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Slow Decline (slow + decline)
Selected AbstractsNeocortical Microenvironment in Patients with Intractable Epilepsy: Potassium and Chloride ConcentrationsEPILEPSIA, Issue 2 2006Ali Gorji Summary:,Purpose: The regulation of extracellular ion concentrations plays an important role in neuronal function and epileptogenesis. Despite the many studies into the mechanisms of epileptogenesis in human experimental models, no data are available regarding the fluctuations of extracellular potassium ([K+]o) and chloride ([Cl,]o) concentrations, which could underlie seizure susceptibility in human chronically epileptic tissues in vivo. Methods: By using cerebral microdialysis during surgical resection of epileptic foci, the basic [K+]o and [Cl,]o as well as their changes after epicortical electric stimulation were studied in samples of dialysates obtained from 11 patients by ion-selective microelectrodes. Results: The mean basal values of [K+]o and [Cl,]o in all patients were 3.83 ± 0.08 mM and 122.9 ± 2.6 mM, respectively. However, significant differences were observed in the basal levels of both [K+]o and [Cl,]o between different patients. Statistically, no correlation was found between basal [K+]o or [Cl,]o and electrocorticogram (ECoG) spike activity, but in one patient, dramatically lowered baseline [Cl,]o was accompanied by enhanced ECoG spike activity. Application of epicortical electrical stimulation increased [K+]o but not [Cl,]o in all cases. According to the velocity as well as spatial distribution of [K+]o reduction to the prestimulation levels, three different types of responses were observed: slow decline, fast decline, and slow and fast declines at adjacent sites. Conclusions: These data may represent abnormalities in ion homeostasis of the epileptic brain. [source] Predicting the Tails of Breakthrough Curves in Regional-Scale Alluvial SystemsGROUND WATER, Issue 4 2007Yong Zhang The late tail of the breakthrough curve (BTC) of a conservative tracer in a regional-scale alluvial system is explored using Monte Carlo simulations. The ensemble numerical BTC, for an instantaneous point source injected into the mobile domain, has a heavy late tail transforming from power law to exponential due to a maximum thickness of clayey material. Haggerty et al.'s (2000) multiple-rate mass transfer (MRMT) method is used to predict the numerical late-time BTCs for solutes in the mobile phase. We use a simple analysis of the thicknesses of fine-grained units noted in boring logs to construct the memory function that describes the slow decline of concentrations at very late time. The good fit between the predictions and the numerical results indicates that the late-time BTC can be approximated by a summation of a small number of exponential functions, and its shape depends primarily on the thicknesses and the associated volume fractions of immobile water in "blocks" of fine-grained material. The prediction of the late-time BTC using the MRMT method relies on an estimate of the average advective residence time, tad. The predictions are not sensitive to estimation errors in tad, which can be approximated by , where is the arithmetic mean ground water velocity and L is the transport distance. This is the first example of deriving an analytical MRMT model from measured hydrofacies properties to predict the late-time BTC. The parsimonious model directly and quantitatively relates the observable subsurface heterogeneity to nonlocal transport parameters. [source] Effect of long-term nebulized colistin on lung function and quality of life in patients with chronic bronchial sepsisINTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 7 2007D. P. Steinfort Abstract Recurrent Gram-negative bacterial infection is a significant cause of death in patients with bronchiectasis and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nebulized colistin in cystic fibrosis has shown maintenance of pulmonary function and improved symptom scores. We prospectively followed 18 patients with chronic bronchial sepsis treated with nebulized colistin 30 mg daily. Mean decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s was significantly slower following commencement of inhaled colistin (44 mL/year vs 104 mL/year, P = 0.035). Mean decline in forced vital capacity was also significantly slower following commencement of colistin (48 mL/year vs 110 mL/year, P = 0.033). Patient-reported quality of life improved following commencement of colistin (3.6 vs 6.2, P = 0.001). No patient had isolates resistant to colistin. No side-effects were reported by patients in the cohort. Use of inhaled colistin in the treatment of bronchiectasis and severe (COPD) in patients with recurrent Gram-negative infections is safe. Inhaled colistin may improve quality of life and slow decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity. [source] Coming back to life: From indicator to stereotype and a strange story of frequency1JOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 4 2009Jessi Elana Aaron In the history of Spanish there are five forms, originally from the same lexical item, co-existing:,así,,asín,,ansí,,asina, and,ansina, all meaning ,like that'. Standard Modern Spanish includes only one of these:,así. This is not the case, however, in New Mexican Spanish. This corpus-based study examines the patterns of synchronic variation in New Mexican Spanish, as well as the near death and transformed rebirth of forms other than standard,así,in literature. Multivariate analysis suggests a decline in non-standard variants in New Mexico, associated with rural activities and objects, and with older, less-educated speakers. The synchronic idiosyncrasy of stereotypes is confirmed, while the quantitative diachronic patterns found may prove to be a regular pattern for developing stereotypes in literary texts: a slow decline in frequency followed by a sharp rise. [source] Effect of thermal processing on genistein, daidzein and glycitein content in soymilkJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 7 2006Huihua Huang Abstract Soymilk was subjected to various heat treatments at 95, 121 and 140 °C for various lengths of time. The contents of the aglycones of isoflavone (daidzein, glycitein and genistein) of the soymilk were determined using C18 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Genistein showed greater stability to heat treatment than daidzein and glycitein. Both the daidzein and glycitein contents decreased rapidly during the early stage of heating, but on continued heating the rates of decrease were much slower. Heating may cause an increase or decrease in the genistein content of soymilk depending on the temperature and time used. Upon heating at 95 and 121 °C, there was an increase in the genistein content in the early stage of heating, possibly due the conversion of genistin to genistein. Heating at 140 °C for more than 15 s and prolonged heating at 95 and 121 °C, however, caused a slow decline in the genistein content. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] The remarkable properties of the symbiotic star AE CircinusMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008R. Mennickent ABSTRACT We present new optical spectroscopy and photometry, Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) infrared observations and 24 yr of combined American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) and Association Francaise des Observateurs d'Etoiles Variables (AFOEV) photometry of the symbiotic star candidate AE Cir. The long-term light curve is characterized by outbursts lasting several years and having a slow decline of ,2 × 10,4 mag d,1. The whole range of variability of the star in the V band is about 4 mag. The periodogram of the photometric data reveals strong signals at ,342 and 171 d. The presence of the emission feature at ,6830 Ĺ at minimum and the detection of absorption lines of a ,K5 type star confirm the symbiotic classification and suggest that AE Cir is a new member of the small group of s-type yellow symbiotic stars. We estimate a distance of 9.4 kpc. Our spectrum taken at the high state shows a much flatter spectral energy distribution, the disappearance of the ,6830 Ĺ emission feature and the weakness of the He ii 4686 emission relative to the Balmer emission lines. Our observations indicate the presence of emission-line flickering in time-scales of minutes in 2001. The peculiar character of AE Cir is revealed in the visibility of the secondary star at the high and low state, the light curve resembling a dwarf nova superoutburst and the relatively short low states. The data are hard to reconciliate with standard models for symbiotic star outbursts. [source] A green fluorescent protein-based screening method for identification of resistance in anthurium to systemic infection by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiaePLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007W. Elibox Resistance of cultivars of Anthurium andraeanum to systemic infection by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae, the causal organism of bacterial blight disease of anthurium, was investigated using a bioengineered bacterial strain containing p519ngfp plasmid. Successful infection establishment in anthurium was found to be cultivar and inoculum density dependent, but independent of plant age. Injection of cut petioles (stage-2 leaf) with 100 µL inoculum (109 CFU mL,1) resulted in 100% infection establishment in susceptible cultivars on a repeatable basis, and differentiated between various levels of observed field resistance. Time to death (weeks) and proportion of dead plants best differentiated between levels of resistance and cultivars were placed in four groups based on these criteria. The susceptible group (32 cultivars) rapidly declined within 6,12 weeks of inoculation (WAI) and resulted in 100% plant death; the moderately resistant group (10 cultivars) declined within 12 WAI, but resulted in less than 100% plant death; the resistant category had less than 100% plant death with a slow decline taking over 20 weeks; and the highly resistant category (15 cultivars) showed 0% infection. The correlation coefficient between green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fluorescence and eventual death of plants was 0·90, indicating that the final death of individual plants can be reasonably well predicted based on GFP-fluorescence data at 5 WAI. Hence GFP data at 5 WAI can be used for early detection of latently infected plants and may assist screening for resistance in segregating populations of anthurium. [source] Diversity in fertility patterns in GuatemalaPOPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 6 2006Sofie De Broe Abstract This study investigates urban and rural fertility trends in Guatemala up to 2002. It also aims to establish, using the theory of diffusion as its theoretical framework, the extent to which ethnicity and ethnic diversity are associated with geographical patterns in local-level fertility after controlling for socio-economic indicators. Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 1987, 1995,96 and 1998,99, the National Maternal and Child Health Survey of 2002 and the Census of 2002 were used. P/F ratios were calculated and used as an analytical tool and quality control measure of the data in order to establish the timing of changes in fertility patterns as measured by age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) based on exact exposure in four-year periods from 1972 to 2002. Finally, the 2002 census data were used to analyse and model fertility at the municipio- level using ordinary least squares regression. The results suggest a steady but very slow decline in fertility from 1972 until the mid-1990s. Both the P/F ratios and ASFRs calculated using the Maternal and Child Health Survey and Census of 2002 show a sharp decline in fertility since 1998. The regression results for the census data suggest an independent and significant effect of ,proportion of indigenous people' and an almost significant effect of ethnic diversity on fertility at the municipio -level. The very slow decline in fertility in Guatemala until fairly recently can be attributed to the fact that Guatemala has been lagging behind in terms of socio-economic development and the additional challenge of having a culturally very diverse and segregated population, preventing the spread of modern reproductive ideas and behaviour. The accelerated fertility decline since the end of the 1990s seems likely to be associated with the widespread availability and increased uptake of family planning following declining fertility desires among its indigenous population. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pattern of carcinoembryonic antigen drop after laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of liver metastasis from colorectal carcinomaCANCER, Issue 1 2006Mohammed Ghanamah M.D. Abstract BACKGROUND Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is being increasingly used for local control of hepatic metastasis from colorectal carcinoma (CRC). After surgical resection of colorectal liver metastasis, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) values fall within 2 weeks, making this a useful parameter to follow shortly after surgery. Little is known, however, about the expected pattern of the CEA drop after RFA. METHODS From September 1998 to October 2002, RFA to CRC liver metastasis was performed on 144 patients. A subset of 17 patients were studied who had no evidence of extrahepatic disease preoperatively, had all detectable tumor ablated intraoperatively, and who on long-term follow-up (up to 15 months) had no evidence of recurrent disease. Serum CEA was determined preoperatively, on the first postoperative day, at 1 week, and every 3 months afterwards. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis was obtained every 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS Ten (58.8%) patients showed an increase in CEA on postoperative Day 1, averaging 38.3% compared with the preoperative value. CEA then fell to 50% of the preoperative value, on average, on Day 7 postoperatively and only reached its nadir at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS Unlike resection patients, those undergoing ablation show an initial rise in CEA, probably due to release from the ablated tissue. Although heating of RFA would be expected to destroy CEA, the initial rise and slow drop postoperatively argue for a release of immunoreactive CEA from the ablated zone. This slow decline in CEA indicates that several months should pass before assessing the extent of potential residual disease. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source] | |||||||||||||