913 research outputs found
Une étude pilote sur le congé parental de pÚres au Tirol
La présente étude porte sur les pÚres en congé parental au Tirol. Les auteurs constatent que les réflexions systématiques à propos des pÚres en congé sont rares. Les auteurs tentent de répondre à la question suivante : le congé parental a-t-il des implications sur l'attachement pÚre-enfant ? L'étude pilote porte sur un échantillon de 15 dyades pÚre-enfant. La description et l'analyse du comportement d'interaction pÚre-enfant ont été effectuées à l'aide du Child Adult Relationship Index (CARE-Index) élaboré par Crittenden (1988, 2000).A pilot study of fathers on parental leave in Tirol The current study examines fathers in parental leave in Tirol. The authors have come to realise that systematic reflections concerning fathers on leave of their work are rare. The authors attempt to answer the following question: does parental leave have implications on child/father attachment? The pilot study examines a small sample of 15 father/child couples. The description and analysis of father/child interactions was elaborated with the Child Adult Relationship Index (CARE-Index) designed by Crittenden (1988, 2000).Un proyecto piloto sobre el permiso parental en Tirol El estudio trata de los padres en permiso parental en Tirol. Los autores constatan que son muy pocas las reflexiones systématicas sobre los padres en permiso. ¿Tiene el permiso parental implicaciones sobre el apego padre-hijo? Los autores tratan de responder a esta pregunta en un estudio piloto con una muestra de 15 dyadas padre-hijo. La descripción y el analisis del comportamiento de la interaccion padre-hijo han sido realisadas con la ayuda del Child Adult Relationship Index (CARE-Index) elaborado por Crittenden (1988, 2000)
Shiftwork and Alcohol Consumption: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Introduction: Shiftwork can be a risk factor for a number of
different somatic and psychological health conditions, especially sleep disorders. Shiftworkers sleep less than dayworkers, and 20â40% of them suffer from difficulties initiating
and maintaining sleep, which result in reduced capacity for
work and social life. A common coping strategy might be the
use of alcohol, which presents a health and safety hazard as
it further impairs sleep quality and exacerbates sleepiness in
the workplace. This review aimed to assess the extent of such
possible connections. Methods: We performed a systematic
search of the scientific literature on shiftwork and alcohol
consumption in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library.
Only original studies comparing shiftworkers with non-shiftworkers were included. The recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed. Results: Fourteen articles are included in
this review. Six studies report some kind of connection between shift- or nightwork and alcohol consumption, especially as a sleep aid. Conflicting or negative results are reported by 3 studies. Discussion: Shiftwork, especially working at night and in rotation shifts, is associated with binge
drinking disorder in different professions. The reasons for
pathological consumption of alcohol can be self-medication
of sleep problems or coping with stress and psychosocial
problems typical for shiftwork. Nurses aged over 50 years
represent one important risk group. These results can be important for preventive programs against sleep disorders, including measures other than drinking alcohol as a sleep aid
in the workplace of shiftworkers
Lopsided Galaxies, Weak Interactions and Boosting the Star Formation Rate
To investigate the link between weak tidal interactions in disk galaxies and
the boosting of their recent star formation, we obtain images and spatially
integrated spectra (3615A < lambda < 5315A) for 40 late-type spiral galaxies
(Sab-Sbc) with varying degrees of lopsidedness (a dynamical indicator of weak
interactions). We quantify lopsidedness as the amplitude of the m=1
Fourier component of the azimuthal surface brightness distribution, averaged
over a range of radii. We compare the young stellar content, quantified by
EW(H\delta_abs) and the strength of the 4000 Angstrom break (D_4000), with
lopsidedness and find a 3-4 sigma correlation between the two. We also find a
3.2 sigma correlation between EW(H\beta_emission) and lopsidedness. Using the
evolutionary population synthesis code of Bruzual & Charlot we model the
spectra as an ``underlying population'' and a superimposed ``boost population''
with the aim of constraining the fractional boost in the SFR averaged over the
past 0.5 Gyr (the characteristic lifetime of lopsidedness). From the difference
in both EW(H\delta_abs) and D_4000 between the most and least symmetric thirds
of our sample, we infer that ~ 1x10^9 M_solar of stars are formed over the
duration of a lopsided event in addition to the ``underlying'' SFH (assuming a
final galactic stellar mass of 10^10 M_solar). This corresponds to a factor of
8 increase in the SFR over the past 5x10^8 years. For the nuclear spectra, all
of the above correlations except D_4000 vs. are weaker than for the disk,
indicating that in lopsided galaxies, the SF boost is not dominated by the
nucleus.Comment: 35 pages, including 10 figures, to appear in the Astrophysical
Journal, abridged abstrac
Maternal-to-fetal allopurinol transfer and xanthine oxidase suppression in the late gestation pregnant rat.
Fetal brain hypoxic injury remains a concern in high-risk delivery. There is significant clinical interest in agents that may diminish neuronal damage during birth asphyxia, such as in allopurinol, an inhibitor of the prooxidant enzyme xanthine oxidase. Here, we established in a rodent model the capacity of allopurinol to be taken up by the mother, cross the placenta, rise to therapeutic levels, and suppress xanthine oxidase activity in the fetus. On day 20 of pregnancy, Wistar dams were given 30 or 100 mg kg(-1) allopurinol orally. Maternal and fetal plasma allopurinol and oxypurinol concentrations were measured, and xanthine oxidase activity in the placenta and maternal and fetal tissues determined. There were significant strong positive correlations between maternal and fetal plasma allopurinol (r = 0.97, P < 0.05) and oxypurinol (r = 0.88, P < 0.05) levels. Under baseline conditions, maternal heart (2.18 ± 0.62 mU mg(-1)), maternal liver (0.29 ± 0.08 mU mg(-1)), placenta (1.36 ± 0.42 mU mg(-1)), fetal heart (1.64 ± 0.59 mU mg(-1)), and fetal liver (0.14 ± 0.08 mU mg(-1)) samples all showed significant xanthine oxidase activity. This activity was suppressed in all tissues 2 h after allopurinol administration and remained suppressed 24 h later (P < 0.05), despite allopurinol and oxypurinol levels returning toward baseline. The data establish a mammalian model of xanthine oxidase inhibition in the mother, placenta, and fetus, allowing investigation of the role of xanthine oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species in the maternal, placental, and fetal physiology during healthy and complicated pregnancy
Technische Auffassung von wirtschaftlichen Lösungen, die fĂŒr die GĂŒterbeförderung und fĂŒr die Verminderung der Zu- und Ablaufkosten gĂŒnstig sind
Corrigendum: Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation Evoked by Convergence Load Under Conflicting Stimulus-to-Accommodation and Stimulus-to-Vergence Eye-Movements Measured by NIRS
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00298.]
Simple extension of the plane-wave final state in photoemission: Bringing understanding to the photon-energy dependence of two-dimensional materials
Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a method that measures orbital and band structure contrast through the momentum distribution of photoelectrons. Its simplest interpretation is obtained in the plane-wave approximation, according to which photoelectrons propagate freely to the detector. The photoelectron momentum distribution is then essentially given by the Fourier transform of the real-space orbital. While the plane-wave approximation is remarkably successful in describing the momentum distributions of aromatic compounds, it generally fails to capture kinetic-energy-dependent final-state interference and dichroism effects. Focusing our present study on quasi-freestanding monolayer graphene as the archetypical two-dimensional (2D) material, we observe an exemplary Ekin-dependent modulation of, and a redistribution of spectral weight within, its characteristic horseshoe signature around the KÂŻ and KÂŻâČ points: both effects indeed cannot be rationalized by the plane-wave final state. Our data are, however, in remarkable agreement with ab initio time-dependent density functional simulations of a freestanding graphene layer and can be explained by a simple extension of the plane-wave final state, permitting the two dipole-allowed partial waves emitted from the C 2pz orbitals to scatter in the potential of their immediate surroundings. Exploiting the absolute photon flux calibration of the Metrology Light Source, this scattered-wave approximation allows us to extract Ekin-dependent amplitudes and phases of both partial waves directly from photoemission data. The scattered-wave approximation thus represents a powerful yet intuitive refinement of the plane-wave final state in photoemission of 2D materials and beyond
Comparison between Long-Menu and Open-Ended Questions in computerized medical assessments. A randomized controlled trial
BACKGROUND: Long-menu questions (LMQs) are viewed as an alternative method for answering open-ended questions (OEQs) in computerized assessment. So far this question type and its influence on examination scores have not been studied sufficiently. However, the increasing use of computerized assessments will also lead to an increasing use of this question type. Using a summative online key feature (KF) examination we evaluated whether LMQs can be compared with OEQs in regard to the level of difficulty, performance and response times. We also evaluated the content for its suitability for LMQs. METHODS: We randomized 146 fourth year medical students into two groups. For the purpose of this study we created 7 peer-reviewed KF-cases with a total of 25 questions. All questions had the same content in both groups, but nine questions had a different answer type. Group A answered 9 questions with an LM type, group B with an OE type. In addition to the LM answer, group A could give an OE answer if the appropriate answer was not included in the list. RESULTS: The average number of correct answers for LMQs and OEQs showed no significant difference (p = 0.93). Among all 630 LM answers only one correct term (0.32%) was not included in the list of answers. The response time for LMQs did not significantly differ from that of OEQs (p = 0.65). CONCLUSION: LMQs and OEQs do not differ significantly. Compared to standard multiple-choice questions (MCQs), the response time for LMQs and OEQs is longer. This is probably due to the fact that they require active problem solving skills and more practice. LMQs correspond more suitable to Short answer questions (SAQ) then to OEQ and should only be used when the answers can be clearly phrased, using only a few, precise synonyms. LMQs can decrease cueing effects and significantly simplify the scoring in computerized assessment
Developmental programming of cardiovascular dysfunction by prenatal hypoxia and oxidative stress.
Fetal hypoxia is a common complication of pregnancy. It has been shown to programme cardiac and endothelial dysfunction in the offspring in adult life. However, the mechanisms via which this occurs remain elusive, precluding the identification of potential therapy. Using an integrative approach at the isolated organ, cellular and molecular levels, we tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress in the fetal heart and vasculature underlies the molecular basis via which prenatal hypoxia programmes cardiovascular dysfunction in later life. In a longitudinal study, the effects of maternal treatment of hypoxic (13% O(2)) pregnancy with an antioxidant on the cardiovascular system of the offspring at the end of gestation and at adulthood were studied. On day 6 of pregnancy, rats (n = 20 per group) were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia ± vitamin C. At gestational day 20, tissues were collected from 1 male fetus per litter per group (n = 10). The remaining 10 litters per group were allowed to deliver. At 4 months, tissues from 1 male adult offspring per litter per group were either perfusion fixed, frozen, or dissected for isolated organ preparations. In the fetus, hypoxic pregnancy promoted aortic thickening with enhanced nitrotyrosine staining and an increase in cardiac HSP70 expression. By adulthood, offspring of hypoxic pregnancy had markedly impaired NO-dependent relaxation in femoral resistance arteries, and increased myocardial contractility with sympathetic dominance. Maternal vitamin C prevented these effects in fetal and adult offspring of hypoxic pregnancy. The data offer insight to mechanism and thereby possible targets for intervention against developmental origins of cardiac and peripheral vascular dysfunction in offspring of risky pregnancy
Environmental control of biological rhythms: effects on development, fertility and metabolism
Internal temporal organisation properly synchronised to the environment is crucial for health maintenance. This organisation is provided at the cellular level by the molecular clock, a macromolecular transcription-based oscillator formed by the clock and the clock-controlled genes that is present in both central and peripheral tissues. In mammals, melanopsin in light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells plays a considerable role in the synchronisation of the circadian timing system to the daily light/dark cycle. Melatonin, a hormone synthesised in the pineal gland exclusively at night and an output of the central clock, has a fundamental role in regulating/timing several physiological functions, including glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion and energy metabolism. As such, metabolism is severely impaired after a reduction in melatonin production. Furthermore, light pollution during the night and shift work schedules can abrogate melatonin synthesis and impair homeostasis. Chronodisruption during pregnancy has deleterious effects on the health of progeny, including metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive dysfunction. Developmental programming by steroids or steroid-mimetic compounds also produces internal circadian disorganisation that may be a significant factor in the aetiology of fertility disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Thus, both early and late in life, pernicious alterations of the endogenous temporal order by environmental factors can disrupt the homeostatic function of the circadian timing system, leading to pathophysiology and/or disease.This work was supported by grants 1110220 from FONDECYT and ACT1116 from CONICYT, Chile (to HGR); Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de SĂŁo Paulo (FAPESP) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento TecnolĂłgico e CientĂfico (CNPq; Brazil, to AMC, FGA and JCN); Pro-Reitoria de Pesquisa Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil (to MOP); fellowship 21120472 from CONICYT (Chile) to (NM) and an NIEHS sponsored Pilot Grant from the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine to MTS
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