Effects of dietary phosphates from organic and inorganic sources on parameters of phosphorus homeostasis in healthy adult dogs

Background The impact of dietary phosphorus (P) excess, especially on renal and cardiovascular health, has been investigated in several species, but little is known in dogs. Objective The aim of this study was to examine effects of different P sources on concentration and postprandial kinetics of selected parameters of P homeostasis in dogs. Methods Eight beagles received one control diet (P 0.5% dry matter [DM]) and three high P diets (poultry meal, NaH2PO4, and KH2PO4; P 1.7% DM) for 18d. Urine samples were collected pre- and postprandially while faeces were collected quantitatively for 5d and analysed for minerals. On day 18, blood was sampled 1h pre- and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5 and 7h postprandially. Results Pi (KH2PO4, NaH2PO4) but not organic P caused an increased apparent P digestibility and significantly influenced kinetics of serum FGF23, parathyroid hormone, P, CrossLaps and bonespecific alkaline phosphatase, demonstrating a disrupted calcium (Ca) and P homeostasis with potential harm for renal, cardiovascular and skeletal health. Conclusions Results of feeding Pi to dogs indicate distinct disturbances of Ca and P metabolism, in contrast to organic sources. The use of Pi in food can therefore not be considered as safe. Further research, especially on dose and long-term effects, is warranted

Detecting and Correcting Batch Effects in High-Throughput Genomic Experiments

Batch effects are due to probe-specific systematic variation between groups of samples (batches) resulting from experimental features that are not of biological interest. Principal components analysis (PCA) is commonly used as a visual tool to determine whether batch effects exist after applying a global normalization method. However, PCA yields linear combinations of the variables that contribute maximum variance and thus will not necessarily detect batch effects if they are not the largest source of variability in the data. We present an extension of principal components analysis to quantify the existence of batch effects, called guided PCA (gPCA). We describe a test statistic that uses gPCA to test if a batch effect exists. We apply our proposed test statistic derived using gPCA to simulated data and to two copy number variation case studies: the first study consisted of 614 samples from a breast cancer family study using Illumina Human 660 bead-chip arrays whereas the second case study consisted of 703 samples from a family blood pressure study that used Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0. We demonstrate that our statistic has good statistical properties and is able to identify significant batch effects in two copy number variation case studies. We further compare existing batch effect correction methods and apply gPCA to test their effectiveness. We conclude that our novel statistic that utilizes guided principal components analysis to identify whether batch effects exist in high-throughput genomic data is effective. Although our examples pertain to copy number data, gPCA is general and can be used on other data types as well

An Idle Mind is an Unhappy Playground

In our 24-hour society, there is little idle time. Portable electronic devices are gateways to constant distractions, such as texting, social networking, and email. And these devices are addictive; according to recent studies (e.g., Smith, 2012) 11% of American mobile phone users worry they spend too much time on mobile devices, and this number is higher among young adults 18-24 (21%). Sherry Turkle (2011) has suggested that this might affect development profoundly, as adolescents and young adults are tethered to their communication technologies.In a recent commentary, Shattell (2010) advocated for idle time as a means to prompt deep thought and reflection. Therefore, in our experimental study, we examined whether young adult college students would use idle time for deep thought and how idle time would influence affect. We also measured whether these distractions (i.e., internet and text messaging usage) were related to participants’ self-reported stress, happiness, and positive and negative affect. Introductory psychology students (N = 263) completed an online survey with questions about internet and text messaging addiction, subjective happiness, perceived stress, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988). Immediately after, they were assigned randomly to one of five conditions: Facebook, text messaging, internet, nothing, or anything except the phone or computer. In each of these conditions, they were asked to spend 15 minutes alone in a comfortable laboratory room doing the activity specified by the condition name. Following the 15 minutes, they were asked to complete the PANAS and also describe in narrative form what they had done during the 15 minutes. Many participants in the “nothing” and the “anything except the phone or computer” conditions used the 15 minutes to think. They also reported sleeping observing the room, praying, and just sitting. However, these two conditions caused the most dramatic decreases in positive affect. Meanwhile, texting, social networking, and internet usage were not significantly related to stress, happiness, or positive and negative affect; however, text message addiction was significantly and positively related to stress and negative affect and negatively related to happiness. Enforced idle time did prompt participants to engage in thinking and other relaxing behaviors; however, it also prompted a significantly decrease in positive affect. Perhaps, among today’s college students, idle time is considered wasted time.http://opus.ipfw.edu/stu_symp2014/1022/thumbnail.jp

Mindful Meditation as an Intervention to Improve the Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson\u27s Disease: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Background: One of the main aspects of Parkinson\u27s disease is its neuropathic degeneration and its destruction on the person\u27s mind and body connection. Mindful meditation is the practice of self -awareness and has been shown to cause a reduction in non-motor symptoms such as decreasing blood pressure, treating heart disease, relieving stress, and reducing chronic pain. These changes can lead to perceived improvement in the patient’s quality of life. If there is the possibility for psychological changes in the body, then there may be potential in using it to treat neuropathic degenerative diseases without the harmful side effects of pharmacologic interventions and invasive procedures. The purpose of this review is to look at the connection between mindfulness based interventions and its effect on the quality of life of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Methods: A systematic review was performed using 5 electronic databases which were Pedro, Google Scholar, CINAHL complete, Chronin library, and PubMed between August 28, 2019 to September 12, 2019 and from January 14 to February 9, 2020. The search terms used were Mindful meditation, Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s disease, Mindful Based Intervention, Quality of Life. Inclusion criteria for the search were specific focus on QoL changes in patients with PD, included a mindful based intervention, and utilized a quality of life standardized outcome measure/qualitative measures. Results: After all inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, seven articles remained and were reviewed. Of the 7 articles chosen for review, there was one pilot study (Cash 2015, ), two randomized control trial studies (Picket 2015, Advocat 2016), a mixed methods evaluation (Birtwell 2017), a qualitative analysis (Fitzpatrick 2010), an exploratory study (Dissanayaka 2016), and a Quasi experiment (Son, 2018). Conclusion: Mindfulness based interventions can benefit people who have Parkinson’s Disease with the reduction of the progression of non-motor symptoms. Short, daily interventions can be a more realistic and effective way to perform mindfulness as compared to long duration sessions due to fatigue and multiple other factors. Implications: Mindfulness based interventions can be used along with other treatments to help to reduce the progression of non-motor symptoms with patients who have Parkinson’s Disease. In some cases mindfulness based interventions can help to prolong the need for invasive procedures, while possibly improving the quality of life of patients who have Parkinson\u27s Disease. Key terms: Mindful meditation, Parkinson’s disease, Quality of life, mindfulness based interventions, PDhttps://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2020/1075/thumbnail.jp

An Integrated Mechanistic Model of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Opioid-Exposed Mother–Infant Dyads

A growing body of neurobiological and psychological research sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of opioid use disorder and its relation to parenting behavior. Perinatal opioid use is associated with risks for women and children, including increased risk of child maltreatment. Drawing from extant data, here we provide an integrated mechanistic model of perinatal opioid use, parenting behavior, infant attachment, and child well-being to inform the development and adaptation of behavioral interventions for opioid-exposed mother–infant dyads. The model posits that recurrent perinatal opioid use may lead to increased stress sensitivity and reward dysregulation for some mothers, resulting in decreased perceived salience of infant cues, disengaged parenting behavior, disrupted infant attachment, and decreased child well-being. We conclude with a discussion of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement as a means of addressing mechanisms undergirding perinatal opioid use, parenting, and attachment, presenting evidence on the efficacy and therapeutic mechanisms of mindfulness. As perinatal opioid use increases in the United States, empirically informed models can be used to guide treatment development research and address this growing concern

Development of the Multi-Purpose Transportation System for the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage (CS) Flight Article

NASA's Multi-Purpose Transportation System (MPTS) is designed to transport the Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle segments by waterway and roadway. It is tasked with transporting the vehicle from where it is manufactured to its intermediate test location and final launch destination. Its design incorporates mechanisms that release degrees of freedom to prevent excessive loading during transit and ensure a successful delivery of the vehicle to its intended destination. In addition to the Core Stage (CS) flight article, the system will also move three Structural Test Articles (STAs), the Dynamic Demonstration Unit (DDU), and a simulated CS Pathfinder (weight, center of gravity, outer mold line dimensions, and overall length) over road terrain at four NASA centers and on the Pegasus barge. The MPTS independently supports the article at both ends while operating as a combined unit through automated monitoring of its released degree of freedom and corrective responses. This allows the system to constrain its payload in a statically determinate manner while traversing highly variable terrain. Multi-body simulation of the transportation route is useful to predict free-body motion within its range of mobility. The MPTS has completed its design and analysis developmental cycles. This paper describes the design challenges encountered in developing this system of large-scale structure, which incorporates complex mechanisms. The unique techniques and methodologies developed for analytical assessment of the hardware are also discussed

Development of the Multi Purpose Transportation System for the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage (CS) Flight Article

NASAs Multi Purpose Transportation System (MPTS) is designed to transport the Space Launch System vehicle segments by waterway and roadway. It is tasked with transporting the vehicle from where it is manufactured to its intermediate test location and final launch destination. Its design incorporates mechanisms that release degrees of freedom to prevent excessive loading during transit and ensure a successful delivery of the vehicle to its intended destination. In addition to the CS (Core Stage) flight article, the system will also move three structural test articles and a simulated CS Pathfinder (weight, center of gravity, outer mold line dimensions, and overall length) over road terrain on four NASA centers and on the Pegasus barge. The MPTS independently supports the article at both ends while communicating as a combined unit through automated monitoring of its released degree of freedom and corrective responses. This allows the system to constrain its payload in a statically determinate manner while traversing across highly variable terrain. Multi-body simulation of the transportation route is useful to predict free-body motion within the specified travel ranges. The MPTS has completed its design and analysis developmental cycles. This unpublished paper will describe the design challenges encountered in developing this system of large scale structure which incorporates complex mechanisms. The unique techniques and methodologies developed for analytical assessment of the hardware will be also be discussed. Key results from analytical evaluations as well as ongoing performance testing will be presented

Tell Me More: Promoting compassionate patient care through conversations with medical students

Tell Me More® (TMM) is a medical student driven project that represents a movement amongst the rising generation of physicians to practice humanistic, patient-centered medicine through a collaborative approach. Students interviewed patients to create individualized posters designed to build rapport and trust between patients and clinicians, remind patients of their special strengths by highlighting their unique interests and qualities, and encourage more personal and compassionate patient-clinician interactions in order to enhance the patient experience. Students asked each patient three questions: 1. “How would your friends describe you?” 2. “What are your strengths?” 3. “What has been most meaningful to you?” and answers were recorded on a large poster, which was displayed prominently in the patient’s room for clinicians and staff to acknowledge. TMM engaged 5 students and 302 patients over 4 hospital settings throughout Northwell Health. Data collection included daily written reflections by students on their experiences, exit interviews with patients to assess the impact of the project on their stay, and staff surveys that addressed provider perception of the program. Descriptive outcomes supported a positive impact on students, patients, staff and clinicians. TMM succeeded in providing a bridge between patients and clinicians and is a cost-effective practice that lends to more personal patient-provider interactions. Bedside posters positively influenced the culture of a hospital organization and reminded providers of the meaning in their work, which literature shows can reduce provider burnout and improve quality of care

EUSO-SPB2 sensitivity to macroscopic dark matter

Macroscopic dark matter (or macro) provides a broad class of alternative candidates to particle dark matter. These candidates would transfer energy primarily through elastic scattering, and this linear energy deposition would produce observable signals if a macro were to traverse the atmosphere. We study the fluorescence emission produced by a macro passing through the atmosphere. We estimate the sensitivity of EUSO-SPB2 to constrain the two-dimensional parameter space ($\sigma$ vs. $M$), where $M$ is the macro mass and $\sigma$ its cross sectional area.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of the 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2012), Berlin, 12 -23 July 202

Factors Associated with Periodontitis in Younger Individuals: A Scoping Review

Periodontitis is a disease that affects many young adults, and if left untreated, it can have lasting and permanent effects on an individual’s oral health. The purpose of this scoping review was to review the recent literature to identify factors that place young individuals at risk of stage II or III periodontitis. Using the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, three databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed human studies published in English that investigated risk factors associated with stage II and/or III periodontitis in individuals less than 40 years of age. This review excluded abstracts, literature reviews, including narrative, scoping, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses, conference proceedings, letters to the editor, and editorials. The authors then extracted data from the relevant studies using a predefined form to summarize the aims, design, results, risk factors examined, and the type and severity of periodontitis. Among a total of 2676 articles screened, only three articles met the review’s inclusion criteria. Of these articles, one was a longitudinal case-control study and two were cross-sectional studies. Identified risk factors associated with stage II or III periodontitis included self-reported bleeding when brushing, low bone mineral density, being overweight, and smoking in young adults. Of note, only three studies met the inclusion criteria, suggesting a gap in the research literature