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Older Ones (older + ones)
Selected AbstractsPenitentials and the practice of penance in the tenth and eleventh centuriesEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 1 2006Rob Meens This article reconsiders the function of penitentials in the tenth and eleventh centuries; were they used mainly to support priests in the administration of penance, or rather as legal texts in either the episcopal court or in the schoolroom? Through an examination of the evidence of the manuscripts from across Europe, it shows that whilst few new penitentials were composed, many older ones, especially those which gave their authorities, continued to be copied in this period, and that most were preserved in a legal rather than pastoral context. Finally, it suggests that this shift towards collections of a legal nature indicates not only tighter episcopal control, but also a concern for the better legal training of priests. [source] Information and communication technology among undergraduate dental students in FinlandEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2002Jorma I. Virtanen Use of information and communication technology (ICT) is rapidly increasing in medical and dental education. The aim of the present study was to determine the knowledge, skills and opinions of dental undergraduate students regarding ICT and to analyze possible shifts in the acquisition of these resources. For these purposes a survey of all undergraduate dental students at the University of Oulu, Finland, was conducted during the spring term 2000. All the students in the 5 years of study (n = 140) were asked to answer a questionnaire presented during a lecture or demonstration. An overall response rate of 95% was achieved. The frequencies and percentage distributions of the items were analyzed separately for each year (1,5). All the students in the faculty are provided with personal e-mail addresses at the beginning of their studies and special emphasis has been laid on the utilization of their ICT knowledge and skills. An overwhelming majority of the students, more than 95%, judged themselves to have good or satisfactory skills in word processing, but only a slight majority considered that they could manage some advanced operating system functions. Use of ICT services was high, as about 60% of the students used e-mail and one-third WWW services daily. Literature retrieval was widely employed, so that almost 80% of the students had used literature databases (including Ovid Medline and collections of electronic full-text articles), which were introduced and provided by the Medical Library when the students were in their second year. More than 50% had received educational material in electronic form often or sometimes, and almost 80% had communicated by e-mail with a faculty teacher. A clear trend (P < 0.05) was found for the younger students to use ICT services in general and for educational purposes more often than the older ones. In conclusion, e-mail and WWW have been widely adopted for both private and educational purposes by dental students in Finland and are employed together with WWW-based medical and dental publication databases. The younger students have more interest in ICT and better skills, which presents a challenge for dental education in the future. [source] Adaptive routing algorithms and buffer management in multihop metropolitan area networksEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 3 2002Paolo Giacomazzi The present study is devoted to multihop Metropolitan Area Network architectures characterized by some buffer capacity at the nodes and routing algorithm slightly more complex than those already present in the literature. A new adaptive routing algorithm and a new buffer management scheme are presented, and their performance are compared to that of the best algorithms known in the literature. Both the new proposals exhibit significant improvements in throughput and delay with respect to the older ones, for various MAN topologies, sizes and buffer dimensions. These results, which in some cases are very close to the theoretical optimum, are achieved with an implementation complexity well within the limits of present day technology. [source] Neurogenesis and cell cycle-reactivated neuronal death during pathogenic tau aggregationGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 2008K. Schindowski The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between neurogenesis, cell cycle reactivation and neuronal death during tau pathology in a novel tau transgenic mouse line THY-Tau22 with two frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome-17 mutations in a human tau isoform. This mouse displays all Alzheimer disease features of neurodegeneration and a broad timely resolution of tau pathology with hyperphosphorylation of tau at younger age (up to 6 months) and abnormal tau phosphorylation and tau aggregation in aged mice (by 10 months). Here, we present a follow-up of cell cycle markers with aging in control and transgenic mice from different ages. We show that there is an increased neurogenesis during tau hyperphosphorylation and cell cycle events during abnormal tau phosphorylation and tau aggregation preceding neuronal death and neurodegeneration. However, besides phosphorylation, other mechanisms including tau mutations and changes in tau expression and/or splicing may be also involved in these mechanisms of cell cycle reactivation. Altogether, these data suggest that cell cycle events in THY-Tau22 are resulting from neurogenesis in young animals and cell death in older ones. It suggests that neuronal cell death in such models is much more complex than believed. [source] A study into dentists' knowledge of the treatment of traumatic injuries to young permanent incisorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2005M. N. KOSTOPOULOU Summary. Objective., The aims of this study were to evaluate dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of traumatic injuries to young permanent incisors, and to investigate barriers to treatment. Design., A closed-ended questionnaire was sent to 1023 general dental practitioners (GDPs) and community dental officers (CDOs) in West/North Yorkshire and Humberside, UK. Methods., The questionnaire comprised 17 questions. Six questions asked for general information about the participants (i.e. profession, age, gender, year of graduation, training or education on dental trauma, and willingness to provide emergency care), 10 were relevant to the emergency treatment of crown fractures, root fractures, luxation and avulsion injuries, and the last question queried any perceived barriers to treatment. Results., Seven hundred and twenty-four questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 71%, and these indicated that dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of dentoalveolar trauma in children was inadequate. The CDOs were significantly more knowledgeable than the GDPs, as were younger and more recently graduated dentists compared with older ones. The GDPs regarded the difficulty of treating children and the inadequate fees of the UK National Health Service as important barriers to treatment. Dentists who attended continuing dental education courses on dental traumatology had a more thorough knowledge than those who did not. Conclusion., Overall, the dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of dentoalveolar trauma in children was inadequate. Greater emphasis on undergraduate and postgraduate education in this area is indicated. [source] A review of vector convergence acceleration methods, with applications to linear algebra problemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2009C. Brezinski Abstract In this article, in a few pages, we will try to give an idea of convergence acceleration methods and extrapolation procedures for vector sequences, and to present some applications to linear algebra problems and to the treatment of the Gibbs phenomenon for Fourier series in order to show their effectiveness. The interested reader is referred to the literature for more details. In the bibliography, due to space limitation, we will only give the more recent items, and, for older ones, we refer to Brezinski and Redivo-Zaglia, Extrapolation methods. (Extrapolation Methods. Theory and Practice, North-Holland, 1991). This book also contains, on a magnetic support, a library (in Fortran 77 language) for convergence acceleration algorithms and extrapolation methods. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009 [source] Acute Myocardial Infarction Without Disrupted Yellow Plaque in Young Patients Below 50 Years OldJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., F.J.C.C., Ph.D., YASUNORI UEDA M.D. Objective: Thrombosis caused by disrupted yellow plaque is regarded as a cause of acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, it has not been clarified if young patients have the same pathophysiology as older ones. Therefore, we elucidated clinical and angioscopic characteristics of young patients. Methods: Among a series of patients (n = 893) who received catheterization for acute MI, clinical characteristics were compared between patients <50 years (n = 66) and the rest of patients. Angioscopic appearance of culprit lesions was evaluated in 20 young patients in whom angioscopic examination was successfully performed. It was determined if culprit lesions had disrupted yellow plaque with thrombus (DYP&T). Results: Patients <50 years had higher prevalence of smoking (68% vs. 48%, P = 0.001), obesity (42% vs. 15%, P < 0.0001), and hypercholesterolemia (56% vs. 35%, P = 0.0005) than those ,50 years. DYP&T was detected at culprit lesions in 14 (70%) patients. Prevalence of DYP&T was lower in patients <40 years (44% vs. 91%, P = 0.02) than those between 40 and 50 years. Patients <40 years had a trend for higher prevalence of smoking (88% vs. 62%, P = 0.05) than those between 40 and 50 years. Conclusions: Patients with acute MI < 50 years, especially <40 years, had lower prevalence of DYP&T but higher prevalence of smoking, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia. Smoking may play an important role for thrombotic occlusion at lesions with relatively low thrombogenic potential. [source] Identification and composition of cuticular hydrocarbons of the major Afrotropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Diptera: Culicidae): analysis of sexual dimorphism and age-related changes,JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 12 2005Beniamino Caputo Abstract Forty-eight cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from the epicuticular surface of the major Afrotropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. The hydrocarbons identified were 14 n -alkanes, 16 monomethyl alkanes, 13 dimethyl alkanes, 5 alkenes, with main-chain lengths ranging from C17 to C47, and the results are consistent with those from other Culicidae species. Qualitative differences were not observed between laboratory pools of three females and males, between different age-groups (0,16 days) and between single field specimens, whereas quantitative differences in CHC profiles were observed. Differences between sexes were more marked in individuals aged 0,2 days than in older ones. Both sexes undergo strong CHC profile changes with age, and individuals aged 0,2 days differ remarkably from the older ones. The possibility of exploiting these changes for estimating the age of mosquito was explored through multivariate analyses of the relative abundance of the compounds, using either the whole CHC profile or a subset of CHCs. Such a method allows us to assign more than 85% of females and 75% of males to the correct age-group. Although preliminary, these results show that the method is promising, as it has already been shown in Aedes aegypti and An. stephensi. The correct determination of the vector age (particularly in the case of the An. gambiae complex of sibling species) provides valuable information in malaria epidemiology and in evaluation of the effectiveness of vector control strategies. Further efforts will be made to validate this method on single specimens reared in seminatural conditions before being proposed to medical entomologists working in the Afrotropical region. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How are new citation-based journal indicators adding to the bibliometric toolbox?JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Loet Leydesdorff The launching of Scopus and Google Scholar, and methodological developments in social-network analysis have made many more indicators for evaluating journals available than the traditional impact factor, cited half-life, and immediacy index of the ISI. In this study, these new indicators are compared with one another and with the older ones. Do the various indicators measure new dimensions of the citation networks, or are they highly correlated among themselves? Are they robust and relatively stable over time? Two main dimensions are distinguished,size and impact,which together shape influence. The h-index combines the two dimensions and can also be considered as an indicator of reach (like Indegree). PageRank is mainly an indicator of size, but has important interactions with centrality measures. The Scimago Journal Ranking (SJR) indicator provides an alternative to the journal impact factor, but the computation is less easy. [source] Age-related changes in the human thymus studied with scanning electron microscopyMICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 8 2008Carlo Cavallotti Abstract This investigation describes some morphological, age-related changes in different compartments and cells of the human thymus. Scanning electron microscopic observations were done on human thymus samples obtained from four young and eight elderly patients during thoracic surgery and/or diagnostic biopsy of the thymus, after receiving authorization from the Ethical Committee of our university. The morphological data were submitted to quantitative image analysis so as to obtain quantitative results. Subsequently, the related values were used for statistical analysis. Our findings demonstrate that (1) all thymus compartments (subcapsular spaces, cortical, medullar, thymus microenvironment) contain numerous thymocytes even after the thymus has aged. (2) In older humans, residual thymus lymphoid islets contain, in addition to fatty cells and/or fibrous cells, also the same types of resident and nonresident cells (permanent and moving cells) that are found in young and adult subjects. (3) Endothelial cells of thymus microvessels contain numerous gaps. These gaps are tight in young subjects and become loose with age. (4) Thymocytes, in older subjects, are always found near these loose endothelial gaps of thymus microvessels. (5) While thymus cortical microvessels are provided with pericytes and/or periarteriolar spaces, microvessels of the thymus medullar are free of such spaces. Our morphological and quantitative results lead us to consider the possibility that the thymus fraction of resident and permanent cells (including thymocytes and reticular epithelial cells) is larger in younger subjects compared with older ones. The endothelial loose gaps of thymus microvessels, in older subjects, can allow the bidirectional transit of thymocytes through the wall of the said microvessels. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Formation of blue compact dwarf galaxies from merging and interacting gas-rich dwarfsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY: LETTERS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008Kenji Bekki ABSTRACT We present the results of numerical simulations which show the formation of blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies from merging between very gas-rich dwarfs with extended H i gas discs. We show that dwarf,dwarf merging can trigger central starbursts and form massive compact cores dominated by young stellar populations. We also show that the pre-existing old stellar components in merger precursor dwarfs can become diffuse low surface brightness components after merging. The compact cores dominated by younger stellar populations and embedded in more diffusely distributed older ones can be morphologically classified as BCDs. Since new stars can be formed from gas transferred from the outer part of the extended gas discs of merger precursors, new stars can be very metal-poor ([Fe/H] < ,1). Owing to very high gaseous pressure exceeding 105 kB (where kB is the Boltzmann constant) during merging, compact star clusters can be formed in forming BCDs. The BCDs formed from merging can still have extended H i gas discs surrounding their blue compact cores. We discuss whether tidal interaction of gas-rich dwarfs without merging can also form BCDs. [source] Yeast associated with human infections in south-eastern NigeriaMYCOSES, Issue 6 2006L. N. Abia-Bassey Summary A total of 1921 specimens from nine clinical sources were examined by direct microscopy and culture to recover yeast associated with human infection. Identification of yeast was based on their carbon assimilation patterns, using API 20C AUX and ID 32 C (bioMérieux, France) commercial kits. A total of 178 specimens (9.3%) were positive for yeast. Most of the yeast isolates were recovered from urine samples and genital swabs. Prevalence was significantly higher in women (14.7%) than in men (1.4%) (P < 0.05). The age group 21,30 years recorded the highest prevalence of yeast infection (65.2%) followed by age group 11,20 years (16.9%) and >40 years (9.0%). When genital samples were considered, prevalence was significantly higher in the age group 21,30 years than that in older ones (P < 0.05). Isolates recovered included seven species of Candida and Trichosporon inkin. C. albicans accounted for the highest number of isolates (128) followed by C. tropicalis (23) and C. parapsilosis (9). Two isolates each of C. famata and C. norvegensis were recorded and are reported for the first time in Nigeria. The two isolates of T. inkin were recovered from perianal lesions and are also reported for the first time from Nigeria. C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. krusei were found to be the most common yeast species that act as agents of human disease in south-eastern Nigeria. [source] Climate variables as predictors of basal metabolic rate: New equationsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Andrew W. Froehle Estimation of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily energy expenditure (DEE) in living humans and in fossil hominins can be used to understand the way populations adapt to different environmental and nutritional circumstances. One variable that should be considered in such estimates is climate, which may influence between-population variation in BMR. Overall, populations living in warmer climates tend to have lower BMR than those living in colder climates, even after controlling for body size and composition. Current methods of estimating BMR ignore climate, or deal with its effects in an insufficient manner. This may affect studies that use the factorial method to estimate DEE from BMR, when BMR is not measured but predicted using an equation. The present meta-analysis of published BMR uses stepwise regression to investigate whether the inclusion of climate variables can produce a generally applicable model for human BMR. Regression results show that mean annual temperature and high heat index temperature have a significant effect on BMR, along with body size, age and sex. Based on the regression analysis, equations predicting BMR from body size and climate variables were derived and compared with existing equations. The new equations are generally more accurate and more consistent across climates than the older ones. Estimates of DEE in living and fossil humans using the new equations are compared with estimates using previously published equations, illustrating the utility of including climate variables in estimates of BMR. The new equations derived here may prove useful for future studies of human energy expenditure. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Phonological memory as a predictor of language comprehension in Down syndrome: a five-year follow-up studyTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 2 2004Glynis Laws Background:, This study reports the language and memory progress over five years of 30 adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome, and investigates the relationship of earlier phonological memory abilities to later language development. Methods:, Tests of nonverbal ability, receptive vocabulary, grammar comprehension, digit span and nonword repetition were administered at two points in time. Results:, For the sample as a whole, there were significant gains in nonverbal ability, receptive vocabulary and grammar comprehension, but no increases in phonological memory measured by nonword repetition or digit span. However, there were considerable individual differences in progress which, in part, were related to chronological age. Phonological memory improved in many younger participants but there were signs of decline in some older ones. Partial correlations between earlier nonword repetition scores and later language scores, controlling for nonverbal ability and earlier language scores, indicated a significant role for phonological memory in the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge. There was similar evidence of a role for phonological memory in grammar comprehension, but only for younger participants. Earlier receptive vocabulary also predicted later nonword repetition scores, particularly for participants with higher levels of vocabulary knowledge. Conclusion:, Relationships among the processes involved in language and memory development in Down syndrome may be similar to those established for typical development. [source] US Credit Unions: An Empirical Investigation of Size, Age and GrowthANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2005by John Goddard Ceteris paribus larger credit unions grew faster than smaller unions. State credit unions grew faster than federal credit unions, and single bond credit unions grew faster than multiple bond credit unions. The size-growth gradients were generally steeper for state than for federal credit unions, and for single bond than for multiple bond credit unions. These patterns are attributed to variations in legislation and regulatory treatment. There is some evidence that younger credit unions tended to outgrow older ones. This seems consistent with a life cycle typology of credit union growth and development. There is also evidence of a positive persistence of growth effect. The cross-sectional variance of growth is inversely related to size, but is largely independent of age. [source] Employment impacts of cleaner production , evidence from a German study using case studies and surveysBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2001Friedhelm Pfeiffer The study assesses net employment effects of technical progress, which can be expected by the ongoing transition from end-of-pipe technologies towards cleaner production. Empirical evidence is presented on the basis of case studies and firm data including a telephone survey from German industry. The main result is that the transition from end-of-pipe technologies to cleaner production leads to a net creation of jobs, which is however restricted to a only small number of firms and to the group of highly skilled labour. Eco-innovations, like other innovations, are non-neutral. The demand for skilled and highly skilled labour rises while the demand for unskilled labour decreases. Synergies between environmental, labour market and innovation policy are apparent but they are however small and specific. The exploitation of these synergies requires the design of specific policy programmes differentiating between types of eco-innovation. The promotion of product-integrated environmental measures should be more successful if new products complement older ones, while process-integrated environmental measures should be more successful if consumers' demand is more price elastic. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] | |||||||||||||||||||