Showing papers by "University of Nevada, Reno published in 2008"
Federal University of Bahia1, McMaster University2, University of Amsterdam3, National Institutes of Health4, Charité5, Catholic University of Cordoba6, University of Genoa7, Radboud University Nijmegen8, Transilvania University of Brașov9, Ghent University10, University of Tennessee Health Science Center11, University of Naples Federico II12, Laval University13, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais14, University of Oslo15, University of Manchester16, Aarhus University17, Imperial College London18, Erasmus University Rotterdam19, George Washington University20, Seoul National University21, Medical University of Łódź22, Hai phong University Of Medicine and Pharmacy23, Université de Montréal24, Guangzhou Medical University25, University of South Florida26, University of California, San Diego27, University of California28, University of Chicago29, Monash University30, Teikyo University31, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens32, Nippon Medical School33, Sofia Medical University34, Leiden University35, Leiden University Medical Center36, University College London37, University of Manitoba38, University of Helsinki39, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health40, National University of Singapore41, Karolinska Institutet42, University of Minnesota43, Celal Bayar University44, University of Cape Town45, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University46, Tunis University47, University of Ghana48, University of Wisconsin-Madison49, University of British Columbia50, Georgia Regents University51, Vilnius University52, University of Washington53, University of Dundee54, University of Poitiers55, University of Mississippi56, Federal University of São Paulo57, German Red Cross58, Jagiellonian University Medical College59, Chiba University60, American Pharmacists Association61, University of Aberdeen62, University of Nevada, Reno63, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill64
TL;DR: The ARIA guidelines for the management of allergic rhinitis and asthma are similar in both the 1999 ARIA workshop report and the 2008 Update as discussed by the authors, but the GRADE approach is not yet available.
Abstract: Allergic rhinitis is a symptomatic disorder of the nose induced after allergen exposure by an IgE-mediated inflammation of the membranes lining the nose. It is a global health problem that causes major illness and disability worldwide. Over 600 million patients from all countries, all ethnic groups and of all ages suffer from allergic rhinitis. It affects social life, sleep, school and work and its economic impact is substantial. Risk factors for allergic rhinitis are well identified. Indoor and outdoor allergens as well as occupational agents cause rhinitis and other allergic diseases. The role of indoor and outdoor pollution is probably very important, but has yet to be fully understood both for the occurrence of the disease and its manifestations.
In 1999, during the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) WHO workshop, the expert panel proposed a new classification for allergic rhinitis which was subdivided into 'intermittent' or 'persistent' disease.
This classification is now validated. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis is often quite easy, but in some cases it may cause problems and many patients are still under-diagnosed, often because they do not perceive the symptoms of rhinitis as a disease impairing their social life, school and work.
The management of allergic rhinitis is well established and the ARIA expert panel based its recommendations on evidence using an extensive review of the literature available up to December 1999. The statements of evidence for the development of these guidelines followed WHO rules and were based on those of Shekelle et al. A large number of papers have been published since 2000 and are extensively reviewed in the 2008 Update using the same evidence-based system. Recommendations for the management of allergic rhinitis are similar in both the ARIA workshop report and the 2008 Update. In the future, the GRADE approach will be used, but is not yet available.
Another important aspect of the ARIA guidelines was to consider co-morbidities. Both allergic rhinitis and asthma are systemic inflammatory conditions and often co-exist in the same patients. In the 2008 Update, these links have been confirmed.
The ARIA document is not intended to be a standard-of-care document for individual countries. It is provided as a basis for physicians, health care professionals and organizations involved in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma in various countries to facilitate the development of relevant local standard-of-care documents for patients.
3,769 citations
TL;DR: Using mutants deficient in key ROS-scavenging enzymes, a signaling pathway is defined that is activated in cells in response to ROS accumulation and how ROS integrate different signals originating from different cellular compartments during abiotic stress is discussed.
Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a dual role in plant biology acting on the one hand as important signal transduction molecules and on the other as toxic by-products of aerobic metabolism that accumulate in cells during different stress conditions. Because of their toxicity as well as their important signaling role, the level of ROS in cells is tightly controlled by a vast network of genes termed the 'ROS gene network'. Using mutants deficient in key ROS-scavenging enzymes, we have defined a signaling pathway that is activated in cells in response to ROS accumulation. Interestingly, many of the key players in this pathway, including different zinc finger proteins and WRKY transcription factors, are also central regulators of abiotic stress responses involved in temperature, salinity and osmotic stresses. Here, we describe our recent findings and discuss how ROS integrate different signals originating from different cellular compartments during abiotic stress.
888 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a series of historical earthquakes for which in-vestigators have constructed maps of earthquake rupture traces accompanied by de- scriptions of the coseismic slip observed along the fault strike.
Abstract: There now exist about three dozen historical earthquakes for which in- vestigators have constructed maps of earthquake rupture traces accompanied by de- scriptions of the coseismic slip observed along the fault strike. The maps and slip distributions are compiled here to place observational bounds on aspects of seismic- hazard analysis and fault mechanics. Analysis leads to an initial statistical basis to predict the end points of rupture and the amount of surface slip expected at sites along the strike during earthquakes on mapped faults. The observations also give support to the ideas that there exists a process zone or volume of about 3-4 km in dimension at the fronts of large laterally propagating earthquake ruptures within which stress changes may be sufficient to trigger slip on adjacent faults, and that the ultimate length of earthquake ruptures is controlled primarily by the geometrical complexity of fault traces and variations in accumulated stress levels along faults that arise due to the location of past earthquakes. To this may be added the observation that the form of earthquake surface-slip distributions is better described by asymmetric rather than symmetric curve forms and that earthquake epicenters do not appear to correlate in any systematic manner to regions of maximum surface slip observed along strike. Online Material: Maps of surface ruptures, digitized values and curve fits to surface-slip distributions, and notes and references for Tables 1 and 2.
613 citations
TL;DR: The presence of carbonate as well as accompanying clays suggests that waters were neutral to alkaline at the time of its formation and that acidic weathering, proposed to be characteristic of Hesperian Mars, did not destroy these carbonates and thus did not dominate all aqueous environments.
Abstract: Geochemical models for Mars predict carbonate formation during aqueous alteration. Carbonate-bearing rocks had not previously been detected on Mars' surface, but Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mapping reveals a regional rock layer with near-infrared spectral characteristics that are consistent with the presence of magnesium carbonate in the Nili Fossae region. The carbonate is closely associated with both phyllosilicate-bearing and olivine-rich rock units and probably formed during the Noachian or early Hesperian era from the alteration of olivine by either hydrothermal fluids or near-surface water. The presence of carbonate as well as accompanying clays suggests that waters were neutral to alkaline at the time of its formation and that acidic weathering, proposed to be characteristic of Hesperian Mars, did not destroy these carbonates and thus did not dominate all aqueous environments.
604 citations
TL;DR: This paper presents the exegesis of a DSRIS research project in which creating a (prescriptive) design theory through the process of developing and testing an information systems artifact is inextricably bound to the testing and refinement of its kernel theory.
Abstract: The common understanding of design science research in information systems (DSRIS) continues to evolve. Only in the broadest terms has there been consensus: that DSRIS involves, in some way, learning through the act of building. However, what is to be built – the definition of the DSRIS artifact – and how it is to be built – the methodology of DSRIS – has drawn increasing discussion in recent years. The relationship of DSRIS to theory continues to make up a significant part of the discussion: how theory should inform DSRIS and whether or not DSRIS can or should be instrumental in developing and refining theory. In this paper, we present the exegesis of a DSRIS research project in which creating a (prescriptive) design theory through the process of developing and testing an information systems artifact is inextricably bound to the testing and refinement of its kernel theory.
582 citations
TL;DR: Approaches such as metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting as well as combination of different 'omics' platforms to achieve a holistic view of the plant response stress are described and detailed pathway analysis is conducted.
Abstract: Stress in plants could be defined as any change in growth condition(s) that disrupts metabolic homeostasis and requires an adjustment of metabolic pathways in a process that is usually referred to as acclimation. Metabolomics could contribute significantly to the study of stress biology in plants and other organisms by identifying different compounds, such as by-products of stress metabolism, stress signal transduction molecules or molecules that are part of the acclimation response of plants. These could be further tested by direct measurements, correlated with changes in transcriptome and proteome expression and confirmed by mutant analysis. In this review, we will discuss recent application of metabolomics and system biology to the area of plant stress response. We will describe approaches such as metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting as well as combination of different 'omics' platforms to achieve a holistic view of the plant response stress and conduct detailed pathway analysis.
577 citations
TL;DR: Growing evidence supports a role of ROS-induced generation of oxidative stress in these epigenetic processes and as such the authors can hypothesize of potential mode(s) of action) by which oxidative stress modulates epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
551 citations
TL;DR: The authors track the fortunes of all 2,206 individuals identified as responsible parties for all 788 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement actions for financial misrepresentation from January 1, 1978 through September 30, 2006.
430 citations
University of Otago1, University of Cape Town2, Laval University3, University of California, San Francisco4, University of Wisconsin-Madison5, Creighton University6, University of Arizona7, Newcastle University8, Erasmus University Rotterdam9, University of Edinburgh10, Imperial College London11, University of Leicester12, University of Amsterdam13, University of Nevada, Reno14, University of Colorado Denver15, University of Washington16, University of Aberdeen17, University of Pittsburgh18, University of Sydney19
TL;DR: The need for separate concepts of control and severity is identified, their evolution in asthma guidelines is described and a framework for understanding the relationship between current concepts of asthma phenotype, severity and control is provided.
Abstract: Concepts of asthma severity and control are important in the evaluation of patients and their response to treatment but the terminology is not standardised and the terms are often used interchangeably. This review, arising from the work of an American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Task Force, identifies the need for separate concepts of control and severity, describes their evolution in asthma guidelines and provides a framework for understanding the relationship between current concepts of asthma phenotype, severity and control. "Asthma control" refers to the extent to which the manifestations of asthma have been reduced or removed by treatment. Its assessment should incorporate the dual components of current clinical control (e.g. symptoms, reliever use and lung function) and future risk (e.g. exacerbations and lung function decline). The most clinically useful concept of asthma severity is based on the intensity of treatment required to achieve good asthma control, i.e. severity is assessed during treatment. Severe asthma is defined as the requirement for (not necessarily just prescription or use of) high-intensity treatment. Asthma severity may be influenced by the underlying disease activity and by the patient's phenotype, both of which may be further described using pathological and physiological markers. These markers can also act as surrogate measures for future risk.
424 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed an alternative approach based on the assumption that constant growth is expressed by a constant basal area increment distributed over a growing surface and derived a mathematical expression for the biological trend of ring width, which can be easily calculated and used for dendrochronological standardization.
Abstract: One of the main elements of dendrochronological standardization is removing the biological trend, i.e. the progressive decline of ring width along a cross-sectional radius that is caused by the corresponding increase in stem size and tree age over time. The ‘‘conservative’’ option for removing this biological trend is to fit a modified negative exponential curve (or a straight line with slope # 0) to the ring-width measurements. This method is based on the assumption that, especially for open-grown and/or shade-intolerant species, annual growth rate of mature trees fluctuates around a specific level, expressed by a constant ring width. Because this method has numerical and conceptual drawbacks, we propose an alternative approach based on the assumption that constant growth is expressed by a constant basal area increment distributed over a growing surface. From this starting point, we derive a mathematical expression for the biological trend of ring width, which can be easily calculated and used for dendrochronological standardization. The proposed C-method is compared to other standardization techniques, including Regional Curve Standardization (RCS), of tree-ring width from ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P.Lawson & C.Lawson) located at the Gus Pearson Natural Area (GPNA) in northern Arizona, USA. Master ring-index chronologies built from ring area, RCS, and C-method reproduced stand-wide patterns of tree growth at the GPNA, whereas other standardization options, including the ‘‘conservative’’ one, failed to do so. In addition, the C-method has the advantage of calculating an expected growth curve for each tree, whereas RCS is based on applying the same growth curve to all trees. In conclusion, the C-method replaces the purely empirical ‘‘conservative’’ option with a theorybased approach, which is applicable to individual ring-width measurement series, does not require fitting a growth curve using nonlinear regression, and can be rigorously tested for improving tree-ring records of environmental changes.
424 citations
Cornell University1, Washington University in St. Louis2, Arizona State University3, University of Guelph4, American Museum of Natural History5, Ames Research Center6, California Institute of Technology7, State University of New York System8, University of Nevada, Reno9, Lockheed Martin Corporation10, National Museum of Natural History11, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation12
TL;DR: Opaline silica deposits found on Mars are interpreted to have formed under hydrothermal conditions and therefore to be strong indicators of a former aqueous environment, important for understanding the past habitability of Mars.
Abstract: Mineral deposits on the martian surface can elucidate ancient environmental conditions on the planet. Opaline silica deposits (as much as 91 weight percent SiO2) have been found in association with volcanic materials by the Mars rover Spirit. The deposits are present both as light-toned soils and as bedrock. We interpret these materials to have formed under hydrothermal conditions and therefore to be strong indicators of a former aqueous environment. This discovery is important for understanding the past habitability of Mars because hydrothermal environments on Earth support thriving microbial ecosystems.
TL;DR: An approach to extract oil from spent coffee grounds and to further transesterify the processed oil to convert it into biodiesel, which was found to be stable for more than 1 month under ambient conditions.
Abstract: The production of energy from renewable and waste materials is an attractive alternative to the conventional agricultural feed stocks such as corn and soybean. This paper describes an approach to extract oil from spent coffee grounds and to further transesterify the processed oil to convert it into biodiesel. This process yields 10-15% oil depending on the coffee species (Arabica or Robusta). The biodiesel derived from the coffee grounds (100% conversion of oil to biodiesel) was found to be stable for more than 1 month under ambient conditions. It is projected that 340 million gallons of biodiesel can be produced from the waste coffee grounds around the world. The coffee grounds after oil extraction are ideal materials for garden fertilizer, feedstock for ethanol, and as fuel pellets.
TL;DR: Resiration rates at any common nitrogen concentration were consistently lower on average in leaves than in stems or roots, indicating that organ-specific relationships should be used in models that simulate respiration based on tissue nitrogen concentrations.
Abstract: Using a database of 2510 measurements from 287 species, we assessed whether general relationships exist between mass-based dark respiration rate and nitrogen concentration for stems and roots, and if they do, whether they are similar to those for leaves. The results demonstrate strong respiration-nitrogen scaling relationships for all observations and for data averaged by species; for roots, stems and leaves examined separately; and for life-forms (woody, herbaceous plants) and phylogenetic groups (angiosperms, gymnosperms) considered separately. No consistent differences in the slopes of these log-log scaling relations were observed among organs or among plant groups, but respiration rates at any common nitrogen concentration were consistently lower on average in leaves than in stems or roots, indicating that organ-specific relationships should be used in models that simulate respiration based on tissue nitrogen concentrations. The results demonstrate both common and divergent aspects of tissue-level respiration-nitrogen scaling for leaves, stems and roots across higher land plants, which are important in their own right and for their utility in modelling carbon fluxes at local to global scales.
TL;DR: Proteomic and metabolic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana plants subjected to a combination of drought and heat stress suggests that cytosolic APX1 plays a key role in the acclimation of plants to aCombined drought andHeat stress.
TL;DR: Recent functional characterization studies of different C2H2 proteins in Arabidopsis are highlighted, and it is suggested that many of these proteins function as part of a large regulatory network that senses and responds to different environmental stimuli.
Abstract: The zinc finger domain enables different proteins to interact with or bind DNA, RNA, or other proteins, and is present in the proteomes of many different organisms. Proteins containing zinc finger domain(s) were found to play important roles in eukaryotic cells regulating different signal transduction pathways and controlling processes, such as development and programmed cell death. There are many types of zinc finger proteins, classified according to the number and order of the Cys and His residues that bind the Zinc ion. Among these, the C2H2-type zinc finger proteins, with 176 members in Arabidopsis thaliana, constitute one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators in plants. They are mostly plant-specific and contain a conserved QALGGH sequence within their zinc finger domain. Recent studies revealed that C2H2 zinc finger proteins could function as key transcriptional repressors involved in the defense and acclimation response of plants to different environmental stress conditions. Here we highlight recent functional characterization studies of different C2H2 proteins in Arabidopsis, and suggest that many of these proteins function as part of a large regulatory network that senses and responds to different environmental stimuli.
TL;DR: In this article, a coupled semiconductor material is prepared by filling one-dimensional titania (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) with cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles (NPs).
Abstract: A coupled semiconductor material is prepared by filling one-dimensional (1D) titania (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) with cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles (NPs). Self-assembled TiO2 NTs (length = 550 nm, diameter = 80 nm) are prepared by the sonoelectrochemical anodization method. These NTs are functionalized with CdS NPs by a single-step electrodeposition method. This material harvests solar light in UV as well as visible light (up to 510 nm) region. An eight to 9-fold enhancement in photoactivity is observed using CdS functionalized TiO2 NTs compared to pure TiO2 NTs and commercial P25 NPs. This methodology will be useful in designing multijunction semiconductor materials confined inside 1D nanochannels.
TL;DR: Results validates and quantifies outcomes reflective of increasing injury severity associated with increasing OIS grades for specific solid organ injuries alone, and in combination with other abdominal injuries.
Abstract: Background This study attempts to validate the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Organ Injury Scale (OIS) for spleen, liver, and kidney injuries using the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). Study Design All NTDB entries with Abbreviated Injury Scale codes for spleen, liver, and kidney were classified by OIS grade. Injuries were stratified either as an isolated intraabdominal organ injury or in combination with other abdominal injuries. Isolated abdominal solid organ injuries were additionally stratified by presence of severe head injury and survival past 24 hours. The patients in each grading category were analyzed for mortality, operative rate, hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, and charges incurred. Results There were 54,148 NTDB entries (2.7%) with Abbreviated Injury Scale–coded injuries to the spleen, liver, or kidney. In 35,897, this was an isolated abdominal solid organ injury. For patients in which the solid organ in question was not the sole abdominal injury, a statistically significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in mortality, organ-specific operative rate, and hospital charges was associated with increasing OIS grade; the exception was grade VI hepatic injuries. Hospital and ICU lengths of stay did not show substantial increase with increasing OIS grade. When isolated organ injuries were examined, there were statistically significant increases (p ≤ 0.05) in all outcomes variables corresponding with increasing OIS grade. Severe head injury appears to influence mortality, but none of the other outcomes variables. Patients with other intraabdominal injuries had comparable quantitative outcomes results with the isolated abdominal organ injury groups for all OIS grades. Conclusions This study validates and quantifies outcomes reflective of increasing injury severity associated with increasing OIS grades for specific solid organ injuries alone, and in combination with other abdominal injuries.
TL;DR: This work presents a fully relativistic energy-conserving binary collision model for particle simulations with large density scale plasmas, conserving energy perfectly in each collision while momentum is conserved on the average.
TL;DR: The ripple field known as El Dorado was a unique stop on Spirit's traverse where dust-raising, active mafic sand ripples and larger inactive coarse-grained ripples interact, illuminating several long-standing issues of Martian dust mobility, sand mobility, and the origin of transverse aeolian ridges as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: [1] The ripple field known as “El Dorado” was a unique stop on Spirit's traverse where dust-raising, active mafic sand ripples and larger inactive coarse-grained ripples interact, illuminating several long-standing issues of Martian dust mobility, sand mobility, and the origin of transverse aeolian ridges. Strong regional wind events endured by Spirit caused perceptible migration of ripple crests in deposits SSE of El Dorado, erasure of tracks in sandy areas, and changes to dust mantling the site. Localized thermal vortices swept across El Dorado, leaving paths of reduced dust but without perceptibly damaging nearly cohesionless sandy ripple crests. From orbit, winds responsible for frequently raising clay-sized dust into the atmosphere do not seem to significantly affect dunes composed of (more easily entrained) sand-sized particles, a long-standing paradox. This disparity between dust mobilization and sand mobilization on Mars is due largely to two factors: (1) dust occurs on the surface as fragile, low-density, sand-sized aggregates that are easily entrained and disrupted, compared with clay-sized air fall particles; and (2) induration of regolith is pervasive. Light-toned bed forms investigated at Gusev are coarse-grained ripples, an interpretation we propose for many of the smallest linear, light-toned bed forms of uncertain origin seen in high-resolution orbital images across Mars. On Earth, wind can organize bimodal or poorly sorted loose sediment into coarse-grained ripples. Coarse-grained ripples could be relatively common on Mars because development of durable, well-sorted sediments analogous to terrestrial aeolian quartz sand deposits is restricted by the lack of free quartz and limited hydraulic sediment processing.
TL;DR: This work reviews work that addresses connections between globular proteins, percolation clusters, and the similarity of energy flow and thermal transport in these systems and reviews experimental and theoretical studies of the anisotropic flow of energy through the vibrational states of a protein.
Abstract: Energy flows anisotropically through the residues and vibrational states of globular proteins. A variety of experimental and computational studies have identified energy transport channels traversing many residues, in some cases connecting functional regions, potentially important in allostery, and in other cases having no apparent function. This property and the diffusion of energy in proteins are mimicked by transport on a percolation cluster. I review work that addresses connections between globular proteins, percolation clusters, and the similarity of energy flow and thermal transport in these systems. I also review experimental and theoretical studies of the anisotropic flow of energy through the vibrational states of a protein, a property that also can be understood by comparison with simple model disordered systems.
TL;DR: A dual-wavelength photoacoustic instrument operating at 405 and 870 nm was used during the 2006 Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment to measure light scattering and absorption by smoke from the combustion of a variety of biomass fuels as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: [1] A dual-wavelength photoacoustic instrument operating at 405 and 870 nm was used during the 2006 Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment to measure light scattering and absorption by smoke from the combustion of a variety of biomass fuels. Simultaneous measurements of aerosol light scattering by reciprocal nephelometry within the instrument's acoustic resonator accompany photoacoustic aerosol light absorption measurements. Single scattering albedo values at 405 nm ranging from 0.37 to 0.95 were measured for different fuel types, and the spectral dependence of absorption was quantified using the Angstrom exponent of absorption. An absorption Angstrom exponent near unity is commonly observed for motor vehicle emission-generated black carbon aerosol. For biomass smoke, Angstrom exponents as high as 3.5 were found in association with smoke having single scattering albedo near unity. The measurements strongly suggest that light-absorbing organic material is present in wood smoke. A second single-wavelength photoacoustic instrument with reciprocal nephelometry was used to quantify aerosol scattering and absorption at 532 nm. Absorption Angstrom exponents calculated using 532 and 870 nm data were as large as 2.5 for smoke with single scattering albedos near unity. The spectral variation in optical properties provides insight into the differentiation of aerosols from mobile or industrial sources versus those from biomass burning. Optical properties of biomass smokes could be classified by general fuel type such as flowering shrubs versus pine needle litter.
TL;DR: A statistical methodology for clustering analysis of seismicity in the time-space-energy domain is introduced and used to establish the existence of two statistically distinct populations of earthquakes: clustered and nonclustered.
Abstract: We introduce a statistical methodology for clustering analysis of seismicity in the time-space-energy domain and use it to establish the existence of two statistically distinct populations of earthquakes: clustered and nonclustered. This result can be used, in particular, for nonparametric aftershock identification. The proposed approach expands the analysis of Baiesi and Paczuski [Phys. Rev. E 69, 066106 (2004)10.1103/PhysRevE.69.066106] based on the space-time-magnitude nearest-neighbor distance eta between earthquakes. We show that for a homogeneous Poisson marked point field with exponential marks, the distance eta has the Weibull distribution, which bridges our results with classical correlation analysis for point fields. The joint 2D distribution of spatial and temporal components of eta is used to identify the clustered part of a point field. The proposed technique is applied to several seismicity models and to the observed seismicity of southern California.
TL;DR: An acceptance based treatment for self-stigma in individuals in treatment for substance use disorder and initial outcomes showed medium to large effects across a number of variables at post-treatment.
Abstract: Little is known about the assessment and treatment of self-stigma in substance abusing populations. This article describes the development of an acceptance based treatment (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - ACT) for self-stigma in individuals in treatment for substance use disorder. We report initial outcomes from a study with 88 participants in a residential treatment program. The treatment involves 6 h of a group workshop focused on mindfulness, acceptance, and values work in relation to self-stigma. Preliminary outcomes showed medium to large effects across a number of variables at post-treatment. Results were as expected with one potential process of change, experiential avoidance, but results with other potential mediators were mixed.
TL;DR: The precautions one must take when using opiates in the geriatric population, as well as the side effects and ways to minimize them are addressed.
Abstract: The evaluation of pain and the subsequent issue of pain control is a clinical challenge that all healthcare providers face. Pain in the elderly population is especially difficult given the myriad of physiological, pharmacological, and psychological aspects of caring for the geriatric patient. Opiates are the mainstay of pain treatment throughout all age groups but special attention must be paid to the efficacy and side effects of these powerful drugs when prescribing to a population with impaired metabolism, excretion and physical reserve. In a random chart review of 300 US veterans, 44% of those receiving an analgesic also received opioids. The increasing use of opiates for pain management by healthcare practitioners requires that those prescribing opioids be aware of the special considerations for treating the elderly. This article will address the precautions one must take when using opiates in the geriatric population, as well as the side effects and ways to minimize them.
TL;DR: An innovative tactile display device based on the soft actuator technology that can provide stimulation on the human skin without any additional electromechanical transmission is presented.
Abstract: As a major human sensory function, the implementation of the tactile sensation for the human-machine interface has been one of the core research interests for long time. In this paper, an innovative tactile display device based on the soft actuator technology is presented. Using electroactive polymer for the construction of the tactile display device, it can provide stimulation on the human skin without any additional electromechanical transmission. Softness and flexibility of the device structure, ease of fabrication, possibility for miniaturization, and low cost for mass production are the representative benefits of the presented device. Especially, the device application is open to many different purposes since the flexible structure offers the excellent adaptability to any contour of the human body. To prove its feasibility, a wearable device that can fit to the distal part of the human finger is presented and its performance is evaluated, experimentally.
TL;DR: This work reports that the highly conserved transcriptional co-activator, MBF1c (multiprotein bridging factor 1c), is a key regulator of thermotolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana and provides evidence for the existence of a tightly coordinated heat stress-response network, involving trehalose-, SA-, and ethylene-signaling pathways, that is under the control of MBF 1c.
TL;DR: In this paper, the productivity of old-growth beech forests in the Mediterranean Basin was measured by average stem basal area increment (BAI) of dominant trees at two mountain sites in the Italian Apennines.
Abstract: Productivity of old-growth beech forests in the Mediterranean Basin was measured by average stem basal area increment (BAI) of dominant trees at two mountain sites in the Italian Apennines. Both forests could be ascribed to the old-growth stage, but they differed markedly with regard to elevation (1000 vs. 1725m a.s.l.), soil parent material (volcanic vs. calcareous), mean tree age (less than 200 years vs. 300 years), and stand structure (secondary old-growth vs. primary old-growth forest). Drought at the two sites was quantified by the self-calibrated Palmer Moisture Anomaly Index (Z-index), and by the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for summer (June through August) and the growing season (May through September). Dendroclimatological analyses revealed a moisture limitation of beech BAI at interannual (water availability measured by Z-index) and decadal scales (water availability measured by PDSI). Both BAI and water availability increased from 1950 to 1970, and decreased afterwards. Trees were grouped according to their BAI trends in auxological groups (growth-type chronologies), which confirmed that growth of most trees at both sites declined in recent decades, in agreement with increased drought. Because BAI is not expected to decrease without an external forcing, the patterns we uncovered suggest that long-term drought stress has reduced the productivity of beech forests in the central Apennines, in agreement with similar trends identified in other Mediterranean mountains, but opposite to growth trends reported for many forests in central Europe.
TL;DR: The long-range influence of the solute on the sub-picosecond collective water network motions of the hydration water is directly correlated with the average number of hydrogen bonds between the molecule and adjacent water molecules for carbohydrates, which implies that monosaccharides have a smaller influence on the surrounding water molecules than disaccharide.
Abstract: We present new terahertz (THz) spectroscopic measurements of solvated sugars and compare the effect of two disaccharides (trehalose and lactose) and one monosaccharide (glucose) with respect to the solute-induced changes in the sub-picosecond network dynamics of the hydration water. We found that the solute affects the fast collective network motions of the solvent, even beyond the first solvation layer. For all three carbohydrates, we find an increase of 2-4% in the THz absorption coefficient of the hydration water in comparison to bulk water. Concentration-dependent changes in the THz absorption between 2.1 and 2.8 THz of the solute-water mixture were measured with a precision better than 1% and were used to deduce a dynamical hydration shell, which extends from the surface up to 5.7 +/- 0.4 and 6.5 +/- 0.9 A for the disaccharides lactose and trehalose, respectively, and 3.7 +/- 0.9 A for the glucose. This exceeds the values for the static hydration shell as determined, for example, by scattering, where the long-range structure was found to be not significantly affected by the solute beyond the first hydration shell. When comparing all three carbohydrates, we found that the solute-induced change in the THz absorption depends on the product of molar concentration of the solute and the number of hydrogen bonds between the carbohydrate and water molecules. We can conclude that the long-range influence on the sub-picosecond collective water network motions of the hydration water is directly correlated with the average number of hydrogen bonds between the molecule and adjacent water molecules for carbohydrates. This implies that monosaccharides have a smaller influence on the surrounding water molecules than disaccharides. This could explain the bioprotection mechanism of sugar-water mixtures, which has been found to be more effective for disaccharides than for monosaccharides.
TL;DR: In this article, a self-sensing method based on the dielectric elastomer (DE) actuator/sensor was successfully developed and evaluated in order to extract accurate displacement information during the actuation process without using any additional sensing device.
Abstract: A novel self-sensing method based on the dielectric elastomer (DE) actuator/sensor, was successfully developed and evaluated in order to extract accurate displacement information during the actuation process without using any additional sensing device. The proposed self-sensing method is based on a capacitance characteristic of a DE actuator. The DE actuator with a serial external resistor can serve as an electrical high-pass filter. The voltage gained using the high-pass filter, which is virtually built by the DE, varies due to the change of overall capacitance when the DE actuator is expanded electro-mechanically. To realize actuating and sensing simultaneously with a DE actuator, we used a modulation technique to mix signals, which have a low frequency signal for actuating and a high frequency with small amplitude for sensing. Several experiments were performed to verify the usability of the proposed self-sensing method. The results showed a fine resolution and an excellent correlation with the displacements measured by a laser displacement sensor.
TL;DR: In this article, an extensive fatigue experiments were conducted using 7075-T651 aluminum alloy under uniaxial, torsion, and axial-torsion loading.