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Good Indicator (good + indicator)
Selected AbstractsSingle Question about Drunkenness to Detect College Students at Risk for InjuryACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2006Mary Claire O'Brien MD Abstract Objectives: To examine the frequency of injuries reported by college students who replied affirmatively to the question, "In a typical week, how many days do you get drunk?" Methods: In Fall 2003, a Web-based survey was administered to a stratified random sample of 3,909 college students from ten North Carolina (NC) universities. Students answered questions regarding alcohol use and its consequences. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression, controlling for within-school clustering of drinking behaviors and adjusting for other significant covariates. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for significant predictors (p < 0.05). Results: Two thousand four hundred eighty-eight students reported that they are current drinkers; 1,353 (54.4%) reported getting drunk at least once in a typical week. Compared with students who did not report getting drunk at least once a week, these students had higher odds of being hurt or injured at least once as a result of their own drinking (AOR = 4.97; 95% CI = 3.47 to 7.09), experiencing a fall from a height that required medical treatment (AOR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.36 to 3.43), and being taken advantage of sexually as a result of another's drinking (AOR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.72 to 3.89). Students who reported getting drunk at least one day in a typical week also were more likely to cause an injury requiring medical treatment to someone else. They had higher odds of causing injury in an automobile crash (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.01 to 3.40), of causing a burn that required medical treatment (AOR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.51 to 5.39), and of causing a fall from a height that required medical treatment (AOR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.01 to 4.04). Getting drunk was a better indicator of "self-experienced injury" and of "injury caused to someone else" than was binge drinking, for all outcomes (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The single question, "In a typical week, how many days do you get drunk?" identifies college students who are at higher than normal risk of injury as a result of their own drinking and the drinking of others. Future research should assess this question's effectiveness as a screening tool in campus health centers and in emergency departments. [source] Duelling timescales of host movement and disease recovery determine invasion of disease in structured populationsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 6 2005Paul C. Cross Abstract The epidemic potential of a disease is traditionally assessed using the basic reproductive number, R0. However, in populations with social or spatial structure a chronic disease is more likely to invade than an acute disease with the same R0, because it persists longer within each group and allows for more host movement between groups. Acute diseases ,perceive' a more structured host population, and it is more important to consider host population structure in analyses of these diseases. The probability of a pandemic does not arise independently from characteristics of either the host or disease, but rather from the interaction of host movement and disease recovery timescales. The R* statistic, a group-level equivalent of R0, is a better indicator of disease invasion in structured populations than the individual-level R0. [source] Indication of antagonistic interaction between climate change and erosion on plant species richness and soil properties in semiarid Mediterranean ecosystemsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009PATRICIO GARCÍA-FAYOS Abstract We analyzed the consequences of climate change and the increase in soil erosion, as well as their interaction on plant and soil properties in semiarid Mediterranean shrublands in Eastern Spain. Current models on drivers of biodiversity change predict an additive or synergistic interaction between drivers that will increase the negative effects of each one. We used a climatic gradient that reproduces the predicted climate changes in temperature and precipitation for the next 40 years of the wettest and coldest end of the gradient; we also compared flat areas with 20° steep hillslopes. We found that plant species richness and plant cover are negatively affected by climate change and soil erosion, which in turn negatively affects soil resistance to erosion, nutrient content and water holding capacity. We also found that plant species diversity correlates weakly with plant cover but strongly with soil properties related to fertility, water holding capacity and resistance to erosion. Conversely, these soil properties correlate weaker with plant species cover. The joint effect of climate change and soil erosion on plant species richness and soil characteristics is antagonistic. That is, the absolute magnitude of change is smaller than the sum of both effects. However, there is no interaction between climate change and soil erosion on plant cover and their effects fit the additive model. The differences in the interaction model between plant cover and species richness supports the view that several soil properties are more linked to the effect that particular plant species have on soil processes than to the quantity and quality of the plant cover and biomass they support. Our findings suggest that plant species richness is a better indicator than plant cover of ecosystems services related with soil development and protection to erosion in semiarid Mediterranean climates. [source] Functional Impact of Relative Versus Absolute Sarcopenia in Healthy Older WomenJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 11 2007Marcos Estrada MD OBJECTIVES: To determine whether adjustment of muscle mass for height2 or for body mass represents a more-relevant predictor of physical performance. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, using baseline data from a trial comparing upper- and lower-body training. SETTING: Women recruited from the community and gynecological practices in Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred eighty-nine healthy older (aged 67.5 ± 4.8), active women receiving estrogen for osteoporosis over 2 years. MEASUREMENTS: Total and appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) and fat mass (AFM) were determined using dual x-ray absorptiometry. Physical performance, muscle strength, and fitness measures were obtained at baseline. RESULTS: Adjusting ASM for height2 identifies lean women who are sarcopenic according to published standards yet fails to identify overweight and obese women whose ASM adjusted for body mass is low. ASM divided by body mass (ASM/body mass) is a stronger physical performance predictor, explaining 32.5%, 13.5%, 11.6%, 6.3%, and 6.8% of the variance in maximum time on treadmill, 6-minute walk, gait speed, 8-foot walk, and single leg stance, respectively, whereas ASM divided by height in m2 (ASM/height2) explained only 2.9%, 0.2%, 2.0%, 0.04%, and 0.1%. Multivariate modeling demonstrated considerable overlap in aspects of ASM/body mass and AFM/body mass associated with performance, with ASM/body mass dominant. In contrast, ASM/height2 is a much stronger predictor of leg press 1 repetition maximum and maximum power. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that relative sarcopenia with ASM adjusted for body mass is a better mobility predictor, with absolute sarcopenia a better indicator of isolated muscle group function in healthy postmenopausal women receiving estrogen replacement. [source] Should biomass be considered more frequently as a currency in terrestrial arthropod community analyses?JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007MICHEL SAINT-GERMAIN Summary 1Community structure involving large taxonomical groups is frequently used to assess changes in ecosystems along environmental gradients or in response to disturbance. For terrestrial arthropods, abundance is generally used as the response variable in community data analyses; biomass, however, is generally a better indicator of the functionality of a species within a community, as it is strongly correlated with metabolism. 2In this study, we considered whether biomass should be used more often in community analyses with terrestrial arthropod biodiversity data, particularly when asking questions involving strong functional components. We selected 10 previously published and five unpublished Coleoptera abundance data sets, and produced biomass species-by-sample matrices using body length to body mass conversion equations, and then compared the results obtained using commonly used ecological analyses. 3Correlations between species abundance and biomass varied from strong to poor, depending on the taxa considered and on the sampling method used. We show that abundance and biomass can produce different results in community data analysis and lead to alternative interpretations for data sets with poor abundance to biomass correlations. 4Synthesis and applications. When dealing with databases showing poor abundance to biomass relationships, the question of the relevance of using biomass instead of abundance emerges, and the choice of the response variable to be used in analyses should be considered carefully. At the very least, when studying terrestrial arthropod biodiversity, one should consider the use of biomass with simple conversion equations that do not require obtaining the mass of individual specimens. This approach may lead to different interpretations. For research questions in which trophic interactions may play an important role, biomass may provide a broader and more accurate picture of the processes driving changes in community structure. [source] Water-Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains, Northwest China,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2008Yanhui Wang Abstract:, The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry-land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water-yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry-land areas. However, most studies on water-yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site-specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50-100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water-yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest-water relations in dry-land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco-water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi-scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools. [source] Cadmium and lead in Hungarian porcine products and tissuesJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 6 2005Zoltan Gyõri Abstract Samples of kidney, blood, lungs, hair, heart, liver, spleen, muscle, ear, rib, skin and faeces were obtained from 200 fattened pigs in 10 abattoirs across Hungary. These were analysed in triplicate for cadmium and lead concentrations by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The highest concentrations of cadmium were found in the kidney, followed by hair and faeces and then liver, heart and lungs. Lead concentrations were greater in the hair and faeces than other tissues. Both lead and cadmium concentrations in meat and offal were below the legal limits. There was more variation in lead than cadmium concentrations between abattoirs, and across abattoirs there was no correlation between concentrations of the two elements. Blood lead concentration was correlated with the lead concentration in bone, kidney, liver, spleen and lungs, and was a better indicator of lead contamination than hair lead concentration. The cadmium concentrations of the kidney, liver, spleen, lungs and faeces were highly correlated, and it is suggested that faeces is the best on-farm indicator of cadmium contamination. Across animals, blood cadmium correlated less closely with the cadmium concentration of the body tissues than it did with the lead concentration, demonstrating positive interaction between the two elements. By contrast, hair and to a lesser extent bone cadmium concentrations were negatively correlated with the lead concentration of most tissues. It is concluded that lead and cadmium concentrations in pigs are best monitored in blood and faeces concentrations, respectively. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] New perspectives for estimating body condition from mass/length data: the scaled mass index as an alternative methodOIKOS, Issue 12 2009Jordi Peig Body condition is assumed to influence an animal's health and fitness. Various non-destructive methods based on body mass and a measure of body length have been used as condition indices (CIs), but the dominant method amongst ecologists is currently the calculation of residuals from an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression of body mass against length. Recent studies of energy reserves in small mammals and starlings claimed to validate this method, although we argue that they did not include the most appropriate tests since they compared the CI with the absolute size of energy reserves. We present a novel CI (the ,scaled mass index') based on the central principle of scaling, with important methodological, biological and conceptual advantages. Through a reanalysis of data from small mammals, starlings and snakes, we show that the scaled mass index is a better indicator of the relative size of energy reserves and other body components than OLS residuals, performing better in all seven species and in 19 out of 20 analyses. We also present an empirical and theoretical comparison of the scaled mass index and OLS residuals as CIs. We argue that the scaled mass index is a useful new tool for ecologists. [source] Is x-height a better indicator of legibility than type size for drug labels?PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003Laura Bix Abstract In 1999 the US Food and Drug Administration published a regulation in an attempt to ensure the legibility of OTC drugs, specifying, among other things, a minimum type size of 6 points. This is problematic because different typefaces of the same size vary widely in type heights and, presumably, legibility. We hypothesized that specifying a minimum x-height, the height of the lowercase x, would produce more consistent legibility than the minimum type size specified within the regulation. Twenty-six subjects viewed two groups of typefaces using the Lockhart Legibility Instrument to quantify legibility. The first group contained typefaces that were all 6 points, but, by nature of their design, varied greatly in their x-heights. The second group was made from the same set of typefaces, but these were manipulated so that their x-heights were equal to the average x-height of group 1. A likelihood ratio test indicated that the group that varied in x-height, group 1, produced significantly more variable results than the group with equal x-heights, group 2. This indicates that specifying a minimum type size may not be the best approach for producing consistent legibility. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Meta-analysis of digit ratio 2D:4D shows greater sex difference in the right handAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Johannes Hönekopp Objectives: Our aims are, first, to describe the sex difference in the length ratio of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D), which likely reflects prenatal testosterone levels in humans. Second, to infer the loss of reliability observed in 2D:4D based on self-measured finger lengths. Methods: We used random-effects meta-analysis of 2D:4D based on expert-measured finger lengths (116 samples with 13,260 females and 11,789 males). Results: We find a moderate sex difference (with lower 2D:4D for males), which shows substantial heterogeneity (which is unrelated to age). The sex difference is moderated by the type of finger length measurement and by hand. Measurement involving the distortion of soft tissue leads to a significantly larger sex difference than finger length measurement avoiding this. The sex difference in 2D:4D is larger in the right hand than in the left. The reliability of self-measured 2D:4D in the BBC internet study, by far the largest study on 2D:4D, is estimated to be 46% of that of expert-measured 2D:4D. Conclusions: Right-hand 2D:4D might be a better indicator of prenatal androgenisation than left-hand 2D:4D. The view that 2D:4D has allometric properties (Kratochvil L, Flegr J. 2009. Differences in 2nd to 4th digit length ratio in humans reflect shifts along the common allometric line. Biol Lett 5:643,646.) is not supported. Bone lengths contribute to the sex difference in 2D:4D. In addition, there might be a sex difference in fingers' soft tissue, which should be investigated. Because of measurement unreliability, correlations between 2D:4D and variables of interest are about one-third smaller in the BBC internet study than in studies in which 2D:4D is based on expert-measured finger lengths. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 22:619,630, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Lake habitat suitability for the rare European macrophyte Najas flexilis (Willd.) Rostk.AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 3 2005& Schmidt Abstract 1.Najas flexilis (Willd.) Rostk. & Schmidt is a submerged annual macrophyte, rare in Europe, which is protected under the EC Habitats Directive. 2.N. flexilis grows in deep, often coloured or turbid water in mesotrophic lakes. Because of this habitat preference it is difficult to locate and assess the ecological state of populations of the species for conservation monitoring purposes. 3.A method is described based on plant community information that can be used to determine the baseline probability that conditions in a lake are suitable for supporting N. flexilis growth. This can be applied to conservation management decisions, such as whether a detailed underwater survey is justified for monitoring the integrity of existing populations of N. flexilis, or whether the lake may be a suitable site for introduction, or reintroduction, of populations of the plant. 4.Two methods of plant community description are compared: a quantitative micro-habitat scale approach and a whole-lake-scale qualitative approach. Plant community data collected using each method were grouped using TWINSPAN, and environmental descriptors of the sites comprising each plant community group were compared statistically. 5.Micro-habitat-scale community groups differed significantly only in the light extinction coefficient, indicating the zone within the lake in which N. flexilis occurred. 6.The whole-lake-scale community groups differed in a number of environmental variables indicative of eutrophication and acidification, two major environmental threats to N. flexilis survival. 7.This study suggests that a lake-scale qualitative plant community description would be a better indicator of site suitability for N. flexilis growth than a quantitative micro-habitat plant community description. This is because the whole-lake-scale approach could detect a difference in the environmental factors that affect N. flexilis growth, which the micro-habitat scale approach could not. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effect of plant cytokinin hormones on the production of ethylene, nitric oxide, and protein nitrotyrosine in ageing tobacco leavesBIOFACTORS, Issue 1-4 2006N. Wilhelmová Abstract Transgenic plants with genetically increased or decreased levels of cytokinins were used to investigate the effect of cytokinin level on the production of ethylene, a plant hormone with suggested role in senescence, and the production of nitric oxide, potentially important signalling and regulatory molecule. The production of these gases was followed during the course of leaf development and senescence. The production of ethylene and nitric oxide is under genetic control of genes other than those involved in regulation of senescence. The difference in basic ethylene and NO levels in different tobacco cultivars was higher than their changes in senescence. The results of this study did not indicate a direct link between ethylene production and cytokinin levels. However, there was a decreased production of NO in senescent leaves. Low cytokinins level was associated with increased NO production during leaf development. Protein nitrotyrosine proved to be a better indicator of the reactive nitrogen species than measuring of the NO production. Higher nitrotyrosine concentrations were found in insoluble proteins than in the soluble ones, pointing to membrane proteins as the primary targets of the reactive nitrogen species. In plants with elevated cytokinin levels the content of nitrated proteins decreased both in soluble and insoluble fractions. This finding indicates an antioxidative function of cytokinins against reactive nitrogen species. [source] The Effect of Environmental Turbulence and Leader Characteristics on International Performance: Are Knowledge-Based Firms Different?CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Issue 1 2004Olli Kuivalainen The aim of this paper is to study the effect of environmental turbulence and leader characteristics on international performance. It is suggested that these phenomena explain the differences between knowledge-intensive companies and traditional industrial enterprises in the internationalization process. The empirical part of the study is based on a large cross-industrial survey of Finnish small and medium-sized enterprises. Our results indicate that knowledge-intensive firms have experienced more intensive international growth than other firms. They are also operating in an environment in which technological turbulence is significantly higher, and their leaders put more emphasis on internationalization. Generally, environmental turbulence is a better indicator of international performance in knowledge-intensive firms than in others. Résumé Dans le présent article, nous étudions l'impact de la turbulence environnementale et des caractéristiques des leaders sur la performance internationale. On estime que ces phénomènes rendent compte des différences qui existent, dans le processus d'internationalisation, entre les entreprises à forte concentration de savoir et les entreprises industrielles traditionnelles. La partie empirique de l'étude s'appuie sur une grande enquête trans-industrielle de petites et moyennes entreprises finnoises. Nos résultats indiquent que les entreprises à forte concentration de savoir connaissent une croissance internationale plus grande que les autres entreprises. L'étude montre aussi que les entreprises à forte concentration de savoir opèrent dans un environnement marqué par une plus grande turbulence technologique. Par ailleurs, leurs leaders mettent plus l'accent sur l'internationalisation. D'une façon générale, la turbulence environnementale permet de mieux apprécier la performance internationale dans les entreprises à forte concentration de savoir que dans d'autres entreprises. [source] Violent recidivism among mentally disordered offenders in JapanCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2007Kazuo Yoshikawa Background,A new forensic mental health law was enacted in Japan in 2003, enabling development of specialist services. Before their establishment, it is important to determine the nature, frequency and correlates of the problems they are designed to ameliorate. Aims,To establish rates of violent recidivism among mentally disordered offenders before the new legislation, and examine associated risk factors. Method,Data were extracted from one complete annual (1980) national cohort of people judged by the Court or prosecutor to be without responsibility for a criminal offence, or of sufficiently diminished responsibility for it to be diverted for psychiatric treatment. The outcome measure was violent recidivism after community discharge and before 1991. Results,Fifty-two (10%) of 489 in the cohort were arrested or convicted of further violent offences. Violent recidivism was most strongly associated with a substance-related disorder, but histories of violence, homelessness and short index admissions were independently related. Conclusions,Violent recidivism was so unusual that, on this outcome, it could take many years to show any effect of the new service. Desistance from substance use, compliance with treatment and maintenance of stable housing may be better indicators of success, and their achievement a good preventive strategy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genetic influence in antithrombotic actions of atorvastatin in hypercholesterolaemiaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 1 2008L. Puccetti ABSTRACT Background, Recent data indicate that statins could offer coronary artery disease (CAD) benefit even by mechanisms beyond lipid lowering. Genetic influence has been shown for some antithrombotic actions of statins via oxidized-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ox-LDL) receptors and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity modulation. The present study was designed to evaluate the influence of ox-LDL lectin-like receptor-1 (LOX-1) and NOS polymorphisms in the incidence of cardiovascular events in pure hypercholesterolaemic subjects during statin treatment. Materials and methods, A prospective 4-year study involving 1039 event-free subjects (643 males, 396 females) treated with atorvastatin (10,40 mg day,1) to reach the appropriate Adult Treatment Panel-III LDL target of 3·36 mmol L,1. Enrolled subjects were evaluated every 6 months or at a clinical event. LOX-1 3,UTR/T-C and NOS G894T polymorphisms were detected by allelic discrimination assays (polymerase chain reaction), lipid profile by enzymatic-colorimetric method, ox-LDL by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, platelet activation by P-selectin (P-sel) expression (FACScan), NOS activity (by intracellular citrullin recovery) and homocysteine (high performance liquid chromatography), C-reactive protein (CRP) by sensitive nephelometric technique. Results, LOX-1 3,UTR/T showed the strongest association with events in the whole cohort with respect to each other variable including LDL reduction and NOS G894T (OR 4·90, 95% CI 3·19,6·98, P < 0·00001). Smoking influenced events in LDL-targeted subjects (P < 0·0001). Ox-LDL and P-sel were better indicators than LDL or other variables according to 3,UTR/C genotype regardless of the magnitude of LDL reduction (OR 4·21, 95% CI 2·29,6·70 P < 0·0001). Conclusions, LOX-1 polymorphisms could influence statin effectiveness in CAD prevention by induction of sensitivity to antithrombotic mechanisms such as antiplatelet activity. [source] Expression of minichromosome maintenance 5 protein in proliferative and malignant skin diseasesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 11 2007Houjun Liu Background, The entire minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family (MCM2,7) play roles in the initiation and elongation of DNA replication. Many studies have demonstrated that MCM proteins may be better indicators of a wide variety of proliferative or cancer cells in malignant tissues. Objectives, To characterize the pattern and frequency of MCM5 expression in proliferative and malignant skin diseases in comparison with those of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Methods, Twelve normal skin specimens, 12 specimens of psoriasis, 21 specimens of bowenoid papulosis (BP), 16 specimens of Bowen's disease (BD), 38 specimens of skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 11 specimens of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for MCM5 and PCNA. Results, MCM5 protein was expressed in the lower layers of epidermis in psoriasis, while MCM5 protein were present throughout the tumor cells in BP, BD, and moderately/poorly differentiated SCC. MCM5 protein was preferentially expressed in the periphery of well-differentiated SCC or bigger nests of BCC, although some small nests of BCC seemingly showed diffuse staining patterns. The percentages of MCM5-positive cells were 15.7% in normal skin, 21.8% in psoriasis, 75.9% in BP, 83.8% in BD, 63.5% in well-differentiated SCC, 77.5% in moderately differentiated SCC, 79.8% in poorly differentiated SCC, and 21.2% in BCC in average. Well-differentiated SCC showed a significantly lower percentage of positive cells than did moderately differentiated SCC or poorly differentiated SCC. MCM5 staining basically show a similar staining pattern to that of PCNA, but more cells tended to be stained with MCM5 than with PCNA. Conclusions, Our results demonstrate pattern and frequency of MCM5 expression in various skin diseases and suggest that MCM5 may be a useful marker to detect cell proliferation in skin tissue sections. [source] COMPARISON OF ATTRIBUTE LIKING AND JAR SCALES TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF MILK DESSERTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 5 2009GASTÓN ARES ABSTRACT Just-about-right (JAR) scales and attribute liking questions are usually used to study consumer perception of the sensory characteristics of food products. The aim of the present work was to compare the performance of attribute liking and JAR scales to evaluate consumers' perceived adequacy of flavor and texture of milk puddings. Two groups of consumers were asked to evaluate eight milk desserts using (1) overall liking followed by attribute liking for texture and flavor and (2) overall liking followed by JAR scales for thickness, creaminess, sweetness and vanilla flavor. Overall liking scores were significantly different when JAR scales or attribute liking questions were considered. Texture, flavor and overall liking scores were highly correlated to each other, providing the same information. JAR scales correlated better with the intensity of sensory attributes evaluated by a trained sensory panel, being JAR percentages a reliable tool to study the adequacy of sensory attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Results from the present work showed that consumers might not be able to independently evaluate their liking of different sensory attributes of a product. For this reason, the use of attribute liking questions for studying the adequacy of sensory attributes in complex products would not be recommended. JAR scales were better indicators of the adequacy of sensory attributes. Consumers were able to independently evaluate texture and flavor attributes using JAR scales. However, the influence of JAR scales on overall liking scores should be taken into account when including these scales on consumer studies. [source] Shape, shear and flexion: an analytic flexion formalism for realistic mass profiles,MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2009P. D. Lasky ABSTRACT Flexion is a non-linear gravitational lensing effect that arises from gradients in the convergence and shear across an image. We derive a formalism that describes non-linear gravitational lensing by a circularly symmetric lens in the thin-lens approximation. This provides us with relatively simple expressions for first- and second-flexion in terms of only the surface density and projected mass distribution of the lens. We give details of exact lens models, in particular providing flexion calculations for a Sérsic-law profile, which has become increasingly popular over recent years. We further provide a single resource for the analytic forms of convergence, shear, first- and second-flexion for the following mass distributions: a point mass, singular isothermal sphere (SIS); Navarro,Frenk,White (NFW) profile; Sérsic-law profile. We quantitatively compare these mass distributions and show that the convergence and first-flexion are better indicators of the Sérsic shape parameter, while for the concentration of NFW profiles the shear and second-flexion terms are preferred. [source] Cost-Efficiency of Decaying Wood as a Surrogate for Overall Species Richness in Boreal ForestsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006ARTTI JUUTINEN biodiversidad; gestión de bosques; indicadores de riqueza de especies; seleccion de sitios Abstract:,Decaying wood is one of the most important elements for species richness in boreal forests. We tested how well reserve selection based on the amount and quality of decaying wood results in a representation of four ecologically different taxa (beetles, birds, wood-inhabiting fungi, and vascular plants). We also compared the cost-efficiency of the use of dead-wood indicators with comprehensive species inventory. Our database included 32 seminatural old-forest stands located in northern Finland. Decaying wood was a relatively good indicator of saproxylic species but not overall species richness. Even though dead wood did not reflect accurately overall species richness, our results indicated that the use of decaying wood as an indicator in site selection was more cost-efficient than using information from large-scale species inventories. Thus, decaying wood is a valuable surrogate for species richness, but other cost-efficient indicators that reflect the requirements of those species which are not dependent on decaying wood should be identified. Resumen:,La madera en descomposición es uno de los elementos importantes para la riqueza de especies en bosques boreales. Probamos como resulta la selección de reservas con base en la cantidad y calidad de madera en descomposición en la representación de cuatro taxa ecológicamente distintos (escarabajos, aves, hongos habitantes en la madera y plantas vasculares). También comparamos la rentabilidad del uso de indicadores de madera muerta con inventarios integrales de especies. Nuestra base de datos incluyó 32 sitios de bosque maduro seminatural localizados en el norte de Finlandia. La madera en descomposición fue un indicador relativamente bueno de especies saproxílicas pero no de la riqueza total. Aunque la madera en descomposición no reflejó la riqueza total con precisión, nuestros resultados indicaron que el uso de madera en descomposición como un indicador en la selección de sitios fue más rentable que el uso de información de inventarios de especies de gran escala. Por lo tanto, la madera en descomposición es un sustituto valioso de la riqueza de especies, pero se deben identificar otros indicadores rentables que reflejen los requerimientos de aquellas especies que no dependen de la madera en descomposición. [source] Positron emission tomography and its use to image the occupancy of drug binding sitesDRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003S. John Gatley Abstract The development of positron emission tomography (PET) and the ability to synthesize compounds labeled with the short-lived positron emitters 11C and 18F has made possible the imaging and quantification of drug binding sites in the human body. By conducting PET studies with an appropriate radioligand before and after treatment with a drug, the fraction of the total number of binding sites that is occupied by the drug (the "occupancy" of the site) can often be determined. To the extent that occupancy is a good indicator of pharmacological activity, such PET experiments can aid the development of drug dosage regimens. Some of the general issues involved in PET studies of drug occupancy are discussed. There have been many such studies involving antipsychotic drugs and dopamine D2 receptor radioligands. Since neuroleptics have been extensively reviewed elsewhere, only the major findings are discussed here. Other binding sites (and drug classes) in the dopamine system to which this methodology has been applied include: the dopamine transporter (stimulant drugs) and monoamine oxidase A and B (antidepressant drugs). Occupancy studies are also possible for many drug targets beyond the dopamine system. Drug Dev. Res. 59:194,207, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Interpretation of urinary concentrations of pseudoephedrine and its metabolite cathine in relation to doping controlDRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS, Issue 5 2009K. Deventer Abstract Until the end of 2003 a urinary concentration of pseudoephedrine exceeding 25 µg/mL was regarded as a doping violation by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Since its removal from the prohibited list in 2004 the number of urine samples in which pseudoephedrine was detected in our laboratory increased substantially. Analysis of 116 in-competition samples containing pseudoephedrine in 2007 and 2008, revealed that 66% of these samples had a concentration of pseudoephedrine above 25 µg/mL. This corresponded to 1.4% of all tested in competition samples in that period. In the period 2001,2003 only 0.18% of all analysed in competition samples contained more than 25 µg/mL. Statistical comparison of the two periods showed that after the removal of pseudoephedrine from the list its use increased significantly. Of the individual sports compared between the two periods, only cycling is shown to yield a significant increase. Analysis of excretion urine samples after administration of a therapeutic daily dose (240 mg pseudoephedrine) in one administration showed that the threshold of 25 µg/mL can be exceeded. The same samples were also analysed for cathine, which has currently a threshold of 5 µg/mL on the prohibited list. The maximum urinary concentration of cathine also exceeded the threshold for some volunteers. Comparison of the measured cathine and pseudoephedrine concentrations only indicated a poor correlation between them. Hence, cathine is not a good indicator to control pseudopehedrine intake. To control the (ab)use of ephedrines in sports it is recommended that WADA reintroduce a threshold for pseudoephedrine. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gully-head erosion processes on a semi-arid valley floor in Kenya: a case study into temporal variation and sediment budgetingEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2001D. J. Oostwoud Wijdenes Abstract A three year monitoring programme of gully-head retreat was established to assess the significance of sediment production in a drainage network that expanded rapidly by gully-head erosion on the low-angled alluvio-lacustrine Njemps Flats in semi-arid Baringo District, Kenya. This paper discusses the factors controlling the large observed spatial and temporal variation in gully-head retreat rates, ranging from 0 to 15 m a,1. The selected gullies differed in planform and in runoff-contributing catchment area but soil material and land use were similar. The data were analysed at event and annual timescales. The results show that at annual timescale rainfall amount appears to be a good indicator of gully-head retreat, while at storm-event timescale rainfall distribution has to be taken into account. A model is proposed, including only rainfall (P) and the number of dry days (DD) between storms: which explains 56 per cent of the variation in retreat rate of the single-headed gully of Lam1. A detailed sediment budget has been established for Lam1 and its runoff-contributing area (RCA). By measuring sediment input from the RCA, the sediment output by channelized flow and linear retreat of the gully head for nine storms, it can be seen that erosion shifts between different components of the budget depending on the duration of the dry period (DD) between storms. Sediment input from the RCA was usually the largest component for the smaller storms. The erosion of the gully head occurred as a direct effect of runoff falling over the edge (GHwaterfall) and of the indirect destabilization of the adjacent walls by the waterfall erosion and by saturation (GHmass/storage). The latter component (GHmass/storage) was usually much larger that the former (GHwaterfall). The sediment output from the gully was strongly related to the runoff volume while the linear retreat, because of its complex behaviour, was not. Overall, the results show that the annual retreat is the optimal timescale to predict retreat patterns. More detailed knowledge about relevant processes and interactions is necessary if gully-head erosion is to be included in event-based soil erosion models. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is gall size a good indicator of adelgid fitness?ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 2 2001Stephanie L. Sopow First page of article [source] Proximate Determinants of Reproductive Skew in Polygyne Colonies of the Ant Formica fuscaETHOLOGY, Issue 11 2002Minttumaaria Hannonen Understanding the determinants of reproductive skew (the partitioning of reproduction among co-breeding individuals) is one of the major questions in social evolution. In ants, multiple-queen nests are common and reproductive skew among queens has been shown to vary tremendously both within and between species. Proximate determinants of skew may be related to both queen and worker behaviour. Queens may attempt to change their reproductive share through dominance interactions, egg eating and by changing individual fecundity. Conversely, workers are in a position to regulate the reproductive output of queens when rearing the brood. This paper investigates queen behaviour at the onset of egg laying and the effect of queen fecundity and worker behaviour on brood development and reproductive shares of multiple queens in the ant Formica fusca. The study was conducted in two-queen laboratory colonies where the queens produced only worker offspring. The results show that in this species reproductive apportionment among queens is not based on dominance behaviour and aggression, but rather on differences in queen fecundity. We also show that, although the queen fecundity at the onset of brood rearing is a good indicator of her final reproductive output, changes in brood composition occur during brood development. Our results highlight the importance of queen fecundity as a major determinant of her reproductive success. They furthermore suggest that in highly derived polygyne species, such as the Formica ants, direct interactions as a means for gaining reproductive dominance have lost their importance. [source] Surface Physiochemistry Affects Protein Adsorption to Stoichiometric and Silicate-Substituted Microporous Hydroxyapatites,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 4 2010Katharina Guth An important factor in the bioactivity and success of a bone-graft substitute is the nature of the adsorbed protein layer, which plays a vital role in orchestrating cell attachment and development through the presence of adhesion proteins such as fibronectin (Fn) and vitronectin (Vn). In this study, microporous hydroxyapatite (HA) and silicate-substituted hydroxyapatite (SA) discs with matched porosity and surface morphology are developed to mimic the topography found in commercial bone-graft substitutes in order to identify whether the introduction of microporosity and associated surface roughness eliminates the beneficial effect that silicate substitution has on protein adsorption. The introduction of microporosity does not abolish the relative enrichment of the protein layer that is adsorbed to the microporous SA discs, as opposed to HA, but appears to accelerate it. Fibronectin and Vn adsorption in a range of competitive environments at physiological temperatures confirm that the microporous SA discs have a greater affinity for Fn and Vn compared with HA, suggesting differences in the mechanisms behind the surface affinity to SA. Thus, development of a surface protein layer on SA and HA is likely to be dependent on the nature of the local protein environment and a combination of factors that are associated with the addition of silicate: the surface charge, the nature of the ionic species at the interface and the resultant hydrophilicity of the surface. Total protein adsorption is not found to be a good indicator of potential implant performance, particularly at early time points. [source] A study on non-invasive detection of blood glucose concentration from human palm perspiration by using artificial neural networksEXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 3 2010Hamdi Melih Sarao Abstract: In this paper the relationship between blood glucose concentration and palm perspiration rate is studied as a non-invasive method. A glucose concentration range from 83 mg/dl to 116.5 mg/dl is examined. An artificial neural network (ANN) trained by the Levenberg,Marquardt algorithm is developed to detect the performance indices based on the one- and two-input variables. A data set for 72 volunteers is used for this study. Data of 36 volunteers are used for training the ANN and data of 36 volunteers were reserved for testing. Results of the study are acceptable with an error of 8.38% for the Elman neural network and 8.77% for the multilayer neural network. Therefore, the palm perspiration rate may be used as a good indicator for detecting glucose concentration in blood. This non-invasive method has advantages such as time saving, cost etc. over other methods and it is painless. The results of clinical experiments, follow-up methods and other applications are presented. [source] The response of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to sudden vs. gradual changes in environmental stress monitored by expression of the stress response protein Hsp12pFEMS YEAST RESEARCH, Issue 6 2008Ildar Nisamedtinov Abstract The response of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to sudden vs. gradual changes in different environmental stress conditions during both respiratory growth and aerobic fermentative growth in the presence of excess glucose was investigated by monitoring the level and rate of expression of the stress response protein Hsp12p using the fluorescent fusion construct Hsp12p-Gfp2p. The initial expression level and the rate of Hsp12p synthesis was significantly greater under glucose-limited conditions in the chemostat (D<0.14 h,1) compared with when excess glucose was present in the auxostat. Decreasing the dilution rate and the glucose concentration further in the A-stat resulted in increased Hsp12p expression, which was more marked when a rapid rather than a gradual change was affected. Common stress factors such as NaCl, ethanol and elevated temperature caused stress responses in both D-stat and auxo-accelerostat culture. The magnitude of the stress response depended on the stress factor, cultivation conditions as well as the rate of change of the stress factor. The rate of Hsp12p synthesis increased due to all applied stresses, with the observed increase between 2 and 20 times lower when the stress was applied gradually rather than rapidly. The results suggested that the Hsp12p expression rate is a good indicator of applied stress in S. cerevisiae. [source] Anthropogenic and climatic impacts on surface pollen assemblages along a precipitation gradient in north-eastern ChinaGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Yun Zhang ABSTRACT Aim, To understand the scenarios of ,anthropogenic biomes' that integrate human and ecological systems, we need to explore the impacts of climate and human disturbance on vegetation in the past and present. Interactions among surface pollen, modern vegetation and human activities along climate and land-use gradients are tested to evaluate the natural and anthropogenic forces shaping the modern vegetation, and hence to aid the reconstruction of vegetation and climate in the past. This in turn will help with future predictions. Location, The North-east China Transect (NECT) in north-eastern China. Methods, We analysed 33 surface pollen samples and 213 quadrats across four vegetation zones along the moisture/land-use gradients of the NECT. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) of 52 pollen taxa and three environmental variables were used to distinguish anthropogenic and climatic factors that affect surface pollen assemblages along the NECT. Results, The 33 surface samples are divided into four pollen zones (forest, meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe) corresponding to major vegetation types in the NECT. Variations in pollen ratios of fern/herb (F/H), Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C) and arboreal pollen/non-arboreal pollen (AP/NAP) represent the vegetation and precipitation gradient along the NECT. DCA and RDA analyses suggest that surface pollen assemblages are significantly influenced by the precipitation gradient. Changes in the abundance of Chenopodiaceae pollen are related to both human activities and precipitation. Main conclusions, Surface pollen assemblages, fossil pollen records, archaeological evidence and historical documents in northern China show that a large increase of Chenopodiaceae pollen indicates human-caused vegetation degradation in sandy habitats. The A/C ratio is a good indicator of climatic aridity, but should be used in conjunction with multiple proxies of human activities and climate change in the pollen-based reconstruction of anthropogenic biomes. [source] Beyond Kyoto: Climate Change Policy in Multilevel Governance SystemsGOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2007BARRY G. RABE Climate change policy has commonly been framed as a matter of international governance for which global policy strategies can be readily employed. The decade of experience following the 1997 signing of the Kyoto Protocol suggests a far more complex process involving a wide range of policy options and varied engagement by multiple levels of governance systems. The respective experiences of the United States and Canada suggest that formal engagement in the international realm of policy is not a good indicator of domestic policy development or emissions reductions. The different contexts of intergovernmental relations, varied resources available to subnational governments for policy development and implementation, and role of subnational leaders in policy formation have emerged as important factors in explaining national differences between these North American neighbors. Consequently, climate change increasingly presents itself as a challenge not only of international relations but also of multilevel governance, thereby creating considerable opportunity to learn from domestic policy experimentation. [source] Generalizability in Communication ResearchHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002Michael A. Shapiro In communication research, attempts to enhance external validity usually focus on techniques to enhance the surface representativeness attained in a particular study. Such surface representativeness is a useful tool. However, a larger ability to generalize emerges from a constantly evolving scientific discourse across multiple studies about how social meanings and social behaviors impact outcomes. The resulting conceptual knowledge enables us to generalize about communication across a much wider range of persons, settings, times, and messages than does surface similarity. The findings of a study should be examined in light of its contribution to theory. The surface representativeness of a study is usually not a good indicator of contribution to theory. The discipline of communication, particularly journal editors and reviewers, bears a heavy responsibility to think about generalizability in the complex ways the topic requires. 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