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Common Pattern (common + pattern)
Selected AbstractsTrajectories of Multiculturalism in Germany, the Netherlands and Canada: In Search of Common PatternsGOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 2 2010Elke Winter In the mid-1990s, Canadian scholarship introduced an important distinction between historically incorporated national minorities and ethnic groups emerging from recent immigration. While the former may be accommodated through federal or multinational arrangements, multiculturalism has come to describe a normative framework of immigrant integration. The distinction between these analytically different types of movements is crucial for Taylor's and Kymlicka's influential theories, but the relations between different types of national and ethnic struggles for rights and recognition have remained unexplored in much of the subsequent scholarly literature. This article starts from a theoretical position where different types of diversity are viewed as highly interdependent in practice. Tracing the trajectories of multiculturalism in three different countries, the article aims to identify common patterns of how changing relations between traditionally incorporated groups affect public perceptions of and state responses to more recent immigration-induced diversity. More specifically, it asks the following question: to what extent does the absence (in Germany), discontinuation (in the Netherlands) and exacerbation (in Canada) of claims on ethnocultural grounds by traditionally incorporated groups influence the willingness of the national majority/ies to grant multicultural rights to immigrants? [source] Verifying the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Metropolitan Land Use: Advancing the Understanding and Measurement of SprawlJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2005Jackie Cutsinger Common patterns of variation in these indices across metropolitan areas are discerned using correlation and factor analyses. We find that: (1) seven principal components best summarize the dimensions of housing and employment land uses, (2) metro areas often exhibit both high and low levels of sprawl-like patterns across the seven components, and (3) housing and employment aspects of sprawl-like patterns differ in nature. Thus, land use patterns prove multi-dimensional in both theory and practice. Exploratory analyses indicate: (1) little regional variation in land use patterns, (2) metro areas with larger populations are more dense/continuous with greater housing centrality and concentration of employment in the core, (3) older areas have higher degrees of housing concentration and employment in the core, (4) constrained areas evince greater density/continuity, and (5) inter-metropolitan variations in several dimensions of land use patterns are not well explained by population, age, growth patterns, or topographical constraints on development. Results imply that policymakers must carefully unravel which land use dimension is causing undesirable outcomes, and then devise precise policy instruments to change only this dimension. [source] Clinical utility of CD23 and FMC7 antigen coexistent expression in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder subclassificationCYTOMETRY, Issue 1 2002Ejaz Ahmad Abstract Background: CD23 and FMC7 are normal B-cell antigens utilized during diagnostic immunophenotyping of suspected lymphoproliferative disorders. However, the diagnostic utility of coexistent antigenic expression patterns with simultaneous two-color staining and flow cytometric analysis has not been studied extensively. Methods: Using multiparameter flow cytometry, we evaluated the expression pattern of FMC7 and CD23 in 218 cases of B-cell lymphoma from blood and bone marrow specimens. Results: The CD23(+)/FMC7(-) pattern was the most common pattern in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and related variants. The widest variation of patterns was found in patients with follicular cell lymphoma, large cell lymphoma, and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a lymphoplasmacytoid disorder, although most cases expressed the CD23-/FMC7(+) pattern. The CD23 and FMC7 antigen, along with the CD5 coexpression pattern, provides critical adjunctive data. These data allow accurate classification of the majority of cases, thereby providing a key aspect of a reliable diagnostic algorithm. The CD23 and FMC7 antigen expression pattern, along with selected other antigens, was predictive of subtypes in >95% of lymphoproliferative cases and narrowed the differential diagnosis in the remaining cases. Conclusion: The flow cytometric CD23/FMC7 expression pattern achieved by multicolor immunophenotyping facilitates accurate and reproducible classification of B-cell lymphomas and has diagnostic utility. Cytometry (Clin. Cytometry) 50:1,7, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Are there general mechanisms of animal home range behaviour?ECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 6 2008A review, prospects for future research Abstract Home range behaviour is a common pattern of space use, having fundamental consequences for ecological processes. However, a general mechanistic explanation is still lacking. Research is split into three separate areas of inquiry , movement models based on random walks, individual-based models based on optimal foraging theory, and a statistical modelling approach , which have developed without much productive contact. Here we review recent advances in modelling home range behaviour, focusing particularly on the problem of identifying mechanisms that lead to the emergence of stable home ranges from unbounded movement paths. We discuss the issue of spatiotemporal scale, which is rarely considered in modelling studies, as well as highlighting the need to consider more closely the dynamical nature of home ranges. Recent methodological and theoretical advances may soon lead to a unified approach, however, conceptually unifying our understanding of linkages among home range behaviour and ecological or evolutionary processes. [source] TWIN SONS OF DIFFERENT MOTHERS: THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF THE TWIN DEFICITS DEBATEECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 4 2009KEVIN GRIER Interest in the twin deficits hypothesis fluctuates in tandem with the U.S. current account deficit. Surprisingly though, a statistically robust relationship between budget and trade deficits has been difficult to pin down. We argue that a big part of this difficulty is due to the failure to allow for structural breaks in the series when (either explicitly or implicitly) modeling their time series properties. We show that both series are break stationary (and conditionally heteroskedastic) and argue that while there is no common pattern in the long run, the short-run dynamics reveal a sizeable and fairly persistent positive relationship between budget deficit shocks and current account deficit shocks. (JEL F41, E6, H6) [source] Novel modelling of residual operating time of transformer oilEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 4 2003M. A. A. Wahab This paper presents techniques developed to accurately model the characteristics of transformer oil for the purpose of predicting the effect of aging on these characteristics. Aging causes some of the transformer oil characteristics to violate the internationally specified limits. The purpose of this simulation is to develop alternative techniques to predict the operating time after which these characteristics would violate the limits. The results obtained from monitoring of twenty in-service power transformers for long period of operating time up to ten years have been implemented in developing the proposed models. The physical, chemical and electrical characteristics have been determined periodically by internationally specified testing methods. The patterns of violation sequence of the standard limits, against operating time, by different transformer oil characteristics have been revealed and the most common pattern has been determined. The definition of residual operating time (trot) of the different transformer oil characteristics has been introduced. The choice of transformer oil breakdown voltage trot to represent that of the transformer oil characteristics has been justified. Modelling of trot as a function of transformer oil breakdown voltage, total acidity and water content by multiple-linear regression has been proposed and verified. Also, polynomial regression model of trot as a function only of transformer oil breakdown voltage has been given. The accuracy and applicability of these models and the different modelling techniques have been discussed and proved. [source] HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND BIODIVERSITY: TESTING FOR THE EVOLUTIONARY EFFECTS OF REFUGIAEVOLUTION, Issue 6 2004Jon R. Bridle Abstract Concordant areas of endemism among taxa have important implications both for understanding mechanisms of speciation and for framing conservation priorities. Here we discuss the need for careful testing of phylogeographic data for evidence of such concordance, with particular reference to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. This is because there are good reasons to question whether concordance between taxa is likely to be a common pattern, and because of the serious implications of incorrectly concluding that the biodiversity of a given area can be partitioned in this way. [source] Global climate patterns explain range-wide synchronicity in survival of a migratory seabirdGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009STEPHANIE JENOUVRIER Abstract To predict the impact of climate change over the whole species distribution range, comparison of adult survival variations over large spatial scale is of primary concern for long-lived species populations that are particularly susceptible to decline if adult survival is reduced. In this study, we estimated and compared adult survival rates between 1989 and 1997 of six populations of Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) spread across 4600 km using capture,recapture models. We showed that mean annual adult survival rates are different among populations along a longitudinal gradient and between sexes. Variation in adult survival is synchronized among populations, with three distinct groups: (1) both females and males of Corsica, Tremiti, and Selvagem (annual survival range 0.88,0.96); (2) both females and males of Frioul and females from Crete (0.82,0.92); and (3) both females and males of Malta and males from Crete (0.74,0.88). The total variation accounted for by the common pattern of variation is on average 71%, suggesting strong environmental forcing. At least 61% of the variation in survival is explained by the Southern Oscillation Index fluctuations. We suggested that Atlantic hurricanes and storms during La Nińa years may increase adult mortality for Cory's shearwater during winter months. For long-lived seabird species, variation in adult survival is buffered against environmental variability, although extreme climate conditions such as storms significantly affect adult survival. The effect of climate at large spatial scales on adult survival during the nonbreeding period may lead to synchronization of variation in adult survival over the species' range and has large effects on the meta-population trends. One can thus worry about the future of such long-lived seabirds species under the predictions of higher frequency of extreme large-scale climatic events. [source] Age at Acquisition of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Comparison of Two Areas with Contrasting Risk of Gastric CancerHELICOBACTER, Issue 3 2004M. Constanza Camargo ABSTRACT Background.,Helicobacter pylori infection is usually acquired during childhood and is a known risk factor for the development of gastric malignancies in adulthood. It has been reported that early age at first infection may determine a neoplastic outcome in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in children residing in areas with high (Pasto) and low risk (Tumaco) of gastric cancer in Colombia to evaluate whether differences in the age of acquisition of H. pylori infection were present in the two populations. Materials and Methods., The study sample was based on a census taken in 1999. Using the 13C-urea breath test, we compared the prevalence of H. pylori infection among children aged 1,6 years. Results., Among 345 children in Pasto, 206 (59.7%) were H. pylori -positive, compared with 188 (58.6%) among 321 children in Tumaco. The two populations share a common pattern of very early age at infection and marked increase in prevalence during the first 4 years of life. No differences in any one year were observed when comparing the two groups. Conclusions., The prevalence of infection was similarly high and increased with age in both populations. In these populations the age of acquisition of H. pylori after 1 year of age does not appear to be a primary factor responsible for the differences in the rates of gastric cancer incidence in adults. Previous findings in adults showed lower prevalence of the most virulent genotypes in Tumaco compared to Pasto, and bacterial virulence may play a key role in determining cancer outcome. [source] A case of bilateral scapholunate advanced collapse in a Romano-British skeleton from AncasterINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3 2006A. M. Roberts Abstract Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the wrist (radiocarpal joint) is relatively uncommon in modern Western populations, usually occurring as a result of trauma. Clinically, scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) is the most common pattern of DJD seen in the wrist, involving a progressive destruction of the radioscaphoid and then the capitolunate joint. There is only one report of SLAC wrist in the palaeopathological literature. In this paper, we report on another ancient case of bilateral SLAC wrists, found in a Roman skeleton from Ancaster, Lincolnshire. The osteological analysis of ANC 01 217 skeleton determined that this was an elderly but robust adult (50+ years) male, about 165,cm tall. The bones were sufficiently well preserved to allow inspection of joint surfaces. The bones were also radiographed. Osteoarthritis (OA) was diagnosed according to accepted palaeopathological criteria: principally the presence of eburnation on a joint surface. Eburnation was found at the articular surfaces of the wrist joint and numerous intercarpal joints bilaterally. The pattern of joints affected matched modern clinical descriptions of SLAC wrist. Radiographic changes characteristic of OA were identifiable at the wrist joint, but not at the intercarpal joints. This case proves that SLAC wrist is identifiable in dry bones, but the discrepancy between the observational and radiographic findings highlights the problems encountered when attempting to compare disease in archaeological versus modern populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Sub-micron spongiform porosity is the major ultra-structural alteration occurring in archaeological boneINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 6 2002G. Turner-Walker Abstract Total pore volume and pore size distribution are indicators of the degree of post-mortem modification of bone. Direct measurements of pore size distribution in archaeological bones using mercury intrusion porosimetry (HgIP) and back scattered scanning electron microscopy (BSE-SEM) reveal a common pattern in the changes seen in degraded bone as compared to modern samples. The estimates of pore size distribution from HgIP and direct measurement from the BSE-SEM images show remarkable correspondence. The coupling of these two independent approaches has allowed the diagenetic porosity changes in human archaeological bone in the >0.01 µm range to be directly imaged, and their relationship to pre-existing physiological pores to be explored. The increase in porosity in the archaeological bones is restricted to two discrete pore ranges. The smaller of these two ranges (0.007,0.1 µm) lies in the range of the collagen fibril (0.1 µm diameter) and is presumably formed by the loss of collagen, whereas the larger pore size distribution is evidence of direct microbial alteration of the bone. HgIP has great potential for the characterization of microbial and chemical alteration of bone. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Role of sonography in diagnosing and staging invasive lobular carcinomaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 7 2004Veronica L. Selinko MD Abstract Purpose The goal of this study was to compare the sensitivity of sonography with that of mammography in the detection of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), to identify ILC's typical imaging characteristics, and to further show the important role of ultrasound in the staging and treatment planning of this elusive tumor. Methods We identified all patients with ILC seen at our institution from 1998 through 2001; 62 had pathologically proven pure ILC. We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the sonographic appearances in correlation with mammographic, pathologic, and clinical findings. We reviewed the results of sonographic examinations of the nodal basins and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of suspicious nodes and correlated them with initial clinical and final pathologic staging. We noted all cases of multicentricity or multifocality and analyzed the relative sensitivity of mammography and sonography according to tumor size. Results Sonography had a sensitivity of 98% versus 65% for mammography. The most common mammographic pattern was a spiculated mass or architectural distortion (39%). On sonography the most common pattern was a hypoechoic mass with (58%) or without (27%) shadowing. An infiltrative pattern was observed in 13% of the cases. Ultrasound-guided FNA confirmed disease was present in the axillary lymph nodes in 21% of the patients, and sonographic examination of the nodal basins resulted in a change of clinical staging from N0 to N1 in 75% and from N1 to N0 in 30% of the cases. Multicentricity/multifocality was identified sonographically and proved by FNA in 21% of patients. Conclusions Sonography has a much higher sensitivity than mammography in detecting ILC and therefore is an important adjunctive tool in the diagnosis of this form of cancer. Routine examination of node-bearing areas in patients with ILC proved useful in refining the disease staging. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 32:323,332, 2004 [source] Hepatic resection compared to percutaneous ethanol injection for small hepatocellular carcinoma using propensity score matchingJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 10 2007Yong Beom Cho Abstract Background:, Several surgical and non-surgical therapeutic modalities have been used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There have been several studies comparing hepatic resection (HR) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for the treatment of HCC. However, there is still disagreement about the best treatment modality. Methods:, From 130 patients undergoing HR, 116 patients were individually matched to 116 controls from 249 patients undergoing PEI using propensity score matching to overcome possible biases in non-randomized study. Survival analyses were undertaken to compare these propensity score-matched groups. Results:, After matching by propensity score, the major clinical outcomes in the HR (n = 116) and the PEI (n = 116) groups were found to be similar. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were higher in the HR group (94.8%, 76.5% and 65.6%) compared to the PEI group (95.7%, 73.5% and 49.3%) (P = 0.059). The cumulative 1-, 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates showed the same trend (HR: 76.1%, 50.6% and 40.6%; PEI: 62.6%, 25.5% and 19.1%) (P < 0.001). However, when stratified by Child,Pugh classification, it was no longer the case in the Child B patients. Single intrahepatic recurrence was the most common pattern of tumor recurrence after both treatments. Conclusions:, Patients undergoing HR had a better survival profile than those undergoing PEI. However, when considering which technique to use for optimal HCC management, the individual patient's hepatic function must be considered. [source] Methodological and statistical issues in pharmacogenomicsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2010Bas J. M. Peters Abstract Pharmacogenomics strives to explain the interindividual variability in response to drugs due to genetic variation. Although technological advances have provided us with relatively easy and cheap methods for genotyping, promises about personalised medicine have not yet met our high expectations. Successful results that have been achieved within the field of pharmacogenomics so far are, to name a few, HLA-B*5701 screening to avoid hypersensitivity to the antiretroviral abacavir, thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) genotyping to avoid thiopurine toxicity, and CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotyping for better dosing of the anticoagulant warfarin. However, few pharmacogenetic examples have made it into clinical practice in the treatment of complex diseases. Unfortunately, lack of reproducibility of results from observational studies involving many genes and diseases seems to be a common pattern in pharmacogenomic studies. In this article we address some of the methodological and statistical issues within study design, gene and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) selection and data analysis that should be considered in future pharmacogenomic research. First, we discuss some of the issues related to the design of epidemiological studies, specific to pharmacogenomic research. Second, we describe some of the pros and cons of a candidate gene approach (including gene and SNP selection) and a genome-wide scan approach. Finally, conventional as well as several innovative approaches to the analysis of large pharmacogenomic datasets are proposed that deal with the issues of multiple testing and systems biology in different ways. [source] Abnormal alterations in the metabolic patterns of patients on valproate therapyJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 7 2002U. Kreher Four cases of abnormal metabolic patterns which were obtained from three infantile patients and one adult on valproate (valproic acid; 2-n-propyl-pentanoic acid) therapy are reported. Serum levels of valproate and 15 metabolites were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A mentally retarded, 11-month-old boy developed an extremely altered metabolic profile after having been treated with valproate polytherapy for 3 months. The altered pattern included strongly elevated serum levels of the 4-ene as well as of the x-/x 1-metabolites, with the b-metabolites (2-ene; 2,3,-diene) being diminished. Two samples obtained previously had shown a common pattern. The infant died 3 weeks after the last sample had been taken. Two boys of the same age showed similar but less intense deviations in their metabolic profiles at the onset of valproate therapy. Within a few weeks they approached, in a step-wise fashion, the average pattern common for children under 3 years of age. The striking alterations were paralleled by the metabolic profiles of an adult patient who suffered from intrahepatic metastasis and renal insufficiency. From the close resemblance of the abnormal metabolic patterns it was concluded that liver dysfunction results in alteration of the whole metabolic system. Regular inspection of the entire profile of an individual might help to recognize conspicuous alterations in time to avoid severe side effects. [source] Phylogeography and systematics of zebra mussels and related speciesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2006GREGORY W. GELEMBIUK Abstract The genus Dreissena includes two widespread and aggressive aquatic invaders, the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis. This genus evolved in the Ponto-Caspian Sea basin, characterized by dynamic instability over multiple timescales and a unique evolutionary environment that may predispose to invasiveness. The objectives of this study were to gain insights into the demographic history of Dreissena species in their endemic range, to reconstruct intraspecific phylogeographic relationships among populations, and to clarify systematics of the genus, using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. We found four deeply diverged clades within this genus, with a basal split that approximately coincided with the Cretaceous,Tertiary boundary. Divergence events within the four base clades were much more recent, corresponding to geographically disjunct sets of populations, which might represent species complexes. Across all taxa, populations of Dreissena shared a common pattern of genetic signatures indicating historical population bottlenecks and expansions. Haplotype diversity was relatively low in Ponto-Caspian drainages relative to more stable tectonic lakes in Greece, Macedonia, and Turkey. The phylogeographic and demographic patterns in the endemic range of Dreissena might have resulted from vicariance events, habitat instability, and the high fecundity and passive dispersal of these organisms. [source] Closing the open sea: Development of fishery management in four Icelandic fisheriesNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2003Thórólfur Matthíasson The article outlines the development of Iceland's fishery rights and the extension of its territorial waters between the 1950s and the mid-1970s, whereby Iceland gained exclusive control and use of the marine resources of the waters within 12, later 50, and ultimately 200 nautical miles around the island. The article concentrates on four of Iceland's main fisheries: shrimp, herring, capelin and cod. These four fisheries are discussed separately and in depth, presenting the beginnings and growth of the industry and detailing the development of management practices and the corresponding legislation and regulatory measures. Iceland's initial concern was to gain control over the marine resources surrounding the island, but once this was achieved, the focus of attention shifted to managing first the economic and soon also the ecological aspects of its tremendous resource. Informed mainly by indigenous expertise, Iceland's concern was to limit overfishing, manage its fisheries sustainably both from the economic and ecological points of view, and find the best ways to distribute the revenues from the marine harvest. The article looks at each of the four fisheries to clarify how the individual transferable quota (ITQ) system came into being, how initial quota holdings were allotted, and analyses the circumstances under which the ITQ system became the management tool of choice. For each fishery, the process of regulatory evolution was quite unique. At the same time, there is a common pattern to all the fisheries, which may be summarized as follows. Firstly, serious attempts to reform management practices only got underway when the fishery had collapsed or was close to collapse. Secondly, stakeholders invariably started the process of regulation by limiting access to the fishery. Thirdly, a variety of rules were implemented to allocate rights to participate in the fishery to additional entrants once membership had been closed. Finally, prior to the invention of the ITQ system, prices were used to manage fisheries in Iceland. It may be concluded that the management of fisheries by ITQs may be a historical accident, rather than the end point of a logical evolution. [source] Is heterosis in maize mediated through better water use?NEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 2 2010José Luis Araus Summary ,Heterosis increases yield potential and improves adaptation to stress in maize (Zea mays); however, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. ,A set of tropical inbred lines and their hybrids were grown in the field for 2 yr under three different water regimes. First-year plant water use was evaluated by measuring instantaneous traits (stomatal conductance (gs) and steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence (Fs)) in individual leaves together with time-integrative traits, which included mineral accumulation in the whole leaves of plants and oxygen isotope enrichment above source water (,18O) and carbon isotope discrimination (,13C) in the same pooled leaves and in mature kernels. Second-year water use was evaluated by measuring leaf temperature, gs and relative water content (RWC). ,Within each growing condition, hybrids showed higher Fs, mineral accumulation, RWC, and lower leaf temperature, ,18O and ,13C than inbred lines. Therefore, hybrids had a better water status than inbred lines, regardless of the water conditions. Differences in grain yield across growing conditions were explained by differences in water-use traits, with hybrids and inbred lines following a common pattern. Within each growing condition, most variations in grain yield, between hybrids and inbred lines, were also explained by differences in plant water-use traits. ,Heterosis in tropical maize seems to be mediated by improved water use, irrespective of the water conditions during growth. [source] Relating the Central and the LocalNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 4 2000Marilyn Taylor Although a number of valuable models of central-local relationships in the nonprofit sector have been developed, particularly in relation to federal structures, there has been a tendency to assume that in any given organizational relationship central-local structures will follow one common pattern. We argue that wider strategies are available: central dependency along one dimension may run with greater local autonomy along another. Such mixed tight-loose structures may be of considerable importance in the "boundaryless" organizational environment of the future. [source] Cultural and Socioeconomic Influences on Divorce During Modernization: Southeast Asia, 1940s to 1960sPOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 2 2003Charles Hirschman The conventional model of a rising divorce rate during the process of modernization is a staple element of the sociological theory of the family. This generalization is challenged, however, by traditional high-divorce societies, primarily in Islamic Southeast Asia, which have experienced a decline in divorce with modernization. In this study, based on micro-level survey data, the authors explore the social roots of marital disruption in Indonesia and Malaysia and in another Southeast Asian society, Thailand, which has not been identified as a high-divorce society. Comparable survey data from the 1970s (from the World Fertility Survey) allow for an in-depth analysis of traditional patterns of divorce before the rapid modernization of recent decades. Two major findings emerge from the multivariate analysis. First, there is a common pattern across all three societies of higher levels of divorce among "traditional" women,those who live in rural areas, marry at young ages, and have lower levels of education. Second, the authors find significant sociocultural (ethnic, regional, religious) differentials in divorce within each country that cannot be explained by demographic and socioeconomic composition. They present an interpretation of how moderately high levels of divorce were accommodated in traditional Southeast Asian societies. [source] Common patterns of facial ontogeny in the hominid lineageTHE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Rebecca Rogers Ackermann Abstract Recent evaluation of Neanderthal and modern human ontogeny suggests that taxon-specific features arose very early in development in both lineages, with early, possibly prenatal, morphological divergence followed by parallel postnatal developmental patterns. Here we use morphometric techniques to compare hominoid facial growth patterns, and show that this developmental phenomenon is, in fact, not unique to comparisons between Neanderthals and modern humans but extends to Australopithecus africanus and to the hominoid lineage more broadly. This finding suggests that a common pattern of juvenile facial development may be more widespread and that the roots of ontogenetically early developmental differentiation are deep,perhaps predating the ape/human split of 6+ million years ago. Anat Rec (New Anat) 269:142,147, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Nested species subsets of amphibians and reptiles on Neotropical forest islandsANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 5 2009J. I. Watling Abstract Nested species subsets are a common pattern of community assembly characteristic of many types of fragmented landscapes and insular systems. Here we describe nested subset patterns of amphibian and reptile occupancy on 23 forest islands in north-eastern Bolivia. We used observed occupancy patterns to differentiate five distributional guilds: widespread species, rare species, poor colonizers, area-sensitive species and supertramps. Amphibian occurrences were nested along a forest island isolation gradient, and when species from each of the distribution classes were removed from subsequent analyses of nestedness, we found that dispersal-limited poor colonizers were responsible for the association between nestedness and isolation. Amphibians associated with the grassland matrix at the study site showed a nested pattern linked with area, although this pattern did not scale up to all amphibians and could not be unequivocally attributed to any of the distributional guilds we recognized. There were no strong associations between two biological characteristics, body size and relative abundance in the matrix, and the likelihood of occupancy along either forest island area or isolation gradients. The relative importance of isolation in shaping nested patterns of amphibians on these forest islands may be a result of either (1) the greater range in isolation values included in this study compared with many others; (2) the long time since isolation in this landscape, manifesting a footprint of isolation not apparent in more recently fragmented patches; (3) the relatively homogeneous grassland matrix surrounding forest islands that likely provides little refuge for animals moving among forest islands. [source] The seasonal phenology of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in QueenslandAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Sakuntala Muthuthantri Abstract Bactrocera tryoni is a polyphagous fruit fly, originally endemic to tropical and subtropical coastal eastern Australia, but now also widely distributed in temperate eastern Australia. In temperate parts of its range, B. tryoni populations show distinct seasonal peaks driven by changing seasonal climates, especially changing temperature. In contrast to temperate areas, the seasonal phenology of B. tryoni in subtropical and tropical parts of its range is poorly documented and the role of climate unknown. Using a large, historical (1940s and 1950s) fruit fly trapping dataset, we present the seasonal phenology of B. tryoni at nine sites across Queensland for multiple (two to seven) years per site. We correlate monthly trap data for each site with monthly weather averages (temperature, rainfall and relative humidity) to investigate climatic influences. We also correlate observed population data with predicted population data generated by an existing B. tryoni population model. Supporting predictions from climate driven models, B. tryoni did show year-round breeding at most Queensland sites. However, contrary to predictions, there was a common pattern of a significant population decline in autumn and winter, followed by a rapid population increase in August and then one or more distinct peaks of abundance in spring and summer. Mean monthly fly abundance was significantly different across sites, but was not correlated with altitudinal, latitudinal or longitudinal gradients. There were very few significant correlations between monthly fly population size and weather variables (either for the corresponding month or for up to 3 months previously) for eight of the nine sites. For the southern site of Gatton fly population abundance was correlated with temperature. Results suggest that although climate factors may be influencing patterns of B. tryoni population abundance in southern subtropical Queensland, they are not explaining patterns of abundance in northern subtropical and tropical Queensland. In the discussion we focus on the role of other factors, particularly larval host plant availability, as likely drivers of B. tryoni abundance in tropical and subtropical parts of its range. [source] Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and cytarabine embropathy: Is apoptosis the common pathway?,BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 6 2003Keith K. Vaux BACKGROUND Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an alkylating agent primarily used for the treatment of autoimmune disease and cancer. The purpose of this article is two-fold: first, to indicate that CP is a recognized human teratogen based on the features seen in a child prenatally exposed to this agent, as well as features seen in the previously reported cases; second, to suggest a common pathway to explain the similarity in the pattern of malformation seen in infants prenatally exposed to CP, in infants prenatally exposed to methotrexate (MTX), and in infants prenatally exposed to cytosine arabinoside (CA). METHODS Case report and review of the literature of an infant prenatally exposed to CP during the first trimester with a specific pattern of malformation. Features are compared to seven previous reports. RESULTS A common pattern of malformation is delineated including growth deficiency, hypoplasia of the calvarial and facial bones, and oligodactyly. CONCLUSIONS The finding of a similar pattern of malformation among eight infants prenatally exposed to CP suggests that CP is a human teratogen. MTX and CA produce similar patterns of malformation in prenatally exposed infants despite very different pharmocologic profiles and metabolism. We speculate that the phenotype is a consequence of apoptosis in certain cells which are susceptible to the effects of the teratogen at specific stages of development. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67403,408, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The prevalence of domestic violence in pregnant womenBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003J.K. Johnson Objective To determine the prevalence of domestic violence in a population of pregnant women. Design Questionnaire survey. Setting Antenatal booking clinic in a north of England hospital. Population Five hundred consecutive women were included. Methods Anonymous confidential questionnaire to women who were not accompanied by their partners. Main outcome measures Disclosure of a past history of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Results Four hundred and seventy-five questionnaires were returned (95% response rate). The prevalence of domestic violence was 17%. Domestic violence was highest in the age group 26,30 years and boyfriends were the main perpetrators. Punching and slapping were the most common pattern of violence, and 10% of women experiencing domestic violence had had forced sexual activity. Conclusion The prevalence of domestic violence in a cohort of pregnant women in the north of England was 17%. Consideration should be given for routine screening for domestic violence in pregnancy to institute effective intervention strategies. [source] A microhistological survey on the trees of a relict subtropical laurel forest from the Macaronesian Islands as a base for assessing vertebrate plant dietBOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 4 2005PATRICIA MARRERO A microhistological collection and its respective key on the leaves and fleshy fruits produced by the mostly endemic trees that integrate the relict laurel forest in the Macaronesian Islands are presented. Epidermal tissues from the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves and fruits of 23 species were extracted by scraping and prepared on individual microscope slides. An optical microscope with a camera lucida fixed at magnifications of ×400 was used to analyse and to draw the morphological traits of epidermal tissues to the same scale. Furthermore, quantitative data for those congeneric species were also obtained by using an image analysis program system. The results indicate that this microhistological method permits the differentiation of practically all species of trees present in the Macaronesian laurel forest. Furthermore, most species belonging to the same taxa (genus or family) show a general common pattern in the morphology of the different epidermal traits. Lastly, despite the effort that constitutes the preparation of plant microhistological collections of a determined ecosystem, it is of basic importance because it makes possible the performance of feeding ecological studies of several herbivorous and frugivorous vertebrate species. These results provide crucial information that elucidates the functioning of the food web and energetic flux dynamics of the Macaronesian laurel forest ecosystem. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 148, 409,426. [source] Hippocampal Pathology in the Human Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses: Distinct Patterns of Storage Deposition, Neurodegeneration and Glial ActivationBRAIN PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Jaana Tyynelä The neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are recessively inherited lysosomal storage diseases, currently classified into 8 forms (CLN1-CLN8). Collectively, the NCLs constitute the most common group of progressive encephalopathies of childhood, and present with visual impairment, psychomotor deterioration and severe seizures. Despite recent identification of the underlying disease genes, the mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration and epilepsy in the NCLs remain poorly understood. To investigate these events, we examined the patterns of storage deposition, neurodegeneration, and glial activation in the hippocampus of patients with CLN1, CLN2, CLN3, CLN5 and CLN8 using histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. These different forms of NCL shared distinct patterns of neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus, with heavy involvement of sectors CA2-CA4 but relative sparing of CA1. This selective pattern of degeneration was also observed in immunohistochemically identified interneurons, which exhibited a graded severity of loss according to phenotype, with calretinin-positive interneurons relatively spared. Furthermore, glial activation was also regionally specific, with microglial activation most pronounced in areas of greatest neuronal loss, and astrocyte activation prominent in areas where neuronal loss was less evident. In conclusion, the NCLs share a common pattern of selective hippocampal pathology, distinct from that seen in the majority of temporal lobe epilepsies. [source] Long-term outcomes for patients with limited stage follicular lymphoma,CANCER, Issue 16 2010Involved regional radiotherapy versus involved node radiotherapy Abstract BACKGROUND: Given the indolent behavior of follicular lymphoma (FL), it is controversial whether limited stage FL can be cured using radiotherapy (RT). Furthermore, the optimal RT field size is unclear. The authors of this report investigated the long-term outcomes of patients with limited stage FL who received RT alone and studied the impact of reducing the RT field size from involved regional RT (IRRT) to involved node RT with margins up to 5 cm (INRT,5 cm). METHODS: Eligible patients had limited stage, grade 1 through 3A FL diagnosed between 1986 and 2006 and treated were with curative-intent RT alone. IRRT encompassed the involved lymph node group plus ,1 adjacent, uninvolved lymph node group(s). INRT,5 cm covered the involved lymph node(s) with margins ,5 cm. RESULTS: In total, 237 patients were identified (median follow-up, 7.3 years) and included 48% men, 54% aged >60 years, stage IA disease in 76% of patients, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 7% of patients, grade 3A tumors in 12% of patients, and lymph node size ,5 cm in 19% of patients. The 2 RT groups were IRRT (142 patients; 60%) and INRT,5 cm (95 patients; 40%). At 10 years, the progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 49%, and the overall survival (OS) rate was 66%. Only 2 patients developed recurrent disease beyond 10 years. The most common pattern of first failure was a distant recurrence only, which developed in 38% of patients who received IRRT and in 32% of patients who received INRT,5 cm. After INRT,5 cm, 1% of patients had a regional-only recurrence. Significant risk factors for PFS were lymph nodes ,5 cm (P = .008) and male gender (P = .042). Risk factors for OS were age >60 years (P < .001), elevated LDH (P = .007), lymph nodes ,5 cm (P = .016), and grade 3A tumors (P = .036). RT field size did not have an impact on PFS or OS. CONCLUSIONS: Disease recurrence after 10 years was uncommon in patients who had limited stage FL, suggesting that a cure is possible. Reducing RT fields to INRT,5 cm did not compromise long-term outcomes. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] A model of knowledge activation and insight in problem solvingCOMPLEXITY, Issue 5 2004Matthew A. CroninArticle first published online: 1 JUL 200 Abstract This article presents a model of insight that offers predictions on how and when insights are likely to occur as an individual solves problems. This model is based on a fundamental trade-off between the conscious cognition that underlies how people decide among alternatives and the unconscious cognition that underlies insight. I argue that the attention controls how much thought (i.e., knowledge activation) goes to conscious cognition, and whatever activation is left over will go to finding an insight. I validate this model by replicating the common pattern of insight in problem solving (preparation,impasse,incubation,verification). The model implies that 1) one should be able to increase the frequency of insight by lessening the demand for conscious cognition, 2) impasse is not necessary for insight, and 3) incubation time increases if a person engages in any activity with a high demand on attention. Understanding how insight occurs during problem solving provides practical suggestions to make people and groups more creative and innovative; it also provides avenues for future research on the cognitive dynamics of insight. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 9: 17,24, 2004 [source] Statistical behavior of complex cancer karyotypesGENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 4 2005Mattias Höglund Epithelial tumors commonly show complex and variable karyotypes that obscure the identification of general patterns of the karyotypic evolution. To overcome some of these problems, we previously systematically analyzed the accumulated cytogenetic data from individual tumor types by using various statistical means. In the present study, we compare previous results obtained for nine tumor types and perform several meta-analyses of data obtained from a number of epithelial tumors, including head and neck, kidney, bladder, breast, colorectal, ovarian, and lung cancer, as well as from malignant melanoma and Wilms tumor, with the specific aim of discovering common patterns of karyotypic evolution. We show that these tumors frequently develop through a hypo- or a hyperdiploid pathway and progress by an increasing number of alternative imbalances through at least two karyotypic phases, Phases I and II, and possibly through a third, Phase III. During Phase I, the karyotypes exhibited a power law distribution of both the number of changes per tumor and the frequency distribution at which bands were involved in breaks. At the transition from Phase I to Phase II/III, the observed power law distributions were lost, indicating a transition from an ordered and highly structured process to a disordered and chaotic pattern. The change in karyotypic orderliness at the transition from Phase I to Phase II/III was also shown by a drastic difference in karyotypic entropy. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||