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Selected AbstractsSpring-retained delayed surgical obturator for total maxillectomy: a technical noteORAL SURGERY, Issue 1-2 2010P.G. Patil Abstract Aim: The aim of this article is to describe a technique to fabricate a spring retained surgical obturator prosthesis for rehabilitation of a patient with total maxillectomy. Material and Methods: The mandibular retention plate was fabricated with the help of hard, round, stainless steel orthodontic wires and heat-polymerizing acrylic resin. The 0.6 mm wire is manipulated to make Adams clasps on right and left mandibular first molars and 1 mm wire to make C clasps on right and left mandibular first premolars. A palatal shaped maxillary obturator plate was fabricated with acrylic resin. Two newly designed springs were fabricated with 0.6 mm orthodontic wire. Lower end of the springs were attached to the mandibular retention plate and upper ends were attached to the maxillary obturator plate. Results: When the appliance was placed in the mouth with the help of the mandibular retention plate, the maxillary obturator plate remains in a floating position in the mouth by spring-action on both sides. The springs used in the appliance were easy to fabricate and required less space in the buccal vestibules with minimum soft tissue irritation. Conclusion: This obturator develops the seal with the dorsum of the tongue during deglutition, thus helping the patient to take liquid food orally. It has proven to be the acceptable and comfortable treatment option for the patients with total maxillectomy, thereby, enhancing the quality of life during the initial healing period. [source] Aetiology in severe and mild mental retardation: a population-based study of Norwegian childrenDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2000Petter Strømme MD PhD The aetiology of mental retardation (MR) was studied in a population-based series of Norwegian children derived from 30 037 children born between 1980 and 1985. The study included 178 children, 79 with severe MR (SMR) (IQ<50) and 99 with mild MR (MMR) (IQ 50 to 70). Aetiology was divided into two main groups: biopathological and unspecified. The biopathological group comprised 96% of SMR and 68% of MMR, and was subdivided into prenatal (70% and 51%), perinatal (4% and 5%), and postnatal damage (5% and 1%), and a group of undetermined timing of the damaging event (18% and 11%). Single-gene disorders accounted for 15 of the 63 children with genetic disorders, including X-linked recessive in six. During the course of the study, at least 27 (15%) children had their aetiological diagnosis revised. Gestational age <32 weeks, birthweight <1500g, and Apgar scores 0 to 2 at 1 and 5 minutes implied a significantly increased risk of MR, but contributed to only 4% of the children in the study. Decreased birthweight (1500 to 2499 g) and Apgar scores 3 to 6 at 1 and 5 minutes showed increased probability of MR. Despite extensive investigations, 4% of SMR and 32% of MMR were not identified with any biological markers and were considered as unspecified MR, several most probably representing the lower end of the normal IQ distribution in the population. [source] Balancing needs and means: the dilemma of the ,-cell in the modern worldDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2009G. Leibowitz The insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), although important for its pathophysiology, is not sufficient to establish the disease unless major deficiency of ,-cell function coexists. This is demonstrated by the fact that near-physiological administration of insulin (CSII) achieved excellent blood glucose control with doses similar to those used in insulin-deficient type 1 diabetics. The normal ,-cell adapts well to the demands of insulin resistance. Also in hyperglycaemic states some degree of adaptation does exist and helps limit the severity of disease. We demonstrate here that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) system might play an important role in this adaptation, because blocking mTORC1 (complex 1) by rapamycin in the nutritional diabetes model Psammomys obesus caused severe impairment of ,-cell function, increased ,-cell apoptosis and progression of diabetes. On the other hand, under exposure to high glucose and FFA (gluco-lipotoxicity), blocking mTORC1 in vitro reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ,-cell death. Thus, according to the conditions of stress, mTOR may have beneficial or deleterious effects on the ,-cell. ,-Cell function in man can be reduced without T2DM/impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Prospective studies have shown subjects with reduced insulin response to present, several decades later, an increased incidence of IGT/T2DM. From these and other studies we conclude that T2DM develops on the grounds of ,-cells whose adaptation capacity to increased nutrient intake and/or insulin resistance is in the lower end of the normal variation. Inborn and acquired factors that limit ,-cell function are diabetogenic only in a nutritional/metabolic environment that requires high functional capabilities from the ,-cell. [source] Subnormal energy expenditure: a putative causal factor in the weight gain induced by treatment of hyperthyroidismDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2 2006R. Jacobsen Aims:, To examine the causes of weight gain occurring as an adverse effect of treatment of hyperthyroidism. Methods:, We measured 24-h energy expenditure (EE), body composition and spontaneous physical activity (SPA) in eight patients before and 1 year after treatment of hyperthyroidism was initiated, and eight controls. Results:, One year after initiation of treatment thyrotropin was normalized, thyroid hormones had fallen to the lower end of the reference range and fat mass had increased by 3.5 kg (p < 0.001). Twenty-four hour EE adjusted for fat-free mass (FFM) was 15% higher in hyperthyroid patients before treatment than in controls (p = 0.003), and treatment decreased 24-h EE by 1.9 MJ/day (p = 0.001). After treatment, 24-h EE, adjusted for FFM, was similar to the controls. Multiple regression analyses showed that the suppressed EE could partly be attributed to an iatrogenic suppression of thyroid hormones, resulting in lower sleeping EE. Twenty-four hour SPA was normal in the hyperthyroid state, but decreased after treatment by 21% (p = 0.045), to a level not significantly different, but still below that of the controls. Conclusions:, The study suggests that weight gain during treatment of hyperthyroidism might be due to subnormal levels of EE and SPA caused by a suppression of the thyroid hormone to a level in the lower end of the normal range. [source] Do competitive intraguild interactions affect space and habitat use by small carnivores in a forested landscape?ECOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2006Caroline St-Pierre Complex interactions such as interference competition and predation, including intraguild predation, are now recognized as important components in animal community structure. At the lower end of a guild, weasels may be highly affected by other guild members due to small body size in relation to other predators. In 2000 and 2001, we radio-collared 24 ermines Mustela erminea and 25 long-tailed weasels M. frenata in 2 areas that differed in abundance of guild members. We tested the hypothesis that when faced with an increased density of other guild members, weasels would modify space and habitat use to reduce the risk of predation associated with encounters involving guild members. We predicted that weasels would increase use of specific habitats (such as refuges) to reduce encounter rates in the presence of a greater number of guild members. Because M. erminea is smaller than M. frenata and thus better able to take advantage of small rodent burrows as refuges from predators and as feeding grounds, we also predicted that M. frenata would show a stronger response to a higher abundance of guild members than M. erminea. Results were consistent with our predictions. Faced with an increased abundance of guild members, M. frenata showed increased habitat selectivity and reduced activity levels, which resulted in increased daily travel distances and increased home ranges. Mustela erminea responded to an increased abundance of guild members through reduced use of preferred habitat which M. frenata already occupied. The contrasting pattern of habitat selection observed between the 2 mustelid species suggested cascading effects, whereby large-predator pressure on M. frenata relaxed pressure of M. frenata on M. erminea. Our results draw attention to the likelihood that competitive intraguild interactions play a facilitating role in M. erminea,M. frenata coexistence. [source] The Impact of Industrial Restructuring on Earnings Inequality: The Decline of Steel and Earnings in PittsburghGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2004Patricia Beeson ABSTRACT Inter-industry employment shifts were largely responsible for changes in the income distribution in the Pittsburgh region during the 1980s. Kernel density estimators were used, together with decomposition techniques developed by DiNardo et al. (1996) to show that industry shifts were responsible for over 90 percent of the earnings reductions at some points on the earnings distribution. Most of the losses at the lower end of the distribution occurred in the early 1980s as the economy plunged into a deep recession. The recovery in the later part of the decade brought little improvement as earnings in the lower part of the distribution continued to fall with the increase in employment of part-time workers in the low-wage trade and service sectors. [source] Type 1 von Willebrand disease: application of emerging data to clinical practiceHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 4 2008P. W. COLLINS Summary., There has been much recent data published on type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) predominantly from three multi-centre cohort studies. These data have influenced a revision of the classification of type 1 VWD and have important implications for the management of this disorder. Patients with low von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels tend to have VWF mutations and VWD is transmitted predictably within families. In patients with VWF levels close to the lower end of the normal range, candidate mutations are found less often, ABO blood group is a more important factor and the disease has variable heritability within families. The importance of bleeding symptoms, in addition to VWF levels, in the diagnosis of type 1 VWD has been highlighted. [source] Coping strategies in developed and developing societies: the workings of the informal economyJOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 8 2000Madeleine Leonard The purpose of this paper is to examine the persistence and significance of informal economic activity in both the developed and developing world. Drawing on empirical work carried out in Belfast, the paper suggests that many similarities exist between the informal economic activities of people on low incomes in Belfast and the poor in developing countries. The paper illustrates these connections through an examination of three aspects of the informal economy: reciprocity between households, informal self-employment and informal paid employment. By examining the variety of ways in which people at the lower end of the economic scale attempt to secure their economic livelihoods in the absence of formal employment opportunities, the paper demonstrates the global nature of the informal economy. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quantification of gypsum crystal nucleation, growth, and breakage rates in a wet flue gas desulfurization pilot plantAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009Brian B. Hansen Abstract The aim of this work is to study the influence of nucleation, growth and breakage on the particle size distribution (PSD) of gypsum crystals produced by the wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process. The steady state PSD, obtained in a falling film wet FGD pilot plant during desulfurization of a 1000 ppm(v) SO2 gas stream, displayed a strong nonlinear behaviour (in a ln(n(l)) vs. l plot) at the lower end of the particle size range, compared to the well-known linear mixed suspension mixed product removal model. A transient population balance breakage model, fitted to experimental data, was able to model an increase in the fraction of small particles, but not to the extent observed experimentally. A three-parameter, size-dependent growth model, previously used for sodium sulphate decahydrate and potash alum, was able to describe the experimental data, indicating either size-dependent integration kinetics or growth rate dispersion. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Audit of feeding practices in babies <1200 g or 30 weeks gestation during the first month of lifeJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 7-8 2006Barbara E Cormack Aim: In 2002, the composition of the breast milk fortifier used in our hospital changed, giving increased protein and energy. We therefore decided to prospectively audit nutritional management in our unit and to compare nutritional intake and growth in our babies with published data. Methods: Data were prospectively collected over a 3-month period on infants <1200 g or 30 weeks gestation. Prescribed and delivered volumes of all parenteral and enteral fluids were recorded. Babies were weighed as per unit protocol. Results: Thirty-four infants met the audit criteria. Data are median (range). After the first week of life, energy and protein intakes were 147 (78,174) kcal/kg/day and 3.9 (2.1,4.8) g/kg/day respectively. Daily weight gain was 17 (,3.2,35.4) g/kg and was significantly associated with both energy and protein intakes (P < 0.001). However, standard deviation scores for weight fell from 0.15 (,1.9,2.0) at birth to ,1.0 (,2.9,0.8) by 36 weeks corrected age. Time to commencing enteral feeds was 1 (1,3) day and to full enteral feeds was 8 (5,28) days. One infant was diagnosed with necrotising enterocolitis and eight with chronic lung disease. Mean protein intake was significantly lower in babies with chronic lung disease (P = 0.005). Conclusion: Overall, nutritional intakes and weight gain in this cohort of babies lie within the recommended ranges, although protein intakes in the smallest babies are at the lower end of the range. Enteral feeds are introduced early and advanced rapidly, but we have a low incidence of necrotising enterocolitis. However, babies still fell across weight centiles, suggesting that actual intakes for these tiny babies may be inadequate. [source] Can We Identify Genes For Alcohol Consumption In Samples Ascertained For Heterogeneous Purposes?ALCOHOLISM, Issue 4 2009Narelle K. Hansell Background:, Previous studies have identified evidence of genetic influence on alcohol use in samples selected to be informative for alcoholism research. However, there are a growing number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using samples unselected for alcohol consumption (i.e., selected on other traits and forms of psychopathology), which nevertheless assess consumption as a risk factor. Is it reasonable to expect that genes contributing to variation in alcohol consumption can be identified in such samples? Methods:, An exploratory approach was taken to determine whether linkage analyses for heaviness of alcohol consumption, using a sample collected for heterogeneous purposes, could replicate previous findings. Quantity and frequency measures of consumption were collected in telephone interviews from community samples. These measures, and genotyping, were available for 5,441 individuals (5,067 quasi-independent sibling pairs). For 1,533 of these individuals, data were collected on 2 occasions, about 8.2 years apart, providing 2 datasets that maximize data collected at either a younger or an older age. Analyses were conducted to address the question of whether age and heavier levels of alcohol consumption effects outcome. Linkage results were compared in the younger and older full samples, and with samples in which approximately 10, 20, and 40 of drinkers from the lower end of the distribution of alcohol consumption were dropped. Results:, Linkage peaks varied for the age differentiated samples and for percentage of light drinkers retained. Larger peaks (LOD scores >2.0) were typically found in regions previously identified in linkage studies and/or containing proposed candidate genes for alcoholism including AGT, CARTPT, OPRD1, PIK3R1, and PDYN. Conclusions:, The results suggest that GWAS assessing alcohol consumption as a covariate for other conditions will have some success in identifying genes contributing to consumption-related variation. However, sample characteristics, such as participant age, and trait distribution, may have substantial effects on the strength of the genetic signal. These results can inform forthcoming GWAS where the same restrictions apply. [source] A gastrointestinal role for the amphibian ,diaphragm' of Xenopus laevisJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Mark Pickering Abstract The ,diaphragm' of Xenopus laevis has close anatomical relations to the lower end of the oesophagus. In mammals, the crural diaphragm acts as a pinch valve at the gastro-oesophageal junction and is an important component of the gastro-oesophageal reflux barrier. The present study analysed the effect of amphibian ,diaphragm' contraction on oesophageal pressure using a superfused in situ oesophago-diaphragmatic preparation of large female Xenopus. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the oesophageal pressure profile was performed using four-port oesophageal infusion manometry. Bilateral electrical stimulation of the nerves supplying the ,diaphragm' of Xenopus increased the pressure volume vector of 5 mm of oesophagus (centred around the insertions of the diaphragm) from 20.4 ± 16 to 553.6 ± 232 mm · mmHg2 (mean ± SD). This was a statistically significant increase and statistically significantly higher than that evoked by electrical stimulation of both vagi (28.1 ± 30.7 mm·mmHg2). The amphibian ,diaphragm' seems to be functionally similar to the mammalian crural diaphragm. By analogy, we suggest that the original role of the diaphragm was not respiratory but gastrointestinal. [source] Interpreting course evaluation results: insights from thinkaloud interviews with medical studentsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 10 2004Susan Billings-Gagliardi Purpose, To determine whether some of the fundamental assumptions that frequently underlie interpretation of course evaluation results are justified by investigating what medical students are thinking as they complete a typical basic science course evaluation. Methods, A total of 24 students participated in thinkaloud cognitive interviews, voicing their thoughts while completing a typical evaluation instrument that included items on overall course design, educational materials and methods, and faculty teaching. Students' responses were organised to consider how they interpreted questions, formed judgements and selected response options. Major themes relevant to the meaningful interpretation of course evaluation data were identified. Results, Medical students understood educational terms such as ,independent learning' in different ways from both one another and common usage. When formulating responses, students' judgements were sometimes based on unique or unexpected criteria, and they described editing their judgements by considering factors such as effort or caring on the part of teaching faculty. Students tended to avoid using the lower end of the rating scale, used the highest rating option selectively, but chose the second highest category indiscriminately. Conclusions, These results call into question fundamental assumptions that frequently underlie interpretation of course evaluation results, such as whether students understand the intended meanings of terms used in items; whether faculty members who receive the same rating are perceived similarly; whether ratings actually reflect teaching effectiveness, and whether ,positive' ratings reflect positive opinions. This study also demonstrates how thinkaloud interviews can be used in validity studies, providing information to supplement statistical and psychometric analyses. [source] Titanium isotopic compositions of well-characterized silicon carbide grains from Orgueil (CI): Implications for s-process nucleosynthesisMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 7-8 2007Gary R. Huss Using the 16 most-precise measurements, we estimate the relative contributions of stellar nucleosynthesis during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and the initial compositions of the parent stars to the compositions of the grains. To do this, we compare our data to the results of several published stellar models that employ different values for some important parameters. Our analysis confirms that s -process synthesis during the AGB phase only slightly modified the titanium compositions in the envelopes of the stars where mainstream silicon carbide grains formed, as it did for silicon. Our analysis suggests that the parent stars of the >1 ,m silicon carbide grains that we measured were generally somewhat more massive than the Sun (2,3 M,) and had metallicities similar to or slightly higher than solar. Here we differ slightly from results of previous studies, which indicated masses at the lower end of the range 1.5,3 M, and metallicities near solar. We also conclude that models using a standard 13C pocket, which produces a good match for the main component of s -process elements in the solar system, overestimate the contribution of the 13C pocket to s -process nucleosynthesis of titanium found in silicon carbide grains. Although previous studies have suggested that the solar system has a significantly different titanium isotopic composition than the parent stars of silicon carbide grains, we find no compelling evidence that the Sun falls off of the array defined by those stars. We also conclude that the Sun does lie on the low-metallicity end of the silicon and titanium arrays defined by mainstream silicon carbide grains. [source] Ultra-wideband bandpass filter with a compact two-layered structureMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 5 2007Xinan Qu Abstract A novel ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter with a compact size is proposed. By using a two-layered substrate configuration and an H-shaped slot on the ground, a vertical-coupled microstrip resonator structure is formed. Three resonant peaks of the proposed structure are extracted around the lower end, the center, and the upper end of the UWB passband. The compact two-layered filter has an overall length of about a half guided wavelength at the center UWB frequency and exhibits promising performance for UWB applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49:1049,1051, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22351 [source] Bridging the Gap Between Genomics and EducationMIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION, Issue 4 2007Stephen A. Petrill ABSTRACT, Despite several decades of research suggesting the importance of both genetic and environmental factors, these findings are not well integrated into the larger educational literature. Following a discussion of quantitative and molecular genetic methods, this article reviews behavioral genetic findings related to cognitive and academic skills. This literature suggests that (a) the relative importance of genes and environments varies developmentally; (b) genetics, and to a lesser extend the environment, account for a substantial portion of the covariance within and across academic domains; and (c) some forms of disability are qualitatively different from the population, whereas others constitute the lower end of a continuum of ability. Following a discussion of the strengths and limitations of current behavioral genetic research and intervention research, we then discuss the ways in which understanding gene,environment interplay can be used to develop better definitions of learning impairment and better explain the substantial variability in response to intervention. [source] Neon abundances in normal late-B and mercury,manganese starsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2000M. M. Dworetsky We make new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium calculations to deduce the abundances of neon from visible-region echelle spectra of selected Ne i lines in seven normal stars and 20 HgMn stars. We find that the best strong blend-free Ne line that can be used at the lower end of the effective temperature Teff range is ,6402, although several other potentially useful Ne i lines are found in the red region of the spectra of these stars. The mean neon abundance in the normal stars (log A=8.10) is in excellent agreement with the standard abundance of neon (8.08). However, in HgMn stars neon is almost universally underabundant, ranging from marginal deficits of 0.1,0.3 dex to underabundances of an order of magnitude or more. In many cases, the lines are so weak that only upper limits can be established. The most extreme example found is , Her with an underabundance of at least 1.5 dex. These underabundances are qualitatively expected from radiative acceleration calculations, which show that Ne has a very small radiative acceleration in the photosphere, and that it is expected to undergo gravitational settling if the mixing processes are sufficiently weak and there is no strong stellar wind. According to theoretical predictions, the low Ne abundances place an important constraint on the intensity of such stellar winds, which must be less than 10,14 M, yr,1 if they are non-turbulent. [source] Rotational motion of a discretized buckled beamPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2006H. Troger We study a simple discretized model of a vertical cylindrical beam with circular cross-section which is clamped at its lower end and free at its upper end. If the beam is longer than a critical length the initially straight configuration will loose its stability and the beam will buckle due to its own weight. Now the base of the buckled beam is rotated about its vertical axis. Several different families of steady state motions are detected for the undamped system. Their stability is investigated. Moreover it is shown that there is a big difference in the behavior of the discretized model of the beam whether internal damping is included in the model or not. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] The ecology and evolutionary endocrinology of reproduction in the human femaleAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue S49 2009Virginia J. Vitzthum Abstract Human reproductive ecology (HRE) is the study of the mechanisms that link variation in reproductive traits with variation in local habitats. Empirical and theoretical contributions from biological anthropology, physiology, and demography have established the foundation necessary for developing a comprehensive understanding, grounded in life history theory (LHT), of temporal, individual, and populational variation in women's reproductive functioning. LHT posits that natural selection leads to the evolution of mechanisms that tend to allocate resources to the competing demands of growth, reproduction, and survival such that fitness is locally maximized. (That is, among alternative allocation patterns exhibited in a population, those having the highest inclusive fitness will become more common over generational time.) Hence, strategic modulation of reproductive effort is potentially adaptive because investment in a new conception may risk one's own survival, future reproductive opportunities, and/or current offspring survival. The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis is the principal neuroendocrine pathway by which the human female modulates reproductive functioning according to the changing conditions in her habitat. Adjustments of reproductive investment in a potential conception are manifested in temporal and individual variation in ovarian cycle length, ovulation, hormone levels, and the probability of conception. Understanding the extent and causes of adaptive and non-adaptive variation in ovarian functioning is fundamental to ascertaining the proximate and remote determinants of human reproductive patterns. In this review I consider what is known and what still needs to be learned of the ecology of women's reproductive biology, beginning with a discussion of the principal explanatory frameworks in HRE and the biometry of ovarian functioning. Turning next to empirical studies, it is evident that marked variation between cycles, women, and populations is the norm rather than an aberration. Other than woman's age, the determinants of these differences are not well characterized, although developmental conditions, dietary practices, genetic variation, and epigenetic mechanisms have all been hypothesized to play some role. It is also evident that the reproductive functioning of women born and living in arduous conditions is not analogous to that of athletes, dieters, or even the lower end of the "normal range" of HPO functioning in wealthier populations. Contrary to the presumption that humans have low fecundity and an inefficient reproductive system, both theory and present evidence suggest that we may actually have very high fecundity and a reproductive system that has evolved to be flexible, ruthlessly efficient and, most importantly, strategic. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 52:95,136, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] High-precision isotopic analysis of palmitoylcarnitine by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap tandem mass spectrometryRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 22 2006ZengKui Guo Single quadrupole gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been widely used for isotopic analysis in metabolic investigations using stable isotopes as tracers. However, its inherent shortcomings prohibit it from broader use, including low isotopic precision and the need for chemical derivatization of the analyte. In order to improve isotopic detection power, liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-itMS2) has been evaluated for its isotopic precision and chemical sensitivity for the analysis of [13C]palmitoylcarnitine. Over the enrichment range of 0.4,10 MPE (molar % excess), the isotopic response of LC/ESI-itMS2 to [13C]palmitoylcarnitine was linear (r,=,1.00) and the average isotopic precision (standard deviation, SD) was 0.11 MPE with an average coefficient of variation (CV) of 5.6%. At the lower end of isotopic enrichments (0.4,0.9 MPE), the isotopic precision was 0.05 MPE (CV,=,8%). Routine analysis of rat skeletal muscle [13C4]palmitoylcarnitine demonstrated an isotopic precision of 0.03 MPE for gastrocnemius (n,=,16) and of 0.02 MPE for tibialis anterior (n,=,16). The high precision enabled the detection of a small (0.08 MPE) but significant (P,=,0.01) difference in [13C4]palmitoylcarnitine enrichments between the two muscles, 0.51 MPE (CV,=,5.8%) and 0.43 MPE (CV,=,4.6%), respectively. Therefore, the system demonstrated an isotopic lower detection limit (LDL) of ,0.1 MPE (2 × SD) that has been impossible previously with other organic mass spectrometry instruments. LC/ESI-itMS2 systems have the potential to advance metabolic investigations using stable isotopes to a new level by significantly increasing the isotopic solving power. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Income Growth and Earnings Variations in New Zealand, 1998,2004THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 3 2006Dean Hyslop This article analyses changes in the distributions of working-age individuals' earnings and total income in New Zealand over the period 1998,2004. We find that there have been broad gains in income across the distribution, suggesting the spoils of growth have been shared widely. Mean and median earnings increased 15 and 23 per cent respectively, while mean and median income increased 12,13 per cent. Inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, was more stable: earnings inequality fell 4 per cent, while income inequality was unchanged. The main drivers of the changes were employment and real wage growth. We estimate that roughly one-half of the growth in average incomes was due to employment growth, and one-quarter each to demographic changes and wage growth. The relative employment and wage contributions varied across the income distribution: employment growth dominated gains at the lower end of the distribution, while wage gains dominated changes at the higher end. [source] Genetic and environmental influence on language impairment in 4-year-old same-sex and opposite-sex twinsTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 2 2004Essi Viding Background:, We investigated the aetiology of language impairment in 579 four-year-old twins with low language performance and their co-twins, members of 160 MZ twin pairs, 131 same-sex DZ pairs and 102 opposite-sex DZ pairs. Methods:, Language impairment in 4-year-olds was defined by scores below the 15th percentile on a general factor derived from an extensive language test battery. Language impairment of different degrees of severity was investigated by using multiple cut-offs below the 15th percentile. Results:, DeFries,Fulker extremes analysis indicated that language impairment as measured by the general language scale is under strong genetic influence. In addition, group differences heritability showed an increasing trend (from 38% to 76%) as a function of severity of language impairment. Although more boys are impaired than girls, incorporating opposite-sex DZ pairs into the analysis found neither quantitative nor qualitative differences between boys and girls in genetic and environmental aetiologies. Conclusions:, Language impairment at four years is heritable. This finding replicates previous research on language impairment and extends it by showing that language impairment is heritable in twins selected from a representative community sample. Despite the mean difference between boys and girls, genetic and environmental influences are quantitatively and qualitatively similar for language impairment for boys and girls. For both boys and girls, heritability appears to be greater for more severe language impairment, indicating stronger influence of genes at the lower end of language ability. [source] Nucleotide diversity on the ovine Y chromosomeANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2004J. R. S. Meadows Summary To investigate the impact of male-mediated introgression during the evolution of sheep breeds, a sequencing approach was used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the male-specific region of the ovine Y chromosome (MSY). A total of 4380 bp, which comprised nine fragments from five MSY genes was sequenced within a panel of 14 males from seven breeds. Sequence alignment identified a single segregating site, an A/G SNP located approximately 1685 bp upstream of the ovine SRY gene. The resulting estimation of nucleotide diversity (,Y = 0.90 ± 0.50 × 10,4) falls towards the lower end of estimates from other species. This was compared with the nucleotide diversity estimated from the autosomal component of the genome. Sequence analysis of 2933 bp amplified from eight autosomal genes revealed a nucleotide diversity (,A = 2.15 ± 0.27 × 10,3) higher than previously reported for sheep. Following adjustment for the contrasting influence of effective population size and a male biased mutation rate, comparison revealed that approximately 10% of the expected nucleotide diversity is present on the ovine Y chromosome. [source] Maerl growth, carbonate production rates and accumulation rates in the ne atlanticAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue S1 2003Dan Bosence Abstract 1.Accumulations of maerl occur widely in ocean facing coastal waters (<20,30 m depth) of the northeast Atlantic, that are sheltered from the direct SW approach of storm waves and have little terrigenous sediment supply. 2.The different methods that have been used to assess the rate of formation of cool temperate, coralline algal gravels (maerl) are outlined. 3.Formation rates of maerl may be expressed as short-term, branch growth rates (mm yr,1), as calcium carbonate production rates (g CaCO3 m,2 yr,1), or as longer-term accumulation rates (m kyr,1=m 1000 yr,1). 4.Branch growth rates of the free living, branching coralline algae that form maerl in northwest Spain and western Ireland vary from 0.1 to 1.0 mm yr,1. Rates from Norway are either 0.05,0.15 or up to 1.0 mm yr,1. 5.Production rates vary from 30,250 g CaCO3 m,2 yr,1 in western Ireland, 876 g CaCO3 m,2 yr,1 in northwest France and 90,143 or 895,1423 g CaCO3 m,2 yr,1 in Norway. 6.Accumulation rates vary from 0.08 m ky,1 in Orkney to 0.5 m ky,1 in Cornwall, to 0.8,1.4 m kyr,1 in Norway. 7.These production and accumulation rates are similar to the lower end of such rates from tropical coral reef environments. This is achieved by high standing crops that compensate for the lower growth rates of the temperate algae. Although rapid on a geological time-scale these accumulation rates are far too low for the maerl to be regarded as a sustainable resource for extraction for agricultural and industrial use. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Domenico Fontana (1543,1607) und seine Sippe , Berühmte Tessiner Ingenieurarchitekten in Diensten von Papst und KönigBAUTECHNIK, Issue 3 2007Paul Caminada Dipl.-Ing. Vor 400 Jahren, anno 1607, starb "ingegniere maggiore del Regno" (Oberingenieur des Königreichs) Domenico Fontana in Neapel und wurde dort in der Kirche S. Anna dei Lombardi feierlich beigesetzt. Er wurde 1543 in Melide am Luganer See geboren als Sohn des Sebastiano Fontana und dessen Frau Domenica, geborene Paerino. Die Fontana , Domenico mit den Brüdern Giovanni und Marsilio sowie der Neffe Carlo Maderno, geboren in Capologo am unteren Luganer See , hatten sich in jungen Jahren aufgemacht, um ihr Glück in Rom zu suchen. Die fremde Herkunft der Tessiner Comasken oder "comacini" (maestri), die aus dem damaligen Gebiet der Diözese Como stammten, war kennzeichnend für das Architekturambiente von imposanten Kirchen, Palästen und Residenzen in der zweiten Hälfte des 16. und Anfang des 17. Jahrhunderts, das von Nicht-Römern dominiert wurde. In der Fremde hatten sie es , zusammen mit vielen anderen, darunter auch Francesco Borromini, ein Schüler und Mitarbeiter von Domenico s Neffen Carlo Maderno , zu Erfolg, Ruhm und großem Ansehen gebracht. Die Berufsausbildung der Tessiner Immigranten war ursprünglich in der Hauptsache eine handwerkliche (Stukkateure, Steinmetze und Maurer), wobei die Fähigsten zu Meistern, Architekten und Ingenieuren aufstiegen. Durch ständige Weiterbildung wußten die Fontana mit Zirkel, Winkel und Meßlatte umzugehen. Sie waren in der Lage, Formen schöpferisch zu gestalten, und schufen Schönes und Zweckmäßiges in idealen und vollkommenen Proportionen: zuerst zeichnerisch auf dem Papier und dann in der Ausführung. Als perfekte Organisatoren waren sie auch fähig, Transporte, Hebemaschinen, Rollen und Flaschenzüge auf den riesigen Baustellen sinnvoll einzusetzen. Domenico Fontana (1543,1607) and his family , famous engineers and architects from Ticino, in the service of the Pope and the King. 400 years ago, in 1607, the "ingegniere maggiore del Regno" (the Senior Engineer of the Kingdom), Domenico Fontana, died in Naples and was given a ceremonial burial in the church of Saint Anna of Lombardi. He was born in 1543 in Melide on Lake Lugano, the son of Sebastiano Fontana and his wife Domenica, née Paerino. When they were still young, the Fontanas , Domenico, his brothers Giovanni and Marsilio and a nephew, Carlo Maderno, who was born in Capologo at the lower end of Lake Lugano , set off to seek their fortune in Rome. The foreign provenance of the "comacini" from Ticino , master craftsmen from the diocese of Como, as it was at that time, was characteristic of the architecture of the imposing churches, palaces and residences that prevailed in the second half of the 16th and the start of the 17th century and which was dominated by non-Romans. Away from home, along with numerous others, including Francesco Borromini, a pupil and colleague of Domenico's nephew Carlo Maderno, they had achieved success and fame and were held in great regard. Originally, the immigrants from Ticino had mostly been taught to work with their hands (they were plasterers, stone carvers or masons) and the most skilled of them progressed to become master craftsmen, architects or engineers. By continuing their training, the Fontanas became familiar with the use of square and compasses and measuring staffs. They were able to use shape creatively, and built beautiful and useful objects in ideal and perfect proportion, first drawing the designs on paper and then executing them. They were also highly skilled organisers and were able to use transporters, lifting gear, rollers and pulleys to good effect on the huge building sites. [source] Assessment of body composition in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosisPEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Greg D. Wells PhD Abstract Rationale Cystic fibrosis (CF) leads to pathological changes in organs that express the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), including secretory cells of the digestive tract and the pancreas. Maintaining nutritional sufficiency is challenging for CF patients and therefore accurate monitoring is important for their clinical management. Purpose The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of skinfold measurements as an accurate method for determining body composition (fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM)) of this population, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as a gold standard comparison and to determine the most accurate equation for this calculation in children with CF. Methods Fifty-five pediatric patients with CF participated in the study. FM and LBM calculated via four methods: Slaughter, Durnin, Durenberg (2-site and 4-site). The relationship between the methods and DEXA results were estimated by intraclass-correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland and Altman analyses. Results The Slaughter method was the most accurate (ICC of 0.92 for FM and 0.99 for LBM) and displayed the least bias over the range of FM and LBM in CF patients. In addition, the results of Bland Altman analyses comparing each skinfold method to DEXA, revealed that the results were evenly distributed along the range of values for the Slaughter calculation, whereas the other three methods under and over estimated % fat results at the upper and lower ends of the range respectively. Conclusion We therefore conclude that the Slaughter method may be used for body composition assessment of pediatric CF patients. This provides clinical teams with a simple, accurate and non-invasive method that can be used to monitor nutritional status in pediatric patients with CF. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:1025,1032. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. 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