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Same Differences (same + difference)
Selected AbstractsMuscle fractal vascular branching pattern and microvascular perfusion heterogeneity in endurance-trained and untrained menTHE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Kari K. Kalliokoski Less heterogeneous skeletal muscle perfusion has recently been reported in endurance-trained compared to untrained men at macrovascular level. The causes of this difference in perfusion heterogeneity are unknown as is whether the same difference is observed in microvasculature. We hypothesised that the difference could be caused by changes in muscle vascular branching pattern. Perfusion was measured in resting and exercising muscle in 14 endurance-trained and seven untrained men using [15O]water and positron emission tomography. Fractal dimension (D) of perfusion distribution was calculated as a measure of fractal characteristics of muscle vascular branching pattern. Perfusion heterogeneity in microvascular units (1 mm3 samples) was estimated using the measured heterogeneity in voxels of positron emission tomography (PET) images (relative dispersion, RD =s.d./mean) and corresponding D values. D was similar between the groups (exercising muscle 1.11 ± 0.07 and 1.14 ± 0.06, resting muscle 1.12 ± 0.06 and 1.14 ± 0.03, trained and untrained, respectively). Trained men had lower perfusion (151 ± 44 vs. 218 ± 87 ml min,1 kg,1, P < 0.05) and macrovascular perfusion heterogeneity (relative dispersion 21 ± 5 vs. 25 ± 5 %, P < 0.05) in exercising muscle than untrained men. Furthermore, estimated perfusion heterogeneity in microvascular units in exercising muscle was also lower in trained men (33 ± 7 vs.48 ± 19 %, P < 0.05). These results show that fractal vascular branching pattern is similar in endurance-trained and untrained men but perfusion is less heterogeneous at both the macro- and the microvascular level in endurance-trained men. Thus, changes in fractal branching pattern do not explain the differences in perfusion heterogeneity between endurance-trained and untrained men. [source] Clinical heterogeneity of ,-synuclein gene duplication in Parkinson's diseaseANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2006Kenya Nishioka MD Objective Recently, genomic multiplications of ,-synuclein gene (SNCA) have been reported to cause hereditary early-onset parkinsonism. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of SNCA multiplications among autosomal dominant hereditary Parkinson's disease (ADPD). Methods We screened 113 ADPD probands and 200 sporadic PD cases by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and confirmed SNCA multiplications by flurorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomic hybridization array. Results Two families (two patients from Family A and one from Family B) with SNCA duplication were identified among ADPD patients. Even though they had the same SNCA duplication, one patient had dementia. Because there was exactly the same difference between the regions originated from each patient, the finding suggests that the phenotype of SNCA multiplication may be also influenced by the range of duplication region. We also detected asymptomatic carriers in the families of both patients. Interestingly, the penetrance ratio was 33.3% (2/6) in one kindred, indicating that the ratio was very much lower than expected. Interpretation These two newly identified Japanese patients with SNCA duplication and the five previously identified American and European families with SNCA triplication or duplication mutations indicate that the incidence of SNCA multiplication may be more frequent than previously estimated. Ann Neurol 2006 [source] Effects of the ,principle of non-discrimination' on temporary agency work: compensation and working conditions of temporary agency workers in 15 European countriesINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2006Werner Nienhüser ABSTRACT This article examines, with reference to Europe (EU-15), whether temporary agency workers experience less favourable working conditions and compensation than employees with a standard employment contract. Furthermore, it analyses whether the same differences exist in European countries with and without the principle of non-discrimination in force. The results show that discrimination of temporary workers persists even when we control for other factors. Second, in countries with the principle of non-discrimination in force, the discrimination is higher with respect to employer-provided training. [source] Assessment of visibility of facial wrinkle reduction by various types of observersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004J. H. D. M. Westerink The prime objective of many facial wrinkle-reduction treatments is to achieve visible improvement. The visibility of before/after treatment differences is therefore often part of the efficacy assessment. This paper investigates whether the background knowledge of the people acting as observers in such assessments has an impact on the results, e.g., the subjects themselves are familiar with their faces, skin professionals have much experience in judging skin quality, and thus both might be more sensitive to small changes. In a clinical study, 44 female subjects were regularly treated during a period of 12 weeks with one of three wrinkle-reduction treatments: K, L and M (placebo). Photographs were taken before treatment and after 6 and 12 weeks. Three different types of observers judged the photographs: ,Observer type I: Twenty-four lay observers were given the 0- and 6-week and the 0- and 12-week pairs of photographs of all subjects to indicate the one with the least wrinkles in a two-alternative forced-choice procedure; ,Observer type II: The subjects themselves were given the 0- and 6-week and the 0- and 12-week pairs of their own photographs (eight replications) to indicate the photograph with the least wrinkles (two-alternative forced-choice); ,Observer type III: A trained panel of skin professionals (n = 3) each gave a 9-point Fitzpatrick wrinkle-severity score for all individual 0- and 12-week photographs. It was found that the lay observers perceived the same differences as the subjects themselves: significant improvements after 12 weeks for treatment K (P < 0.0005 and P = 0.005, respectively). No visible effects were seen for treatments L and M, but, most importantly, a significant difference between treatments K and M (placebo) (P = 0.015 and P = 0.01 for independent observers and the subjects themselves, respectively). The trained panel also identified this difference between K and M (P = 0.013) in favor of K, but here it was due to a significant deterioration over time of the ,placebo-treated' wrinkles (M, P = 0.03). Thus, in conclusion, no indications were found that extra knowledge , in the form of familiarity with the own face or in the form of professional training , results in the identification of more treatments that show significantly visible wrinkle reduction. [source] The use of volunteers for conducting sponge biodiversity assessments and monitoring using a morphological approach on Indo-Pacific coral reefsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2007James J. Bell Abstract 1.Sponges are an important component of coral reef ecosystems, but even though they are widespread with the ability to significantly influence other benthic community members they rarely feature to any great extent in current monitoring or biodiversity assessment programmes conducted by volunteer and professional groups. This exclusion is usually because of the taxonomic problems associated with sponge identification. 2.A potential alternative to monitoring temporal or spatial change in sponge assemblages and assessing biodiversity levels is to characterize sponges using morphologies present rather than collecting species data. Quantifying sponge biodiversity (for monitoring and biodiversity assessments) at the morphological level is less time and resource consuming than collecting species data and more suited to groups with little training and experience of sponge taxonomy or in regions where detailed taxonomic information on sponges is sparse. 3.This paper considers whether the same differences and similarities in sponge richness and assemblage composition can be identified using species and morphological data in response to environmental gradients at two coral reef ecosystems in south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia, and whether volunteers can be used to reliably collect morphological information. Sponge morphologies were classified into 14 groups and different morphological assemblages were found by the author at the two sites and between depth intervals. Comparisons of sponge species and morphological composition data showed that common patterns in assemblage structuring and richness could be identified irrespective of whether morphological or species data were used. In addition, a positive linear relationship was found between sponge species and morphological richness. 4.The morphological data recorded by volunteer divers (n=10) were compared with that collected by the author. Although volunteers recorded fewer sponges than the author (approximately 15% less), missing mainly small encrusting specimens, similar assemblage structure could be identified from both the volunteers' and the author's data. 5.The results showed that the same differences in sponge assemblages between sites and depths could be identified from both species and morphological data. In addition, these morphological data could be reliably collected by volunteer divers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||