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Robust Indicator (robust + indicator)
Selected AbstractsEvaluation of fluorescent probe surface intensities as an indicator of transdermal permeant distributions using wide-area two-photon fluorescence microscopyJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 12 2003Betty Yu Abstract The application of high-speed two-photon fluorescence microscopy (HTPM) to examine transdermal transport processes has enabled the noninvasive visualization of permeant spatial distributions over a larger, more clinically relevant wide area of the skin. Earlier studies demonstrated that the transdermal fluorescent probe distribution over a 2,×,2 mm skin area was well represented by a significantly reduced sampling of the 400 microscale skin sites (100,×,100 ,m) constituting the wide area. In the present study, the 400 microscale skin sites are considered individually, and the site-to-site variability in permeant distributions is used as a model to reflect the range in experimentally measured skin permeabilities resulting from the inherent stratum corneum structural heterogeneity. The correlation established between the permeant surface intensity and the corresponding permeant intensity gradient at each skin site provides an indication of the potential for screening transdermal permeant distributions solely based on the evaluation of microscale permeant surface intensities. The strong linear correlation between the intensity gradient and the surface intensity for the hydrophilic model permeant, sulforhodamine B, demonstrated that surface intensities provide a robust indicator of the corresponding transdermal probe distributions at the microscale. For the hydrophobic model permeant, rhodamine B hexyl ester, however, weak correlations were observed between these two parameters. This result suggests that the stratum corneum microscale surface intensity does not validly capture the corresponding intensity gradients for the entire range of skin permeabilities typically encountered as a result of the inherent stratum corneum heterogeneity. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 92:2354,2365, 2003 [source] Chlorophyll content and fluorescence responses cannot be used to gauge reliably phytoplankton biomass, nutrient status or growth rateNEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 3 2006Mikaela Kruskopf Summary ,,To consider the relationship between chlorophyll a (Chl a) content and phytoplankton growth and nutrient status, four phytoplankton species were grown in nitrogen (N)-limited [and, for one species, phosphorus (P)-limited] culture and measurements were made of CNP biomass, in vivo and in vitro Chl a content, the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (FV/FM) and the performance index for photosynthesis, PIABS (a derivative of the O-J-I-P analysis of photosystem II functionality). ,,Interspecies differences plus the development of intraspecies differences during nutrient stress produced c. 10-fold variations in Chl : C. Estimates of C from in vivo Chl content were better than those from extracted Chl content, as the decline in Chl : C during nutrient stress was offset in part by increased Chl fluorescence. ,,FV/FM was not a robust indicator of nutrient status or relative growth rate. Responses of FV/FM in cells re-fed the limiting nutrient showed no consistent pattern with which to gauge nutrient status. PIABS showed some promise as an indicator of nutrient status and relative growth rate. ,,Chl a content and fluorescence parameters do not deserve the unquestioned status they usually enjoy as indicators of biomass and physiological status. [source] Into adulthood: a follow-up study of 718 young people who were placed in out-of-home care during their teensCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 2 2008Bo Vinnerljung ABSTRACT In this study, national register data were used to analyse long-term outcomes at age 25 for around 700 Swedish young people placed in out-of-home care during their teens. The sample consisted of 70% of all 13- to 16-year olds who entered out-of-home care in 1991. Results revealed a dividing line between young people placed in care for behavioural problems and those placed for other reasons. Young woman and men from the first group had , in comparison with peers who did not enter care , very high rates of premature death, serious involvement in crime, hospitalizations for mental-health problems, teenage parenthood, self-support problems and low educational attainment. Young people who were placed for other reasons had better outcomes, but still considerably worse than non-care peers. Young women tended to do better than young men, regardless of reasons for placement. Very high rates of hospitalizations for mental health problems were found among young people placed for behavioural problems. Breakdown of placement was found to be a robust indicator of poor long-term prognosis. [source] Sustainable Return in Post-conflict ContextsINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 3 2006Richard Black ABSTRACT Post-conflict return is a highly politically charged process in a number of contexts, both for returnees and those who did not migrate or flee, leading many observers to question the notion of an unproblematic return "home". Specifically, doubts remain both about the conditions and voluntariness of return, the ability of individual returnees to reintegrate in their home countries and regions, and the wider sustainability of the return process. This paper seeks to provide an overview of recent policy interest in returns, before setting out a tentative definition of what might be considered a "sustainable" return. It is argued that it is possible to draw a distinction between narrow indicators of the "sustainability" of return, such as whether returnees subsequently reemigrate, and wider definitions, which see "sustainability" as involving both the reintegration of individual returnees in their home societies, and the wider impact of return on macroeconomic and political indicators. Based on either definition, the development of robust indicators of the sustainability of return could assist in monitoring the impact of return programmes, providing valuable insight on return policies. The broader definition suggested also draws attention to the idea that continued mobility after an initial return - including circulation and the development of a "transnational" lifestyle - may be more "sustainable" than a single and definitive return to the refugee's place of origin. Les retours dans une situation d'après-conflit sont un processus politiquement signifiant dans certains contextes, à la fois pour les rapatriés et pour ceux qui n'ont ni émigré ni fui, ce qui conduit de nombreux observateurs à s'interroger sur le concept d'un retour sans problème "dans les foyers". Plus précisément, des doutes subsistent à la fois quant aux conditions et au caractère volontaire du retour, à la capacité des rapatriés à se réinsérer dans leur pays et leur région d'origine, et à la durabilité, au sens plus large, du processus de retour. L'auteur s'efforce de donner un aperçu de l'intérêt politique récent pour les retours avant de tenter une définition de ce qui pourrait être considéré comme retour "durable". Selon lui, il est possible de faire une distinction entre les indicateurs au sens étroit de la "durabilité" du retour, à savoir par exemple si les rapatriés émigrent à nouveau, et des définitions plus larges, considérant la "durabilité" comme intégrant à la fois la réintégration des rapatriés dans leur société d'origine et l'impact plus large des retours sur les indicateurs macroéconomiques et politiques. Selon l'une ou l'autre définition, l'élaboration d'indicateurs solides de la durabilité des retours pourrait faciliter l'observation de l'impact des programmes de retour, en apportant un éclairage précieux sur les politiques de retour. La définition plus large appelle également l'attention sur l'idée selon laquelle la mobilité continue après un retour initial - y compris la circulation et l'adoption d'un style de vie "transnational" - pourrait être plus "durable" qu'un retour unique et définitif vers le lieu d'origine du réfugié. El retorno consecutivo a conflictos es un proceso con una alta connotación política en varios contextos, tanto para los retornantes como para quienes no emigraron ni huyeron, lo que da lugar a que muchos observadores cuestionen la noción de un retorno al "hogar" sin problemas. Concretamente, subsisten dudas sobre las condiciones y el carácter voluntario del retorno; la capacidad de los retornantes a título individual de reintegrarse en sus países y regiones de origen; y la sostenibilidad amplia del proceso de retorno. Este estudio trata de ofrecer un panorama del reciente interés político que suscitan los retornos, antes de establecer tentativamente una definición de lo que puede considerarse como un retorno "sostenible". En este artículo se arguye que es posible establecer una distinción entre estrechos indicadores del "sostenimiento" del retorno, a saber, si las personas que retornan vuelven a emigrar ulteriormente, y definiciones más amplias que consideran el "sostenimiento" como la reintegración de quienes retornan a título individual a sus sociedades de origen conjuntamente con las repercusiones más amplias del retorno en los indicadores macroeconómicos y políticos. Sobre la base de cualquiera de estas definiciones, el desarrollo de sólidos indicadores del sostenimiento del retorno podría servir para supervisar el impacto de los programas de retorno, al ofrecer una visión valiosa sobre las políticas de retorno. La definición más amplia propuesta señala a la atención la idea de que la continua movilidad tras el retorno inicial -incluida la circulación y el desarrollo de un estilo de vida transnacional- podría ser más "sostenible" que un retorno único y definitivo al lugar de origen del refugiado. [source] OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PRIMERS FOR THE DETECTION OF BIOLUMINESCENT DINOFLAGELLATES REVEAL NOVEL LUCIFERASE SEQUENCES AND INFORMATION ON THE MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF THIS GENE,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Andrea Baker Bioluminescence is reported in members of 18 dinoflagellate genera. Species of dinoflagellates are known to have different bioluminescent signatures, making it difficult to assess the presence of particular species in the water column using optical tools, particularly when bioluminescent populations are in nonbloom conditions. A "universal" oligonucleotide primer set, along with species and genus-specific primers specific to the luciferase gene were developed for the detection of bioluminescent dinoflagellates. These primers amplified luciferase sequences from bioluminescent dinoflagellate cultures and from environmental samples containing bioluminescent dinoflagellate populations. Novel luciferase sequences were obtained for strains of Alexandrium cf. catenella (Whedon et Kof.) Balech and Alexandrium fundyense Balech, and also from a strain of Gonyaulax spinifera (Clap. et Whitting) Diesing, which produces bioluminescence undetectable to the naked eye. The phylogeny of partial luciferase sequences revealed five significant clades of the dinoflagellate luciferase gene, suggesting divergence among some species and providing clues on their molecular evolution. We propose that the primers developed in this study will allow further detection of low-light-emitting bioluminescent dinoflagellate species and will have applications as robust indicators of dinoflagellate bioluminescence in natural water samples. [source] A transcriptomic analysis of land-use impacts on the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in the South Atlantic bightMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 11 2009ROBERT W. CHAPMAN Abstract Increasing utilization and human population density in the coastal zone is widely believed to place increasing stresses on the resident biota, but confirmation of this belief is somewhat lacking. While we have solid evidence that highly disturbed estuarine systems have dramatic changes in the resident biota (black and white if you will), we lack tools that distinguish the shades of grey. In part, this lack of ability to distinguish shades of grey stems from the analytical tools that have been applied to studies of estuarine systems, and perhaps more important, is the insensitivity of the biological end points that we have used to assess these impacts. In this study, we will present data on the phenotypic adjustments as measured by transcriptomic signatures of a resilient organism (oysters) to land-use practices in the surrounding watershed using advanced machine-learning algorithms. We will demonstrate that such an approach can reveal subtle and meaningful shifts in oyster gene expression in response to land use. Further, the data show that gill tissues are far more responsive and provide superior discrimination of land-use classes than hepatopancreas and that transcripts encoding proteins involved in energy production, protein synthesis and basic metabolism are more robust indicators of land use than classic biomarkers such as metallothioneins, GST and cytochrome P-450. [source] | |||||||||||||