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Selected AbstractsOlder patients' experiences of treatment for colorectal cancer: an analysis of functional status and service useEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 5 2004C. BAILEY msc, rgn Age and ageing are an important part of the context within which the care and treatment of people with cancer is provided. More information is needed about the effects of cancer treatment on the lives of older people following inpatient care. We conducted a 3-year study in which older people with colorectal cancer completed a detailed questionnaire on multidimensional function and service use before and after elective treatment. Here we present an analysis of changes in functional status and service use over the pre- to post-treatment period, and set out a detailed picture of older people's experiences before and after treatment. In total, 337 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma aged 58,95 years were interviewed before treatment using the OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (OMFAQ), Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) and a severity of morbidity score. Study end points were defined as post-treatment functional status, symptom distress, severity of morbidity and frequency of service use. Pre- and post-treatment data were compared using matched analyses. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between age and the main outcome measures, and frequency of service use after treatment was compared between age groups using the ,2 test. Overall, patients experienced both positive and negative outcomes following treatment. It was notable that patients aged ,,75 years showed improvement in only one of the principal outcome measures. Patterns of service use following treatment suggest that support at home is a key issue for patients. With the exception of nursing care, however, help at home is provided on a majority of occasions by families themselves. This raises important questions about how much preparation patients and families receive or would like before they leave hospital after treatment for cancer. A collaborative, family-centred approach to meeting people's needs is called for in the months following inpatient care. [source] 2D data modelling by electrical resistivity tomography for complex subsurface geologyGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 2 2006E. Cardarelli ABSTRACT A new tool for two-dimensional apparent-resistivity data modelling and inversion is presented. The study is developed according to the idea that the best way to deal with ill-posedness of geoelectrical inverse problems lies in constructing algorithms which allow a flexible control of the physical and mathematical elements involved in the resolution. The forward problem is solved through a finite-difference algorithm, whose main features are a versatile user-defined discretization of the domain and a new approach to the solution of the inverse Fourier transform. The inversion procedure is based on an iterative smoothness-constrained least-squares algorithm. As mentioned, the code is constructed to ensure flexibility in resolution. This is first achieved by starting the inversion from an arbitrarily defined model. In our approach, a Jacobian matrix is calculated at each iteration, using a generalization of Cohn's network sensitivity theorem. Another versatile feature is the issue of introducing a priori information about the solution. Regions of the domain can be constrained to vary between two limits (the lower and upper bounds) by using inequality constraints. A second possibility is to include the starting model in the objective function used to determine an improved estimate of the unknown parameters and to constrain the solution to the above model. Furthermore, the possibility either of defining a discretization of the domain that exactly fits the underground structures or of refining the mesh of the grid certainly leads to more accurate solutions. Control on the mathematical elements in the inversion algorithm is also allowed. The smoothness matrix can be modified in order to penalize roughness in any one direction. An empirical way of assigning the regularization parameter (damping) is defined, but the user can also decide to assign it manually at each iteration. An appropriate tool was constructed with the purpose of handling the inversion results, for example to correct reconstructed models and to check the effects of such changes on the calculated apparent resistivity. Tests on synthetic and real data, in particular in handling indeterminate cases, show that the flexible approach is a good way to build a detailed picture of the prospected area. [source] ,But everyone else is doing it': a closer look at the occupational taxpaying culture of one business sectorJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Julie S. Ashby Abstract When individuals embark on their careers they not only become acculturated into their occupational sectors' day-to-day norms and practices, but also their taxpaying ones. Although the research on taxpaying cultures is still in its infancy, understanding more about taxpaying cultures could improve our understanding of the processes underlying tax compliance. To this end, this study aimed to build a detailed picture of the taxpaying culture (i.e. the norms and values) of one business sector,the hairdressing/beauty industry. Nineteen small business and self-employed hairdressers/beauticians were interviewed and a variant of Grounded theory was used to uncover the main themes that ran through the interviews as a whole. The main themes that emerged,which appear to characterize this sector's culture,include a reliance on accountants/tax advisors, the notion of an acceptable level of cash-in-hand payments, and the use of different mental accounts for different types of income. Although some of these themes have already arisen in the small business literature they have often been couched in individualistic terms. We build a case that these issues are more cultural than individual,they are tied to occupational group membership as they are socially constructed within occupational groups and are a key component of the group's taxpaying culture. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Forensic Characteristics of Suicide by Electrocution in BulgariaJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 3 2009William Dokov M.D. Abstract:, Suicides by electrocution (SE) are relatively rare and insufficiently studied. The purpose of this study is to present a more detailed picture of SE in Bulgaria. Forensic medical files of 59 SE cases were examined. spss 11.0 software was applied to produce the descriptive statistical analyses. Values of p < 0.05 were assumed to be statistically significant. We studied 59 SE cases, which account for 6.24% of all deaths by electrocution and 0.09% of all forensic autopsies. The average age of victims was 45.19 years old. Males prevailed: 91.53%. Children below 18 years old accounted for 3.39%. 42.37% of the victims applied low voltage (<220 V), and 33.99% applied high voltage (>220 V). The preferred method of SE was by direct contact victim/electrical cable: 47.45%. The summer months June through September account for 49.15% of all cases. [source] Simulation of the N -terminus of HIV-1 glycoprotein 41000 fusion peptide in micellesJOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2005Allison Langham Abstract In this paper, the N -terminus of glycoprotein-41, the HIV-1 fusion peptide, was studied by molecular dynamics simulations in an explicit sodium dodecyl sulfate micelle. The simulation provides a detailed picture of the equilibrium structure and peptide stability as it interacts with the micelle. The equilibrium location of the peptide shows the peptide at the surface of the micelle with hydrophobic residues interacting with the micelle's core. At equilibrium, the peptide adopts an ,-helical structure from residues 5,16 and a type-1 ,-turn from 17,20 with the other residues exhibiting more flexible conformations. The primary hydrophobic interactions with the micelle are from the leucine and phenylalanine residues (Leu-7, Phe-8, Leu-9, Phe-11, Leu-12) while the alanine and glycine residues (Ala-1, Gly-3, Gly-5, Ala-6, Gly-10, Gly-13, Ala-14, Ala-15, Gly-16, Gly-10, Ala-21) interact favorably with water molecules. The results suggest that Phe-8, part of the highly conserved FLG motif of the fusion peptide, plays a key role in the interaction of the peptide with membranes. Our simulations corroborate experimental investigations of the fusion peptide in SDS micelles, providing a high-resolution picture that explains the experimental findings. Copyright © 2004 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Dogs and CatsJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008C.E. Wiedmeyer Use of continuous glucose monitoring in veterinary medicine is gaining popularity. Through use of a commercially available continuous glucose monitor system, insights into daily glucose changes in dogs and cats are achievable. The continuous glucose monitoring system measures glucose concentrations in the interstitial fluid of the subcutaneous space by use of a small, flexible probe. When placed in the subcutaneous tissue, the probe is connected to a recording device that is attached to the animal and records the interstitial fluid glucose concentration every 5 minutes (288 readings per 24 hours). Once attached and properly calibrated, the instrument can remain in place for several days, hospitalization of the patient is not necessary, and the normal daily routine of the animal can be maintained. The data from the recording device are then downloaded and a very detailed picture of the interstitial fluid glucose concentration over that time period can be obtained. Subcutaneous interstitial fluid glucose concentrations have a good correlation to blood glucose concentrations within a defined range. The continuous glucose monitoring system has distinct advantages over traditional blood glucose curves and is a valuable tool for managing diabetic dogs and cats. In addition, other clinical uses for continuous glucose monitoring are being developed. This review is designed to outline the technology behind the continuous glucose monitoring system, describe the clinical use of the instrument, provide clinical examples in which it may be useful, and discuss future directions for continuous glucose monitoring in dogs and cats. [source] From fundamental studies of sporulation to applied spore researchMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Imrich Barák Summary Sporulation in the Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, has been used as an excellent model system to study cell differentiation for almost half a century. This research has given us a detailed picture of the genetic, physiological and biochemical mechanisms that allow bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions by forming highly robust spores. Although many basic aspects of this process are now understood in great detail, including the crystal and NMR structures of some of the key proteins and their complexes, bacterial sporulation still continues to be a highly attractive model for studying various cell processes at a molecular level. There are several reasons for such scientific interest. First, some of the complex steps in sporulation are not fully understood and/or are only described by ,controversial' models. Second, intensive research on unicellular development of a single microorganism, B. subtilis, left us largely unaware of the multitude of diverse sporulation mechanisms in many other Gram-positive endospore and exospore formers. This diversity would likely be increased if we were to include sporulation processes in the Gram-negative spore formers. Spore formers have great potential in applied research. They have been used for many years as biodosimeters and as natural insecticides, exploited in the industrial production of enzymes, antibiotics, used as probiotics and, more, exploited as possible vectors for drug delivery, vaccine antigens and other immunomodulating molecules. This report describes these and other aspects of current fundamental and applied spore research that were presented at European Spores Conference held in Smolenice Castle, Slovakia, June 2004. [source] Using nondenaturing mass spectrometry to detect fortuitous ligands in orphan nuclear receptorsPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 4 2003Noelle Potier Abstract Nondenaturing electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has been used to reveal the presence of potential ligands in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of orphan nuclear receptors. This new approach, based on supramolecular mass spectrometry, allowed the detection and identification of fortuitous ligands for the retinoic acid-related orphan receptor , (ROR,) and the ultraspiracle protein (USP). These fortuitous ligands were specifically captured from the host cell with the proper stoichiometry. After organic extraction, these molecules have been characterized by classic analytical methods and identified as stearic acid for ROR, and a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) for USP, as confirmed by crystallography. These molecules act as "fillers" and may not be the physiological ligands, but they prove to be essential to stabilize the active conformation of the LBD, enabling its crystallization. The resulting crystal structures provide a detailed picture of the ligand-binding pocket, allowing the design of highly specific synthetic ligands that can be used to characterize the function of orphan nuclear receptors. An additional advantage of this new method is that it is not based on a functional test and that it can detect low-affinity ligands. [source] Occupational tuberculosis following extremely short exposureTHE CLINICAL RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Zaza Kamper-Jørgensen Abstract Introduction:, Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) in most cases requires extended exposure. Objectives:, To document that MT transmission may occur even after very short exposure. Material and Methods:, All first-time culture-confirmed tuberculosis (TB) cases in Denmark have since 1992 been subjected to genotyping, using the IS6110 -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) technique. A young nurse with no risk factors developed pulmonary TB: the DNA pattern of her MT strain was compared to The Danish TB Subtyping Database, comprising >6000 DNA patterns from TB patients nationwide. Results:, Only one single MT DNA pattern matched the DNA profile of the isolate from the nurse. The pattern originated from a patient shortly admitted to the department where she worked at the time. MT transmission had occurred in spite of very short exposure. Conclusion:, By adding modern molecular epidemiological methods to traditional epidemiological surveys, a more detailed picture of MT-transmission pathways can be obtained, showing that MT transmission can occur even after extremely short exposure. This stresses the necessity for adequate respiratory protection among hospital staff taking care of patients with pulmonary symptoms suspected for TB. Please cite this paper as: Kamper-Jørgensen Z, Lillebaek T and Andersen ÅB. Occupational tuberculosis following extremely short exposure. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; 3: 55,57. [source] Abnormal activity in reward brain circuits in human narcolepsy with cataplexyANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2010Aurélie Ponz PhD Objective Hypothalamic hypocretins (or orexins) regulate energy metabolism and arousal maintenance. Recent animal research suggests that hypocretins may also influence reward-related behaviors. In humans, the loss of hypocretin-containing neurons results in a major sleep-wake disorder called narcolepsy-cataplexy, which is associated with emotional disturbances. Here, we aim to test whether narcoleptic patients show an abnormal pattern of brain activity during reward processing. Methods We used functional magnetic resonance imaging in 12 unmedicated patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy to measure the neural responses to expectancy and experience of monetary gains and losses. We statistically compared the patients' data with those obtained in a group of 12 healthy matched controls. Results and Interpretation Our results reveal that activity in the dopaminergic ventral midbrain (ventral tegmental area) was not modulated in narcolepsy-cataplexy patients during high reward expectancy (unlike controls), and that ventral striatum activity was reduced during winning. By contrast, the patients showed abnormal activity increases in the amygdala and in dorsal striatum for positive outcomes. In addition, we found that activity in the nucleus accumbens and the ventral-medial prefrontal cortex correlated with disease duration, suggesting that an alternate neural circuit could be privileged over the years to control affective responses to emotional challenges and compensate for the lack of influence from ventral midbrain regions. Our study offers a detailed picture of the distributed brain network involved during distinct stages of reward processing and shows for the first time, to our knowledge, how this network is affected in hypocretin-deficient narcoleptic patients. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:190,200 [source] Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the complex of human ,-thrombin with a modified thrombin-binding aptamerACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F (ELECTRONIC), Issue 8 2010Irene Russo Krauss The thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) is a consensus DNA 15-mer that binds specifically to human ,-thrombin at nanomolar concentrations and inhibits its procoagulant functions. Recently, a modified TBA (mTBA) containing a 5,,5, inversion-of-polarity site has been shown to be more stable and to possess a higher thrombin affinity than its unmodified counterpart. The structure of the thrombin,TBA complex has previously been determined at low resolution, but did not provide a detailed picture of the aptamer conformation or of the protein,DNA assembly, while that of the complex with mTBA is unknown. Crystallographic analysis of the thrombin,mTBA complex has been attempted. The crystals diffracted to 2.15,Å resolution and belonged to space group I222. [source] Evolution at the host,retrovirus interfaceBIOESSAYS, Issue 12 2006Robert J. Gifford Retroviruses are unusual amongst animal viruses in their capacity to integrate into host genomes and be transmitted vertically to host progeny. Vertebrate genomes contain numerous and diverse retrovirus-derived sequences reflecting a long co-evolutionary history during which genome invasion has occurred repeatedly, with wide-ranging evolutionary consequences. Over the past 10 years, a detailed picture of retroviral diversity throughout vertebrate genomes has emerged, revealing striking and informative patterns that differ markedly across species. The power of these data to deliver far-reaching insights into the biology and evolution of retroviruses has been significantly advanced by recent studies identifying ongoing genome invasion in wild populations,(1) and by the characterisation of conserved mechanisms of innate antiretroviral defence.(2,3) BioEssays 28: 1153,1156, 2006. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Coleoptera from the Late Weichselian deposits at Nørre Lyngby, Denmark and their bearing on palaeoecology, biogeography and palaeoclimateBOREAS, Issue 1 2000GEOFFREY RUSSELL COOPE The freshwater sediments exposed on the cliffs at Nørre Lyngby northern Jutland has long been a classical locality for the study of Danish Quaternary geology, palaeontology and archaeology. These deposits date from the latter part of the Allerød period (i.e. G I-1). Samples for insect analysis have been taken from both the northern and southern exposures of these deposits. Ninety-five- taxa of Coleoptera (beetles) were obtained, of which 69 could be named to species. Of the latter, 23 are not found living in Denmark today. Most of these are still living in northern Fennoscandia but one species is now confined to Mongolia. These assemblages have enabled a detailed picture of the local environment to be reconstructed, showing that the basin-like profile of the deposits represents a section through a channel with slowly moving water. It has been possible to quantify the thermal climate of the time using the Mutual Climatic Range method indicating that mean July temperatures were about 10°C and mean January temperatures were about , 12°C. These figures are considered in the context of Lateglacial climatic reconstructions obtained from coleopteran assemblages elsewhere in northwestern Europe. [source] Tuning the Magnetic Properties of LixCrTi0.25Se2 (0.03,x,0.7) by Directed Deintercalation of LithiumCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 16 2008Malte Behrens Dr. Abstract X-ray diffraction (XRD), in situ energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and magnetic measurements were applied to investigate the effects of lithium deintercalation on pseudolayered Li0.70CrTi0.25Se2. A detailed picture of structural changes during the deintercalation process was obtained by combining the results of EDXRD and EXAFS. Removal of Li from the host,guest complex leads to anisotropic contraction of the unit cell with stronger impact on the c axis, which is the stacking axis of the layers. The EDXRD experiments evidence that the shrinkage of the lattice parameters with decreasing xLi in LixCrTi0.25Se2 is nonlinear in the beginning and then becomes linear. Analysis of the EXAFS spectra clearly shows that the Cr/TiSe distances are affected in a different manner by Li removal. The CrSe bond lengths decrease, whereas the TiSe bonds lengthen when the Li content is reduced, which is consistent with XRD data. Magnetic measurements reveal a change from predominantly antiferromagnetic exchange (,p=,300,K) interactions for the pristine material to ferromagnetic exchange interactions (,=25,K) for the fully intercalated material. Thus, the magnetic properties can be altered under ambient conditions by directed adjustment of the dominant magnetic exchange. The unusual magnetic behavior can be explained on the basis of the variation of the metal,metal distances and the Cr-Se-Cr angles with x, which were determined by Rietveld refinements. Owing to competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and disorder, the magnetic ground state of the intercalated materials is characterized by spin-glass or spin-glass-like behavior. [source] CO Combustion on Supported Gold ClustersCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 9 2006Matthias Arenz Dr. Abstract Recent progress in the understanding of the fascinating catalysis of CO combustion by supported gold particles is summarized. Focusing on size-selected gold clusters consisting of only a few atoms, that is, the size regime with properties nonscalable from the bulk properties, we discuss the current knowledge of the different factors controlling the reactivity at the molecular level. These factors include the role of the oxide support, its defects, cluster charging as well as the structural fluxionality of clusters, the cluster size dependency, and the promotional effect of water. By combining experimental results with quantum mechanical ab initio calculations, a detailed picture of the reaction mechanism emerges. While similar mechanisms might be active for gold nanoparticles in the scalable size regime, it is shown that for different systems (defined by the cluster size, the support, experimental conditions, etc.) the reaction mechanism differs and, hence, no generalized explanation for the catalytic driving force of small gold particles can be given. [source] The Conners' 10-item scale: findings in a total population of Swedish 10,11-year-old childrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2009Joakim Westerlund Abstract Aim: To present normative data for the Swedish version of the Conners' 10-item scale, to validate the scale by comparing children with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to explore the factor structure of this scale and to investigate behavioural characteristics and gender differences among 10- to 11-year-old children, as rated by parents and teachers respectively. Methods: Parents and teachers rated 509 10- to 11-year-old children (261 boys and 248 girls) from a population-based cohort in a Swedish municipality. Results: The Conners' 10-item scale discriminated very well between children with and without ADHD. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a two-dimensional structure of the scale with items measuring restless/impulsive behaviour in one factor and items measuring emotional lability in another. An ANOVA revealed that parents and teachers reported different behavioural characteristics in boys as compared to girls. Conclusion: The Conners' 10-item scale is a valid screening instrument for identification of ADHD. The two subscales can be used separately, in addition to the total score, to get a more detailed picture of the child's behaviour. Parents and teachers pay attention to different aspects of problem behaviour in boys and girls. The less disruptive behaviour of girls needs to be highlighted. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||