190 research outputs found
Role of Beat Noise in Limiting the Sensitivity of Optical Coherence Tomography
The sensitivity and dynamic range of optical coherence tomography (OCT) are calculated for instruments utilizing two common interferometer configurations and detection schemes. Previous researchers recognized that the performance of dual-balanced OCT instruments is severely limited by beat noise, which is generated by incoherent light backscattered from the sample. However, beat noise has been ignored in previous calculations of Michelson OCT performance. Our measurements of instrument noise confirm the presence of beat noise even in a simple Michelson interferometer configuration with a single photodetector. Including this noise, we calculate the dynamic range as a function of OCT light source power, and find that instruments employing balanced interferometers and balanced detectors can achieve a sensitivity up to six times greater than those based on a simple Michelson interferometer, thereby boosting image acquisition speed by the same factor for equal image quality. However, this advantage of balanced systems is degraded for source powers greater than a few milliwatts. We trace the concept of beat noise back to an earlier paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 52, 1335 (1962)]
Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in acute improvements in mood and cognitive performance during sustained mental effort
Cocoa flavanols (CF) positively influence physiological processes in ways that suggest their consumption may improve aspects of cognitive function. This study investigated the acute cognitive and subjective effects of CF consumption during sustained mental demand. In this randomized, controlled, double-blinded, balanced, three period crossover trial 30 healthy adults consumed drinks containing 520 mg, 994 mg CF and a matched control, with a three-day washout between drinks. Assessments included the state anxiety inventory and repeated 10-min cycles of a Cognitive Demand Battery comprising of two serial subtraction tasks (Serial Threes and Serial Sevens), a Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP) task and a mental fatigue scale, over the course of 1 h. Consumption of both 520 mg and 994 mg CF significantly improved Serial Threes performance. The 994 mg CF beverage significantly speeded RVIP responses but also resulted in more errors during Serial Sevens. Increases in self-reported mental fatigue were significantly attenuated by the consumption of the 520 mg CF beverage only. This is the first report of acute cognitive improvements following CF consumption in healthy adults. While the mechanisms underlying the effects are unknown they may be related to known effects of CF on endothelial function and blood flow
Evaluating the Suitability of Using Rat Models for Preclinical Efficacy and Side Effects with Inhaled Corticosteroids Nanosuspension Formulations
Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are often prescribed as first-line therapy for patients with asthma Despite their efficacy and improved safety profile compared with oral corticosteroids, the potential for systemic side effects continues to cause concern. In order to reduce the potential for systemic side effects, the pharmaceutical industry has begun efforts to generate new drugs with pulmonary-targeted topical efficacy. One of the major challenges of this approach is to differentiate both efficacy and side effects (pulmonary vs. systemic) in a preclinical animal model. In this study, fluticasone and ciclesonide were used as tool compounds to explore the possibility of demonstrating both efficacy and side effects in a rat model using pulmonary delivery via intratracheal (IT) instillation with nanosuspension formulations. The inhibition of neutrophil infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and cytokine (TNFα) production were utilized to assess pulmonary efficacy, while adrenal and thymus involution as well as plasma corticosterone suppression was measured to assess systemic side effects. Based on neutrophil infiltration and cytokine production data, the ED50s for ciclesonide and fluticasone were calculated to be 0.1 and 0.03 mg, respectively. At the ED50, the average adrenal involution was 7.6 ± 5.3% for ciclesonide versus 16.6 ± 5.1% for fluticasone, while the average thymus involution was 41.0 ± 4.3% for ciclesonide versus 59.5 ± 5.8% for fluticasone. However, the differentiation became less significant when the dose was pushed to the EDmax (0.3 mg for ciclesonide, 0.1 mg for fluticasone). Overall, the efficacy and side effect profiles of the two compounds exhibited differentiation at low to mid doses (0.03–0.1 mg ciclesonide, 0.01–0.03 mg fluticasone), while this differentiation diminished at the maximum efficacious dose (0.3 mg ciclesonide, 0.1 mg fluticasone), likely due to overdosing in this model. We conclude that the rat LPS model using IT administration of nanosuspensions of ICS is a useful tool to demonstrate pulmonary-targeted efficacy and to differentiate the side effects. However, it is only suitable at sub-maximum efficacious levels
Ecological implications of a flower size/number trade-off in tropical forest trees
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Depauperate Avifauna in Plantations Compared to Forests and Exurban Areas
Native forests are shrinking worldwide, causing a loss of biological diversity. Our ability to prioritize forest conservation actions is hampered by a lack of information about the relative impacts of different types of forest loss on biodiversity. In particular, we lack rigorous comparisons of the effects of clearing forests for tree plantations and for human settlements, two leading causes of deforestation worldwide. We compared avian diversity in forests, plantations and exurban areas on the Cumberland Plateau, USA, an area of global importance for biodiversity. By combining field surveys with digital habitat databases, and then analyzing diversity at multiple scales, we found that plantations had lower diversity and fewer conservation priority species than did other habitats. Exurban areas had higher diversity than did native forests, but native forests outscored exurban areas for some measures of conservation priority. Overall therefore, pine plantations had impoverished avian communities relative to both native forests and to exurban areas. Thus, reports on the status of forests give misleading signals about biological diversity when they include plantations in their estimates of forest cover but exclude forested areas in which humans live. Likewise, forest conservation programs should downgrade incentives for plantations and should include settled areas within their purview
1960: Abilene Christian College Lectures - Full Text
Table of Contents:
Theme Speeches: Christian Faith in the Modern World
Basis of Faith - Leonard Mullens - 9
Authority in Christianity - John T. Smithson, Jr. - 27
Origin and Preservation of the Bible - Neil R. Lightfoot - 44
Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible - David H. Bobo - 62
The Unity of the Bible - Jack Meyer - 91
Faith and Reason - Joe Sanders - 115
The Reasonableness of Supernaturalism - Virgil Trout - 126
The Present Statue of the Doctrine of Organic Evolution - J.D. Thomas - 146
The Nature of Man - Roy F. Osborne, Jr. - 181
Modern Challenges to Christian Morals - Carl Spain - 199
The Christ, Whose Son is He? - Gordon Teel - 232
Special Speeches
Teaching the Word of God in Korea - L. Haskell Chessfire - 255
The Influence of Christian Education - Judge Jack Pope - 276
Mission Opportunities in the Far East - Harry Robert Fox - 288
Mission Work in Austria - Robert Skelton - 303
Report from Switzerland - Heinrich Blum - 313
The Work in Nigeria - Rees Byrant - 320
The Training of Evangelists in Foreign Fields - Reiner Kallus - 331
Christian Scholarships - Everett Ferguson - 340
Evangelizing the World - A.R. Holton - 349
Panel Discussions
The Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Scrolls and the Text of the Bible - Paul Rotenberry - 357
The Relation between the Religion of the Essenes and that of Early Christians - Jay Smith - 366
Biblical Interpretation
Expediency and Pattern Authority - J.W. Roberts - 381
Examples in Pattern Authority - Thomas B. Warren - 392
Mental Health and Sin
The Present State of Mental Health Knowledge - Donald R. Sime - 409
The Relationship of Mental Health Problems to Sin - Paul Easley - 421
The Teenager
The Problems of Youth - Mack Wayne Craig - 432
Influences for Good - Wyatt Sawyer - 443
The Benefits of Abilene Christian College
To the Church - Hulen Jackson - 451
To The Home - Robert S. Bell - 459
\u27To the Community - Louie Welch - 465
Expenses At Abilene Christian College - James C. Kerr - 469
The Graduate School at Abilene Christian College
What I Am Getting Now in the ACC Graduate Program - Harold Vanderpool - 475
How the ACC Graduate Program Has Stood Up - Everett Ferguson - 481
What the ACC Graduate Program Ought To Be - Frank Pack - 486
The Importance to the Church of the ACC Graduate Program A.R. Holton - 490
Beware: Large File Size
Uploaded by Jackson Hage
Primary Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns by Lifestyle Counseling: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
In a cluster-randomized trial, Riitta Luoto and colleagues find that counseling on diet and activity can reduce the birthweight of babies born to women at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but fail to find an effect on GDM
Physical Activity Patterns of the Spanish Population Are Mostly Determined by Sex and Age: Findings in the ANIBES Study
Background
Representative data for the Spanish population regarding physical activity (PA) behaviors
are scarce and seldom comparable due to methodological inconsistencies.
Aim
Our objectives were to describe the PA behavior by means of the standardized self-reported
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and to know the proportion of the Spanish
population meeting and not meeting international PA recommendations.
Material and Methods
PA was assessed using the IPAQ in a representative sample of 2285 individuals (males,
50.4%) aged 9–75 years and living in municipalities of at least 2,000 inhabitants. Data were
analyzed according to: age groups 9–12, 13–17, 18–64, and 65–75 years; sex; geographical
distribution; locality size and educational levels.
Results
Mean total PA was 868.8±660.9 min/wk, mean vigorous PA 146.4±254.1 min/wk, and mean
moderate PA 398.1±408.0 min/wk, showing significant differences between sexes
(p<0.05). Children performed higher moderate-vigorous PA than adolescents and seniors
(p<0.05), and adults than adolescents and seniors (p<0.05). Compared to recommendations,
36.2%of adults performed <150 min/week of moderate PA, 65.4% <75 min/week of vigorous PA and 27.0%did not perform any PA at all, presenting significant differences
between sexes (p<0.05). A total of 55.4%of children and adolescents performed less than
420 min/week of MVPA, being higher in the later (62.6%) than in the former (48.4%). Highest
non-compliance was observed in adolescent females (86.5%).
Conclusion
Sex and age are the main influencing factors on PA in the Spanish population. Males
engage in more vigorous and light PA overall, whereas females perform more moderate
PA. PA behavior differs between age groups and no clear lineal increase with age could be
observed. Twenty-seven percent of adults and 55.4% of children and adolescents do not
meet international PA recommendations. Identified target groups should be addressed to
increase PA in the Spanish populationCoca-Cola Iberia through Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN)Coca-Cola Iberi
Managing sedentary behavior to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Modern human environments are vastly different from those of our forebears. Rapidly advancing technology in transportation, communications, workplaces, and home entertainment confer a wealth of benefits, but increasingly come with costs to human health. Sedentary behavior—too much sitting as distinct from too little physical activity—contributes adversely to cardiometabolic health outcomes and premature mortality. Findings from observational epidemiology have been synthesized in meta-analyses, and evidence is now shifting into the realm of experimental trials with the aim of identifying novel mechanisms and potential causal relationships. We discuss recent observational and experimental evidence that makes a compelling case for reducing and breaking up prolonged sitting time in both the primary prevention and disease management contexts. We also highlight future research needs, the opportunities for developing targeted interventions, and the potential of population-wide initiatives designed to address too much sitting as a health risk
- …