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Remarkable Variations (remarkable + variation)
Selected AbstractsExplaining the Diversity of Southeast Asian Shrimp AquacultureJOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 3 2004DEREK HALL Despite the large amount of academic attention that Southeast Asian shrimp farming has received since the 1980s, few attempts have been made to explain the remarkable variation in the industry's organization across countries and localities. This paper compares the development of shrimp farming in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, arguing that differences can be traced to variations in the initial conditions under which shrimp farming was established, the different ways that national aquacultures are embedded in the regional political economy and the ways in which different countries have responded to the characteristic environmental problems the sector causes itself. [source] Are environmental conditions recorded by the organic matrices associated with precipitated calcium carbonate in cyanobacterial microbialites?GEOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006P. GAUTRET ABSTRACT The amino acid composition of organic matrices associated with calcium carbonate precipitates in microbialites built by different Phormidium species (cyanobacteria) has been compared for samples recovered in lagoonal settings from two regions of the Southern Tropical Pacific separated by more than 4000 km: New Caledonia (Nouméa lagoon) and French Polynesia (Tikehau atoll). Calcium carbonate precipitation in these microbial structures was observed mainly in the interior of the domes and clearly separated from the photosynthetically active surface layer. This study focuses on the hydrolysable amino acid composition of the associated organic matrices that are typically rich in cysteine, leucine, alanine and arginine in New Caledonia, whereas they are particularly rich in dicarboxylic amino acids in French Polynesia. This striking difference is seemingly related to different environmental conditions that characterize the two reef settings. The high cysteine content suggests an origin from metallothioneins produced by the cyanobacteria and/or by epiphytic diatoms that were observed on the top layer, as the result of the input of metals from terrestrial origin in the Nouméa lagoon. In addition, we analysed the bulk organic matter of the photosynthetically active surface layer and of the interior of the domes. The former showed remarkable variations of amino acid composition throughout the year 2001, which may potentially reflect the impact of climatological events (e.g. cyclones) and/or a much stronger seasonality in New Caledonia than in French Polynesia. Although the mechanisms behind the differences remain elusive, our study clearly shows that environmental conditions can be reflected by amino acid compositions, particularly for the organic matrices associated with carbonate precipitates. [source] Quantification of red blood cell fragmentation by the automated hematology analyzer XE-2100 in patients with living donor liver transplantationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2005S. BANNO Summary The fragmented red cell (FRC) is a useful index for diagnosing and determining the severity of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and other similar conditions, as it is found in peripheral blood in patients with these diseases. The FRC expression rate has conventionally been determined by manual methods using smear samples. However, it is difficult to attain accurate quantification by such methods as they are time consuming and prone to a great margin of error. With cases of living donor liver transplantation, the current study examined the possibility of using a multi-parameter automated hematology analyzer, the XE-2100 (Sysmex Corporation) for FRC quantification. While there was a notable correlation between the manual and automated measurements, the manual measurement resulted in higher values. This suggested remarkable variations in judgment by individuals. The FRC values had a significant correlation with the reticulocyte count, red blood cell distribution width (RDW), fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (P-FDP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) among the test parameters, and this finding was consistent with the clinical progression in patients. The automated method can offer precise measurements in a short time without inter-observer differences, meeting the requirement for standardization. The determination of FRC count (%) by the XE-2100 that enables early diagnoses and monitoring of TTP or TMA will be useful in the clinical field. [source] Illegal meat hunting in serengeti: dynamics in consumption and preferencesAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Vedasto G. Ndibalema Abstract Although wild meat is an important source of protein across Africa, patterns and reasons for its demand are poorly defined. A study was conducted on consumption by inhabitants of ten villages in five districts to the west of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The first sample of 600 villagers was systematically selected from village registers and surveyed using a questionnaire. The second sample consisted of 341 arrested illegal meat hunters. Nine species dominated by eland (Taurotragus oryx) and wildebeest (Connachaetes taurinus) in terms of meat taste and hunting vulnerability respectively were found to be most preferred or consumed. There were remarkable variations in consumption and preferences for each species amongst ethnic groups and localities. The economics of protein consumption indicates that wild meat is consistently cheaper and hence consumed more frequently than other meats. Respondents' topmost tasty meat , eland and topi (Damaliscus lunatus) , were rare; consequently, common species e.g. buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and wildebeest were the substitutes mostly consumed to supplement beef and fish. Presence of carnivore species on the menu clearly demonstrates survival techniques when availability changes. Wildlife managers should, therefore, bestow attention to the conservation of all species for a balanced ecosystem and species survival. Résumé Bien que la viande de brousse soit une importante source de protéines dans toute l'Afrique, le schéma et les raisons de cette demande sont mal définis. On a réalisé une étude sur la consommation des habitants de dix villages dans cinq districts situés à l'ouest du Parc National de Serengeti, en Tanzanie. Le premier échantillon de 600 villageois fut systématiquement sélectionné sur les registres du village et suivi au moyen d'un questionnaire. Le second échantillon se composait de 341 chasseurs illégaux qui avaient été arrêtés. On a découvert que neuf espèces, dominées par l'éland (Taurotragus oryx) et le gnou (Connochaetes taurinus) en ce qui concerne le goût et la vulnérabilitéà la chasse, avaient la préférence et étaient plus consommées. Il y avait de remarquables variations de consommation et de préférences pour chaque espèce selon les groupes ethniques et les localités. L'économie de la consommation de protéines indique que la viande de brousse est notablement moins chère et donc consommée plus fréquemment que les autres viandes. La viande la plus appréciée des répondants, l'éland et le topi (Damaliscus lunatus) était rare. Par conséquent, les espèces communes comme le buffle (Syncerus caffer) et le gnou étaient les substituts les plus consommées pour compléter le b,uf et le poisson. La présence de carnivores au menu montre bien les techniques de survie lorsque la disponibilitéévolue. Les gestionnaires de la faune sauvage devraient donc accorder leur attention à la conservation de toutes les espèces pour la survie des espèces elles-mêmes et d'un écosystème équilibré. [source] Appropriate dosing of antiarrhythmic drugs in Japan requires therapeutic drug monitoring,JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 1 2005M. Takada PhD Summary Objective:, In general, drugs are used in accordance with an approved dosage regimen in expectation of an appropriate balance between efficacy and toxicity. However, dose control of drugs with a narrow therapeutic range and marked intersubject variability in pharmacokinetics should be established through individualization of dosing based on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The purpose of this study was to examine differences between the approved dosage regimen and the doses of antiarrhythmic drugs and digoxin used in clinical practice and to examine the influence of TDM on dosing. Methods:, Prescription research of antiarrhythmic drugs was performed at five national hospitals in Japan. Prescriptions for antiarrhythmic drugs (cibenzoline, disopyramide, pirmenol, mexiletine, aprindine, flecainide, pilsicainide, amiodarone and digoxin) were counted for the study period. The mean dose and dose distribution of the drugs were determined in each hospital. Comparisons were made of mean dose obtained in the study with the dosage approved by the authority. In addition, the percentage of patients that received TDM was determined. Results:, A difference was seen between the approved dosage and the actual dose. For all drugs except flecainide, the mean dose was smaller than the approved dosage. For all drugs except digoxin, remarkable variations were seen in the dose distribution among the hospitals. Digoxin showed a similar dose distribution among the five hospitals. Overall, the percentage of patients that received TDM was low except for Hospital A. However, TDM of digoxin was relatively common at four of the hospitals. Conclusions:, It is concluded that, with the exception of digoxin, the appropriate dosing regimen for antiarrhythmic drugs is not yet established. The establishment of appropriate dosing regimens for antiarrhythmic drugs requires the more widespread adoption of TDM. [source] | ||||||||||