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Terms modified by Certain Selected AbstractsPM 8/2(1): ConiferaeEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 3 2009Article first published online: 27 NOV 200 Specific scope The purpose of the EPPO Standard on Coniferae is to recommend to EPPO Member Governments the phytosanitary measures, which they should use or require for Coniferae plants and plant products moving in international trade, to prevent the introduction and spread of regulated pests. Certain of these recommendations are addressed to all EPPO Member Governments, others are addressed only to countries considered to face a certain level of risk from the introduction and spread of the pests recommended for regulation concerned. These recommendations are derived: ,,from the EPPO Standards PM 1/2 (EPPO A1 and A2 lists) ,,from the former EPPO standard PM 2 (pest-specific phytosanitary measures) (which was withdrawn in 2006 by the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations) ,,from Pest Risk Analysis ,,from the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations ,,from the ISPM n°15 ,Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade'. Specific approval and amendment Approved in 2009-09. [source] Pharmacoepidemiology of anabolic androgenic steroids: a reviewFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Ingemar Thiblin Abstract Non-prescribed use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has been associated with a number of physical and psychiatric/behavioural complications, some of which are potentially lethal. Here, we review both observational and experimental studies on human subjects concerned with such side-effects. The only physical complication of AAS use that receives definitive support from such investigations is unfavourable changes in blood lipid profiles. Support for various psychiatric complications has also been provided by a number of cross-sectional studies, most involving comparisons between weight-training individuals who use or do not use AAS. Certain of these complications, in particular hypomania and increased aggressiveness, have been confirmed in some, but not all, randomized controlled studies. Epidemiological attempts to determine whether AAS use triggers violent behaviour have failed, primarily because of high rates of non-participation. Studies regarding the prevalence of AAS use in different populations typically report life-time prevalences of 1,5% among adolescents. However, the life-time prevalence (i.e. use on at least one occasion) is of doubtful relevance in attempting to estimate the number of individuals at risk for side-effects, as most of these complications appear to develop during prolonged use of AAS. Furthermore, it is reasonable to assume that the symptoms and signs of AAS use are often overlooked by healthcare professionals, so that the number of cases of possible AAS-related complications is virtually unknown. These limitations, together with an apparently low prevalence of prolonged AAS use among the general population, indicate that future epidemiological research in this area should focus on retrospective case,control studies and, perhaps, also on prospective cohort studies of populations selected for a high prevalence of AAS use, rather than attempting to perform large-scale population-based studies. [source] Second chromosome genes required for heart development in Drosophila melanogasterGENESIS: THE JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 10 2007Ye Tao Abstract Heart development is an evolutionarily conserved process. The cardiac organ of Drosophila melanogaster is the dorsal vessel, a linear contractile tissue with cellular and morphogenetic similarities to the primitive heart tube formed at an early stage of vertebrate heart formation. Abundant evidence shows comparable intercellular signaling pathways and transcription factor networks are utilized in Drosophila and vertebrates, to specify cardiac progenitor cells and instruct their differentiation and function in forming the mature heart. With this proven conservation in mind, we screened the second chromosome of Drosophila for genetic intervals that harbor additional loci required for normal dorsal vessel morphogenesis. Our studies identified numerous regions, that when deleted, culminated in dorsal vessels with abnormal cell numbers and/or structural properties. Certain of the deficiency intervals were further characterized to identify individual genes essential for proper cardiac organ formation. Our analyses identified eight genes of diverse functions that are needed for dorsal vessel development. Several of these sequences have known vertebrate homologues, further supporting a conserved genetic basis for heart formation in Drosophila and higher eukaryotes. genesis 45:607,617, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Species-specific evolution of MHC class I genes in the higher primatesIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2001Erin J. Adams Summary: Humans express three highly polymorphic ,classical' (HLA-A,B and C) and three conserved ,non-classical' (HLA-E, F and G) MHC class I genes. Their comparison with the MHC class I genes of apes and monkeys reveals the differential extent to which MHC class I genes have been preserved during primate evolution. African apes have orthologues of all six human genes, and although allelic lineages of the A and C loci are shared, these species share none of the human alleles. In Asian apes, several MHC class I genes show significant differences from the human genes, a trend which continues with the Old World monkeys, and even more so in the New World monkeys, where E and F are the only human gene orthologues. The C locus is confined to humans and apes. Multiple A -related and B -related loci have been identified in apes and Old World monkeys showing that duplication of these loci has been a common event during primate evolution. Certain of the daughter loci exhibit low polymorphism, suggesting they have adopted a non-classical function. The differing rates at which MHC class I genes have evolved during primate evolution likely reflects their differing functions in the immune response. [source] Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclopropanation of Unsaturated Endoperoxides.ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 7-8 2009A New Peroxide-Preserving Reaction Abstract Unsaturated bicyclic endoperoxides are efficiently cyclopropanated with excess diazomethane in the presence of catalytic palladium(II) acetate [Pd(OAc)2] in a stereoselective manner. This method represents a new peroxide-preserving transformation. Whereas the unsaturated endoperoxides in the [2.2.1],series are attacked by the carbene from the exo face, the analogs with larger bridges are preferentially attacked from the face syn to the peroxo bridge. Only in the case of the benzannelated [2.2.2],system does the attack occur exclusively from the face proximal to the benzene ring. Certain strained cyclopropanated endoperoxides are reduced by diazomethane to give cis -diols. 2-Methylfuran endoperoxide gives rise to cis -1-formyl-2-acetylcyclopropane in excellent yield. [source] STEROLS AS BIOMARKERS IN GYMNODINIUM BREVE: DISTRIBUTION IN DINOFLAGELLATESJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000J.D. Leblond The sterol composition of marine microalgae has been shown to be a chemotaxonomic property potentially of value in distinguishing members of different algal classes. For example, members of the class Dinophyceae display sterol compositions ranging from as few as two (cholesterol and dinosterol in Alexandrium tamarense) to as many as twelve in certain Heterocapsa species. Certain of these are 4-methyl sterols rarely found in other classes of algae. The ability to use sterol biomarkers to distinguish certain dinoflagellates such as the toxic species Gymnodinium breve, responsible for red tide events in the Gulf of Mexico, from other species within the same class would be of considerable scientific and economic value. Gymnodinium breve has been shown by others to possess two principal novel sterols, (24S)-4a-methylergosta-8(14), 22-dien-3b-ol (ED) and its 27-nor derivative (NED), not previously known to be present in other dinoflagellates. Characterization of free and esterified sterols from laboratory cultures of G. breve and of samples from a recent bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has confirmed the predominance of these two sterols. This has prompted a study of the sterol signatures of more than 30 dinoflagellates. ED and NED were shown also to be the primary sterols of the closely related dinoflagellates G. mikimotoi and G. galatheanum. They are also found as minor components of the more complex sterol profiles of other members of the Gymnodinium-Peridinium-Prorocentrum (GPP) taxonomic group. The more widespread distribution of this sterol pattern is consistent with the known close relationship between G. breve and G. mikimotoi. [source] Clenbuterol increases muscle fiber size and GATA-2 protein in rat skeletal muscle in uteroMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2008Diane Downie Abstract Certain ,2 -adrenoceptor agonists, such as clenbuterol, are known to elicit a muscle-specific anabolism or hypertrophy in both normal and catabolic muscle in a wide variety of species. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of the ,2 -agonist-induced anabolism remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of clenbuterol administration in utero on skeletal muscle and to examine the underlying molecular mechanisms. Pregnant rats were fed clenbuterol (2 mg/kg diet) from Day 4 of gestation (4 dg) until weanling and fetal samples were taken from 13.5, 15.5, 17.5, and 19.5 dg and from 1d neonatal pups. Muscles were analyzed for total DNA, RNA and protein and sections examined morphologically for changes in muscle development. Western and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to identify changes in known myogenic signaling proteins. Clenbuterol increased the size of both fast and slow fibers in utero which was associated with a decreased DNA:protein ratio (28%) and an increased RNA:DNA ratio (36%). Additionally, drug treatment in utero induced a decrease in the fast:slow fiber ratio (38%). These myogenic changes were correlated with an increase in the GATA-2 hypertrophic transcription factor at both 17.5 dg (by 250%) and 19.5 dg (by 40%) in fetuses from clenbuterol treated dams. In addition, drug treatment resulted in increased membrane association of PKC-µ at 17.5 dg (325%) and increased PKC-, cytosolic abundance (40%) and PKC-, membrane abundance at 19.5 dg (250%). These results are the first demonstration that ,2 -agonists such as clenbuterol may act through upregulating the GATA-2 transcription factor and implicate certain PKC isoforms in the drug-induced regulation of skeletal muscle development. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 785,794, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Theodulph of Orleans (760,821): "On the Seven Liberal Arts as Shown in a Certain Picture"PHILOSOPHICAL FORUM, Issue 3 2002Christopher PerriconeArticle first published online: 17 DEC 200 First page of article [source] Bacterial colonisation of root canal dentine previously treated with endodontic irrigantsAUSTRALIAN ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Brian J. Rasimick bs Abstract Certain irrigants leave antimicrobial residues on dentine. This study assessed if residues from MTAD, Endo-CHX, Peridex Oral Rinse or 6% NaOCl were inactivated by exposure to simulated leakage. Extracted teeth (15/group) were cut and drilled to produce a cylindrical canal space. They were irrigated, dried with paper points and transferred into 1 mL of simulated leakage (Enterococcus faecalis in tryptic soy broth) every 24 h. After one, two or three transfers, the number of colony forming units was measured by drilling the canal space and recovering the dentine shavings in antimicrobial-inactivating broth. Two-way anova of the log-transformed data showed irrigation method, leakage volume and their interaction were significant factors (P < 0.001). Compared with the positive control, the logarithmic reductions in the number of E. faecalis colonies after the first and third millilitre of leakage were: Endo-CHX 6.2 and 2.4; MTAD 3.4 and 2.7; Peridex 1.6 and 0.4; NaOCl 1.0 and 0.0. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Design, Synthesis and Biological Activity of Certain 3,4-Disubstituted-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazoles and Their Hydrazino Derivatives.CHEMINFORM, Issue 18 2008R. H. Udupi Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] An Adaptive Method for Indirect Illumination Using Light VectorsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2001Xavier Serpaggi In computer graphics, several phenomema need to be taken into account when it comes to the field of photo-realism. One of the most relevant is obviously the notion of global, and more precisely indirect, illumination. In "classical" ray-tracing if you are not under the light, then you are in a shadow. A great amount of work has been carried out which proposes ray-tracing based solutions to take into account the fact that "there is a certain amount of light in shadows". All of these methods carry the same weaknesses: high computation time and a lot of parameters you need to manage to get something out of the method. This paper proposes a generic computation method of indirect illumination based on Monte Carlo sampling and on the sequential analysis theory, which is faster and more automatic than classical methods. [source] Review of animal models for autism: implication of thyroid hormoneCONGENITAL ANOMALIES, Issue 1 2006Miyuki Sadamatsu ABSTRACT,, Autism is a behaviorally defined disorder associated with characteristic impairments in social interactions and communication, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and interest. Its prevalence was once thought to be 2/10 000, but recently several large autism prevalence reviews revealed that the rate of occurrence was roughly 30/10 000. While it has been considered a developmental disorder, little is certain about its etiology. Neuroanatomical studies at the histological level in the brains of autistic patients provide many arguments in the etiology of autism. Results from postmortem and imaging studies have implicated many major structures of the brain including the limbic system, cerebellum, corpus callosum, basal ganglia and brainstem. There is no single biological or clinical marker for autism. While several promising candidate genes have been presented, the critical loci are yet unknown. Environmental influences such as rubella virus, valproic acid, and thalidomide exposure during pregnancy are also considered important, as concordance in monozygotic twins is less than 100% and the phenotypic expression of the disorder varies widely. It is thus hypothesized that non-genetic mechanisms contribute to the onset of autistic syndrome. In light of these ambiguities, hope is held that an animal model of autism may help elucidate matters. In this article, we overview most of the currently available animal models for autism, and propose the rat with mild and transient neonatal hypothyroidism as a novel model for autism. [source] FS06.7 The new fragrance mix II , test results of a multicentre European StudyCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 3 2004Peter Frosch A new fragrance mix (FM II) with 6 frequently used chemicals was evaluated in consecutive patients patch tested in 6 dermatological centres in Europe. 28% FM II contained 5% Lyral, 1% citral, 5% farnesol, 5% coumarin, 1% citronellol and 10% alpha-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (AHCA); in 14% FM II the single constituents' concentrations was lowered to 50% and in 2.8% FM II to 10%. Each patient was classified regarding a history of adverse reactions to fragrances: certain, probable, questionable and none. The frequency of positive reactions to the currently used 8% fragrance mix (FM I) and the new mix in 1703 patients was as follows: FM I, 6.6%; 2.8% FM II, 1.3%; 14% FM II, 2.9%; 28% FM II, 4.1%. The number of doubtful/irritant reactions was 7.2% for FM I and ranged from 1.8% to 10.6% for FM II. 8.7% of tested patients had a certain fragrance history. Of these 25.2% were positive to FM I, reactivity to FM II was dose-dependent and ranged from 8.1% to 17.6% in this subgroup. Comparing 2 groups of history , certain and none , values for sensitivity (sens) and specificity (spec) were calculated. Sens: FM I, 27.2%; 2.8% FM II, 8.7%; 14% FM II, 15.9%; 28% FM II, 21.5%. Spec: FM I, 96.3%; 2.8% FM II, 99.5%; 14% FM II, 98.7%; 28% FM II, 97.9%. 31/70 (44.3%) patients positive to 28% FM II were negative to FM I. In the group of patients with a certain history a total of 6 patients was found reacting only to FM II. Simultaneous break-down testing with the single constituents produced positive reactions in 54.3% for 28% FM II and 48% for 14% FM II. Lyral was the dominating single constituent with positive reactions (37.1% for 28% FM II, 36% for 14% FM II), followed by citral, farnesol, citronellol, AHCA and coumarin. Chemical analysis for the 6 constituents of FM II was performed on 25 products used by 12 patients being patch test positive to FM II. Lyral was detected in 76% of these products, citral in 16% and AHCA in 8%. In conclusion, the new FM II detects additional patients with contact allergy to fragrances missed by the currently used FM I. The medium concentration, 14% FM II, is probably the most useful one for diagnostic screening. [source] An Appeal to Aid SpecialistsDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Keith Horton The appeal I am making is (roughly speaking) for aid specialists to do more to help those of us who are not aid specialists to arrive at judgments about the effects of the work of (voluntary) aid agencies that we have at least some reason to think accurate. I argue that the fact that it is so difficult for us to arrive at such judgments at present has certain negative consequences, and that this gives those who are in a position to make it easier for us to arrive at such judgments strong reasons to do so. And I argue that (certain) aid specialists are in such a position. Hence my appeal to them to do so. [source] An enigmatic gnathostome vertebrate skull from the Middle Devonian of BoliviaACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2009Alan Pradel Abstract A new taxon, Ramirosuarezia boliviana n. gen., n. sp. is erected for a single, articulated jawed fish (gnathostome) skull from the Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Icla Formation of Bolivia. The specimen displays an elasmobranch-like braincase, but lacks unambiguous elasmobranch and even chondrichthyan characters, although its peculiar tooth-bearing ,labial' elements evoke certain stem-holocephalans. Its endoskeletal elements seem lined with either perichondral bone or non-prismatic calcified cartilage, but show no evidence of endochondral bone. Although devoid of large dermal bones and scales, R. boliviana shares with certain ,ostracoderms', placoderms and holocephalans the lack of an otico-occipital fissure, but lacks a hypophysial fenestra. Certain features (elongated braincase, ,labial elements', sharp denticles and teeth) are also suggestive of the equally enigmatic coeval stensioellids, once regarded as either primitive placoderms or stem holocephalans. The jaws are armed with platelets that bear blunt to pointed and sharp teeth, in which synchrotron radiation microtomography yields evidence of a large pulp cavity, a possibly osteichthyan-like character. No character clearly supports affinities of R. boliviana to any of the currently known major gnathostome groups. Tenuous hints suggest a relationship to the enigmatic fossil Zamponiopteron, from the Eifelian of Bolivia, known by peculiar calcified ,fin plates' and isolated shoulder girdles. [source] Blood Flow Imaging,A New Angle-Independent Ultrasound Modality for the Visualization of Flow in Atrial Septal Defects in ChildrenECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2007Siri Ann Nyrnes M.D. Background: Color Doppler imaging (CDI) is the most applied method for evaluation of flow in atrial septal defects (ASD). A new real time ultrasound flow imaging modality called blood flow imaging (BFI) is able to visualize the blood flow in any direction of the image and is not limited by velocity aliasing. The method thereby overcomes the two limitations most often encountered in CDI. In this study we compared BFI with CDI for the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. Methods: We studied ASD flow in 13 children using both CDI and BFI in the same examination. CDI and BFI cineloops were prepared off-line and both optimal and suboptimal (increased color artifacts) images were presented in random order to four observers. They were asked to range from 0,100 on a visual analogue scale how certain they were of interatrial blood flow. The CDI and BFI ratings were compared using the exact Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples. Results: All ASDs visualized with CDI were confirmed using BFI. Two of the observers ranked BFI as being significantly better than CDI when the images were optimized. When the images were suboptimal three of the observers rated BFI as being significantly better. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that BFI improves the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. To include BFI in the ordinary echocardiography examination is easy and not time consuming. The method may prove to be a useful supplement to CDI in ASD imaging. [source] Does the diapause experience of bumblebee queens Bombus terrestris affect colony characteristics?ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2000M. Beekman Summary 1. Bumblebee colonies show much variation in the number of workers, drones, and queens produced. Because this variation prevails even when colonies are kept under identical conditions, it does not seem to be caused by extrinsic factors but rather by differences between founding queens. 2. The most likely factor that could cause differences between queens is diapause. Although colonies are raised under standardised conditions, the queens often experience diapause of different length. If there are costs associated with diapause that influence post-diapause reproduction, the diapause history of the queens could affect colony characteristics. 3. Here, several colony characteristics are compared: number of first and second brood workers; total number of workers, drones, and queens; energy spent on sexuals; sex ratio; rate of worker production; time to emergence of first reproductive; and colony lifetime. Colonies were used where the queens experienced a diapause treatment of 0 (nondiapause queens), 2, and 4 months. 4. Although no proof was found for the existence of costs associated with diapause, the colony characteristics of nondiapause queens were significantly different from those of diapause queens. Colonies of nondiapause queens produced the lowest number of workers but the highest number of young queens. 5. It is argued that these nondiapause colonies are more time-constrained than diapause colonies because nondiapause colonies produce two generations within the same season and should therefore be more efficient in producing sexual offspring. 6. Moreover, nondiapause colonies should rear a more female-biased sex ratio because they can be certain of the presence of males produced by other (diapause) colonies. [source] Hydrogen- and carbon-related defects in heavily carbon-doped GaAs induced degradation under minority-carrier injectionELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS IN JAPAN, Issue 5 2010Hiroshi Fushimi Abstract GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have attracted much attention because of their high-speed performance. However, long-term operation seriously degrades the device characteristics: the current gain decreases and the low-bias-leakage current increases. This degradation has long been an issue in GaAs-based devices operated under minority-carrier injection, such as laser diodes. The cause of degradation is thought to lie in the carbon-doped base, but this is not yet certain. In this paper the degradation of HBTs is described, especially that of GaAs/AlGaAs HBTs with a heavily carbon-doped base layer. Two types of device degradation are found, namely, hydrogen-related degradation and carbon-related degradation. The mechanisms governing the degradation are discussed in the framework of the recombination-enhanced defect reaction (REDR) and charge state effect (CSE). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 93(5): 33,41, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10208 [source] A cohort study to examine whether time and risk preference is related to smoking cessation successADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Rei Goto ABSTRACT Aim To identify whether time and risk preference predicts relapse among smokers trying to quit. Design A cohort study of smokers who had recently started to quit. Time and risk preference parameters were estimated using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Participants A total of 689 smokers who began quitting smoking within the previous month. Measurements Time discount rate, coefficient of risk-aversion measured at study entry and duration of smoking cessation measured for 6 months. Findings In the unadjusted model, Cox's proportional hazard regression showed that those with a high time discount rate were more likely to relapse [hazard ratio: 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11,1.25]. A high coefficient of risk-aversion reduced the hazard of relapse (0.96, 0.96,0.97). When adjusted for other predictors of relapse (age, gender, self-efficacy of quitting, health status, mood variation, past quitting experience, the use of nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine dependence), the hazard ratios of time discount rate and the coefficient of risk-aversion is 1.17 (95% CI: 1.10,1.24) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97,0.99), respectively. Conclusions Those who emphasize future rewards (time,patient preference) and those who give more importance to rewards that are certain (higher risk-aversion) were significantly more likely to continue to abstain from smoking. [source] An old man for certainEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 5-6 2006Robert Cocks No abstract is available for this article. [source] Changes in Quality of Life in Epilepsy: How Large Must They Be to Be Real?EPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2001Samuel Wiebe Summary: ,Purpose: The study goal was to assess the magnitude of change in generic and epilepsy-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instruments needed to exclude chance or error at various levels of certainty in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Methods: Forty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and clearly defined criteria of clinical stability received HRQOL measurements twice, 3 months apart, using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89 and -31 (QOLIE-89 and QOLIE-31), Liverpool Impact of Epilepsy, adverse drug events, seizure severity scales, and the Generic Health Utilities Index (HUI-III). Standard error of measurement and test-retest reliability were obtained for all scales and for QOLIE-89 subscales. Using the Reliable Change Index described by Jacobson and Truax, we assessed the magnitude of change required by HRQOL instruments to be 90 and 95% certain that real change has occurred, as opposed to change due to chance or measurement error. Results: Clinical features, point estimates and distribution of HRQOL measures, and test-retest reliability (all > 0.70) were similar to those previously reported. Score changes of ±13 points in QOLIE-89, ±15 in QOLIE-31, ±6.3 in Liverpool seizure severity,ictal, ±11 in Liverpool adverse drug events, ±0.25 in HUI-III, and ±9.5 in impact of epilepsy exclude chance or measurement error with 90% certainty. These correspond, respectively, to 13, 15, 17, 18, 25, and 32% of the potential range of change of each instrument. Conclusions: Threshold values for real change varied considerably among HRQOL tools but were relatively small for QOLIE-89, QOLIE-31, Liverpool Seizure Severity, and adverse drug events. In some instruments, even relatively large changes cannot rule out chance or measurement error. The relation between the Reliable Change Index and other measures of change and its distinction from measures of minimum clinically important change are discussed. [source] Quantification by real-time PCR of the magnitude and duration of leucocyte-associated viraemia in horses infected with neuropathogenic vs. non-neuropathogenic strains of EHV- 1EQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006G. P. Allen Summary Reasons for performing study: Neurological disease in horses caused by infection with certain ,paralytic' strains of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a potentially devastating condition the pathogenesis of which is poorly understood. Preliminary observations in both experimentally induced and naturally occurring cases of the central nervous system disease have revealed a more robust cell-associated viraemia in horses infected with paralytic isolates of EHV-1, relative to horses infected with abortigenic isolates. To investigate further this pathogenesis - rdevant question, the present study was performed using a greater number of horses and a more precise method for quantification of EHV-1 DNA present in viraemic leucocytes. Objective: To compare the magnitude and duration of leucocyte-associated viraemia in seronegative, age-matched foals following infection with paralytic vs. abortigenic isolates of EHV-1. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 20 weanling foals at 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14 and 21 days after intranasal inoculation with either paralytic or abortigenic isolates of EHV-1. The amount of EHV-1 DNA present in each PBMC sample was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Results: Foals inoculated with paralytic strains of EHV-1 developed both a greater magnitude and longer duration of PBMC-associated viraemia than foals inoculated with abortigenic strains of the virus. Conclusions: Both the higher magnitude and longer duration of cell-associated viraemia contribute to the risk for development of neurological signs in horses infected with paralytic strains of EHV-1. Potential relevance: Our results provide empirically derived, scientific data that contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenetic basis for the differing abilities of paralytic and abortigenic strains of EHV-1 to cause post infection central nervous system disease in the horse. The findings identify the importance of minimising the quantitative burden of viraemic leucocytes that follows exposure to the virus, by the use of effective therapeutic antiviral drugs and efficacious prophylactic vaccines that stimulate cytotoxic immune responses against EHV-1 infected cells. [source] Directions in Rural Development Policy , Lessons from Both Sides of the Atlantic Richtlinien für die ländliche Entwicklungspolitik , Beispiele von diesseits und jenseits des Atlantiks Les orientations de la politique de développement rural , Enseignements en provenance des deux côtés de l'AtlantiqueEUROCHOICES, Issue 1 2008David Blandford Directions in Rural Development Policy , Lessons from Both Sides of the Atlantic A workshop comparing rural development policies in Europe and the US found differences in the social values that shape them. These include different attachments to place, concerns with lagging regions, and interests in the assessment of public interventions. There is also a difference in coverage. In the EU environmental and landscape issues form part of the CAP's Rural Development Pillar, using agriculture as an instrument, whereas in the US these are handled by other policies, some of which can claim deeper historical roots. In the context of rural development policy, the EU attaches intrinsic value to the environment, while in the US the focus is more on economic spin-offs from environmental quality. There are also differences in governance; a complete US view requires taking in Federal, State and local initiatives whereas in the EU a more organised framework is apparent. Nevertheless, when policy is viewed from a bottom-up perspective many common features are found. Improving human and social capital and infrastructure are key factors to stimulating economic development on both sides of the Atlantic, though only some of these drivers form part of the CAP's Pillar II. While in the EU the role of rural development is set to expand, this is far less certain in the US where the emphasis on agricultural support is likely to continue to dominate the political agenda. Les orientations de la politique de développement rural , Enseignements en provenance des deux côtés de l'Atlantique Un atelier comparant les politiques de développement rural en Europe et aux États-Unis a mis en évidence des différences entre les valeurs sociales sur lesquelles sont fondées ces politiques. Ces différences concernent entre autre l'attachement à des lieux particuliers, l'inquiétude pour les régions en retard de croissance, et l'intérêt pour une évaluation des pouvoirs publics. Les différences portent aussi sur l'étendue de la question. Dans l'Union européenne, les questions portant sur le paysage et l'environnement sont abordées dans le cadre du pilier de la PAC sur le développement rural, qui porte sur l'agriculture comme instrument du développement rural, alors qu'aux États-Unis, ces questions sont traitées par d'autres politiques dont certaines remontent à loin. Dans le contexte de la politique de développement rural, l'Union européenne attache une valeur intrinsèque à l'environnement tandis qu'aux États-Unis, l'accent est mis plutôt sur les retombées économiques d'un environnement de qualité. Les différences portent également sur la gouvernance : pour avoir une vue d'ensemble sur les États-Unis, il faut considérer les actions aux niveaux fédéral, des États et du local alors que dans l'Union européenne, un cadre plus organisé est apparent. Cependant, dans le cas de politiques partant de la base (bottom-up), de nombreux points communs existent. L'amélioration du capital social et humain, et celle des infrastructures sont des éléments clés pour stimuler le développement économique des deux côtés de l'Atlantique, même si seuls quelques uns de ces facteurs sont compris dans le deuxième pilier de la PAC. Alors que le rôle du développement rural devrait s'étendre dans l'Union européenne, c'est beaucoup moins certain aux États-Unis où l'accent sur le soutien à l'agriculture continuera probablement à dominer l'ordre du jour de la politique. Richtlinien für die ländliche Entwicklungspolitik , Beispiele von diesseits und jenseits des Atlantiks Im Rahmen eines Workshops wurden europäische und US-amerikanische Politikmaßnahmen zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums miteinander verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich die gesellschaftlichen Werte für die Ausgestaltung der Politikmaßnahmen im Hinblick auf Ortsverbundenheit, die Belange der rückständigen Regionen und das Interesse bei der Bewertung öffentlicher Interventionen unterscheiden. Die jeweiligen Geltungsbereiche unterscheiden sich ebenfalls. In der EU bilden Fragestellungen in Bezug auf Umwelt und landschaftliche Gestaltung einen Teil der zweiten Säule der GAP (Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums), und die Landwirtschaft ist dabei ein Mittel zum Zweck. In den USA hingegen werden diese Fragestellungen durch andere Politikmaßnahmen abgedeckt, von denen einige über längere historische Wurzeln verfügen. Im Rahmen der Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums misst die EU der Umwelt intrinsischen Wert bei, während sich die USA mehr auf aus der Umweltqualität resultierende wirtschaftliche Nebeneffekte konzentriert. Im Hinblick auf die Governance sind ebenfalls Unterschiede vorhanden: Während es im Falle der USA erforderlich ist, in einer Gesamtbetrachtung die Initiativen auf staatlicher, bundesstaatlicher und kommunaler Ebene zu berücksichtigen, lassen die Rahmenbedingungen in Europa ein höheres Maß an Organisation erkennen. Wird die Politik jedoch aus einer Bottom-up-Perspektive heraus betrachtet, können zahlreiche Gemeinsamkeiten gefunden werden. Bei der Verbesserung des Human- und Sozialkapitals und der Infrastruktur handelt es sich um Schlüsselfaktoren für die Ankurbelung der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung diesseits und jenseits des Atlantiks, wenngleich nur einige dieser Triebfedern die zweite Säule der GAP ausmachen. Während die Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums in der EU eine immer größere Rolle spielen wird, ist dies in den USA längst nicht sicher; dort wird der Schwerpunkt auf die Agrarstützung wahrscheinlich weiterhin die politische Agenda dominieren. [source] What Is an Asset Price Bubble?EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2003An Operational Definition This paper reviews and analyses the current definitions of bubbles in asset prices. It makes the case that one cannot identify a bubble immediately, but one has to wait a sufficient amount of time to determine whether the previous prices can be justified by subsequent cash flows. The paper proposes an operational definition of a bubble as any time the realised asset return over given future period is more than two standard deviations from its expected return. Using this framework, the paper shows how the great crash of 1929 and 1987,both periods generally characterised as bubbles,prove not to be bubbles but the low point in stock prices in 1932 is a ,negative bubble.' The paper then extends this analysis to the internet stocks and concludes that it is virtually certain that it is a bubble. [source] Toward a more efficient and effective neurologic examination for the 21st century,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2005T. H. Glick Practice pressures and quality improvement require greater efficiency and effectiveness in the neurologic examination. I hypothesized that certain ,marginal' elements of the examination rarely add value and that ,core' elements, exemplified by the plantar response (Babinski), are too often poorly performed or interpreted. I analyzed 100 published, neurologic clinicopathologic conferences (CPCs) and 180 ambulatory neurologic consultations regarding 13 hypothetically ,marginal' examination components (including ,frontal' reflexes, olfaction, jaw strength, corneal reflex, etc.); also, 120 exams on medical inpatients with neurologic problems, recording definitive errors. I surveyed the recalled practices of 24 non-neurologists and reviewed the literature for relevant data or guidance. In the CPCs the ,marginal' elements of the examination were rarely provided, requested, or used diagnostically, nor did they contribute in the 180 ambulatory consultations. In the chart review errors and omissions dominated testing of plantar responses, with missed Babinski signs in 14% of all cases and 77% of patients with Babinski signs. House officers harbored unrealistic expectations for performance of ,marginal' examination elements. Most textbooks omit detailed guidance (and none cite evidence) on achieving greater efficiency. Exams should be streamlined, while improving ,core' skills. Neurologists should apply evidence to update the exam taught to students and non-neurologists. [source] N -methyl- d -aspartate-triggered neuronal death in organotypic hippocampal cultures is endocytic, autophagic and mediated by the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathwayEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2003Tiziana Borsello Abstract Acute excitotoxic neuronal death was studied in rat organotypic hippocampal slices exposed to 100 µmN -methyl- d -aspartate. Fulgurant death of pyramidal neurons occurred in the CA1 and CA3 regions and was already detectable within 2 h of the N-methyl- d -aspartate administration. Morphologically, the neuronal death was neither apoptotic nor necrotic but had the hallmarks of autophagic neuronal death, as shown by acid phosphatase histochemistry in both CA1 and CA3 and by electron microscopy in CA1. The dying neurons also manifested strong endocytosis of horseradish peroxidase or microperoxidase, occurring probably by a fluid phase mechanism, and followed, surprisingly, by nuclear entry. In addition to these autophagic and endocytic characteristics, there were indications that the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway was activated. Its target c-Jun was selectively phosphorylated in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus and c-Fos, the transcription of which is under the positive control of c-Jun N-terminal kinase target Elk1, was selectively up-regulated in CA1 and CA3. All these effects, the neuronal death itself and the associated autophagy and endocytosis, were totally prevented by a cell-permeable inhibitor of the interaction between c-Jun N-terminal kinase and certain of its targets. These results show that pyramidal neurons undergoing excitotoxic death in this situation are autophagic and endocytic and that both the cell death and the associated autophagy and endocytosis are under the control of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway. [source] Self-esteem and self-certainty: a mediational analysisEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2004Amber L. Story Self-esteem has been found to be related to the certainty with which specific self-conceptions are held. This study tested a number of competing accounts for this relationship, using a more rigorous idiographic approach. Specifically, it was thought that the relationship between self-esteem and self-certainty might be mediated by self-concept clarity, the positivity of specific self-conceptions, and impression management concerns. However, none of these fully mediated the relationship between self-esteem and self-certainty. Participants with higher self-esteem were more certain of their central self-conceptions than were those with lower self-esteem. This was true even though participants were allowed to generate their most relevant and central self-conceptions themselves. Discussion focuses on the role of social information in the possibly direct relationship between self-esteem and self-certainty. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effects of gain versus loss and certain versus probable outcomes on social value orientationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Matthijs Poppe In an experiment, the effects of types of outcomes on social value orientations (individualism, competition, pro-social orientation) were investigated. Ninety-nine students made 28 choices which affected outcomes (points to be converted into money) for themselves and another (unknown) person. About half of them started out with nothing but they could allocate positive outcomes (gains) to themselves and/or the other. The other half were told that they themselves and another person would start out with some outcomes but they could lose outcomes depending on the choices. For about half the participants it was certain that their choices would result in outcomes while for the other half outcomes would be likely rather than certain. The expected utility of the outcomes was the same in the four conditions. In accordance with prospect theory, it was expected and found that participants would be more individualistic in the conditions with losses than in the conditions with gains. In accordance with social comparison theory, it was expected and found that participants would be more competitive in the conditions with probable outcomes than in the conditions with certain outcomes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Assessment of the Recast of Community Equality LawsEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007Noreen Burrows It examines the meaning and significance of the recast technique itself and considers the rationale for applying the recast to certain, but not all, of the equality Directives. The article attempts a first-level analysis of the main issues arising from the recast in terms of the substance of Community gender discrimination law. It is also argued that the recast has the potential to improve Community equality law and not just in terms of readability. [source] Precautionary Savings Behavior of Maritally Stressed CouplesFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Michael S. Finke According to precautionary savings theory, households tend to save more when future income is less certain. Divorce often results in reduced levels of household income and individual consumption comparable to other potential income shocks. Households that will divorce or separate in 5 years are identified from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1994,1999) to determine whether these households maintain greater wealth holdings in anticipation of divorce. When spouses earn comparable incomes, divorce-prone households have significantly higher wealth levels (p < .01) than households that remain married. When there is a higher-earning spouse, households have significantly lower wealth levels (p < .01) than households that remain married. Results suggest that spouses with comparable earnings treat divorce as a wealth shock, whereas higher-earning spouses rationally dissave when divorce is imminent. Equitable wealth allocation for lower-earning spouses may require a more detailed investigation of predivorce wealth changes. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||