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Rate Differences (rate + difference)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	45%
Life Sciences	30%
Earth and Environmental Science	15%
2 Other Domains	10%

Selected Abstracts

Corticosteroid Treatment for Idiopathic Facial Nerve Paralysis: A Meta-analysis,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 3 2000
Mitchell Jay Ramsey CPT
Abstract Objective A meta-analysis was designed to evaluate facial recovery in patients with complete idiopathic facial nerve paralysis (IFNP) by comparing outcomes of those treated with corticosteroid therapy with outcomes of those treated with placebo or no treatment. Study Design Meta-analysis of prospective trials evaluating corticosteroid therapy for idiopathic facial nerve paralysis. Methods A protocol was followed outlining methods for trial selection, data extraction, and statistical analysis. A MEDLINE search of the English language literature was performed to identify clinical trials evaluating steroid treatment of IFNP. Three independent observers used an eight-point analysis to determine inclusion criteria. Data analysis was limited to individuals with clinically complete IFNP. The endpoints measured were clinically complete or incomplete facial motor recovery. Effect magnitude and significance were evaluated by calculating the rate difference and Fisher's Exact Test P value. Pooled analysis was performed with a random effects model. Results Forty-seven trials were identified. Of those, 27 were prospective and 20 retrospective. Three prospective trials met the inclusion criteria. Tests of heterogeneity indicate the trial with the smallest sample size (RD = ,0.19; 95% CI, ,0.58,0.20), to be an outlier. It was excluded from the final analysis. Analyses of data from the remaining two studies indicate corticosteroid treatment improves complete facial motor recovery for individuals with complete IFNP. Rate difference demonstrates a 17% (99% CI, 0.01,0.32) improvement in clinically complete recovery for the treatment group based on the random effects model. Conclusions Corticosteroid treatment provides a clinically and statistically significant improvement in recovery of function in complete IFNP. [source]

INCREASED RATES OF MOLECULAR EVOLUTION IN AN EQUATORIAL PLANT CLADE: AN EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT OR PHYLOGENETIC NONINDEPENDENCE?

EVOLUTION, Issue 1 2005
Jeremy M. Brown
Abstract A recent study of environmental effects on rates of molecular evolution in the plant subgenus Mearnsia shows that species occurring in more equatorial latitudes have higher rates of substitution in rDNa sequences as compared to their more southerly congeners (Wright et al. 2003). However, we believe that the statistical approach employed by Wright et al. (2003) insufficiently accounts for the phylogenetic nonindependence of the species examined, given that all six equatorial species of Mearnsia form a clade. To distinguish between the effect of latitude and that of phylogenetic nonindependence, we have employed a variety of comparative approaches that use independent contrasts to test for an effect of environment across this entire subgenus. We find very little evidence for an effect of latitude on rate of molecular evolution using these approaches and believe that the shared evolutionary history of the clade is a plausible explanation of the apparent rate difference between equatorial and subequatorial Mearnsia species. [source]

Comparison of 1 month with 3 months of anticoagulation for a first episode of venous thromboembolism associated with a transient risk factor

JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 5 2004
C. Kearon
Summary.,Background: The risk of recurrence is lower after treatment of an episode of venous thromboembolism associated with a transient risk factor, such as recent surgery, than after an episode associated with a permanent, or no, risk factor. Retrospective analyses suggest that 1 month of anticoagulation is adequate for patients whose venous thromboembolic event was provoked by a transient risk factor. Methods: In this double-blind study, patients who had completed 1 month of anticoagulant therapy for a first episode of venous thromboembolism provoked by a transient risk factor were randomly assigned to continue warfarin or to placebo for an additional 2 months. Our goal was to determine if the duration of treatment could be reduced without increasing the rate of recurrent venous thromboembolism during 11 months of follow-up. Results: Of 84 patients assigned to placebo, five (6.0%) had recurrent venous thromboembolism, compared with three of 81 (3.7%) assigned to warfarin, resulting in an absolute risk difference of 2.3%[95% confidence interval (CI) ,,5.2, 10.0]. The incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism after discontinuation of warfarin was 6.8% per patient-year in those who received warfarin for 1 month and 3.2% per patient-year in those who received warfarin for 3 months (rate difference of 3.6% per patient-year; 95% CI ,,3.8, 11.0). There were no major bleeds in either group. Conclusion: Duration of anticoagulant therapy for venous thromboembolism provoked by a transient risk factor should not be reduced from 3 months to 1 month as this is likely to increase recurrent venous thromboembolism without achieving a clinically important decrease in bleeding. [source]

Analysis of refractive state ratios and the onset of myopia

OPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 1 2006
J. T. Lin
Abstract Purpose:, To develop formulae for the refractive state ratios, axial length growth and the age of onset (A*) of myopia. Calculated results are compared with measurements. Methods:, Using an image equation, the axial length in the ametropic state (L) is related to the length in the emmetropic state (L*) and refractive error (D) by a rate of change M (D mm,1). Three refractive state ratios are defined: C1 = L/r1, C2 = L/L* and C3 = L/H, where r1 and H are the anterior surface radius of the cornea and the transverse dimension of the eye, respectively. The age of onset A* is calculated by the rate of change of refractive error (M) and the axial growth rates N and N* in the ametropic and emmetropic states, respectively. Results:, The three ratios C1, C2 and C3 are increasing function of the myopia power, for example, C1 = 3.4, 3.1, 2.9 for D = ,8, 0, +4 dioptres, respectively. The calculated C1* (for the emmetropic state) varies between 3.08 and 3.14, depending on corneal shape, and C3 = 0.985, 1.0, 1.04 for D = +3, 0, ,3 dioptres: these values are consistent with measured data. For a typical system with effective focal length F = 22.25 mm, L* = 24.2 mm and L = 23.4, 24.9, 25.9 mm for D = +2, ,2, ,5 dioptres, respectively. The calculated rates of change of refractive error M = 2.3,2.9 D mm,1 for F = 22,23 mm are also consistent with measured values 2.4,2.7 D mm,1. The age of onset A* is calculated to be proportional to 1/(M dN), where dN = N,N* is the axial growth rate difference between the ametropic and emmetropic states and may be used as a better predictor for myopia onset than the conventional ratio L/r1. The A* is given by the crossing of L and L* curves, in which myopia onset occurs earlier for larger M dN. Conclusion:, The theory provides formulae to calculate various refractive state ratios, which are consistent with measurements. By defining two rate functions, M and N, the onset of myopia can be predicted. [source]

Corticosteroid Treatment for Idiopathic Facial Nerve Paralysis: A Meta-analysis,

Contribution of congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease to excess mortality in rheumatoid arthritis,,

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 1 2006
Paulo J. Nicola
Objective Although mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is higher than in the general population, the relative contribution of comorbid diseases to this mortality difference is not known. This study was undertaken to evaluate the contribution of congestive heart failure (CHF) and ischemic heart disease (IHD), including myocardial infarction, to the excess mortality in patients with RA, compared with that in individuals without RA. Methods We assembled a population-based inception cohort of individuals living in Rochester, Minnesota, in whom RA (defined according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology [formerly, the American Rheumatism Association]) first developed between 1955 and 1995, and an age- and sex-matched non-RA cohort. All subjects were followed up until either death, migration from the county, or until 2001. Detailed information from the complete medical records was collected. Statistical analyses included the person-years method, cumulative incidence, and Cox regression modeling. Attributable risk analysis techniques were used to estimate the number of RA deaths that would be prevented if the incidence of CHF was the same in patients with RA and non-RA subjects. Results The study population included 603 patients with RA and 603 subjects without RA. During followup, there was an excess of 123 deaths among patients with RA (345 RA deaths occurred, although only 222 such deaths were expected). The mortality rates among patients with RA and non-RA subjects were 39.0 and 29.2 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. There was a significantly higher cumulative incidence of CHF (but not IHD) in patients with RA compared with non-RA subjects (37.1% versus 27.7% at 30 years of followup, respectively; P < 0.001). The risk of death associated with either CHF or IHD was not significantly different between patients with RA and non-RA subjects. If the risk of developing CHF was the same in patients with RA and individuals without RA, the overall mortality rate difference between RA and non-RA hypothetically would be reduced from 9.8 to 8.0 excess deaths per 1,000 person-years; that is, 16 (13%) of the 123 excess deaths could be prevented. Conclusion CHF, rather than IHD, appears to be an important contributor to the excess overall mortality among patients with RA. CHF contributes to this excess mortality primarily through the increased incidence of CHF in RA, rather than increased mortality associated with CHF in patients with RA compared with non-RA subjects. Eliminating the excess risk of CHF in patients with RA could significantly improve their survival. [source]

Stability of recombinant plasmids on the continuous culture of Bifidobacterium animalis ATCC 27536

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2003
Antonio González Vara
Abstract Bifidobacterium animalis ATCC 27536 represents among bifidobacteria a host-model for cloning experiments. The segregational and structural stabilities of a family of cloning vectors with different molecular weights but sharing a common core were studied in continuous fermentation of the hosting B. animalis without selective pressure. The rate of plasmid loss (R) and the specific growth rate difference (,,) between plasmid-free and plasmid-carrying cells were calculated for each plasmid and their relationship with plasmid size was studied. It was observed that both R and the numerical value of ,, increased exponentially with plasmid size. The exponential functions correlating the specific growth rate difference and the rate of plasmid loss with the plasmid molecular weight were determined. Furthermore, the smallest of the plasmids studied, pLAV (4.3-kb) was thoroughly characterized by means of its complete nucleotide sequence. It was found that it contained an extra DNA fragment, the first bifidobacterial insertion sequence characterised, named IS 1999. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 84: 145,150, 2003. [source]

Correlation between 6-min walk test and exercise stress test in healthy children

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2010
A Limsuwan
Abstract Aim:, To investigate the correlation between 6-min walk test (SMWT) and incremental treadmill exercise stress test (EST) as indicators for the functional capacity in children. Methods:, Healthy children aged 9,12 years were included. The anthropometric data, SMWT and EST were prospectively measured using the standard protocols. Various parameters were analysed to define the correlation between SMWT and EST. Results:, A total of 100 subjects (53 boys) aged 10.3 ± 1.0 years participated in the study. The SMWT distance was 586.1 ± 44.0 m. Height (r = 0.59, R2 = 35%), length of the leg (r = 0.64, R2 = 41%), heart rate at the end of SMWT (r = 0.59, R2 = 35%) and heart rate difference at the end of SMWT (r = 0.71, R2 = 50%) were found to have significant correlation with SMWT distance. The estimated maximal oxygen consumption (eVO2) obtained during the EST tended to be greater in boys than in girls. Among the parameters obtained during EST, maximal heart rate (r = 0.33, R2 = 11%) and the eVO2 (r = 0.54, R2 = 53%) were found to have significant correlation with SMWT. Conclusions:, SMWT distance is significantly correlated with the eVO2 obtained during the EST. This indicates that SMWT is also one of the predictive markers for EST performance. [source]

Developmental experience alters information coding in auditory midbrain and forebrain neurons

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Sarah M.N. Woolley
Abstract In songbirds, species identity and developmental experience shape vocal behavior and behavioral responses to vocalizations. The interaction of species identity and developmental experience may also shape the coding properties of sensory neurons. We tested whether responses of auditory midbrain and forebrain neurons to songs differed between species and between groups of conspecific birds with different developmental exposure to song. We also compared responses of individual neurons to conspecific and heterospecific songs. Zebra and Bengalese finches that were raised and tutored by conspecific birds, and zebra finches that were cross-tutored by Bengalese finches were studied. Single-unit responses to zebra and Bengalese finch songs were recorded and analyzed by calculating mutual information (MI), response reliability, mean spike rate, fluctuations in time-varying spike rate, distributions of time-varying spike rates, and neural discrimination of individual songs. MI quantifies a response's capacity to encode information about a stimulus. In midbrain and forebrain neurons, MI was significantly higher in normal zebra finch neurons than in Bengalese finch and cross-tutored zebra finch neurons, but not between Bengalese finch and cross-tutored zebra finch neurons. Information rate differences were largely due to spike rate differences. MI did not differ between responses to conspecific and heterospecific songs. Therefore, neurons from normal zebra finches encoded more information about songs than did neurons from other birds, but conspecific and heterospecific songs were encoded equally. Neural discrimination of songs and MI were highly correlated. Results demonstrate that developmental exposure to vocalizations shapes the information coding properties of songbird auditory neurons. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 70: 235,252, 2010. [source]

Can circle hook use benefit billfishes?

FISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2009
Joseph E Serafy
Abstract We performed a quantitative review to evaluate circle hook use in recreational and commercial hook-and-line fisheries that interact with billfishes (Family: Istiophoridae). Specifically, we scrutinized the findings of 11 recent empirical studies that reported, on a species-specific basis, side-by-side measures of circle vs. J-hook fishing performance: catch, mortality, deep-hooking and bleeding rates. Of the 30 total comparisons extracted from the literature that satisfied our inclusion criteria, 13 indicated significant differences between hook types for the specific metric compared. No study reported significant billfish catch rate differences between hook types. However, when significant differences between hook types were found, higher mortality rates and higher rates of deep-hooking and bleeding were associated with J-hooks relative to circle hooks. We conclude that empirical evidence is sufficient to promote circle hook use in almost all hook-and-line fishery sectors that typically interact with istiophorids. However, billfish conservation benefits will only be realized if fishers use unmodified circle hooks, commit to releasing live fish and take other appropriate measures which maximize post-release survival. While there may be fishing modes where circle hook effects are negative, for billfish conservation, we recommend managers grant exceptions to circle hook use only when experimental results support such a practice. [source]

Meta-Analysis Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Almotriptan in the Acute Treatment of Migraine

HEADACHE, Issue 8 2007
Li-Chia Chen PhD
Objective.,To evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of oral almotriptan in treating acute migraine attacks. Background.,Almotriptan is an oral selective sertonin1B/1D receptor agonist (triptan) with a high bioavailability and short half-life, developed for the treatment of migraine. In recent years, a number of randomized controlled trials have been published examining the efficacy and safety of almotriptan in the acute treatment of migraine. Methods.,Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the proportions of patients achieving headache relief and pain-free responses at 1 or 2 hours post-dose, sustained pain-free response at 2,24 hours post-dose, and safety outcomes (proportions of patients experiencing any adverse events, dizziness, somnolence, asthenia, and chest tightness) comparing almotriptan against placebo, other triptans, and different dosages of almotriptan. Absolute rate differences (ARDs) for 2-hour headache relief, pain free, and sustained pain free responses between almotriptan and placebo were also calculated. Results.,Eight RCTs involving 4995 patients were included in the analysis. Almotriptan 12.5 mg was significantly more effective than placebo for all efficacy outcomes (RRs ranged from 1.47 to 2.15; ARDs ranged from 0.01 to 0.28) and there were no significant differences in any of the safety outcomes. There were also no significant differences in efficacy outcomes comparing almotriptan 12.5 mg against sumatriptan 100 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg, but almotriptan 12.5 mg was associated with significantly fewer adverse events than sumatriptan 100 mg (RR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.67). However, there was no significant difference between almotriptan and sumatriptan in terms of clinically important adverse effects, such as dizziness, somnolence, asthenia, and chest tightness. Almotriptan 12.5 mg was significantly less effective than almotriptan 25 mg for 1-hour pain-free response (RR: 0.45, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.95), but associated with significantly fewer patients experiencing adverse events (RR: 0.61, 95%CI: 0.41, 0.91) than almotriptan 25 mg. Conclusions.,Almotriptan 12.5 mg is an effective treatment for acute attacks of migraine, in particular, it has been found to be as effective as sumatriptan 100 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg. The risk of adverse events associated with almotriptan 12.5 mg was similar to placebo and significantly lower than sumatriptan 100 mg. Further research is required to assess the comparative efficacy of almotriptan against other triptans. [source]

Equilibrium Search Models and the Transition From School To Work

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2001
Audra J. Bowlus
This paper applies the Burdett,Mortensen (1998) equilibrium search model to study the school to work transitions of U.S. high school graduates. We consider the case of discrete firm heterogeneity and provide a computational method to obtain the MLE. Our results show that unemployed blacks receive fewer offers than whites and employed blacks are more likely to lose their jobs. Importantly, employed blacks and whites receive job offers at the same rate. Assigning the whites' search parameters to the blacks and re-solving reveals that 75 percent of the observed wage differential is explained by the job destruction rate differences. [source]

Elevation and forest clearing effects on foraging differ between surface , and subterranean , foraging army ants (Formicidae: Ecitoninae)

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Anjali Kumar
Summary 1Forest fragmentation often results in a matrix of open areas mixed with patches of forest. Both biotic and abiotic factors can affect consumer species' ability to utilize the altered habitat, especially for species that range over large areas searching for prey. 2Army ants (Formicidae: Ecitoninae) are highly mobile top predators in terrestrial Neotropical ecosystems. Army ant foraging behaviour is influenced by forest clearing at lowland sites, and clearing can reduce army ant population persistence. 3Because high temperatures are implicated in hindering above-ground army ant foraging, we predicted that forest clearing effects on army ant foraging would be reduced at higher (cooler) elevations in montane forest. We also predicted that subterranean foraging, employed by some army ant species, would buffer them from the negative effects of forest clearing. 4We quantified the foraging rates of above-ground and underground foraging army ants at eight sites along an elevational gradient from 1090 to 1540 m a.s.l. We asked whether these two foraging strategies cause a difference in the ability of army ants to forage in open matrix areas relative to elevationally matched forested habitats, and whether elevation predicts open area vs. forest foraging rate differences. 5As predicted, army ants that forage above-ground had lower foraging rates in open areas, but the open area vs. forest difference declined with elevation. In contrast, underground foragers were not affected by habitat type, and underground foraging rates increased with elevation. Ground surface temperatures were higher in open areas than forested areas. Temperatures declined with elevation, and temperature differences between open and forested areas decreased with elevation. 6We conclude that army ants that forage above-ground may be restricted to forested areas due to a thermal tolerance threshold, but that they are released from this limitation at higher elevations. We further suggest that underground foraging permits some army ants to persist within modified landscapes. Our findings have implications for the effects of habitat modification and climate change on these top predators. [source]

Growth rate differences between resident native brook trout and non-native brown trout

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
S. M. Carlson
Between species and across season variation in growth was examined by tagging and recapturing individual brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and brown trout Salmo trutta across seasons in a small stream (West Brook, Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Detailed information on body size and growth are presented to (1) test whether the two species differed in growth within seasons and (2) characterize the seasonal growth patterns for two age classes of each species. Growth differed between species in nearly half of the season- and age-specific comparisons. When growth differed, non-native brown trout grew faster than native brook trout in all but one comparison. Moreover, species differences were most pronounced when overall growth was high during the spring and early summer. These growth differences resulted in size asymmetries that were sustained over the duration of the study. A literature survey also indicated that non-native salmonids typically grow faster than native salmonids when the two occur in sympatry. Taken together, these results suggest that differences in growth are not uncommon for coexisting native and non-native salmonids. [source]

Genetic and morphological characterization of a Lake Ohrid endemic, Salmo (Acantholingua) ohridanus with a comparison to sympatric Salmo trutta

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue A 2006
S. Su
Analysis of both uni-(two mtDNA gene sequences) and bi-parentally (seven microsatellite loci) inherited genetic markers, together with analysis of 40 morphological characters, described Salmo ohridanus as a highly divergent member of the genus Salmo. Based on comparative substitution rate differences at the cytochrome b gene, and a rough estimated age of the Salmo trutta complex (i.e. at least 2 million years), the S. ohridanus and Salmo obtusirostris clade probably split from a common ancestor of brown trout Salmo trutta >4 million years ago, overlapping with minimum age estimates of the formation of Europe's oldest freshwater habitat, Lake Ohrid. Comparative analysis with Lake Ohrid brown trout (known regionally as Salmo letnica), supported the notion that these fish have more recently colonized the lake and phylogenetically belong to the Adriatic lineage of brown trout. It is further suggested that species-specific saturation in the mtDNA control region underestimated the divergence between S. ohridanus and S. trutta. Evidence of rare hybridization between S. ohridanus and Lake Ohrid brown trout was seen at both mtDNA and microsatellite markers, but there was no support for extensive introgression. [source]

Postnatal corticosteroids in preterm infants: Systematic review of effects on mortality and motor function

JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 2 2000
LW Doyle
Background: Postnatal corticosteroid therapy has been proved in randomized controlled trials to reduce ventilator dependence and the rate of chronic lung disease in preterm infants with few serious short-term side effects. However, there are other consequences that might follow postnatal corticosteroid therapy that are more important, including mortality or cerebral palsy. Objectives: To review the evidence from reported randomized controlled trials on the effects of postnatal corticosteroid on long-term mortality and motor dysfunction, including cerebral palsy. Methods: The methods involved a meta-analysis of reported randomized controlled trials, following guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration, including calculation of event rate differences (ERD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The mortality rate difference was non-significant both statistically and clinically (ERD , 0.1% favouring corticosteroids, 95% CI ,2.9% to 2.8%). There were no subgroups in which a beneficial effect of postnatal corticosteroids on survival could be demonstrated. The rate of motor dysfunction in survivors was significantly higher in survivors from the postnatal corticosteroid group (ERD 11.9% favouring controls, 95% CI 4.6% to 19.2%). The rate of survival, free of motor dysfunction, was significantly lower in the postnatal corticosteroid group (ERD 7.8% favouring controls, 95% CI 0.5% to 15.1%). Conclusions: Although postnatal corticosteroids have short-term benefits, they do not increase the survival rate, and they may cause motor dysfunction in survivors. A large-scale, placebo-controlled randomized trial, with survival free of sensorineural impairments and disabilities as the major endpoint, is urgently needed. [source]

Three-dimensionally structured silicon as a substrate for the MOVPE growth of GaN nanoLEDs

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009
Sönke Fündling
Abstract Three-dimensionally patterned Si(111) substrates are used to grow GaN based heterostructures by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy, with the goal of fabricating well controlled, defect reduced GaN-based nanoLEDs. In contrast to other approaches to achieve GaN nanorods, we employed silicon substrates with deep etched nanopillars to control the GaN nanorods growth by varying the size and distance of the Si pillars. The small footprint of GaN nanorods grown on Si pillars minimise the influence of the lattice mismatched substrate and improve the material quality. For the Si pillars an inductively coupled plasma dry-etching process at cryogenic temperature has been developed. An InGaN/GaN multi quantum well (MQW) structure has been incorporated into the GaN nanorods. We found GaN nanostructures grown on top of the silicon pillars with a pyramidal shape. This shape results from a competitive growth on different facets as well as from surface diffusion of the growth species. Spatially resolved optical properties of the structures are analysed by cathodoluminescence. Strongly spatial-dependent MQW emission spectra indicate the growth rate differences on top of the rods. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]

Epidemiology of holoprosencephaly: Prevalence and risk factors,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2010
Iêda M. Orioli
Abstract The wide variation in cerebral and facial phenotypes and the recognized etiologic heterogeneity of holoprosencephaly (HPE) contribute to the observed inter-study heterogeneity. High lethality during the early stages of embryonic and fetal development makes HPE detection age dependent. By reviewing 21 HPE epidemiologic articles, the observed prevalence rate differences can be largely explained by the pregnancy outcome status of the studied cohort: livebirth, stillbirth, and terminations of pregnancy (TOPs): lower than 1 per 10,000 when live and still births were included, higher when TOPs were included, and between 40 and 50 per 10,000 in two classical Japanese studies on aborted embryos. The increasing secular trend observed in some studies probably resulted from an increasing use of prenatal sonography. Ethnic variations in birth prevalence rates (BPRs) could occur in HPE, but the available data are not very convincing. Higher BPRs were generally observed in the less favored minorities (Blacks, Hispanics, Pakistanis), suggesting a bias caused by a lower prenatal detection rate of HPE, and consequently less TOPs. Severe ear defects, as well as microstomia, were part of the spectrum of HPE. Non-craniofacial anomalies, more frequently associated with HPE than expected, were genital anomalies (24%), postaxial polydactyly (8%), vertebral defects (5%), limb reduction defects (4%), and transposition of great arteries (4%). The variable female predominance, found in different HPE studies, could also depend on the proportion of early conceptions in each study sample, as males are more likely to be lost through spontaneous abortions. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

A microsatellite linkage map for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 2 2004
J. Gilbey
Summary A linkage map of the Atlantic salmon is described here consisting of 15 linkage groups containing 50 microsatellite loci with a 14 additional unlinked markers (including three allozymes). The map shows the largest sex-specific recombination rate differences so far found in any vertebrate species (3.92:1 female:male). Homologies with previous linkage mapping studies of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout are described. An in silico search of the Genbank database carried out using the microsatellites used in the mapping process identified significant matches between the flanking regions of the microsatellite SS11 and the calcium-binding mitochondrial carrier protein, ,Aralar1'. [source]

Differences in histopathological and biochemical outcomes in patients with low Gleason score prostate cancer

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2010
Hendrik Isbarn
Study Type , Diagnosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To test whether the number or percentage of positive biopsy cores can be used to discriminate between patients with prostate cancer of a favourable and less favourable Gleason score (GS) ,3 + 3, as prognostically, not all GS 3 + 3 prostate cancers are the same. PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 1106 consecutive patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of ,10 ng/mL and a biopsy GS of ,3 + 3 or 3 + 4 had an open radical prostatectomy. The number of positive biopsy cores (,2 vs ,3) were stratified into low- vs high-risk groups. Subsequently, we stratified patients according to the GS and the percentage of positive biopsy cores (<50% vs ,50%). The pathological stage and the 5-year biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival rates were examined in univariable and multivariable models. RESULTS Based on the number of positive cores, the rate of extraprostatic disease was 11.7% and 23.3%, respectively, in the low-and high-risk GS ,3 + 3 groups (P < 0.001). The 5-year BCR-free survival rates were 95.0%, 77.8%, 81.2% and 66.5% for, respectively, low- and high-risk GS ,3 + 3 and for low- and high-risk GS 3 + 4 patients. Univariable and multivariable intergroup BCR rate differences were statistically significant between low- vs high-risk GS 3 + 3 patients (P < 0.001), but not significant between high-risk GS ,3 + 3 vs low-risk GS 3 + 4 patients (P = 0.6). Comparable results were obtained when comparisons were made according to the percentage of positive biopsy cores. CONCLUSIONS Our results corroborate the finding that not all patients with a biopsy GS of ,3 + 3 prostate cancer have low-risk disease. High-risk GS ,3 + 3 patients have a similar risk profile as more favourable GS 3 + 4 patients. This finding warrants consideration when deciding on treatment. [source]