. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression of DNMT3B and hormone receptors in 104 endometrial carcinomas. DNMT3B overexpression occurred frequently in endometrioid carcinoma (EC, 54.8%) more than in nonendometrioid carcinoma (NEC, 30.0%) with statistical significance (P=0.028). Furthermore, there was a trend that EC with worse clinico-pathological variables and shorter survival had a higher DNMT3B expression, and the correlation between DNMT3B and tumor grade reached statistical significance (P=0.019).A negative correlation between DNMT3B and estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR) expression was found in EC. NMT3B overexpression occurred frequently in the ER or PR negative subgroups (78.9%, 86.7%) more than in the positive subgroups (47.7%, 47.8%) with statistical significance (P=0.016, P=0.006). In addition, the DNMT3B overexpression increased in tumors with both ER and PR negative expression (92.9%, P=0.002). However, no such correlation was found in NEC (P>0.05). Sequence analyses demonstrated multiple ER and PR binding sites in the promoter regions of DNMT3B gene. This study showed that the expression of DNMT3B in EC and NEC was different. DNMT3B overexpression in EC was associated with the worse clinicopathological variables and might have predictive value. The methylation status of EC and NEC maybe different. In addition, in EC, DNMT3B overexpression negatively correlated with ER or PR expression. In NEC, the correlation between DNMT3B and ER or PR status was not present.

  6. Clinical Significance of Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content in the Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia

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    Mustafa Karagülle

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr in the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia (IDA and to compare it with other conventional iron parameters. METHODS: A total of 32 female patients with IDA (serum hemoglobin 120 g/L and serum ferritin <20 ng/mL were enrolled. RESULTS: CHr was 24.95±3.92 pg in female patients with IDA and 29.93±2.96 pg in female patients with iron deficiency. CHr showed a significant positive correlation with hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, serum iron, and transferrin saturation and a significant negative correlation with transferrin and total iron-binding capacity. The cut-off value of CHr for detecting IDA was 29 pg. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that CHr is a useful parameter that can be confidently used in the diagnosis of IDA, and a CHr cut-off value of 29 pg predicts IDA.

  7. Prognostic significance of thymidylate synthase in postoperative non-small cell lung cancer patients

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    Zhao HY

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Hong-Yun Zhao,1,* Guo-Wei Ma,1,* Ben-Yan Zou,1,* Mei Li,1 Su-Xia Lin,1 Li-Ping Zhao,2 Ying Guo,1 Yan Huang,1 Ying Tian,1 Dan Xie,1 Li Zhang1 1Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhongshan People’s City Hospital, Zhongshan, People’s Republic of China *The first three authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathologic/prognostic significance of thymidylate synthase (TS, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT, and thymidine phosphorylase (TP proteins in postoperative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC patients. Microarray slides from a set of 178 NSCLC patients were used for the detection of TS, OPRT, and TP expression by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between clinicopathologic factors and protein expression of three proteins was analyzed. Ninety seven carcinomas (57.4% were TS-positive, 90 carcinomas (53.9% were OPRT-positive, and 102 carcinomas (69.4% were TP-positive. Compared with the TS-positive patients, the overall survival (OS was significantly lower in the TS-negative patients (hazard ratio [HR] =1.766, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.212–2.573, P=0.003. Significant differences between TS-positive and TS-negative patients was also observed in the following stratified analyses: 1 adenocarcinoma subgroup (HR =2.079, 95% CI =1.235–3.500, P=0.006; 2 less than 60-year-old subgroup (HR =1.890, 95% CI =1.061–3.366, P=0.031; 3 stage II/III subgroup (HR =1.594, 95% CI =1.036–2.453, P=0.034; and 4 surgery plus adjuvant therapy subgroup (HR =1.976, 95% CI =1.226–3.185, P=0.005. However, the OS was not significantly correlated with OPRT or TP protein expression. This study demonstrates that the TS level in tumor tissues may be a useful marker

  8. Correlations between brain structure and symptom dimensions of psychosis in schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and psychotic bipolar I disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padmanabhan, Jaya L; Tandon, Neeraj; Haller, Chiara S; Mathew, Ian T; Eack, Shaun M; Clementz, Brett A; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Sweeney, John A; Tamminga, Carol A; Keshavan, Matcheri S

    2015-01-01

    Structural alterations may correlate with symptom severity in psychotic disorders, but the existing literature on this issue is heterogeneous. In addition, it is not known how cortical thickness and cortical surface area correlate with symptom dimensions of psychosis. Subjects included 455 individuals with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or bipolar I disorders. Data were obtained as part of the Bipolar Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes study. Diagnosis was made through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Positive and negative symptom subscales were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Structural brain measurements were extracted from T1-weight structural MRIs using FreeSurfer v5.1 and were correlated with symptom subscales using partial correlations. Exploratory factor analysis was also used to identify factors among those regions correlating with symptom subscales. The positive symptom subscale correlated inversely with gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness in frontal and temporal regions, whereas the negative symptom subscale correlated inversely with right frontal cortical surface area. Among regions correlating with the positive subscale, factor analysis identified four factors, including a temporal cortical thickness factor and frontal GMV factor. Among regions correlating with the negative subscale, factor analysis identified a frontal GMV-cortical surface area factor. There was no significant diagnosis by structure interactions with symptom severity. Structural measures correlate with positive and negative symptom severity in psychotic disorders. Cortical thickness demonstrated more associations with psychopathology than cortical surface area. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Correlation between serum anyloid a low density lipoprotein and genotoxicity in smokers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamil, A.; Rashid, A.; Majeed, A.; Naveed, A.K.

    2018-01-01

    Objective:To investigate the relation between serum amyloid A-low density lipoprotein (SAA-LDL) and genotoxicity in smokers. Study Design:An experimental study. Place and Duration of Study:Army Medical College, Rawalpindi and National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, from June 2014 to February 2015. Methodology:Seventy healthy Sprague Dawley rats were purchased from NIH and exposed to cigarette smoke in smoke chamber for three months. Blood samples were drawn from each rat at the end of the study period. SAA-LDL was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genotoxicity was assessed by cytokinesis block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Pearson correlation was used to find correlation between SAA-LDL and genotoxicity. Results:Strong positive correlation was found between SAA-LDL and micronuclei frequency in smoke-exposed rats (r=0.799, N=70, p <0.01). Conclusion:Statistically significant strong positive correlation between SAA-LDL and genotoxicity in smoke-exposed rats shows that changes in one is associated with changes in other and vice versa. (author)

  10. Clinical significance of measurement of serum TNF-α, T, FSH and PRL levels in male infertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Tianquan; Zhou Minglian; He Haoming

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To explore the significance of changes of serum TNF-α, T, FSH and PRL levels in male patients with infertility. Methods: Serum TNF-α, T, FSH and PRL (with RIA) were measured in 36 male patients with infertility and 35 male controls. Results: Serum T level was significantly lower in the patients than those in controls (P<0.01), while the serum TNF-α, FSH and PRL levels were significantly higher in the patients (P<0.01). Serum TNF-α level was negatively correlated with T level in the patients (r=-0.5184, P<0.01) and positively correlated with FSH, PRL levels (r=0.6184, 0.5925, P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum TNF-α, T, FSH and PRL levels were significantly changed in male with infertility and determination of which might useful for prognosis and treatment clinically. (authors)

  11. Bayesian spatial modelling and the significance of agricultural land use to scrub typhus infection in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wardrop, Nicola A; Kuo, Chi-Chien; Wang, Hsi-Chieh; Clements, Archie C A; Lee, Pei-Fen; Atkinson, Peter M

    2013-11-01

    Scrub typhus is transmitted by the larval stage of trombiculid mites. Environmental factors, including land cover and land use, are known to influence breeding and survival of trombiculid mites and, thus, also the spatial heterogeneity of scrub typhus risk. Here, a spatially autoregressive modelling framework was applied to scrub typhus incidence data from Taiwan, covering the period 2003 to 2011, to provide increased understanding of the spatial pattern of scrub typhus risk and the environmental and socioeconomic factors contributing to this pattern. A clear spatial pattern in scrub typhus incidence was observed within Taiwan, and incidence was found to be significantly correlated with several land cover classes, temperature, elevation, normalized difference vegetation index, rainfall, population density, average income and the proportion of the population that work in agriculture. The final multivariate regression model included statistically significant correlations between scrub typhus incidence and average income (negatively correlated), the proportion of land that contained mosaics of cropland and vegetation (positively correlated) and elevation (positively correlated). These results highlight the importance of land cover on scrub typhus incidence: mosaics of cropland and vegetation represent a transitional land cover type which can provide favourable habitats for rodents and, therefore, trombiculid mites. In Taiwan, these transitional land cover areas tend to occur in less populated and mountainous areas, following the frontier establishment and subsequent partial abandonment of agricultural cultivation, due to demographic and socioeconomic changes. Future land use policy decision-making should ensure that potential public health outcomes, such as modified risk of scrub typhus, are considered.

  12. Gene expression of circulating tumour cells and its correlation with tumour stage in breast cancer patients

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    Bölke E

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC represents one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths worldwide. New tools for diagnostic staging and therapeutic monitoring are needed to improve individualized therapies and improve clinical outcome. The analyses of circulating tumour cells may provide important prognostic information in the clinical setting. Materials and methods Circulating tumour cells (CTC of 63 BC patients were isolated from peripheral blood (PB through immunomagnetic separation. Subsequently, RT-PCR or mPCR for the genes ga733.2, muc-1, c-erbB2, mgb-1, spdef and c-erbB2 were performed. Subsequently, expression data were correlated with the tumour stages. Fourteen healthy individuals served as controls. Results Significant correlations with tumour stages were found in single gene analyses of ga733.2, muc-1 and in multi-gene analyses of ga733.2/muc-1/mgb1/spdef. Furthermore, a significant correlation of Ca 15-3 and all studied genes was also observed. Conclusion Herein, we demonstrated a positive correlation of a gene signature consisting of ga733.2, muc-1, mgb1 and spdef and advanced stages of BC. Moreover, all studied genes and gene patterns revealed a significant correlation with Ca 15-3 positive cases.

  13. To Study Correlation of Body Fat and Blood Lipids with Autonomic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Results: There was a significant difference in BMI, W/H ratio, lipid profile, autonomic function tests between the two groups. Aging and menopausal duration (MD) were positively correlated with pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, orthostatic tolerance test (OTT), ...

  14. Positive mental health among health professionals working at a psychiatric hospital.

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    Louisa Picco

    Full Text Available Positive mental health (PMH is a combination of emotional, psychological and social well-being that is necessary for an individual to be mentally healthy. The current study aims to examine the socio-demographic differences of PMH among mental health professionals and to explore the association between job satisfaction and total PMH.Doctors, nurses and allied health staff (n = 462 completed the online survey which included the multidimensional 47-item PMH instrument as well as a single item job satisfaction question. Associations of PMH with job satisfaction were investigated via linear regression models.Significant differences in PMH total and domain specific scores were observed across socio-demographic characteristics. Age and ethnicity were significantly correlated with PMH total scores as well as various domain scores, while gender, marital and residency status and the staff's position were only significantly correlated with domain specific scores. Job satisfaction was also found to be a significantly associated with total PMH.The workplace is a key environment that affects the mental health and well-being of working adults. In order to promote and foster PMH, workplaces need to consider the importance of psychosocial well-being and the wellness of staff whilst providing an environment that supports and maintains overall health and work efficiency.

  15. Sociotropic personality traits positively correlate with the severity of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    psychology. ... concepts of sociotropy-autonomy, depression and anxiety. ... may have a positive impact on treatment outcome. ... Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) rates somatic, emotional, .... and may prospectively provide a contribution to the literature. ... Individual differences in ego depletion: The role of sociotropy-.

  16. The clinical significance of HER-2 and NF-KB expression in gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaogai; Tu, Jiancheng; Zhang, Di; Xu, Zhigao; Yang, Guifang; Gong, Lingling; Yu, Mingxia

    2013-09-01

    To investigate the expression of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2) and Nuclear factor-Kb (NF-KB) in gastric cancer, and the relation of these two parameters with stage, grade and metastasis of gastric cancer. The serum level of HER-2 in 75 gastric cancer patients and control participants were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Expression of HER-2 and NF-KB protein were detected by immunohistochemical staining (SP method) of paraffin-embedded tissues in 75 tumors (observed group) and 22 normal gastric specimens. The clinical pathological data was statistically analyzed. Serum HER-2 level were significantly increased in study group compared with those in the control group (pKB in the observed group was 24.00% (18/75) and 62.67% (47/75) respectively. The expression of HER-2 and NF-KB were not correlated with age and gender, but with stage, grade and metastasis (pKB was correlated with tumor size (pKB had a positive rate of 94.44% (17/18), but a positive rate of 52.63% (30/57) when HER-2 was negative. Expression of NF-KB in gastric cancer tissue was correlated with HER-2 expression (X2 = 8.514, pKB in gastric cancer tissue is correlated with HER-2 expression, and they may play a very important role in the progress of gastric cancer.

  17. Positive correlation between blood pressure or heart rate and chymase-dependent angiotensin II-forming activity in circulating mononuclear leukocytes measured by new ELISA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamura, Keisuke; Okuda, Tetsu; Shirai, Kazuyuki; Urata, Hidenori

    2018-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to establish a convenient clinically applicable assay method for chymase-dependent angiotensin II forming activity of circulating mononuclear leukocytes (CML), which was potentially a marker of tissue chymase activity. Using this method, association between CML chymase activity and clinical parameters was determined. Cardiovascular outpatients (n = 170) without taking antihypertensive medication were recruited. An ELISA for chymase-dependent angiotensin II-forming activity in CML was established using Nma /Dnp-modified angiotensin I. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age and male gender were significant independent determinants of the increased CML chymase activity. After adjustment by age and gender, the CML chymase activity was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and the brain natriuretic peptide level. The relation between blood pressure and CML chymase activity suggests that it might reflect that increased tissue chymase activity contributes to systemic high blood pressure and heart rate because plasma chymase is inactive due to inhibitory plasma inhibitors.

  18. Cross-correlations between Renminbi and four major currencies in the Renminbi currency basket

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    Wang, Gang-Jin; Xie, Chi

    2013-03-01

    We investigate the cross-correlations between Renminbi (CNY) and four major currencies (USD, EUR, JPY, and KRW) in the Renminbi currency basket, i.e., the cross-correlations of CNY-USD, CNY-EUR, CNY-JPY, and CNY-KRW. Qualitatively, using a statistical test in analogy to the Ljung-Box test, we find that cross-correlations significantly exist in CNY-USD, CNY-EUR, CNY-JPY, and CNY-KRW. Quantitatively, employing the detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) method, we find that the cross-correlations of CNY-USD, CNY-EUR, CNY-JPY, and CNY-KRW are weakly persistent. We use the DCCA cross-correlation coefficient ρ to quantify the level of cross-correlations and find the currency weight in the Renminbi currency basket is arranged in the order of USD>EUR>JPY >KRW. Using the method of rolling windows, which can capture the time-varying cross-correlation scaling exponents, we find that: (i) CNY and USD are positively cross-correlated over time, but the cross-correlations of CNY-USD are anti-persistent during the US sub-prime crisis and the European debt crisis. (ii) The cross-correlation scaling exponents of CNY-EUR have the cyclical fluctuation with a nearly two-year cycle. (iii) CNY-JPY has long-term negative cross-correlations, during the European debt crisis, but CNY and KRW are positively cross-correlated.

  19. Significant changes in sexual behavior after a diagnosis of human papillomavirus-positive and human papillomavirus-negative oral cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taberna, Miren; Inglehart, Ronald C; Pickard, Robert K L; Fakhry, Carole; Agrawal, Amit; Katz, Mira L; Gillison, Maura L

    2017-04-01

    Sexual behavior and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The effects of OSCC diagnosis and treatment on subsequent relationship stress and sexual behavior are unknown. Incident cases of HPV-positive or HPV-negative OSCC in patients who had a partnered relationship and partners of patients with oropharyngeal cancer were eligible for a study in which surveys were administered at diagnosis and at the 6-month follow-up time point to assess relationship distress, HPV transmission and concerns about health consequences, and sexual behavior. The frequency distributions of responses, stratified by tumor HPV status, were compared at baseline and follow-up. In total, 262 patients with OSCC and 81 partners were enrolled. Among the patients, 142 (54.2%) had HPV-positive OSCC, and 120 (45.8%) had HPV-negative OSCC. Relationship distress was infrequently reported, and 69% of patients felt that their relationship had strengthened since the cancer diagnosis. Both HPV-positive patients (25%) and their partners (14%) reported feelings of guilt or responsibility for the diagnosis of an HPV-caused cancer. Concern over sexual, but not nonsexual, HPV transmission to partners was reported by 50%. Significant declines in the frequency of vaginal and oral sexual behaviors were reported at follow-up, regardless of tumor HPV status. From baseline to 6 months, significant increases in abstinence from vaginal sex (from 10% to 34%; P oral sex (from 25% to 80%; P oral sex, regardless of tumor HPV status. Sexual behavior is an important quality-of-life outcome to assess within clinical trials. [See related editorial on pages 000-000, this issue.] Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2017;123:1156-1165. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

  20. Interleukin-24 is correlated with differentiation and lymph node numbers in rectal cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Youngmin; Roh, Mee-Sook; Hong, Young-Seoub; Lee, Hyung-Sik; Hur, Won-Joo

    2011-01-01

    AIM: To assess the significance of interleukin (IL)-24 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in lymph-node-positive rectal cancer. METHODS: Between 1998 and 2005, 90 rectal adenocarcinoma patients with lymph node involvement were enrolled. All patients received radical surgery and postoperative pelvic chemoradiotherapy of 50.4-54.0 Gy. Chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin or levamisole was given intravenously during the first and last week of radiotherapy, and then monthly for about 6 mo. Expression of IL-24 and VEGF was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens, and their relations with patient characteristics and survival were analyzed. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 73 mo (range: 52-122 mo). RESULTS: IL-24 expression was found in 81 out of 90 patients; 31 showed weak intensity and 50 showed strong intensity. VEGF expression was found in 64 out of 90 patients. Negative and weak intensities of IL-24 expression were classified as negative expression for analysis. IL-24 expression was significantly reduced in poorly differentiated tumors in comparison with well or moderately differentiated tumors (P = 0.004), N2b to earlier N stages (P = 0.016), and stage IIIc to stage IIIa or IIIb (P = 0.028). The number of involved lymph nodes was also significantly reduced in IL-24-positive patients in comparison with IL-24-negative ones.There was no correlation between VEGF expression and patient characteristics. Expression of IL-24 and VEGF was not correlated with survival, but N stage and stages were significantly correlated with survival. CONCLUSION: IL-24 expression was significantly correlated with histological differentiation, and inversely correlated with the degree of lymph node involvement in stage III rectal cancer. PMID:21448421

  1. Expression and significance of VEGF, CD34, Ki-67 and p21 in pterygium

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    Li-Bo Wang

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the expression of VEGF, CD34, Ki-67 and p21 in pterygium as well as the correlation between their expression and clinical pathological characteristics; explore its pathogenesis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical S-P staining method was adopted in detecting the expression of VEGF, CD34, Ki-67 and p21 in 62 cases of pterygia and 20 cases of normal conjunctival tissues. Relationship between these markers and clinical pathological characteristics was analyzed. RESULTS:(1The positive expression of VEGF, CD34, Ki-67 and p21 in 62 cases of pterygia was 74.2%(46/62, 77.4%(48/62, 66.1%(41/62and 40.3%(25/62respectively. The differences were statistically significant compared with normal conjunctival tissues(PPP>0.05; the expression of Ki-67 was correlated with clinical stages(PP>0.05; the expression of p21 was correlated with clinical stages and pterygium characters(PP>0.05.(3Spearman correlation showed that there was a positive correlation between VEGF and Ki-67(r=0.279, Pr=0.299, Pr=-0.267, PP>0.05.CONCLUSION:(1Overexpression of VEGF, Ki-67, CD34 and low expression of p21 suggest that these markers are concerned with the development and progression of pterygium.(2Expression of VEGF and CD34 increases along with the increase of clinical types and stages, expression of Ki-67 increases along with the increase of clinical stages, and expression of p21 decreases along with the improvement of clinical types or stages; they suggest that these markers may play important roles in the development and recurrence of pterygium.(3There is positive correlation between VEGF and Ki-67, VEGF and CD34 as well as negative correlation between VEGF and p21. They suggest that there may be synergistic action between two factors during the development and progression of pterygium.

  2. Self-stigma in PTSD: Prevalence and correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonfils, Kelsey A; Lysaker, Paul H; Yanos, Philip T; Siegel, Alysia; Leonhardt, Bethany L; James, Alison V; Brustuen, Beth; Luedtke, Brandi; Davis, Louanne W

    2018-04-03

    Self-stigma is the internalization of negative societal stereotypes about those with mental illnesses. While self-stigma has been carefully characterized in severe mental disorders, like schizophrenia, the field has yet to examine the prevalence and correlates of self-stigma in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, we assessed self-stigma in veterans diagnosed with PTSD and compared with veterans with schizophrenia. We further examined associations between PTSD, depressive symptoms and self-stigma in the PTSD sample. Data came from two larger studies of people with PTSD (n = 46) and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (n = 82). All participants completed the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS). Results revealed that people with schizophrenia report more experiences of discrimination as a result of stigma than do those with PTSD, but these diagnostic groups did not differ for other subscales. In the PTSD group, feelings of alienation positively correlated with PTSD and depressive symptoms; other subscales positively correlated with depressive symptoms only. Taken together, results suggest a significant level of self-stigma exists among veterans with PTSD, and that self-stigma has an effect on PTSD and commonly comorbid symptoms, like depression. Future work should investigate whether current self-stigma interventions for other groups could be applicable for those with PTSD. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Correlates of blood pressure in Yanomami Indians of northwestern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crews, D E; Mancilha-Carvalho, J J

    1993-01-01

    We determined associations of measures of body habitus with blood pressure for 100 adult Yanomami Indians (61 men, 39 women) examined during February and March 1990. Measurements included body weight and height, four skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, abdomen), four circumferences (wrist, upper arm, abdomen, hip), systolic and diastolic blood pressures, pulse rate, and estimated age. Various indices of fat distribution were determined from the measurements of skinfolds, circumferences, weight, and height. Estimated age averaged 35.0 years in men and 33.4 years in women (range: 15 to 63 years). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were low in both men (104.8/70.4 mm Hg) and women (94.8/63.5 mm Hg), as was body mass index (men: 20.7; women: 21.4 kg/m2). In Yanomami women, all four skinfolds, wrist circumference, and the indices of hip and abdominal fat were significant correlates of systolic blood pressure, while the abdominal skinfold and wrist and hip circumferences correlated significantly with diastolic blood pressure. Among men, there was a negative correlation between estimated age and systolic blood pressure and a positive correlation between BMI and upper arm and hip circumferences and systolic blood pressure. There was a significant positive correlation between wrist, upper arm, and hip circumferences and diastolic blood pressure among Yanomami men. We used stepwise regression to generate sex-specific predictive equations for blood pressure. For men, estimated age and hip circumference, and for women, abdominal skinfold measurement and age were included in the model for systolic blood pressure. Among men, wrist circumference and height, and among women, wrist circumference alone entered the model for diastolic blood pressure. On the basis of these results, we suggest that even in a low-blood pressure, low-body fat, no-salt setting, systolic blood pressure is associated with the amount and placement of adipose tissue. However, diastolic blood

  4. Neural correlates of the popular music phenomenon: evidence from functional MRI and PET imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Qiaozhen [The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Hangzhou (China); Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou (China); Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China); Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou (China); The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China); Zhang, Ying; Hou, Haifeng; Du, Fenglei; Wu, Shuang; Chen, Lin; Shen, Yehua; Chao, Fangfang; Zhang, Hong; Tian, Mei [Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou (China); Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China); Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou (China); The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China); Chung, June-key [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    Music can induce different emotions. However, its neural mechanism remains unknown. The aim of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and position emission tomography (PET) imaging for mapping of neural changes under the most popular music in healthy volunteers. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI and monoamine receptor PET imaging with {sup 11}C-N-methylspiperone ({sup 11}C-NMSP) were conducted under the popular music Gangnam Style and light music A Comme Amour in healthy subjects. PET and fMRI images were analyzed by using the Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM). Significantly increased fMRI BOLD signals were found in the bilateral superior temporal cortices, left cerebellum, left putamen and right thalamus cortex. Monoamine receptor availability was increased significantly in the left superior temporal gyrus and left putamen, but decreased in the bilateral superior occipital cortices under the Gangnam Style compared with the light music condition. Significant positive correlation was found between {sup 11}C-NMSP binding and fMRI BOLD signals in the left temporal cortex. Furthermore, increased {sup 11}C-NMSP binding in the left putamen was positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Popular music Gangnam Style can arouse pleasure experience and strong emotional response. The left putamen is positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Our results revealed characteristic patterns of brain activity associated with Gangnam Style, and may also provide more general insights into the music-induced emotional processing. (orig.)

  5. Neural correlates of the popular music phenomenon: evidence from functional MRI and PET imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qiaozhen; Zhang, Ying; Hou, Haifeng; Du, Fenglei; Wu, Shuang; Chen, Lin; Shen, Yehua; Chao, Fangfang; Chung, June-Key; Zhang, Hong; Tian, Mei

    2017-06-01

    Music can induce different emotions. However, its neural mechanism remains unknown. The aim of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and position emission tomography (PET) imaging for mapping of neural changes under the most popular music in healthy volunteers. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI and monoamine receptor PET imaging with 11 C-N-methylspiperone ( 11 C-NMSP) were conducted under the popular music Gangnam Style and light music A Comme Amour in healthy subjects. PET and fMRI images were analyzed by using the Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM). Significantly increased fMRI BOLD signals were found in the bilateral superior temporal cortices, left cerebellum, left putamen and right thalamus cortex. Monoamine receptor availability was increased significantly in the left superior temporal gyrus and left putamen, but decreased in the bilateral superior occipital cortices under the Gangnam Style compared with the light music condition. Significant positive correlation was found between 11 C-NMSP binding and fMRI BOLD signals in the left temporal cortex. Furthermore, increased 11 C-NMSP binding in the left putamen was positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Popular music Gangnam Style can arouse pleasure experience and strong emotional response. The left putamen is positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Our results revealed characteristic patterns of brain activity associated with Gangnam Style, and may also provide more general insights into the music-induced emotional processing.

  6. Neural correlates of the popular music phenomenon: evidence from functional MRI and PET imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Qiaozhen; Zhang, Ying; Hou, Haifeng; Du, Fenglei; Wu, Shuang; Chen, Lin; Shen, Yehua; Chao, Fangfang; Zhang, Hong; Tian, Mei; Chung, June-key

    2017-01-01

    Music can induce different emotions. However, its neural mechanism remains unknown. The aim of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and position emission tomography (PET) imaging for mapping of neural changes under the most popular music in healthy volunteers. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI and monoamine receptor PET imaging with "1"1C-N-methylspiperone ("1"1C-NMSP) were conducted under the popular music Gangnam Style and light music A Comme Amour in healthy subjects. PET and fMRI images were analyzed by using the Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM). Significantly increased fMRI BOLD signals were found in the bilateral superior temporal cortices, left cerebellum, left putamen and right thalamus cortex. Monoamine receptor availability was increased significantly in the left superior temporal gyrus and left putamen, but decreased in the bilateral superior occipital cortices under the Gangnam Style compared with the light music condition. Significant positive correlation was found between "1"1C-NMSP binding and fMRI BOLD signals in the left temporal cortex. Furthermore, increased "1"1C-NMSP binding in the left putamen was positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Popular music Gangnam Style can arouse pleasure experience and strong emotional response. The left putamen is positively correlated with the mood arousal level score under the Gangnam Style condition. Our results revealed characteristic patterns of brain activity associated with Gangnam Style, and may also provide more general insights into the music-induced emotional processing. (orig.)

  7. Condylar position on the lateral individualized corrected tomography in internal derangement of temporomandibular joint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Keun Min; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae [College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-06-15

    To examine the possible relationship between condylar position and disk displacement in the temporomandibular joint. 79 temporomandibular joints in 40 patients having temporomandibular disorders were classified into three categories: no disk displacement (NDD), disk displacement with reduction (DDWR), and disk displacement without reduction (DDWOR). Disk positions were assessed from clinical and MRI findings. The relationship between the three categories and condylar positions was evaluated using lateral individualized corrected tomography. Clinical findings regarding the relationship between condyle and disk positions having anterior, centric, and posterior positions were 27%, 27%, and 46%, respectively, in NDD, 43%, 17%, and 40%, respectively, in DDWR, and 44%, 22%, and 34%, respectively, in DDWOR. There were no significant differences in condylar positions between each of the groups (P>0.05). In the relationship between condyle and disk positions with MRI findings, anterior, centric, and posterior positions were 38%, 38%, and 24%, respectively, in NDD, 29%, 21%, and 50%, respectively, in DDWR, and 44%, 9%, and 47% respectively, in DDWOR. There were significant differences in the condylar positions when MRI was utilized (P<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the condyle and disk positions with MRI findings on lateral individualized corrected tomography.

  8. Significant correlations between optic nerve head microcirculation and visual field defects and nerve fiber layer loss in glaucoma patients with myopic glaucomatous disk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yokoyama Y

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Yu Yokoyama, Naoko Aizawa, Naoki Chiba, Kazuko Omodaka, Masahiko Nakamura, Takaaki Otomo, Shunji Yokokura, Nobuo Fuse, Toru NakazawaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, JapanBackground: Eyes with glaucoma are characterized by optic neuropathy with visual field defects in the areas corresponding to the optic disk damage. The exact cause for the glaucomatous optic neuropathy has not been determined. Myopia has been shown to be a risk factor for glaucoma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a significant correlation existed between the microcirculation of the optic disk and the visual field defects and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT in glaucoma patients with myopic optic disks.Methods: Sixty eyes of 60 patients with myopic disks were studied; 36 eyes with glaucoma (men:women = 19:17 and 24 eyes with no ocular diseases (men:women = 14:10. The mean deviation (MD determined by the Humphrey field analyzer, and the peripapillary RNFLT determined by the Stratus-OCT were compared between the two groups. The ocular circulation was determined by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG, and the mean blur rate (MBR was compared between the two groups. The correlations between the RNFLT and MBR of the corresponding areas of the optic disk and between MD and MBR of the optic disk in the glaucoma group were determined by simple regression analyses.Results: The average MBR for the entire optic disk was significantly lower in the glaucoma group than that in the control group. The differences of the MBR for the tissue in the superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants of the optic disk between the two groups were significant. The MBR for the entire optic disk was significantly correlated with the MD (r = 0.58, P = 0.0002 and the average RNFLT (r = 0.53, P = 0.0008. The tissue MBR of the optic disk was significantly correlated with the RNFLT in the superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants

  9. Expression and Significance of gp96 and Immune-related Gene CTLA-4, CD8 in Lung Cancer Tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiyan ZHENG

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that gp96 plays an important role in specific cytotoxic immune response which is involved in anti-tumor effect in the body. The aim of this study is to investigate the biological significance of heat shock protein gp96 and immune-related gene CTLA-4, CD8 expressions in lung cancer tissues of different progressive stages. Methods We used Envision immunohistochemistry method to detect the levels of expression of gp96, CTLA-4, CD8 in tissue microarray, which contained 89 primary lung cancer tissues, 12 lymph node metastasis lung cancer tissues, 12 precancerous lesions and 10 normal lung tissues, and analyzed the relationship between their expressions and clinicopathological parameters. Results (1 The positive rate of gp96 in primary lung cancer was remarkably higher than that in precancerous lesion and normal lung tissue (P < 0.05. The positive rate of CTLA-4 in primary lung cancer tissue and precancerous lesion was significantly higher than that in normal lung tissue (P < 0.05. The positive rate of CD8 in primary lung cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal lung tissue (P < 0.05. The positive rate of gp96 in CD8-positive lymphocytes in the high expression group was less than that in the low group (P < 0.05. (2 The positive rate of gp96 was closely related to sex, differentiation and clinical stage (P < 0.05, but not to age, gross type, histological type and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05. The positive rate of CTLA-4 was closely related to age and differentiation (P < 0.05, but not to sex, gross type, histological type, clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05. CD8 expression was related to clinical stage (P < 0.05, but not to sex, age, gross type, histological type, differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05. The positive rates of gp96, CTLA-4 were higher than that of CD8 in squamous cell carcinoma and SCLC, respectively. (3 There was positive correlation between gp

  10. Relationship of maxillary 3-dimensional posterior occlusal plane to mandibular spatial position and morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coro, Jorge C; Velasquez, Roberto L; Coro, Ivette M; Wheeler, Timothy T; McGorray, Susan P; Sato, Sadao

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the 3-dimensional (3D) posterior occlusal plane (POP) and the mandibular 3D spatial position. The relationship of the POP to mandibular morphology was also investigated. Retrospective data from a convenience sample of pretreatment diagnostic cone-beam computed tomography scans were rendered using InVivo software (Anatomage, San Jose, Calif). The sample consisted of 111 subjects (51 male, 60 female) and included growing and nongrowing subjects of different races and ethnicities. The 3D maxillary POP was defined by selecting the cusp tips of the second premolars and the second molars on the rendered images of the subjects. The angles made by this plane, in reference to the Frankfort horizontal plane, were measured against variables that described the mandibular position in the coronal, sagittal, and axial views. The POP was also compared with bilateral variables that described mandibular morphology. There were significant differences of the POP among the different skeletal malocclusions (P <0.0001). The POP showed significant correlations with mandibular position in the sagittal (P <0.0001), coronal (P <0.05), and axial (P <0.05) planes. The POP also showed a significant correlation with mandibular morphology (P <0.0001). These findings suggest that there is a distinct and significant relationship between the 3D POP and the mandibular spatial position and its morphology. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Jet outflow and gamma-ray emission correlations in S5 0716+714

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rani, B.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Marscher, A. P.

    2014-01-01

    Here, using millimeter very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714 from August 2008 to September 2013, we investigate variations in the core flux density and orientation of the sub-parsec scale jet, i.e. position angle. The γ-ray data obtained by the Fermi Large Area Telescope are used to investigate the high-energy flux variations over the same time period. For the first time in any blazar, we report a significant correlation between the γ-ray flux variations and the position angle variations in the VLBI jet. The cross-correlation analysis also indicates a positive correlation such that the mm-VLBI core flux density variations are delayed with respect to the γ-ray flux by 82±32 days. This suggests that the high-energy emission is coming from a region located ≥(3.8±1.9) parsecs upstream of the mm-VLBI core (closer to the central black hole). Lastly, these results imply that the observed inner jet morphology has a strong connection with the observed γ-ray flares.

  12. Structural and functional correlates of hypnotic depth and suggestibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGeown, William Jonathan; Mazzoni, Giuliana; Vannucci, Manila; Venneri, Annalena

    2015-02-28

    This study explores whether self-reported depth of hypnosis and hypnotic suggestibility are associated with individual differences in neuroanatomy and/or levels of functional connectivity. Twenty-nine people varying in suggestibility were recruited and underwent structural, and after a hypnotic induction, functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. We used voxel-based morphometry to assess the correlation of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) against the independent variables: depth of hypnosis, level of relaxation and hypnotic suggestibility. Functional networks identified with independent components analysis were regressed with the independent variables. Hypnotic depth ratings were positively correlated with GM volume in the frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with GM volume in the left temporal-occipital cortex. Relaxation ratings did not correlate significantly with GM volume and none of the independent variables correlated with regional WM volume measures. Self-reported deeper levels of hypnosis were associated with less connectivity within the anterior default mode network. Taken together, the results suggest that the greater GM volume in the medial frontal cortex and ACC, and lower connectivity in the DMN during hypnosis facilitate experiences of greater hypnotic depth. The patterns of results suggest that hypnotic depth and hypnotic suggestibility should not be considered synonyms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Early anti-correlated BOLD signal changes of physiologic origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bright, Molly G; Bianciardi, Marta; de Zwart, Jacco A; Murphy, Kevin; Duyn, Jeff H

    2014-02-15

    Negative BOLD signals that are synchronous with resting state fluctuations have been observed in large vessels in the cortical sulci and surrounding the ventricles. In this study, we investigated the origin of these negative BOLD signals by applying a Cued Deep Breathing (CDB) task to create transient hypocapnia and a resultant global fMRI signal decrease. We hypothesized that a global stimulus would amplify the effect in large vessels and that using a global negative (vasoconstrictive) stimulus would test whether these voxels exhibit either inherently negative or simply anti-correlated BOLD responses. Significantly anti-correlated, but positive, BOLD signal changes during respiratory challenges were identified in voxels primarily located near edges of brain spaces containing CSF. These positive BOLD responses occurred earlier than the negative CDB response across most of gray matter voxels. These findings confirm earlier suggestions that in some brain regions, local, fractional changes in CSF volume may overwhelm BOLD-related signal changes, leading to signal anti-correlation. We show that regions with CDB anti-correlated signals coincide with most, but not all, of the regions with negative BOLD signal changes observed during a visual and motor stimulus task. Thus, the addition of a physiological challenge to fMRI experiments can help identify which negative BOLD signals are passive physiological anti-correlations and which may have a putative neuronal origin. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Computed tomography (CT) findings in 88 neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients: Prevalence rates and correlations of thoracic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueda, Ken; Honda, Osamu; Satoh, Yukihisa; Kawai, Misa; Gyobu, Tomoko; Kanazawa, Toru; Hidaka, Shojiro; Yanagawa, Masahiro; Sumikawa, Hiromitsu; Tomiyama, Noriyuki

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Various thoracic CT findings, including cysts, mediastinal masses, etc. were found. • Cysts show upper and peripheral dominant distribution. • The number, size, and distribution of the pulmonary cysts in NF-1 revealed significant correlation. • It is suspected that thoracic CT findings in NF-1 occur independently. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence rates and the correlations of thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) in 88 patients. Materials and methods: Chest CT images of 88 NF1 patients were independently reviewed by three observers, and the CT findings were evaluated. If abnormal findings were present, their number, size, and distribution were recorded. The prevalence rate of each CT finding was calculated, and the correlations between CT findings were analyzed. Results: Of the 88 cases, 13 were positive for cysts, 16 for emphysema, 8 for nodules, 8 for GGNs (ground glass nodules), 13 for mediastinal masses, 20 for scoliosis, 44 for subcutaneous nodules, and 34 for skin nodules. Cysts showed upper and peripheral dominant distributions. Regarding 13 mediastinal masses, 2 were diagnosed as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), 1 was diagnosed as primary lung cancer, 2 were diagnosed as lateral meningocele, 3 were diagnosed as neurofibromas, and the remaining 7 were considered neurofibromas. There was a significant correlation between the prevalence of subcutaneous nodules and that of skin nodules. Significant positive correlations were also seen between size and number, size and rate of central distribution, and number and rate of central distribution of cysts. Conclusion: Various CT findings were found in NF-1 patients, and the prevalence rates of subcutaneous and skin nodules were higher than other findings. Though the prevalence rates of subcutaneous nodules and skin nodules were significantly correlated, the other CT findings in NF-1 occurred independently. The number, size, and

  15. Computed tomography (CT) findings in 88 neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients: Prevalence rates and correlations of thoracic findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueda, Ken, E-mail: k-ueda@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Honda, Osamu [Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Satoh, Yukihisa [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases (Japan); Kawai, Misa; Gyobu, Tomoko; Kanazawa, Toru; Hidaka, Shojiro; Yanagawa, Masahiro [Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Sumikawa, Hiromitsu [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Osaka Rosai Hospital (Japan); Tomiyama, Noriyuki [Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan)

    2015-06-15

    Highlights: • Various thoracic CT findings, including cysts, mediastinal masses, etc. were found. • Cysts show upper and peripheral dominant distribution. • The number, size, and distribution of the pulmonary cysts in NF-1 revealed significant correlation. • It is suspected that thoracic CT findings in NF-1 occur independently. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence rates and the correlations of thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) in 88 patients. Materials and methods: Chest CT images of 88 NF1 patients were independently reviewed by three observers, and the CT findings were evaluated. If abnormal findings were present, their number, size, and distribution were recorded. The prevalence rate of each CT finding was calculated, and the correlations between CT findings were analyzed. Results: Of the 88 cases, 13 were positive for cysts, 16 for emphysema, 8 for nodules, 8 for GGNs (ground glass nodules), 13 for mediastinal masses, 20 for scoliosis, 44 for subcutaneous nodules, and 34 for skin nodules. Cysts showed upper and peripheral dominant distributions. Regarding 13 mediastinal masses, 2 were diagnosed as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), 1 was diagnosed as primary lung cancer, 2 were diagnosed as lateral meningocele, 3 were diagnosed as neurofibromas, and the remaining 7 were considered neurofibromas. There was a significant correlation between the prevalence of subcutaneous nodules and that of skin nodules. Significant positive correlations were also seen between size and number, size and rate of central distribution, and number and rate of central distribution of cysts. Conclusion: Various CT findings were found in NF-1 patients, and the prevalence rates of subcutaneous and skin nodules were higher than other findings. Though the prevalence rates of subcutaneous nodules and skin nodules were significantly correlated, the other CT findings in NF-1 occurred independently. The number, size, and

  16. The significance of pretreatment CD4 count on the outcome and treatment tolerance of HIV-positive patients with anal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, Rex; Welton, Mark L.; Klencke, Barbara; Weinberg, Vivian; Krieg, Richard

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the outcome and tolerance of HIV-positive patients with anal cancer to standard therapy based on their pretreatment CD4 count. Methods and Materials: Between 1991 and 1997, 17 HIV-positive patients with anal cancer and documented pretreatment CD4 counts were treated at the University of California, San Francisco or its affiliated hospitals with either concurrent chemotherapy and radiation or radiation alone. The outcome and complications of treatment were correlated with the patients' pretreatment CD4 count. Results: Disease for all 9 patients with pretreatment CD4 counts ≥ 200 was controlled with chemoradiation. Although four required a treatment break of 2 weeks because of toxicity, none required hospitalization. Of the 8 patients with pretreatment CD4 counts < 200, 4 experienced decreased counts, intractable diarrhea, or moist desquamation requiring hospitalization. Additionally, 4 of these 8 ultimately required a colostomy either for a therapy-related complication or for salvage. Nevertheless, 6/7 in this group who received concurrent chemotherapy and radiation had their disease controlled, whereas the patient treated with radiation alone failed and required a colostomy for salvage. Conclusion: Patients with CD4 ≥ 200 had excellent disease control with acceptable morbidity. Patients with CD4 < 200 had markedly increased morbidity; however, disease was ultimately controlled in 7/8 patients

  17. The Influence of Natural Head Position on the Cervical Sagittal Alignment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuan Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. This study investigated the relationship between the parameters related to the natural head position and cervical segmental angles and alignment of patients with neck pain. Material and Methods. The lateral radiographs of the cervical spine were collected from 103 patients and were used to retrospectively analyze the correlation between the natural head position, cervical local sagittal angles, and alignment. Sagittal measurements were as follows: cervical curvature classification, slope of McGregor’s line (McGS, local sagittal angles (C0–C2 angle, C2–C5 angle, C5–C7 angle, and C2–C7 angle, T1 slope, center of gravity of the head to sagittal vertical axis (CG–C7 SVA, and local sagittal alignment (C0–C2 SVA and C2–C7 SVA. Results. McGS was significantly correlated to C0–C2 angle (r=0.57, C0–C2 SVA (r=−0.53, C2–C7 SVA (r=−0.28, and CG–C7 SVA (r=−0.47. CG–C7 SVA was also significantly correlated to curvature type (r=0.27, C5–C7 angle (r=−0.37, and C2–C7 angle (r=−0.39. Conclusions. A backward shift with an extended head position may accompany a relatively normal curvature of the cervical spine. The effect of posture control in relieving abnormal mechanical state of the cervical spine needs to be further confirmed by biomechanical analysis.

  18. Prognostic significance of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and 5b expression in Epstein-Barr virus-positive patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diamantopoulos, Panagiotis T; Sofotasiou, Maria; Georgoussi, Zafiroula; Giannakopoulou, Nefeli; Papadopoulou, Vasiliki; Galanopoulos, Athanasios; Kontandreopoulou, Elina; Zervakis, Panagiotis; Pallaki, Paschalina; Kalala, Fani; Kyrtsonis, Marie-Christine; Dimitrakopoulou, Aglaia; Vassilakopoulos, Theodoros; Angelopoulou, Maria; Spanakis, Nikolaos; Viniou, Nora-Athina

    2016-09-01

    Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins have been intensively studied in hematologic malignancies, and the efficacy of agents against STATs in lymphomas is already under research. We investigated the expression of total STAT5 and STAT5b in peripheral blood samples of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in correlation with the presence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and its major oncoprotein (latent membrane protein 1, LMP1). The EBV load was measured in the peripheral blood by real-time PCR for the BXLF1 gene and the levels of LMP1 by PCR and ELISA. Western blotting was performed for total STAT5 and STAT5b in protein extracts. STAT5b was only expressed in patients (not in healthy subjects) and STAT5 but particularly STAT5b expression was correlated with the presence of the virus (77.3% vs. 51.2%, P = 0.006 for STAT5b) and to the expression of LMP1 (58.3% vs. 21.6%, P = 0.011 for STAT5b). Moreover, the expression of STAT5b and the presence of EBV and LMP1 were strongly negatively correlated with the overall survival of the patients (log-rank test P = 0.011, 0.015, 0.006, respectively). Double positive (for EBV and STAT5b) patients had the lowest overall survival (log-rank test P = 0.013). This is the first report of a survival disadvantage of EBV+ patients with CLL, and the first time that STAT5b expression is correlated with survival. The correlation of STAT5 expression with the presence of the virus, along with our survival correlations defines a subgroup of patients with CLL that may benefit from anti-STAT agents. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Total and Lower Extremity Lean Mass Percentage Positively Correlates With Jump Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephenson, Mitchell L; Smith, Derek T; Heinbaugh, Erika M; Moynes, Rebecca C; Rockey, Shawn S; Thomas, Joi J; Dai, Boyi

    2015-08-01

    Strength and power have been identified as valuable components in both athletic performance and daily function. A major component of strength and power is the muscle mass, which can be assessed with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The primary purpose of this study was to quantify the relationship between total body lean mass percentage (TBLM%) and lower extremity lean mass percentage (LELM%) and lower extremity force/power production during a countermovement jump (CMJ) in a general population. Researchers performed a DXA analysis on 40 younger participants aged 18-35 years, 28 middle-aged participants aged 36-55 years, and 34 older participants aged 56-75 years. Participants performed 3 CMJ on force platforms. Correlations revealed significant and strong relationships between TBLM% and LELM% compared with CMJ normalized peak vertical ground reaction force (p lean mass percentages. The findings have implications in including DXA-assessed lean mass percentage as a component for evaluating lower extremity strength and power. A paired DXA analysis and CMJ jump test may be useful for identifying neuromuscular deficits that limit performance.

  20. The Role of Positive Psychological Capital and the Family Function in Prediction of Happiness in high school students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F rashidi kochi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the role of positive psychological capital and family functioning in predicting happiness among adolescence. Correlational research method was recruited to analyze the data. The sample comprised of 290 high Scholl students that selected by the convenience sampling method. In this research Snyder’s hope, Nezami and Colleagues self-efficacy, Scheier and Carver's optimism, McMaster's family functioning and Connor and Davidson's Resiliency and Oxford happiness questionnaire used to collect data. Pearson correlation and stepwise regression were used to analyze data. The finding showed that there was a significant positive relationship between family function components and positive psychological capital with happiness. The results of stepwise regression showed that roles, Resiliency, self-efficacy, optimism and emotion expression had significant and important role in predicting happiness. Totally, explained 35% of the variance happiness. In conclusion, these findings indicate the importance roles of family and positive psychological capital in adolescence's happiness.

  1. Measurement of serum leptin levels in polycystic ovary syndrome with hyperandrogenemia and its significance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yande; Zhang Zhiping; Lu Gen; Luo Beilei

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the serum leptin concentration in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with hyperandrogenemia (HA) and its relationship with testosterone (T) level and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Serum leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 53 patients with PCOS, in which 36 cases were of the in non-obesity group and 17 cases in obese group. 30 non-obese cases and 20 obese cases without PCOS served as controls. Results: The levels of leptin in PCOS with HA in obese and non-obese group were significantly higher than those in control group (all p < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between serum leptin levels and testosterone levels in both groups (r = 0.51, p < 0.01 and r = 0.58, p < 0.01). No correlation existed between serum leptin levels and body mass index (BMI) in PCOS patients of non-obese group but there was positive correlation in obesity group (r = 0.56, p < 0.01). Conclusion: High serum leptin levels is one of the characteristic in PCOS patients. The HA in PCOS patients is related to serum leptin levels and heavyweight or obese patients have the phenomenon of leptin resistance

  2. Plasma homovanillic acid levels in schizophrenic patients: correlation with negative symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dávila, Ricardo; Zumárraga, Mercedes; Basterreche, Nieves; Arrúe, Aurora; Anguiano, Juan B

    2007-05-30

    The relation between changes in the levels of plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) and clinical evolution during neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients has not been satisfactorily characterized, as a number of conflicting findings have been reported. Significant correlations have generally been found using the assessment of positive symptoms as an index of clinical outcome. Nevertheless, attempts to correlate pHVA concentrations with negative symptoms have yielded contradictory results. With a view to evaluating if different responses in negative symptoms are associated with distinct pHVA profiles, we examined the levels of pHVA in 46 neuroleptic-free schizophrenic patients and in these patients after neuroleptic treatment. Negative and positive symptoms were also addressed before and after treatment. Our results reveal that at least two classes of negative symptoms exist; the clinical evolution of the first class of negative symptoms parallels that of positive symptoms, and clinical improvement correlates with reduced dopaminergic activity. In contrast, in the second class, reduced dopaminergic activity is associated with a further deterioration of negative symptoms. These findings corroborate the heterogeneity of negative symptoms and may contribute to a better definition of endophenotypes in the schizophrenic syndrome.

  3. The significance of the allergy history in the use of intravenous X-ray contrast media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, M.; Kroczek, U.

    1986-01-01

    A restrospective study correlating allergy histories and reactions to X-ray contrast media was performed with a study group containing 519 patients receiving intravenous and infusion cholangiograms and 827 patients receiving intravenous and infusion pyelograms. Reactions against X-ray contrast media were observed significantly more frequently among patients with a positive allergy history independent of the suspected allergy (p [de

  4. Clinical significance of determination of serum VEGF and CEA levels in patients with colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Xiaohui; Song Shaobai; Zheng Wei

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the applicability of combined determination of serum VEGF and CEA levels in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer as well as the relationship between VEGF level and stage of the disease. Methods: Serum VEGF (with ELISA) and CEA (with RIA) levels serum were detected in 28 patients with colorectal cancer of various stages and 29 controls. Results: The diagnostic positive rate was 53.6% (15/28), 39.3% (11/28), 71.4% (20/28) with CEA, VEGF and combined test for colorectal cancer, respectively. The serum VEGF levels in patients with advance colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with earlier stages diseases and controls, VEGF levels were positively correlated with CEA levels (P<0.05). Conclusion: Combined detection of the levels of serum VEGF and CEA could improve significantly the diagnostic positive rate in patients with colorectal cancer. (authors)

  5. Amount of lifetime video gaming is positively associated with entorhinal, hippocampal and occipital volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kühn, S; Gallinat, J

    2014-07-01

    Playing video games is a popular leisure activity among children and adults, and may therefore potentially influence brain structure. We have previously shown a positive association between probability of gray matter (GM) volume in the ventral striatum and frequent video gaming in adolescence. Here we set out to investigate structural correlates of video gaming in adulthood, as the effects observed in adolescents may reflect only a fraction of the potential neural long-term effects seen in adults. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 62 male adults, we computed voxel-based morphometry to explore the correlation of GM with the lifetime amount of video gaming (termed joystick years). We found a significant positive association between GM in bilateral parahippocamal region (entorhinal cortex) and left occipital cortex/inferior parietal lobe and joystick years (Pvideo game genres played, such as logic/puzzle games and platform games contributing positively, and action-based role-playing games contributing negatively. Furthermore, joystick years were positively correlated with hippocampus volume. The association of lifetime amount of video game playing with bilateral entorhinal cortex, hippocampal and occipital GM volume could reflect adaptive neural plasticity related to navigation and visual attention.

  6. A correlational and predictive study of creativity and personality of college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz de Acedo Baquedano, María Teresa; Sanz de Acedo Lizarraga, María Luisa

    2012-11-01

    The goals of this study were to examine the relationship between creativity and personality, to identify what personality variables better predict creativity, and to determine whether significant differences exist among them in relation to gender. The research was conducted with a sample of 87 students at the Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain. We administered the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA), which provides a cognitive measure for creativity and the Situational Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), which is composed of 15 personality features. Positive and significant correlations between creativity and independence, cognitive control, and tolerance personality scales were found. Negative and significant correlations between creativity and anxious, dominant, and aggressive personalities were also found. Moreover, four personality variables that positively predicted creativity (efficacy, independence, cognitive control, and integrity-honesty) and another four that negatively predicted creativity (emotional stability, anxiety, dominance, and leadership) were identified. The results did not show significant differences in creativity and personality in relation to gender, except in self-concept and in social adjustment. In conclusion, the results from this study can potentially be used to expand the types of features that support creative personalities.

  7. The prognostic significance of preoperative serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels in endometrial carcinomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tas, Emre E.; Yavuz, Ayse F.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: To determine the associations between serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels and prognostic factors in patients with endometrial carcinomas. Additionally, we investigated the clinical utility of serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels in the selection of low-risk patients with endometrioid type, tumor size <2 cm, myometrial invasion ≤50%, and histological grade 1-2. Methods: Ninety-six patients, who were surgically staged at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey, between 2007 and 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics were retrieved from the patients’ hospital records. A p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Fifteen patients had advanced (≥Stage II) disease, 14 patients had Type 2 histology, 20 patients had Grade 3 tumors, 23 patients had lymphovascular space invasion, and 10 patients had positive lymph node involvement. Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced (≥Stage II) disease, Type 2 histology, Grade 3 tumors, lymp°hovascular space invasion, and positive lymph node involvement (p<0.05). Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were also significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.006). Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were significantly lower (95% confidence interval: 0.57−0.79; p=0.03) in low-risk patients compared to other endometrial carcinoma patients. A cutoff of 25.0 IU/mL was used to identify high-risk patients with a specificity of 100%. Conclusion: Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels significantly correlated with prognostic factors and were a useful diagnostic tool for endometrial carcinomas. PMID:29114696

  8. The prognostic significance of preoperative serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels in endometrial carcinomas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emre E. Tas

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To determine the associations between serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels and prognostic factors in patients with endometrial carcinomas. Additionally, we investigated the clinical utility of serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels in the selection of low-risk patients with endometrioid type, tumor size less than 2 cm, myometrial invasion ≤50%, and histological grade 1-2. Methods: Ninety-six patients, who were surgically staged at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey, between 2007 and 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics were retrieved from the patients’ hospital records. A p less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Fifteen patients had advanced (≥Stage II disease, 14 patients had Type 2 histology, 20 patients had Grade 3 tumors, 23 patients had lymphovascular space invasion, and 10 patients had positive lymph node involvement. Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced (≥Stage II disease, Type 2 histology, Grade 3 tumors, lymphovascular space invasion, and positive lymph node involvement (p less than 0.05. Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were also significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.006. Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels were significantly lower (95% confidence interval: 0.57−0.79; p=0.03 in low-risk patients compared to other endometrial carcinoma patients. A cutoff of 25.0 IU/mL was used to identify high-risk patients with a specificity of 100%. Conclusion: Serum cancer antigen 15-3 levels significantly correlated with prognostic factors and were a useful diagnostic tool for endometrial carcinomas.

  9. Evacuation of performance and significant chemical constituents and by products in drinking water treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamrah, I. A.

    1999-01-01

    Drinking water treatment is a task that comprises of several processes that eventually lead to the addition of chemicals to achieve the objectives of treatment. This study was conducted to assess treatment performance, explain the presence of significant chemical species in water, and investigate the interactions and chemical by-products that are formed during the course of treatment. Grab water samples were collected on a regular basis from the influent and effluent of Zai water treatment plant. Chemical analysis were conducted to determine the concentrations of various chemical species of interest. Turbidity, temperature, and pH of the samples were also measured. The study concluded that Zai Water Treatment Plant produces potable drinking water in accordance with Jordanian Standards. The use of treatment chemical resulted in an increase in the concentrations of certain materials, such as manganese, aluminum, and sulfate. The turbidity of the raw water and the TOC of the samples were positively correlated, and the treatment results in approximately 20% TOC reduction, which demonstrates that the measures used for the control of TOC (carbon adsorption and permanganate pre-oxidation), are not very effective. The study also showed that the TOC content of our raw water samples and the concentration of tribalomethanes resulting after disinfection were positively correlated, and that bromoform was the dominant component. Also chloroform was the minor component of tribalomethanes formed during treatment. Positive correlation between the total concentration of tribalomethanes in water and the chlorine dose used for disinfection was also observed, and the total concentration of tribalomethanes increased with temperature. The formation of tribalomethanes was enhanced as the pH of water increased and as the concentration of bromide ion in raw water became significant. (author). 25 refs., 14 figs.1 table

  10. Genetic correlations between body weight change and reproduction traits in Merino ewes depend on age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, G; Mulder, H A; van der Werf, J H J; Thompson, A N; van Arendonk, J A M

    2014-08-01

    Merino sheep in Australia experience periods of variable feed supply. Merino sheep can be bred to be more resilient to this variation by losing less BW when grazing poor quality pasture and gaining more BW when grazing good quality pasture. Therefore, selection on BW change might be economically attractive but correlations with other traits in the breeding objective need to be known. The genetic correlations (rg) between BW, BW change, and reproduction were estimated using records from approximately 7,350 fully pedigreed Merino ewes managed at Katanning in Western Australia. Number of lambs and total weight of lambs born and weaned were measured on approximately 5,300 2-yr-old ewes, approximately 4,900 3-yr-old ewes, and approximately 3,600 4-yr-old ewes. On a proportion of these ewes BW change was measured: approximately 1,950 2-yr-old ewes, approximately 1,500 3-yr-old ewes, and approximately 1,100 4-yr-old ewes. The BW measurements were for 3 periods. The first period was during mating period over 42 d on poor pasture. The second period was during pregnancy over 90 d for ewes that got pregnant on poor and medium quality pasture. The third period was during lactation over 130 d for ewes that weaned a lamb on good quality pasture. Genetic correlations between weight change and reproduction were estimated within age classes. Genetic correlations were tested to be significantly greater magnitude than 0 using likelihood ratio tests. Nearly all BW had significant positive genetic correlations with all reproduction traits. In 2-yr-old ewes, BW change during the mating period had a positive genetic correlation with number of lambs weaned (rg = 0.58); BW change during pregnancy had a positive genetic correlation with total weight of lambs born (rg = 0.33) and a negative genetic correlation with number of lambs weaned (rg = -0.49). All other genetic correlations were not significantly greater magnitude than 0 but estimates of genetic correlations for 3-yr-old ewes were

  11. Brain Microstructural Correlates of Cognitive Dysfunction in Clinically and Biochemically Normal Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Ajay; Deep, Amar; Gupta, Rakesh K; Atam, Virendra; Mohindra, Samir

    2017-09-01

    This study examined correlates of the brain's neurocognitive performance among clinically and biochemically normal adult patient with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We hypothesized that anti-HCV positive individuals would demonstrate structural brain abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction as well as the changes in cell component and extracellular space in the white matter regions of brain in asymptomatic HCV infection by using diffusion tensor tractrography (DTT) metrics. Anti-HCV positive patient ( n  = 40), and healthy controls ( n  = 31), fulfilling inclusion criteria (incidentally detected anti-HCV positive) and able to provide informed consent were screened and recruited for the study. All these subjects and controls underwent subjective assessment of their quality of life related symptoms, neuropsychometric tests (NPT) and magnetic resonance imaging. The patients were subjected to neuroimaging as well as psychological testing. There was no significant difference in basic laboratory parameters in these two groups. Independent t -test reveals significantly lower neuropsychological functioning as compared to healthy control. A significantly decreased FA values and myoinsitol were observed in HCV subjects on sensory, inferior longitudinal fascicules, and STR fiber bundles as compared to healthy control. Bivariate correlation analysis reveals that neuropsychological scores are significantly positive. Our result show that HCV positive individuals would demonstrate structural brain abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction as well as the changes in cell component and extracellular space in the white matter regions of brain in asymptomatic HCV infection by using DTT metrics.

  12. Functional Neuroanatomical Correlates of The Frontal Assessment Battery Performance in Alzheimer Disease: A FDG-PET Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jun Ho; Byun, Min Soo; Sohn, Bo Kyung; Choe, Young Min; Yi, Dahyun; Han, Ji Young; Choi, Hyo Jung; Baek, Hyewon; Woo, Jong Inn; Lee, Dong Young

    2015-09-01

    We aimed to elucidate the functional neuroanatomical correlates of Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) performances by applying [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to a large population of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). The FAB was administered to 177 patients with AD, and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMglc) was measured by FDG-PET scan. Correlations between FAB scores and rCMglc were explored using both region-of-interest-based (ROI-based) and voxel-based approaches. The ROI-based analysis showed that FAB scores correlated with the rCMglc of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Voxel-based approach revealed significant positive correlations between FAB scores and rCMglc which were in various cortical regions including the temporal and parietal cortices as well as frontal regions, independent of age, gender, and education. After controlling the effect of global disease severity with Mini-Mental State Examination score, significant positive correlation was found only in the bilateral prefrontal regions. Although FAB scores are influenced by temporoparietal dysfunction due to the overall progression of AD, it likely reflects prefrontal dysfunction specifically regardless of global cognitive state or disease severity in patients with AD. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. Visible dormant buds as related to tree diameter and log position

    Science.gov (United States)

    H. Clay Smith

    1967-01-01

    Red oaks and yellow-poplars in a stand of second-growth cove hardwoods in West Virginia were studied to determine whether visible dormant buds are related to tree size or log position. No correlation was found between dormant buds and tree size, for either species; but yellow-poplars had a significantly greater number of buds on the upper log.

  14. Podoplanin Expression Correlates with Disease Progression in Mycosis Fungoides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jankowska-Konsur, Alina; Kobierzycki, Christopher; Grzegrzółka, Jędrzej; Piotrowska, Aleksandra; Gomulkiewicz, Agnieszka; Glatzel-Plucinska, Natalia; Reich, Adam; Podhorska-Okołów, Marzenna; Dzięgiel, Piotr; Szepietowski, Jacek C

    2017-02-08

    The aim of this study was to investigate the role of lymphangiogenesis in the clinical progression and outcome of mycosis fungoides. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques were used to assess the expression of podoplanin and vascular endothelial growth factor C in mycosis fungoides. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C measured by immunohistochemistry was significantly higher in mycosis fungoides samples in comparison with control cases (chronic benign dermatoses) (p = 0.0012). Increased expression of podoplanin was found in advanced vs. early mycosis fungoides (p < 0.0001), and was positively correlated with cutaneous and nodal involvement (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001; respectively). Higher podoplanin expression was also significantly associated with shorter survival (p < 0.001). Strong positive correlation was observed between expression of podoplanin analysed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001). A similar association was shown regarding expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C (r = 0.68, p = 0.0007). In conclusion, these results suggest that increased expression of podoplanin is associated with poor clinical course, as well as shorter survival, of patients with mycosis fungoides.

  15. Correlation of adverse childhood experiences with psychiatric disorders and aggressiveness in adulthood

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    Samardžić Ljiljana

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Consequences of individual adverse childhood experiences for adult mental health have been precisely studied during past decades. The focus of past research was mainly on childhood maltreatment and neglect. The aim of this paper was to determine association between multiple adverse childhood experiences and psychiatric disorders, as well as their correlation to the degree and type of aggressiveness in adult psychiatric patients. Methods. One hundred and thirteen psychiatric outpatients were divided into three diagnostic groups: psychotics, non-psychotics and alcoholics and compared with fourty healthy individuals. Adverse childhood experiences data were gathered retrospectively, using the Adverse childhood experiences questionnaire and explanatory interview. Aggressiveness was assessed using Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The Student's t test, ANOVA and correlational analysis were used for evaluation of statistical significance of differences among the groups. A value p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Our results showed that the mean number of adverse childhood experiences in each group of psychiatric patients, as well as in the whole group of patients, was statistically significantly higher than in the group of healthy individuals (p < 0.001; there was a statistically significant difference in score of physical aggressiveness between the patients exposed to adverse childhood experiences and those who were not exposed to them (p < 0.05; scores of physical aggressiveness were in positive correlation with the number of adverse childhood experiences (p < 0.05. The highest mean score of adverse childhood experiences was evidenced in the group of patients with psychotic disorders. Conclusion. Multiple adverse childhood experiences are significantly associated with psychotic disorders, nonpsychotic disorders and alcohol dependence in adulthood and their presence is important morbidity risk factor for

  16. Dyslipidemia Pattern in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Correlation of Disease Activity

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    Prakash Joshi

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a multi-factorial disease which affects the immune system and ultimately various tissues in the body that typically affects middle-aged individuals. Our objectives were to evaluate prevalence of dyslipidemias and its pattern in RA patients in Central India and correlate dyslipidemia with disease activity. This cross-sectional study was conducted on RA patients at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences and Post Graduate Institute, Indore (M.P. between January 2014 and December 2015. Lipid profiles were determined following 12-hour overnight fasting, and the association of lipid profiles with and disease activity was determined. The maximum number of cases presented in the age group was 41-50(36%. Disease is more prevalent in female population. Maximum number of pateints (34 patients had duration of illness ranged between 1 to 10 years. Most of the patients presented with high disease activity (90%. Total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in female cases as compared to controls. Similar to total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol was significantly higher in female cases as compared to controls. There was no significant difference of HDL, VLDL and TG between cases and controls. Mean lipid profile values were similar in male cases and controls. Positive correlation of DAS-28 (ESR was observed with total cholesterol and LDL levels in female patients only. No correlation of HDL, LDL and triglyceride were observed with DAS- 28 (ESR in both male and female patients. Lipid profiles were similar in both treatment naive and on treatment patients. No significant difference in mean lipid profile values expect HDL was observed in two groups created on the basis of RA factor. A lipid profile value has no positive or negative correlation with duration of illness. [J Contemp Med 2017; 7(2.000: 132-137

  17. Prognostic significance of snail expression in hilar cholangiocarcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kong, Dalu [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Hexi District, Tianjin (China); Liang, Jun [Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province (China); Li, Rong [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Hexi District, Tianjin (China); Liu, Shihai [Department of Laboratory Center, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province (China); Wang, Jigang [Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province (China); Zhang, Kejun; Chen, Dong [Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province (China)

    2012-05-11

    Many patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) have a poor prognosis. Snail, a transcription factor and E-cadherin repressor, is a novel prognostic factor in many cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between snail and E-cadherin protein expression and the prognostic significance of snail expression in HC. We examined the protein expression of snail and E-cadherin in HC tissues from 47 patients (22 males and 25 females, mean age 61.2 years) using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Proliferation rate was also evaluated in the same cases by the MIB1 index. High, low and negative snail protein expression was recorded in 18 (38%), 17 (36%), and 12 (26%) cases, respectively, and 40.4% (19/47) cases showed reduced E-cadherin protein expression in HC samples. No significant correlation was found between snail and E-cadherin protein expression levels (P = 0.056). No significant correlation was found between snail protein expression levels and gender, age, tumor grade, vascular or perineural invasion, nodal metastasis and invasion, or proliferative index. Cancer samples with positive snail protein expression were associated with poor survival compared with the negative expresser groups. Kaplan-Meier curves comparing different snail protein expression levels to survival showed highly significant separation (P < 0.0001, log-rank test). With multivariate analysis, only snail protein expression among all parameters was found to influence survival (P = 0.0003). We suggest that snail expression levels can predict poor survival regardless of pathological features and tumor proliferation. Immunohistochemical detection of snail protein expression levels in routine sections may provide the first biological prognostic marker.

  18. The clinical significances of the abnormal expressions of Piwil1 and Piwil2 in colonic adenoma and adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang HL

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Hai-Ling Wang,1 Bei-Bei Chen,1 Xin-Guang Cao,1 Jin Wang,2 Xiu-Feng Hu,1 Xiao-Qian Mu,1 Xiao-Bing Chen1 1The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China Objective: The objective of the present investigation was to study the clinical significances of the abnormal expressions of Piwil1 and Piwil2 protein in colonic adenoma and adenocarcinoma.Methods: This study had applied immunohistochemical method to detect 45 cases of tissues adjacent to carcinoma (distance to cancerous tissue was above 5 cm, 41 cases of colonic adenoma and 92 cases of colon cancer tissues, and their Piwil1 and Piwil2 protein expression levels.Analysis: The correlation of both expression and its relationship with clinicopathological features of colon cancer was analyzed.Results: Positive expression rates of Piwil1 in tissues adjacent to carcinoma, colonic adenoma, and colon cancer were 11.1% (5/45, 53.7% (22/41, and 80.4% (74/92, respectively; the expression rates increased, and the comparisons between each two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05. In each group, the positive expression rates of Piwil2 were 24.4% (11/45 cases, 75.6% (31/41 cases, and 92.4% (85/92 cases; expression rates increased, and the comparisons between each two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05. Piwil1 expression and the correlation of the degree of differentiation, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis were statistically significant (P<0.05. Piwil2 expression and the correlation of the degree of differentiation, tumor node metastasis (TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis had no statistical significance (P>0.05. In colon cancer tissue, Piwil1 and Piwil2 expressions were positively correlated (r=0.262, P<0.05.Conclusion: The results showed that the abnormal expression of Piwil1 and Piwil2 might play an important role in

  19. A Noise Trimming and Positional Significance of Transposon Insertion System to Identify Essential Genes in Yersinia pestis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zheng Rong; Bullifent, Helen L.; Moore, Karen; Paszkiewicz, Konrad; Saint, Richard J.; Southern, Stephanie J.; Champion, Olivia L.; Senior, Nicola J.; Sarkar-Tyson, Mitali; Oyston, Petra C. F.; Atkins, Timothy P.; Titball, Richard W.

    2017-02-01

    Massively parallel sequencing technology coupled with saturation mutagenesis has provided new and global insights into gene functions and roles. At a simplistic level, the frequency of mutations within genes can indicate the degree of essentiality. However, this approach neglects to take account of the positional significance of mutations - the function of a gene is less likely to be disrupted by a mutation close to the distal ends. Therefore, a systematic bioinformatics approach to improve the reliability of essential gene identification is desirable. We report here a parametric model which introduces a novel mutation feature together with a noise trimming approach to predict the biological significance of Tn5 mutations. We show improved performance of essential gene prediction in the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. This method would have broad applicability to other organisms and to the identification of genes which are essential for competitiveness or survival under a broad range of stresses.

  20. Microembolic signal monitoring and the prediction of thromboembolic events following coil embolization of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: diffusion-weighted imaging correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Jae-Hoon; Park, Jaechan; Kang, Dong-Hun; Kim, Yong-Won; Kim, Yong-Sun

    2015-01-01

    Microembolic signal (MES) monitoring with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) may allow for early prediction of thromboembolisms following endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). However, the method has not gained widespread use and may benefit from correlation with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of acute ischemic lesions after coiling. This purposed to evaluate the relationship between MESs and DWI-positive lesions more precisely. We conducted a prospective study on 45 consecutive patients. TCD was performed over the artery that is dependent on the site of aneurysm, but seven patients (15.6 %) could not be examined due to the lack of an adequate cranial window. Consequently, 38 patients were available to detect MESs immediately (MES-1) and 24 h (MES-2) after coiling for UIAs. We also checked DWI 1 day after the coiling and analyzed correlations between the TCD and DWI findings. MES-1 and MES-2 were positive in 25 (65.7 %) and 14 (36.8 %) patients, respectively. DWI-positive lesions were seen in 20 (52.6 %) patients, and only 1 (2.6 %) patient was symptomatic. MES-1 and MES-2 were strongly correlated with the number of DWI-positive lesions (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.79 and 0.70, P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between MES-1 and MES-2 (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.70). Based upon the significant correlation between MES and DWI findings, MES may have a role for early detection of ischemic complications after coiling of UIAs. In addition, future study for further validation with clinical application seems requiring. (orig.)

  1. Correlation of adolescents' self-concept and self-esteem with some unwholesome behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Marčič

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to investigate the correlations between self-image, self-esteem and some unwholesome behavior (alcohol consumption, cigarette and marihuana smoking, overeating at a meal, television watching and computer use in spare time in Slovenian adolescents. We used Offer Self-image Questionnaire for adolescents, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Unwholesome behaviour Questionnaire that was made for the purpose of this research. In the research 392 high school students participated, aged around 15 and 18 years, approximately evenly represented by gender and age. Data was attained in class groups. The results showed low, but statistically significant correlations between some self-concept areas and unwholesome behavior. The highest correlations emerged between the sexual attitudes and all unwholesome behavior. Students with more positive sexual self-concept behave unhealthier. Family self, morals and vocational-educational goals were significantly negatively correlated with most of unwholesome behavior, which suggests that individuals with better family, moral and academic self-concept behave healthier. Significant negative correlations emerged also with coping self: individuals with better self-concept in mastery of the external world and superior adjustment behaved healthier. None of the unwholesome behavior correlated with self-esteem. Results are mainly consistent with previous studies, but also contribute to new comprehensions in psychological theory and practice.

  2. Intercorporate Security Event Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. O. Kovalev

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Security controls are prone to false positives and false negatives which can lead to unwanted reputation losses for the bank. The reputational database within the security operations center (SOC and intercorporate correlation of security events are offered as a solution to increase attack detection fidelity. The theses introduce the definition and structure of the reputation, architectures of reputational exchange and the place of intercorporate correlation in overall SOC correlation analysis.

  3. Are the memories of older adults positively biased?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Myra; Ross, Michael; Wiegand, Melanie; Schryer, Emily

    2008-06-01

    There is disagreement in the literature about whether a "positivity effect" in memory performance exists in older adults. To assess the generalizability of the effect, the authors examined memory for autobiographical, picture, and word information in a group of younger (17-29 years old) and older (60-84 years old) adults. For the autobiographical memory task, the authors asked participants to produce 4 positive, 4 negative, and 4 neutral recent autobiographical memories and to recall these a week later. For the picture and word tasks, participants studied photos or words of different valences (positive, negative, neutral) and later remembered them on a free-recall test. The authors found significant correlations in memory performance, across task material, for recall of both positive and neutral valence autobiographical events, pictures, and words. When the authors examined accurate memories, they failed to find consistent evidence, across the different types of material, of a positivity effect in either age group. However, the false memory findings offer more consistent support for a positivity effect in older adults. During recall of all 3 types of material, older participants recalled more false positive than false negative memories.

  4. Influence of degree correlations on network structure and stability in protein-protein interaction networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zimmer Ralf

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The existence of negative correlations between degrees of interacting proteins is being discussed since such negative degree correlations were found for the large-scale yeast protein-protein interaction (PPI network of Ito et al. More recent studies observed no such negative correlations for high-confidence interaction sets. In this article, we analyzed a range of experimentally derived interaction networks to understand the role and prevalence of degree correlations in PPI networks. We investigated how degree correlations influence the structure of networks and their tolerance against perturbations such as the targeted deletion of hubs. Results For each PPI network, we simulated uncorrelated, positively and negatively correlated reference networks. Here, a simple model was developed which can create different types of degree correlations in a network without changing the degree distribution. Differences in static properties associated with degree correlations were compared by analyzing the network characteristics of the original PPI and reference networks. Dynamics were compared by simulating the effect of a selective deletion of hubs in all networks. Conclusion Considerable differences between the network types were found for the number of components in the original networks. Negatively correlated networks are fragmented into significantly less components than observed for positively correlated networks. On the other hand, the selective deletion of hubs showed an increased structural tolerance to these deletions for the positively correlated networks. This results in a lower rate of interaction loss in these networks compared to the negatively correlated networks and a decreased disintegration rate. Interestingly, real PPI networks are most similar to the randomly correlated references with respect to all properties analyzed. Thus, although structural properties of networks can be modified considerably by degree

  5. Brain correlates of progressive olfactory loss in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campabadal, Anna; Uribe, Carme; Segura, Barbara; Baggio, Hugo C; Abos, Alexandra; Garcia-Diaz, Anna Isabel; Marti, Maria Jose; Valldeoriola, Francesc; Compta, Yaroslau; Bargallo, Nuria; Junque, Carme

    2017-08-01

    Olfactory dysfunction is present in a large proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) upon diagnosis. However, its progression over time has been poorly investigated. The few available longitudinal studies lack control groups or MRI data. To investigate the olfactory changes and their structural correlates in non-demented PD over a four-year follow-up. We assessed olfactory function in a sample of 25 PD patients and 24 normal controls of similar age using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification test (UPSIT). Structural magnetic resonance imaging data, obtained with a 3-T Siemens Trio scanner, were analyzed using FreeSurfer software. Analysis of variance showed significant group (F = 53.882; P effects, but the group-by-time interaction was not statistically significant. UPSIT performance declined ≥1.5 standard deviations in 5 controls and 7 patients. Change in UPSIT scores of patients correlated positively with volume change in the left putamen, right thalamus, and right caudate nucleus. Olfactory loss over time in PD and controls is similar, but we have observed significant correlation between this loss and basal ganglia volumes only in patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Relationship of condylar position to disc position and morphology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Incesu, L.; Taskaya-Yilmaz, N. E-mail: nergizy@omu.edu.tr; Oeguetcen-Toller, M.; Uzun, E

    2004-09-01

    Introduction/objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether condylar position, as depicted by magnetic resonance imaging, was an indicator of disc morphology and position. Methods and material: One hundred and twenty two TMJs of 61 patients with temporomandibular joint disorder were examined. Condylar position, disc deformity and degree of anterior disc displacement were evaluated by using magnetic resonance imaging. Results and discussion: Posterior condyle position was found to be the main feature of temporomandibular joints with slight and moderate anterior disc displacement. No statistical significance was found between the condylar position, and reducing and nonreducing disc positions. On the other hand, superior disc position was found to be statistically significant for centric condylar position. Conclusion: It was concluded that posterior condyle position could indicate anterior disc displacement whereas there was no relation between the position of condyle and the disc deformity.

  7. Correlation of tomographic findings with pulmonary function parameters in nonsmoking patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, Agnaldo Jose; Capone, Domenico; Mogami, Roberto; Jansen, Jose Manoel .E mail: phel.lop@uol.com.br; Cunha, Daniel Leme da; Melo, Pedro Lopes de

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To correlate tomographic findings with pulmonary function parameters in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 30 nonsmoking patients with IPF were evaluated. Using a semiquantitative scoring system, the following high-resolution computerized tomography findings were quantified: total interstitial disease (TID), reticular abnormality/honeycombing, and ground-glass opacity (GGO). The functional variables were measured by spirometry, forced oscillation technique (FOT), helium dilution method, as well as the single-breath method of measuring diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Results: Of the 30 patients studied, 18 were female, and 12 were male, with a mean age of 70.9 years. We found that TID and reticular abnormality and honeycombing correlated significantly (negative correlations) with the measurements of forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity (TLC), DLCO, and dynamic respiratory compliance were found, as well as that GGO correlated significantly (and positively) with residual volume/TLC. The ratio of forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC to FVC (FEF25-75%/FVC) correlated positively with TID, reticular abnormality/honeycombing, and GGO. Conclusion: In IPF patients, the measurements of volume, diffusion, and dynamic compliance are the physiological variables which best reflect the extent of the interstitial disease on HRCT scans. (author)

  8. Correlation of tomographic findings with pulmonary function parameters in nonsmoking patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopes, Agnaldo Jose; Capone, Domenico; Mogami, Roberto; Jansen, Jose Manoel [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). School of Medical Sciences].E mail: phel.lop@uol.com.br; Cunha, Daniel Leme da [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Pedro Ernesto University Hospital. Dept. of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging; Melo, Pedro Lopes de [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. of Biology

    2007-11-15

    Objective: To correlate tomographic findings with pulmonary function parameters in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 30 nonsmoking patients with IPF were evaluated. Using a semiquantitative scoring system, the following high-resolution computerized tomography findings were quantified: total interstitial disease (TID), reticular abnormality/honeycombing, and ground-glass opacity (GGO). The functional variables were measured by spirometry, forced oscillation technique (FOT), helium dilution method, as well as the single-breath method of measuring diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Results: Of the 30 patients studied, 18 were female, and 12 were male, with a mean age of 70.9 years. We found that TID and reticular abnormality and honeycombing correlated significantly (negative correlations) with the measurements of forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity (TLC), DLCO, and dynamic respiratory compliance were found, as well as that GGO correlated significantly (and positively) with residual volume/TLC. The ratio of forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC to FVC (FEF25-75%/FVC) correlated positively with TID, reticular abnormality/honeycombing, and GGO. Conclusion: In IPF patients, the measurements of volume, diffusion, and dynamic compliance are the physiological variables which best reflect the extent of the interstitial disease on HRCT scans. (author)

  9. The mammographic correlations of a new immunohistochemical classification of invasive breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taneja, S. [Nottingham Breast Institute, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB (United Kingdom)], E-mail: sheeba_taneja@yahoo.co.uk; Evans, A.J. [Nottingham Breast Institute, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB (United Kingdom); Rakha, E.A.; Green, A.R. [Division of Pathology, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Ball, G. [Nottingham Trent University, School of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Ellis, I.O. [Division of Pathology, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

    2008-11-15

    Aim: Recent protein expression profiling of breast cancer has identified specific subtypes with clinical, biological, and therapeutic implications. The aim of this study was to identify the mammographic correlates of these novel molecular classes of invasive breast cancer. Materials and methods: The mammographic findings of 415 patients with operable breast cancer were correlated with the previously described protein expression classes identified by our group using immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of a large series of breast cancer cases prepared as tissue microarrays (TMAs). Twenty-five proteins of known relevance in breast cancer were assessed, including hormone receptors, HER-2 status, basal and luminal markers, p53 expression, and E-cadherin. Results: The mammographic background pattern and proportion of lesions that were mammographically occult were similar in all groups. Groups characterized by luminal and hormone receptor positivity had significantly more spiculate lesions at mammography. Groups characterized by HER-2 overexpression, basal characteristics, and E-cadherin positivity had a significantly higher proportion of ill-defined masses. These findings were independent of histological grade. Conclusion: The mammographic features of breast cancer show significant correlation with molecular classes of invasive breast cancer identified by protein expression IHC analysis. The biological reasons for the findings and implications of these regarding imaging protocols require further study and may provide mechanisms for improvement of detection of these lesions.

  10. Elevation in D-dimer concentrations is positively correlated with gestation in normal uncomplicated pregnancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremiah ZA

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Zaccheaus A Jeremiah,1 Teddy C Adias,2 Margaret Opiah,3 Siyeoforiye P George,4 Osaro Mgbere,5 Ekere J Essien61Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Nigeria; 2Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Ogbia-Town, Nigeria; 3Department of Maternal and Child Health, Faculty of Nursing, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Nigeria; 4Postgraduate Hematology Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; 5Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Houston, TX, USA; 6Institute of Community Health, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USABackground: D-dimer levels have been reported to increase progressively during pregnancy, but how this affects Nigerian women is not well known.Objective: This study aims to determine the D-dimer concentration and its relationship to other coagulation parameters among pregnant women in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Method: In a cross-sectional observational study conducted in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 120 pregnant women and 60 nonpregnant controls, drawn from a tertiary health institution in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, were assessed, using the standard procedures, for the following parameters: D-dimer concentration, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume.Results: The median D-dimer concentration of 153.1 ng/mL in the pregnant group was found to be significantly elevated when compared with the control value of 118.5 ng/mL (t = 2.348, P = 0.021. Conversely, there was a marked depression in the platelet count among pregnant women (193.5 × 109/L when compared with 229.0 × 109/L in the control group (t = 3.424; P = 0.001. There was no statistically significant difference in the values for the prothrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time between pregnant and nonpregnant women. D-dimer values correlated positively and significantly with gestation (r = 0

  11. Correlation between the Professional Qualities and Effectivnessin SocialInterrelationsSpheres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. V. Vlaskina

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the correlation between the employees’ significant professional characteristics and the effectiveness of their performance in social spheres implying interpersonal relations. The representatives of different social sectors were surveyed including the managers of different levels in education, health care and social services. The research methods combine the test-questionnaires by V. V. Stolin, S. R. Panteleyev, R. Shvartser, M. Yerusalem, B. Romek V. M. Morosanova, R. R. Sagiev, as well as the author’s questionnaire for evaluating the professional effectiveness level. The research findings reveal the statistically significant correlation between professional effectiveness in the given spheres and stress resistance, social courage, tolerance to uncertainty, social-communication skills, positive self-attitude, absence of self-condemnation and failures avoidance. However, in other aspects the correlation between the professional levels and competences differ depending on the professional spheres. In author’s opinion, the research outcomes need some additional consideration and investigation. 

  12. The Physical Significance of the Synthetic Running Correlation Coefficient and Its Applications in Oceanic and Atmospheric Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jinping; Cao, Yong; Wang, Xin

    2018-06-01

    In order to study the temporal variations of correlations between two time series, a running correlation coefficient (RCC) could be used. An RCC is calculated for a given time window, and the window is then moved sequentially through time. The current calculation method for RCCs is based on the general definition of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, calculated with the data within the time window, which we call the local running correlation coefficient (LRCC). The LRCC is calculated via the two anomalies corresponding to the two local means, meanwhile, the local means also vary. It is cleared up that the LRCC reflects only the correlation between the two anomalies within the time window but fails to exhibit the contributions of the two varying means. To address this problem, two unchanged means obtained from all available data are adopted to calculate an RCC, which is called the synthetic running correlation coefficient (SRCC). When the anomaly variations are dominant, the two RCCs are similar. However, when the variations of the means are dominant, the difference between the two RCCs becomes obvious. The SRCC reflects the correlations of both the anomaly variations and the variations of the means. Therefore, the SRCCs from different time points are intercomparable. A criterion for the superiority of the RCC algorithm is that the average value of the RCC should be close to the global correlation coefficient calculated using all data. The SRCC always meets this criterion, while the LRCC sometimes fails. Therefore, the SRCC is better than the LRCC for running correlations. We suggest using the SRCC to calculate the RCCs.

  13. Induced sterility in petunia correlation between pollen and ovule fertilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, I.S.

    1976-01-01

    An estimation of ovular fertility in petunia was carried out in order to show an eventual correlation between pollen and ovule fertilities. Two lines, TL-h 1 and Sf-1a, their F 1 hybrid and some pollen sterile plants isolated in M 1 after mutagenic treatments were vegetatively maintained in greenhouse. Data pollen fertility, number of ovules per ovary and number of seeds per capsule were obtained from each genotype. The ovule fertility was calculated as follows: mean number of seeds per capsule/mean number of ovules per ovary x 100. The analysis of variance detected: a highly significance variance component among genotypes, a highly significant differences between the sexes, and, a highly significant genotypes x sexes interaction. A highly significant positive correlation coefficient was found between pollen and ovule fertilities. Thus, it can be concluded that pollen and ovule fertilities may be affected in the same direction in the different mutant clones studied, but in a different manner from genotype to genotype [fr

  14. Absolute choline concentration measured by quantitative proton MR spectroscopy correlates with cell density in meningioma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yue, Qiang [University of Tsukuba, Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki (Japan)]|[West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, Chengdu (China); Shibata, Yasushi; Kawamura, Hiraku; Matsumura, Akira [University of Tsukuba, Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki (Japan); Isobe, Tomonori [Kitasato University, Department of Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Minato, Tokyo (Japan); Anno, Izumi [University of Tsukuba, Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Gong, Qi-Yong [West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, Chengdu (China)]|[University of Liverpool, Division of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Liverpool (United Kingdom)

    2009-01-15

    This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and pathological changes in meningioma. Twenty-two meningioma cases underwent single voxel 1H-MRS (point-resolved spectroscopy sequence, repetition time/echo time = 2,000 ms/68, 136, 272 ms). Absolute choline (Cho) concentration was calculated using tissue water as the internal reference and corrected according to intra-voxel cystic/necrotic parts. Pathological specimens were stained with MIB-1 antibody to measure cell density and proliferation index. Correlation analysis was performed between absolute Cho concentration and cell density and MIB-1 labeled proliferation index. Average Cho concentration of all meningiomas before correction was 2.95 {+-} 0.86 mmol/kg wet weight. It was increased to 3.23 {+-} 1.15 mmol/kg wet weight after correction. Average cell density of all meningiomas was 333 {+-} 119 cells/HPF, and average proliferation index was 2.93 {+-} 5.72%. A linear, positive correlation between cell density and Cho concentration was observed (r = 0.650, P = 0.001). After correction of Cho concentration, the correlation became more significant (r = 0.737, P < 0.001). However, no significant correlation between Cho concentration and proliferation index was found. There seemed to be a positive correlation trend after correction of Cho concentration but did not reach significant level. Absolute Cho concentration, especially Cho concentration corrected according to intra-voxel cystic/necrotic parts, reflects cell density of meningioma. (orig.)

  15. Positive relationship detected between soil bioaccessible organic pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes at dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Mingming; Ye, Mao; Wu, Jun; Feng, Yanfang; Wan, Jinzhong; Tian, Da; Shen, Fangyuan; Liu, Kuan; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin; Jiang, Xin; Yang, Linzhang; Kengara, Fredrick Orori

    2015-01-01

    Co-contaminated soils by organic pollutants (OPs), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been becoming an emerging problem. However, it is unclear if an interaction exists between mixed pollutants and ARG abundance. Therefore, the potential relationship between OP contents and ARG and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) abundance was investigated from seven dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China. Phenanthrene, pentachlorophenol, sulfadiazine, roxithromycin, associated ARG genes, and intI1 had the highest detection frequencies. Correlation analysis suggested a stronger positive relationship between the ARG abundance and the bioaccessible OP content than the total OP content. Additionally, the significant correlation between the bioaccessible mixed pollutant contents and ARG/intI1 abundance suggested a direct/indirect impact of the bioaccessible mixed pollutants on soil ARG dissemination. This study provided a preliminary understanding of the interaction between mixed pollutants and ARGs in co-contaminated soils. - Highlights: • Coexistence of OPs, antibiotics, and ARGs in dairy farm soils was ubiquitous. • Bioaccessible pollutants exhibited positive correlation with ARG abundance. • ARGs significantly correlated with intI1. • Bioaccessible pollutants demonstrated strong correlation with intI1. • The intI1 gene might serve as a potential proxy for mixed pollution. - Coexistence of mixed OPs and ARGs in dairy farm soils was ubiquitous; a positive correlation can be found between the bioaccessible OP fractions and ARG/intI1 abundance.

  16. High serum coenzyme Q10, positively correlated with age, selenium and cholesterol in Inuit of Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Henning Sloth; Mortensen, S.A.; Rhode, M.

    1999-01-01

    impact. From a health survey we chose the subpopulation from the most remote area, where the traditional Greenlandic diet with high intake of sea mammals and fish predominates. The mean (SD) of S-CoQ10 in males was 1.495 (0.529) nmol/ml and 1.421 (0.629) nmol/ml in females, significantly higher (p ....001) compared to a Danish population. In a linear multiple regression model the S-CoQ10 level is significantly positively associated with age and S-selenium in males, and S-total cholesterol in females. The high level of CoQ10 in Greenlanders probably reflects diet, since no bioaccumulation takes place...

  17. The prognostic significance of the immunohistochemical expression of P53 and BCL-2 in endometrial cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lech Chyczewski

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to verify the frequency of P53 and BCL-2 immunohistochemical expression in 98 patients with endometrial carcinoma, and to correlate it with clinical stage and patient survival. A significant difference was found regarding the frequency of P53 expression when comparing type I and II tumors (23.7% and 54.5%, respectively; p = 0.006. A positive correlation was observed between P53 immunoexpression and patient survival in type I and II tumors (p = 0.009 and p = 0.036, respectively. BCL-2 expression was significantly more frequent in early clinical stages in both types of endometrial cancer (p < 0.001 and 0.002 and correlated with a decrease in overall survival in type I endometrial cancer (p = 0.014. Thus, the prognostic value of these biomarkers in endometrial cancer needs to be further investigated. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 631–635

  18. A strong response to selection on mass-independent maximal metabolic rate without a correlated response in basal metabolic rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wone, B W M; Madsen, P; Donovan, E R; Labocha, M K; Sears, M W; Downs, C J; Sorensen, D A; Hayes, J P

    2015-04-01

    Metabolic rates are correlated with many aspects of ecology, but how selection on different aspects of metabolic rates affects their mutual evolution is poorly understood. Using laboratory mice, we artificially selected for high maximal mass-independent metabolic rate (MMR) without direct selection on mass-independent basal metabolic rate (BMR). Then we tested for responses to selection in MMR and correlated responses to selection in BMR. In other lines, we antagonistically selected for mice with a combination of high mass-independent MMR and low mass-independent BMR. All selection protocols and data analyses included body mass as a covariate, so effects of selection on the metabolic rates are mass adjusted (that is, independent of effects of body mass). The selection lasted eight generations. Compared with controls, MMR was significantly higher (11.2%) in lines selected for increased MMR, and BMR was slightly, but not significantly, higher (2.5%). Compared with controls, MMR was significantly higher (5.3%) in antagonistically selected lines, and BMR was slightly, but not significantly, lower (4.2%). Analysis of breeding values revealed no positive genetic trend for elevated BMR in high-MMR lines. A weak positive genetic correlation was detected between MMR and BMR. That weak positive genetic correlation supports the aerobic capacity model for the evolution of endothermy in the sense that it fails to falsify a key model assumption. Overall, the results suggest that at least in these mice there is significant capacity for independent evolution of metabolic traits. Whether that is true in the ancestral animals that evolved endothermy remains an important but unanswered question.

  19. Plasma adiponectin levels correlate positively with an increasing number of components of frailty in male elders.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaw-Shiun Tsai

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Frailty is an important geriatric syndrome. Adiponectin is an important adipokine that regulates energy homeostasis. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between plasma adiponectin levels and frailty in elders. METHODS: The demographic data, body weight, metabolic and inflammatory parameters, including plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, c-reactive protein (CRP and adiponectin levels, were assessed. The frailty score was assessed using the Fried Frailty Index (FFI. RESULTS: The mean (SD age of the 168 participants [83 (49.4% men and 85 (50.6% women] was 76.86 (6.10 years. Judged by the FFI score, 42 (25% elders were robust, 92 (54.7% were pre-frail, and 34 (20.3% were frail. The mean body mass index was 25.19 (3.42 kg/m(2. The log-transformed mean (SD plasma adiponectin (µg/mL level was 1.00 (0.26. The log-transformed mean plasma adiponectin (µg/mL levels were 0.93 (0.23 in the robust elders, 1.00 (0.27 in the pre-frail elders, and 1.10 (0.22 in the frail elders, and the differences between these values were statistically significant (p  = 0.012. Further analysis showed that plasma adiponectin levels rose progressively with an increasing number of components of frailty in all participants as a whole (p for trend  = 0.024 and males (p for trend  = 0.037, but not in females (p for trend  = 0.223. CONCLUSION: Plasma adiponectin levels correlate positively with an increasing number of components of frailty in male elders. The difference between the sexes suggests that certain sex-specific mechanisms may exist to affect the association between adiponectin levels and frailty.

  20. Whole-body computed tomography in trauma patients: optimization of the patient scanning position significantly shortens examination time while maintaining diagnostic image quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hickethier T

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Tilman Hickethier,1,* Kamal Mammadov,1,* Bettina Baeßler,1 Thorsten Lichtenstein,1 Jochen Hinkelbein,2 Lucy Smith,3 Patrick Sven Plum,4 Seung-Hun Chon,4 David Maintz,1 De-Hua Chang1 1Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; 2Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; 3Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada; 4Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The study was conducted to compare examination time and artifact vulnerability of whole-body computed tomographies (wbCTs for trauma patients using conventional or optimized patient positioning. Patients and methods: Examination time was measured in 100 patients scanned with conventional protocol (Group A: arms positioned alongside the body for head and neck imaging and over the head for trunk imaging and 100 patients scanned with optimized protocol (Group B: arms flexed on a chest pillow without repositioning. Additionally, influence of two different scanning protocols on image quality in the most relevant body regions was assessed by two blinded readers. Results: Total wbCT duration was about 35% or 3:46 min shorter in B than in A. Artifacts in aorta (27 vs 6%, liver (40 vs 8% and spleen (27 vs 5% occurred significantly more often in B than in A. No incident of non-diagnostic image quality was reported, and no significant differences for lungs and spine were found. Conclusion: An optimized wbCT positioning protocol for trauma patients allows a significant reduction of examination time while still maintaining diagnostic image quality. Keywords: CT scan, polytrauma, acute care, time requirement, positioning

  1. Significance of β-tubulin Expression in Breast Premalignant Lesions and Carcinomas

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yuxia Gao; Yun Niu; Xiumin Ding; Yong Yu

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To explore the expression of β-tubulin in premalignant lesions and carcinomas of the breast, and to observe the relationship of its expression with breast cancer pathological features.METHODS The expression of β-tubulin was detected immunohistochemically in 50 specimens of premalignant lesions of the breast (ADH and Peri-PM with ADH), 50 specimens of breast in situ ductal carcinomas (DCIS), and 50 specimens of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC). Thirty specimens of normal breast tissues served as a control group.RESULTS Immunohistochemical analysis showed that: the differences among the 4 groups (normal breast tissues, breast premalignant lesions, DCIS and IDC, P < 0.05) were significant,and there were also statistically significant differences between any 2 groups (P < 0.05) except for the β-tubulin positive expression comparing DCIS versus IDC (P > 0.05). In addition, β-tubulin was expressed at a higher level in Peri-PM with ADH compared to ADH (P < 0.05). Following the degree of breast epithelial hyperplasia involved, and its development into carcinoma, the β-tubulin positive expression displayed an elevating tendency.We also found a significant positive relationship of β-tubulin expression with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), but no significant correlation with histological grading and nuclear grade.CONCLUSION Centrosome defects may be an early event in the development of breast cancer and they can also promote tumor progression. Studies of aberrations of centrosomal proteins provide a new way to explore the mechanism of breast tumorigenesis.

  2. Circulating prolactin level in systemic lupus erythematosus and its correlation with disease activity: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, G G; Lee, Y H

    2017-10-01

    Objective This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between circulating prolactin level and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to establish a correlation between plasma/serum prolactin levels and SLE activity. Methods We performed a meta-analysis comparing the plasma/serum prolactin levels in patients with SLE to controls, and examined correlation coefficients between circulating prolactin level and SLE disease activity. Results Twenty-five studies with a total of 1056 SLE patients and 426 controls were included. Prolactin levels were significantly higher overall in the SLE group than in the control group (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.987, 95% CI = 0.512-1.463, p = 4.7 × 10 -5 ). Stratification by ethnicity showed significantly elevated prolactin levels in the SLE group in Asian, Latin American, and mixed populations (SMD = 0.813, 95% CI = 0.137-1.490, p = 0.018; SMD = 0.981, 95% CI = 0.307-1.655, p = 0.004; SMD = 1.469, 95% CI = 0.443-2.495, p = 0.005, respectively), but not in the European population. Subgroup analysis by sample size showed significantly higher prolactin levels in the SLE group by small ( n  30). Meta-analysis of correlation coefficients showed a significantly positive correlation between circulating prolactin level and SLE activity (correlation coefficient = 0.379, 95% CI = 0.026-0.487, p = 4.0 × 10 -9 ). Circulating prolactin levels were positively associated with SLE activity in European, Asian, and mixed populations (SMD = 0.532, 95% CI = 0.443-0.609  p < 1.0 × 10 -8 ; SMD = 0.427, 95% CI = 0.240-0.583, p = 2.4 × 10 -5 ; SMD = 0.433, 95% CI = 0.212-0.591, p = 2.7 × 10 -5 , respectively). Conclusions Our meta-analysis demonstrated that circulating prolactin levels are higher in patients with SLE, and that a significantly positive correlation exists between prolactin levels and SLE activity.

  3. EXPRESSION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ERK PROTEIN IN HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMA

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张秀梅; 李柏林; 宋敏; 宋继谒

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the expression of ERK and p-ERK protein in human breast cancer and their corresponding tissue, to assess the significance of ERK signal pathway in tumorigenesis and progression of breast carcinoma. Methods: 40 breast cancer cases were used in S-P immunohistochemistry technique and Western Blot study. Results: The expression of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK protein levels increased remarkably in breast cancer tissues in comparison to normal tissues (P<0.01). The expression was upregulated by 1.32-, 1.53-and 4.27-fold, respectively. The overexpressions of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK proteins were obviously correlated with clinical stage of breast cancer. Protein levels of ERK and p-ERK were higher in stage III patients than in stage I and stage II patients (P<0.05). These proteins were strongly related with axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, but not correlated with histopathological type and status of ER and PR of breast cancer. Expression of ERK1, and ERK2, protein showed a positive linear correlation. Conclusion: ERK signal transduction pathway is a key factor during human breast tumorigenesis and breast cancer progression.

  4. Genotypic Variability of the Components and their Effects on the Rice Yield: Correlation and Path Analysis Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharkhawat Hossain

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Twenty modern Boro rice varieties were evaluated with a view to find variability and genetic association for grain yield and yield components characters. Genotypic and Phenotypic correlation among these characters were computed. Both genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients were significant between plant height and number of effective tillers per plant followed by panicle length. There was a positive significant correlation between yield and number of effective tillers per plant followed by percent filled grain per panicle. Path coefficient showed that number of effective tiller per plant and plant height are the characters that contribute largely to grain yield.

  5. Alexithymia Components Are Differentially Related to Explicit Negative Affect But Not Associated with Explicit Positive Affect or Implicit Affectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suslow, Thomas; Donges, Uta-Susan

    2017-01-01

    Alexithymia represents a multifaceted personality construct defined by difficulties in recognizing and verbalizing emotions and externally oriented thinking. According to clinical observations, experience of negative affects is exacerbated and experience of positive affects is decreased in alexithymia. Findings from research based on self-report indicate that all alexithymia facets are negatively associated with the experience of positive affects, whereas difficulties identifying and describing feelings are related to heightened negative affect. Implicit affectivity, which can be measured using indirect assessment methods, relates to processes of the impulsive system. The aim of the present study was to examine, for the first time, the relations between alexithymia components and implicit and explicit positive and negative affectivity in healthy adults. The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were administered to two hundred and forty-one healthy individuals along with measures of depression and trait anxiety. Difficulties identifying feelings were correlated with explicit negative trait affect, depressive mood and trait anxiety. Difficulties describing feelings showed smaller but also significant correlations with depressive mood and trait anxiety but were not correlated with explicit state or trait affect as assessed by the PANAS. Externally oriented thinking was not significantly correlated with any of the implicit and explicit affect measures. According to our findings, an externally oriented, concrete way of thinking appears to be generally unrelated to dispositions to develop positive or negative affects. Difficulties identifying feelings seem to be associated with increased conscious negative affects but not with a heightened disposition to develop negative affects at an automatic response level.

  6. Alexithymia Components Are Differentially Related to Explicit Negative Affect But Not Associated with Explicit Positive Affect or Implicit Affectivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Suslow

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Alexithymia represents a multifaceted personality construct defined by difficulties in recognizing and verbalizing emotions and externally oriented thinking. According to clinical observations, experience of negative affects is exacerbated and experience of positive affects is decreased in alexithymia. Findings from research based on self-report indicate that all alexithymia facets are negatively associated with the experience of positive affects, whereas difficulties identifying and describing feelings are related to heightened negative affect. Implicit affectivity, which can be measured using indirect assessment methods, relates to processes of the impulsive system. The aim of the present study was to examine, for the first time, the relations between alexithymia components and implicit and explicit positive and negative affectivity in healthy adults. The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS were administered to two hundred and forty-one healthy individuals along with measures of depression and trait anxiety. Difficulties identifying feelings were correlated with explicit negative trait affect, depressive mood and trait anxiety. Difficulties describing feelings showed smaller but also significant correlations with depressive mood and trait anxiety but were not correlated with explicit state or trait affect as assessed by the PANAS. Externally oriented thinking was not significantly correlated with any of the implicit and explicit affect measures. According to our findings, an externally oriented, concrete way of thinking appears to be generally unrelated to dispositions to develop positive or negative affects. Difficulties identifying feelings seem to be associated with increased conscious negative affects but not with a heightened disposition to develop negative affects at an automatic response level.

  7. A Quantitative Analysis for the Correlation Between Corporate Financial and Social Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wafaa Salah

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the corporate social performance (CSP is not less important than the corporate financial performance (CFP. Debate still exists about the nature of the relationship between the CSP and CFP, whether it is a positive, negative or a neutral correlation. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR reports and CFP. The study uses the accounting-based and market-based quantitative measures to quantify the financial performance of seven organizations listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange in 2007-2014. Then uses the information retrieval technologies to quantify the contribution of each of the three dimensions of the corporate social responsibility report (environmental, social and economic. Finally, the correlation between these two sets of variables is viewed together in a model to detect the correlations between them. This model is applied on seven firms that generate social responsibility reports. The results show a positive correlation between the Earnings per share (market-based measure and the economical dimension in the CSR report. On the other hand, total assets and property, plant and equipment (accounting-based measure are positively correlated to the environmental and social dimensions of the CSR reports. While there is not any significant relationship between ROA, ROE, Operating income and corporate social responsibility. This study contributes to the literature by providing more clarification of the relationship between CFP and the isolated CSR activities in a developing country.

  8. Regional cerebral metabolic correlates of WASO during NREM sleep in insomnia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nofzinger, Eric A; Nissen, Christoph; Germain, Anne; Moul, Douglas; Hall, Martica; Price, Julie C; Miewald, Jean M; Buysse, Daniel J

    2006-07-15

    To investigate the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep-related regional cerebral metabolic correlates of wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) in patients with primary insomnia. Fifteen patients who met DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia completed 1-week sleep diary (subjective) and polysomnographic (objective) assessments of WASO and regional cerebral glucose metabolic assessments during NREM sleep using [18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography. Whole-brain voxel-by-voxel correlations, as well as region of interest analyses, were performed between subjective and objective WASO and relative regional cerebral metabolism using the statistical software SPM2. Subjective WASO was significantly greater than objective WASO, but the 2 measures were positively correlated. Objective WASO correlated positively with the percentage of stage 2 sleep and negatively with the percentage of stages 3 and 4 sleep. Both subjective and objective WASO positively correlated with NREM sleep-related cerebral glucose metabolism in the pontine tegmentum and in thalamocortical networks in a frontal, anterior temporal, and anterior cingulate distribution. Increased relative metabolism in these brain regions during NREM sleep in patients with insomnia is associated with increased WASO measured either subjectively or objectively. These effects are related to the lighter sleep stages of patients with more WASO and may result from increased activity in arousal systems during sleep and or to activity in higher-order cognitive processes related to goal-directed behavior, conflict monitoring, emotional awareness, anxiety, and fear. Such changes may decrease arousal thresholds and/or increase perceptions of wakefulness in insomnia.

  9. Significance of changes of serum NSE and CEA levels in patients with pneumonia and malignant tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Hengguo; Luo Nanping; Wang Ruishan; Bai Lu

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the significance of changes of serum NSE and CEA levels in patients with pneumonia and malignant tumors. Methods: Serum NSE (with RIA) and CEA (with ECLIA) levels in patients with pneumonia or various kinds of malignant tumors (altogether 140 patients) and 32 controls. Results: Serum NSE and CEA levels were significantly higher in patients with lung cancer, gastric cancer, renal cancer, brain tumor and pneumonia than those in the controls (P<0.05,P <0. 05 ,P <0. 01, P<0.01, P<0.01). Positive rate of serum NSE highest in patients with pneumonia, followed successively by renal cancer, brain tumor and lung cancer. NSE levels were positively correlated with CEA levels (r=0.29, P<0.05). Conclusion: As a tumor marker, NSE has important clinical significance in the diagnoses of malignant tumor and pneumonia. (authors)

  10. Correlation of human papillomavirus status with apparent diffusion coefficient of diffusion-weighted MRI in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Driessen, Juliette P; van Bemmel, Alexander J M; van Kempen, Pauline M W; Janssen, Luuk M; Terhaard, Chris H J; Pameijer, Frank A; Willems, Stefan M; Stegeman, Inge; Grolman, Wilko; Philippens, Marielle E P

    2016-04-01

    Identification of prognostic patient characteristics in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is of great importance. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive HNSCCs have favorable response to (chemo)radiotherapy. Apparent diffusion coefficient, derived from diffusion-weighted MRI, has also shown to predict treatment response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between HPV status and apparent diffusion coefficient. Seventy-three patients with histologically proven HNSCC were retrospectively analyzed. Mean pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient was calculated by delineation of total tumor volume on diffusion-weighted MRI. HPV status was analyzed and correlated to apparent diffusion coefficient. Six HNSCCs were HPV-positive. HPV-positive HNSCC showed significantly lower apparent diffusion coefficient compared to HPV-negative. This correlation was independent of other patient characteristics. In HNSCC, positive HPV status correlates with low mean apparent diffusion coefficient. The favorable prognostic value of low pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient might be partially attributed to patients with a positive HPV status. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E613-E618, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Correlation of serum magnesium with dyslipidemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Rafique Ansari

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was performed to determine the correlation between serum magnesium (Mg and dyslipidemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD. This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephro-Urology, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, Pakistan, from April 2008 to June 2008. Fifty patients with end-stage kidney disease on MHD treatment (33 males and 17 females were studied. The mean duration on HD was 7.58 ± 2.05 years, with frequency being two to three sessions/week, and each session lasted for four hours. After obtaining informed written consent, the general information of each patient was recorded on a proforma. After overnight fasting, blood samples was drawn from the arterio-venous fistula for lipid profile, lipoprotein, serum Mg, serum creatinine, blood urea, serum calcium and serum phosphorus. Dyslipidemia was defined as presence of total cholesterol (TC, triglyceride (TG or low-density lipoprotein (LDL levels more then 95 th percentile for age and gender or high-density lipoprotein (HDL levels less then 35 mg/dL. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 16.0. The mean age of the study patients was 45.68 ± 13.97 years. There was a significant positive correlation between serum Mg and serum lipoprotein-a (LP-a (r = 0.40, P < 0.007, serum HDL (r = 0.31, P < 0.01 and serum TG (r = 0.35, P < 0.005. There was no significant correlation between serum Mg and serum LDL-c and serum TC. The serum TG and LP-a levels were significantly increased while HDL-c was significantly lower in MHD patients. The serum TC, LDL-c and very low-density lipoprotein-c were not significantly elevated. We conclude that patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing MHD show positive correlation between serum Mg and serum HDL, LP-a and TG. The abnormalities of lipid metabolism, such as hyper-triglyceridemia, elevated LP-a and low HDL-c, could contribute to

  12. Effect of Audio Coaching on Correlation of Abdominal Displacement With Lung Tumor Motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Narita, Yuichiro; Matsuo, Yukinori; Narabayashi, Masaru; Nakata, Manabu; Sawada, Akira; Mizowaki, Takashi; Nagata, Yasushi; Hiraoka, Masahiro

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the effect of audio coaching on the time-dependent behavior of the correlation between abdominal motion and lung tumor motion and the corresponding lung tumor position mismatches. Methods and Materials: Six patients who had a lung tumor with a motion range >8 mm were enrolled in the present study. Breathing-synchronized fluoroscopy was performed initially without audio coaching, followed by fluoroscopy with recorded audio coaching for multiple days. Two different measurements, anteroposterior abdominal displacement using the real-time positioning management system and superoinferior (SI) lung tumor motion by X-ray fluoroscopy, were performed simultaneously. Their sequential images were recorded using one display system. The lung tumor position was automatically detected with a template matching technique. The relationship between the abdominal and lung tumor motion was analyzed with and without audio coaching. Results: The mean SI tumor displacement was 10.4 mm without audio coaching and increased to 23.0 mm with audio coaching (p < .01). The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.89 to 0.97 with free breathing. Applying audio coaching, the correlation coefficients improved significantly (range, 0.93-0.99; p < .01), and the SI lung tumor position mismatches became larger in 75% of all sessions. Conclusion: Audio coaching served to increase the degree of correlation and make it more reproducible. In addition, the phase shifts between tumor motion and abdominal displacement were improved; however, all patients breathed more deeply, and the SI lung tumor position mismatches became slightly larger with audio coaching than without audio coaching.

  13. Effects of coarse-graining on the scaling behavior of long-range correlated and anti-correlated signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yinlin; Ma, Qianli D Y; Schmitt, Daniel T; Bernaola-Galván, Pedro; Ivanov, Plamen Ch

    2011-11-01

    We investigate how various coarse-graining (signal quantization) methods affect the scaling properties of long-range power-law correlated and anti-correlated signals, quantified by the detrended fluctuation analysis. Specifically, for coarse-graining in the magnitude of a signal, we consider (i) the Floor, (ii) the Symmetry and (iii) the Centro-Symmetry coarse-graining methods. We find that for anti-correlated signals coarse-graining in the magnitude leads to a crossover to random behavior at large scales, and that with increasing the width of the coarse-graining partition interval Δ, this crossover moves to intermediate and small scales. In contrast, the scaling of positively correlated signals is less affected by the coarse-graining, with no observable changes when Δ 1 a crossover appears at small scales and moves to intermediate and large scales with increasing Δ. For very rough coarse-graining (Δ > 3) based on the Floor and Symmetry methods, the position of the crossover stabilizes, in contrast to the Centro-Symmetry method where the crossover continuously moves across scales and leads to a random behavior at all scales; thus indicating a much stronger effect of the Centro-Symmetry compared to the Floor and the Symmetry method. For coarse-graining in time, where data points are averaged in non-overlapping time windows, we find that the scaling for both anti-correlated and positively correlated signals is practically preserved. The results of our simulations are useful for the correct interpretation of the correlation and scaling properties of symbolic sequences.

  14. Digitized video subject positioning and surveillance system for PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Picard, Y.; Thompson, C.J.

    1995-01-01

    Head motion is a significant contribution to the degradation of image quality of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies. Images from different studies must also be realigned digitally to be correlated when the subject position has changed. These constraints could be eliminated if the subject's head position could be monitored accurately. The authors have developed a video camera-based surveillance system to monitor the head position and motion of subjects undergoing PET studies. The system consists of two CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras placed orthogonally such that both face and profile views of the subject's head are displayed side by side on an RGB video monitor. Digitized images overlay the live images in contrasting colors on the monitor. Such a system can be used to (1) position the subject in the field of view (FOV) by displaying the position of the scanner's slices on the monitor along with the current subject position, (2) monitor head motion and alert the operator of any motion during the study and (3) reposition the subject accurately for subsequent studies by displaying the previous position along with the current position in a contrasting color

  15. Prognostic and clinical significance of histone deacetylase 1 expression in breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Weiqiang; Liu, Heyang; Liu, Ruidong; Liu, Qipeng; Zhang, Ting; Guo, Wanying; Li, Peng; Deng, Miao

    2018-05-05

    There are conflicting reports about the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in breast cancer prognosis. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic significance of HDAC1 in breast cancer. We searched different databases to identify studies evaluating the association between HDAC1 expression and its prognostic value in breast cancer. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds radios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated from these studies to assess specific correlation. Our meta-analysis of four databases identified 7 eligible studies with 1429 total patients. We found that HDAC1 over-expression did not correlate with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer. Subgroup analysis indicated an association between up-regulated HDAC1 expression and better OS (HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.23-0.97; P = 0.04) in Asian breast cancer patients. However, false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) indicated that the results need further validation. Furthermore, HDAC1 over-expression was associated with positive estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 1.11-9.83; P = 0.03) and negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.22-2.61; P = 0.003), but there were no significant differences between patients based on age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, nuclear grade, or progesterone receptor (PR) expression. Overall, our meta-analysis demonstrated an association between increased HDAC1 expression and better OS in Asian breast cancer patients. In addition, HDAC1 over-expression correlated with positive ER and negative HER2 expression in breast cancer. However, researches in large patients' randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm the results. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Prognostic significance of increased bone marrow microcirculation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: results of a prospective DCE-MRI study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merz, Maximilian; Hillengass, Jens [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); University of Heidelberg, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg (Germany); Moehler, Thomas M.; Ritsch, Judith; Delorme, Stefan [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Baeuerle, Tobias [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Radiology, Erlangen (Germany); Zechmann, Christian M. [Rinecker Proton Therapy, Muenchen (Germany); Wagner, Barbara; Hose, Dirk [University of Heidelberg, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg (Germany); Jauch, Anna [University of Heidelberg, Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg (Germany); Kunz, Christina; Hielscher, Thomas [German Cancer Research Center, Department of Biostatistics, Heidelberg (Germany); Laue, Hendrik [Fraunhofer MEVIS, Bremen (Germany); Goldschmidt, Hartmut [University of Heidelberg, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg (Germany); National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2016-05-15

    Aim of this prospective study was to investigate prognostic significance of increased bone marrow microcirculation as detected by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for survival and local complications in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We performed DCE-MRI of the lumbar spine in 131 patients with newly diagnosed MM and analysed data according to the Brix model to acquire amplitude A and exchange rate constant k{sub ep}. In 61 patients a second MRI performed after therapy was evaluated to assess changes in vertebral height and identify vertebral fractures. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive association between beta2-microglobulin as well as immunoparesis with DCE-MRI parameters A and k{sub ep}. Additionally, A was negatively correlated with haemoglobin levels and k{sub ep} was positively correlated with LDH levels. Higher baseline k{sub ep} values were associated with decreased vertebral height in a second MRI (P = 0.007) and A values were associated with new vertebral fractures in the lower lumbar spine (P = 0.03 for L4). Pre-existing lytic bone lesions or remission after therapy had no impact on the occurrence of vertebral fractures. Multivariate analysis revealed that amplitude A is an independent adverse risk factor for overall survival. DCE-MRI is a non-invasive tool with significance for systemic prognosis and vertebral complications. (orig.)

  17. Correlation between Occupational Stress and Burnout in Rehabilitation Center Employees of Kashan, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarsangi V.* MSc,

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims Stress is considered as a psychological phenomenon that inflicts human beings in the modern societies. Burnout is a psychological or behavioral state which occurs as individual’s performance quality deteriorates. This study aimed to investigate the level of burnout and occupational stress in Kashan rehabilitating centers staffs. Materials & Methods This descriptive study was done on all 298 nurse assistants of Kashan rehabilitation centers in 2013. Data collected using “Health and Safety Executive Questionnaire (HSE” and “Maslach burnout inventory (MBI”. Data were analyzed by the Excel and SPSS 16 software. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess relationship between stress dimension and occupation burnout factors. Findings The average of occupational stress was 3.65±0.51 and the average of burnout was 29.67±4.38. Occupational groups had no significant correlation with occupational stress (p=0.86 but had a significant correlation with burnout (p=0.006. There were significant positive correlations between occupational stress parameters and burnout parameters. Just the peer support of occupational stress had no correlations with success, emotional exhaustion and general burnout. Conclusion Deterioration of stressful parameters in occupational environment can mitigate damaging effects of burnout syndromes.

  18. A Correlation Of Symptomatology With Nasal Smear Eosinophilia In ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    There is also low correlation of total symptom score with family history of atopy (r = 0.06). There is positive correlation of total symptom score with number of provocative agents identified (r = 0.34). There is low positive correlation of nasal smear eosinophilia with total symptom score (r = 0.030) and itchy nose score (r = 0.038) ...

  19. Evidence for endogenous opioid release in the amygdala during positive emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koepp, M J; Hammers, A; Lawrence, A D; Asselin, M C; Grasby, P M; Bench, C J

    2009-01-01

    Endogenous opioid release has been linked to relief from aversive emotional memories, thereby promoting a euphoric state and subsequent interactions towards social stimuli resulting in the formation of social preferences. However, this theory remains controversial. Using positron emission tomography and [(11)C]diprenorphine (DPN) in healthy volunteers, we found significantly reduced DPN binding to opioid receptor in the hippocampus during positive mood induction compared to neutral mood. Furthermore, the magnitude of positive mood change correlated negatively with DPN binding in the amygdala bilaterally. Our finding of reduced DPN binding is consistent with increased release of endogenous opioids, providing direct evidence that localised release of endogenous opioids is involved in the regulation of positive emotion in humans.

  20. Clinical significance of coryneform Gram-positive rods from blood identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and their susceptibility profiles - a retrospective chart review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mushtaq, Ammara; Chen, Derrick J; Strand, Gregory J; Dylla, Brenda L; Cole, Nicolynn C; Mandrekar, Jayawant; Patel, Robin

    2016-07-01

    With the advent of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), most Gram-positive rods (GPRs) are readily identified; however, their clinical relevance in blood cultures remains unclear. Herein, we assessed the clinical significance of GPRs isolated from blood and identified in the era of MALDI-TOF MS. A retrospective chart review of patients presenting to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, from January 1, 2013, to October 13, 2015, was performed. Any episode of a positive blood culture for a GPR was included. We assessed the number of bottles positive for a given isolate, time to positivity of blood cultures, patient age, medical history, interpretation of culture results by the healthcare team and whether infectious diseases consultation was obtained. We also evaluated the susceptibility profiles of a larger collection of GPRs tested in the clinical microbiology laboratory of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from January 1, 2013, to October 31, 2015. There were a total of 246 GPRs isolated from the blood of 181 patients during the study period. 56% (n = 101) were deemed contaminants by the healthcare team and were not treated; 33% (n = 59) were clinically determined to represent true bacteremia and were treated; and 8% (n = 14) were considered of uncertain significance, with patients prescribed treatment regardless. Patient characteristics associated with an isolate being treated on univariate analysis included younger age (P = 0.02), identification to the species level (P = 0.02), higher number of positive blood culture sets (P < 0.0001), lower time to positivity (P < 0.0001), immunosuppression (P = 0.03), and recommendation made by an infectious disease consultant (P = 0.0005). On multivariable analysis, infectious diseases consultation (P = 0.03), higher number of positive blood culture sets (P = 0.0005) and lower time to positivity (P = 0.03) were associated with an isolate being treated. 100, 83, 48 and 34% of GPRs

  1. Correlation between social support, personality traits and mental health in antiaircraft artillerymen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin TIAN

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective To quantitatively assess the mental health status and analyze the relationship between social support, personality traits and mental health in antiaircraft artillery personnel. Methods One hundred and forty-five antiaircraft artillerymen were tested with the Social Support Scale, the Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90, and the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale for Chinese (EPQ-RSC. The questionnaires were returned by 143 artillerymen and the data were processed by t-test, pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis. Results Every factor score of SCL-90 was significantly higher than that of civilian cohorts (P < 0.001. The total score(151.88±38.39, P < 0.05 and the scores of somatization (1.63±0.48, P < 0.05, obsessive-compulsiveness (1.95±0.59, P < 0.001, anxiety (1.67±0.51, P < 0.01 and hostility (1.78±0.62, P < 0.01 of SCL-90 were significantly higher than the norm of those of Chinese army men. The utilization of social support showed significant negative correlation with total score (r=-0.205, P < 0.05, interpersonal sensitivity (r=-0.182, P < 0.05, depression (r=-0.200, P < 0.05, paranoid ideation (r=-0.263, P < 0.01, and neuroticism in personality traits (r=-0.241, P < 0.01. There was significant positive correlation between the utilization of social support and EPQ-E (r=0.339, P < 0.01. Every factor of SCL-90 except hostility (r=-0.202 to -0.393, P < 0.05, P < 0.01 showed significant negative correlation with EPQ-E. There was significant positive correlation between most factors of SCL-90 and EPQ-P (except obsessive-compulsive and somatization, r=0.167-0.246, P < 0.05, P < 0.01 and EPQ-N (r=0.386-0.584, P < 0.01. Conclusions The mental health of antiaircraft artillerymen is not so optimistic, and it should be taken care seriously. In addition, we should also pay attention to the effect of utilization of social support and personality trait in improving mental health.

  2. Canonical correlation analysis of factors involved in the occurrence of peptic ulcers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayyurt, Nizamettin; Abasiyanik, M Fatih; Sander, Ersan; Salih, Barik A

    2007-01-01

    The impact of risk factors on the development of peptic ulcers has been shown to vary among different populations. We sought to establish a correlation between these factors and their involvement in the occurrence of peptic ulcers for which a canonical correlation analysis was applied. We included 7,014 patient records (48.6% women, 18.4% duodenal ulcer [DU], 4.6% gastric ulcer [GU]) of those underwent upper gastroendoscopy for the last 5 years. The variables measured are endoscopic findings (DU, GU, antral gastritis, erosive gastritis, pangastritis, pyloric deformity, bulbar deformity, bleeding, atrophy, Barret esophagus and gastric polyp) and risk factors (age, gender, Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking, alcohol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] and aspirin intake). We found that DU had significant positive correlation with bulbar deformity (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), pyloric deformity (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), gender (P=2.6 x 10(-23)), H. pylori (P=1.4 x 10(-15)), bleeding (P=6.9 x 10(-15)), smoking (P=1.4 x 10(-7)), aspirin use (P=1.1 x 10(-4)), alcohol intake (P=7.7 x 10(-4)), and NSAIDs (P=.01). GU had a significantly positive correlation with pyloric deformity (P=1,6 x 10(-15)), age (P=2.6 x 10(-14)), bleeding (P=3.7 x 10(-8)), gender (P=1.3 x 10(-7)), aspirin use (P=1.1 x 10(-6)), bulbar deformity (P=7.4 x 10(-4)), alcohol intake (P=.03), smoking (P=.04), and Barret esophagus (P=.03). The level of significance was much higher in some variables with DU than with GU and the correlations with GU in spite of being highly significant the majority, were small in magnitude. In conclusion, Turkish patients with the following endoscopic findings bulbar deformity and pyloric deformity are high-risk patients for peptic ulcers with the risk of the occurrence of DU being higher than that of GU. Factors such as H. pylori, smoking, alcohol use, and NSAIDs use (listed in a decreasing manner) are risk factors that have significant impact on the occurrence of DU

  3. Altered structural correlates of impulsivity in adolescents with internet gaming disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin eDu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies suggested that internet gaming disorder (IGD was associated with impulsivity and structural abnormalities in brain gray matter. However, no morphometric study has examined the association between gray matter and impulsivity in IGD individuals. In this study, 25 adolescents with IGD and 27 healthy controls (HCs were recruited, and the relationship between Barratt impulsiveness scale-11 (BIS score and gray matter volume (GMV was investigated with the voxel-based morphometric (VBM correlation analysis. Then, the intergroup differences in correlation between BIS score and GMV were tested across all gray matter voxels. Our results showed that the correlations between BIS score and GMV of the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, the bilateral insula and the orbitofrontal cortex, the right amygdala and the left fusiform gyrus decreased in the IGD group compared to the HCs. Region-of-interest (ROI analysis revealed that GMV in all these clusters showed significant positive correlations with BIS score in the HCs, while no significant correlation was found in the IGD group. Our findings demonstrated that dysfunction of these brain areas involved in the behavior inhibition, attention and emotion regulation might contribute to impulse control problems in IGD adolescents.

  4. A Statistical Test of Correlations and Periodicities in the Geological Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yabushita, S.

    1997-09-01

    Matsumoto & Kubotani argued that there is a positive and statistically significant correlation between cratering and mass extinction. This argument is critically examined by adopting a method of Ertel used by Matsumoto & Kubotani but by applying it more directly to the extinction and cratering records. It is shown that on the null-hypothesis of random distribution of crater ages, the observed correlation has a probability of occurrence of 13%. However, when large craters are excluded whose ages agree with the times of peaks of extinction rate of marine fauna, one obtains a negative correlation. This result strongly indicates that mass extinction are not due to accumulation of impacts but due to isolated gigantic impacts.

  5. Hearing Handicap and Speech Recognition Correlate With Self-Reported Listening Effort and Fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhanbali, Sara; Dawes, Piers; Lloyd, Simon; Munro, Kevin J

    To investigate the correlations between hearing handicap, speech recognition, listening effort, and fatigue. Eighty-four adults with hearing loss (65 to 85 years) completed three self-report questionnaires: the Fatigue Assessment Scale, the Effort Assessment Scale, and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly. Audiometric assessment included pure-tone audiometry and speech recognition in noise. There was a significant positive correlation between handicap and fatigue (r = 0.39, p speech recognition and fatigue (r = 0.22, p speech recognition both correlate with self-reported listening effort and fatigue, which is consistent with a model of listening effort and fatigue where perceived difficulty is related to sustained effort and fatigue for unrewarding tasks over which the listener has low control. A clinical implication is that encouraging clients to recognize and focus on the pleasure and positive experiences of listening may result in greater satisfaction and benefit from hearing aid use.

  6. Positive Outcome Expectancy Mediates the Relationship Between Peer Influence and Internet Gaming Addiction Among Adolescents in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jo Yung Wei; Ko, Huei-Chen; Wong, Tsui-Yin; Wu, Li-An; Oei, Tian Po

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the role of positive outcome expectancy in the relationship between peer/parental influence and Internet gaming addiction (IGA) among adolescents in Taiwan. Two thousand, one hundred and four junior high students completed the Chen Internet Addiction Scale for IGA, Parental Influence for IGA, peer influence for IGA, and Positive Outcome Expectancy of Internet Gaming Questionnaire. Results showed that the three types of peer influences (positive attitudes toward Internet gaming, frequency of Internet game use, and invitation to play) and positive outcome expectancy were significantly and positively correlated with IGA. Moreover, peer influence was also positively correlated with positive outcome expectancy. On the other hand, positive outcome expectancy and parental influences had a low correlation. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that positive outcome expectancy did not mediate the relationship between either type of parental influences and IGA, and only the parent's invitation to play Internet games directly predicted IGA severity. However, peers' positive attitude or the frequency of peers' Internet game use positively predicted IGA and was fully mediated through positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming. In addition, the frequency of peers' invitation to play Internet games directly and indirectly predicted IGA severity through a partial mediation of positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming. The overall fit of the model was adequate and was able to explain 25.0 percent of the variance. The findings provide evidence in illuminating the role of peer influences and positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming in the process of why adolescents may develop IGA.

  7. [Dimensional approach of emotion in psychiatry: validation of the Positive and Negative Emotionality scale (EPN-31)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pélissolo, A; Rolland, J-P; Perez-Diaz, F; Jouvent, R; Allilaire, J-F

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports the first validation study of the EPN-31 scale (Positive and Negative Emotionality scale, 31 items) in a French psychiatric sample. This questionnaire has been adapted by Rolland from an emotion inventory developed by Diener, and is also in accordance with Watson and Clark's tripartite model of affects. Respondents were asked to rate the frequency with which they had experienced each affect (31 basic emotional states) during the last month. The answer format was a 7-point scale, ranging from 1 "Not experienced at all" to 7 "Experienced this affect several times each day". Three main scores were calculated (positive affects, negative affects, and surprise affects), as well as six sub-scores (joy, tenderness, anger, fear, sadness, shame). Four hundred psychiatric patients were included in this study, and completed the EPN-31 scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale was rated, as well as DSM IV diagnostic criteria. We performed a principal component analysis, with Varimax orthogonal transformation, and explored the factorial structure of the questionnaire, the internal consistency of each dimension, and the correlations between EPN-31 scores and HAD scores. The factorial structure of the EPN-31 was well-defined as expected, with a three-factor (positive, negative and surprise affects) solution accounting for 58.2% of the variance of the questionnaire. No correlation was obtained between positive and negative affects EPN-31 scores (r=0.006). All alpha Cronbach coefficients were between 0.80 and 0.95 for main scores, and between 0.72 and 0.90 for sub-scores. GAF scores were significantly correlated with EPN-31 positive affects scores (r=0.21; p=0.001) and with EPN-31 negative affects scores (r=- 0.45; p=0.001). We obtained significant correlations between positive affects score and HAD depression score (r=- 0.45; pemotionality. Significantly higher EPN-31 positive affect mean scores

  8. Nasal obstruction and sleep-disordered breathing: the effect of supine body position on nasal measurements in snorers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virkkula, Paula; Maasilta, Paula; Hytönen, Maija; Salmi, Tapani; Malmberg, Henrik

    2003-06-01

    Nasal obstruction is considered to be a potential etiological factor in sleep-disordered breathing. However, a significant correlation between nasal measurements and obstructive sleep apnea has not been demonstrated so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between nasal resistance, nasal volumes and selected sleep parameters using nasal measurements performed in both seated and supine positions. We also investigated whether snoring patients in our clinical sample showed increased positional or decongestive nasal mucosal changes. Forty-one snoring men on a waiting list for correction of nasal obstruction underwent polysomnography, anterior rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Nineteen non-snoring control subjects were also recruited. Nasal measurements were performed in a seated position, after lying down in a supine position and, after decongestion of nasal mucosa, in a seated position again. In the overall patient group, nasal volume at a distance 2-4 cm from the nares in the supine position correlated inversely with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (r = -0.32, p patients, total nasal resistance measured in a supine position correlated with AHI (r = 0.50, p position and sleep parameters. Postural or decongestive changes in nasal measurements were not increased in snoring patients compared with control subjects. The relationship found between nasal measurements and sleep parameters suggests that nasal obstruction does augment airway collapse.

  9. Kinematic cross-correlation induces sensory integration across separate objects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debats, Nienke B; Ernst, Marc O; Heuer, Herbert

    2017-12-01

    In a basic cursor-control task, the perceived positions of the hand and the cursor are biased towards each other. We recently found that this phenomenon conforms to the reliability-based weighting mechanism of optimal multisensory integration. This indicates that optimal integration is not restricted to sensory signals originating from a single source, as is the prevailing view, but that it also applies to separate objects that are connected by a kinematic relation (i.e. hand and cursor). In the current study, we examined which aspects of the kinematic relation are crucial for eliciting the sensory integration: (i) the cross-correlation between kinematic variables of the hand and cursor trajectories, and/or (ii) an internal model of the hand-cursor kinematic transformation. Participants made out-and-back movements from the centre of a semicircular workspace to its boundary, after which they judged the position where either their hand or the cursor hit the boundary. We analysed the position biases and found that the integration was strong in a condition with high kinematic correlations (a straight hand trajectory was mapped to a straight cursor trajectory), that it was significantly reduced for reduced kinematic correlations (a straight hand trajectory was transformed into a curved cursor trajectory) and that it was not affected by the inability to acquire an internal model of the kinematic transformation (i.e. by the trial-to-trial variability of the cursor curvature). These findings support the idea that correlations play a crucial role in multisensory integration irrespective of the number of sensory sources involved. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Correlation of Serum Parathormone with Hypertension in Chronic Renal Failure Patients Treated with Hemodialysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baradaran, A.; Nasri, H.

    2005-01-01

    To consider the correlation of serum parathromone on severity of hypertension in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD). A cross-sectional study was done on patients with ESRD on treatment with maintenance HD. Levels of serum calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, albumin and intact parathormone (iPTH) were measured. Stratification of hypertensive patients was done from stage one to three. The total number of patients studied was 73 (Females=28, Males=45), consisting of 58 non-diabetic (F=22, M=36) and 15 diabetic patients (F=6, M=9). The mean age of the study patients was 46.5+-16 years. The mean duration on HD of the study patients was 21.5+-232.5 months. The mean serum PTH of the study patients was 309+-349 pg/ml and the mean serum alkaline phosphatase was 413+-348 IU/L. There was a significant positive correlation between the stage of hypertension and serum PTH levels (r=0.200, p=0.045). Also, there was a significant positive correlation between stage of hypertension and calcium-phosphorus product (r=0.231, p=0.027). There was no significant correlation between stage of hypertension and serum ALP (r=0.135, p=0.128). Relationship between serum PTH and severity of hypertension in patients on HD needs to be studied in more detail. Hypertension and secondary hyperparathyroidism interact in the process of accelerated atherosclerosis in HD patients thus warranting appropriate measures to control hyperparathyrodism vigorously. (author)

  11. Correlates of vaginal colonization with group B streptococci among pregnant women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsering Chomu Dechen

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: A study of genital colonization by group B streptococcus (GBS was conducted in pregnant women in their third trimester, which is a known risk factor of morbidity and mortality among newborns. Aims: The present study was undertaken to study the prevalence and the correlates of vaginal colonization by GBS among pregnant women. Setting and Design: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted during September 2002 to March 2004 on 524 pregnant women. Materials and Methods: Three high vaginal swabs were obtained from all the pregnant women admitted at term and in preterm labor. Two swabs were used for aerobic culture and the third one for gram staining. The first set of swabs was cultured on 5% Sheep blood agar plates. The second set of swabs were inoculated into Todd-Hewitt broth and then subcultured in 5% Sheep blood agar plates. The main outcome measures were the presence of GBS infection in comparison to the age group, gravida, gestational age, premature rupture of membrane (PROM, preterm labor and association with febrile spells of the present pregnancy. Results: The culture positivity rate of GBS was 4.77% and coexistent organisms isolated were Candida species (36%, Staphylococcus aureus (8% and Enterococcus species (8%. Culture positivity in the age group of 18-25 years was 5.71%, of which 5.74% were in their first pregnancy. The correlation between age group and gravida with GBS culture positivity was statistically insignificant. The culture positivity in <36 weeks of gestational age was 6.93%. This relation was statistically significant. Twenty-eight percent developed PROM. Sixty-four percent of culture positives had preterm labor. Conclusion: GBS infection among pregnant women was significantly correlated with the gestational age, PROM and preterm labor. In pregnancy GBS colonization causes asymptomatic bacteriuria or UTI. It is a well known cause of puerperal infections with amnionitis,endometritis and sepsis being

  12. Evaluation of Correlation between Some Intra and Extra Cranial Horizontal Cephalometric Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Asadi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Intra-cranial references plans used in cephalometry analysis are not considered as stable points and therefore their validity is low; however they are widely used. The purpose of conducting this study is to investigate correlation rate of a number of horizontal parameters of extra-cranial with common Horizontal analyses. Methods: In this descriptive and periodic study, lateral cephalometric radiography in NHP position for 46 patients (24 women and 22 men in range of 22- 28 years old was prepared; all graphs were prepared by a person using the same device; then after tracing, correlation coefficient was achieved between TH/AB and TH-wist, wylie, wits, TH-wits McNamara, Schwartz, APP-BPP, and Downs. Results: The highest rate of correlation was observed between TH-wits linear parameters and angular parameters of AB/TH (r=0.975 which was statistically significant. ANB parameter had low correlation with Wylie analysis (r=+0.365 that was definitely significant. ANB angular parameters with other horizontal dimension parameters showed the highest correlation with Downs analysis (r=-0.870 and linear parameter APP-BPP (r=+0.730 which were statistically significant too. Conclusions: In this study the highest correlation coefficient was shown between TH/AB and TH-wits, ANB and Downs, Downs and wits, ANB and APP-BPP respectively.

  13. A Correlation Study between Motivation Orientations and Metacognitive Strategies in English Listening

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    余婷

    2016-01-01

    Based on learning motivation theory and metacognitive theory, the present study reports questionnaire surveys on cor-relation between motivation orientations and listening metacognitive strategies among 117 English majors. Findings suggest that:1) English majors are mainly stimulated by instrumental motivation and show bias towards planning and evaluation strate-gy in listening comprehension;2) there is a significant positive correlation between instrumental motivation and strategy of plan-ning and evaluation;3) significant difference between high motive group and low motive group only exists in planning and eval-uation strategy. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to help students strengthen the training of listening metacognitive strategies form long-lasting motivation and promote listening proficiency as well as self-learning ability.

  14. [Correlation between end-tidal carbon dioxide and partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide in ventilated newborns].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Jin-Xing; Liu, Xiao-Hong; Huang, Hui-Jun; Yu, Zhen-Zhu; Yang, Hui; He, Liu-Fang

    2014-05-01

    To study the correlation between end-tidal carbon dioxide (PetCO2) and partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in ventilated newborns. Thirty-one ventilated newborn underwent mainstream PetCO2 monitoring; meanwhile, arterial blood gas analysis was performed. The correlation and consistency between PetCO2 and PaCO2 were assessed. A total of 85 end-tidal and arterial CO2 pairs were obtained from 31 ventilated newborns. The mean PetCO2 (41±10 mm Hg) was significantly lower than the corresponding mean PaCO2 (46±11 mm Hg) (Plimits of consistency, -3.3 to 13.6 mmHg), and 5% (4/85) of the points were beyond the 95%CI. When the oxygenation index (OI) was less than 300 mm Hg (n=48), there was a significant positive correlation between PetCO2 and PaCO2 (r=0.85, Plimits of consistency, -2.6 to 14.5 mm Hg), and 4.2% (2/48) of the points were beyond the 95%CI. When the OI was more than 300 mm Hg (n=37), there was also a significant positive correlation between PetCO2 and PaCO2 (r=0.91, Plimits of consistency, -3.9 to 12.1 mm Hg), and 5% (2/37) of the points were beyond the 95%CI. There is a good correlation and consistency between PetCO2 and PaCO2 in ventilated newborns.

  15. Correlation among genetic variations of c-MET in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Jianchun; Yang, Xiaodan; Zhao, Jun; Zhuo, Minglei; Wang, Zhijie; An, Tongtong; Bai, Hua; Wang, Jie

    2018-01-05

    The purpose of our research was to determine the correlation of amplification, protein expression and somatic mutation of c-MET in IIIb-IV stage NSCLC (Non-small cell lung cancer). We also explored correlation of c-MET variation with clinical outcome. c-MET expression was observed in 28.6% (56/196) cases, and among those 13.8% (27/196) were shown to be FISH positive. Only 2.67% patients in this study carried the c-MET mutation. Cases with c-MET FISH positive were all IHC positive ,but in IHC positive cases, only half were FISH positive. Among patients with IHC 2+ staining, 35.5% was FISH positive, while cases with IHC 3+ staining,64% was FISH positive. Both protein expression and copy number of c-MET did not significantly correlate with clinical prognosis in these patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. IHC could be used as a preliminary screening method for c-MET copy number amplification and should be confirmed by FISH only in IHC positive case which facilitate selection of ALK or MET inhibitor therapy. c-MET gene copy number, protein expression and somatic mutation for exon 14 were detected by fluorescent- In-Situ -Hybridization (FISH), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Denaturing-High-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography (DHPLC), respectively, in 196 NSCLC patients. The relationship between c-MET abnormalities and clinical outcome of targeted therapy was analyzed by McNemar's test.

  16. Clinical significance of Mena and Her-2 expression in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, J W; Xu, K Y; Fang, L Y; Qi, X L

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the expression patterns of Mena and Her-2 in breast cancer tissues and to explore their clinical significance and correlation with clinicopathological parameters. The expression of Mena and Her-2 was detected in 40 breast cancer tissues and 14 normal breast tissues by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship of Mena and Her-2 expression with clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Both Mena (70%) and Her-2 (40%) were more commonly expressed in breast cancer than in normal breast tissue (7.1%, 0%, respectively; p Mena and Her-2 expression in breast cancer were positively correlated (r = 0.530, p Mena and Her-2 were both associated with axillary lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (p Mena and Her-2 are related to the malignancy degree and metastasis of breast cancer, and thus may play a coordinating role in the occurrence and progression of breast cancer.

  17. Correlation between maximum voluntary contraction and endurance measured by digital palpation and manometry: An observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fátima Faní Fitz

    Full Text Available Summary Introduction: Digital palpation and manometry are methods that can provide information regarding maximum voluntary contraction (MVC and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM, and a strong correlation between these variables can be expected. Objective: To investigate the correlation between MVC and endurance, measured by digital palpation and manometry. Method: Forty-two women, with mean age of 58.1 years (±10.2, and predominant symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI, were included. Examination was firstly conducted by digital palpation and subsequently using a Peritron manometer. MVC was measured using a 0-5 score, based on the Oxford Grading Scale. Endurance was assessed based on the PERFECT scheme. Results: We found a significant positive correlation between the MVC measured by digital palpation and the peak manometric pressure (r=0.579, p<0.001, and between the measurements of the endurance by Peritron manometer and the PERFECT assessment scheme (r=0.559, P<0.001. Conclusion: Our results revealed a positive and significant correlation between the capacity and maintenance of PFM contraction using digital and manometer evaluations in women with predominant symptoms of SUI.

  18. Correlates of suicidal ideation in college women with eating disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Neha J; Sadeh-Sharvit, Shiri; Flatt, Rachael E; Trockel, Mickey; Balantekin, Katherine N; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Monterubio, Grace E; Firebaugh, Marie-Laure; Jacobi, Corinna; Wilfley, Denise E; Taylor, C Barr

    2018-04-06

    To identify the correlates of suicidal ideation (SI) in a large sample of college women with eating disorders (EDs). A total of 690 female college students from 28 US colleges who screened positive for an ED, with the exception of anorexia nervosa, were assessed for SI. Univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent correlates of SI. Measures included: ED psychopathology, ED behaviors (i.e., binge eating, vomiting, laxatives, compulsive exercise), current co-morbid psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety, insomnia), weight/shape concerns, ED-related clinical impairment, and body mass index (BMI). All significant variables were included in a backward binary multivariate logistic regression model to determine which variables were most strongly associated with SI. A total of 25.6% of the sample reported SI. All variables examined were significantly independently associated with SI, with the exception of compulsive exercise. Depression, anxiety, and vomiting remained as significant correlates of SI in the multivariate logistic regression model. ED screening on college campuses should assess for suicidality, and prevention and treatment efforts should target vomiting and co-morbid depression and anxiety symptoms to reduce risk of SI for high-risk individuals. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Correlation of diffusion and perfusion MRI with Ki-67 in high-grade meningiomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginat, Daniel T; Mangla, Rajiv; Yeaney, Gabrielle; Wang, Henry Z

    2010-12-01

    Atypical and anaplastic meningiomas have a greater likelihood of recurrence than benign meningiomas. The risk for recurrence is often estimated using the Ki-67 labeling index. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between Ki-67 and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and between Ki-67 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in atypical and anaplastic meningiomas. A retrospective review of the advanced imaging and immunohistochemical characteristics of atypical and anaplastic meningiomas was performed. The relative minimum ADC, relative maximum rCBV, and specimen Ki-67 index were measured. Pearson's correlation was used to compare these parameters. There were 23 cases with available ADC maps and 20 cases with available rCBV maps. The average Ki-67 among the cases with ADC maps and rCBV maps was 17.6% (range, 5-38%) and 16.7% (range, 3-38%), respectively. The mean minimum ADC ratio was 0.91 (SD, 0.26) and the mean maximum rCBV ratio was 22.5 (SD, 7.9). There was a significant positive correlation between maximum rCBV and Ki-67 (Pearson's correlation, 0.69; p = 0.00038). However, there was no significant correlation between minimum ADC and Ki-67 (Pearson's correlation, -0.051; p = 0.70). Maximum rCBV correlated significantly with Ki-67 in high-grade meningiomas.

  20. Significant factors for work attractiveness and how these differ from the current work situation among operating department nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björn, Catrine; Lindberg, Magnus; Rissén, Dag

    2016-01-01

    The aim was to examine significant factors for work attractiveness and how these differ from the current work situation among operating department nurses. A second objective was to examine the associations between age, gender, length of employment, work engagement, work ability, self-rated health indicators and attractiveness of the current work situation. The attractiveness of work is rarely taken into account in research on nurse retention. To expand this knowledge, it is relevant to examine factors that make work attractive and their associations with related concepts. Correlational, cross-sectional survey using a convenience sample. Questionnaires were answered by 147 nurses in four operating departments in Sweden. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The nurses rated the significance of all factors of work attractiveness higher than they rated those factors in their current work situation; salary, organisation and physical work environment had the largest differences. The most significant attractive factors were relationships, leadership and status. A statistically significant positive correlation between work engagement and attractive work was found. In the multiple regression model, the independent variables work engagement and older age significantly predicted work attractiveness. Several factors should be considered in the effort to increase work attractiveness in operating departments and thereby to encourage nurse retention. Positive aspects of work seem to unite work engagement and attractive work, while work ability and self-rated health indicators are other important dimensions in nurse retention. The great discrepancies between the significance of attractive factors and the current work situation in salary, organisation and physical work environment suggest ways in which work attractiveness may be increased. To discover exactly what needs to be improved may require a deeper look into the construct of the examined factors. © 2015 John

  1. Leaf turgor loss point is correlated with drought tolerance and leaf carbon economics traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Shi-Dan; Chen, Ya-Jun; Ye, Qing; He, Peng-Cheng; Liu, Hui; Li, Rong-Hua; Fu, Pei-Li; Jiang, Guo-Feng; Cao, Kun-Fang

    2018-05-01

    Leaf turgor loss point (πtlp) indicates the capacity of a plant to maintain cell turgor pressure during dehydration, which has been proven to be strongly predictive of the plant response to drought. In this study, we compiled a data set of πtlp for 1752 woody plant individuals belonging to 389 species from nine major woody biomes in China, along with reduced sample size of hydraulic and leaf carbon economics data. We aimed to investigate the variation of πtlp across biomes varying in water availability. We also tested two hypotheses: (i) πtlp predicts leaf hydraulic safety margins and (ii) it is correlated with leaf carbon economics traits. Our results showed that there was a positive relationship between πtlp and aridity index: biomes from humid regions had less negative values than those from arid regions. This supports the idea that πtlp may reflect drought tolerance at the scale of woody biomes. As expected, πtlp was significantly positively correlated with leaf hydraulic safety margins that varied significantly across biomes, indicating that this trait may be useful in modelling changes of forest components in response to increasing drought. Moreover, πtlp was correlated with a suite of coordinated hydraulic and economics traits; therefore, it can be used to predict the position of a given species along the 'fast-slow' whole-plant economics spectrum. This study expands our understanding of the biological significance of πtlp not only in drought tolerance, but also in the plant economics spectrum.

  2. Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficients and HER2 status in gastric cancers: pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Jian; Shi, Hua; Zhou, Zhuping; Chen, Jun; Guan, Wenxian; Wang, Hao; Yu, Haiping; Liu, Song; Zhou, Zhengyang; Yang, Xiaofeng; Liu, Tian

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of gastric cancer obtained from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) correlates with the HER2 status. Forty-five patients, who had been diagnosed with gastric cancer through biopsy, were enrolled in this IRB-approved study. Each patient underwent a DWI (b values: 0 and 1,000 sec/mm 2 ) prior to surgery (curative gastrectomy or palliative resection). Postoperative microscopic findings, HER2 status by immunohistochemical analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were obtained. HER2 status was compared among gastric cancers with various histopathological features using the chi square test. The ADC values of gastric cancers with positive and negative HER2 were compared using the student t test. A weak yet significant correlation was observed between the mean ADC values and HER2 status (r = 0.312, P = 0.037) and scores (r = 0.419, P = 0.004). The mean ADC value of HER2-positive gastric cancers was significantly higher than those of HER2-negative tumors (1.211 vs. 0.984 mm 2 /s, P = 0.020). The minimal ADC value of HER2-positive gastric cancers was significantly higher than those of HER2-negative tumors (1.105 vs. 0.905 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s, P = 0.036). In this pilot study, we have demonstrated that the ADC values of gastric cancer correlate with the HER2 status. Future research is warranted to see if DWI can predict HER2 status and help in tailoring therapy for gastric cancer

  3. Correlation between the umbilical artery flow ultrasound parameters of intrauterine fetal distress and fetal ischemic hypoxic damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Ying Gu

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the correlation between the umbilical artery flow ultrasound parameters of intrauterine fetal distress and fetal ischemic hypoxic damage. Methods: A total of 158 puerperae who gave birth in our hospital between July 2016 and June 2017 were selected and divided into the intrauterine distress group (Apgar<7 points and normal pregnancy group (Apgar≥7 points according to the neonatal Apgar score, the umbilical artery flow ultrasound parameters at 24-30 weeks, 31-36 weeks and 37-41 weeks of gestation were determined, and the umbilical arterial blood gas parameters and oxidative stress molecule levels were determined. Results: At 24-30 weeks, 31-36 weeks and 37-41 weeks of gestation, umbilical arterial RI, PI and S/D of intrauterine distress group were significantly higher than those of normal pregnancy group; umbilical arterial pH and PaO2 of intrauterine distress group were significantly lower than those of normal pregnancy group and negatively correlated with RI, PI and S/D while PaCO2 and lactic acid levels were significantly higher than those of normal pregnancy group and positively correlated with RI, PI and S/D; SOD, GSH-px and CAT levels in umbilical artery of intrauterine distress group were significantly lower than those of normal pregnancy group and negatively correlated with RI, PI and S/D while MDA and 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher than those of normal pregnancy group and positively correlated with RI, PI and S/D. Conclusion: Umbilical artery flow ultrasound characteristics of intrauterine fetal distress are characterized by the increased resistance and decreased blood flow and are correlated with the degree of fetal hypoxia and oxidative stress.

  4. Correlates of rapid neuroleptic response in male patients with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrie, E C; Faustman, W O; Moses, J A; Lombrozo, L; Csernansky, J G

    1990-08-01

    Correlates of neuroleptic response latency were assessed in 16 male schizophrenic inpatients during 4 weeks of fixed dose (20 mg/day) haloperidol treatment. Rapid responders showed a mean 40% reduction in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) positive symptom scores by day 10 of treatment. Rapid responders had significantly lower plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) concentrations compared to non-rapid responders during week 4 of haloperidol treatment. However, rapid versus non-rapid responders did not differ with respect to demographics, baseline positive or negative BPRS symptom scores, performance on tests of neuropsychological function, or mean plasma haloperidol concentrations.

  5. Left ventricular orientation and position in an advanced heart failure population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia E. Curtin

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Previous canine and in silico studies indicate that left ventricular (LV orientation and position have clinically significant effects on standard ECG elements, which are particularly relevant in an advanced heart failure (HF population. Our objectives were to investigate the real-world implications of these previous results by describing for the first time the range of LV orientations and positions in HF patients, identifying clinical predictors of orientation and position, and investigating how thoracic geometry may affect orientation and position. Materials and methods: Cardiac MRIs were used to measure LV orientation angles, LV position, chest dimensions, and the ratio of LV volume to thoracic area (LVTR. Multivariate regression analyses were used to identify significant predictors of orientation and position. Results: The mean frontal plane LV orientation angle was 31 ± 11° (range, 0°–47° and fell within the ranges used in previous studies of orientation effects. Orientation in the transverse plane, the effects of which have not been simulated, averaged 48 ± 10° (range, 21°–71°. The ranges of LV positions in the frontal and transverse planes (7.9 and 5.6 cm, respectively are similar to or greater than those used in silico. Orientation and position were weakly correlated with multiple significant predictors, and the relationship between HF progression and LV orientation and position could not be determined. Conclusion: Variation in LV orientation and position in advanced HF patients is large and cannot be readily predicted using the standard clinical variables or additional thoracic geometry measures used in this study. These findings may have significant clinical implications because of the possible effects of orientation and position on key ECG features. New tools and additional studies are needed before LV orientation or position data can be incorporated into clinical ECG interpretation. Keywords: Heart

  6. Correlation between chemical components of billary calculi and bile & sera and bile of gallstone patients

    OpenAIRE

    Chandran, Prasheeda; Garg, Pradeep; Pundir, Chandra S.

    2005-01-01

    Total cholesterol, total bilirubin, calcium, oxalate, inorganic phosphate, magnesium, iron, copper, sodium and potassium were analyzed quantitatively in gallstones, bile of gall bladder and sera of 200 patients of cholelithiasis (52 cholesterol, 76 mixed and 72 pigment stone patients) and their contents were correlated between calculi and bile and sera and bile in these three type of stone patients. A significant positive correlation was observed between total cholesterol, total bilirubin of ...

  7. Amyloid-independent functional neural correlates of episodic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Eun Hyun; Choo, I L Han

    2016-06-01

    Although amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) could have various biological characteristics, little attention has been given to the nature of episodic memory decline in aMCI with pathophysiologies other than Alzheimer's disease (AD), i.e., aMCI with low beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden. This study aimed to identify the functional neural basis of episodic memory impairment in aMCI with Aβ burden negative (aMCI-Aβ-) and to compare these results with aMCI with Aβ burden positive (aMCI-Aβ+). Individuals with aMCI (n = 498) were selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. Based on the mean florbetapir standard uptake value ratio, participants were classified as aMCI-Aβ- or aMCI-Aβ+. Correlations between memory scores and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMglc) were analyzed separately for the two subgroups using a multiple regression model. For aMCI-Aβ-, significant positive correlations between memory and rCMglc were found in the bilateral claustrum, right thalamus, left anterior cingulate cortex, left insula, and right posterior cingulate. For aMCI-Aβ+, significant positive correlations between memory and rCMglc were found in the temporoparietal areas. These correlation patterns remained unchanged when clinical severity was added as a covariate Our findings indicate that memory impairment in aMCI-Aβ- is related to multimodal integrative processing and the attentional control system, whereas memory impairment in aMCI-Aβ+ is related to the typical brain memory systems and AD signature. These results suggest that although the two subgroups are clinically in the same category as aMCI, the memory impairment process depends on completely different functional brain regions according to their Aβ burden level.

  8. Evaluating e-Government and Good Governance Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhardi Suhardi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Assessing the achievement of Indonesian government institutions in implementing e-government has been conducted since around a decade ago. Several national assessments are available with almost the same ranking results. There is an agreement that the ultimate goal of e-government implementation is to achieve good government governance (GGG, while success stories of e-government require good governance practices. This study explored the correlation between e-government achievement and GGG achievement in Indonesia. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to characterize the relationship strength between e-government assessment results and good governance assessment results. The data were collected from institutions that participated in e-government and good governance assessments. The results showed that the correlation between these two entities is not very strong. Most cases showed that e-government implementation and the achievement of good governance have only a moderate positive correlation and none of the studied cases indicated a significant connection. This result can be attributed to the lack of emphasis on goals achievement in the assessments. Thus, it is recommended that future Indonesian e-government assessments should involve impact indicators.

  9. High Prevalence and Significance of Hepatitis D Virus Infection among Treatment-Naïve HBsAg-Positive Patients in Northern Vietnam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sy, Bui Tien; Ratsch, Boris A.; Toan, Nguyen Linh; Song, Le Huu; Wollboldt, Christian; Bryniok, Agnes; Nguyen, Hung Minh; Luong, Hoang Van; Velavan, Thirumalaisamy P.; Wedemeyer, Heiner; Kremsner, Peter G.; Bock, C.-Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Background Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is considered to cause more severe hepatitis than hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. With more than 9.5 million HBV-infected people, Vietnam will face an enormous health burden. The prevalence of HDV in Vietnamese HBsAg-positive patients is speculative. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence of HDV in Vietnamese patients, determined the HDV-genotype distribution and compared the findings with the clinical outcome. Methods 266 sera of well-characterized HBsAg-positive patients in Northern Vietnam were analysed for the presence of HDV using newly developed HDV-specific RT-PCRs. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed for HDV-genotyping. Results The HDV-genome prevalence observed in the Vietnamese HBsAg-positive patients was high with 15.4% while patients with acute hepatitis showed 43.3%. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a predominance of HDV-genotype 1 clustering in an Asian clade while HDV-genotype 2 could be also detected. The serum aminotransferase levels (AST, ALT) as well as total and direct bilirubin were significantly elevated in HDV-positive individuals (p<0.05). HDV loads were mainly low (<300 to 4.108 HDV-copies/ml). Of note, higher HDV loads were mainly found in HBV-genotype mix samples in contrast to single HBV-infections. In HBV/HDV-coinfections, HBV loads were significantly higher in HBV-genotype C in comparison to HBV-genotype A samples (p<0.05). Conclusion HDV prevalence is high in Vietnamese individuals, especially in patients with acute hepatitis B. HDV replication activity showed a HBV-genotype dependency and could be associated with elevated liver parameters. Besides serological assays molecular tests are recommended for diagnosis of HDV. Finally, the high prevalence of HBV and HDV prompts the urgent need for HBV-vaccination coverage. PMID:24205106

  10. The Relationships between Language Learning Strategies and Positive Emotions among Malaysian ESL

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    Mohammad Mohammadipour

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Emotions are an indispensable part of second language learning. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the use of language learning strategies and positive emotions. The present study adopted a sequential mixed methods design. The participants were 300 Malaysian ESL undergraduates selected through stratified random sampling from 5 public universities in Malaysia. The quantitative data were collected through two sets of questionnaires: (a Oxford's (1990 Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL, and (b Fredrickson's (2009 modified Differential Emotional Scale (mDES. The qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. With regard to the quantitative data analysis, a series of t-tests and correlational analyses were used. The data from the interviews were analysed qualitatively. A positive significant correlation was found between positive emotions and overall language learning strategy use. Also, the qualitative results of the study indicated that the learners who experienced more positive emotions tended to use a greater variety of language learning strategies. The findings of the study emphasise the importance of students’ positive emotions in their use of language learning strategies. It might be suggested that teachers by designing the classroom settings and instructions which promote positive emotions can inspire learners to use language learning strategies more frequently and with a greater variety which in sequence relate to learners’ language learning proficiency.

  11. Are Mucosa CD4+/CD8+ T-Cells Expressions Correlated with the Endoscopic Appearance of Chronic Gastritis Related with Helicobacter pylori Infection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratnasari, Neneng; Bayupurnama, Putut; Maduseno, Sutanto; Indrarti, Fahmi; Triwikatmani, Catharina; Harijadi, Achmad; Nurdjanah, Siti

    2016-06-01

    Local inflammatory processes in the gastric mucosa are followed by extensive immune cell infiltration, resulting in chronic active gastritis characterized by a marked infiltration of T(h)1 cytokine-producing CD4+ and CD8+T-cells Objective. To investigate the correlation between CD4+/CD8+ T-cells in gastric mucosa with endoscopic appearance in chronic gastritis with or without H.pylori infection. Prospective, cross sectional study is performed in a chronic dyspepsia population in July-November 2009 at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The update Sydney system was used to analyze the gastroscopy appearance. Biopsy specimens were stained with HE-stain and IHC-stain. Data were analyzed by t-test, Mann-Whitney and Spearman correlation test. Number of 88 consecutive subjects are enrolled the study (50% male; 50% female), age 46±15 years; 25% H.pylori positive. The expression of CD4+ and CD8+ were higher in H.pylori negative subjects, but only the CD4+ was significant (P=0.011). A significant correlation was found between CD4+ and CD8+ in both subjects (r(Hp+)=0.62 and r(Hp-)=0.68; P<0.05). The expression of CD4+ and CD8+ in H.pylori positive showed a significant correlation with gastric lesions (r(CD4+)=-0.60; r(CD8+)=-0.42 ; P<0.05), only erosion showed a significant difference in both subjects. A positive correlation was found between CD4+ and CD8+ infiltration in both subjects with or without H.pylori infection, and a negative correlation was only found between gastric lesion with CD4+ and CD8+ infiltration in H.pylori subject.

  12. Correlation between acoustic parameters and Voice Handicap Index in dysphonic teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niebudek-Bogusz, E; Woznicka, E; Zamyslowska-Szmytke, E; Sliwinska-Kowalska, M

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between acoustic analysis and biopsychosocial implications of voice problems, evaluated by the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). The study comprised 120 female teachers with voice disorders, evaluated by videolaryngostroboscopy. 60.8% of this group were diagnosed as having functional dysphonia and 39.2% had dysphonia with benign vocal fold masses (nodules and polyps). The controls consisted of 30 euphonic women. The correlations between VHI and acoustic analysis were assessed in both groups using the Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis. In teachers, the total VHI score was over 5 times as high as in controls (p teachers, significant positive correlations were found between the total VHI score and the frequency perturbation parameters and amplitude perturbation parameters when both statistical methods were used. These acoustic parameters also significantly correlated with the score on the functional and emotional subscales, but rarely with the physical subscale of the VHI. The study revealed a significant relationship between the objective voice measurements and the VHI. The results confirmed that VHI can be a valuable tool for assessing biopsychosocial implications of occupational dysphonia and should be incorporated in multidimensional voice evaluation. (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Trace element correlations with age and sex in human fingernails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhary, K.

    1995-01-01

    Concentrations of 17 elements in fingernails of 92 control individuals with ages ranging from 4 months to 93 years living in a relatively non-industrial environment were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Statistical analysis demonstrated several different patterns of trace element correlation with age and sex. Bromine, Co, Cr, Fe, Na and Sb were found to be negatively correlated (p.<0.05) with age, while Zn was positively correlated (p.<0.05). Silver, Au, Se, and Zn concentrations were found to be higher in females than in males. Males had higher concentrations of Na and K than females. Significant interelement correlations were also observed. The age and sex variations observed should prove to be useful in proper interpretation of elemental imbalances associated with degenerative neurological diseases, especially in view of recent reports that markers for AD have been detected in external tissue. (author). 22 refs., 4 tabs

  14. The relationship of C-reactive protein levels and positive culture with quality of life in acute rhinosinusitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schalek P

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Petr Schalek, Zuzana Hornáčková, Aleš Hahn Ear, Nose and Throat department, 3rd Medical Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Background: Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS has been shown to significantly reduce patient quality of life (QoL. While the QoL in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis has been the subject of intensive research over the last decade, studies measuring the impact of ARS on patient QoL have remained relatively scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the QoL and parameters suggestive of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (C-reactive protein [CRP] levels and positive culture and to see if measurement of the QoL could be used as an indicator for antibiotic treatment in ARS.Methods: Eighty patients with ARS were enrolled in the study. A novel QoL instrument for patients with ARS, called Measurement of Acute Rhinosinusitis (MARS questionnaire, was given to patients at the time of diagnosis. We assessed patient QoL, obtained endoscopically guided cultures from the middle meatus, and measured levels of CRP. The relationship between QoL MARS scores (QoL-Mscores and CRP was determined using a correlation coefficient. To compare QoL-Mscores, relative to culture-positive and culture-negative patients, the Student’s t-test was used.Results: No correlation between the QoL, assessed using the MARS questionnaire, and positive middle meatus culture was demonstrated (P=0.332. A weak correlation was found between QoL-Mscores and CRP values, with a correlation coefficient of 0.221 and P=0.0498.Conclusion: No correlation between the QoL in ARS patients and positive culture was found in this study. The clinical significance of the correlation between QoL-Mscores and CRP values in the antibiotic decision making process needs further research. Keywords: endoscopy, quality of life, questionnaires, anti-bacterial agents

  15. Relative tooth size at birth in primates: Life history correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Timothy D; Muchlinski, Magdalena N; Bucher, Wade R; Vinyard, Christopher J; Bonar, Christopher J; Evans, Sian; Williams, Lawrence E; DeLeon, Valerie B

    2017-11-01

    Dental eruption schedules have been closely linked to life history variables. Here we examine a sample of 50 perinatal primates (28 species) to determine whether life history traits correlate with relative tooth size at birth. Newborn primates were studied using serial histological sectioning. Volumes of deciduous premolars (dp 2 -dp 4 ), replacement teeth (if any), and permanent molars (M 1-2/3 ) of the upper jaw were measured and residuals from cranial length were calculated with least squares regressions to obtain relative dental volumes (RDVs). Relative dental volumes of deciduous or permanent teeth have an unclear relationship with relative neonatal mass in all primates. Relative palatal length (RPL), used as a proxy for midfacial size, is significantly, positively correlated with larger deciduous and permanent postcanine teeth. However, when strepsirrhines alone are examined, larger RPL is correlated with smaller RDV of permanent teeth. In the full sample, RDVs of deciduous premolars are significantly negatively correlated with relative gestation length (RGL), but have no clear relationship with relative weaning age. RDVs of molars lack a clear relationship with RGL; later weaning is associated with larger molar RDV, although correlations are not significant. When strepsirrhines alone are analyzed, clearer trends are present: longer gestations or later weaning are associated with smaller deciduous and larger permanent postcanine teeth (only gestational length correlations are significant). Our results indicate a broad trend that primates with the shortest RGLs precociously develop deciduous teeth; in strepsirrhines, the opposite trend is seen for permanent molars. Anthropoids delay growth of permanent teeth, while strepsirrhines with short RGLs are growing replacement teeth concurrently. A comparison of neonatal volumes with existing information on extent of cusp mineralization indicates that growth of tooth germs and cusp mineralization may be selected for

  16. Importance of small-degree nodes in assortative networks with degree-weight correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sijuan; Feng, Ling; Monterola, Christopher Pineda; Lai, Choy Heng

    2017-10-01

    It has been known that assortative network structure plays an important role in spreading dynamics for unweighted networks. Yet its influence on weighted networks is not clear, in particular when weight is strongly correlated with the degrees of the nodes as we empirically observed in Twitter. Here we use the self-consistent probability method and revised nonperturbative heterogenous mean-field theory method to investigate this influence on both susceptible-infective-recovered (SIR) and susceptible-infective-susceptible (SIS) spreading dynamics. Both our simulation and theoretical results show that while the critical threshold is not significantly influenced by the assortativity, the prevalence in the supercritical regime shows a crossover under different degree-weight correlations. In particular, unlike the case of random mixing networks, in assortative networks, the negative degree-weight correlation leads to higher prevalence in their spreading beyond the critical transmissivity than that of the positively correlated. In addition, the previously observed inhibition effect on spreading velocity by assortative structure is not apparent in negatively degree-weight correlated networks, while it is enhanced for that of the positively correlated. Detailed investigation into the degree distribution of the infected nodes reveals that small-degree nodes play essential roles in the supercritical phase of both SIR and SIS spreadings. Our results have direct implications in understanding viral information spreading over online social networks and epidemic spreading over contact networks.

  17. Effect of posture on the diurnal variation in clinically significant diabetic macular edema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polito, Antonio; Polini, Giovanni; Chiodini, Raffaella Gortana; Isola, Miriam; Soldano, Franca; Bandello, Francesco

    2007-07-01

    To investigate the role of posture and other systemic factors in the diurnal variation of clinically significant diabetic macular edema (CSDME). Ten eyes of 10 diabetic subjects with CSDME underwent four OCT foveal thickness measurements with StratusOCT at 9 AM and 12, 3, and 6 PM consecutively on two different days, with the subject in an upright position on one and in a recumbent position on the other. For the "recumbent-position" measurements, the patients were admitted the night before and remained in bed during the entire day of testing. Clinical laboratory results at baseline included HbA1c, urinary albumin, and serum creatinine. Refraction and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity were also measured before each OCT measurement was taken. Variations in blood pressure, body temperature, plasma glucose, renin, aldosterone, and cortisol levels were measured and then correlated with macular thickness. Foveal thickening decreased in all cases over the course of the day. The decrease, however, was significantly greater for the upright-position measurements (relative mean +/- SD decrease of 20.6% +/- 6.5% in the upright position and 6.2% +/- 4.6% in the recumbent position). Visual acuity improved by at least 1 ETDRS line in three eyes in the upright position as opposed to only one eye in the recumbent position. There seemed to be no association between any of the systemic factors studied and foveal thickening, with the exception of cortisol. The results support the hypothesis that posture and hydrostatic pressure play a major role in determining time-related shifts in CSDME and suggest that the forces of Starling's law can in part, account for CSDME formation.

  18. Rearing in enriched environment increases parvalbumin-positive small neurons in the amygdala and decreases anxiety-like behavior of male rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urakawa, Susumu; Takamoto, Kouich; Hori, Etsuro; Sakai, Natsuko; Ono, Taketoshi; Nishijo, Hisao

    2013-01-25

    Early life experiences including physical exercise, sensory stimulation, and social interaction can modulate development of the inhibitory neuronal network and modify various behaviors. In particular, alteration of parvalbumin-expressing neurons, a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neuronal subpopulation, has been suggested to be associated with psychiatric disorders. Here we investigated whether rearing in enriched environment could modify the expression of parvalbumin-positive neurons in the basolateral amygdala and anxiety-like behavior. Three-week-old male rats were divided into two groups: those reared in an enriched environment (EE rats) and those reared in standard cages (SE rats). After 5 weeks of rearing, the EE rats showed decreased anxiety-like behavior in an open field than the SE rats. Under another anxiogenic situation, in a beam walking test, the EE rats more quickly traversed an elevated narrow beam. Anxiety-like behavior in the open field was significantly and negatively correlated with walking time in the beam-walking test. Immunohistochemical tests revealed that the number of parvalbumin-positive neurons significantly increased in the basolateral amygdala of the EE rats than that of the SE rats, while the number of calbindin-D28k-positive neurons did not change. These parvalbumin-positive neurons had small, rounded soma and co-expressed the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67). Furthermore, the number of parvalbumin-positive small cells in the basolateral amygdala tended to positively correlate with emergence in the center arena of the open field and negatively correlated with walking time in the beam walking test. Rearing in the enriched environment augmented the number of parvalbumin-containing specific inhibitory neuron in the basolateral amygdala, but not that of calbindin-containing neuronal phenotype. Furthermore, the number of parvalbumin-positive small neurons in the basolateral amygdala was negatively correlated with walking time in the

  19. Navicular bone position determined by positional MRI: a reproducibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, Philip; Nybing, Janus D. [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg, Department of Radiology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Johannsen, Finn E.; Stallknecht, Sandra E. [Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen, NV (Denmark); Hangaard, Stine; Hansen, Bjarke B. [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg, Parker Institute, Department of Rheumatology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Boesen, Mikael [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg, Department of Radiology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg, Parker Institute, Department of Rheumatology, Frederiksberg (Denmark)

    2016-02-15

    To examine intraobserver, interobserver and between-day reproducibility of positional MRI for evaluation of navicular bone height (NVH) and medial navicular position (MNP). Positional MRI (pMRI) of the foot was performed on ten healthy participants (0.25 T G-scanner). Scanning was performed in supine and standing position, respectively. Two radiologists evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Reliability and agreement were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95 % limits of agreement as a percentage of the mean (LOA%). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was ''substantial'' in both supine and standing position (ICC 0.86-0.98) and showed good agreement (LOA% 4.9-14.7 %). Between-day reliability of navicular height and medial navicular position in standing position remained substantial (ICC 0.85-0.92) with adequate agreement (LOA% 8.3-19.8 %). In supine position between-day reliability was ''moderate'' for NVH (ICC 0.72) and ''slight'' for MNP (ICC 0.39). Agreement remained adequate between-days for MNP in supine position (LOA% 17.7 %), but it was less than adequate for NVH in supine position (LOA% 24.2 %). Navicular height and medial navicular position can be measured by pMRI in a very reproducible manner within and between observers. Increased measurement variation is observed between-days in supine position, which may be due to small positional differences or other unknown biomechanical factors. (orig.)

  20. Navicular bone position determined by positional MRI: a reproducibility study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, Philip; Nybing, Janus D.; Johannsen, Finn E.; Stallknecht, Sandra E.; Hangaard, Stine; Hansen, Bjarke B.; Boesen, Mikael

    2016-01-01

    To examine intraobserver, interobserver and between-day reproducibility of positional MRI for evaluation of navicular bone height (NVH) and medial navicular position (MNP). Positional MRI (pMRI) of the foot was performed on ten healthy participants (0.25 T G-scanner). Scanning was performed in supine and standing position, respectively. Two radiologists evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Reliability and agreement were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95 % limits of agreement as a percentage of the mean (LOA%). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was ''substantial'' in both supine and standing position (ICC 0.86-0.98) and showed good agreement (LOA% 4.9-14.7 %). Between-day reliability of navicular height and medial navicular position in standing position remained substantial (ICC 0.85-0.92) with adequate agreement (LOA% 8.3-19.8 %). In supine position between-day reliability was ''moderate'' for NVH (ICC 0.72) and ''slight'' for MNP (ICC 0.39). Agreement remained adequate between-days for MNP in supine position (LOA% 17.7 %), but it was less than adequate for NVH in supine position (LOA% 24.2 %). Navicular height and medial navicular position can be measured by pMRI in a very reproducible manner within and between observers. Increased measurement variation is observed between-days in supine position, which may be due to small positional differences or other unknown biomechanical factors. (orig.)

  1. Effects of racing games on risky driving behaviour, and the significance of personality and physiological data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Mingming; Chan, Alan H S; Wu, Feng; Wang, Jun

    2015-08-01

    Racing games have emerged as top-selling products in the video and computer game industry. The effect of playing racing games on the inclination of gamers to take risks has been investigated. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, the impact of personality traits on the effects of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination was examined. The Vienna Test System, which includes the Eysenck Personality Profile Test and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test, was used to measure risk-taking inclination and risk-taking while driving. Experiment 2 was designed and conducted to analyse the effects of different intensity levels of car racing games on risk-taking inclination, and to study the relationship between physiological data and risk-taking inclination. Physiological data on skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure were measured with the NeuroDyne System. Participants playing a racing game were more inclined to take risks in critical road traffic situations than those playing a neutral game. The adventurousness dimension of the Eysenck Personality Profile Test correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination. More importantly, the effect of the intensity level of a racing game on risk-taking inclination was significant. The higher the intensity level of the racing game, the higher the risk-taking inclination while driving. The effect of intensity level of the racing game on skin conductance was significantly positive. Skin conductance correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination. The effect of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination is linked to personality and physiological data. Some recommendations are proposed as a result of this study for racing game management. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  2. Clinical significance of determination of blood gastro-intestinal hormones levels in small for gestational age newborns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rong Lijun; Chen Yongsheng

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of plasma motilin, plasma somatostatin and serum gastrin levels after beginning oral feeding in 68 small for gestational age neonates (pre-term 36, full-term 32). Methods: Blood levels of somatostatin (SS), motilin and gastrin were determined with RIA before beginning of oral feeding and on 7 th day after birth in 68 small for gestational age neonates and 30 controls. Results: The blood levels of motilin and gastrin before feeding and on 7 th day in the small for gestational age neonates were significantly lower than those in the controls, while the SS levels were significantly higher. The serum levels of the hormones rose gradually after birth and on 7 th day were all significantly higher than those before feeding respectively (P th day levels were positively correlated with gestational age, original levels before feeding and early feeding. For gastrin, the levels were also positively correlated with the amount of feeding. In this study, early oral feeding was practiced in all the neonates without any adverse effect. Conclusion: Although the blood levels of gastro-intestinal hormones were lower in small for gestational age newborns, early oral feeding was practiced in all the neonates with no adverse effect observed and more rapid elevation of the hormone levels. Therefore, early oral feeding should be encouraged. (authors)

  3. Endogenous plasma estradiol in healthy men is positively correlated with cerebral cortical serotonin 2A receptor binding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frokjaer, Vibe G.; Erritzoe, David; Juul, Anders

    2010-01-01

    the effect of plasma sex hormone levels on neocortical 5-HT2A receptor binding as imaged with [18F]altanserin PET. The effect of endogenous sex-hormone levels was evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Mean neocortical 5-HT2A receptor binding was positively correlated with estradiol (p......Background: Sex-hormones influence brain function and are likely to play a role in the gender predisposition to mood and anxiety disorders. Acute fluctuations of sex-hormone levels including hormonal replacement therapy appear to affect serotonergic neurotransmission, but it is unknown if baseline...... levels affect serotonergic neurotransmission. This study was undertaken to examine if baseline levels of endogenous sex hormones are associated with cerebral serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor binding in men. Methods: In a group of 72 healthy men (mean age 37.5 years ±17.4 SD, range 19.6–81.7) we studied...

  4. Correlation Between Placental Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Protein Expression Throughout Gestation in Normal Human Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Jayasri; Agamasu, Enyonam; Bendek, Bolek; Salafia, Carolyn M; Mishra, Aruna; Lopez, Julia Vasquez; Kroes, Jessica; Dragich, Sharon Claire; Thakur, Ashley; Mikhail, Magdy

    2018-04-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), specifically MMP-9 plays a role in human placentation. The enzyme confers an invasive ability to cytotrophoblasts and degrades the endometrial matrix as the cells infiltrate the decidua to keep up with placental growth. Since tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can induce the synthesis of MMP-9, we investigated the patterns of changes in and correlation between placental villous MMP-9 and TNF-α expressions throughout normal human gestation. Placentas were obtained from 179 normal pregnant women who underwent elective abortion or term delivery. Chorionic villi isolated from placental samples were grouped as first, second, and third trimester (7 0/7 -13 0/7 , 13 1/7 -23 6/7 , and 37 0/7 -42 4/7 weeks, respectively). Chorionic villous TNF-α and MMP-9 proteins were assayed using enzyme immunoassay kits. There were significant differences in MMP-9 and TNF-α protein expressions among the trimester groups ( P = .001). The MMP-9 protein increased progressively with an increase in gestational age (GA), but TNF-α peaked in the second trimester. Within each trimester group, we searched for the effects of variation of GA in days on the 2 variables. A significant positive correlation between MMP-9 and GA was noted in the first trimester ( r = 0.364, P = .005). No other comparisons were significant. When GA was controlled for, partial correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 only in the second trimester ( r = 0.300, P = .018). We hypothesize that the TNF-α peak and the positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 in the second trimester of normal human gestation could contribute toward a successful pregnancy outcome.

  5. [CORRELATION OF ANTI-MULLERIAN HORMONE WITH HORMONAL AND OVARIAN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME WITH AND WITHOUT INSULIN RESISTANCE].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asanidze, E; Khristesashvili, J; Pkhaladze, L; Barbakadze, L

    2018-02-01

    PCOS has a leading place in women's infertility. Based on the data of recent researches, Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) has been considered as one of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS. The aim of study was to determine the correlation of Anti-Mullerian hormone with hormonal and ovarian morphological characteristics in patients with PCOS, with and without insulin resistance. 110 women with diagnosis of PCOS were involved in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: PCOS patients with insulin resistance (60 women) and PCOS patients without insulin resistance (50 women). All patients underwent hormonal investigation (AMH, FSH, LH, T, FT, HOMA- IR, FAI and SHBG). The volume of ovaries and the number of antral follicles (AFC) were determined by ultrasound imaging. Сorrelation between AMH and the ovarian hormonal and morphological characteristics has been shown. In particular, a significant positive correlation between AMH and the volume of the ovaries in both groups was demonstrated. In the group of patients with PCOS and insulin resistance a positive correlation between AMH and the volum of ovary, AFC was shown, as well as a negative correlation between AMH and SHBG. In the same group a tendency of the positive correlation between AMH and TT, HOMA-IR and IRI was seen. In the group of patients with PCOS without insulin resistence a positive correlation between AMH and the volum of ovary was observed, as well as the tendency of positive correlation between AMH and AFC, TT, HOMA-IR, IRI. Additionally, a negative correlation between AMH and SHBG was seen in the later patient group. Increased levels of AMH in all PCOS patients in our study, in comparison with the accepted norm, indicates on possibility of using this data in the diagnosis of PCOS. AMH levels in PCOS patients with and without insulin resistance do not differ significantly. The correlation between AMH and the morphological characteristics of ovaries has been established.

  6. Brain metabolic correlates of dopaminergic degeneration in de novo idiopathic Parkinson's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berti, Valentina; Polito, Cristina; Vanzi, Eleonora; Cristofaro, Maria Teresa de; Pellicano, Giannantonio; Mungai, Francesco; Formiconi, Andreas Robert; Pupi, Alberto; Ramat, Silvia; Marini, Paolo; Sorbi, Sandro

    2010-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reciprocal relationships between motor impairment, dopaminergic dysfunction, and cerebral metabolism (rCMRglc) in de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Twenty-six de novo untreated PD patients were scanned with 123 I-FP-CIT SPECT and 18 F-FDG PET. The dopaminergic impairment was measured with putaminal 123 I-FP-CIT binding potential (BP), estimated with two different techniques: an iterative reconstruction algorithm (BP OSEM ) and the least-squares (LS) method (BP LS ). Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the specific brain regions in which UPDRS III scores and putaminal BP values correlated with rCMRglc. The SPM results showed a negative correlation between UPDRS III and rCMRglc in premotor cortex, and a positive correlation between BP OSEM and rCMRglc in premotor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, not surviving at multiple comparison correction. Instead, there was a positive significant correlation between putaminal BP LS and rCMRglc in premotor, dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortex (p LS is an efficient parameter for exploring the correlations between PD severity and rCMRglc cortical changes. The correlation between dopaminergic degeneration and rCMRglc in several prefrontal regions likely represents the cortical functional correlate of the dysfunction in the motor basal ganglia-cortical circuit in PD. This finding suggests focusing on the metabolic course of these areas to follow PD progression and to analyze treatment effects. (orig.)

  7. Predicting residue contacts using pragmatic correlated mutations method: reducing the false positives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexov Emil G

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Predicting residues' contacts using primary amino acid sequence alone is an important task that can guide 3D structure modeling and can verify the quality of the predicted 3D structures. The correlated mutations (CM method serves as the most promising approach and it has been used to predict amino acids pairs that are distant in the primary sequence but form contacts in the native 3D structure of homologous proteins. Results Here we report a new implementation of the CM method with an added set of selection rules (filters. The parameters of the algorithm were optimized against fifteen high resolution crystal structures with optimization criterion that maximized the confidentiality of the predictions. The optimization resulted in a true positive ratio (TPR of 0.08 for the CM without filters and a TPR of 0.14 for the CM with filters. The protocol was further benchmarked against 65 high resolution structures that were not included in the optimization test. The benchmarking resulted in a TPR of 0.07 for the CM without filters and to a TPR of 0.09 for the CM with filters. Conclusion Thus, the inclusion of selection rules resulted to an overall improvement of 30%. In addition, the pair-wise comparison of TPR for each protein without and with filters resulted in an average improvement of 1.7. The methodology was implemented into a web server http://www.ces.clemson.edu/compbio/recon that is freely available to the public. The purpose of this implementation is to provide the 3D structure predictors with a tool that can help with ranking alternative models by satisfying the largest number of predicted contacts, as well as it can provide a confidence score for contacts in cases where structure is known.

  8. The Correlation Between Schizophrenic Patients' Level of Internalized Stigma and Their Level of Hope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olçun, Zeynep; Şahin Altun, Özlem

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between schizophrenic patients' level of internalized stigma and their level of hope. The population of the study consisted of patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and also met the study inclusion criteria. The study sample selection from the population was not further divided; the study was conducted with 76 patients. The data of the study were collected using a personal information form, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, and Herth Hope Scale. The patients' mean score on the Internalized Stigma Scale was 72.78±16.05. Their score on the Hope Scale is 50.36±11.91. A significant negative correlation was found between the total mean scores of ISMI and the Herth Hope Scale (r=-0.360, pHope Scale (r=0.510, phope levels were found to be moderate. A significant negative correlation was found between internalized stigma and hope. This study also found a significant positive correlation between the stigma resistance of patients and their hope levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scholze, Alexandra; Lamwers, Stephanie; Tepel, Martin

    2012-01-01

    Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is linked to increased cardiovascular risk. This risk can be reduced by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment. As OSA is associated with an increase of several vasoconstrictive factors, we investigated whether nCPAP influences the digital volume...... pulse wave. We performed digital photoplethysmography during sleep at night in 94 consecutive patients who underwent polysomnography and 29 patients treated with nCPAP. Digital volume pulse waves were obtained independently of an investigator and were quantified using an algorithm for continuous.......01; n = 94) and the arousal index (Spearman correlation, r = 0.21; p CPAP treatment, the AHI was significantly reduced from 27 ± 3 events · h(-1) to 4 ± 2 events · h(-1) (each n = 29; p

  10. Orthorexia nervosa: Assessment and correlates with gender, BMI, and personality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberle, Crystal D; Samaghabadi, Razieh O; Hughes, Elizabeth M

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated whether orthorexia nervosa (ON; characterized by an obsessive fixation on eating healthy) may be predicted from the demographics variables of gender and BMI, and from the personality variables of self-esteem, narcissism, and perfectionism. Participants were 459 college students, who completed several online questionnaires that assessed these variables. A principal components analysis confirmed that the Eating Habits Questionnaire (Gleaves, Graham, & Ambwani, 2013) assesses three internally-consistent ON components: healthy eating behaviors, problems resulting from those behaviors, and positive feelings associated with those behaviors. A MANOVA and its tests of between subjects effects then revealed significant interactions between gender and BMI, such that for men but not women, a higher BMI was associated with greater symptomatology for all ON components. Partial correlation analyses, after controlling for gender and BMI, revealed that both narcissism and perfectionism were positively correlated with all aspects of ON symptomatology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Correlation between neuromelanin-sensitive MR imaging and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT in patients with parkinsonism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuya, Keita; Shinohara, Yuki; Miyoshi, Fuminori; Fujii, Shinya; Tanabe, Yoshio; Ogawa, Toshihide

    2016-01-01

    Neuromelanin-sensitive MR imaging (MRI) can visualize neuromelanin-containing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), and its utility has been reported in the evaluation of parkinsonism. Conversely, dopamine transporter imaging by 123 I-N-v-fluoropropyl-2b-carbomethoxy-3b-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (FP-CIT) SPECT (DaTSCAN) is now an established method for evaluating parkinsonism, detecting presynaptic dopamine neuronal dysfunction. Both methods can assist differentiating neurodegenerative and other forms of parkinsonism. However, to our knowledge, there have been no studies concerning a correlation between the two methods. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of neuromelanin-sensitive MRI for diagnosing parkinsonism by examining a correlation with DaTSCAN. Twenty-three patients with parkinsonism who underwent both neuromelanin-sensitive MRI and DaTSCAN were included. We measured the neuromelanin-positive SNc region volume by manually contouring the high signal intensity region of the SNc on neuromelanin-sensitive MRI and measured the specific binding ratio (SBR) on DaTSCAN. The asymmetry index of neuromelanin-positive SNc volume and the asymmetry index of SBR were also calculated. The volume of the neuromelanin-positive SNc region showed significant correlation with specific binding ratio (SBR) (right P <.001, ρ = 0.78, left P <.001, ρ = 0.86). The asymmetry index of neuromelanin-positive SNc volume also showed significant correlations with the asymmetry index of SBR (P <.001, ρ = 0.73). Decrease of the high signal intensity region of the SNc on neuromelanin-sensitive MRI would indicate damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic function as well as loss of dopaminergic neurons. We conclude that neuromelanin-sensitive MRI is a useful diagnostic biomarker for parkinsonism. (orig.)

  12. Structural neural correlates of multitasking: A voxel-based morphometry study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Rui-Ting; Yang, Tian-Xiao; Wang, Yi; Sui, Yuxiu; Yao, Jingjing; Zhang, Chen-Yuan; Cheung, Eric F C; Chan, Raymond C K

    2016-12-01

    Multitasking refers to the ability to organize assorted tasks efficiently in a short period of time, which plays an important role in daily life. However, the structural neural correlates of multitasking performance remain unclear. The present study aimed at exploring the brain regions associated with multitasking performance using global correlation analysis. Twenty-six healthy participants first underwent structural brain scans and then performed the modified Six Element Test, which required participants to attempt six subtasks in 10 min while obeying a specific rule. Voxel-based morphometry of the whole brain was used to detect the structural correlates of multitasking ability. Grey matter volume of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was positively correlated with the overall performance and time monitoring in multitasking. In addition, white matter volume of the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) was also positively correlated with time monitoring during multitasking. Other related brain regions associated with multitasking included the superior frontal gyrus, the inferior occipital gyrus, the lingual gyrus, and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus. No significant correlation was found between grey matter volume of the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Area 10) and multitasking performance. Using a global correlation analysis to examine various aspects of multitasking performance, this study provided new insights into the structural neural correlates of multitasking ability. In particular, the ACC was identified as an important brain region that played both a general and a specific time-monitoring role in multitasking, extending the role of the ACC from lesioned populations to healthy populations. The present findings also support the view that the ATR may influence multitasking performance by affecting time-monitoring abilities. © 2016 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  13. Clinical significance of measurement of plasma relevant cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-2, TPO, EPO) levels in patients with aplastic anemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Tintin

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the role of relevant cytokines in the development and pathogenesis of aplastic anemia. Methods: Plasma GM-CSF, IL-2, TPO (with RIA) and EPO (with CLIA) contents were measured in 100 patients (acute 43, chronic 57) with aplastic anemia and 50 controls. Complete blood count was also performed in all these subjects. Results: The peripheral RBC, WBC, platelet counts and GM-CSF contents were significantly lower in the patients with aplastic anemia than those in the controls (P<0.05), while the IL-2, EPO and TPO contents were significantly higher in the patients (P<0.05). GM-CSF contents were positively correlated with the WBC numbers. EPO contents were negatively correlated with the RBC counts and TPO contents were correlated (negatively) with the platelet counts. Conclusion: There was correlationship between each blood elements (WBC, RBC, platelet) and its corresponding cytokine (GS-CSF, EPO, TPO respectively). IL-2 contents were not correlated with WBC counts. (authors)

  14. Immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics with prognostic significance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Bellas

    Full Text Available Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma with marked biologic heterogeneity. We analyzed 100 cases of DLBCL to evaluate the prognostic value of immunohistochemical markers derived from the gene expression profiling-defined cell origin signature, including MYC, BCL2, BCL6, and FOXP1 protein expression. We also investigated genetic alterations in BCL2, BCL6, MYC and FOXP1 using fluorescence in situ hybridization and assessed their prognostic significance. BCL6 rearrangements were detected in 29% of cases, and BCL6 gene alteration (rearrangement and/or amplification was associated with the non-germinal center B subtype (non-GCB. BCL2 translocation was associated with the GCB phenotype, and BCL2 protein expression was associated with the translocation and/or amplification of 18q21. MYC rearrangements were detected in 15% of cases, and MYC protein expression was observed in 29% of cases. FOXP1 expression, mainly of the non-GCB subtype, was demonstrated in 37% of cases. Co-expression of the MYC and BCL2 proteins, with non-GCB subtype predominance, was observed in 21% of cases. We detected an association between high FOXP1 expression and a high proliferation rate as well as a significant positive correlation between MYC overexpression and FOXP1 overexpression. MYC, BCL2 and FOXP1 expression were significant predictors of overall survival. The co-expression of MYC and BCL2 confers a poorer clinical outcome than MYC or BCL2 expression alone, whereas cases negative for both markers had the best outcomes. Our study confirms that DLBCL, characterized by the co-expression of MYC and BCL2 proteins, has a poor prognosis and establishes a significant positive correlation with MYC and FOXP1 over-expression in this entity.

  15. MMP-9, uPA and uPAR proteins expression and its prognostic significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Shuchai; Wang Yafei; Su Jingwei; Wang Yuxiang; Shen Wenbin; Li Juan

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To explore the the prognostic significance of MMP-9, uPA and uPAR protein expression and its relationship with clinical-pathologic factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by radiotherapy. Methods: MMP-9, uPA and uPAR protein expression was measured in 59 esophageal carcinomas and 41 peri-carcinoma tissues with immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the protein expression and the clinical-pathological parameters was analyzed, and the prognostic factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by radiotherapy alone was evaluated. Results: The rates of positive expression of MMP-9, uPA and uPAR were 85%, 76% and 78% in esophageal carcinoma and 39%, 49% and 44% in peri-carcinoma tissues (χ 2 =22.54, 8.04 and 12.18; P=0.000,0.005 and 0.000). The rates of positive expression of MMP-9 was 79% and 100% when the depth of tumor invasion was ≤2 cm and >2 cm(P= 0.048), respectively. The expression of uPA was significantly correlated with the status of fat interspace between the esophageal lesion and the vertebra in CT scanning image. When the fat interspace existed and disappeared, the rates of strong positive expression was 44% and 70%, respectively (χ 2 =4.21, P=0.040). The positive expression rate of uPA was significantly correlated with distant metastasis, which was 100% in patients with distant metastasis and 68.89% in those without distant metastasis(χ 2 =4.12, P=0.042). The positive expression rate of MMP-9, uPA and uPAR did not affect the prognosis and the short-term result of esophageal carcinoma treated by radiotherapy alone. Conclusions: The protein expression of MMP-9, uPA and uPAR may correlate with local infiltration and distant metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Protein expression may not influence the prognosis of esophageal carcinoma treated by radio therapy, though long time followed-up is still needed. (authors)

  16. Mitochondrial mass is inversely correlated to complete lipid oxidation in human myotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaster, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Exercise increases while physical inactivity decrease mitochondrial content and oxidative capacity of skeletal muscles in vivo. It is unknown whether mitochondrial mass and substrate oxidation are related in non-contracting skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial mass, ATP, ADP, AMP, glucose and lipid......, basal glucose oxidation and incomplete lipid oxidation were significantly increased while complete lipid oxidation was lower. Mitochondrial mass was not correlated to glucose oxidation or incomplete lipid oxidation in human myotubes but inversely correlated to complete lipid oxidation. Thus within...... a stable energetic background, an increased mitochondrial mass in human myotubes was not positive correlated to an increased substrate oxidation as expected from skeletal muscles in vivo but surprisingly with a reduced complete lipid oxidation....

  17. Diagnostic significance of nitrates and nitrites and L-arginine, in development of hepatorenal syndrome in patients with end stage alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickovic, Vanja; Kocic, Gordana; Bjelakovic, Goran; Pavlovic, Radmila; Stojanovic, Ivana; Katanic, Radoslav; Stojanovic, Svetlana; Djindjic, Boris

    2013-01-01

    Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) represents a complication of the end-stage liver cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to analyze concentrations of nitrates and nitrites (NO2 + NO3) and L-arginine in patients with liver cirrhosis and HRS as a possible predictive marker for the development of HRS. The research was performed in a group of 28 patients with cirrhosis and HRS, a group of 22 patients suffering from cirrhosis without HRS and a control group comprised of 42 healthy voluntary blood donors. In patients with end-stage alcoholic liver cirrhosis, with HRS, the concentrations of NO2 + NO3 increased and correlated with the degree of cirrhosis progression, compared to patients without HRS and significantly higher compared to the control group. The level of NO2 + NO3 was in a positive correlation with the degree of liver damage de Ritis coefficient (HRS = 0.72; cirrhosis: = 0.55; control = -0.10). Significant positive correlation was found between NO2 + NO3 concentration and inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (HRSC = 0.75; cirrhosis = 0.70, control = -0.25). The correlation between NO2 + NO3 concentration and creatinine concentration in patients with HRS was significantly higher compared to patients without HRS (HRS = 0.82; cirrhosis = 0.32; control = -0.25). By using binary regression analysis, on the basis of clinical criteria of HRS diagnosis, the strongest independent positive predictor for HRS development was NO2 + NO3, associated with 45.02 times higher incidence of HRS, compared to arginine (12.7 times higher incidence), creatinine (13.1 times higher incidence), and AST/ALT ratio (10.55 higher incidence of HRS). Since the determination of NO2 + NO3 represents a reliable and easily applicable method, it may be used as an early predictive marker for HRS development.

  18. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN MUSCLE MASS, MUSCLE STRENGTH, PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, AND MUSCLE FATIGUE RESISTANCE IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY SUBJECTS

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    Elizabeth

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To determine the correlations between muscle mass, muscle strength, physical performance, and muscle fatigue resistance in community-dwelling elderly people in order to elucidate factors which contribute to elderly’s performance of daily activities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on community-dwelling elderly in Bandung from September to December 2014. One hundred and thirty elderly, 60 years old or above, were evaluated using bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure muscle mass; grip strength to measure muscle strength and muscle fatigue resistance; habitual gait speed to measure physical performance; and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ to assess physical activity. Results: There were significant positive correlations between muscle mass (r=0,27, p=0,0019, muscle strength (r=0,26, p=0,0024, and physical performance (r=0,32, p=0,0002 with muscle fatigue resistance. Physical performance has the highest correlation based on multiple regression test (p=0,0025. In association with muscle mass, the physical activity showed a significant positive correlation (r=0,42, p=0,0000. Sarcopenia was identified in 19 (14.61% of 130 subjects. Conclusions: It is suggested that muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance influence muscle fatigue resistance.

  19. Sp1-CD147 positive feedback loop promotes the invasion ability of ovarian cancer.

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    Zhao, Jing; Ye, Wei; Wu, Juan; Liu, Lijuan; Yang, Lina; Gao, Lu; Chen, Biliang; Zhang, Fanglin; Yang, Hong; Li, Yu

    2015-07-01

    CD147 is a novel cancer biomarker that has been confirmed to be overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma, which is significantly associated with poor prognosis. Although the Sp1 protein regulates the expression level of CD147, it remains unclear whether Sp1 phosphorylation plays a role in this regulation. A dual-luciferase assay revealed that T453 and T739 mutations decreased the activity of Sp1 binding to the promoter of CD147, followed by a decrease in CD147 mRNA and protein expression. Western blot analysis showed that CD147 promoted Sp1 phosphorylation at T453 and T739 through the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways. In addition, blocking the Sp1-CD147 positive feedback loop reduced the invasion ability of HO-8910pm cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the components of the feedback loop were overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues. The correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between phospho-Sp1 (T453), phospho-Sp1 (T739) and CD147 expression levels, with correlation coefficients of r=0.477 and r=0.461, respectively. Collectively, our results suggest that a Sp1-CD147 positive feedback loop plays a critical role in the invasion ability of ovarian cancer cells.

  20. Magnetic resonance images of patients with temporomandibular disorders: Prevalence and correlation between disk morphology and displacement

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    Amaral, Ruana de Oliveira, E-mail: ruana.amaral@hotmail.com [Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Damasceno, Naiana Nolasco de Lima, E-mail: naiananolasketi@yahoo.com.br [Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Azevedo de Souza, Lílian, E-mail: lilianazevedo@msn.com [Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Devito, Karina Lopes, E-mail: karina.devito@ufjf.edu.br [Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil)

    2013-06-15

    Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), this study aimed to evaluate the morphology of the articular disc of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). There were 218 TMJ of 109 assessed patients; 88 were females and 21 males, and all were diagnosed as symptomatic for temporomandibular disorder. The articular disc positions were classified in the normal position and with anterior disc displacement with and without reduction. Regarding the morphology, the discs were classified as follows: biconcave (normal), biplanar, rounded, biconvex, folded, thickening in the posterior band, thickening in the anterior band and hemiconvex. The results indicated that females were the most affected by morphological changes of the articular disc (p = 0.008/Cramer's V = 0.295). There was no statistical significance when correlating the disc morphology with the sides (right and left). There was a significant correlation between the position and morphology of the articular disc (p < 0.001/Cramer's V = 0.609), and in the normal position of the discs presenting biplanar and biconcave morphologies. In TMJ with anterior displacement of the disc with reduction (ADDR), there was a greater correlation with rounded, hemiconvex and biconvex morphologies. Already in the TMJ with displacement without reduction (ADDWR), there was a higher prevalence of folded discs. It can be concluded that morphological changes in the disc are influenced by the type of displacement, and more serious deformations are associated with ADDWR cases.