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Highest Peak (highest + peak)
Selected AbstractsSystematic Review and Meta-analysis of Incidence Studies of Epilepsy and Unprovoked SeizuresEPILEPSIA, Issue 11 2002Irene A. W. Kotsopoulos Summary: ,Purpose: To evaluate the methodology of incidence studies of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures and to assess the value of their findings by summarizing their results. Methods: A Medline literature search from January 1966 to December 1999 was conducted. In each selected study, key methodologic items such as case definition and study design were evaluated. Furthermore, a quantitative meta-analysis of the incidence data was performed. Results: Forty incidence studies met the inclusion criteria. There was considerable heterogeneity in study methodology, and the methodologic quality score was generally low. The median incidence rate of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures was 47.4 and 56 per 100,000, respectively. The age-specific incidence of epilepsy was high in those aged 60 years or older, but was highest in childhood. Males had a slightly higher incidence of epilepsy (median, 50.7/100,000) than did females (median, 46.2/100,000), and partial seizures seemed to occur more often than generalized seizures. Developing countries had a higher incidence rate of epilepsy (median, 68.7/100,000) than did industrialized countries (median, 43.4/100,000). Similar results were found for unprovoked seizures. The incidence of epilepsy over time appears to decrease in children, whereas it increases in the elderly. Conclusions: The age-specific incidence of epilepsy showed a bimodal distribution with the highest peak in childhood. No definitive conclusions could be reached for the incidence of unprovoked seizures and other specific incidence rates of epilepsy. More incidence studies with an adequate study methodology are needed to explore geographic variations and time trends of the incidence of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures. [source] Fine mapping of a quantitative trait locus on chromosome 9 affecting non-return rate in Swedish dairy cattleJOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 5 2007M. Holmberg Summary We previously mapped a quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting the trait non-return rate at 56 days in heifers to bovine chromosome 9. The purpose of this study was to confirm and refine the position of the QTL by using a denser marker map and fine mapping methods. Five families that previously showed segregation for the QTL were included in the study. The mapping population consisted of 139 bulls in a granddaughter design. All bulls were genotyped for 25 microsatellite markers surrounding the QTL on chromosome 9. We also analysed the correlated trait number of inseminations per service period in heifers. Both traits describe the heifer's ability to become pregnant after insemination. Linkage analysis, linkage disequilibrium and combined linkage and linkage disequilibrium analysis were used to analyse the data. Analysis of the families jointly by linkage analysis resulted in a significant but broad QTL peak for non-return rate. Results from the combined analysis gave a sharp QTL peak with a well-defined maximum in between markers BMS1724 and BM7209, at the same position as where the highest peak from the linkage disequilibrium analysis was found. One of the sire families segregated clearly at this position and the difference in effects between the two sire haplotypes was 2.9 percentage units in non-return rate. No significant results were found for the number of inseminations in the combined analysis. [source] EFFECT OF YAM VARIETY ON THE PASTING PROPERTIES AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF TRADITIONAL DRY-YAM AND ITS PRODUCTSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 3 2008J.M. BABAJIDE ABSTRACT Six varieties of yam were processed into traditional dry-yam slices. The pasting properties and sensory attributes of dry-yam samples, flour and paste from the flour were investigated. Significant differences (P , 0.05) were observed in the pasting properties of flour from different yam varieties. "Ijedo," the commonly used variety, had the highest peak, trough and final viscosities. There was no significant difference in the viscosities of "Efuru" (206.04 rapid viscosity analyzer), "Ise-Osi" (242.75 rapid viscosity unit [RVU]) and "Abuja" (241.25 RVU) varieties. Samples of dry yam made from "Efuru,""Ise-Osi" and "Abuja" yams were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from "Ijedo" in terms of instrumental color measurement, as their degree of brownness (100 , L*) were 21.53, 19.21, 20.87 and 22.42, respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in color, taste and moldability of the paste made from "Efuru,""Ise-Osi,""Ijedo" and "Abuja" yams. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the hardness of dry yams made from "Ise-Osi,""Ijedo" and "Abuja." There were positive correlations between the yam paste moldability, peak, trough and final viscosities for the different yam varieties. "Ise-Osi,""Efuru" and "Abuja" varieties were found to be suitable for dry-yam processing in terms of sensory property and pasting of dry-yam slices and their products, which were not significantly different from those of "Ijedo" variety , the commonly used yam. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The study revealed that dry-yam processors and potential dry-yam processors in Nigeria can use other white yam varieties, such as "Abuja,""Ise-Osi" and "Efuru," apart from "Ijedo" variety , the commonly used yam variety. These yam varieties were also acceptable in terms of the sensory and pasting properties of dry-yam slices and their products. Thus, the general knowledge that white yams are good for dry-yam processing has been scientifically verified. [source] Identification of Susceptibility Loci for Alcohol-Related Traits in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol DependenceALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2006Po-Hsiu Kuo Background: Alcoholism is a phenotypically and probably genetically heterogeneous condition. Thus, one strategy for finding genes influencing liability to alcoholism is to study the components of alcoholism, which may be more directly related to the underlying pathophysiology than is clinical diagnosis. The goal of this study was to identify genomic regions containing susceptibility loci for alcohol-related traits. Methods: A 4-cM dense whole-genome linkage study was conducted in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence. Probands, affected siblings, and parents were evaluated by structured interview. Variance component linkage analysis was applied to data from 485 families for 5 measures: initial sensitivity and tolerance (based on scales from the self-report of the effects of ethanol; maximum drinks within 24 hours, an empirically derived factor score based on withdrawal symptoms, and age at onset of alcohol dependence. Results: Evidence for linkage (p<0.005) was found on 9 chromosomes. For age at onset, 2 regions were found on chromosome 9 (highest Lod=2.3, p=0.0005). For initial level of response to alcohol, suggestive regions were on chromosomes 1 and 11 (highest Lod=2.9, p=0.0001 on chromosome 11), while those for tolerance signals were on chromosomes 1, 6, and 22. Maximum drinking was associated with regions on chromosomes 12 and 18. For withdrawal symptoms, the highest peak was on chromosome 2 (Lod=2.2, p=0.0007). Conclusions: Using quantitative measures of components of alcohol dependence, we identified several regions of the genome that may contain susceptibility loci for specific alcohol-related traits and merit additional study. [source] The Importance of Deviance in Intellectual DevelopmentAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Especially at Virginia Tech in the 1970s This paper seeks to explain the success of public choice at Virginia Tech in the 1970s in two ways. First, I reflect on my graduate school experience at Virginia Tech, with the intent of identifying particular characteristics of the people and location of Virginia Tech, including its remoteness, that facilitated the development of the paradigm shift that public choice, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, represented. Second, I argue that the success of public choice at Virginia Tech depended critically upon the willingness of the people here to disconnect from professional constraints and to think outside the conventional economics box. I make this point with the aid of a computer simulation of the evolutionary development of "people" (or "trials") as they attempt to scale the highest "mountain" within a "mountain range," the exact features of which (including the heights of the various "mountains") are not known before the climb is started. In such an environment, finding the highest peak, the assumed goal, is critically dependent on a measure of "deviance," or the willingness to shun short-run opportunities of exploiting accepted methods. [source] Genetic heterogeneity in rheumatoid arthritis mouse models induced by extrinsic and intrinsic factorsPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2010Shinichi Mizuki A cumulative effect of the susceptibility genes with polymorphic alleles may be responsible for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to clarify whether susceptibility to RA is under the control of common allelic loci between two different RA models induced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in DBA/1 mice and arthritis in MRL/Mp (MRL) mice associated with the Fas deficient mutant gene, Faslpr, respectively. CIA was examined in mice of parental DBA/1 and MRL, (MRL × DBA/1) F1 and (MRL × DBA/1) F2 progenies. In genome-wide screening of the severity in the F2 using microsatellite markers, significant linkage was observed on chromosomes 5 and 17 at map position of D5Mit259 and H-2, respectively, associated with DBA/1 alleles, while there was no loci associated with arthritis of MRL- Faslpr mice previously identified. In a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis, the locus on chromosome 5 showed the highest peak at map position 35 cM (LOD score 6.0). This study may indicate that the arthritis induced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors is under the control of a different combination of susceptibility genes with common and different alleles, possibly simulating the genetic heterogeneity of RA. [source] Minimum Bedrock Exposure Ages and Their Implications: Larsemann Hills and Neighboring Bolingen Islands, East AntarcticaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 3 2010Feixin HUANG Abstract: Considerable controversy exists over whether or not extensive glaciation occurred during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Larsemann Hills. In this study we use the in situ produced cosmogenic nuclide 10Be (half life 1.51 Ma) to provide minimum exposure ages for six bedrock samples and one erratic boulder in order to determine the last period of deglaciation in the Larsemann Hills and on the neighboring Bolingen Islands. Three bedrock samples taken from Friendship Mountain (the highest peak on the Mirror Peninsula, Larsemann Hills; ,2 km from the ice sheet) have minimum exposure ages ranging from 40.0 to 44.7 ka. The erratic boulder from Peak 106 (just at the edge of the ice sheet) has a younger minimum exposure age of only 8.8 ka. The minimum exposure ages for two bedrock samples from Blundell Peak (the highest peak on Stornes Peninsula, Larsemann Hills; ,2 km from the ice sheet) are about 17 and 18 ka. On the Bolingen Islands (southwest to the Larsemann Hills; ,10 km from the ice sheet), the minimum exposure age for one bedrock sample is similar to that at Friendship Mountain (i.e., 44 ka). Our results indicate that the bedrock exposure in the Larsemann Hills and on the neighboring Bolingen Islands commenced obviously before the global LGM (i.e., 20,22 ka), and the bedrock erosion rates at the Antarctic coast areas may be obviously higher than in the interior land. [source] Bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus in hospitalized children: a study of seasonal rhythmACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2007A Alonso Abstract Aim: The objective of this study was to describe the rhythm of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis seasonal outbreaks in hospitalized children. Methods: Data was collected from 1324 patients, who were admitted to our hospital with bronchiolitis, over an 11-year period, from 1994 to 2004. The epidemic onset was established according to the epidemic index. Virological diagnosis was made with immunofluorescent assay from nasopharyngeal washings. Rhythm study was carried-out by spectral analysis with the fast-Fourier transformed and cosinor method. Results: Epidemics begin in September (45%) and October (55%); the highest peak was observed in January, the minimum in August and the end in February (73%), March (18%) and April (9%). When the epidemic outbreak begins sooner, the end is sooner as well. Epidemic onset varies but not its length and the onset was less variable than its conclusion. Spectral analysis showed a 12-months cyclic period along the study years and cosinor analysis demonstrated significant circannual rhythm. When data was segregated by long and short hospital stay, no significant differences were found between the rhythms. Comorbid association among bronchiolitis, otitis and gastroenteritis was very common. Conclusion: Bronchiolitis epidemics onset and conclusion varies along time years in hospitalized infants and showed circannual rhythmicity with a 12-months period. [source] The geography of climate change: implications for conservation biogeographyDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 3 2010D. D. Ackerly Abstract Aim, Climate change poses significant threats to biodiversity, including impacts on species distributions, abundance and ecological interactions. At a landscape scale, these impacts, and biotic responses such as adaptation and migration, will be mediated by spatial heterogeneity in climate and climate change. We examine several aspects of the geography of climate change and their significance for biodiversity conservation. Location, California and Nevada, USA. Methods, Using current climate surfaces (PRISM) and two scenarios of future climate (A1b, 2070,2099, warmer-drier and warmer-wetter), we mapped disappearing, declining, expanding and novel climates, and the velocity and direction of climate change in California and Nevada. We also examined fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in protected areas of the San Francisco Bay Area in relation to reserve size, topographic complexity and distance from the ocean. Results, Under the two climate change scenarios, current climates across most of California and Nevada will shrink greatly in extent, and the climates of the highest peaks will disappear from this region. Expanding and novel climates are projected for the Central Valley. Current temperature isoclines are projected to move up to 4.9 km year,1 in flatter regions, but substantially slower in mountainous areas because of steep local topoclimate gradients. In the San Francisco Bay Area, climate diversity within currently protected areas increases with reserve size and proximity to the ocean (the latter because of strong coastal climate gradients). However, by 2100 of almost 500 protected areas (>100 ha), only eight of the largest are projected to experience temperatures within their currently observed range. Topoclimate variability will further increase the range of conditions experienced and needs to be incorporated in future analyses. Main Conclusions, Spatial heterogeneity in climate, from mesoclimate to topoclimate scales, represents an important spatial buffer in response to climate change, and merits increased attention in conservation planning. [source] | ||||||||||