1,890 research outputs found
Selected Contributions of Sister Mary Berenice Beck, O.S.F. to Nursing in the United States, 1923-1956
No full textby Sister M. Timothy Costello.Typescript.Thesis (M.S.N.)--Catholic University of America.Bibliography: leaves 44-47.Also available in microfilm
Altered colonic mucosal polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) derived lipid mediators in ulcerative colitis: new insight into relationship with disease activity and pathophysiology
No full textOBJECTIVES: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing inflammatory disorder of unconfirmed aetiology, variable severity and clinical course, characterised by progressive histological inflammation and with elevation of eicosanoids which have a known pathophysiological role in inflammation. Therapeutic interventions targetting eicosanoids (5-aminosalicylates (ASA)) are effective first line and adjunctive treatments in mild-moderate UC for achieving and sustaining clinical remission. However, the variable clinical response to 5-ASA and frequent deterioration in response to cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors, has prompted an in depth simultaneous evaluation of multiple lipid mediators (including eicosanoids) within the inflammatory milieu in UC. We hypothesised that severity of inflammation is associated with alteration of lipid mediators, in relapsing UC.DESIGN: Study was case-control design. Mucosal lipid mediators were determined by LC-MS/MS lipidomics analysis on mucosal biopsies taken from patients attending outpatients with relapsing UC. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to investigate the association of mucosal lipid mediators, with the disease state and severity graded histologically.RESULTS: Levels of PGE2, PGD2, TXB2, 5-HETE, 11-HETE, 12-HETE and 15-HETE are significantly elevated in inflamed mucosa and correlate with severity of inflammation, determined using validated histological scoring systems.CONCLUSIONS: Our approach of capturing inflammatory mediator signature at different stages of UC by combining comprehensive lipidomics analysis and computational modelling could be used to classify and predict mild-moderate inflammation; however, predictive index is diminished in severe inflammation. This new technical approach could be developed to tailor drug treatments to patients with active UC, based on the mucosal lipid mediator profile
ASO Author Reflections: Re-resection of Positive Bile Duct Margin for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma
No full textAuthor Reflections: Re-resection of Positive Bile Duct Margin for Hilar Cholangiocarcinom
t-pollington/developments_tau_statistic: First release
No full textCode release archived on Zenodo from the following paper:
@ARTICLE{Pollington2021, author={Pollington, T.M. and Tildesley, M.J. and Hollingsworth, T.D. and Chapman, L.A.C.},
volume = {42},
pages = {100438},
year = {2021},
note = {Towards Spatial Data Science},
issn = {2211-6753},
title={{Developments in statistical inference when assessing spatiotemporal disease clustering with the tau statistic}},
journal={Spatial Statistics},
doi={10.1016/j.spasta.2020.100438},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211675320300324},
keywords = {Second order dependence, Pointwise confidence interval, Bias corrected accelerated BCa, Percentile confidence interval, Spatial bootstrap, Graphical hypothesis test} }Please contact Timothy M Pollington as corresponding author on [email protected] for any assistance.
TMP, LACC & TDH gratefully acknowledge funding of the NTD Modelling Consortium by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) (grant number OPP1184344) and LACC acknowledges funding of
the SPEAK India consortium by BMGF (grant number OPP1183986). Views, opinions, assumptions
or any other information set out in this article should not be attributed to BMGF or any person
connected with them. TMP's PhD is supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research
Council, Medical Research Council and University of Warwick (grant number EP/L015374/1). TMP
thanks Big Data Institute for hosting him during this work
High-dose fish oil and antioxidants in Crohn's disease and the response of bone turnover: a randomised controlled trial
No full textCrohn's disease is associated with altered bone turnover that may be influenced by nutritional status, the systemic inflammatory response, cytokine production by circulating (peripheral blood) mononuclear cells (PBMC) and antioxidant micronutrient intake. High-dose fish oil is associated with reductions in disease relapse and inflammatory markers, and modulates PBMC function. The effect of fish oil plus antioxidants on bone turnover and PBMC function (the production of interferon-gamma and prostaglandin E2) in Crohn's disease was investigated in a randomised-controlled trial. Patients with currently or recently raised biochemical markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein > or = 6.9 mg/l or erythrocyte sedimentation rate > or =18 mm/h) received fish oil (providing 2.7 g/d EPA and DHA) and antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E, and Se) (n 31) or placebo (n 30) for 24 weeks. Bone turnover was assessed by measuring the concentrations of urinary deoxypyridinoline (bone resorption) and serum osteocalcin (bone formation). Fish oil plus antioxidants were associated with increases in EPA, DHA Se in plasma (all P < 0.01), and with a reduction in interferon-gamma production by mitogen-stimulated PBMC, which demonstrated a negative correlation with deoxypyridinoline/creatinine:osteocalcin ratio (r - 0.33, P = 0.009). There were no differences between the groups at 24 weeks in the response of deoxypyridinoline or osteocalcin or their ratio, or in nutritional status. Dietary supplementation in Crohn's disease with high intakes of EPA and DHA, as fish oil, plus antioxidants was associated with a modulated production of interferon-gamma by PBMC but not altered indices of bone turnover
Fish oil and antioxidants alter the composition and function of circulating mononuclear cells in Crohn disease
No full textBackground: Crohn disease (CD) is associated with osteoporosis and other extraintestinal manifestations that might be mediated by cytokines from circulating (peripheral blood) mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reduces disease activity in patients with CD with raised laboratory markers of inflammation and in healthy subjects alters PBMC function. Objective: We investigated the effect of fish oil plus antioxidants on cytokine production by PBMCs from patients with CD with raised C-reactive protein concentrations (?6.9 mg/L) or erythrocyte sedimentation rates (?18 mm/h). Design: A randomized placebo-controlled trial of fish oil (2.7 g EPA and DHA/d; n = 31) or placebo (olive oil; n = 31) for 24 wk was conducted in patients with CD. The fish-oil group additionally received an antioxidant preparation (vitamins A, C, and E and selenium). Exclusion criteria included corticosteroid use. Fatty acid composition was measured by gas chromatography. Production of tumor necrosis factor ?, interferon ? (IFN-?), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays after stimulation with mitogen and endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide). Results: Fish-oil plus antioxidant dietary supplementation was associated with higher EPA and DHA incorporation into PBMCs (P < 0.001) and lower arachidonic acid (P = 0.006) and lower production of IFN-? by mitogen-stimulated PBMCs (P = 0.012) and of PGE2 by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated PBMCs (P = 0.047). Conclusion: Dietary supplementation with fish oil plus antioxidants is associated with modified PBMC composition and lower production of PGE2 and IFN-? by circulating monocytes or macrophages. The response of extraintestinal manifestations of CD should be investigated in a randomized controlled trial. <br/
A web-based screening tool for near-port air quality assessments
No full textAuthor(s): Isakov, Vlad; Barzyk, Timothy M; Smith, Elizabeth R; Arunachalam, Saravanan; Naess, Brian; Venkatram, Akul
Increasing Distributed Generation Penetration using Soft Normally-Open Points
No full textThis paper considers the effects of various voltage control solutions on facilitating an increase in allowable levels of distributed generation installation before voltage violations occur. In particular, the voltage control solution that is focused on is the implementation of `soft' normally-open points (SNOPs), a term which refers to power electronic devices installed in place of a normally-open point in a medium-voltage distribution network which allows for control of real and reactive power flows between each end point of its installation sites. While other benefits of SNOP installation are discussed, the intent of this paper is to determine whether SNOPs are a viable alternative to other voltage control strategies for this particular application. As such, the SNOPs ability to affect the voltage profile along feeders within a distribution system is focused on with other voltage control options used for comparative purposes. Results from studies on multiple network models with varying topologies are presented and a case study which considers economic benefits of increasing feasible DG penetration is also given
Evidence from North Carolina Shows that Immigrant Students with Limited English Have a Very Minor Impact on Native Students' Performance
No full textMuch of the recent concern about undocumented immigration into the U.S. can be linked to the perceived burden that these immigrants may create on the public education system. But is this really the case? Through analyzing detailed information on the performance of students in North Carolina,Timothy M. Diette and Ruth Uwaifo Oyelere find that the presence of students with limited English does have a negative, though small, effect on the math and reading achievement of natives that are male and black. They argue, however, that these effects are so small as not to warrant policy interventions. KEYWORDS: Education, English Language, Immigrants, Impact, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Educatio
Prostaglandin E2 production and T cell function after fish-oil supplementation: response to antioxidant cosupplementation
No full textBackground: prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inhibits lymphocyte proliferation and the production of interferon-{gamma} (IFN-{gamma}) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but the effect of PGE2 on interleukin 4 (IL-4) production is unclear. Fish oil, which contains eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, inhibits production of PGE2. The effects of fish oil on lymphocyte proliferation and production of IFN-{gamma} and IL-4 are unclear and may be influenced by the availability of antioxidants.Objective: we investigated the effect of dietary fish oil with and without antioxidant cosupplementation on lymphocyte proliferation and the production of PGE2, IFN-{gamma}, and IL-4 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Design: sixteen healthy men received dietary fish-oil supplements providing 0.3, 1, and 2 g eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid/d for 4 consecutive weeks each (total of 12 wk). All subjects were randomly assigned to daily cosupplementation with either antioxidants (200 µg Se, 3 mg Mn, 30 mg RRR-{alpha}-tocopheryl succinate, 90 mg ascorbic acid, 450 µg vitamin A) or placebo.Results: fish-oil supplementation decreased PGE2 production and increased IFN-{gamma} production and lymphocyte proliferation from baseline values. Cosupplementation with antioxidants did not affect cytokine production or lymphocyte proliferation.Conclusion: dietary fish oil modulates production of IFN-{gamma} and lymphocyte proliferation in a manner consistent with decreased production of PGE2, but this effect is not modified by antioxidant cosupplementation
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