7,849 research outputs found
The SF-36: a simple, effective measure of mobility disability for epidemiological studies
No full textBackgroundMobility disability is a major problem in older people. Numerous scales exist for the measurement of disability but often these do not permit comparisons between study groups. The physical functioning (PF) domain of the established and widely used Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire asks about limitations on ten mobility activities.ObjectivesTo describe prevalence of mobility disability in an elderly population, investigate the validity of the SF-36 PF score as a measure of mobility disability, and to establish age and sex specific norms for the PF score.MethodsWe explored relationships between the SF-36 PF score and objectively measured physical performance variables among 349 men and 280 women, 59-72 years of age, who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS). Normative data were derived from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 1996.Results32% of men and 46% of women had at least some limitation in PF scale items. Poor SF-36 PF scores (lowest fifth of the gender-specific distribution) were related to: lower grip strength; longer timed-up-and-go, 3m walk, and chair rises test times in men and women; and lower quadriceps peak torque in women but not men. HSE normative data showed that median PF scores declined with increasing age in men and women.ConclusionOur results are consistent with the SF-36 PF score being a valid measure of mobility disability in epidemiological studies. This approach might be a first step towards enabling simple comparisons of prevalence of mobility disability between different studies of older people. The SF-36 PF score could usefully complement existing detailed schemes for classification of disability and it now requires validation against them
SF Gospel: Blog contents, 2006-2015
No full textSF Gospel (2006-2015) was a blog exploring religious and theological themes in science fiction and popular culture by Gabriel Mckee, author of The Gospel According to Science Fiction. The primary PDF contains the textual content of the blog, along with most images that accompanied the original posts. The appendix PDF contains guest posts written by Mckee for other blogs and websites (including SF Signal, Holy Heroes, Nerve.com, and Religion Dispatches) during the course of SF Gospel's existence
HMOX1 gene promoter alleles and high HO-1 levels are associated with severe malaria in Gambian children.
No full textHeme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is an essential enzyme induced by heme and multiple stimuli associated with critical illness. In humans, polymorphisms in the HMOX1 gene promoter may influence the magnitude of HO-1 expression. In many diseases including murine malaria, HO-1 induction produces protective anti-inflammatory effects, but observations from patients suggest these may be limited to a narrow range of HO-1 induction, prompting us to investigate the role of HO-1 in malaria infection. In 307 Gambian children with either severe or uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, we characterized the associations of HMOX1 promoter polymorphisms, HMOX1 mRNA inducibility, HO-1 protein levels in leucocytes (flow cytometry), and plasma (ELISA) with disease severity. The (GT)(n) repeat polymorphism in the HMOX1 promoter was associated with HMOX1 mRNA expression in white blood cells in vitro, and with severe disease and death, while high HO-1 levels were associated with severe disease. Neutrophils were the main HO-1-expressing cells in peripheral blood, and HMOX1 mRNA expression was upregulated by heme-moieties of lysed erythrocytes. We provide mechanistic evidence that induction of HMOX1 expression in neutrophils potentiates the respiratory burst, and propose this may be part of the causal pathway explaining the association between short (GT)(n) repeats and increased disease severity in malaria and other critical illnesses. Our findings suggest a genetic predisposition to higher levels of HO-1 is associated with severe illness, and enhances the neutrophil burst leading to oxidative damage of endothelial cells. These add important information to the discussion about possible therapeutic manipulation of HO-1 in critically ill patients
Additional Files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change"
No full textAdditional files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change: Using video messages to measure the effect of goal framing on attitudes and intentions to reduce beef and dairy consumption to fight climate change"
Datasets
Intervention Framed Videos
Written within the M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development at Maastricht University MGSoG/UNU-MERIT
Author: Sten Ritterfeld
Supervisor: Michelle González Amador
Submission date: July 12, 202
SF pretreatment elevated the HO-1 expression in I/R retinas.
No full text<p>HO-1 expression in the retina was determined by immunofluorescent staining. (A-D, E-H) Representative micrographs of retinal sections obtained at 24 h (A-D) or 7 days (E-H) after ischemia and stained using an anti-HO-1 antibody. (I, J) Quantification of HO-1 immunofluorescent intensity (arbitrary units) at 24 h (I) or 7 days (J) after I/R injury. (K, L) Representative immunoblot showing the HO-1 protein levels in the whole retina (upper panel) at 24 h (K) or 7 days (L) after ischemia and densitometric analysis of HO-1 expression relative to the loading control (lower panel) (mean ± SEM, n = 5). Control: sham-operated animal, I/R: vehicle-treated animal with 1 h of ischemia, and SF+I/R: SF-pretreated animal with 1 h of ischemia. * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001 compared with control, # p<0.05, ### p<0.001 compared with I/R within the same time point, one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. The conventions are the same as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0114186#pone-0114186-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>.</p
Proyecto de paz y convivencia ciudadana para los municipios de la región del Valle del Sula BID 1123/SF-HO
No full textEsta presentación sobre el proyecto BID 1123/SF-HO describe los desafíos enfrentados desde la perspectiva de los beneficiarios, las lecciones aprendidas, los logros y los retos del área. El autor es el alcalde de municipal de Puerto Cortés
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibits post myocardial infarction remodeling and restores ventricular function
No full textWe reported previously that predelivery of the anti-oxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) to the heart by adeno associated virus (AAV) markedly reduces injury after acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, the effect of HO-1 gene delivery on postinfarction recovery has not been investigated. In the current study, we assessed the effect of HO-1 gene delivery on post-MI left ventricle (LV) remodeling and function using echocardiographic imaging and histomorphometric approaches. Two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with 4 x 10(11) particles of AAV-LacZ (control) or AAV-hHO-1 in the LV wall. Eight wk after gene transfer, the animals were subjected to 30 min of ischemia by ligation of left anterior descending artery (LAD) followed by reperfusion. Echocardiographic measurements were obtained in a blinded fashion prior and at 1.5 and 3 months after I/R. Ejection fraction (EF) was reduced by 13% and 40% in the HO-1 and LacZ groups, respectively at 1.5 months after MI. Three months after MI, EF recovered fully in the HO-1, but only partially in the LacZ-treated animals. Post-MI LV dimensions were markedly increased and the anterior wall was markedly thinned in the LacZ-treated animals compared with the HO-1-treated animals. Significant myocardial scarring and fibrosis were observed in the LacZ-group in association with elevated levels of interstitial collagen I and III and MMP-2 activity. Post-MI myofibroblast accumulation was reduced in the HO-1-treated animals, and retroviral overexpression of HO-1 reduced proliferation of isolated cardiac fibroblasts. Our data indicate that rAAV-HO-1 gene transfer markedly reduces fibrosis and ventricular remodeling and restores LV function and chamber dimensions after myocardial infarction
Proyecto de paz y convivencia ciudadana para los municipios de la región del Valle del Sula BID 1123/SF-HO
No full textEsta presentación sobre el proyecto BID 1123/SF-HO describe los desafíos enfrentados desde la perspectiva de los beneficiarios, las lecciones aprendidas, los logros y los retos del área. El autor es el alcalde de municipal de Puerto Cortés.Seguridad ciudadana y prevención de la delincuencia, Pobreza, Seguridad ciudadana, paz y convivencia en Honduras
Licensing in China: Practical Considerations and Tax Implications
No full textThe opening of the People\u27s Republic of China to foreign investors has provided significant benefits: China has received aid in its plan for economic modernization and foreign companies have discovered new opportunities for trade and investment. Foreign investments generally have taken one of two forms: equity joint ventures and cooperative joint ventures. This Article first explains and compares the workings of and tax rules applicable to these two forms of investment. The author then notes that, because of the emphasis of the Chinese on the transfer of technology, direct investment is often preceded by licensing agreements. The author provides practical advice on finding suitable trading partners, transferring technology, obtaining necessary government approval, and financing licensing ventures. In conclusion, the author points out that a number of successful ventures have been established for a number of years and finds that the wise investor may successfully operate an investment venture in China through care and flexibility
Sulforaphane protects rodent retinas against ischemia-reperfusion injury through the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway.
No full textRetinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury induces oxidative stress, leukocyte infiltration, and neuronal cell death. Sulforaphane (SF), which can be obtained in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, exerts protective effects in response to oxidative stress in various tissues. These effects can be initiated through nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This investigation was designed to elucidate the neural protective mechanisms of SF in the retinal I/R rat model. Animals were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with SF (12.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (corn oil) once a day for 7 consecutive days. Then, retinal I/R was made by elevating the intraocular pressure (IOP) to 130 mmHg for 1 h. To determine if HO-1 was involved in the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, rats were subjected to protoporphyrin IX zinc (II) (ZnPP, 30 mg/kg, i.p.) treatments at 24 h before retinal ischemia. The neuroprotective effects of SF were assessed by determining the morphology of the retina, counting the infiltrating inflammatory cells and the surviving retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and amacrine cells, and measuring apoptosis in the retinal layers. The expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 was studied by immunofluorescence analysis and western blotting. I/R induced a marked increase of ROS generation, caused pronounced inflammation, increased the apoptosis of RGCs and amacrine cells and caused the thinning of the inner retinal layer (IRL), and these effects were diminished or abolished by SF pretreatment. Meanwhile, SF pretreatment significantly elevated the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 and the level of HO-1 expression in the I/R retinas; however, ZnPP reversed the protective effects of SF on I/R retinas. Together, we offer direct evidence that SF had protective effects on I/R retinas, which could be attributed, at least in part, to the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway
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