			Home About us Contact

Cumulative Number (cumulative + number)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	43%
Life Sciences	43%
Earth and Environmental Science	12%

Selected Abstracts

Conidial dispersal of Gremmeniella abietina: climatic and microclimatic factors

FOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
R.-L. Petäistö
Summary The conidia dispersal started in Suonenjoki, in central Finland, in 1997,99 by the end of May or beginning of June, and continued occasionally at least to the middle of September. The temperature sum, day degrees (d.d., threshold temperature = 5°C) was between 100 and 165 d.d. at the beginning of dispersal. In years 1997,99, 80, 94 and 82% of the dispersal had occurred by the end of July , beginning of August when the temperature sum reached 800 d.d. All the spore data are coming from the spore traps. Cumulative number of conidia increased linearily with logarithm of temperature sum. A binary logistic regression model with temperature sum and rainfall as explanatory variables predicted accurately the date of the first spores in the spring: the prediction error was at most 3 days. The model classified 69% of all the days in the analysis correctly to the spore-free days and correspondingly 74% to the days of at least one spore caught. A regression model for the number of spores per day explains 21, 5 and 51% of the within-season variation in 1997,99 (24, 37 and 62% on a logarithmic scale). The explanatory weather variables in the model were d.d., rain and year. The very low explanatory coefficient of determination in 1998 results from one exceptionally high number of conidia. The between-differences in the total number of spores were large and could not be explained by the measured weather variables. In the regression model, these differences were taken into account by adding a constant for each year in the model. Rain increased conidia dispersal significantly but conidia were found also in consecutive rainless days. Résumé La dissémination des conidies a démarré fin mai-début juin à Suonenjoki, dans le centre de la Finlande, pour les années 1997,1999, et s'est poursuivie occasionnellement au moins jusqu'à mi-septembre. La somme de température (seuil de 5°C) est de 100-165 degrés-jours au début de la période de dissémination. Pour les années 1997, 1998 et 1999, 80%, 94% et 82% de la dissémination s'était produite fin juillet-début août, quand la somme de température avait atteint 800 degrés-jours. Le nombre cumulé de conidies augmente linéairement avec le logarithme de la somme de températures. Un modèle de régression logistique binaire avec la somme de températures et les précipitations comme variables explicatives prédit de façon précise la date des premières émissions au printemps: l'erreur de prédiction est au plus de trois jours. Le modèle assigne correctement 69% de l'ensemble des jours analysés à des jours sans spores et 74% des jours avec au moins une spore piégée. Un modèle de régression pour le nombre de spores par jour explique 21%, 5 % et 51 % de la variation intra-saison en 1997, 1998 et 1999 (24, 37 et 62% pour une échelle logarithmique). Les variables climatiques explicatives du modèle sont les degrés-jours, les précipitations et l'année. Le très faible coefficient de détermination de 1998 provient d'un seul comptage exceptionnellement élevé de conidies. Les différences entre années pour le nombre total de spores sont importantes et ne peuvent s'expliquer par les variables climatiques mesurées. Dans le modèle de régression, ces différences sont prises en compte en ajoutant une constante pour chaque année. Les pluies augmentent significativement la dissémination des conidies mais des conidies ont été observées également dans des périodes de plusieurs jours consécutifs sans pluie. Zusammenfassung Die Ausbreitung der Konidien von Gremmeniella abietina begann in Suonenjoki, Zentralfinnland, in den Jahren 1997 , 1999 Ende Mai oder Anfang Juni und dauerte gelegentlich bis mindestens Mitte September an. Die Temperatursumme (Schwellenwert 5 °C) lag zu Beginn der Ausbreitung zwischen 100 und 165. Ende Juli bis Anfang August, wenn die Temperatursumme 800 erreicht hatte, war in den Jahren 1997, 1998 und 1999 jeweils 80%, 94% bzw. 82% der mit einer Sporenfalle erfassten Sporulation abgeschlossen. Die kumulierte Anzahl der Sporen nahm linear mit dem Logarithmus der Temperatursumme zu. Ein binäres logistisches Regressionsmodell mit der Temperatursumme und dem Niederschlag als erklärenden Variablen sagte das Datum der ersten Sporenfreisetzung im Frühjahr zutreffend voraus, der Vorhersagefehler lag hier bei höchstens drei Tagen. Das Modell klassifizierte 69% der Tage ohne Sporulation richtig und analog 74% der Tage mit zumindest einer erfassten Spore. Ein Regressionsmodell für die Anzahl Sporen pro Tag erklärte 21%, 5% und 51% der Variation innerhalb einer Saison für die Jahre 1997, 1998 und 1999 (24, 37 und 62% auf der Skala des natürlichen Logarithmus). Die erklärenden Wettervariablen in dem Modell waren Temperatursumme, Niederschlag und Jahr. Der sehr kleine Wert des erklärenden Koeffizienten für 1998 ist die Folge eines einzelnen Ereignisses mit ungewöhnlich hoher Sporenzahl. Innerhalb der Anzahl der Sporen waren die Unterschiede gross und konnten nicht mit den gemessenen Wetterdaten erklärt werden. Im Regressionsmodell wurden diese Unterschiede berücksichtigt, indem für jedes Jahr eine Konstante hinzugefügt wurde. Regen erhöhte die Konidienausbreitung signifikant, aber Sporen waren auch an den nachfolgenden regenfreien Tagen nachweisbar. [source]

The catechol o-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism modulates the association of serious life events (SLE) and impulsive aggression in female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD)

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2010
S. Wagner
Wagner S, Baskaya Ö, Anicker NJ, Dahmen N, Lieb K, Tadi, A. The catechol o-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism modulates the association of serious life events (SLE) and impulsive aggression in female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Objective:, We analyzed i) the effects of serious life events (SLE) on impulsive aggression, and ii) modulating effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the association between SLEs and impulsive aggression in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Method:, One hundred and twelve female BPD patients from Germany were included in this study. Impulsive aggression was assessed by the Buss-Durkee-Hostility Inventory (BDHI). Results:, Childhood sexual abuse was associated with lower BDHI sum score (P = 0.003). In COMT Val158Val carriers, but not in Val/Met and Met/Met carriers, childhood sexual abuse and the cumulative number of SLEs were associated with lower BDHI sum scores (P < 0.05). Conclusion:, This study analyzing a specific gene × environment interaction in female BPD patients suggests an association between SLEs and impulsive aggression, as well as a modulating effect of the COMT Val158Val genotype on the relation between SLEs and impulsive aggression. [source]

On the estimation of species richness based on the accumulation of previously unrecorded species

ECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002
Emmanuelle Cam
Estimation of species richness of local communities has become an important topic in community ecology and monitoring. Investigators can seldom enumerate all the species present in the area of interest during sampling sessions. If the location of interest is sampled repeatedly within a short time period, the number of new species recorded is typically largest in the initial sample and decreases as sampling proceeds, but new species may be detected if sampling sessions are added. The question is how to estimate the total number of species. The data collected by sampling the area of interest repeatedly can be used to build species accumulation curves: the cumulative number of species recorded as a function of the number of sampling sessions (which we refer to as "species accumulation data"). A classic approach used to compute total species richness is to fit curves to the data on species accumulation with sampling effort. This approach does not rest on direct estimation of the probability of detecting species during sampling sessions and has no underlying basis regarding the sampling process that gave rise to the data. Here we recommend a probabilistic, nonparametric estimator for species richness for use with species accumulation data. We use estimators of population size that were developed for capture-recapture data, but that can be used to estimate the size of species assemblages using species accumulation data. Models of detection probability account for the underlying sampling process. They permit variation in detection probability among species. We illustrate this approach using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). We describe other situations where species accumulation data are collected under different designs (e.g., over longer periods of time, or over spatial replicates) and that lend themselves to of use capture-recapture models for estimating the size of the community of interest. We discuss the assumptions and interpretations corresponding to each situation. [source]

Life-history, genotypic, and environmental correlates of clutch size in the Glanville fritillary butterfly

ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
MARJO SAASTAMOINEN
Abstract 1.,Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) females lay up to 10 clutches of 50,300 eggs in their lifetime. Clutch size is an important life-history trait as larval group size affects survival throughout larval development. 2.,Two experiments were carried out in a large population cage in the field to investigate the life-history and environmental correlates of clutch size. 3.,Clutch size decreased with the cumulative number of eggs laid previously, increased with both female body weight and the number of days between consecutive clutches. 4.,Genotypic differences among females in the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase had a significant influence on clutch size, partly because females of particular genotypes were able to initiate oviposition earlier in the day and thereby take advantage of the most favourable environmental conditions for oviposition. 5.,Factors influencing clutch size were partly different in two summers, indicating the modulating effect of prevailing environmental conditions on reproductive performance. [source]

In vitro culture of skin-homing T lymphocytes from inflammatory skin diseases

EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2005
Karen Bang
Abstract:, We, in this study, describe how T lymphocytes in a skin biopsy can proliferate in vitro for up to 3 months by using T-cell growth factors , interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 yielding approximately 100,160 million T lymphocytes within 1 month. We established cell lines from three tuberculin skin tests, four positive patch tests, 15 of 16 biopsies from atopic dermatitis (AD), 15 of 19 biopsies from mycosis fungoides (MF), 12 of 24 biopsies from psoriasis vulgaris, which was significantly less than AD (P < 0.05), and with a reduced cumulative number of lymphocytes (P < 0.05). Omitting IL-2 and IL-4 led to immediate halt of proliferation. Blood mononuclear cells from patients and biopsies from healthy persons never gave cell lines. All cells were T lymphocytes expressing CD45RO+, HLA-DR+ and CD150. The CD7 expression was significantly increased in cell lines from AD (P < 0.05). T-cell receptor ,-chain studies by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that all T lymphocytes had access to the skin compartment. Single-stranded conformational analysis showed clonally expanded T cells numbering between 40 and 60 clones. After approximately 2 months of growth, the mean CD4+ : CD8+ ratio was for AD 1.20, MF 0.65 and psoriasis 0.85. Patients with AD treated with cyclosporin-A had almost no growth of CD8+ cells in vitro. Our findings indicate a changed homeostasis among skin-homing lymphocytes for in vitro culture. Our culture system of skin-homing T lymphocytes leads to a prominent cellular expansion allowing for a range of studies of in vivo activated skin T lymphocytes. [source]

Skipped spawning in female iteroparous fishes

FISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 1 2005
Rick M Rideout
Abstract It is often assumed that iteroparous fishes spawn annually once reaching sexual maturity, but this is not always the case. This paper reviews available information on skipped spawning in female teleost fishes. All instances of non-annual spawning are described as one of three types (retaining, reabsorbing, resting), depending on where in the normal spawning cycle development has been interrupted. Retaining ripe eggs is caused by conditions experienced during the spawning season (fish density, mate availability, pollution), whereas failure to start vitellogenesis (resting) or the breakdown of all oocytes that enter into vitellogenesis (reabsorbing) is caused by factors experienced prior to the spawning season (primarily temperature and poor nutrition). It is speculated that the relative shortage of data on non-annual spawning may be because of difficulties in identifying non-reproductive individuals. In an attempt to rectify this situation, the criteria needed to identify females undergoing the three forms of spawning omission are presented in terms of external appearance of gonads, gonad indices, and histological analysis. The energy saved by not spawning in a poor year may lead to increased survival and the probability of spawning in subsequent years. As the cumulative number of progeny gained by surviving to spawn in multiple subsequent years outweighs the number of progeny lost by not spawning in a given single year, occasional omission of spawning may constitute an adaptive trait in long-lived iteroparous fishes. [source]

Genetic variation in Sanguisorba minor after 6 years in situ selection under elevated CO2

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2004
Silvia Wieneke
Abstract Genetic variation within plant species in their response to elevated CO2 could be important for long-term changes in plant community composition because it allows for selection of responsive genotypes. Six years of in situ CO2 enrichment in a temperate grassland offered a unique opportunity to investigate such microevolutionary changes in a common herb of that plant community, Sanguisorba minor. Plants were grown from seeds collected at the end of a 6-year treatment in either ambient or elevated CO2. The resulting seedlings were grown under ambient or elevated CO2 and with or without interspecific competition by Bromus erectus in the greenhouse for two seasons. The effect of competition was included because we expected selection under elevated CO2 to favour increased competitive ability. Elevated CO2 in the greenhouse and competition both caused a significant reduction of the total dry mass in S. minor, by 12% and 40%, respectively, with no interaction between CO2 and competition. Genetic variation in all traits was substantial. Seed families responded differently to competition, but the family × greenhouse CO2 interaction was rather weak. There was no main effect of the field CO2 treatment on any parameter analysed in the greenhouse. However, the field CO2 treatment did significantly interact with the greenhouse CO2 treatment for the cumulative number of leaves, suggesting microevolutionary change in this plant trait. Families from ambient field CO2 produced fewer leaves under elevated greenhouse CO2, whereas families from elevated field CO2 retained constant number of leaves in either greenhouse CO2 treatment. Since this resulted in increased litter production of the families from elevated field CO2 under elevated greenhouse CO2, the microevolutionary response should, in turn, affect ecosystem functions through dry matter recycling. [source]

Mortality at 120 days after prostatic biopsy: A population-based study of 22,175 men

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2008
Andrea Gallina
Abstract Trans-rectal ultrasound guided biopsy of the prostate represents the diagnostic standard for prostate cancer, but its mortality rate has never been examined. We performed a population-based study of 120-day mortality after prostate biopsy in 22,175 patients, who underwent prostate biopsy between 1989 and 2000. The control group consisted of 1,778 men aged 65,85 years (median 69.5), who did not undergo a biopsy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed in 11,087 of 22,175 (50%) men subjected to prostate biopsy, to identify predictors of 120-day mortality. Variables were age at biopsy, baseline Charlson comorbidity index and cumulative number of biopsy procedures. We externally validated the model's predictors in the remaining 50% of men. Overall 120-day mortality after biopsy was 1.3% versus 0.3% (p < 0.001) in the control group. Of men aged ,60 years, 0.2% died within 120 days versus 2.5% aged 76,80. Zero Charlson comorbidity score yielded 0.7% mortality versus 2.2%, if 3,4. First ever biopsy procedures carried a higher mortality risk than subsequent procedures (1.4 vs. 0.8 vs. 0.6%). In the multivariable model, first ever biopsy, increasing age and comorbidity predicted higher mortality. Overall, the model's variables were 79% accurate in predicting the probability of 120-day mortality after biopsy. In conclusion, our data suggest that prostate biopsy might predispose to higher mortality rate. The certainty of this association remains to be proven. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Development of inland lakes as hubs in an invasion network

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005
JIM R. MUIRHEAD
Summary 1The ability to predict spatially explicit dispersal by non-indigenous species is a difficult but increasingly important undertaking as it allows management efforts to be focused around areas identified as susceptible to invasion. Lakes may serve as useful models for these studies because the habitats are well defined, and vectors of spread may be readily identified and quantified. In this study, we examined patterns of spread of the non-indigenous spiny waterflea Bythotrephes longimanus to inland lakes in Ontario, Canada, to identify lakes for which management efforts to reduce traffic would be most effective. 2We surveyed people using lakes for recreational purposes to quantify movements of trailered boats and other risky activities, to model relative vector traffic from invaded lakes to non-invaded and other invaded lakes. Non-linear functions were developed to describe the cumulative number of invaded and non-invaded destination lakes visited by people leaving five important lakes already invaded by the spiny waterflea (Huron, Simcoe, Muskoka, Panache and Kashagawigamog). The relative difference in these functions was used to identify which lakes will develop into future invasion hubs and will therefore be most important to future dispersal of the species. 3In the recent past, Lake Muskoka has been an important hub from which the spiny waterflea has invaded other lakes. It is unlikely to continue to be a source for waterflea invasion as most outbound traffic is to previously invaded lakes. Conversely, most outbound traffic from Lakes Kashagawigamog and Simcoe is to non-invaded lakes and, therefore, these lakes are likely to develop into hubs in the future. 4Synthesis and applications. These data on zooplankton in lake systems and associated mechanisms of transport indicate patterns not only of intrinsic value to lake management, but also of potential importance in understanding invasions more generally. Frequency distributions of the number of outbound connections to both invaded and non-invaded destinations from invaded sources follow a power function, consistent with scale-free networks. These networks indicate that small proportions of sources function as hubs. Management efforts targeted to remove developing hubs from the invasion network, rather than equal effort applied to outbound vector traffic from all sources, may reduce the predicted rate of new invasions. [source]

Plot shape effects on plant species diversity measurements

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2005
Jon E. Keeley
Abstract. Question: Do rectangular sample plots record more plant species than square plots as suggested by both empirical and theoretical studies? Location: Grasslands, shrublands and forests in the Mediterranean-climate region of California, USA. Methods: We compared three 0.1-ha sampling designs that differed in the shape and dispersion of 1-m2 and 100-m2 nested subplots. We duplicated an earlier study that compared the Whittaker sample design, which had square clustered subplots, with the modified Whittaker design, which had dispersed rectangular subplots. To sort out effects of dispersion from shape we used a third design that overlaid square subplots on the modified Whittaker design. Also, using data from published studies we extracted species richness values for 400-m2 subplots that were either square or 1:4 rectangles partially overlaid on each other from desert scrub in high and low rainfall years, chaparral, sage scrub, oak savanna and coniferous forests with and without fire. Results: We found that earlier empirical reports of more than 30% greater richness with rectangles were due to the confusion of shape effects with spatial effects, coupled with the use of cumulative number of species as the metric for comparison. Average species richness was not significantly different between square and 1:4 rectangular sample plots at either 1- or 100-m2. Pairwise comparisons showed no significant difference between square and rectangular samples in all but one vegetation type, and that one exhibited significantly greater richness with squares. Our three intensive study sites appear to exhibit some level of self-similarity at the scale of 400 m2, but, contrary to theoretical expectations, we could not detect plot shape effects on species richness at this scale. Conclusions: At the 0.1-ha scale or lower there is no evidence that plot shape has predictable effects on number of species recorded from sample plots. We hypothesize that for the mediterranean-climate vegetation types studied here, the primary reason that 1:4 rectangles do not sample greater species richness than squares is because species turnover varies along complex environmental gradients that are both parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of rectangular plots. Reports in the literature of much greater species richness recorded for highly elongated rectangular strips than for squares of the same area are not likely to be fair comparisons because of the dramatically different periphery/area ratio, which includes a much greater proportion of species that are using both above and below-ground niche space outside the sample area. [source]

Reconstructing and predicting the hepatitis C virus epidemic in Greece: increasing trends of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma despite the decline in incidence of HCV infection

JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 4 2004
V. Sypsa
Summary., In this study, a comprehensive methodology for modelling the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic is proposed to predict the future disease burden and assess whether the recent decline in the incidence of HCV may affect the future occurrence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases. Using the prevalence of HCV, the distribution of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients within the various transmission groups and their infection-onset times, it was possible to reconstruct the incident infections per year in the past that progressed to CHC in Greece. The natural history of the disease was simulated in subcohorts of newly infected subjects using transition probabilities derived either empirically between fibrosis stages 0,4 or from literature review. Annual estimates of the incidence and prevalence of CHC by fibrosis stage, HCC and mortality in Greece were obtained up to 2030. HCV incidence peaked in the late 1980s at five new infections/10 000 person-years. Under the assumption of 20,100% decline in HCV incidence after 1990, the cumulative number of incident cirrhosis and HCC cases from 2002,2030 was projected to be lower by 9.6,48.2% and 5.9,29.5%, respectively, than that estimated under the assumption of no decline. However, the prevalent cirrhotic/HCC cases and HCV-related deaths are predicted to decline in the next 30 years only under the assumption of complete elimination of new HCV infections after 1990. Despite the progress in the reduction of HCV transmission, primary prevention does not seem adequate to reverse the rise in the incidence of cirrhosis and HCC. [source]

Assessment of inhaled corticosteroid treatment response in asthma using hypertonic histamine challenge-induced cough

THE CLINICAL RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010
Minna Purokivi
Abstract Background and Aims:, Bronchial provocation tests may be utilised to monitor the efficacy of the corticosteroid treatment. Unfortunately, these measurements necessitate good patient cooperation during the spirometry. Coughing during such tests is related to the degree of the bronchoconstriction and occurs involuntarily, i.e. independent of patient cooperation. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a hypertonic histamine challenge-induced cough in assessing the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Methods:, A total of 16 steroid-naïve asthmatics and 10 non-asthmatic, symptomatic controls received 800-µg beclomethasone (Beclomet Easyhaler®, Orion Ltd., Orion Pharma, Helsinki, Finland) via powder inhaler per day for 8 weeks. Videoed inhalation challenge with hypertonic histamine solution was performed before and after the treatment. Symptom questionnaire was completed before both challenges. The airway responsiveness to hypertonic histamine was expressed as the cumulative number of coughs divided by the final histamine concentration administered [coughs/concentration ratio (CCR)] and as the provocative concentration of histamine to induce a 20% fall in FEV1(PC20). Results:, CCR [geometric mean; 95% confidence interval (CI)] of the asthmatic subjects decreased from 494 (209,1168) to 73.6 (29.8,182) coughs per mg/mL (P = 0.002). Their PC20 levels were 1.31 (1.07,1.60) and 1.91 (1.33,2.74) mg/mL over the treatment period (P = 0.01). The symptom frequency also decreased significantly in the asthmatics (P = 0.039). There were no significant changes in PC20 level, in CCR level or in symptom frequency in non-asthmatic subjects during the treatment. Conclusions:, Hypertonic histamine challenge-induced cough and PC20 are sensitive measures in assessing the treatment effect in asthma. The cough response may be especially useful in subjects who cannot perform spirometry reliably. Please cite this paper as: Purokivi M, Koskela H, Koistinen T, Peuhkurinen K and Kontra KM. Assessment of inhaled corticosteroid treatment response in asthma using hypertonic histamine challenge-induced cough. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2010; 4: 67,73. [source]

Long-interval T2-weighted subtraction magnetic resonance imaging: A powerful new outcome measure in multiple sclerosis trials

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 5 2010
Bastiaan Moraal MD
Objective To compare long-interval T2-weighted subtraction (T2w-Sub) imaging with monthly gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted (Gd-T1w) imaging for (1) detection of active lesions, (2) assessment of treatment efficacy, and (3) statistical power, in a multiple sclerosis (MS), phase 2, clinical trial setting. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data over 9 months from 120 patients (61 treatment, 59 placebo) from the oral temsirolimus trial were used. T2w-Sub images were scored for active lesions, independent of the original reading of the monthly Gd-T1w images. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test, and parametric negative binomial (NB)-regression and power calculations were conducted. Results Datasets from 116 patients (58 treatment, 58 placebo) were evaluated. The mean number of T2w-Sub lesions in the treatment group was 3.0 (±4.6) versus 5.9 (±8.8) for placebo; the mean cumulative number of new Gd-T1w lesions in the treatment group was 5.5(±9.1) versus 9.1(±17.2) for placebo. T2w-Sub imaging showed increased power to assess treatment efficacy compared with Gd-T1w imaging, when evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test (p = 0.017 vs p = 0.177), or NB-regression without (p = 0.011 vs p = 0.092) or with baseline adjustment (p < 0.001 vs p = 0.002). Depending on the magnitude of the simulated treatment effect, sample size calculations showed reductions of 22 to 34% in the number of patients (translating into reductions of 81,83% in the number of MRI scans) needed to detect a significant treatment effect in favor of T2w-Sub imaging. Interpretation Compared with monthly Gd-T1w imaging, long-interval T2w-Sub MRI exhibited increased power to assess treatment efficacy, and could greatly increase the cost-effectiveness of phase 2 MS trials by limiting the number of patients, contrast injections, and MRI scans needed. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:667,675 [source]

Relationships between fish and supralittoral vegetation in nearshore marine habitats

AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2006
Tamara N. Romanuk
Abstract 1.This study was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences in the species richness and community composition of fish assemblages in coastal nearshore habitats with differing compositions of supralittoral vegetation. 2.We sampled fish assemblages and conducted supralittoral vegetation surveys at 27 beaches on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Thirteen of the beaches had supralittoral vegetation characteristic of old-growth coastal forests and 14 had been previously subjected to logging or other disturbances. 3.Physical features (e.g. substrate, salinity, etc.) were recorded at each beach to determine whether there were significant associations between supralittoral vegetation and beach characteristics as well as between beach characteristics and fish assemblages. 4.Across all 27 beaches, 1832 individuals of 31 species of nearshore fish were collected, primarily juvenile cottids and salmonids. Mean species richness did not differ between beaches with old-growth versus secondary-growth supralittoral vegetation; however, a higher cumulative number of species was found at beaches with old-growth supralittoral vegetation. 5.Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that beach characteristics and supralittoral vegetation were not significantly associated. Separate CCA for fish associations with beach characteristics and fish associations with supralittoral vegetation explained ,55% of the variance in fish assemblage composition, suggesting that fish assemblage composition is significantly affected by substrate, submerged vegetation, and physico-chemical conditions as well as by the community composition of vegetation in adjacent supralittoral habitats. 6.Specifically, we found associations between supralittoral vegetation and penpoint gunnels (Apodichthys flavidus Girard), tidepool sculpins (Oligocottus maculosus Girard), Pacific staghorn sculpins (Leptocottus armatus Girard), arrow gobies (Clevelandia ios Jordan and Gilbert), shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons) and kelp perch (Brachyistius frenatus Gill). Juvenile chum (Oncorhynchus keta Walbaum) and coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum) salmon were strongly associated with supralittoral vegetation characteristic of mature coastal forests such as mosses and western red cedar (Thuja plicata) suggesting that some nearshore fish species may be affected by processes originating in terrestrial ecosystems. 7.Our results suggest that some nearshore fish species may be affected by removal of supralittoral vegetation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Evaluation of chemopreventive action of Ginsenoside Rp1

BIOFACTORS, Issue 1 2006
Ashok Kumar
Abstract We evaluated the chemopreventive properties of Ginsenoside Rp1 on 7,12-Dimethyl benz (a) anthracene (DMBA) skin papillomagenesis in Swiss albino mice. A significant reduction in values of tumor incidence, tumor burden, and cumulative number of papilloma was observed in mice treated orally with Ginsenoside Rp1 continuously at pre-, peri- and post-initiational stages of papillomagenesis as compared to the control group. Chemopreventive potential of Ginsenoside Rp1 was also observed on the skin metabolizing enzymes in Swiss albino mice. Ginsenoside Rp1 produced a significant elevation in the skin microsomal cytochrome p-450 and cytochrome b5, glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), DT-diaphorase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase levels in the group of mice treated with Ginsenoside Rp1 for seven consecutive days. However, there was significant decrease in lipid peroxidation (LPO) level in Ginsenoside Rp1 treated group. [source]

The presence of prostate cancer on saturation biopsy can be accurately predicted

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2010
Sascha A. Ahyai
Study Type , Diagnostic (non-consecutive) Level of Evidence 3b OBJECTIVE To improve the ability of our previously reported saturation biopsy nomogram quantifying the risk of prostate cancer, as the use of office-based saturation biopsy has increased. PATIENTS AND METHODS Saturation biopsies of 540 men with one or more previously negative 6,12 core biopsies were used to develop a multivariable logistic regression model-based nomogram, predicting the probability of prostate cancer. Candidate predictors were used in their original or stratified format, and consisted of age, total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, percentage free PSA (%fPSA), gland volume, findings on a digital rectal examination, cumulative number of previous biopsy sessions, presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on any previous biopsy, and presence of atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) on any previous biopsy. Two hundred bootstraps re-samples were used to adjust for overfit bias. RESULTS Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 39.4% of saturation biopsies. Age, total PSA, %fPSA, gland volume, number of previous biopsies, and presence of ASAP at any previous biopsy were independent predictors for prostate cancer (all P < 0.05). The nomogram was 77.2% accurate and had a virtually perfect correlation between predicted and observed rates of prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS We improved the accuracy of the saturation biopsy nomogram from 72% to 77%; it relies on three previously included variables, i.e. age, %fPSA and prostate volume, and on three previously excluded variables, i.e. PSA, the number of previous biopsy sessions, and evidence of ASAP on previous biopsy. Our study represents the largest series of saturation biopsies to date. [source]