Important Changes (important + change)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Important Changes at The Laryngoscope: Read All About Them Here

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 8 2003
Byron J. Bailey MD
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


The implementation of nutritional advice for people with diabetes

DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 10 2003
Nutrition Subcommittee of the Diabetes Care Advisory Committee of Diabetes UK
Abstract These consensus-based recommendations emphasize the practical implementation of nutritional advice for people with diabetes, and describe the provision of services required to provide the information. Important changes from previous recommendations include greater flexibility in the proportions of energy derived from carbohydrate and monounsaturated fat, further liberalization in the consumption of sucrose, more active promotion of foods with a low glycaemic index, and greater emphasis on the provision of nutritional advice in the context of wider lifestyle changes, particularly physical activity. Monounsaturated fats are now promoted as the main source of dietary fat because of their lower susceptibility to lipid peroxidation and consequent lower atherogenic potential. Consumption of sucrose for patients who are not overweight can be increased up to 10% of daily energy derived from carbohydrate provided that this is eaten in the context of a healthy diet and distributed throughout the day. Evidence is presented for the effectiveness of advice provided by trained dieticians. The increasing evidence for the importance of good metabolic control and the growing requirement for measures to prevent Type 2 diabetes in an increasingly obese population will require major expansion of dietetic services if the standards in National Service Frameworks are to be successfully implemented. [source]


Latin,American public financial reporting: recent and future development

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2007
Carmen Caba Pérez
Abstract In recent years, numerous Latin,American countries have carried out reforms in their public accounting systems, with technical cooperation provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Taking into account the lack of international accounting standards for the public sector, USAID has designed a model termed Integrated Financial Management System for Latin America and the Caribbean (IFMS or SIMAFAL). This model is intended to provide better financial information for governmental decision-taking as regards the allocation of resources; a further goal is to achieve greater transparency and for a higher degree of responsibility to be accepted for the commitments made and the results of activities undertaken. Important changes are currently taking place on the international public accounting scene and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is pressing for the adoption of a set of international public accounting standards by Latin,American countries. In this article, we compare the level of information included in the year-end governmental public report in Latin,American countries which have carried out their reforms outside SIMAFAL with that of others which have followed this model. Second, we examine the extent to which the public financial reporting practices recommended by IFAC coincide with those adopted by the above countries. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Brain size and encephalization in early to Mid-Pleistocene Homo

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
G. Philip Rightmire
Abstract Important changes in the brain have occurred during the course of human evolution. Both absolute and relative size increases can be documented for species of Homo, culminating in the appearance of modern humans. One species that is particularly well-represented by fossil crania is Homo erectus. The mean capacity for 30 individuals is 973 cm3. Within this group there is substantial variation, but brain size increases slightly in specimens from later time periods. Other Middle Pleistocene crania differ from those of Homo erectus. Characters of the facial skeleton, vault, and cranial base suggest that fossils from sites such as Arago Cave in France, the Sima de los Huesos in Spain, Bodo in Ethiopia, Broken Hill in Zambia, and perhaps Dali in China belong to the taxon Homo heidelbergensis. Ten of these mid-Quaternary hominins have brains averaging 1,206 cm3 in volume, and many fall beyond the limits of size predicted for Homo erectus of equivalent age. When orbit height is used to construct an index of relative brain size, it is apparent that the (significant) increase in volume documented for the Middle Pleistocene individuals is not simply a consequence of larger body mass. Encephalization quotient values confirm this finding. These changes in absolute and relative brain size can be taken as further corroborative evidence for a speciation event, in which Homo erectus produced a daughter lineage. It is probable that Homo heidelbergensis originated in Africa or western Eurasia and then ranged widely across the Old World. Archaeological traces indicate that these populations differed in their technology and behavior from earlier hominins. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


ROLE OF ENDOSCOPY IN SCREENING OF EARLY PANCREATIC CANCER AND BILE DUCT CANCER

DIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2009
Kiyohito Tanaka
In the screening of early pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer, the first issue was ,what are the types of abnormality in laboratory data and symptoms in case of early pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer?' Early cancer in the pancreaticobiliary region has almost no symptoms, however epigastralgia without abnormality in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a sign of early stage pancreaticobiliary cancer. Sudden onset and aggravation of diabetes mellitus is an important change in the case of pancreatic cancer. Extracorporeal ultrasonography is a very useful procedure of checking up changes of pancreatic and biliary lesions. As the role of endoscopy in screening, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is the most effective means of cancer detection of the pancreas, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is most useful of diagnosis tool for abnormalities of the common bile duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is an important modality as the procedure of sampling of diagnostic materials. Endoscopic ultrasonography-fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has the role of histological diagnosis of pancreatic mass lesion also. Especially, in the case of pancreas cancer without evidence of cancer by pancreatic juice cytology and brushing cytology, EUS-FNA is essential. Intra ductal ultrasonography (IUDS) and perotral cholangioscopy (POCS) are useful for determination of mucosal extent in extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Further improvements of endoscopical technology, endoscopic procedures are expected to be more useful modalities in detection and diagnosis of early pancreatic and bile duct cancers. [source]


Starling foraging success in relation to agricultural land-use

ECOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2002
Ola Olsson
Changes in agricultural land-use have been suggested to contribute to the decline of several bird species through negative effects on their food supply during breeding. One important change in land-use has been loss of pastures, especially permanent pastures. In this study we investigated how different forms of agricultural land-use affected foraging success of a declining bird species, the European starling Sturnus vulgaris. We let caged starlings forage in different forms of agricultural fields and determined time spent foraging and foraging success. The starlings' activity level (time spent actively foraging) as well as the number of prey caught per time unit was strongly related to the abundance of prey in soil samples. Also the body mass change during the experiment was positively related to activity level and prey capture rate. We found consistent differences in foraging variables between habitats. In spring sown grain starlings were least active and found fewer prey items at a lower rate than in any other habitat. The other three habitats differed less, but in general mowed hay fields appeared slightly more valuable than the cultivated and natural pastures. We did not find any differences between natural and cultivated pastures in foraging variables. Thus, starling foraging success is higher in grass-covered fields than in cultivated fields, but the management of the grass-covered fields mattered less. The results are consistent with starlings having higher population densities and breeding success in areas with higher availability of pasture. We suggest that the physical structure of the habitat (sward height) and moisture may be additional variables that need to be taken into account to explain starling breeding density and success in the agricultural landscape. [source]


Changes in Quality of Life in Epilepsy: How Large Must They Be to Be Real?

EPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2001
Samuel Wiebe
Summary: ,Purpose: The study goal was to assess the magnitude of change in generic and epilepsy-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instruments needed to exclude chance or error at various levels of certainty in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Methods: Forty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and clearly defined criteria of clinical stability received HRQOL measurements twice, 3 months apart, using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89 and -31 (QOLIE-89 and QOLIE-31), Liverpool Impact of Epilepsy, adverse drug events, seizure severity scales, and the Generic Health Utilities Index (HUI-III). Standard error of measurement and test-retest reliability were obtained for all scales and for QOLIE-89 subscales. Using the Reliable Change Index described by Jacobson and Truax, we assessed the magnitude of change required by HRQOL instruments to be 90 and 95% certain that real change has occurred, as opposed to change due to chance or measurement error. Results: Clinical features, point estimates and distribution of HRQOL measures, and test-retest reliability (all > 0.70) were similar to those previously reported. Score changes of ±13 points in QOLIE-89, ±15 in QOLIE-31, ±6.3 in Liverpool seizure severity,ictal, ±11 in Liverpool adverse drug events, ±0.25 in HUI-III, and ±9.5 in impact of epilepsy exclude chance or measurement error with 90% certainty. These correspond, respectively, to 13, 15, 17, 18, 25, and 32% of the potential range of change of each instrument. Conclusions: Threshold values for real change varied considerably among HRQOL tools but were relatively small for QOLIE-89, QOLIE-31, Liverpool Seizure Severity, and adverse drug events. In some instruments, even relatively large changes cannot rule out chance or measurement error. The relation between the Reliable Change Index and other measures of change and its distinction from measures of minimum clinically important change are discussed. [source]


Interactions between land use, habitat use, and population increase in greater snow geese: what are the consequences for natural wetlands?

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
Gilles Gauthier
Abstract The North American greater snow goose population has increased dramatically during the last 40 years. We evaluated whether refuge creation, changes in land use on the wintering and staging grounds, and climate warming have contributed to this expansion by affecting the distribution, habitat use, body condition, and migration phenology of birds. We also reviewed the effects of the increasing population on marshes on the wintering grounds, along the migratory routes and on the tundra in summer. Refuges established before 1970 may have contributed to the initial demographic increase. The most important change, however, was the switch from a diet entirely based on marsh plants in spring and winter (rhizomes of Scirpus/Spartina) to one dominated by crops (corn/young grass shoots) during the 1970s and 1980s. Geese now winter further north along the US Atlantic coast, leading to reduced hunting mortality. Their migratory routes now include portions of southwestern Québec where corn production has increased exponentially. Since the mid-1960s, average temperatures have increased by 1,2.4°C throughout the geographic range of geese, which may have contributed to the northward shift in wintering range and an earlier migration in spring. Access to spilled corn in spring improved fat reserves upon departure for the Arctic and may have contributed to a high fecundity. The population increase has led to intense grazing of natural wetlands used by geese although these habitats are still largely undamaged. The foraging in fields allowed the population to exceed limits imposed by natural marshes in winter and spring, but also prevented permanent damage because of their overgrazing. [source]


Migration Policy and Industrial Structure: The Case of Switzerland

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2008
Leonhard Becker
ABSTRACT Structural change in OECD countries, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors, has led to an increasing demand for highly skilled labour. One means of meeting this demand has been to implement a selective immigration policy. Such policies, however, have been criticized for channelling labour into low-producing sectors and occupations, hampering structural change. Proponents of such criticism point to Switzerland's former policy of channelling immigrants into so-called seasonal sectors, a practice abandoned in the early 1990s, as having contributed to Switzerland's low growth rates. To assess this, we here analyse the amended migration policy's effects on skill structure and sectoral distribution of immigration flows using data from the Swiss Census of 1990 and 2000 to determine whether the new policy has led to an immigrant inflow more adapted to the processes of structural change. We find that the share of highly skilled immigrants has increased notably under the new migration policy. Our analysis also shows an important change in the sectoral focus of the new arrival inflow. Not only have fewer immigrants been entering declining sectors, but the majority of migrants arriving under the new policy regime have been absorbed into growing and knowledge-based sectors, meaning they are employed primarily in service and knowledge-intensive sectors. Overall, the analysis provides ample evidence that the current admission policy as ositively contributed to tructural change in Switzerland. [source]


Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Plays a Key Role in Aging and Apoptosis

IUBMB LIFE, Issue 5 2000
Juan Sastre
Abstract Harman first suggested in 1972 that mitochondria might be the biological clock in aging, noting that the rate of oxygen consumption should determine the rate of accumulation of mitochondrial damage produced by free radical reactions. Later in 1980 Miquel and coworkers proposed the mitochondrial theory of cell aging. Mitochondria from postmitotic cells use O2 at a high rate, hence releasing oxygen radicals that exceed the cellular antioxidant defences. The key role of mitochondria in cell aging has been outlined by the degeneration induced in cells microinjected with mitochondria isolated from fibroblasts of old rats, especially by the inverse relationship reported between the rate of mitochondrial production of hydroperoxide and the maximum life span of species. An important change in mitochondrial lipid composition is the age-related decrease found in cardiolipin content. The concurrent enhancement of lipid peroxidation and oxidative modification of proteins in mitochondria further increases mutations and oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the aging process. The respiratory enzymes containing the defective mtDNA-encoded protein subunits may increase the production of reactive oxygen species, which in turn would aggravate the oxidative damage to mitochondria. Moreover, superoxide radicals produced during mitochondrial respiration react with nitric oxide inside mitochondria to yield damaging peroxynitrite. Treatment with certain antioxidants, such as sulphur-containing antioxidants, vitamins C and E, or the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761, protects against the ageassociated oxidative damage to mtDNA and the oxidation of mitochondrial glutathione. Moreover, the EGb 761 extract also prevents changes in mitochondrial morphology and function associated with aging of the brain and liver. [source]


Sol-Gel-Derived Silicon-Boron Oxycarbide Glasses Containing Mixed Silicon Oxycarbide (SiCxO4,x) and Boron Oxycarbide (BCyO3,y) Units

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 10 2001
Christel Gervais
The introduction of B atoms in SiOC glass networks has been achieved through the pyrolysis of sol-gel-derived polyborosiloxanes under an inert atmosphere. The starting gels were obtained from hydrolysis-condensation reactions of triethylborate (B(OEt)3) and an organically modified trialkoxysilane (EtSi(OEt)3). The resulting hybrid EtSiO1.5 -B2O3 gels showed a homogeneous dispersion of the B atoms in the siloxane network via ,Si,O,B, bonds. The presence of such borosiloxane bridges prevents the formation of cyclic or cage siloxane entities and leads to relatively high ceramic yields (,80%). The transformation of the polyborosiloxanes into amorphous SiBOC glasses was followed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and multinuclear magic-angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) (11B, 13C, and 29Si). An important change in the carbon, silicon, and boron environments occurs during pyrolysis. Interestingly, the 11B MAS-NMR spectra suggest a progressive replacement of the B,O bonds by B,C bonds, which leads to a distribution of trigonal BCxO3,x sites in the glass that was pyrolyzed at 1000°C, with a residual amount of B(OSi)3 sites. The resulting glasses can thus be described as silicon-boron oxycarbide networks that are based on SiCxO4,x and BCyO3,y mixed environments. [source]


The Atatürk Dam project in south-east Turkey: Changes in objectives and planning over time

NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 2 2002
Anna Brismar
The Atatürk Dam was constructed on the Euphrates River in Turkey in the 1980s as the central component of a large-scale regional development project for the South-eastern Anatolia region, known as GAP. Since the first development plan for the region was presented in 1970, the objectives for regional development have changed significantly. This article aims to analyze how the functions, design, and capacities of the Atatürk Dam project have been modified since 1970, paralleling changes in the regional development objectives and ambitions, and to identify accomplishments and constraints in the realization of the dam project. Since 1970, ambitions to develop the region have grown significantly, resulting in major changes to the original project plans. The most important change occurred in 1978, when the design for the Middle Karababa Dam, recommended in 1970, was abandoned and the Atatürk Dam design was adopted. This change considerably increased the storage and power generation capacities of the dam. Yet, the sparse rainfall throughout the catchment in recent years has hampered full utilization of the dam's storage and generation capacities and increased the need for tradeoffs between conflicting demands for water use. [source]


Understanding the Key Factors that Control the Inhibition of Type,II Dehydroquinase by (2R)-2-Benzyl-3-dehydroquinic Acids

CHEMMEDCHEM, Issue 10 2010
Antonio Peón
Abstract The binding mode of several substrate analogues, (2R)-2-benzyl-3-dehydroquinic acids 4, which are potent reversible competitive inhibitors of type,II dehydroquinase (DHQ2), the third enzyme of the shikimic acid pathway, has been investigated by structural and computational studies. The crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori DHQ2 in complex with one of the most potent inhibitor, p -methoxybenzyl derivative 4,a, have been solved at 2.40,Å and 2.75,Å, respectively. This has allowed the resolution of the M.,tuberculosis DHQ2 loop containing residues 20,25 for the first time. These structures show the key interactions of the aromatic ring in the active site of both enzymes and additionally reveal an important change in the conformation and flexibility of the loop that closes over substrate binding. The loop conformation and the binding mode of compounds 4,b,d has been also studied by molecular dynamics simulations, which suggest that the benzyl group of inhibitors 4 prevent appropriate orientation of the catalytic tyrosine of the loop for proton abstraction and disrupts its basicity. [source]


The development of change blindness: children's attentional priorities whilst viewing naturalistic scenes

DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009
S. Fletcher-Watson
Change blindness describes the surprising difficulty of detecting large changes in visual scenes when changes occur during a visual disruption. In order to study the developmental course of this phenomenon, a modified version of the flicker paradigm, based on Rensink, O'Regan & Clark (1997), was given to three groups of children aged 6,12 years and to a group of adults. This paradigm tested the ability to detect single colour, presence/absence and location changes of both high and low semantic importance in a complex scene. Semantically important changes were detected more quickly and accurately than less semantically important changes, by all age groups, indicating that children had the same attentional priorities as adults. Older children achieved more efficient and accurate detection of changes than younger children and reached almost adult level at 10,12 years old. These improvements parallel age-related developments in attention and visual perception. [source]


Neuropathic pain and diabetes

DIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue S1 2003
Dilip Kapur
Abstract Neuropathic pain is a common phenomenon resulting from injury to the central or peripheral nervous system. The means by which diabetes results in nerve injury is unclear but the effect is to cause injury at all levels of the nervous system from the level of the peripheral nerves to the brain. Nerve injury causes pain through a cascade of mechanisms resulting in altered processing of sensory input into the nervous system. This alteration occurs through chemical and anatomical changes in the nervous system that are similar to some of the processes seen in central sensitisation following acute pain. Following nerve injury, neuropathic pain occurs not only when these mechanisms are activated but also when sensitisation is maintained. Other processes occurring in neuropathic pain appear to be a loss of normal inhibitory controls as seen by a reduction in local GABA-ergic and descending monoaminergic influences. There are also important changes mediated via glial cells that can maintain neuropathic pain. Diabetes affects all areas of the nervous system and the contribution of higher levels of the nervous system is often overlooked. Neurophysiological and MRI evidence strongly suggest that these may contribute to the pain of diabetic neuropathy. Psychological dysfunction in diabetic patients is an important factor in increasing the suffering associated with all aspects of the disease, but treatment and control of pain can greatly improve the quality of life. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Patient-assessed health outcome measures for diabetes: a structured review

DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2002
A. M. Garratt
Abstract Aims To identify available disease-specific measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) for diabetes and to review evidence for the reliability, validity and responsiveness of instruments. Methods Systematic searches were used to identify instruments. Instruments were assessed against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Letters were sent to authors requesting details of further instrument evaluation. Information relating to instrument content, patients, reliability, validity and responsiveness to change was extracted from published papers. Results The search produced 252 references. Nine instruments met the inclusion criteria: Appraisal of Diabetes Scale (ADS), Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL), Diabetes Health Profile (DHP-1, DHP-18), Diabetes Impact Measurement Scales (DIMS), Diabetes Quality of Life Measure (DQOL), Diabetes-Specific Quality of Life Scale (DSQOLS), Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetic Patients-Revised (QSD-R), Diabetes-39 (D-39) and Well-being Enquiry for Diabetics (WED). The shortest instrument (ADS) has seven items and the longest (WED) has 50 items. The ADS and ADDQoL are single-index measures. The seven multidimensional instruments have dimensions covering psychological well-being and social functioning but vary in the remainder of their content. The DHP-1 and DSQOLS are specific to Type 1 diabetes patients. The DHP-18 is specific to Type 2 diabetes patients. The DIMS and DQOL have weaker evidence for reliability and internal construct validity. Patients contributed to the content of the ADDQoL, DHP-1/18, DQOL, DSQOLS, D-39, QSD-R and WED. The authors of the ADDQoL, DHP-1/18, DQOL, DSQOLS gave explicit consideration to content validity. The construct validity of instruments was assessed through comparisons with instruments measuring related constructs and clinical and sociodemographic variables. None of the instruments has been formally assessed for responsiveness to changes in health. Conclusions Five of the diabetes-specific instruments have good evidence for reliability and internal and external construct validity: the ADDQoL, DHP-1/18, DSQOLS, D-39 and QSD-R. Instrument content should be assessed for relevance before application. The instruments should be evaluated concurrently for validity and responsiveness to important changes in health. [source]


Analysis of the Voltammetric Response of Electroactive Guests in the Presence of Non-Electroactive Hosts at Moderate Concentrations

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 18 2004
Sandra Mendoza
Abstract In this work, we present a method to analyze the voltammetric response of reversible redox systems involving molecules that, bearing m non-interactive electroactive sites, can undergo fast complexation equilibria with host molecules present at concentrations of the same order of magnitude as those of the electroactive guest. The approach focuses on systems for which the relative values of the binding constants for the oxidized and reduced forms of the guest result in the displacement of the voltammetric response of the electroactive molecule as the concentration of the host is increased in the electrolytic solution. This behavior is commonly known as "one wave shift behavior". Based on a series of assumptions, the method allows calculation of all the thermodynamic parameters that describe the electrochemical and complexation equilibria of a given host-guest system. The main strength of the suggested method, however, relies on the fact that it only requires cyclic voltammetry data and that it can be used for systems in which large concentrations of the host can not be employed either due to important changes of the ionic strength or to solubility problems. Although the accuracy of the obtained information is limited by the quality of the data provided by the technique, and by the assumptions employed, it certainly represents an excellent starting point for subsequent refinement either using digital simulations or an independent experimental technique. [source]


Changes in women's use of illicit drugs following imprisonment

ADDICTION, Issue 2 2009
Emma Plugge
ABSTRACT Aim To provide data on changes in illegal drug use in women following imprisonment. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Recruitment took place in two prisons in the Midlands and South-East England and follow-up in 13 prisons across England. Participants A total of 505 women prisoners participated, a response rate of 82%. Measurements Questions about drug use were contained within a questionnaire which examined broad aspects of health. On entry into prison, women answered questions about daily drug use and injecting drug use prior to imprisonment. One month later the questionnaires examined drug use during this period of imprisonment. Findings Prior to imprisonment, 53% [95% confidence interval (CI): 49,58%] of women took at least one illegal drug daily and 38% (CI: 34,42%) said they had ever injected drugs. Following imprisonment, some women continued to use drugs; 14% (CI: 10,20%) of women reported using at least one illegal drug daily and 2% (CI: 0.7,5%) of women had injected drugs. There were important changes in the types of drugs used; there was a change in use from crack and heroin to benzodiazepines and opiate substitutes. Prior to imprisonment, women most commonly used crack and heroin, but in prison the two most commonly used illegal drugs were benzodiazepines and opiate substitutes. Conclusions The study provides quantitative evidence of the impact of imprisonment on drug use among women. It highlights the need for enhanced drug treatment services and stronger measures to reduce the availability of illegal drugs to women in prison. [source]


Cytotoxic effects induced by hexachlorobenzene in Squilla mantis (L.) (Crustacea, Stomatopoda)

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Antonio Dell'Anno
Abstract Contamination of marine environments by hexachlorobenzene (HCB) represents a serious concern for potential consequences on ecosystem and human health. Despite this, information on cytotoxic effects on marine organisms is still largely lacking. In this study, we investigated cytotoxic effects induced by HCB on gonads and muscular tissue of Squilla mantis by analysing Na+/K+ -ATPase activity and plasma membrane fluidity. This crustacean species was selected as a model for its habitat, trophic level, feeding behavior, and commercial exploitation for human consumption. Time course experiments revealed that low concentrations of HCB (i.e. 50 nM) determine an exponentially decrease of Na+/K+ -ATPase activity and a significant modification of cellular membrane fluidity. Significant negative relationships between Na+/K+ -ATPase activity and membrane fluidity were observed, suggesting that changes in the structure and packing of cellular membranes induced by HCB may be the primary factor affecting the activity of essential bilayer-associated enzymes. Overall these findings suggest that even small concentrations of HCB may determine important changes on cell metabolism with potential cascade effects on recruitment of this commercial species. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008. [source]


Molluscan shellfish biomarker study of the Quebec, Canada, Saguenay Fjord with the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
C. Blaise
Abstract A spatial and temporal survey of six sites in the Saguenay Fjord and of one adjacent site in the St. Lawrence River estuary (Quebec, Canada) was undertaken to study the possible effects of anthropogenic contaminant input on soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria) populations. Bivalve sampling sites were selected because they reflected a range of areas representative of either no known (or apparent) pollution sources or of areas potentially influenced by different gradients and types of contamination sources. The most upstream site selected in the Saguenay Fjord, nearest to a highly populated and industrialized sector, and the most downstream site, near its mouth with the St. Lawrence River estuary, spanned a distance of some 70 km and encompassed the entire intertidal area suitable for Mya arenaria habitat. To measure effects in collected animals, we used a comprehensive battery of biomarkers composed of metallothionein-like proteins (MT), 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity (EROD), DNA damage (DD), lipid peroxidation (LPO), vitellinlike proteins (Vn), phagocytosis (PHAG), nonspecific esterase (NspE) activity, and condition factor (weight-to-length ratio of clams). Vn, PHAG, DD, and NspE biomarkers were assayed in hemolymph (or hemocytes), whereas others (MT, EROD, LPO) were determined in the digestive gland. Whole-tissue metal content was also quantified in clams collected in the spatial survey. The spatial survey conducted in June 1997 showed significant effects at all sites, and principal component analysis indicated in addition that the more important responses were linked to the MT, LPO, and NspE biomarkers. Clams collected from sites closest to the upstream reaches of the fjord generally displayed higher levels of tissue metals (cadmium, manganese), as well as greater responses of NspE activity, MT, LPO, and PHAG. Animals collected from sites influenced by municipal wastewaters had higher levels of Vn, suggesting the presence of environmental estrogens. The results of the temporal survey (six monthly samplings of clams at three sites from May through October, 1997) showed that the bivalve reproductive cycle (vitellogenesis and spawning) can modulate the expression of several biomarkers. Vn levels, for example, were positively correlated with DD and EROD and negatively correlated with MT, suggesting that reproduction can influence the susceptibility of clams to some contaminants. Discrimination analysis over the 6 months of sampling revealed that the mean value of the discriminant function changed significantly over time, suggesting important changes in the relative contribution of each biomarker. In short, this study has provided evidence that clam populations in the Saguenay Fjord are impacted by multiple sources of contamination whose effects can be modulated by reproduction. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 17: 170,186, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/tox.10048 [source]


What changes in health-related quality of life matter to multiple myeloma patients?

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
A prospective study
Abstract Objective: To determine the clinical significance of changes in quality-of-life scores in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), we have estimated the minimal important difference (MID) for the health-related quality-of-life instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30. The MID is the smallest change in a quality-of-life score considered important to patients. Methods: Between 2006 and 2008, 239 patients with MM completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 at inclusion (T1) and after 3 months (T2). At T2, a structured quality-of-life interview was also performed. MIDs were calculated by using mean score changes (T2,T1) for patients who in the interview stated they had improved, deteriorated or were unchanged. MIDs were also estimated by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve method as well as by calculation effect sizes using standard deviations of baseline scores. Results: MIDs varied slightly depending on the method used. Patients stating in the interview that they had ,improved' or ,deteriorated' had a corresponding change in EORTC QLQ-C30 score ranging from 6 to15 (improvement) and from 9 to17 (deterioration) (scale range 0,100). The ROC analysis indicated that changes in score from 7 to17 represent clinically important changes to patients. The effect size method suggested 5,6 to be a small and 11,15 to be a medium change. Conclusion: Calculation of MIDs as mean score changes or by ROC analysis suggested that a change in the EORTC QLQ-C30 score in the range of approximately 6,17 is considered important by patients with MM. These MIDs are closer to a medium effect size than to a small effect size. Our findings imply that mean score changes smaller than 6 are unlikely to be important to the patients, even if these changes are statistically significant. [source]


Effect of suramin on the human pathogen Candida albicans: implications on the fungal development and virulence

FEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Lys Adriana Braga-Silva
Abstract Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that is of growing medical importance because it causes superficial, mucosal and systemic infections in susceptible individuals. Here, the effect of suramin, a polysulfonated naphthylurea derivative, on C. albicans development and virulence was evaluated. Firstly, it was demonstrated that suramin (500 ,M) arrested its growth, showing a fungicidal action dependent on cell number. Suramin treatment caused profound changes in the yeast ultrastructure as shown by transmission electron microscopy. The more important changes were the enlargement of the fungi cytoplasmic vacuoles, the appearance of yeasts with an empty cytoplasm resembling ghost cells and a reduction in cell wall thickness. Suramin also blocked the transformation of yeast cells to the germ-tube and the interaction between C. albicans and epithelial cells. In order to ascertain that the action of suramin on C. albicans growth is a general feature instead of being strain-specific, the effects of suramin on 14 oral clinical strains isolated from healthy children and HIV-positive infants were analyzed. Interestingly, the strains of C. albicans isolated from HIV-positive patients were more resistant to suramin than strains isolated from healthy patients. Altogether, the results produced here show that suramin interfered with essential fungal processes, such as growth, differentiation and interaction with host cells. [source]


Recent evolution of the fishing exploitation in the Thau lagoon, France

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
V. CRESPI
Fisheries activity in the Thau marine lagoon (Mediterranean coast of France) has an old tradition and involves different types of gears (set nets, traps and lines) that are used seasonally with varying frequencies in different areas. A survey of fishing activity, main fishing methods and main commercial species composition in the lagoon was carried out to assess the current fishing effort and seasonal yield. Many important changes in fishing effort and in the most important target species occurred during the last 10 years. A gradual decline in eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), catches followed by an increase of other commercially-exploited species, particularly the gilthead sea-bream, Sparus aurata L., was observed. [source]


Assessment by M-FISH of karyotypic complexity and cytogenetic evolution in bladder cancer in vitro

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 4 2005
Sarah V. Williams
We carried out multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) and follow-up FISH studies on a large series of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines and 2 normal urothelium,derived cell lines, several of which have not had karyotypes reported previously. M-FISH analysis, with appropriate follow-up, complements conventional cytogenetic analysis and array CGH studies, allowing a more accurate definition of karyotype. The detailed karyotypic data obtained will assist in choosing suitable cell lines for functional studies and identifies common losses, gains, breakpoints and potential fusion gene sites in TCC. We have shown changes in cell lines RT112 and DSH1 following prolonged culture, and differences in karyotype, between RT112 cultures obtained from different sources. We propose a model for the evolutionary changes leading to these differences. A comparison with the literature found other examples of differences in cell-line karyotypes between different sources. Nevertheless, several karyotypic changes were preserved between different sources of the same cell line and were also seen in more than one cell line. These may be the most important changes and include ,8p, +20, 4q,, 10p,, 16p, and breaks in 8p21. We carried out a more detailed follow-up of some regions, which showed involvement of 8p breaks and losses in 15 of 16 TCC cell lines but in neither of the normal urothelium,derived cell lines. Some changes represented distal loss, whereas others were small deletions. Further study of this region is warranted. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer website at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/1045-2257/suppmat/index.html. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Canopy recovery after drought dieback in holm-oak Mediterranean forests of Catalonia (NE Spain)

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2004
Francisco Lloret
Abstract Climate change is likely to produce more frequent and longer droughts in the Mediterranean region, like that of 1994, which produced important changes in the Quercus ilex forests, with up to 76% of the trees showing complete canopy dieback. At the landscape level, a mosaic of responses to the drought was observed, linked to the distribution of lithological substrates. Damage to the dominant tree species (Q. ilex) and the most common understorey shrub (Erica arborea) was more noticeable on the compact substrates (breccia) than on the fissured ones (schist). This result was consistent with observations documenting deeper root penetration in schist than in breccia materials, allowing the plants growing on fissured substrates to use water from deeper soil levels. Smaller plants were more vulnerable to drought than larger plants in the trees, but not in the shrubs. Overall, Q. ilex was more affected than E. arborea. The resilience of the system was evaluated from the canopy recovery 1 year after the episode. Stump and crown resprouting was fairly extensive, but the damage pattern in relation to substrate, plant size, and species remained similar. The effect of recurrent drought episodes was studied on vegetation patches of Q. ilex located on mountain slopes and surrounded by bare rock. We observed that plants that resprouted weakly after a previous drought in 1985 were more likely to die or to produce poor regeneration in 1995 than plants that had resprouted vigorously. Vegetation patches located on the lower part of the slope were also less damaged than patches situated uphill. The study provides evidence of relevant changes in forest canopy as a consequence of extreme climate events. The distribution of this effect across the landscape is mediated by lithological substrate, causing patchy patterns. The results also support the hypothesis that recurrent droughts can produce a progressive loss of resilience, by depleting the ability of surviving plants to regenerate. [source]


Bureaucrats and Politicians in Britain

GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2003
Graham K. Wilson
The distinctive relationship between bureaucrats and politicians in Britain has been much noted around the world and often used a model by reformers. However, both Conservative and Labour governments have displayed dissatisfaction with the bureaucracy and have made important changes in the "Whitehall model." Some of these changes have reduced the degree to which British politicians have been unusually dependent on a career bureaucracy that is insulated from partisan politics. [source]


Should the consumption of survivors be included as a cost in cost,utility analysis?

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2004
John A. Nyman
Abstract Survivor costs are those costs associated with a treatment because it extends the patient's life. A controversy exists regarding whether survivor consumption costs should be included in cost,utility analyses. The present paper uses this controversy to motivate a general reexamination of what costs to include in cost,utility analyses. Rather than the ad hoc inclusion rules currently used , a causal relationship between the intervention and the costs, and a proscription on double counting , this paper suggests three inclusion principles based on standard welfare economics. Thus, costs should be (1) included if they represent resources that directly produce the utility that is being measured in the denominator of the cost,utility ratio, (2) excluded if they represent resources that produce utility that is not being measured in the denominator, even though the costs are causally associated with the intervention, and (3) included if they represent resources consumed that are causally related to the intervention, but that have no counterveiling utility gains. These principles suggest important changes in how we account for recuperation time and unrelated medical care. They also suggest that survival consumption costs and earnings be excluded from existing cost,utility analyses. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Humoral and cardiac effects of TIPS in cirrhotic patients with different "effective" blood volume

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
Francesco Salerno M.D.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiac effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) in cirrhotic patients with different effective blood volume. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed before and 7 and 28 days after TIPS insertion in 7 cirrhotic patients with PRA <4 ng/mL/h (group A, normal effective blood volume) and 15 with PRA >4 ng/mL/h (group B, reduced effective blood volume). Before TIPS, most cirrhotic patients showed diastolic dysfunction as indicated by reduced early maximal ventricular filling velocity (E)/late filling velocity (A) ratio. Patients of group B differed from patients of group A because of smaller left ventricular volumes and stroke volume, indicating central underfilling. After TIPS insertion, portal decompression was associated with a significant increase of cardiac output (CO) and a decrease of peripheral resistances. The most important changes were recorded in patients of group B, who showed a significant increase of both the end-diastolic left ventricular volumes and the E/A ratio and a significant decrease of PRA. In conclusion, these results show that the hemodynamic effects of TIPS differ according to the pre-TIPS effective blood volume. Furthermore, TIPS improves the diastolic cardiac function of cirrhotic patients with effective hypovolemia. This result is likely due to a TIPS-related improvement of the fullness of central blood volume. [source]


International competition and pay, working time and employment: exploring the processes of adjustment

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2001
James Arrowsmith
The internationalisation of markets, competition and regulation is increasingly recognised. So far, however, debate about the effects has been largely speculative. This article examines the UK engineering industry. Survey evidence suggests that international comparisons are relatively unimportant, little benchmarking is going on and that stability characterises pay and working time arrangements. Further interview evidence explains that this is because pay and working time are set with employee expectations in mind, whereas it is the treatment of unit costs that reflects international pressures. As a consequence there has been substantial reductions in employment as well as some important changes in work organisation, even if there has been little change in pay or working time systems. In effect, it suggests that there is a form of ,implicit contract' taking place. A wider implication is that the main impetus for the ,Europeanisation' of industrial relations is likely to come from the growing convergence of costs rather than pressures for wage parity. [source]


Comparative Pharmacology of Guinea Pig Cardiac Myocyte and Cloned hERG (IKr) Channel

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2004
CHRISTINA DAVIE Ph.D.
Introduction: This study used whole-cell, patch clamp techniques on isolated guinea pig ventricular myocytes and HEK293 cells expressing cloned human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) to examine the action of drugs causing QT interval prolongation and torsades de pointes (TdP) in man. Similarities and important differences in drug actions on cardiac myocytes and cloned hERG IKr channels were established. Qualitative actions of the drugs on cardiac myocytes corresponded with results obtained from Purkinje fibers and measurement of QT interval prolongation in animal and human telemetry studies. Methods and Results: Adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Cells were continuously perfused with Tyrode's solution at 33,35°C. Recordings were made using the whole-cell, patch clamp technique. Action potentials (APs) were elicited under current clamp. Voltage clamp was used to study the effect of drugs on IKr (rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current), INa (sodium current), and ICa (L-type calcium current). Dofetilide increased the myocyte action potential duration (APD) in a concentration-dependent manner, with a pIC50 of 7.3. Dofetilide 1 ,M elicited early afterdepolarizations (EADs) but had little affect on ICa or INa. E-4031 increased APD in a concentration-dependent manner, with a pIC50 of 7.2. In contrast, 10 ,M loratadine, desloratadine, and cetirizine had little effect on APD or IKr. Interestingly, cisapride displayed a biphasic effect on myocyte APD and inhibited ICa at 1 ,M. Even at this high concentration, cisapride did not elicit EADs. A number of AstraZeneca compounds were tested on cardiac myocytes, revealing a mixture of drug actions that were not observed in hERG currents in HEK293 cells. One compound, particularly AR-C0X, was a potent blocker of myocyte AP (pIC50 of 8.4). AR-C0X also elicited EADs in cardiac myocytes. The potencies of the same set of drugs on the cloned hERG channel also were assessed. The pIC50 values for dofetilide, E-4031, terfenadine, loratadine, desloratadine, and cetirizine were 6.8, 7.1, 7.3, 5.1, 5.2, and <4, respectively. Elevation of temperature from 22 to 35°C significantly enhanced the current kinetics and amplitudes of hERG currents and resulted in approximately fivefold increase in E-4031 potency. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the advantages of cardiac myocytes over heterologously expressed hERG channels in predicting QT interval prolongation and TdP in man. The potencies of some drugs in cardiac myocytes were similar to hERG, but only myocytes were able to detect important changes in APD characteristics and display EADs predictive of arrhythmia development. We observed similar qualitative drug profiles in cardiac myocytes, dog Purkinje fibers, and animal and human telemetry studies. Therefore, isolated native cardiac myocytes are a better predictor of drug-induced QT prolongation and TdP than heterologously expressed hERG channels. Isolated cardiac myocytes, when used with high-throughput patch clamp instruments, may have an important role in screening potential cardiotoxic compounds in the early phase of drug discovery. This would significantly reduce the attrition rate of drugs entering preclinical and/or clinical development. The current kinetics and amplitudes of the cloned hERG channel were profoundly affected by temperature, significantly altering the potency of one drug (E-4031). This finding cautions against routine drug testing at room temperature compared to physiologic temperature when using the cloned hERG channel. [source]