Acculturation-Related Factors of Dietary Pattern Changes among Indigenous Adolescents in Mt. Arayat, Philippines

This study aimed to determine the levels of dietary acculturation and factors affecting acculturationrelated changes in dietary patterns of 15 adolescents in an indigenous community in Mt. Arayat, Central Luzon, Philippines displaced after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. Mixed-methods sequential explanatory design (using modified scales) was employed to measure dietary acculturation; index analyses to evaluate dietary patterns; and focus group discussion to determine factors leading to dietary acculturation. Majority was found to be bicultural (93.33%) and the mean dietary pattern index score was 69.40 implying a need for dietary improvement. Moderate to high levels of dietary acculturation were observed on the traditional food block, while low to moderate levels were observed towards the dominant food block. Various psychosocial factors driving dietary choices cumulatively affect dietary patterns of adolescents experiencing acculturation in this study, including but not limited to: 1) the neighboring communities’ ethnocultural composition facilitates acculturation primarily through language fluency; 2) prevalence of discrimination exerts an external pressure to adopt host culture for social acceptance; 3) economic need for integration to sustain day-to-day activities exists; 4) religious feasts and gatherings centered on foods previously unknown to them have been introduced; 5) food selection behavior shifts due to acquired experiences of food whether sensory or cognitive; and 6) their attitudes towards assimilation majorly characterizes the gradual internalization of host culture

The Synthesis and Characterization of Gadolinium Alginate Spheres and Potential Uses as a Contrast-Enhancing Anti-Cancer Material

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp23/1032/thumbnail.jp

Pre-operative portal vein ligation and MSC injection in a rat model

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp23/1047/thumbnail.jp

Electrospun Bioresorbable Polymer Blends as Vascular Grafts

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp23/1089/thumbnail.jp

Influence of the dendron chemical structure on the photophysical properties of bisfluorene-cored dendrimers

A detailed study of the photophysics of a family of bisfluorene-cored dendrimers is reported. Polarized time-resolved fluorescence, singlet-singlet exciton annihilation and fluorescence quantum yield measurements were performed and used to understand how the dendron structure affects the light-emitting properties of the materials. The exciton diffusion rate is similar in all films studied. An increase in the nonradiative deactivation rate by nearly one order of magnitude is observed in films of dendrimers with stilbenyl and carbazolyl based dendrons as compared to solutions, whereas the dendrimers with biphenyl and diphenylethylenyl dendrons showed highly efficient emission (photoluminescence quantum yields of 90%) in both solution and the solid state. The results of the materials that show fluorescence quenching can be explained by the presence of quenching sites at a concentration of just a fraction of a percent of all macromolecules. A possible explanation of this quenching is hole transfer from the emissive chromophore to the dendron in a face-to-face geometry. These results are important for the design of efficient blue emitters for optoelectronic applications. ©2008 American Institute of Physic

A new perspective of the Alboran Upwelling System reconstruction during the Marine Isotope Stage 11: A high-resolution coccolithophore record

A high-resolution study of the MIS 12/MIS 11 transition and the MIS 11 (430–376 kyr) coccolithophore assemblages at Ocean Drilling Program Site 977 was conducted to reconstruct the palaeoceanographic and climatic changes in the Alboran Sea from the variability in surface water conditions. The nannofossil record was integrated with the planktonic oxygen and carbon stable isotopes, as well as the Uk'37 Sea Surface Temperature (SST) at the studied site during the investigated interval. The coccolithophore primary productivity, reconstructed from the PPP (primary productivity proxy = absolute values of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica + small Gephyrocapsa group) revealed pronounced fluctuations, that were strongly associated with variations in the intensity of the regional Alboran Upwelling System. The comparison of the nannoplankton record with opal phytolith content for the studied site and the already available pollen record at the nearby Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1385, suggests an association of the upwelling dynamics with the variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation-like (NAO-like) phase. High PPP during positive (+) NAO-like phases is the result of intensified upwelling, owing to the complete development of the surface hydrological structures at the Alboran Sea. This scenario was identified during the MIS 12/MIS 11 transition (428-422 kyr), the late MIS 11c (405-397 kyr), and MIS11 b to MIS 11a (397-376 kyr). Two short-term minima in the PPP and SST were observed during MIS 11 b and were coeval with the North Atlantic Heinrich-type (Ht) events Ht3 (∼390 kyr) and Ht2 (∼384 kyr). Increased abundance of the subpolar Coccolithus pelagicus subsp. pelagicus and Gephyrocapsa muellerae was consistent with the inflow of cold surface waters into the Mediterranean Sea during the Ht events. Lowered PPP during negative (−) NAO-like phases is the result of moderate upwelling by the incomplete development of surface hydrological structures at the Alboran Sea. This scenario is expressed during the early MIS 11c (422-405 kyr). Overall, the results of our study provide evidence of the important role of atmospheric circulation patterns in the North Atlantic region for controlling phytoplankton primary production and oceanographic circulation dynamics in the Western Mediterranean during MIS 11

Clinicobiological, immunophenotypic, and molecular characteristics of monoclonal CD56‐/+dim chronic natural killer cell large granular lymphocytosis.

Am J Pathol. 2004 Oct;165(4):1117-27. Clinicobiological, immunophenotypic, and molecular characteristics of monoclonal CD56-/+dim chronic natural killer cell large granular lymphocytosis. Lima M, Almeida J, Montero AG, Teixeira Mdos A, Queirós ML, Santos AH, Balanzategui A, Estevinho A, Algueró Mdel C, Barcena P, Fonseca S, Amorim ML, Cabeda JM, Pinho L, Gonzalez M, San Miguel J, Justiça B, Orfão A. Serviço de Hematologia, Unidade de Citometria, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Rua D Manuel II, s/n, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. [email protected]. Abstract Indolent natural killer (NK) cell lymphoproliferative disorders include a heterogeneous group of patients in whom persistent expansions of mature, typically CD56(+), NK cells in the absence of any clonal marker are present in the peripheral blood. In the present study we report on the clinical, hematological, immunophenotypic, serological, and molecular features of a series of 26 patients with chronic large granular NK cell lymphocytosis, whose NK cells were either CD56(-) or expressed very low levels of CD56 (CD56(-/+dim) NK cells), in the context of an aberrant activation-related mature phenotype and proved to be monoclonal using the human androgen receptor gene polymerase chain reaction-based assay. As normal CD56(+) NK cells, CD56(-/+dim) NK cells were granzyme B(+), CD3(-), TCRalphabeta/gammadelta(-), CD5(-), CD28(-), CD11a(+bright), CD45RA(+bright), CD122(+), and CD25(-) and they showed variable and heterogeneous expression of both CD8 and CD57. Nevertheless, they displayed several unusual immunophenotypic features. Accordingly, besides being CD56(-/+dim), they were CD11b(-/+dim) (heterogeneous), CD7(-/+dim) (heterogeneous), CD2(+) (homogeneous), CD11c(+bright) (homogeneous), and CD38(-/+dim) (heterogeneous). Moreover, CD56(-/+dim) NK cells heterogeneously expressed HLA-DR. In that concerning the expression of killer receptors, CD56(-/+dim) NK cells showed bright and homogeneous CD94 expression, and dim and heterogeneous reactivity for CD161, whereas CD158a and NKB1 expression was variable. From the functional point of view, CD56(-/+dim) showed a typical Th1 pattern of cytokine production (interferon-gamma(+), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(+)). From the clinical point of view, these patients usually had an indolent clinical course, progression into a massive lymphocytosis with lung infiltration leading to death being observed in only one case. Despite this, they frequently had associated cytopenias as well as neoplastic diseases and/or viral infections. In summary, we describe a unique and homogeneous group of monoclonal chronic large granular NK cell lymphocytosis with an aberrant activation-related CD56(-/+dim)/CD11b(-/+dim) phenotype and an indolent clinical course, whose main clinical features are related to concomitant diseases. PMID: 15466379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]PMCID: PMC161863

Amplified spontaneous emission and lasing properties of bisfluorene-cored dendrimers

A study of the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties of three bisfluorene-cored dendrimers in the solid state is reported. The results show that the dendron type has a strong impact on the photoluminescence quantum yield and affects the ASE threshold, the optical gain, and loss coefficients. Optically pumped distributed feedback lasers operating in the blue spectral region were fabricated by spin coating the dendrimer films on top of a two-dimensional corrugated fused silica substrate. A best lasing threshold of 4.5 mu J/cm(2) and a slope efficiency of 8.3% were obtained, which demonstrate the high potential of these materials for laser applications. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics

A Case Study: Women in Highway Patrol Group in Ilocos Norte

(PNP) under the Highway Patrol Group of Ilocos Norte. It aimed to determine the challenges encountered by female police officers, including the effects and the coping mechanisms to overcome these challenges associated with their role. This qualitative research method utilized the descriptive case study where personal and online interviews were conducted with three (3) participants working at the Philippine Highway Patrol Team of Laoag City, Abra and Ilocos Sur. Purposive sampling method was used in choosing the participants of the study. Findings showed that the participants of the study encountered challenges in the Highway Patrol Group as revealed in their answers to questions that revolved around nine (9) themes: (a) challenges encountered by women in the PNP Highway Patrol Group, (b) effects of the challenges faced in their job performance and (c) coping mechanisms used to overcome the challenges encountered. Themes that emerged based on these questions are: “shortlisted recruitment opportunity,” “financial inadequacy,” “doubt in competence,” “feeling of discouragement,” “burnout,” “destruction of family connection,” “self-growth,” “coping through faith,” and “mind over body.” On the bases of the data gathered and analyzed, this study revealed that the challenges experienced by women in the Highway Patrol Group include not only organizational challenges but also personal problems which both positively and negatively affect their life and job performances. Moreover, after experiencing these challenges, it was revealed that the participants resorted to practices of spirituality through faith by praying as a way to deal with feelings of anxiety, stress and exhaustion. Also, they focused on thoughts of mind rather than the body to cope or manage challenges and help them to do more than they are capable of

Comparative Assessment of Soil-Structure Interaction Regulations of ASCE 7-16 and ASCE 7-10

This paper evaluates the consequences of practicing soil structure interaction (SSI) regulations of ASCE 7-16 on seismic performance of building structures. The motivation for this research stems from the significant changes in the new SSI provisions of ASCE 7-16 compared to the previous 2010 edition. Generally, ASCE 7 considers SSI as a beneficial effect, and allows designer to reduce the design base shear. However, literature shows that this idea cannot properly capture the SSI effects on nonlinear systems. ASCE 7-16 is the first edition of ASCE 7 that considers the SSI effect on yielding systems. This study investigates the consequences of practicing the new provisions on a wide range of buildings with different dynamic characteristics on different soil types. Ductility demand of the structure forms the performance metric of this study, and the probability that practicing SSI provisions, in lieu of fixed-base provisions, increases the ductility demand of the structure is computed. The analyses are conducted within a probabilistic framework which considers the uncertainties in the ground motion and in the properties of the soil-structure system. It is concluded that, for structures with surface foundation on moderate to soft soils, SSI regulations of both ASCE 7-10 and ASCE 7-16 are fairly likely to result in a similar and larger structural responses than those obtained by practicing the fixed-base design regulations. However, for squat and ordinary stiff structures on soft soil or structures with embedded foundation on moderate to soft soils, the SSI provisions of ASCE 7-16 result in performance levels that are closer to those obtained by practicing the fixed-base regulations. Finally, for structures on very soft soils, the new SSI provisions of ASCE 7-16 are likely to rather conservative designs.Comment: ASCE Structures Congress, Fort Worth, TX, USA, April 19-21 (2018