Explaining the Frequency of Alcohol Consumption in a Conflict Zone: Jews and Palestinians in Israel

Experiencing stress and exposure to terrorism may have an adverse effect on health risk behaviors. Few studies have examined alcohol use among adults living in Israel under chronic, stressful terrorism-related conditions. In this study, we examined the relationships of demographics, past stressful events, and terrorism exposure to the frequency of alcohol use and the mediating roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We used three waves of data from a 2007–2008 nationally representative sample of Jewish and Palestinian adults in Israel. We assessed past stressful events, in addition to direct and indirect exposures to terrorism. Results indicated that past stressful events and exposure to terrorism were not directly associated with alcohol use, but were indirectly associated and mediated by depressive and PTSD symptomology. Mental health symptoms were differentially associated with alcohol use. More frequent drinking was mediated by higher levels of depression, including for women and Palestinians; however, PTSD symptom severity was related to less frequent drinking. Mental health may play a prominent role in the frequency of alcohol use among adults exposed to terrorism in Israel. Alcohol use, as a coping mechanism, may differ by demographic characteristics (gender and ethnicity) and psychological symptomology for adults living in a conflict zone in Israel

Effects of a saponin fraction extracted from Trigonella foenum-graecum L. and two commercially available saponins on sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapa fry, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Over three million tonnes (t) of tilapia, mostly Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L.), are produced annually making it the second most abundantly produced freshwater fish (FAO, 2010). Tilapia are mouthbreeders that often produce stunted populations under pond conditions; one means of prevention is to produce all-male fish with the additional advantage that males usually grow faster than females. All-male populations can be achieved by supplementing feed with androgens such as 17-α-Methyltestosterone (MT) during days 10–25 post-hatch (Pandian and Sheela, 1995). However, MT is considered to be carcinogenic (Velazquez and Alter, 2004), and Hulak et al. (2008) also showed that effluents of systems in which carp were fed diets containing MT caused masculinization of female fish. Furthermore, in aquaculture the application of hormones to fish destined for human consumption is prohibited in the European Union under directive 96/22/EC, article 5, which also prohibits import of animal products produced with hormones. Kwon et al. (2000) showed that Fadrozole, a non-steroidal compound, caused masculinization in tilapia by inhibiting aromatase, which is the enzyme responsible for the conversion of endogenous androgens to estrogens. Steinbronn et al. (2004) were able to show that a dose of 2000 ppm Quillaja saponins (Sigma S-2149) inhibited reproduction of tilapia after dietary application for 32 days to first-feeding fry, suggesting saponins as a possible alternative to MT. These secondary plant compounds consist of either a steroid or triterpenoid basic structure (aglycone or sapogenin) plus one or more sugar side chains (Francis et al., 2002a). In a previous experiment a saponin fraction from the soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria M.) inhibited aromatase in vitro (Golan et al., 2008). The fenugreek plant (Trigonella foenum-graecum L), widely cultivated in the Middle East and Asia, also has a high saponin content. The experiment was therefore conducted to test whether saponin fractions from Q. saponaria and from T. foenum-graecum were able to influence the sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapia

Restoration of CFTR function in patients with cystic fibrosis carrying the F508del-CFTR mutation

<div><p>Restoration of BECN1/Beclin 1-dependent autophagy and depletion of SQSTM1/p62 by genetic manipulation or autophagy-stimulatory proteostasis regulators, such as cystamine, have positive effects on mouse models of human cystic fibrosis (CF). These measures rescue the functional expression of the most frequent pathogenic CFTR mutant, F508del, at the respiratory epithelial surface and reduce lung inflammation in <i>Cftr^F508del</i> homozygous mice. Cysteamine, the reduced form of cystamine, is an FDA-approved drug. Here, we report that oral treatment with cysteamine greatly reduces the mortality rate and improves the phenotype of newborn mice bearing the <i>F508del-CFTR</i> mutation. Cysteamine was also able to increase the plasma membrane expression of the F508del-CFTR protein in nasal epithelial cells from <i>F508del</i> homozygous CF patients, and these effects persisted for 24 h after cysteamine withdrawal. Importantly, this cysteamine effect after washout was further sustained by the sequential administration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea flavonoid, both <i>in vivo</i>, in mice, and <i>in vitro</i>, in primary epithelial cells from CF patients. In a pilot clinical trial involving 10 <i>F508del-CFTR</i> homozygous CF patients, the combination of cysteamine and EGCG restored BECN1, reduced SQSTM1 levels and improved CFTR function from nasal epithelial cells <i>in vivo</i>, correlating with a decrease of chloride concentrations in sweat, as well as with a reduction of the abundance of <i>TNF/TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor)</i> and <i>CXCL8</i> (<i>chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 8</i>) transcripts in nasal brushing and TNF and CXCL8 protein levels in the sputum. Altogether, these results suggest that optimal schedules of cysteamine plus EGCG might be used for the treatment of CF caused by the <i>F508del-CFTR</i> mutation.</p></div

Mixed integer programming in production planning with backlogging and setup carryover : modeling and algorithms

This paper proposes a mixed integer programming formulation for modeling the capacitated multi-level lot sizing problem with both backlogging and setup carryover. Based on the model formulation, a progressive time-oriented decomposition heuristic framework is then proposed, where improvement and construction heuristics are effectively combined, therefore efficiently avoiding the weaknesses associated with the one-time decisions made by other classical time-oriented decomposition algorithms. Computational results show that the proposed optimization framework provides competitive solutions within a reasonable time

The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) Investigation and the Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS) for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission

Abstract The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) Investigation is one of 5 fields-and-particles investigations on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. MMS comprises 4 spacecraft flying in close formation in highly elliptical, near-Earth-equatorial orbits targeting understanding of the fundamental physics of the important physical process called magnetic reconnection using Earth’s magnetosphere as a plasma laboratory. EPD comprises two sensor types, the Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS) with one instrument on each of the 4 spacecraft, and the Fly’s Eye Energetic Particle Spectrometer (FEEPS) with 2 instruments on each of the 4 spacecraft. EIS measures energetic ion energy, angle and elemental compositional distributions from a required low energy limit of 20 keV for protons and 45 keV for oxygen ions, up to \u3e0.5 MeV (with capabilities to measure up to \u3e1 MeV). FEEPS measures instantaneous all sky images of energetic electrons from 25 keV to \u3e0.5 MeV, and also measures total ion energy distributions from 45 keV to \u3e0.5 MeV to be used in conjunction with EIS to measure all sky ion distributions. In this report we describe the EPD investigation and the details of the EIS sensor. Specifically we describe EPD-level science objectives, the science and measurement requirements, and the challenges that the EPD team had in meeting these requirements. Here we also describe the design and operation of the EIS instruments, their calibrated performances, and the EIS in-flight and ground operations. Blake et al. (The Flys Eye Energetic Particle Spectrometer (FEEPS) contribution to the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) investigation of the Magnetospheric Magnetoscale (MMS) Mission, this issue) describe the design and operation of the FEEPS instruments, their calibrated performances, and the FEEPS in-flight and ground operations. The MMS spacecraft will launch in early 2015, and over its 2-year mission will provide comprehensive measurements of magnetic reconnection at Earth’s magnetopause during the 18 months that comprise orbital phase 1, and magnetic reconnection within Earth’s magnetotail during the about 6 months that comprise orbital phase 2

Usporedna učinkovitost eprinomektina i permetrina u liječenju sarkoptoze pasa.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of topically applied eprinomectin and permethrin for treatment of naturally occuring sarcoptic mange in dogs. A total of 24 dogs of various breeds, age and of both sexes were enrolled. Diagnosis of naturally occuring sarcoptic mange in dogs was made by identifying skin scrapings. All cases were subjected to scoring of the relevant significant clinical signs of scabies such as erythema, pruritis, alopecia, hyperpigmentation and crusting for the whole duration of the study. Dogs in group I (n = 9) received 0.5 mg/kg eprinomectin (5 mg/mL) topically once a week, and group II (n = 8) permethrin at a dosage of 20 mg/kg (100 mg/mL) topicallly once a week, both for a total of 4 weeks. Dogs in group III (n = 7) did not receive any treatment and were left as the control. All the scoring results were statistically evaluated on day 0 and 70, and revealed eprinomectin as the most effective group for evaluating clinical recovery (P<0.05). Evaluation of clinical signs and scoring results suggested complete clinical cure of 100% of dogs in the eprinomectin group, while permetrin was not effective where cure was evident in 2 out of 8 cases. In conclusion, topically applied eprinomectin was highly effective against naturally acquired infestation of S. scabieiby combined assessment of skin scrapings, scoring of skin lesions and clinical signs in comparison to permethrinIstraživanje je provedeno radi procjene usporedne učinkovitosti primjene eprinomektina i permetrina na koži u liječenju sarkoptoze pasa. Provedeno je na 24 psa različitih pasmina, dobi i spola. Bolest je dijagnosticirana na temelju nalaza parazita u strugotinama kože. Promatrani su klinički znakovi šuge poput crvenila, svrbeža, alopecije, hiperpigmentacije te pojave krasti. Psi u prvoj skupini (n = 9) liječeni su dozom od 0,5 mg (5 mg/mL) eprinomektina jednom tjedno. Permetrin je bio primijenjen u pasa druge skupine (n = 8) u dozi od 20 mg/kg (100 mg/mL) jednom tjedno. Liječenje je trajalo 4 tjedna. Psi u trećoj skupini (n = 7) nisu liječeni i služili su kao kontrola. Postignuti rezultati bili su statistički obrađeni uzimajući u obzir nalaze nultoga i sedamdesetoga dana. Rezultati su pokazali potpuno izlječenje u svih pasa u kojih je rabljen eprinomektin. Primjena permetrina bila je učinkovita u svega 2 od 8 slučajeva. Lokalna primjena eprinomektina bila je učinkovita kod prirodne infestacije grinjom Sarcoptes scabieišto se može zaključiti na osnovi pretraga strugotina kože, određivanja kožnih lezija i kliničkih znakova

Evaluation of Hungarian Wines for Resveratrol by Overpressured Layer Chromatography

A method, including solid phase extraction sample preparation, overpressured layer chromatographic separation and subsequent densitometric evaluation, was developed for measurement of total resveratrol (cis- and trans-isomers) content of wine. The amount of resveratrol was determined in wine samples from different winemaking regions of Hungary. The total resveratrol was high in Hungarian red wines (3.6–11 mg/L), and much lower in white ones (0.04–1.5 mg/L)

A rhythm analysis method for exercise electrocardiograms

Ankara : The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Institute of Engineering and Sciences of Bilkent University, 1996.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 1996.Includes bibliographical references leaves 44-46Exercise electrocardiography (the exercise ECG test or the stress EGG test) is one of the most popular and the most important non-invasive diagnostic tests in the field of cardiovascular disease. Arrhythmia analysis is an important part of the exercise ECG. A new approach to arrhythmia analysis is proposed in this thesis. 12 lead ECG signal is first reduced into three orthogonal channels which contain all the power of ECG. The orthogonalization process, an online Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) algorithm, maintains that these channels are free from both baseline wander and EMG noise. The third output channel has very low power with respect to first two. Making use of the orthogonality of these new channels. Total Power Signal (TPS) is calculated by summing the squares of orthogonalized channels. Employing the first two channels in TPS yields 92-99% of ECG power contained in all channels. Any arrhythmic behaviour during exercise test effects the TPS. In order to obtain the fiducial points of QRS complex first derivative of TPS is calculated. The method is compared with an algorithm proposed previously. The method and the algorithm are tested on 22 complete stress ECG test each with a duration between 9.5 to 26.5 minutes.Çağlar, B KeremM.S

Modification of the nanostructure of lignocellulose cell walls via a non-enzymatic lignocellulose deconstruction system in brown rot wood-decay fungi

Abstract Wood decayed by brown rot fungi and wood treated with the chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction, either alone or together with a cellulose enzyme cocktail, was analyzed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS), sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results showed that the CMF mechanism mimicked brown rot fungal attack for both holocellulose and lignin components of the wood. Crystalline cellulose and lignin were both depolymerized by the CMF reaction. Porosity of the softwood cell wall did not increase during CMF treatment, enzymes secreted by the fungi did not penetrate the decayed wood. The enzymes in the cellulose cocktail also did not appear to alter the effects of the CMF-treated wood relative to enhancing cell wall deconstruction. This suggests a rethinking of current brown rot decay models and supports a model where monomeric sugars and oligosaccharides diffuse from the softwood cell walls during non-enzymatic action. In this regard, the CMF mechanism should not be thought of as a “pretreatment” used to permit enzymatic penetration into softwood cell walls, but instead it enhances polysaccharide components diffusing to fungal enzymes located in wood cell lumen environments during decay. SANS and other data are consistent with a model for repolymerization and aggregation of at least some portion of the lignin within the cell wall, and this is supported by AFM and TEM data. The data suggest that new approaches for conversion of wood substrates to platform chemicals in biorefineries could be achieved using the CMF mechanism with >75% solubilization of lignocellulose, but that a more selective suite of enzymes and other downstream treatments may be required to work when using CMF deconstruction technology. Strategies to enhance polysaccharide release from lignocellulose substrates for enhanced enzymatic action and fermentation of the released fraction would also aid in the efficient recovery of the more uniform modified lignin fraction that the CMF reaction generates to enhance biorefinery profitability