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Excess
Kinds of Excess Terms modified by Excess Selected AbstractsHETEROZYGOTE EXCESS IN SMALL POPULATIONS AND THE HETEROZYGOTE-EXCESS EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZEEVOLUTION, Issue 9 2004Franclois Balloux Abstract It has been proposed that effective size could be estimated in small dioecious population by considering the heterozygote excess observed at neutral markers. When the number of breeders is small, allelic frequencies in males and females will slightly differ due to binomial sampling error. However, this excess of heterozygotes is not generated by dioecy but by the absence of individuals produced through selfing. Consequently, the approach can also be applied to self-incompatible monoecious species. Some inaccuracies in earlier equations expressing effective size as function of the heterozygote excess are also corrected in this paper. The approach is then extended to subdivided populations, where time of sampling becomes crucial. When adults are sampled, the effective size of the entire population can be estimated, whereas when juveniles are sampled, the average effective number of breeders per subpopulations can be estimated. The main limitation of the heterozygote excess method is that it will only perform satisfactorily for populations with a small number of reproducing individuals. While this situation is unlikely to happen frequently at the scale of the entire population, structured populations with small subpopulations are likely to be common. The estimation of the average number of breeders per subpopulations is thus expected to be applicable to many natural populations. The approach is straightforward to compute and independent of equilibrium assumptions. Applications to simulated data suggest the estimation of the number of breeders to be robust to mutation and migration rates, and to specificities of the mating system. [source] THE EFFECT OF EPISTASIS ON THE EXCESS OF THE ADDITIVE AND NONADDITIVE VARIANCES AFTER POPULATION BOTTLENECKSEVOLUTION, Issue 5 2002Carlos López-Fanjul Abstract The effect of population bottlenecks on the components of the genetic variance generated by two neutral independent epistatic loci has been studied theoretically (VA, additive; VD, dominant; VAA, additive × additive; VAD, additive × dominant; VDD; dominant × dominant components of variance). Nonoverdominance and overdominance models were considered, covering all possible types of marginal gene action at the single locus level. The variance components in an infinitely large panmictic population (ancestral components) were compared with their expected values at equilibrium, after t consecutive bottlenecks of equal size N (derived components). Formulae were obtained in terms of allele frequencies and effects at each locus and the corresponding epistatic value. An excess of VA after bottlenecks can be assigned to two sources: (1) the spatiotemporal changes in the marginal average effects of gene substitution ai, which are equal to zero only for additive gene action within and between loci; and (2) the covariance between a2i and the heterozygosity at the loci involved, which is generated by dominance, with or without epistasis. Numerical examples were analyzed, indicating that an increase in VA after bottlenecks will only occur if its ancestral value is minimal or very small. For the nonoverdominance model with weak reinforcing epistasis, that increase has been detected only for extreme frequencies of the negative allele at one or both loci. With strong epistasis, however, this result can be extended to a broad range of intermediate frequencies. With no epistasis, the same qualitative results were found, indicating that dominance can be considered as the primary cause of an increase in VA following bottlenecks. In parallel, the derived total nonadditive variance exceeded its ancestral value (VNA= VD+ VAA+VAD+ VDD) for a range of combinations of allele frequencies covering those for an excess of VA and for very large frequencies of the negative allele at both loci. For the overdominance model, an increase in VA and VNA was respectively observed for equilibrium (intermediate) frequencies at one or both loci or for extreme frequencies at both loci. For all models, the magnitude of the change of VA and VNA was inversely related to N and t. At low levels of inbreeding, the between-line variance was not affected by the type of gene action. For the models considered, the results indicate that it is unlikely that the rate of evolution may be accelerated after population bottlenecks, in spite of occasional increments of the derived VA over its ancestral value. [source] THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY AND THE RHETORIC OF EXCESSJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS, Issue 1 2007Jeffrey Stout ABSTRACT If militarism violates the ideals of liberty and justice in one way, and rapidly increasing social stratification violates them in another, then American democracy is in crisis. A culture of democratic accountability will survive only if citizens revive the concerns that animated the great reform movements of the past, from abolitionism to civil rights. It is crucial, when reasoning about practical matters, not only to admit how grave one's situation is, but also to resist despair. Therefore, the fate of democracy depends, to some significant degree, on how we choose to describe the crisis. Saying that we have already entered the new dark ages or a post-democratic era may prove to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, because anyone who accepts this message is apt to give up on the hard work of organizing and contestation that is needed to hold political representatives accountable to the people. This paper asks how one might strike the right balance between accuracy and hope in describing the democracy's current troubles. After saying what I mean by democracy and what I think the current threats to it are, I respond to Romand Coles's criticisms of reservations I have expressed before about rhetorical excess in the works of Stanley Hauerwas, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Richard Rorty. This leads to a discussion of several points raised against me by Hauerwas. A digression offers some of my reasons for doubting that John Howard Yoder's biblical scholarship vindicates Hauerwas's version of pacifism. The paper concludes by arguing that Sheldon Wolin's work on the evisceration of democracy, though admirably accurate in its treatment of the dangers posed by empire and capital, abandons the project of democratic accountability too quickly in favor of the romance of the fugitive. [source] Trends in bed occupancy for inpatients with diabetes before and after the introduction of a diabetes inpatient specialist nurse serviceDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 9 2006M. J. Sampson Abstract Aims, To compare diabetes bed occupancy and inpatient length of stay, before and after the introduction of a dedicated diabetes inpatient specialist nurse (DISN) service in a large UK Hospital. Methods, We analysed bed occupancy data for medical or surgical inpatients for 6 years (1998,2004 inclusive), with a DISN service in the final 2 years. Excess bed days per diabetes patient were derived from age band, specialty, and seasonally matched data for all inpatients without diabetes. We also analysed the number of inpatients with known diabetes who did not have diabetes recorded as a discharge diagnosis. Results, There were 14 722 patients with diabetes (9.7% of all inpatients) who accounted for 101 564 occupied bed days (12.4% of total). Of these, 18 161 days (17.8%) were excess compared with matched patients without diabetes, and were concentrated in those < 75 years old. Mean excess bed days per diabetes inpatient under 60 years of age was estimated to be 1.9 days before the DISN appointment, and this was reduced to 1.2 bed days after the appointment (P = 0.03). This is equivalent to 700 bed days saved per year per 1000 inpatients with diabetes under 60 years old, with an identical saving for those aged 61,75 years (P = 0.008), a saving of 1330 diabetes bed days per year by one DISN. Excess diabetes bed occupancy was 167 excess bed days per year per 1000 patients with diabetes in the local population after the DISN appointment. One quarter of the known Type 2 diabetes population were admitted annually, but one quarter of patients had no diagnostic code for diabetes. Conclusions, Diabetes excess bed occupancy was concentrated in patients < 75 years old, and this was reduced notably following the introduction of a DISN service. [source] The Road of Excess: A History of Writers on DrugsADDICTION, Issue 12 2003Addiction, GRIFFITH EDWARDS Editor-in-Chief No abstract is available for this article. [source] Excess target-derived neurotrophin-3 alters the segmental innervation of the skinEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Amy M. Ritter Abstract It is thought that dermatomes are established during development as a result of competition between afferents of neighbouring segments. Mice that overexpress neurotrophins in the skin provide an interesting model to test this hypothesis, as they possess increased numbers of sensory neurons, and display hyperinnervation of the skin. When dermatomal boundaries were mapped in adult mice, it was found that those in nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpressers were indistinguishable from wild-type animals but that overlap between adjacent segments was greatly reduced in neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) overexpressers. However, dermatomes in heterozygous NT-3 knockout mice displayed no more overlap than wild-types. In order to quantify differences across strains, innervation territories of thoracic dorsal cutaneous nerves were mapped and measured in adult mice. Overlap between adjacent dorsal cutaneous nerves was normal in nerve growth factor overexpressing mice, but much reduced in NT-3 overexpressers. However, this restriction was not reflected in the central projection of the dorsal cutaneous nerve, creating a mismatch between peripheral and central projections. Dorsal cutaneous nerve territories were also mapped in neonatal mice aged postnatal day 7,8. In neonates, nerve territories of NT-3 overexpressers overlapped less than wild-types, but in neonates of both strains the amount of overlap was much greater than in the adult. These results indicate that substantial separation of dermatomes occurs postnatally, and that excess NT-3 enhances this process, resulting in more restricted dermatomes. It may exert its effects either by enhancing competition, or by direct effects on the stability and formation of sensory endings in the skin. [source] Validation of Priority NIC Interventions and Suggested NOC Outcomes for Fluid Volume ExcessINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003Juliana de Lima Lopes PURPOSE To identify and evalutate NIC priority interventions performed by Brazilian nurses and the associated NOC outcomes for patients whose clinical conditions suggest fluid volume excess. METHODS An exploratory study was developed in two phases: (a) validation of the content of the priority NIC interventions and suggested NOC outcomes by seven expert nurses from a cardiology ward and the researcher, and (b) activities and indicators chosen were performed and evaluated daily for all patients admitted to the cardiology ward whose clinical conditions suggested fluid volume excess. FINDINGS Nurses chose 26 activities from the NIC categories of "fluid management," 23 from "fluid monitoring," and 28 from "hypervolemia management." Eighteen NOC outcomes were chosen from Fluid Balance, 11 from Hydration, and 13 from Electrolyte and Acid/Base Balance. CONCLUSIONS Nurses identified many NIC activities that are important to their practice, and they also agreed with many NOC indicators. The use of standardized languages for interventions and outcomes will allow them to develop the process of nursing care and to establish practice standards. [source] From Calvin to Gillespie on Covenant: Mythological Excess or an Exercise in Doctrinal Development?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, Issue 4 2009CARL TRUEMAN Much of the discussion about the development of Reformed theology in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has focused on the elaboration of the covenantal understanding of theology. While the covenant of works has received much attention, the covenant of redemption, a term which emerges in the middle of the seventeenth century, has been comparatively neglected and, when referenced at all, has tended to be dismissed as a highly speculative addition to Reformed theology, a piece of mythology, as Barth famously quipped. In fact, a close examination of the concerns underlying the doctrine, particularly those touching on the Reformed emphasis on Christ as Mediator according to his person (and thus both natures) indicates that this later development stands in positive relation to the earlier work of Calvin and company; and a close examination of the work of its major exponent, Patrick Gillespie, also indicates that it is a great example of how later Reformed theology did not abandon the earlier Protestant concern for connecting exegesis to doctrinal synthesis. [source] Economic and Legal Issues in Reducing the Eurosystem's Excess of International ReservesJCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 3 2004Harald Badinger Economic studies suggest that the Eurosystem's international reserves ($370 billion) could be reduced by up to half of its existing level. The article discusses the likely size and distribution of excess reserves and proposals for their uses. Small economic gains can be expected from a reserve reduction, as well as an elimination of incompatibilities and conflicts of interest between the conduct of monetary and investment policy. A careful and co-ordinated reserve reduction would pose no threat to financial stability, making it also admissible from a legal perspective against the background of Art. 31 of the ESCB (European System of Central Banks) Statute. Finally, transferring reserves as an extraordinary gain to the government does not constitute monetary financing as prohibited by Art. 101 EC Treaty. [source] Beyond Lack and Excess: Other Architectures/Other LandscapesJOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2000Gülsüm Baydar Nalbanto Familiar binary categories of architecture such as Western/regional, high style/vernacular and modern/primitive are crucial in guarding its disciplinary boundaries. In the first part of my article, by analyzing a number of paradigmatic architectural texts, I argue that notions of lack and excess are instrumental in maintaining the largely superimposed binary constructions of West/non-West and architecture/nonarchitecture. Then, through a particular reading of a non-Western site, I explore ways of rethinking the categories of architecture and non-Western beyond such binary oppositions. [source] Glucocorticoid Excess During Adolescence Leads to a Major Persistent Deficit in Bone Mass and an Increase in Central Body FatJOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 10 2001Veronica Abad Abstract Endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) in children causes growth retardation, decreased bone mass, and increased total body fat. No prospective controlled studies have been performed in children to determine the long-term sequelae of CS on peak bone mass and body composition. A 15-year-old girl with Cushing disease (CD), and her healthy identical co-twin, were followed for 6 years after the CD was cured. At the 6-year follow-up both twins had areal bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and three-dimensional quantitative computed tomography (3DQCT). Z scores for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were ,2.3, ,0.8 and 0.2, and 1.2, 0.2, and ,0.6, in the twin with CD and her co-twin, respectively. In the twin with CD, areal BMD and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) at different sites varied from 0.7 to 3 SD below her co-twin. Volumetric lumbar spine bone density Z score was ,0.75 and 1.0, and total body, abdominal visceral, and subcutaneous fat (%) was 42, 10, and 41 versus 26, 4, and 17 in the twin with CD and her co-twin, respectively. The relationship between total body fat and L2-L4 BMAD was inverse in the twin with CD (p < 0.05), which by contrast in her co-twin was opposite and direct (p < 0.001). In the twin with CD, despite cure, there was a persistent deficit in bone mass and increase in total and visceral body fat. These observations suggest that hypercortisolism (exogenous or endogenous) during adolescence may have persistent adverse effects on bone and fat mass. [source] Aldosterone Excess or Escape: Treating Resistant HypertensionJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2009Samira Ubaid-Girioli MD Aldosterone excess or "escape" can occur after treatment with medications that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system or in undiagnosed primary aldosteronism. Spironolactone is thought to be an important addition to resistant hypertension (RH) treatment. In this study, resistant (RH) and controlled (CH) hypertensives and normotensive patients were submitted to echocardiography, flow-mediated vasodilation, carotid intima-media wall thickness studies, renin plasma activity, and aldosterone plasma levels and plasma and urinary sodium and potassium concentrations at baseline (pre-spironolactone phase). Subsequently, for only RH and CH groups, 25 mg/d spironolactone was added to preexisting treatments over 6 months. Afterwards, these parameters were reassessed (post-spironolactone phase). The RH and CH groups achieved reductions in blood pressure (P<.001), decreases in left ventricular hypertrophy (P<.001), improved diastolic function (Kappa index RH: 0.219 and Kappa index CH: 0.392) and increases in aldosterone concentrations (P<.05). The RH group attained improved endothelium-dependent (P<.001) and independent (P=.007) function. Optimized RH treatment with spironolactone reduces blood pressure and improves endothelial and diastolic function and left ventricular hypertrophy despite the presence of aldosterone excess or escape. [source] Effects of La2O3 Addition and PbO Excess on the Transmittance of PbZrO3,PbTiO3,Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 Ceramics by Spark Plasma SinteringJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008Yong Jun Wu The effects of La2O3 addition and PbO excess on the microstructures and optical properties of PbZrO3,PbTiO3,Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PZ,PT,PZN) ceramics prepared by spark plasma sintering were investigated. When 1 mol% La2O3 was added, the highest transmittance of 35% at 700 nm for PZ,PT,PZN ceramics was obtained. The improved transmittance was attributed to the increased relative density and the decreased optical anisotropy. The samples containing more than 1 mol% La2O3 showed decreased transmittance, due to the appearance of secondary phases. The transmittance of PZ,PT,PZN ceramics increased slightly to 29% at 700 nm with increasing amount of excess PbO up to 10 mol% and thereafter decreased rapidly. [source] The economics of coeliac disease: a population-based studyALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2010K. H. Long Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 261,269 Summary Background, Despite increasing prevalence, the economic implications of coeliac disease are just emerging. Aims, To assess the impact of coeliac disease diagnosis on healthcare costs and the incremental costs associated with coeliac disease. Methods, Administrative data for a population-based cohort of coeliac disease cases and matched controls from Olmsted County, Minnesota were used to compare (i) direct medical costs 1 year pre- and post-coeliac disease diagnosis for 133 index cases and (ii) 4-year cumulative direct medical costs incurred by 153 index cases vs. 153 controls. Analyses exclude diagnostic-related and out-patient pharmaceutical costs. Results, Average total costs were reduced by $1764 in the year following diagnosis (pre-diagnosis cost of $5023 vs. $3259; 95% CI of difference: $688 to $2993). Over a 4-year period, coeliac disease cases experienced higher out-patient costs (mean difference of $1457; P = 0.016) and higher total costs than controls (mean difference of $3964; P = 0.053). Excess average total costs were concentrated among males with coeliac disease ($14 191 vs. $4019 for male controls; 95% CI of difference: $2334 to $20 309). Conclusions, Coeliac disease-associated costs indicate a significant economic burden of disease, particularly for diseased males. Diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease reduce medical costs of care suggesting an economic advantage to earlier detection and treatment. [source] Prevalence of obesity in CanadaOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2005F. Bélanger-Ducharme Summary Excess weight represents a critical and common health problem in Canada. The last survey of a national representative sample based on measured anthropometrics has been conducted in 1992. According to surveys using measured data, the prevalence of obesity (body mass index, BMI = 30.0 kg m,2) between 1970 and 1992 for those aged 20,69 years increased from 8% to 13% in men and 13% to 15% in women. The proportion of Canadians displaying a BMI ,25.0 kg m,2 increased from 47% to 58% in men and from 34% to 41% in women in the same period. The most recent prevalence estimates from self-reported data in a national representative sample indicated that 15% of the adult population (,18 years) was affected by obesity, while an additional 33% was classified in the overweight category (BMI 25.0,29.9 kg m,2) in 2003. However, it has been suggested that self-reported height and weight underestimate the prevalence of obesity by approximately 10%. Canadian children, aboriginal populations, and immigrants are some of the vulnerable groups particularly at risk of excess weight or for which the increase in the recent decades has been greater than the national increase. The increases in overweight and obesity over the past 30 years among Canadians have been dramatic. It will be possible to precisely analyse the current situation and its evolution in the last 10 years when data based on measured height and weight will be released, that is, in 2005 and after. [source] Excess of symptoms among radiographers,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2003Helen Dimich-Ward PhD Abstract Background The prevalence and occupational determinants of miscellaneous symptoms referred to as "Darkroom disease" was compared between radiographers and physiotherapists working in British Columbia, Canada. Methods The participation rate for the mailout questionnaire survey was 66.1%. A small subset underwent spirometry and methacholine challenge testing. Results Radiographers had a higher prevalence of most symptoms, with an extreme odds ratio of 11.4 for chemical/metallic taste. The percentage of radiographers with non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (NSBHR) was 3 times higher than that of physiotherapists, although the comparison was not statistically significant. Reporting inadequate ventilation, frequently detecting the odor of X-ray processing chemicals and cleaning up spills within the past 12 months were highly associated with most of the symptoms. Conclusions Our results suggest that differences in the prevalence of symptoms represent a complex process, both in exposure and response to the many constituents found in radiographic processing chemicals. Objective testing of health outcomes and more refined exposure measurements are recommended to further investigate occupational health problems of radiographers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43: 132,141, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Simultaneous measurement of 13C- and 15N-isotopic enrichments of threonine by mass spectrometryRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 8 2009Jean-Philippe Godin Under conditions of high isotopic dilution, e.g. in a tracer study, the ability to determine accurately and quantitatively small variations in isotopic enrichments of differently labelled chemical compounds (e.g. 13C and 15N in threonine) in a single run by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is desirable but remains a technological challenge. Here, we report a new, rapid and simple GC/MS method for simultaneously measuring the isotopic enrichments of doubly labelled threonine ([U13C] and 15N) with isotopic enrichment lower than 1.5 Molar Percent Excess (MPE). The long-term reproducibility measured was around 0.09 MPE for both tracers (throughout a 6 week period). The intra-day repeatability was lower than 0.05 and 0.06 MPE for [U13C]-Thr and 15N-Thr, respectively. To calculate both isotopic enrichments, two modes of calculations were used: one based on work by Rosenblatt et al. in 1992 and the other one using a matrix approach. Both methods gave similar results (ANOVA, P >0.05) with close precision for each mode of calculation. The GC/MS method was then used to investigate the differential utilization of threonine in different organs according to its route of administration in minipigs after administration of both tracers. In plasma samples, the lowest isotopic enrichment measured between two successive time points was at 0.01 and 0.02 MPE for [U13C]-Thr and 15N-Thr, respectively. Moreover, the accuracy of GC/MS 13C-isotopic enrichment measured was validated by analyzing the same plasma samples by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). Statistical analysis showed that both techniques gave the same results (ANOVA, P >0.05). This new GC/MS method offers the possibility to measure 13C- and 15N-isotopic enrichments with higher throughput, and using a lower amount of sample, than using GC/C/IRMS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Exuberance, I Don't Know; Excess, I LikeARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 2 2010Hernan Diaz Alonso Abstract Hernan Diaz Alonso redefines ,excess' and ,exuberance' on his own terms. Fully au fait and comfortable with the excessive, he describes how in relation to his own work he views excess as more of a tendency or a logic, which sums up his approach; whereas he perceives the exuberant as removed from the design process and more like an ,adjective', an ,emerging quality' observed by others. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Two-Part Joint Model for the Analysis of Survival and Longitudinal Binary Data with Excess ZerosBIOMETRICS, Issue 2 2008Dimitris Rizopoulos Summary Many longitudinal studies generate both the time to some event of interest and repeated measures data. This article is motivated by a study on patients with a renal allograft, in which interest lies in the association between longitudinal proteinuria (a dichotomous variable) measurements and the time to renal graft failure. An interesting feature of the sample at hand is that nearly half of the patients were never tested positive for proteinuria (,1g/day) during follow-up, which introduces a degenerate part in the random-effects density for the longitudinal process. In this article we propose a two-part shared parameter model framework that effectively takes this feature into account, and we investigate sensitivity to the various dependence structures used to describe the association between the longitudinal measurements of proteinuria and the time to renal graft failure. [source] Dramatic Improvement of the Enantiomeric Excess in the Asymmetric Conjugate Addition Reaction Using New Experimental Conditions.CHEMINFORM, Issue 38 2002A. Alexakis Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Homochiral 5- and 8-Substituted 2-[((2-(2,6-Dimethoxyphenoxy)ethyl)amino)methyl]-1,4-benzodioxanes and Electrophoretic Determination of Their Enantiomeric Excess.CHEMINFORM, Issue 27 2001Ermanno Valoti Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Reproductive biology of the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelliJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Paul Sunnucks Abstract The reproductive biology of the ovoviviparous peripatus Euperipatoides rowelli was investigated from field collections and laboratory cultures. The sexes have different demographics. The frequency distribution of individual weight is essentially L-shaped in females, but closer to normality for males: thus the sexes must exhibit different patterns of growth and/or mortality. Males are generally much smaller and rarer than females. The primary sex ratio seems to be 1:1 with equal investment in the sexes, while the tertiary ratio is highly female-biased. Logs with fewer individuals tend to be male-biased while well-populated logs tend to be female-biased. Males mature at 15,30% of the bodyweight of mature females. The weight frequency distribution of males without developed sperm in their tracts is strongly skewed to the lower weights, while that of males with sperm is more normally distributed, indicating that sperm production occurs as soon in life as possible. Males mature in their first year of life, if growth rates in culture may be extrapolated to the wild. In contrast to this rapid maturity in males, females may mature as late as their second or third years. Most mature females, and many prior to maturity, carry sperm in their spermathecae. After maturity, there is an approximately linear relationship between body mass and number of developing embryos. Reproduction in E. rowelli is significantly seasonal despite high individual variance, with a major bout of parturition in November,December (summer). A female can harbour one developed and one undeveloped batch of embryos in each uterus. Excesses of developed embryos in one uterus are counterbalanced by deficits of undeveloped ones, indicating that females can use their paired reproductive tracts independently. Individual females in culture can experience episodes of parturition approx. 6 months apart without re-mating, thus gestation may be 6 months or more. Sperm in spermathecae remain capable of vigorous swimming for at least 9.5 months. [source] Cancer mortality among French Atomic Energy Commission workersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2004M. Telle-Lamberton Abstract Background All causes and cancer mortality of 58,320 workers employed at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) between 1946 and 1994 were compared with that of the general population in a retrospective cohort study. Methods Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) were computed with reference to the French national population. Results Between 1968 and 1994, 4,809 deaths occurred. A healthy worker effect is observed for men (SMR,=,0.57, CI90%,=,[0.56;0.59]) and for women (SMR,=,0.72, CI90%,=,[0.67;0.77]). Nine sites of cancer death were found to be in statistically significant deficit among men, none among women. An excess of pleural cancers is observed among men (SMR,=,1.79, CI90%,=,[1.27;2.45]) and of malignant melanoma (SMR,=,1.50, CI90%,=,[1.04;2.11]). An excess of breast cancer is observed among women on the borderline of significance (SMR,=,1.14, CI90%,=,[0.94;1.37]). Conclusions Excesses observed will have to be related to occupational exposures in the on-going cohort study on French nuclear workers which includes a retrospective exposures assessment. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:34,44, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Fragment-Parallel Composite and FilterCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2010Anjul Patney We present a strategy for parallelizing the composite and filter operations suitable for an order-independent rendering pipeline implemented on a modern graphics processor. Conventionally, this task is parallelized across pixels/subpixels, but serialized along individual depth layers. However, our technique extends the domain of parallelization to individual fragments (samples), avoiding a serial dependence on the number of depth layers, which can be a constraint for scenes with high depth complexity. As a result, our technique scales with the number of fragments and can sustain a consistent and predictable throughput in scenes with both low and high depth complexity, including those with a high variability of depth complexity within a single frame. We demonstrate composite/filter performance in excess of 50M fragments/sec for scenes with more than 1500 semi-transparent layers. [source] NMR studies of chiral organic compounds in non-isotropic phasesCONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 3 2008Marek J. Potrzebowski Abstract In this article, new applications and perspectives of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy for study of chiral organic compounds in the non-isotropic phases (solid state and liquid crystals) are presented. The review is organized into five sections. In the first part, theoretical background and short introduction to solid state NMR are shown. The second part presents how NMR isotropic chemical shift can be used for distinguishing of racemates and enantiomers. In the third section, the power of the ODESSA pulse sequence for investigation of racemates, enantiomers and establishing of enantiomeric excess are discussed. The fourth part shows the application of analysis of principal elements of chemical shift tensors obtained by means of 2D NMR techniques for searching of absolute configuration and conformational changes in the solid state. The final part presents recent achievements of chiral liquid crystals NMR methodology for study of chiral compounds. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 32A:201,218, 2008. [source] Attenuated endothelin-1 mRNA expression with endothelin-1 receptor blockade during hypoxaemia and reoxygenation in newborn pigletsACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2000S Medbø We investigated the cause of decreased plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) during hypoxaemia and reoxygenation in newborn piglets subjected to simultaneous blocking of the ET-1 receptors. Changes in plasma ET-1 and prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression in the main pulmonary artery and the left lower lobe in the lung were studied in 1-2-d-old piglets. Ten minutes prior to hypoxaemia, the hypoxaemia group (n = 10) was given saline, two groups (both n = 9) were given 1 and 5 mg/kg i.v. SB 217242 (an ET-1 receptor antagonist). Two groups served as normoxic controls, with and without SB 217242 5 mg/kg i.v. Hypoxaemia was induced by ventilating with 8% O2 until base excess was 20mmol/l or mean arterial blood pressure was < 20mmHg. Reoxygenation was performed for 2h with room air. During hypoxaemia, plasma ET-1 decreased in the hypoxaemia group, remained unchanged in the 1-mg group and increased in the 5-mg group. At the end of reoxygenation, plasma ET-1 was above baseline in the 1-mg and 5-mg groups. In the pulmonary artery, the hypoxaemia group showed 2- to 5-fold higher prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression compared to all the other groups (p < 0.05). There were trends for higher prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression in pulmonary tissue in the hypoxaemia group compared to the two receptor-blocking groups (p < 0.07). Conclusions: We conclude that hypoxaemia and reoxygenation increase prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression in the pulmonary artery in newborn piglets. These observations suggest that the half-life of ET-1 is decreased during hypoxaemia and reoxygenation in newborn piglets. [source] Etiology, pathogenesis and prevention of neural tube defectsCONGENITAL ANOMALIES, Issue 2 2006Rengasamy Padmanabhan ABSTRACT Spina bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele are commonly grouped together and termed neural tube defects (NTD). Failure of closure of the neural tube during development results in anencephaly or spina bifida aperta but encephaloceles are possibly post-closure defects. NTD are associated with a number of other central nervous system (CNS) and non-neural malformations. Racial, geographic and seasonal variations seem to affect their incidence. Etiology of NTD is unknown. Most of the non-syndromic NTD are of multifactorial origin. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the molecular mechanisms of neurulation in vertebrates but the morphologic development of human neural tube is poorly understood. A multisite closure theory, extrapolated directly from mouse experiments highlighted the clinical relevance of closure mechanisms to human NTD. Animal models, such as circle tail, curly tail, loop tail, shrm and numerous knockouts provide some insight into the mechanisms of NTD. Also available in the literature are a plethora of chemically induced preclosure and a few post-closure models of NTD, which highlight the fact that CNS malformations are of hetergeneitic nature. No Mendelian pattern of inheritance has been reported. Association with single gene defects, enhanced recurrence risk among siblings, and a higher frequency in twins than in singletons indicate the presence of a strong genetic contribution to the etiology of NTD. Non-availability of families with a significant number of NTD cases makes research into genetic causation of NTD difficult. Case reports and epidemiologic studies have implicated a number of chemicals, widely differing therapeutic drugs, environmental contaminants, pollutants, infectious agents, and solvents. Maternal hyperthermia, use of valproate by epileptic women during pregnancy, deficiency and excess of certain nutrients and chronic maternal diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus) are reported to cause a manifold increase in the incidence of NTD. A host of suspected teratogens are also available in the literature. The UK and Hungarian studies showed that periconceptional supplementation of women with folate (FA) reduces significantly both the first occurrence and recurrence of NTD in the offspring. This led to mandatory periconceptional FA supplementation in a number of countries. Encouraged by the results of clinical studies, numerous laboratory investigations focused on the genes involved in the FA, vitamin B12 and homocysteine metabolism during neural tube development. As of today no clinical or experimental study has provided unequivocal evidence for a definitive role for any of these genes in the causation of NTD suggesting that a multitude of genes, growth factors and receptors interact in controlling neural tube development by yet unknown mechanisms. Future studies must address issues of gene-gene, gene-nutrient and gene,environment interactions in the pathogenesis of NTD. [source] Aldosterone Receptor Antagonism: Interface With Hyperkalemia in Heart FailureCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 5 2004Domenic A. Sica MD Aldosterone receptor antagonism (ARA) is an increasingly well-accepted element of heart failure therapy. The experimental underpinnings for the use of ARA in heart failure are strong being linked to a variety of tissue-based cardiac effects characteristic of drugs in this class. However, the benefits of ARA therapy do not come without some risk since drugs in this class are potent inhibitors of renal potassium (K+) elimination. Thus, some increment in serum K+, up to and including the development of overt hyperkalemia (typically defined as a serum K+ value in excess of 6.0 mEq/L), is to be expected whenever they are used. Hyperkalemia attributable to ARA relates to several factors including ARA dose, patient predisposition to hyperkalemia, as in the case of renal failure, and dietary intake of K+. The risk of some change in serum K+ with ARA should not be a deterrent to use of drugs in this class but, rather should prompt careful surveillance for the onset of this potentially life-threatening electrolyte disturbance. The frequency of such scrutiny should be patient-specific and based on the constellation of risk factors for hyperkalemia. [source] Population Size, Genetic Variation, and Reproductive Success in a Rapidly Declining, Self-Incompatible Perennial (Arnica montana) in The NetherlandsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2000Sheila H. Luijten In 26 populations in The Netherlands we investigated the relationship between population size and genetic variation using allozyme markers. Genetic variation was low in A. montana ( He = 0.088). There were positive correlations between population size and the proportion of polymorphic loci, the number of effective alleles, and expected heterozygosity, but not with observed heterozygosity. There was a significantly positive correlation between population size and the inbreeding coefficient. Generally, small populations showed heterozygote excess, which decreased with increasing population size. Possibly, the heterozygous individuals in small populations are survivors from the formerly larger populations with relatively high fitness. The F statistics showed a moderately high level of differentiation among populations ( FST = 0.140 ± 0.02), implying a low level of gene flow. For three out of four allozyme loci, we found significant inbreeding ( FIS = 0.104 ± 0.03). Only 14 of 26 populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at all four polymorphic loci. In a subset of 14 populations of various size, we investigated natural seed production and offspring fitness. Population size was positively correlated with seed set, seedling size, number of flowering stems and flowerheads, adult survival, and total relative fitness, but not with the number of florets per flowerhead, germination rate, or the proportion of germination. Offspring performance in the greenhouse was not associated with genetic diversity measured on their mothers in the field. We conclude that the fitness of small populations is significantly reduced, but that there is as yet no evidence that this was caused by inbreeding. Possibly, the self-incompatibility system of A. montana has been effective in reducing selfing rates and inbreeding depression. Resumen:Arnica montana es una especie de planta rara, en declinación rápida y autoincompatible. En 26 poblaciones de los Países Bajos investigamos la relación entre el tamaño poblacional y la variación genética mediante el uso de alozimas marcadoras. La variación genética fue baja en A. montana ( He = 0.088). Existió una correlación positiva entre el tamaño poblacional y la proporción de emplazamientos polimórficos, el número de alelos efectivos y la heterocigocidad esperada, pero no con la heterocigocidad observada. Existió una correlación positiva significativa entre el tamaño poblacional y el coeficiente de endogamia. Generalmente, las poblaciones pequeñas mostraron una heterocigocidad excesiva con disminuciones en el tamaño poblacional. Posiblemente, los individuos heterocigóticos de poblaciones pequeñas son sobrevivientes de poblaciones anteriormente grandes con una adaptabilidad relativamente alta. Las pruebas de F mostraron un nivel de diferenciación moderadamente alto entre poblaciones ( FST = 0.140 ± 0.02) lo que implica un nivel bajo de flujo de genes. Para tres de cuatro de los emplazamientos de alozimas encontramos una endogamia significativa ( FIS = 0.104 ± 0.03). Solamente 14 de las 26 poblaciones estuvieron en equilibrio Hardy-Weinberg para los cuatro emplazamientos polimórficos. En un subconjunto de 14 poblaciones de varios tamaños, investigamos la producción natural de semillas y la adaptabilidad de la descendencia. El tamaño poblacional estuvo positivamente correlacionado con el juego de semillas, el tamaño del almácigo, el número de tallos en flor y de inflorescencias, la supervivencia de adultos y la adaptabilidad total relativa, pero no con el número de flores por inflorescencia, la tasa de germinación ni la proporción de la germinación. El rendimiento de la descendencia en invernaderos no estuvo asociado con la diversidad genética medida en sus madres en el campo. Concluimos que la adaptabilidad de poblaciones pequeñas está significativamente reducida, pero no existe aún evidencia de que esto sea ocasionado por endogamia. Es posible que el sistema de autoincompatibilidad de A. montana haya sido efectivo en la reducción de tasas de autofecundación y depresión de la endogamia. [source] Changes in patterns of excessive alcohol consumption in 25 years of high security hospital admissions from England and WalesCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2003Celia McMahon Background It is now generally acknowledged that alcohol abuse increases the risk of violence among people with major mental disorder. Studies in the 1980s and earlier, however, tended to report an inverse relationship between their alcohol use and violence. Aims A study was undertaken to test a hypothesis that among people with major mental disorder considered to pose a serious risk to others the likelihood of excessive alcohol consumption in a period leading up to a violent or dangerous act has increased over time. Methods Analysis was made of annual high security hospital admission cohort case register data of 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1999; alcohol use data were taken from interview and records, and problem drinking defined as consumption of alcohol in excess of 21 units per week during the 12 months prior to the index offence or act. Results There was a linear increase in the proportion of patients in five-year admission cohorts who had engaged in excessive alcohol consumption during the year prior to their index offence or act. The increase was steeper among women than men, but cut across all diagnosis and offending groups. It was strongly associated with increasing tendency to abuse illicit drugs. Conclusions The greater proportion of patients affected by excessive alcohol consumption occurred in spite of a reduction over the same period in admission of people in the diagnostic groups most likely to be implicated in substance misuse (personality disorder). This increased trend may simply reflect similar trends in the general population, but may also be associated with a lack of services or current consensus on appropriate treatment for patients whose mental illness is complicated by excessive alcohol use. Regardless, the trend suggests a growing need for ,dual diagnosis' services within and outside high security hospital. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||