231 research outputs found
Predicting neuropathy and reactions in leprosy at diagnosis and before incident events. Results from the INFIR cohort study
No full textBackgroundLeprosy is a disease of skin and peripheral nerves. The process of nerve injury occurs gradually through the course of the disease as well as acutely in association with reactions. The INFIR (ILEP Nerve Function Impairment and Reactions) Cohort was established to identify clinically relevant neurological and immunological predictors for nerve injury and reactions.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe study, in two centres in India, recruited 188 new, previously untreated patients with multi-bacillary leprosy who had no recent nerve damage. These patients underwent a series of novel blood tests and nerve function testing including motor and sensory nerve conduction, warm and cold detection thresholds, vibrometry, dynamometry, monofilament sensory testing and voluntary muscle testing at diagnosis and at monthly follow up for the first year and every second month for the second year. During the 2 year follow up a total of 74 incident events were detected. Sub-clinical changes to nerve function at diagnosis and during follow-up predicted these new nerve events. Serological assays at baseline and immediately before an event were not predictive; however, change in TNF alpha before an event was a statistically significant predictor of that event.Conclusions/SignificanceThese findings increase our understanding of the processes of nerve damage in leprosy showing that nerve function impairment is more widespread than previously appreciated. Any nerve involvement, including sub-clinical changes, is predictive of further nerve function impairment. These new factors could be used to identify patients at high risk of developing impairment and disability
Exploring and analysing the notion of worst case scenario in professional rugby union
No full textRugby union is an interval-based contact sport, demanding intermittent bursts of high-intensity running, collisions and impacts. Players need to be conditioned in a way that best prepares them for the demands of the game, and to perform repeated bouts of high-intensity workloads. Understanding the peak periods of ‘play’ and the ‘worst case scenario’ (WCS) in rugby union is essential to inform effective training interventions. Through a review of current literature around the notion of WCS and peak periods of play, limitations in existing research methods were identified. Specifically, limitations within the ability of global positioning system (GPS) units to quantify contact and collision workloads, and the error of data recorded over short distances and durations. Limitations within the methodology of fixed-time epochs and rolling-average epochs as a way of quantifying WCS were also explored.
After reviewing the current literature, this thesis encloses an original and innovative study. This research aims to determine a potentially more accurate representation of WCS by quantifying the maximal intensity locomotive demands during ‘ball in play’ (BIP) for a single play, and across a series of consecutive plays through an innovative rolling-MultiPlay epoch analysis (5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min epochs). This study will also give a contextual indication by identifying the segment of the game in which these maximal workload demands occur.
Data was collected for 51 professional rugby union players over the 2019-2020 seasons. All players wore GPS units (Apex Pro Pod, STATSport, Newry, NIR). All games were filmed and coded through the Sportscode software (Sportscode V8.9, Sportstec, Australia) which was then combined with GPS data from which drills were created for each BIP period. This data was then analysed through a bespoke software where the maximum BIP (MaxBIP) values for a range of GPS metrics were determined for each positional subgroup. A WCS BIP analysis was completed as well as a WCS MultiPlay analysis. Each half of the game was divided into 4 equal segments, and the segments where the MaxBIP values occurred were identified.
Practical applications for indicative training drills for WCS BIP, WCS 5 minute drill, and WCS 20 minute drill are provided. In conclusion, there were no distinct patterns found within the data that suggests the WCS MaxBIP demand could occur in any segment of the game. Therefore, we believe it would be beneficial for players to be conditioned for these peak demands to occur at any stage of the game
Field site and distribution of Irrawaddy dolphins and Ganges river dolphins.
No full text<p>A) Map of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh, including sighting data of Ganges river dolphins (triangles) and Irrawaddy dolphins (circles). Adapted with permission from Smith et al. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0059284#pone.0059284-Smith5" target="_blank">[73]</a>. Inserts show pictures of B) Irrawaddy dolphin, and C) Ganges river dolphin, taken by E. & R. Mansur, WCS.</p
Dr. John A. Freeman
No full textPortrait of Wake Forest University alumnus John A. Freeman (B.A. 1938, M.A. 1940); photo published in Winthrop College Newsca. 1970 Box 5097, WCS, Rock Hill, S
Neurodevelopmental disorders
No full textRecent technological advances allow us to measure how the infant brain functions in ways that were not possible just a decade ago. Although methodological advances are exciting, we must also consider how theories guide research: what we look for and how we explain what we find. Indeed, the ways in which research findings are interpreted affects the design of policies, educational practices, and interventions. Thus, the theoretical approaches adopted by scientists have a real impact on the lives of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and their families, as well as on the wider community. Here, we introduce and compare two theoretical approaches that are used to understand NDDs: the neuropsychological account and neuroconstructivism. We show how the former, adult account, is inadequate for explaining NDDs and illustrate this using the examples of Williams syndrome and specific language impairment. Neuroconstructivism, by contrast, focuses on the developing organism and is helping to change the way in which NDDs are investigated. Whereas neuropsychological static approaches assume that one or more ‘modules’ (e.g., visuospatial ability in Williams syndrome) are impaired while the rest of the system is spared (e.g., language in Williams syndrome), neuroconstructivism proposes that basic‐level deficits have subtle cascading effects on numerous domains over development. Neuroconstructivism leads researchers to embrace complexity by establishing large research consortia to integrate findings at multiple levels (e.g., genetic, neural, cognitive, environmental) across developmental time
Comparing the stretching technique and the wavelet cross-spectrum technique for measuring stress-induced wave-velocity changes in concrete
No full textCoda wave interferometry (CWI) holds promise as a technique for concrete stress monitoring. This is because the coda, which consists of multiply scattered arrivals, is the result of propagation through the medium over large distances. As such, it is sensitive to both minute structural changes and small velocity changes in that medium. Previous studies focusing on concrete have predominantly utilized the time-domain-based stretching technique to measure travel-time changes. There is, however, a lack of consensus on how to quantify these changes effectively. In this study, we conduct a systematic comparison between two techniques, namely the stretching technique and the wavelet cross-spectrum (WCS) technique, for measuring stress-induced velocity changes in a cylindrical concrete sample. Our comparison focuses on two key aspects: (i) stability against cycle skipping and (ii) consistency in retrieving velocity changes. Experimental results reveal that both the WCS technique and the stretching technique yield consistent velocity changes. In terms of stability, it is challenging to determine which technique performs better, due to differences in the mechanisms triggering cycle skipping. However, when considering waves with frequencies ranging from 50 kHz to 80 kHz, both techniques exhibit comparable performance. Based on our findings, we offer the following recommendations for utilizing these CWI techniques in concrete stress monitoring: For the stretching technique, selecting the time window length based on the wave frequency and the expected magnitude of velocity change. For the WCS technique, operating it in the frequency band where spectral decomposition shows sufficiently high energy in the signal and can accommodate the expected magnitude of velocity change.Concrete StructuresApplied Geophysics and Petrophysic
Wilderness Courage Scale (WCS)
No full textThis article presents a new tool—the Wilderness Courage Scale. The Wilderness Courage Scale is a scale that diagnoses undertaking activity in dangerous natural environments, despite personal fears. The validity of the Wilderness Courage Scale was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results of factor analyses verified the one-factor structure. The questionnaire’s internal consistency and intercorrelations were also tested. The Wilderness Courage Scale correlates with sensation seeking, some personality traits, and coping forms. The author discusses the findings in regard to the Wilderness Courage Scale as an instrument to measure exploration of dangerous natural environments. However, further studies need to be carried out in other sample groups to further validate the scale
Connecting workplace attachment and pro-environmental behaviors in zoo and aquarium professionals
No full textThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Murphy, B., Maynard, L. (2022). Connecting workplace attachment and pro-environmental behaviors in zoo and aquarium professionals. Zoo Biology, 1– 9. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21703, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21703. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions: https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/self-archiving.html#3.
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Investigating Genetic Influences on Nutritive Value of Whole Cottonseed
No full textWhole cottonseed (WCS), a byproduct of cotton production, is a valuable feedstuff in ruminant nutrition due to its unique combination of fat, fiber, and protein. However, the nutritive value varies significantly among cotton varieties, creating challenges for consistent feed formulation. This study aimed to investigate the genetic basis of nutritive value in WCS by identifying genetic loci associated with crude fat concentration and in vitro true digestibility using genome wide association study (GWAS). A total of 383 cotton accessions were phenotyped for crude fat concentration and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) in two years. Crude fat concentration ranged from 10.9 to 29.0%, and IVTD from 48.5 to 63.1%. For genotyping, the CottonSNP63K array was utilized and after quality filtering, 22,983 SNP were used in the GWAS analysis with the FarmCPU model in GAPIT v3. Seventeen SNP were associated with crude fat concentration across five chromosomes (chr.), with clusters on A04 and A06. Candidate genes near these loci included AtLPEAT1, LPAT4, ELO4/HOS3, and SCP2, all involved in lipid biosynthesis and transport. For IVTD, three SNP were identified, primarily on chr. D12, with candidate genes such as LTPG15, AtBGAL10, and PPD2 which are involved in seed coat development and cell wall metabolism. Heritability estimates were low for both crude fat concentration (h2 = 0.21) and IVTD (h2 = 0.10), indicating a stronger environmental influence. To evaluate the nutritive value of WCS, a set of 20 diverse elite cotton breeding lines were used from the 2023 Regional Breeding Testing Network (RBTN) field trial entries. These 20 cotton breeding lines exhibited variation across all evaluated traits for fiber composition for NDF (34.8 to 60.1%), ADF (25.5 to 39.9%), ADL (10.4 to 18.7%), crude protein (19.6 to 27.4%), crude fat concentration (16.0 to 25.7%), and IVTD (51.6 to 59.1%). The line, Ark 1510-31, exhibited both high crude fat concentration and IVTD which is desirable for increasing the value of WCS in ruminant diets. These findings highlight the importance of considering nutritive value assessments in cotton breeding programs and highlight the RBTN as a valuable tool for integrating agronomic and nutritional evaluations. Together, these results provide a start for breeding strategies aimed at improving the consistency and quality of WCS as a livestock feed ingredient. By combining genomic insights with phenotypic evaluations, this research supports the development of cotton cultivars that meet livestock nutrition goals
Reconstruction of the Wet Chemical Synthesis Process: The Case of Fe5C2 Nanoparticles
No full textWet chemical synthesis (WCS), especially under high temperatures, is one of the most frequently used strategies for nanostructured material construction, which has been used extensively in medical-, energy-, and environment-related applications. Although knowledge about the WCS process has been accumulated in the past two decades, the high temperature used in the process and multiphase nature of intermediates and products are key factors preventing the processes from rationalization. In this paper, by using multilevel in situ cells, we developed a strategy to monitor the reaction details of WCS processed in the solid, liquid, and gas phase simultaneously. This protocol has proven successful to reconstruct the WCS process of Fe5C2 nanoparticles (NPs) and unravel the complicated chemistry in the synthesis process.Natural Science Foundation of China [91645115, 21473003, 21222306, 51590882, 51172005, 21321002]; 973 Project [2013CB933100, 2013CB834603]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2015M580011]SCI(E)ARTICLE95154-516012
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