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Major Characteristics (major + characteristic)
Selected AbstractsDevelopment and application of the ,Sleep Ukiha' automated sleep analysis systemPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 3 2000Shinichiro Shirakawa MD Abstrast We attempted to develop an automated sleep analysis system that uses a personal computer as an aid to the entire sleep research process. Analysis is based on electroencephalogram, chin muscle electromyogram and electrooculography, while other physiological phenomena can be handled arbitrarily. Major characteristics of the system include: (i) simultaneous gathering of physiological phenomena from up to three patients; (ii) high-speed waveform analysis; (iii) user-friendly operating environment through the use of a graphical user interface; and (iv) versatile utilization of analytical data in research. [source] Skeletal muscle fibre diversity and the underlying mechanismsACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010M. Canepari Abstract The review first briefly summarizes how myosin isoforms have been identified as the major determinant of the functional variability among skeletal muscle fibres. The latter feature is a major characteristic of muscle fibres and a major basis of skeletal muscle heterogeneity and plasticity in vivo. Then, evidence is reported, which indicates that the properties of muscle fibres can vary with no change in the myosin isoform they express. Moreover, the physiological and pathological conditions (ageing, disuse, exercise training, muscular dystrophy) in which such myosin isoform independent change in functional properties occurs and the possible underlying mechanisms are considered. Finally, the known molecular bases of the functional differences among slow and fast isoforms are briefly dealt with. [source] Analysis of a Japanese Black Cattle-rearing system utilizing a bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pasture: 3.GRASSLAND SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006Intake from pasture Abstract A Japanese Black Cattle-rearing system utilizing a bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pasture in coastal Miyazaki, southern Japan, was analyzed in terms of intake from pasture. In a field approach, herbage intake by grazing cattle was measured for nine periods (1,5 days) during a grazing season (May,October) along with some other variables (e.g. air temperature, herbage mass, digestibility of grazed herbage), under varying levels of supplementary feeding. The intake from the pasture was most closely related to the intake of supplement, showing a negative linear response at a substitution rate of 0.736,0.750. The intake under no supplementation, i.e. a maximum intake from the pasture, was lower than the voluntary intake predicted with feeding standards. In a modeling approach, a semi-mechanistic model for predicting grazing intake was developed using information from the literature as well as the field data. The performance of the model was acceptable. The model showed similar substitution rates (0.64,0.69), and considerable intake restriction (nearly 30%) that is not attributable to limitations by herbage mass, herbage allowance, diet digestibility or air temperature. The results indicate that a low maximal intake by the animals due to low grazing motivation is a major characteristic of the system where supplementation is a usual management practice. [source] An empirical investigation of the social market for cigarettesHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 10 2007Brett Katzman Abstract A major characteristic of teenage smoking is the ability to ,bum' cigarettes from peers. To date, research into the determinants of teenage smoking has largely ignored the effects of this social market on the smoking decisions of teenagers. In this paper, we estimate the demand for cigarettes using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey which distinguishes teens who primarily buy cigarettes from those who primarily borrow cigarettes. Our results demonstrate the ways in which higher cigarette prices and restrictions on smoking influence not only a teen's decision to smoke and the quantity of cigarettes smoked, but also the manner in which cigarettes are acquired. We show that current cigarette regulations are ineffective in reaching the group of light smokers who primarily obtain cigarettes through the social market, thus indicating that alternative measures should be explored in an effort to reduce the number of smokers in the future. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Characteristics of and interventions for fever in JapanINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 4 2004Y. Ikematsu rn Abstract Purpose:, As part of a larger multinational validation study of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) alpha version, a survey was conducted in Japan to determine characteristics of ,fever' and interventions to treat febrile patients. Sample:, Three hundred and fifty-six acute and critical care Japanese nurses participated in this study. Method:, The major and minor characteristics of ,fever' perceived by Japanese nurses and interventions used by the nurses in managing febrile patients were identified using the Diagnostic Content Validity (DCV) model. Results:, Two characteristics, ,increased body temperature' and ,chills' were selected as major characteristics from the standardized list of the ICNP® alpha version validation study. Nine characteristics among the standardized list of characteristics were rated as minor characteristics, and six of the ICNP® characteristics were rejected. ,Shivering' and ,infectious lab data' were added with a level of representativeness similar to a major characteristic by nine of the nurses. A variety of interventions to treat fever were reported. The most frequently reported intervention was cooling, followed by warming and medication. Nine dimensions were derived from all reported interventions. Discussion:, As well as perceived characteristics of fever, these interventions may have aspects unique to Japanese nursing practice and to the acute and critical care settings. These results can be compared to those of other populations in future studies. [source] Hepatocyte growth factor induction of macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 and osteophyte-inducing factors in osteoarthritisJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 5 2007Berno Dankbar Abstract In osteoarthritis (OA), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is supposed to play a role in cartilage repair. Because the development of osteophytes is a major characteristic of OA and thought to be part of an attempted repair process, the purpose of this study was to determine whether HGF may be involved in osteophyte formation. HGF levels in synovial fluids from 41 patients assessed by enzyme immunosorbant assay were correlated with disease severity and osteophyte formation, evaluated by anteroposterior weight-bearing radiographs. Detection of HGF, c-Met, and CD68 in cartilage and synovial tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Effects of HGF on the secretion of TGF-,1 and BMP-2 by chondrocytes, fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS), and macrophages as well as HGF-induced secretion of MCP-1 by FLS and chondrocytes were determined by ELISA. HGF was detected in all synovial fluids and concentrations correlated highly with disease severity and osteophyte formation (p,<,0.001). Immunohistochemistry revealed weak synovial staining for HGF, whereas increasing numbers of HGF expressing chondrocytes were detected depending on disease severity. In addition, an increased number of macrophages in synovial specimens was observed, which was likewise severity dependent. In a series of subsequent in vitro studies, HGF remarkable induced MCP-1 secretion by FLS in a dose-dependent manner. No effect on TGF-,1 and BMP-2 secretion by FLS and chondrocytes was evident upon HGF stimulation, whereas secretion of these growth factors by PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells was significantly increased by HGF. The results indicate that HGF may facilitate osteophyte development by promoting MCP-1-mediated entry of monocytes/macrophages into the OA-affected joint and/or by stimulating macrophage-derived growth factors. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:569,577, 2007 [source] Pathophysiology and therapy of pruritus in allergic and atopic diseasesALLERGY, Issue 7 2010J. Buddenkotte To cite this article: Buddenkotte J, Steinhoff M. Pathophysiology and therapy of pruritus in allergic and atopic diseases. Allergy 2010; 65: 805,821. Abstract Pruritus (itch) is a major characteristic and one of the most debiliating symptoms in allergic and atopic diseases and the diagnostic hallmark of atopic dermatitis. Pruritus is regularly defined as an unpleasant sensation provoking the desire to scratch. Although we achieved rather good knowledge about certain inducers of itch such as neuropeptides, amines, ,-opioids, cytokines and proteases, for example, less is known about the pathophysiological specifities among the different diseases, and the therapeutic consequences which may derive thereoff. This review dissects the role of mediators, receptors and itch inhibitors on peripheral nerve endings, dorsal root ganglia, the spinal cord and the CNS leading to the amplification or , vice versa , suppression of pruritus. As the treatment of pruritus in allergic and atopic skin disease is still not satisfactory, knowing these pathways and mechanisms may lead to novel therapeutic approaches against this frequently encountered skin symptom. [source] Symptom features of postpartum depression: are they distinct?,DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 1 2008Ira H. Bernstein Ph.D. Abstract The clinical features of postpartum depression and depression occurring outside of the postpartum period have rarely been compared. The 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR16) provides a means to assess core depressive symptoms. Item response theory and classical test theory analyses were conducted to examine differences between postpartum (n=95) and nonpostpartum (n=50) women using the QIDS-SR16. The two groups of females were matched on the basis of age. All met DSM-IV criteria for nonpsychotic major depressive disorder. Low energy level and restlessness/agitation were major characteristics of depression in both groups. The nonpostpartum group reported more sad mood, more suicidal ideation, and more reduced interest. In contrast, for postpartum depression sad mood was less prominent, while psychomotor symptoms (restlessness/agitation) and impaired concentration/decision-making were most prominent. These symptomatic differences between postpartum and other depressives suggest the need to include agitation/restlessness and impaired concentration/decision-making among screening questions for postpartum depression. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,7, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Biotransformation of xenobiotics by amine oxidasesFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Margherita Strolin Benedetti Although the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system ranks first in terms of catalytic versatility and the wide range of xenobiotics it detoxifies or activates to reactive intermediates, the contribution of amine oxidases and in particular of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) to the metabolism of xenobiotics is far from negligible but has been largely neglected. In this review on the involvement of amine oxidases in the metabolism of xenobiotics, the major characteristics reported for the CYP system (protein, reaction, tissue distribution, subcellular localisation, substrates, inhibitors, inducers, genetic polymorphism, impact of different physiopathological conditions on the activity, turnover) will be compared, whenever possible, with the corresponding characteristics of amine oxidases (MAOs in particular). The knowledge of the involvement of MAO-A, -B or both in the metabolism of a drug allows us to predict interactions with selective or non-selective MAO inhibitors (e.g. the metabolism of a drug deaminated by both forms of MAO is not necessarily inhibited in vivo by a selective MAO-A or -B inhibitor). If a drug is metabolized by MAOs, competitive interactions can occur with other drugs that are MAO substrates, e.g. with ,-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists, prodrugs of dopamine, serotonin 5-HT1 -receptor agonists as well as with primaquine, flurazepam and citalopram. Moreover, the knowledge of the involvement of MAOs in the metabolism of a drug may suggest possible, although not obligatory, interactions with tyramine-containing food or drink, with over the counter medicines sold to relieve the symptoms of coughs and colds (generally containing the indirectly-acting sympathomimetic amine phenylpropanolamine) or with phenylephrine-containing preparations. Finally, biotransformation by amine oxidases, as by CYP, does not always lead to detoxication but can produce toxic compounds. [source] Study of MANET routing protocols by GloMoSim simulatorINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2005Ashwini K. Pandey This paper compares ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV), dynamic source routing (DSR) and wireless routing protocol (WRP) for MANETs to distance vector protocol to better understand the major characteristics of the three routing protocols, using a parallel discrete event-driven simulator, GloMoSim. MANET (mobile ad hoc network) is a multi-hop wireless network without a fixed infrastructure. Following are some of our key findings: (1) AODV is most sensitive to changes in traffic load in the messaging overhead for routing. The number of control packets generated by AODV became 36 times larger when the traffic load was increased. For distance vector, WRP and DSR, their increase was approximately 1.3 times, 1.1 times and 7.6 times, respectively. (2) Two advantages common in the three MANET routing protocols compared to classical distance vector protocol were identified to be scalability for node mobility in end-to-end delay and scalability for node density in messaging overhead. (3) WRP resulted in the shortest delay and highest packet delivery rate, implying that WRP will be the best for real-time applications in the four protocols compared. WRP demonstrated the best traffic scalability; control overhead will not increase much when traffic load increases. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Characteristics of and interventions for fever in JapanINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 4 2004Y. Ikematsu rn Abstract Purpose:, As part of a larger multinational validation study of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) alpha version, a survey was conducted in Japan to determine characteristics of ,fever' and interventions to treat febrile patients. Sample:, Three hundred and fifty-six acute and critical care Japanese nurses participated in this study. Method:, The major and minor characteristics of ,fever' perceived by Japanese nurses and interventions used by the nurses in managing febrile patients were identified using the Diagnostic Content Validity (DCV) model. Results:, Two characteristics, ,increased body temperature' and ,chills' were selected as major characteristics from the standardized list of the ICNP® alpha version validation study. Nine characteristics among the standardized list of characteristics were rated as minor characteristics, and six of the ICNP® characteristics were rejected. ,Shivering' and ,infectious lab data' were added with a level of representativeness similar to a major characteristic by nine of the nurses. A variety of interventions to treat fever were reported. The most frequently reported intervention was cooling, followed by warming and medication. Nine dimensions were derived from all reported interventions. Discussion:, As well as perceived characteristics of fever, these interventions may have aspects unique to Japanese nursing practice and to the acute and critical care settings. These results can be compared to those of other populations in future studies. [source] Bioprocesses for the removal of nitrogen oxides from polluted airJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Yaomin Jin Abstract Nitrogen oxides (NOx) of environmental concern are nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). They are hazardous air pollutants that lead to the formation of acid rain and tropospheric ozone. Both pollutants are usually present simultaneously and are, therefore, called NOx. Another compound is N2O which is found in the stratosphere where it plays a role in the greenhouse effect. Concern for environmental and health issues coupled with stringent NOx emission standards generates a need for the development of efficient low-cost NOx abatement technologies. Under such circumstances, it becomes mandatory for each NOx-emitting industry or facility to opt for proper NOx control measures. Several techniques are available to control NOx emissions: selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), adsorption, scrubbing, and biological methods. Each process offers specific advantages and limitations. Since bioprocesses present many advantages over conventional technologies for flue gas cleaning, a lot of interest has recently been shown for these processes. This article reviews the major characteristics of conventional non-biological technologies and recent advances in the biological removal of NOx from flue gases based on the catalytic activity of either eucaryotes or procaryotes, ie nitrification, denitrification, the use of microalgae, and a combined physicochemical and biological process (BioDeNOx). Relatively uncomplicated design and simple operation and maintenance requirements make biological removal a good option for the control of NOx emissions in stationary sources. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Comparison of selected reasons for hospitalization of children among children's/tertiary hospitals, Australia, 1996,97 and 1997,98JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 7 2004JB Ford Objectives: To describe the major characteristics of admissions to children's/tertiary hospitals (compared to other hospitals) and to compare characteristics of local and non-local admissions to specialist children's hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a routinely collected data set of hospitalizations in Australia in 1996,97 and 1997,98. Results: Hospital-specific proportions of asthma and bronchitis, tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy and gastroenteritis varied considerably. Multivariate analysis comparing the characteristics of admitted patients by locality showed that non-local admissions of patients with asthma and bronchitis and gastroenteritis to selected children's hospitals were significantly more likely to be Indigenous children and/or children who had been transferred from another hospital. Non-local admissions of tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy patients to selected hospitals were significantly more likely to be public patients. Conclusions: Differences in the characteristics of admitted patients to children's hospitals by locality raise issues about equality of access and availability of appropriate services for these children and their families. [source] School Absenteeism and School Refusal Behavior: A Review and Suggestions for School-Based Health ProfessionalsJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 1 2006Christopher A. Kearney Unfortunately, few recommendations are available to such professionals about how to address this population. In this article, we (1) outline the major characteristics of school absenteeism and school refusal behavior, (2) review school-based health programs that have been designed in part to reduce absenteeism, and (3) provide suggestions for school health professionals regarding individual youths with school refusal behavior. (J Sch Health. 2006;76(1):3-7) [source] Novel factor of merit for center-frequency tunable bandpass filters comparisonMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 4 2009Emmanuel Pistono Abstract This article presents an improved factor of merit for the comparison of center-frequency tunable bandpass filters. This study draws up a comparison between existing tunable filters for which different commonly used parameters demonstrating their performance are given. A first factor of merit that takes all the major characteristics of such tunable filters into account is introduced. A second factor of merit is proposed to evaluate the filter compactness. These new factors of merit are applied for the comparison of more than 30 recently published papers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 985,988, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24220 [source] Pattern of geographical variation in petal shape in wild populations of Primula sieboldii E. MorrenPLANT SPECIES BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007YOSUKE YOSHIOKA Abstract The petal shape of Primula sieboldii E. Morren (Primulaceae) is diverse in wild populations. In this study, we investigated population differentiation in the petal shape of P. sieboldii using image analysis. Flowers were sampled from 160 genets from eight wild populations in the western to north-eastern parts of the Japanese archipelago. Principal component (PC) analysis of 40 coefficients of elliptic Fourier descriptors (EFDs) detected three major characteristics of petal shape variation: the ratio of length to width (PC1), the depth of the head notch (PC2) and the position of the center of gravity (PC3). To test the association between divergence in petal shape and geographical and genetic distances, we calculated two types of pairwise population distances for petal shape: Mahalanobis distances for the 40 EFD coefficients and for the first three PCs. The existence of an association between neutral genetic markers and petal shape was revealed by the Mahalanobis distances based on the 40 EFD coefficients, suggesting that evolutionary forces, such as founder effect and isolation by distance effect, are probably the main causes of differentiation in petal shape. In contrast, we found no association between Mahalanobis distances for the first three PCs and geographical and genetic distances. The discrepancy between the two petal shape distances indicated that the population differentiation promoted by the founder effects and isolation by distance effect appears mainly as subtle changes in petal shape rather than in major characteristics of petal shape variation. [source] Explaining the modality and contiguity effects: New insights from investigating students' viewing behaviourAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Florian Schmidt-Weigand The study examined viewing behaviour and learning outcome during multimedia learning in order to explore split-attention processes in modality and spatial contiguity effects. Fourty students viewed a computer instruction depicting the process of lightning. Exploratory text was spoken, written near or written far from accompanying animations. Students who received spoken text outperformed students who received written text in recalling the major steps (retention) and in identifying correct solutions to problems (transfer), replicating a modality effect. Differences between near and far written text presentation in retention (d,=,0.51) and transfer (d,=,0.68) tests failed statistical significance. Two major characteristics concerning the learners' viewing behaviour were identified: (a) in written text presentation, learning was largely text directed and (b) learning success was related to the time learners' spent looking at animations, indicating that the processing of animations is a crucial factor in explanations of modality and spatial contiguity effects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The significance of vitamin D for fish: a reviewAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 1 2010E.-J. LOCK Abstract Fish store large quantities of vitamin D in their liver and fat tissues, including the fat associated with muscle, and this makes fish an important dietary source of vitamin D. Fish do not synthesize vitamin D and are fully dependent on dietary sources to meet their requirement. Under natural circumstances planktonic vitamin D accumulates in the aquatic food chain. In aquaculture, formulated diets are used and vitamin D intake can be manipulated. The minimum dietary requirement for vitamin D has been established in several fish species. The role of vitamin D in fish physiology is still enigmatic. Till the 1970s there was consensus that fish accumulate but not metabolize vitamin D. There is substantial evidence now, four decades later, that fish have a vitamin D endocrine system with similar functions as in mammals. We here summarize the major characteristics of the fish vitamin D endocrine system. The hydroxylation of vitamin D to more polar metabolites, their plasma levels and protein-bound transport in blood plasma will be discussed. The vitamin D receptor profile, receptor distribution and responses to vitamin D are reviewed for the key target tissues (gill, intestine, kidney and bone). We will address the classical slower actions through transcription factors as well as the faster G-protein coupled (membrane) receptor mediated effects. We then review the dietary requirement of vitamin D in aquaculture and address some lesser known functions of the vitamin D endocrine system. [source] Impact of storms on mixed carbonate and siliciclastic shelves: insights from combined diffusive and fluid-flow transport stratigraphic forward modelBASIN RESEARCH, Issue 4 2004A. Quiquerez A quantitative stratigraphic model of mixed carbonate/siliciclastic continental shelves is presented to investigate the relationships between depositional processes and stratigraphic responses at long-term, large spatial scales. A diffusion model is combined with a fluid-flow approach to simulate both long-term factors, i.e. the processes controlling large-scale architecture, and short-term processes, i.e. sediment redistribution by storms. Any net sediment accumulation is the result of the succession of a storm and a fair-weather period. Sediments are mobilized by waves and advected by low-frequency currents during storm events. Sediments are then reworked and redistributed downslope by diffusive processes during fair-weather period. The results are successful in capturing several major characteristics of both modern and ancient depositional systems (geometry, differential preservation, net accumulation rates). The study highlights the importance of waves and unidirectional currents. Depositional geometry and shelf morphology depend on the balance between available sediment supply (generated in situ or detrital) and the transport energy, which is related to the style of sediment transport (diffusive or advective), and to the magnitude and frequency of storms. [source] Resolving the paradox of the active user: stable suboptimal performance in interactive tasksCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 6 2004Wai-Tat Fu Abstract This paper brings the intellectual tools of cognitive science to bear on resolving the "paradox of the active user" [Interfacing Thought: Cognitive Aspects of Human,Computer Interaction, Cambridge, MIT Press, MA, USA],the persistent use of inefficient procedures in interactive tasks by experienced or even expert users when demonstrably more efficient procedures exist. The goal of this paper is to understand the roots of this paradox by finding regularities in these inefficient procedures. We examine three very different data sets. For each data set, we first satisfy ourselves that the preferred procedures used by some subjects are indeed less efficient than the recommended procedures. We then amass evidence, for each set, and conclude that when a preferred procedure is used instead of a more efficient, recommended procedure, the preferred procedure tends to have two major characteristics: (1) the preferred procedure is a well-practiced, generic procedure that is applicable either within the same task environment in different contexts or across different task environments, and (2) the preferred procedure is composed of interactive components that bring fast, incremental feedback on the external problem states. The support amassed for these characteristics leads to a new understanding of the paradox. In interactive tasks, people are biased towards the use of general procedures that start with interactive actions. These actions require much less cognitive effort as each action results in an immediate change to the external display that, in turn, cues the next action. Unfortunately for the users, the bias to use interactive unit tasks leads to a path that requires more effort in the long run. Our data suggest that interactive behavior is composed of a series of distributed choices; that is, people seldom make a once-and-for-all decision on procedures. This series of biased selection of interactive unit tasks often leads to a stable suboptimal level of performance. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||