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Selected AbstractsWhat is the origin of the carabid beetle fauna of dry, anthropogenic habitats in western Europe?JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000Johan Andersen Abstract Aim To study the origin of the carabid beetle fauna of dry, open anthropogenic habitats. Location Various parts of Europe. Methods Collecting by hand in habitats influenced by humans (arable land, sand pits, ruderal places, road verges, meadows) and naturally open habitats such as talus, supralittoral sand dunes, alvar as well as littoral habitats in south and central Scandinavia. Studies made in other parts of Europe were included in the discussion. Results and conclusion The material comprises about 37,700 specimens. About 8% of the Scandinavian species occurring in anthropogenic habitats may have a littoral origin, about 10% may originate from forests whereas about 9% are euryoecious. A majority of the species (about 66%) originate from primarily open, dry habitats and many of them constitute a steppe or steppe-like element. They invaded the bare landscape soon after the deglaciation and probably survived in naturally open habitats (supralittoral sand dunes, talus, alvar, old riverbeds) during the postglacial warm period, but some species have a recent origin in Scandinavia. [source] Moringa oleifera: a food plant with multiple medicinal usesPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2007Farooq Anwar Abstract Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) is a highly valued plant, distributed in many countries of the tropics and subtropics. It has an impressive range of medicinal uses with high nutritional value. Different parts of this plant contain a profile of important minerals, and are a good source of protein, vitamins, , -carotene, amino acids and various phenolics. The Moringa plant provides a rich and rare combination of zeatin, quercetin, , -sitosterol, caffeoylquinic acid and kaempferol. In addition to its compelling water purifying powers and high nutritional value, M. oleifera is very important for its medicinal value. Various parts of this plant such as the leaves, roots, seed, bark, fruit, flowers and immature pods act as cardiac and circulatory stimulants, possess antitumor, antipyretic, antiepileptic, antiinflammatory, antiulcer, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, cholesterol lowering, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial and antifungal activities, and are being employed for the treatment of different ailments in the indigenous system of medicine, particularly in South Asia. This review focuses on the detailed phytochemical composition, medicinal uses, along with pharmacological properties of different parts of this multipurpose tree. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Thrips see red , flower colour and the host relationships of a polyphagous anthophilic thripsECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2007A. YAKU Abstract 1.,The common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei, is a polyphagous anthophilic species that colonises a wide range of host-plant species across different plant taxa. The environmental cues used by these polyphagous insects to recognise and locate host plants are not known. We therefore determined if colour is an important environmental signal used by F. schultzei to recognise flowers of eight of its more significant host-plant species. 2.,The effect of flower colour on the colonisation of different host plant species by F. schultzei was investigated by collecting and analysing the following: (a) numbers of thrips from different heights and aspects of the primary host plant Malvaviscus arboreus, (b) thrips distribution within flowers of Hibiscus rosasinensis, (c) colour reflectance from flowers of eight different host-plant species, and (d) reflectance from different coloured sticky traps and the number of thrips trapped on them at different times of the day and on different dates. 3.,The results indicate that: (a) the thrips (both sexes) concentrate towards the top of the primary host plant M. arboreus and are not distributed differentially according to sunny or shady aspect of the plant, (b) the number of female thrips on H. rosasinensis was higher in anthers compared to petals (corolla) and the basal parts of the flower, and males were as numerous on the petals as were females, and (c) there is a common floral reflectance pattern (but with different intensities) across the eight host plant species, mainly in the red part of the spectrum (600,700 nm). 4.,Results of colour sticky trapping show that red attracts more female thrips compared to any other colour and that most were caught between 09.00 and 11.00 hours. By contrast, more male thrips were trapped between 07.00 and 09.00 hours. Males were more evenly distributed across the different colours but the highest numbers were associated with the yellow traps. 5.,The higher densities of thrips at the top of their host plant may be related to the early morning (07.00,11.00 hours) activity of the thrips, when the top portions of the plant are more exposed to sunlight. The sex-related distributions of F. schultzei thrips across time, coloured sticky traps, and various parts of the flowers seem to be related to mating swarm formation by the males, on the one hand, and the relative frequency and intensity of the use of M. arboreus by the females, on the other, as a feeding and oviposition site. Frankliniella schultzei females respond more strongly to red than to any other colours, so it is predicted that the spectral properties of colour recognition by this species will correlate with the predominant red reflectance of its primary host, M. arboreus, and that there may well be a sex-related difference in colour recognition within this species. [source] Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L. and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.): a review of aspects of their life historiesECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2003A. Klemetsen Abstract ,,,Among the species in the family Salmonidae, those represented by the genera Salmo, Salvelinus, and Oncorhynchus (subfamily Salmoninae) are the most studied. Here, various aspects of phenotypic and life-history variation of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L., and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) are reviewed. While many strategies and tactics are commonly used by these species, there are also differences in their ecology and population dynamics that result in a variety of interesting and diverse topics that are challenging for future research. Atlantic salmon display considerable phenotypic plasticity and variability in life-history characters ranging from fully freshwater resident forms, where females can mature at approximately 10 cm in length, to anadromous populations characterised by 3,5 sea-winter (5SW) salmon. Even within simple 1SW populations, 20 or more spawning life-history types can be identified. Juveniles in freshwater can use both fluvial and lacustrine habitats for rearing, and while most smolts migrate to sea during the spring, fall migrations occur in some populations. At sea, some salmon undertake extensive oceanic migrations while other populations stay within the geographical confines of areas such as the Baltic Sea. At the other extreme are those that reside in estuaries and return to freshwater to spawn after spending only a few months at sea. The review of information on the diversity of life-history forms is related to conservation aspects associated with Atlantic salmon populations and current trends in abundance and survival. Brown trout is indigenous to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, but was introduced into at least 24 countries outside Europe and now has a world-wide distribution. It exploits both fresh and salt waters for feeding and spawning (brackish), and populations are often partially migratory. One part of the population leaves and feeds elsewhere, while another part stays as residents. In large, complex systems, the species is polymorphic with different size morphs in the various parts of the habitat. Brown trout feed close to the surface and near shore, but large individuals may move far offshore. The species exhibits ontogenetic niche shifts partly related to size and partly to developmental rate. They switch when the amount of surplus energy available for growth becomes small with fast growers being younger and smaller fish than slow growers. Brown trout is an opportunistic carnivore, but individuals specialise at least temporarily on particular food items; insect larvae are important for the young in streams, while littoral epibenthos in lakes and fish are most important for large trout. The sexes differ in resource use and size. Females are more inclined than males to become migratory and feed in pelagic waters. Males exploit running water, near-shore and surface waters more than females. Therefore, females feed more on zooplankton and exhibit a more uniform phenotype than males. The Arctic charr is the northernmost freshwater fish on earth, with a circumpolar distribution in the Holarctic that matches the last glaciation. Recent mtDNA studies indicate that there are five phylogeographic lineages (Atlantic, Arctic, Bering, Siberian and Acadian) that may be of Pleistocene origin. Phenotypic expression and ecology are more variable in charr than in most fish. Weights at maturation range from 3 g to 12 kg. Population differences in morphology and coloration are large and can have some genetic basis. Charr live in streams, at sea and in all habitats of oligotrophic lakes, including very deep areas. Ontogenetic habitat shifts between lacustrine habitats are common. The charr feed on all major prey types of streams, lakes and near-shore marine habitats, but has high niche flexibility in competition. Cannibalism is expressed in several cases, and can be important for developing and maintaining bimodal size distributions. Anadromy is found in the northern part of its range and involves about 40, but sometimes more days in the sea. All charr overwinter in freshwater. Partial migration is common, but the degree of anadromy varies greatly among populations. The food at sea includes zooplankton and pelagic fish, but also epibenthos. Polymorphism and sympatric morphs are much studied. As a prominent fish of glaciated lakes, charr is an important species for studying ecological speciation by the combination of field studies and experiments, particularly in the fields of morphometric heterochrony and comparative behaviour. [source] Region-specific changes in gene expression in rat brain after chronic treatment with levetiracetam or phenytoinEPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2010Bjørnar Hassel Summary Purpose:, It is commonly assumed that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) act similarly in the various parts of the brain as long as their molecular targets are present. A few experimental studies on metabolic effects of vigabatrin, levetiracetam, valproate, and lamotrigine have shown that these drugs may act differently in different brain regions. We examined effects of chronic treatment with levetiracetam or phenytoin on mRNA levels to detect regional drug effects in a broad, nonbiased manner. Methods:, mRNA levels were monitored in three brain regions with oligonucleotide-based microarrays. Results:, Levetiracetam (150 mg/kg for 90 days) changed the expression of 65 genes in pons/medulla oblongata, two in hippocampus, and one in frontal cortex. Phenytoin (75 mg/kg), in contrast, changed the expression of only three genes in pons/medulla oblongata, but 64 genes in hippocampus, and 327 genes in frontal cortex. Very little overlap between regions or drug treatments was observed with respect to effects on gene expression. Discussion:, We conclude that chronic treatment with levetiracetam or phenytoin causes region-specific and highly differential effects on gene expression in the brain. Regional effects on gene expression could reflect regional differences in molecular targets of AEDs, and they could influence the clinical profiles of AEDs. [source] Determination of cypermethrin in palm oil matricesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Badrul Hisyam Zainudin Abstract In this study, a new method was developed for the determination of cypermethrin residue in both crude palm oil (CPO) and crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) using GC with electron capture detector. In this method, the oil was extracted with acetonitrile. Aliquots were cleaned-up using combined solid phase extraction (SPE), and a primary-secondary amine in combination with graphitized carbon black. The SPE cartridges were first conditioned and then eluted with acetonitrile. Cypermethrin recoveries from the fortified CPO samples were 87,98% with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 4,8%, while those for the fortified CPKO samples were 83,100% with RSD values of 3,10%. Since good recoveries were obtained with RSD values below 10% in most cases, the proposed methodology will be useful for the analyses of palm oil samples. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of cypermethrin in real palm oil samples from various parts of Malaysia. No cypermethrin residue was found among 30 samples analyzed. [source] Trace element distributions in soils developed in loess deposits from northern FranceEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006T. Sterckeman Summary A pedo-geochemical survey was carried out in the Nord-Pas de Calais region (France) on soils developed in loess deposits. Total concentrations of Al, Fe and 18 trace elements, as well as common soil characteristics, were determined in samples from 52 surface and 97 deep horizons developed in these loess deposits. The Pb isotopic composition was determined in two sola. The composition of deep horizons, compared with that of the upper continental crust, with that of horizons developed from 21 other sedimentary rocks from the region and with that of loess from various parts of the world, confirms that loess from the Nord-Pas de Calais region derives from multi-recycled and well-mixed ancient sedimentary rocks. Correlation analysis shows that least mobile (i.e. ionic potential (Z/r) is between 3 and 7) geogenic elements (Bi, Co, Cr, Cu, In, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, V, Zn) are associated with the fraction <2 µm (which we define as ,lutum'). More mobile elements (As, Cd, Hg, Mn, Mo, Sb, Se) are less associated with this fraction. Cadmium is particularly linked to Mn. The distribution of [trace element]/([Al] or [Fe]) in the French loess gives the background content for soils developed from most sedimentary materials in northwestern Europe. Topsoils are enriched with all the trace elements examined, except Co, Cr and Ni. Enrichments with Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn are greater in cultivated soils than in forest soils. Enrichments with Pb and with Cu, Hg, Mo, Sb, Se and Sn are mainly due to human contamination through atmospheric fallout. Organic matter seems to act as a sink for all the exogenous trace elements. [source] Anatomy of Primary Afferents and Projection Neurones in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn with Particular Emphasis on Substance P and the Neurokinin 1 ReceptorEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002A. J. Todd The dorsal horn of the spinal cord plays an important role in transmitting information from nociceptive primary afferent neurones to the brain; however, our knowledge of its neuronal and synaptic organisation is still limited. Nociceptive afferents terminate mainly in laminae I and II and some of these contain substance P. Many projection neurones are located in lamina I and these send axons to various parts of the brain, including the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM), parabrachial area, periaqueductal grey matter and thalamus. The neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor on which substance P acts is expressed by certain neurones in the dorsal horn, including approximately 80% of lamina I projection neurones. There is also a population of large NK1 receptor-immunoreactive neurones with cell bodies in laminae III and IV which project to the CVLM and parabrachial area. It has been shown that the lamina III/IV NK1 receptor-immunoreactive projection neurones are densely and selectively innervated by substance P-containing primary afferent neurones, and there is evidence that these afferents also target lamina I projection neurones with the receptor. Both types of neurone are innervated by descending serotoninergic axons from the medullary raphe nuclei. The lamina III/IV neurones also receive numerous synapses from axons of local inhibitory interneurones which contain GABA and neuropeptide Y, and again this input shows some specificity since post-synaptic dorsal column neurones which also have cell bodies in laminae III and IV receive few contacts from neuropeptide Y-containing axons. These observations indicate that there are specific patterns of synaptic connectivity within the spinal dorsal horn. [source] Genomic and phenotypic heterogeneity of Acidithiobacillus spp. strains isolated from diverse habitats in ChinaFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Yong-Qing Ni Abstract The genetic variability among 32 Chinese Acidithiobacillus spp. environmental isolates and four reference strains representing three recognized species of the genus Acidithiobacillus was characterized by using a combination of molecular methods, namely restriction fragment length polymorphisms of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes and 16S,23S rRNA gene intergenic spacers, repetitive element PCR, arbitrarily primed PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that all Acidithiobacillus spp. strains could be assigned to seven groups, three of which encompassed the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains from various parts of the world. A comparative analysis of the phylogenetic Group 1 and 2 was undertaken. Restriction fragment length polymorphism results allowed us to separate the 35 Acidithiobacillus strains into 15 different genotypes. An integrated phenotypic and genotypic analysis indicated that the distribution of A. ferrooxidans strains among the physiological groups were in agreement with their distribution among the genomic groups, and that no clear correlation was found between the genetic polymorphism of the Acidithiobacillus spp. strains and either the geographic location or type of habitats from which the strains were isolated. In addition, five unidentified sulfur-oxidizing isolates may represent one or two novel species of the genus Acidithiobacillus. The results showed that the Chinese Acidithiobacillus spp. isolates exhibited a high degree of genomic and phenotypic heterogeneity. [source] Unstructured grid generation using LiDAR data for urban flood inundation modellingHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 11 2010Ryota Tsubaki Abstract Inundation disasters, caused by sudden water level rise or rapid flow, occur frequently in various parts of the world. Such catastrophes strike not only in thinly populated flood plains or farmland but also in highly populated villages or urban areas. Inundation of the populated areas causes severe damage to the economy, injury, and loss of life; therefore, a proper management scheme for the disaster has to be developed. To predict and manage such adversity, an understanding of the dynamic processes of inundation flow is necessary because risk estimation is performed based on inundation flow information. In this study, we developed a comprehensive method to conduct detailed inundation flow simulations for a populated area with quite complex topographical features using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data. Detailed geospatial information including the location and shape of each building was extracted from the LiDAR data and used for the grid generation. The developed approach can distinguish buildings from vegetation and treat them differently in the flow model. With this method, a fine unstructured grid can be generated representing the complicated urban land features precisely without exhausting labour for data preparation. The accuracy of the generated grid with different grid spacing and grid type is discussed and the optimal range of grid spacing for direct representation of urban topography is investigated. The developed method is applied to the estimation of inundation flows, which occurred in the basin of the Shin-minato River. A detailed inundation flow structure is represented by the flow model, and the flow characteristics with respect to topographic features are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A zoological perspective on payments for ecosystem servicesINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2007Jeffrey A. McNEELY Abstract The concept of payments for ecosystem services is being developed as an important means of providing a more diverse flow of benefits to people living in and around habitats valuable for conservation. The Kyoto Protocol, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, includes a Clean Development Mechanism to provide for payments for certain forms of carbon sequestration that may benefit animal species (at least as an incidental benefit). Other market-based approaches for paying for carbon sequestration services outside the Kyoto framework are being promoted in various parts of the world. Another common form of payment for ecosystem services is compensating upstream landowners for managing their land in ways that maintain downstream water quality; this can include habitat management that benefits wild animal species. While biodiversity itself is difficult to value, it can be linked to other markets, such as certification in the case of sustainably-produced forest products. This paper expands on some of the markets for ecosystem services that also benefit wildlife, identifies relevant sources of information, and highlights some of the initiatives linking such markets to poverty alleviation. Making markets work for ecosystem services requires an appropriate policy framework, government support, operational institutional support, and innovation at scales from the site level to the national level. Zoologists have much to contribute to all of these steps. [source] The influences of data precision on the calculation of temperature percentile indicesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Xuebin Zhang Abstract Percentile-based temperature indices are part of the suite of indices developed by the WMO CCl/CLIVAR/JCOMM Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices. They have been used to analyse changes in temperature extremes for various parts of the world. We identify a bias in percentile-based indices which consist of annual counts of threshold exceedance. This bias occurs when there is insufficient precision in temperature data, and affects the estimation of the means and trends of percentile-based indices. Such imprecision occurs when temperature observations are truncated or rounded prior to being recorded and archived. The impacts on the indices depend upon the type of relation (i.e. temperature greater than or greater than or equal to) used to determine the exceedance rate. This problem can be solved when the loss of precision is not overly severe by adding a small random number to artificially restore data precision. While these adjustments do not improve the accuracy of individual observations, the exceedance rates that are computed from data adjusted in this way have properties, such as long-term mean and trend, which are similar to those directly estimated from data that are originally of the same precision as the adjusted data. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Efficacy of glucantime in the treatment of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Rukhsana Firdous MPhil Background, Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Depending on the parasite species and host response, the disease presents itself in different clinical forms. The cutaneous form of the disease is most common in the Old World. Pentavalent antimonials in the form of an injection represent the most widely used therapy for all clinical forms of the disease. As a result of reports on the development of resistance from various parts of the world, we thought it pertinent to determine its response in our region. Methods, Two hundred and seven military personnel with cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania major, were treated with glucantime according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended protocol. All patients were nonindigenous to the area and had moved from a nonendemic area to a highly endemic area. Results, Thirty-seven per cent of patients were cured within 15 days. The cure percentage reached 81% when 20 mg/kg/day was continued to 20 days. Twenty-five patients who failed to respond were subjected to a further course of glucantime injection. Sixteen responded by the 10th day of treatment, and the remaining nine were cured by completion of the second course, i.e. within 40 days. The drug was administered intramuscularly. The common side-effects noted were vertigo, headache, anorexia, temperature, and joint pain. Conclusion, Glucantime is still effective against Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis when used in the doses recommended by WHO. [source] Current epidemiology of atopic dermatitis in south-eastern NigeriaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2004Edith N. Nnoruka MB Background, Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common pruritic, eczematous skin disorder that runs a chronic and relapsing course. In Nigeria, it is currently on the increase, particularly amongst infants, and has created cost burdens for families. It occurs in association with a personal or family history of asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Major and minor criteria exist as guidelines for arriving at a diagnosis of AD, and surveys from Western countries have shown that these features, in particular the minor features, vary with ethnicity and genetic background and can be used to aid diagnosis. African dermatologists have also voiced concern that the much used Hanifin criteria for diagnosis of AD may need some adaptation for use in Africa. Objective, To document the features and disease outcomes of AD seen amongst dermatology hospital patients in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria, with a view to reflecting current features amongst Nigerian Blacks. Methods, A prospective study of AD patients seen over a 2-year period at a tertiary referral dermatology clinic (University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria) was carried out. A total of 1019 patients aged between 4 weeks and 57 years were included in the study. Results, The prevalence of AD was 8.5%, which is much higher than the prevalence of AD reported in various parts of Nigeria 15 years ago. AD occurred before the age of 10 years in 523 (51.3%) patients, whilst 250 (24.5%) had onset after 21 years. The earliest age of onset in infants was in the first 6 weeks of life, and this was found in 129 patients (12.7%). Education and occupation of household heads were the most significant (P < 0.001) factors associated with seeking proper health care for the child's AD. Four hundred and forty-one (43.3%) patients presented with subacute atopic eczema and 326 (32%) patients with severe impeteginized eczema. Four hundred and twenty-five patients (41.7%) had at least one first-degree family member with AD (16.7%), allergic rhinitis (10.3%), asthma (14.6%) and allergic conjunctivitis (2.1%), while 55 (13.3%) of controls had a positive family history (P < 0.01) of allergy. A personal history of AD only, without concomitant respiratory allergies, was seen in 486 (47.7%) patients. The face was affected in 431 (42.3%) patients. Inverse distribution of a flexural rash was observed over the extensor aspect of the joints: the elbow in 502 patients (49.3%), the wrist joint in 183 patients (17.9%) and the knee joints in 354 patients (34.7). The commonly observed minor features included xerosis in 719 patients (71%), papular lichenoid lesions in 547 patients (54.1%), infraorbital folds in 498 patients (49.2%), palmar hyper linearity in 524 patients (51.8%) and raised peripheral blood eosinophils in 519 patients (51%), particularly for those with severe AD. Fissured heels, forehead lichenification, orbital darkening, nail pitting, sand paper-like skin lesions on the elbows/knees/lateral malleolli, knuckle dermatitis of the hands, palmar erythema and pitted keratolysis occurred more uncommonly as minor features. Infective complications were very common and included bacterial infections (folliculitis, impetiginized dermatitis and pyodermas) in 425 (41.7%) patients, fungal infections in 377 (37%) patients, parasitic infections (scabies) in 90 (8.8%) patients and viral infection (herpes simplex and molluscum contagiosum) in 29 (2.9%) patients. Thirteen of these atopics were also HIV positive. Aggravating factors most commonly reported included heat intolerance, excessive sweating, humidity, grass intolerance, thick woollen clothing and drug reactions. Only three patients had food intolerance. Three hundred and ten patients (30.4%) recalled their AD being worse in the hot humid periods and 383 (37.6%) could not recall any periods of relief or remission. Conclusions, The prevalence of AD amongst south-eastern Nigerian Blacks is on the increase, as in other areas, although it is still lower here than in other parts of the world. Many conventional minor features were found, but some occurred less frequently than in other countries, which may be attributed to ethnicity. Further studies will be required to confirm the ethnic differences in these features of AD amongst Nigerians and other Africans, to clarify the features of AD that are peculiar to Africans. [source] Multiple pilomatricoma with perforationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2002Emel Fetil MD A 22-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a complaint of masses on various parts of her body. A mass on her right forearm had appeared 5 years ago and had enlarged during the past 6 months. Two lesions on the back of her neck had a 3-year history, one lesion on her eyebrow had a 2-year history, and one lesion on her left forearm had a 1-year history. The lesion on her left forearm was discharging purulent material. Dermatologic examination revealed a 15 × 16 mm tumor on the right forearm, 11 × 6 mm and 10 × 5 mm tumors on the back of the neck, and a 20 × 20 mm tumor on the eyebrow; they were flesh-colored, well-defined, firm tumors. On her left forearm, there was a 12 × 10 mm, well-defined, firm, blue,red tumor discharging chalky white granules; purulent material was detected (Fig. 1). Figure 1. Firm, blue,red tumor discharging chalky white granules There was no regional lymphadenopathy. Systemic examination was normal. Laboratory examination of hematologic, biochemical, and urinalysis tests was normal. There was no family history of similar lesions. Total excision of all the tumors was performed. Histopathologic examination of the material revealed clusters of eosinophilic shadow cells surrounded by a fibrous capsule. There were also foreign body giant cells. Areas of calcification, cholesterol clefts, and ossification were detected. An intraepidermal perforating area was detected from the biopsy material of the left forearm (Fig. 2). There were no recurrences after 1 year of follow-up. Figure 2. Intraepidermal perforating area and clusters of shadow cells (hematoxylin and eosin, × 200) [source] Cranioplasty in ancient Peru: a critical review of the evidence, and a unique case from the Cuzco areaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3 2010J. W. Verano Abstract Cranioplasty is a well-known procedure in modern neurosurgery. Although some authors have claimed it was also performed by prehistoric trepanners in various parts of the world, there is little hard evidence to support this. Here we review various claims of cranioplasty in Peru, where trepanation was widely practised in Prehispanic times. We find little support for assertions that cranioplasty was common. One recently discovered burial from the Cuzco region, however, provides the first documented case of the reinsertion of a bone plug into a trepanation opening. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Glocalizing protest: urban conflicts and the global social movementsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2003Bettina Köhler The emergence of global social movements is essentially symbolized by the names of cities like Seattle, Genoa or Porto Alegre. This is not accidental, because groups stemming from various parts of the world need places to constitute themselves as movements. But the role of cities in representing great parts of the movements' consciousness also hints at the importance urban struggles have for global protests. The article examines the relationship between urban conflicts and global social movements. By looking for continuities and ruptures between former and current urban conflicts it points out the specificity of the latter: to politicize the contradictions of neoliberal restructuring; to challenge the discursive and institutional terrains of urban politics which were shaped in the 1990s, often with active participation of former movement actors; and, finally, to act simultaneously on various spatial scales. In the last part of the article some examples of ,glocalized' urban protests are presented and analysed, pointing out their ambiguities as well as the specific contribution they can make to the strategic orientation of the global social movements: to fight the destructive influences neoliberal globalization exerts on everyday life and, thereby, to develop alternative forms of societalization. L'apparition des mouvements sociaux mondiaux est essentiellement symbolisée par les noms de ville comme Seattle, Gênes ou Pôrto Alegre. Cela n'a rien de fortuit puisque des groupes issus de plusieurs parties du monde ont besoin de lieux pour se constituer en mouvements. Toutefois, le rôle des villes dans la représentation de vastes pans de la conscience de mouvements suggére l'importance des luttes urbaines pour la contestation planétaire. L'article examine le rapport entre les conflits urbains et les mouvements sociaux mondiaux. En recherchant continuités et ruptures entre l'agitation urbaine antérieure et actuelle, il souligne la spécificité de cette dernière: politiser les contradictions de la restructuration néo-libérale; remettre en cause les terrains discursifs et institutionnels de la politique urbaine dessinés dans les années 1990, souvent avec la participation active d'anciens acteurs des mouvements; et finalement intervenir simultanément sur plusieurs échelles spatiales. La dernière partie de l'article présente et analyse quelques cas de contestations urbaines ,glocalisées', relevant leurs ambiguïtés, ainsi que la contribution qu'elles peuvent apporter à l'orientation stratégique des mouvements sociaux mondiaux: combattre les influences destructrices de la ,globalisation' néo-libérale sur la vie quotidienne et, ce faisant, créer de nouvelles formes sociétales. [source] Resources and the Rule of Rescue1JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY, Issue 4 2007MARK SHEEHAN abstract The central issue that I consider in this paper is the use of the so-called ,Rule of Rescue' in the context of resource allocation. This ,Rule' has played an important role in resource allocation decisions in various parts of the world. It was invoked in Ontario to overturn a decision not to fund treatment for Gaucher's Disease and it has also been used to justify resource decisions in Israel concerning the same condition. In the paper I consider the nature of the Rule of Rescue and its moral justification. The latter involves consideration of the distinction between agent-relative and agent-neutral obligations. If the Rule of Rescue is to be justified, it is plausible to think that it will be in the context of agent-relative obligations. Two problems with this suggestion are considered: the role of identifiability in the Rule of Rescue and the extent to which policy makers in a health care system can be taken to have such obligations. It is argued that in both cases these problems can be overcome and hence that there is a prima facie obligation to follow the Rule of Rescue. [source] Why Is "Integrated" ABC Better?JOURNAL OF CORPORATE ACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 3 2002David E. Keys Traditionally, the various parts of an organization have been assumed to be independent. This was done mainly to simplify calculations, though the assumption is almost always inaccurate in reality. But computer technology now makes it possible to account for the many interrelationships of activities. The explicit consideration of these interrelationships in product and service costing can be referred to as integrated activity-based costing. By measuring these interrelationships, managers can better understand the parts of an organization, how they relate with each other, and how they can be integrated into the entire organization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Quantitative evaluation of prostatectomy for benign prostatic hypertrophy under a national health insurance law: a multi-centre studyJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002D. Pilpel PhD Abstract Assessing regional variation between various medical centres in diagnostic and surgical processes is an approach aimed at evaluating the quality of care. This study analyses the differences between eight medical centres in Israel, where all citizens are covered by medical insurance, through the National Health Insurance Law (NHIL). The analysis refers to the diagnostic process, type of surgery and immediate post-surgical complications associated with prostatectomy for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), which is the most frequent surgical procedure performed on men aged 50+. The study sample was comprized of 261 consecutive prostatectomy patients operated on in eight Israeli medical centres (MC), located in various parts of the country, between November 1996 and April 1997. Co-operation with participating directors of surgical wards was obtained after confidentiality of information had been assured. Surgeons in selected departments abstracted data routinely recorded in the patient's file and filled-out a standard one-page questionnaire. The following items were included: age, the presence of accompanying chronic diseases, preoperative tests, type of operation, and post-surgical complications. In the various MCs 32.6% of the patients underwent more than five preoperative tests ranging from 8.9% to 88.9% (<0.01). Assessment of kidney and bladder normality ranged from 75% to 100% (P < 0.01). The rate of patients whose prostatic symptoms (I-PSS) were assessed ranged from 0% to 79% (P < 0.01). There were also differences in severity of prostatism between the MCs, with severe symptoms ranging from 54.0% to 89.3% (P < 0.05), for type of operation performed (for ,open' prostatectomies, 35.4% to 68.0%, P < 0.01) and post-operative complications (19.0% to 41.6%, P = 0.07). After controlling for case-mix, type of operation was the most important predictor for post-surgical complications. MCs with low volume of surgeries had a higher rate of postoperative complications. We conclude that diagnostic and type of operation and post-surgical complications differed between various MCs. Participating surgeons were willing to fill out a one-page standard questionnaire from data routinely recorded in patients' files. [source] Song similarity predicts hybridization in flycatchersJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006A. QVARNSTRÖM Abstract Given that population divergence in sexual signals is an important prerequisite for reproductive isolation, a key prediction is that cases of signal convergence should lead to hybridization. However, empirical studies that quantitatively demonstrate links between phenotypic characters of individuals and their likelihood to hybridize are rare. Here we show that song convergence between sympatric pied (Ficedula hypoleuca) and collared flycatchers (F. albicollis) influence social and sexual interactions between the two species. In sympatry, the majority of male pied flycatchers (65%) include various parts of collared flycatcher song in their song repertoire (but not vice versa). Playback experiments on male interactions demonstrate that male collared flycatchers respond similarly to this ,mixed' song as to conspecific song. Long-term data on pairing patterns show that males singing a converged song attract females of the other species: female collared flycatchers only pair with male pied flycatchers if the males sing the mixed song type. From the perspective of a male pied flycatcher, singing a mixed song type is associated with 30% likelihood of hybridization. This result, combined with our estimates of the frequency of mixed singers, accurately predicts the observed occurrence of hybridization among male pied flycatchers in our study populations (20.45% of 484 pairs; predicted 19.5%). Our results support the suggestion that song functions as the most important prezygotic isolation mechanism in many birds. [source] Survey of endoscopic ultrasonographic practice and training in the Asia-Pacific regionJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 8 2006Khek Yu Ho Abstract Background:, Little is known about the current status of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) training in the Asia,Pacific region. The aim of the present study was to assess EUS practice and training in the Asia,Pacific region and seek to identify areas where the development of EUS expertise could be further enhanced. Methods:, A direct mail survey was sent out to 87 practising endosonographers in various parts of the Asia,Pacific region outside of Japan. They were asked to report on their prior training, utilization of EUS, and EUS training in their country. Results:, The respondents (n = 71) were mostly young (median age 40 years), male (97%), practising in academia (36.6%) or public hospitals (50.7%) and fairly experienced (median 5 years) in EUS practices; they had performed a median of 500 procedures in their career. Among them, 49.3% were self-taught. Only 22.5% and 21.1% had undergone formal overseas fellowship lasting ,6 months, and local gastrointestinal fellowships of various durations, respectively. Fifty-six percent were currently involved in EUS teaching. Most (90%) thought that a formal EUS training fellowship is necessary for acquiring acceptable competence and there should be a minimum number (median 100) of supervised procedures performed and minimum amount of time (median 6 months) spent on training. Conclusions:, Although EUS practitioners in the Asia,Pacific region were not behind their European or US counterparts in hands-on experience, the lack of formal EUS training programs and opportunities remains an area of concern. For the region to increase EUS utilization, the current shortage of training opportunities needs to be addressed. [source] Effects of E-Commerce on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of Grocery Home Delivery in FinlandJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Hanne Siikavirta Summary In this article, we present a literature review of the general and environmental effects of e-commerce in various parts of the demand-supply chain. These are further translated into effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the food production and consumption system. The literature study revealed many opportunities for e-commerce to reduce GHG emissions in the food production and consumption system. Some possibly negative effects were also identified. Electronic grocery shopping (e-grocery) home delivery service was chosen as the subject of a case study because of its direct and indirect potential for reducing the GHG emissions in the food production and consumption system. GHG emission reduction potential through the implementation of various e-grocery home delivery strategies was quantified. Depending on the home delivery model used, it is possible to reduce the GHG emissions generated by grocery shopping by 18% to 87% compared with the situation in which household members go to the store themselves. We estimate that the maximum theoretical potential of e-grocery home delivery service for reducing the GHG emissions of Finland is roughly 0.3% to 1.3%; however, the current and estimated future market potential is much smaller, because the estimated market share of e-grocery services is only 10% by 2005. Narrowing the gap between the theoretical and the actual potential requires a model that would simultaneously provide additional value to the consumer and be profitable to companies. To be able to achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions, system-level innovations and changes are required. Further research is needed before conclusions can be reached as to whether e-commerce and e-grocery are useful tools in that respect. [source] Novel variants related to TT virus distributed widely in China,JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 1 2002Kangxian Luo Abstract TTV is a DNA virus with high genetic heterogeneity. To investigate the novel isolates of the virus, blood samples were collected from subjects who lived in various parts of China and suffered from hepatitis or were asymptomatic carriers. Nested PCR was carried out to amplify a 3.2-kb fragment using primers deduced from the prototype TTV (TA278). The ten entire 3.2-kb nt sequences were aligned with isolate TA278, SANBAN, TUS01, and SENV retrieved from GenBank, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed by Neighbor-Joining method. The analysis indicated that five novel variants of the present study have not been described before, and all TTV-related isolates could be classified into three groups. The isolate TCHN-A, B and TUS01 were included in a group, and the remaining novel isolates together with SANBAN and TA278 clustered into another group, while SEN virus formed a distinct group. The genetic distances of the five novel variants were 0.5507,0.8476 to TA278, 0.4635,0.7877 to SANBAN, 0.6064,0.7834 to TUS01 and 0.6936,0.8236 to SENV. Of these novel variants, the ORF1 consisted of 426,772 aa and ORF2 of 141,156 aa. The nt identities of ORF1 and ORF2 between those variants and TA278, SANBAN, and TUS01 were 46.1,60.8 and 48.7,63.6%, and those of aa sequences were only 27.1,52.4 and 28.9,45.5%, respectively. The first 65 aa of ORF1 were rich in arginine and most conserved with homology of 56.5,70.0%. There was a hypervariable region from aa 286 to 403 with merely 17.7,27.0% of identity. Despite a low aa identity between TA278 and the variants, they have similar hydrophilicity profiles of ORF1. There were 2,10 N-glycosylation motifs found in these variants. In conclusion, despite the high divergence, sequences of all these isolates shared common genome organisation, ORF structure, hydrophilicity patterns, and some potential motifs with TTV prototype. It is suggested that various TTV and TTV-related isolates belong to a very large and complex family, which remains to be studied. J. Med. Virol. 67:118,126, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging mapping of acute nociceptive responses induced by formalin in rats using atlas registration-based event-related analysisJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2008Yen-Yu I. Shih Abstract Nociceptive neuronal activation in subcortical regions has not been well investigated in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. The present report aimed to use the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI technique to map nociceptive responses in both subcortical and cortical regions by employing a refined data processing method, the atlas registration-based event-related (ARBER) analysis technique. During fMRI acquisition, 5% formalin (50 ,l) was injected into the left hindpaw to induce nociception. ARBER was then used to normalize the data among rats, and images were analyzed using automatic selection of the atlas-based region of interest. It was found that formalin-induced nociceptive processing increased BOLD signals in both cortical and subcortical regions. The cortical activation was distributed over the cingulate, motor, somatosensory, insular, and visual cortices, and the subcortical activation involved the caudate putamen, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray, superior colliculus, thalamus, and hypothalamus. With the aid of ARBER, the present study revealed a detailed activation pattern that possibly indicated the recruitment of various parts of the nociceptive system. The results also demonstrated the utilization of ARBER in establishing an fMRI-based whole-brain nociceptive map. The formalin induced nociceptive images may serve as a template of central nociceptive responses, which can facilitate the future use of fMRI in evaluation of new drugs and preclinical therapies for pain. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Quantitation of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and myelin basic protein in the thymus and central nervous system and its relationship to the clinicopathologic features of autoimmune encephalomyelitisJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 3 2006Hiroshi Sakuma Abstract There is controversy whether the amount of autoantigens expressed in the thymus regulates negative selection of autoreactive T cells and determine susceptibility or resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In the present study, we have addressed this issue by quantifying neuroantigens in the thymus of two EAE-susceptible (LEW and LEW.1AV1) and one EAE-resistant (BN) rat strains. We further examined whether amounts of neuroantigens in various parts of the central nervous system (CNS) affect the clinical course and lesion distribution of acute and chronic EAE. Real-time PCR and histologic analyses showed that there was no significant difference in the amount and distribution of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and myelin basic protein in the thymus and CNS among the three strains and that both acute and chronic EAE lesions in the CNS were preferentially distributed in the area where neuroantigens were abundantly present. These findings suggest that susceptibility or resistance to EAE is not regulated by the amount of the neuroantigens expressed in the thymus. Furthermore, the lesion distribution, but not the clinical course, of EAE is related to the neuroantigen expression in the CNS. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Altered expression of collagen XVII in ameloblastomas and basal cell carcinomasJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 10 2001Mataleena Parikka Abstract: Background: Collagen XVII (BP180) is an epithelial transmembrane protein, which presumably plays a role in cell migration and differentiation under both physiological and pathological conditions. Ameloblastoma, the most common odontogenic neoplasm, and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin exhibit similar growth patterns and share histological features. Methods: Here, we examined the distribution and expression of collagen XVII in ameloblastomas and BCCs using immunohistochemistry and non-radioactive in situ hybridization. In both tumors, the distribution of collagen XVII varied in different parts of the lesions. Results: In ameloblastomas, immunostaining for collagen XVII was usually localized in the basal and suprabasal cells of the tumor nests, although in some tumors, a diffuse intracellular staining was detected in the central cells of the neoplastic islands. In BCCs, collagen XVII was mostly seen as diffuse cytoplasmic staining in some central and peripheral cells of the tumor islands and also at the cell membranes in the basal keratinocytes of the epidermis overlying the tumor nests. Double immunostaining with antibody against ,2 chain of laminin-5 showed that these two components of the keratinocyte adhesion complex are usually co-localized in ameloblastomas and BCCs. In both tumors, collagen XVII mRNA was found in the basal epithelial cells and in some central and peripheral cells of the tumor islands, while the stromal cells were negative. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the expression of collagen XVII may be differentially regulated in various parts of the tumor. Diffuse intracellular distribution of collagen XVII and a consequent loss of critical cellular attachments may contribute to the infiltrative and progressive growing potential of tumors. [source] Characterization of differential ebulliometers for measuring activity coefficientsAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2000J. David Raal Differential ebulliometry is a powerful and rapid procedure for obtaining infinitely dilute activity coefficients with potentially very good accuracy. Tedious degassing procedures are not necessary, as in a static method, and from only a few measurements full system phase behavior can be evaluated. The principal problem, precise evaluation of the equilibrium liquid composition from the known composition of a prepared solution charged to the apparatus, is well known but has so far defied adequate resolution. A system of exact self-consistent equations was developed for the characterization of an ebulliometer through a dimensionless ebulliometer constant. Evaluation of this constant from typical data and its subsequent use are illustrated for a system of known phase equilibrium behavior. Remarkably, the equations permit evaluation of the effective "static" holdups in various parts of the equipment without any volume measurements. Since one equation is redundant to the main purpose, it can be used for a consistency check of measured and calculated data. The equations also furnish a guide for the operation of ebulliometers. [source] Sleep disturbances as a predictor of occupational injuries among public sector workersJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 1p2 2010SIMO SALMINEN Summary The association between disturbed sleep and increased risk of occupational injury has been observed in several cross-sectional and case,control studies, but prospective evidence is lacking. We examined prospectively whether sleep disturbances predicted occupational injuries in a large population of Finnish public sector employees. A total of 48 598 employees working in 10 municipalities and 21 hospitals in various parts of Finland were included. Sleep disturbances were assessed with the four-item Jenkins Sleep Problems Scale. Records of sickness absence due to occupational injury during the year following the survey were obtained from employers' registers. A proportion (9076; 22%) of participants reported disturbed sleep, and 978 (2.4%) had a recorded occupational injury. After adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, the odds ratio (OR) for occupational injury was 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02,1.87] times higher for men with experiences of disturbed sleep than for those without sleep disturbances, but not significant for women. Of the sub-dimensions of sleep disturbances, the OR for occupational injury was 1.69 (95% CI 1.26,2.26) for women with difficulties initiating sleep, but not significant for men. These associations remained after additional adjustment for work stress, sleep length, obesity, alcohol use and mental health. This study suggests that sleep disturbances are a significant predictor of occupational injuries even after accounting for a range of covariates. [source] Bioequivalence of four preparations of enrofloxacin in poultryJOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2001L. H. Sumano In various parts of the world, many 10% enrofloxacin commercial preparations for water medication of chicken are being employed. To avoid the development of bacterial resistance to this agent, the original trademark and similar preparations must be bioequivalent. To assess whether or not bioequivalence exists among the pioneer vs. three commercial preparations of enrofloxacin, a controlled pharmacokinetic study was conducted. The following variables were compared: maximal plasma concentration (Cpeak), time to Cpeak, bioavailability (expressed as the area under the concentration vs. time curve), elimination half-life, and the shapes of the respective time-serum concentrations of enrofloxacin profiles. Results indicate that all three similar commercial preparations had lower Cpeak values than the reference formulation, being 39.62 to 67.77% of the corresponding Cpeak reference. Additionally, bioavailability of enrofloxacin in the pioneer product was statistically higher (P < 0.05). Based upon these results, we conclude that although all preparations were formulated as water-soluble products, bioequivalence studies are mandatory for the analogue formulations to ensure product comparability. Lack of product bioequivalence could facilitate the development of bacterial resistance and limit the useful life span of the product. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||