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Selected AbstractsImpaired fear conditioning but enhanced seizure sensitivity in rats given repeated experience of withdrawal from alcoholEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 12 2001D. N. Stephens Abstract Repeated experience of withdrawal from chronic alcohol treatment increases sensitivity to seizures. It has been argued by analogy that negative affective consequences of withdrawal also sensitize, but repeated experience of withdrawal from another sedative-hypnotic drug, diazepam, results in amelioration of withdrawal anxiety and aversiveness. We tested whether giving rats repeated experience of withdrawal from alcohol altered their ability to acquire a conditioned emotional response (CER). Male Hooded Lister rats were fed a nutritionally complete liquid diet as their only food source. Different groups received control diet, or diet containing 7% ethanol. Rats receiving ethanol diet were fed for either 24 days (Single withdrawal, SWD), or 30 days, with two periods of 3 days, starting at day 11, and 21, in which they received control diet (Repeated withdrawal, RWD). All rats were fed lab chow at the end of their liquid diet feeding period. Starting 12 days after the final withdrawal, groups of Control, SWD and RWD rats were given pentylenetetrazole (PTZ; 30 mg/kg, i.p.) three times a week, and scored for seizures. The occurrence of two successive Stage 5 seizures was taken as the criterion for full PTZ kindling. Other groups of control, SWD and RWD rats were trained to operate levers to obtain food, and were then exposed, in a fully counterbalanced design, to light and tone stimuli which predicted unavoidable footshock (CS+), or which had no consequences (CS,). Rats consumed approximately 17.5 g/kg/day of ethanol, resulting in blood alcohol levels of approximately 100 mg/dL. Repeated administration of PTZ resulted in increasing seizure scores. RWD rats achieved kindling criterion faster than either Control or SWD rats. No differences were seen in the groups in flinch threshold to footshock (0.3 mA). At a shock intensity of 0.35 mA, Control, but not RWD or SWD rats showed significant suppression to the CS+ CS, presentation did not affect response rates. The three groups differed in their response to pairing the CS+ with increasing shock levels, the Controls remaining more sensitive to the CS+. SWD rats showed significant suppression of lever pressing during CS+ presentations only at 0.45 and 0.5 mA, and RWD rats only at 0.5 mA. Giving rats repeated experience of withdrawal from chronic ethanol results in increased sensitivity to PTZ kindling, but reduces their ability to acquire a CER. Withdrawal kindling of sensitivity to anxiogenic events does not seem to occur under circumstances which give rise to kindling of seizure sensitivity. [source] Progress in the Field of Electrospinning for Tissue Engineering ApplicationsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 32-33 2009Seema Agarwal Abstract Electrospinning is an extremely promising method for the preparation of tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds. This technique provides nonwovens resembling in their fibrillar structures those of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and offering large surface areas, ease of functionalization for various purposes, and controllable mechanical properties. The recent developments toward large-scale productions combined with the simplicity of the process render this technique very attractive. Progress concerning the use of electrospinning for TE applications has advanced impressively. Different groups have tackled the problem of electrospinning for TE applications from different angles. Nowadays, electrospinning of the majority of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, either synthetic or natural, for TE applications is straightforward. Different issues, such as cell penetration, incorporation of growth and differentiating factors, toxicity of solvents used, productivity, functional gradient, etc. are main points of current considerations. The progress in the use of electrospinning for TE applications is highlighted in this article with focus on major problems encountered and on various solutions available until now. [source] A study of the epiphytic communities of Atlantic oak woods along an atmospheric nitrogen deposition gradientJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2005R.J. MITCHELL Summary 1Atlantic oak woods are of high conservation value and contain many rare lichens and bryophytes. The effects of nitrogen pollution on these epiphytic communities have not been previously studied. We investigated the composition of Atlantic oak wood epiphytic communities in relation to atmospheric N deposition in order to identify N indicator species and propose a critical load for such communities. 2The epiphytic communities of seven Atlantic oak woods receiving estimated total nitrogen deposition in the range 10,53 kg N ha,1 year,1 were surveyed. Exposure of epiphytes to atmospheric N over 7 months was measured in terms of stemflow flux and concentration and airborne NH3. 3Redundancy analysis (RDA) related the species to stemflow chemistry and bark pH. Different groups of species were found at (i) a coastal low N deposition site (Graphina ruiziana, Lecania cyrtella, Lobaria pulmonaria, Opegrapha atra, Orthotrichum affine, Melanelia fuliginosa ssp. glabratula and Pertusaria hymenea), (ii) inland low N deposition sites (I. myosuroides, F. tamarisci, Plagiochila atlantica, Cladonia chlorophaea, C. squamosa, Hypotrachyna laevigata and Thelotrema lepadinum) and (iii) high N deposition sites (Hypnun andoi, Hypnum cupressiforme, Calicium viride, Chrysothrix candelaris, C. coniocraea, Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia saxatilis, Phyllospora rosei and Usnea subfloridana). 4RDA analysis showed that bark pH and concentration in the stemflow explained the greatest amount of variation in the species composition among the sites. The sites separated into two groups (low and high concentration) leading to an estimate for the critical load for N deposition for epiphytes in Atlantic oak woods of 11,18 kg N ha,1 year,1. 5Analysis of the occurrence of species against N levels suggested that I. myosuroides and F. tamarisci are indicators of small N inputs, whereas H. andoi, C. coniocraea, P. saxatilis and H. physodes are tolerant of increased N loads. 6Different forms of N (, , NH3) were found to significantly affect the occurrence of different species. Some species were sensitive to total flux while others were sensitive to concentration. [source] Diazoxide, a KATP opener, accelerates restitution of ethanol or indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration in rats independent of polyaminesJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 3 2001M Rahgozar Abstract Background and Aims: Experimental acute gastric ulcerations (EAGU) are healed very rapidly. This healing process has two steps; mucosal restitution and delayed repair. Adenosine 5,-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent potassium channels (KATP) have a regulatory role in the gastrointestinal physiology. In the present study, the effects of KATP channel modulators; diazoxide (channel opener) and glibenclamide (channel antagonist) on the healing of EAGU were investigated. The effect of polyamine (mediators presumably responsible for restitution) biosynthesis by difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on diazoxide-induced alterations, and the effects of acid secretion inhibitors (cimetidine, omeprazole and atropine) on the mucosal restitution of EAGU were also studied. Methods: Groups of 10 male rats were starved for 24 h and EAGU was induced by oral administration of 1 mL 60% ethanol or a subcutaneous injection of 30 mg/kg indomethacin. Different groups were subjected to various doses of diazoxide (5, 15, 45 mg/kg) and/or glibenclamide (2, 6, 18 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) after EAGU induction. Polyamine biosynthesis was inhibited by a single i.p. injection of DFMO (500 mg/kg), administered 10 min before EAGU induction. Cimetidine, omeprazole or atropine were administered intraperitoneally at doses of 200, 5 and 1 mg/kg, respectively, after EAGU induction. Animals were killed and their gastric mucosa was examined for ulcerations. Results: Diazoxide accelerated the healing of EAGU, whereas glibenclamide aggravated EAGU. The concomitant administration of glibenclamide antagonized the diaoxide effect. Diazoxide-induced acceleration of mucosal restitution was not abolished by DFMO. Cimetidine, omeprazole and atropine had no effect on the healing of EAGU. Conclusion: The KATP channels may play an important role in the gastric mucosal restitution independent of polyamines. Acid inhibition cannot reverse EAGU. [source] Performance of Sub-Saharan Vertebrates as Indicator Groups for Identifying Priority Areas for ConservationCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Joslin L. Moore Often, these sets of important areas, referred to as priority sets, have been identified through use of data on a single taxon (e.g., birds), which is assumed to act as an indicator for all biodiversity. Using a database of the distributions of 3882 vertebrate species in sub-Saharan Africa, we conducted one of very few large-scale tests of this assumption. We used six potential indicator groups,birds, mammals, amphibians, snakes, threatened birds, and threatened mammals,to find priority sets of 200 areas that best represent the species in that group. Priority sets of grid cells designed to maximize representation of a single indicator group captured 83,93% of species in the other groups. This high degree of representation is consistent with observed high levels of overlap in the patterns of distribution of species in different groups. Those species of highest conservation interest were more poorly represented, however, with only 75,88% of other groups' threatened species and 63,76% of other groups' narrow-range species represented in the priority sets. We conclude that existing priority sets based on indicator groups provide a pragmatic basis for the immediate assessment of priorities for conservation at a continental scale. However, complete and efficient representation,especially of narrow-range species,will not be achieved through indicator groups alone. Therefore, priority-setting procedures must remain flexible so that new areas important for other taxa can be incorporated as data become available. Resumen: La meta de la identificación de prioridades globales y continentales de conservación es la identificación de áreas particularmente valiosas para la conservación en las cuales enfocar esfuerzos más detallados. A menudo, estos conjuntos de áreas importantes (referidas como conjuntos prioritarios) han sido identificados utilizando datos de un solo taxón (e. g. aves), el cual se supone que actúa como indicador de toda la biodiversidad. Utilizando una base de datos de la distribución de 3882 especies de vertebrados en África sub-Sahara, realizamos una de las pocas pruebas a gran escala de este supuesto. Utilizamos seis grupos de indicadores potenciales (aves, mamíferos, anfibios, serpientes, aves amenazadas y mamíferos amenazados ) para encontrar conjuntos prioritarios de 200 áreas que mejor representan las especies de ese grupo. Conjuntos prioritarios de celdas matriciales diseñadas para maximizar la representatividad de un grupo indicador capturaron 83,93% de las especies de los otros grupos. Este alto grado de representatividad es consistente con los altos niveles de superposición observados en los patrones de distribución de especies en los diferentes grupos. Sin embargo, las especies de mayor interés para la conservación estaban poco representadas, con solo 75,88% de las especies amenazadas de otros grupos y 63,76% de las especies de distribución restringida de otros grupos representados en los conjuntos prioritarios. Concluimos que los conjuntos prioritarios existentes, basados en grupos indicadores, proporcionan una base pragmática para la evaluación inmediata de las prioridades de conservación a escala continental. Sin embargo, no se logrará la representación completa y eficiente,especialmente de especies de distribución restringida,solo con grupos indicadores. Por lo tanto, los procedimientos de definición de prioridades deben permanecer flexibles para que se puedan incorporar nuevas áreas importantes para otros taxones a medida que se obtienen los datos. [source] Noninvasive Stress and Reproductive Measures of Social and Ecological Pressures in Free-Ranging African ElephantsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001C. A. H. Foley This, coupled with political pressures to delist the elephant, has created a need for noninvasive physiological measures that can quantify the long-term effects of past mortality patterns of this long-lived species. We collected fresh fecal samples from 16 female elephants in three different groups over 23 months at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, and analyzed them for fecal progesterone and cortisol metabolites. Social and ecological measures were collected concurrently. Fecal progesterone metabolite measures corresponded significantly with stage of gestation, and appear to be able to confirm pregnancy in female elephants from as early as 3 months of gestation. We found that progesterone metabolite concentrations were significantly lower during the dry season than during the wet season after controlling for stage of gestation. Fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations showed the opposite seasonal pattern, being significantly higher in the dry season and inversely correlated with rainfall across seasons. Fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations also increased with group size and were correlated positively with dominance rank in the largest group. Our results suggest that measures of progesterone and cortisol metabolites in feces provide indices of reproductive function and physiological stress that can quantify both natural and human disturbances in African elephants. These measures are ideally suited for monitoring the long-term effects of social disruption from poaching and a variety of other management concerns. Resumen: Debido a la cacería furtiva, la población de elefante africano ( Loxodonta africana) declinó en un 60%, principalmente adultos, entre 1979 y 1988. Esto, aunado a presiones políticas para eliminar al elefante de las listas de especies en peligro, ha creado la necesidad de medidas fisiológicas no invasivas que puedan cuantificar efectos a largo plazo de patrones de mortalidad en el pasado de esta especie longeva. Recolectamos muestras fecales de 16 elefantes hembras en tres grupos diferentes en el Parque Nacional Tarangire, Tanzania a lo largo de 23 meses, y las analizamos para detectar metabolitos de progesterona fecal y de cortisol. Al mismo tiempo se recolectaron medidas sociales y ecológicas. Las medidas de metabolitos de progesterona fecal correspondieron significativamente con la etapa de gestación, y parecen permitir la confirmación de preñez en elefantes hembras tan temprano como a los tres meses de gestación. Las concentraciones de metabolitos de progesterona fueron significativamente menores durante la época de sequía que en la de lluvias después de controlar para la etapa de gestación. Las concentraciones de metabolitos de cortisol fecal mostraron un patrón estacional opuesto, siendo significativamente más altas en la época de sequía e inversamente correlacionados con la precipitación en todas las estaciones. Las concentraciones de metabolitos de cortisol fecal también incrementaron con el tamaño del grupo y se correlacionaron positivamente con el rango de dominancia en el grupo más grande. Nuestros resultados sugieren que las medidas de metabolitos de progesterona y cortisol en las heces proporcionan índices de la función reproductiva y del estrés fisiológico que puede cuantificar perturbaciones, tanto naturales como humanas, en elefantes africanos. Estas medidas son idealmente adecuadas para monitorear efectos a largo plazo de la disrupción social por la cacería furtiva y así como una variedad de aspectos del manejo. [source] Use of Honey as an Adjunct in the Healing of Split-Thickness Skin Graft Donor SiteDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2003Aykut Misirlioglu MD BACKGROUND Different techniques are being used in treatment of split-thickness skin graft donor sites; however, there is not a widely accepted method established for these partial-thickness wounds. It is well known that honey has been very effective in the treatment of various types of wounds, but there is not any information about the usage of honey as split-thickness skin graft donor site dressing in the literature. OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of honey-impregnated gauzes, hydrocolloid dressings, and as a conventional dressing, saline-soaked gauzes for skin graft donor sites. METHODS This is a nonrandomized, prospective, open-label (noncontrolled), side-by-side comparison trial of various options that are available for second-intention healing of donor site for split-thickness skin grafts. Eighty-eight patients who underwent skin grafting were observed using two different groups. In the first group, the donor site was divided into two equal halves, with each half being treated with honey-soaked gauzes and the other half with paraffin gauzes (group 1A), hydrocolloid dressings (group 1B), and saline-soaked gauzes (group 1C) alternatively. In the second group, two separate donor sites were formed, with one of them being treated with honey-impregnated gauzes (groups 2A,C) and the other one treated with either paraffin gauzes (group 2A), hydrocolloid dressings (group 2B), or saline-soaked gauzes (group 2C). The healing time, rate of infection, and sense of pain were evaluated. RESULTS In the treatment of split-thickness skin graft donor sites, honey-impregnated gauzes showed faster epithelization time and a low sense of pain than paraffin gauzes and saline-soaked gauzes. There was no significant difference between honey-impregnated gauzes and hydrocolloid dressings with regard to epithelization time and sense of pain. CONCLUSION The use of honey-impregnated gauzes is effective, safe, and practical. Honey can be an alternative material for the split-thickness skin graft donor site treatment. [source] Safety Nets and Opportunity Ladders: Addressing Vulnerability and Enhancing Productivity in South AsiaDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 5 2002Naila Kabeer As patterns of poverty and vulnerability in South Asia change, households have to balance immediate needs and long,term goals. For the poor, these choices, and the costs of precautionary measures, are particularly acute and call for suitable government policies. While policy,makers face a number of trade,offs between promotion, prevention and protection goals, careful design can maximise the potential to reconcile these objectives. A review of experience suggests a number of lessons regarding the relative benefits of targeted and universal programmes; the need to differentiate microfinance products for different groups amongst the poor; ways of basing the self,targeting of public works on rights rather than stigma; and the influence of political processes (such as decentralisation) for the overall effectiveness of social protection. [source] Origins of a stereotype: categorization of facial attractiveness by 6-month-old infantsDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2004Jennifer L. Ramsey Like adults, young infants prefer attractive to unattractive faces (e.g. Langlois, Roggman, Casey, Ritter, Rieser-Danner & Jenkins, 1987; Slater, von der Schulenburg, Brown, Badenoch, Butterworth, Parsons & Samuels, 1998). Older children and adults stereotype based on facial attractiveness (Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijani & Longo, 1991; Langlois, Kalakanis, Rubenstein, Larson, Hallam & Smooth, 2000). How do preferences for attractive faces develop into stereotypes? Several theories of stereotyping posit that categorization of groups is necessary before positive and negative traits can become linked to the groups (e.g. Tajfel, Billig, Bundy & Flament, 1971; Zebrowitz-McArthur, 1982). We investigated whether or not 6-month-old infants can categorize faces as attractive or unattractive. In Experiment 1, we familiarized infants to unattractive female faces; in Experiment 2, we familiarized infants to attractive female faces and tested both groups of infants on novel faces from the familiar or novel attractiveness category. Results showed that 6-month-olds categorized attractive and unattractive female faces into two different groups of faces. Experiments 3 and 4 confirmed that infants could discriminate among the faces used in Experiments 1 and 2, and therefore categorized the faces based on their similarities in attractiveness rather than because they could not differentiate among the faces. These findings suggest that categorization of facial attractiveness may underlie the development of the ,beauty is good' stereotype. [source] Is multidisciplinary learning effective among those caring for people with diabetes?DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 10 2002N. Munro Abstract The role of multi-professional learning for those providing clinical services to people with diabetes has yet to be defined. Several assumptions are generally made about education in the context of multi-professional settings. It is argued that different professions learning together could potentially improve professional relationships, collaborative working practices and ultimately standards of care. Greater respect and honesty may emerge from a team approach to learning with a commensurate reduction in professional antagonism. Personal and professional confidence is reportedly enhanced through close contact with other professionals during team-based learning exercises. We have examined current evidence to support multidisciplinary learning in the context of medical education generally as well as in diabetes education. Previous investigation of available literature by Cochrane reviewers, aimed at identifying studies of interprofessional education interventions, yielded a total of 1042 articles, none of which met the stated inclusion criteria. Searches involving more recent publications failed to reveal more robust evidence. Despite a large body of literature on the evaluation of interprofessional education, studies generally lacked the methodological rigour needed to understand the impact of interprofessional education on professional practice and/or health care outcomes. Nevertheless, planners continue to advocate, and endorse, joint training between different groups of workers (including nurses, doctors and those in professions allied to medicine) with the objective of producing an integrated workforce of multidisciplinary teams. Whilst the concept of multi-professional learning has strong appeal, it is necessary for those responsible for educating health care professionals to demonstrate its superiority over separate learning experiences. [source] Comparison of four groups of substance-abusing in-patients with different psychiatric comorbidityACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2001J. Hättenschwiler Objective: ,Comparisons of different groups of dual patients are rare, yet potential differences could have therapeutic implications. In this study, four groups of psychiatric in-patients with substance use disorder were compared to each other: patients with no psychiatric comorbidity, patients with comorbid schizophrenia and patients with affective and personality disorder. Method: ,Apart from sociodemographic, therapy-related variables and a detailed survey of their substance use, all subjects were assessed with BPRS and SCL-90-R. Results: ,No differences were found in the patients' demography, psychosocial adjustment and substance consumption career. Significant differences were found in regard to some therapy variables reflecting adherence to treatment and global outcome and to the level of psychopathology. Conclusion: ,Both substance use and comorbid psychiatric disorder have a variable impact on distinct areas of patients' general condition and functioning. The group with comorbid affective disorder appeared to be the most difficult to treat and the therapeutic approach to this disorder deserves reconsideration. [source] Biodiversity and distribution of epibiontic communities on Caridina ensifera (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae) from Lake Poso: comparison with another ancient lake system of Sulawesi (Indonesia)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010Gregorio Fernandez-Leborans Abstract Fernandez-Leborans, G. and von Rintelen, K. 2010. Biodiversity and distribution of epibiontic communities on Caridina ensifera (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae) from Lake Poso: comparison with another ancient lake system of Sulawesi (Indonesia). , Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 163,175 The epibiont communities of the shrimp Caridina ensifera, endemic to Lake Poso (Sulawesi, Indonesia), were analysed. Most of the epibiont species were ciliated protozoa belonging to three suctorian genera (Acineta, Podophrya and Spelaeophrya), three peritrich genera (Zoothamnium, Vorticella and Cothurnia), and a haptorid genus (Amphileptus). There was also a rotifer epibiont of the genus Embata. Epibionts were identified to species level. There were 14 to 1114 epibionts per shrimp. The distribution of the epibiont species on the surface of the basibiont was recorded, calculating the number on the different colonized individuals of C. ensifera. The most abundant species, Zoothamnium intermedium and Acineta sulawesiensis, were also the most widely distributed. There was a significant difference between the spatial distributions of the different epibiont species. The analysis of the number of the epibiont species throughout the anteroposterior axis of the shrimp showed a gradient from the anterior to the posterior end of the body. Data from Lake Poso were compared with those of the Malili lake system (Sulawesi), obtained from its endemic shrimp, Caridina lanceolata. Lake Poso had the highest mean diversity, while Lake Mahalona showed the highest maximum diversity. All lakes were correlated with respect to the mean number of epibionts on the anatomical units of the shrimp, which showed a similar general distribution. The distributions of the different epibiont species were compared between the lakes. The possible adaptations of the epibionts as well as the colonization patterns were discussed. From the statistical results and the analysis of the distributions, we propose that in these communities epibiont species have a pattern of colonization in which they follow a behaviour as a whole; each species has a differential distribution, with the species occupying the available substratum with the particular requirements of each functional group, but there is a trend towards maintaining an equilibrium among species and groups, compensating for diversity and number of individuals. In all lakes there was an epibiont distribution model comprising the maintenance of an anteroposterior axis gradient, which was supported by the fluctuation in diversity and number of individuals of the different functional groups of epibiont species. The functional role of the different groups of species seems to tend towards sustainability with little global variation among the lakes. [source] The organisation of invertebrate brains: cells, synapses and circuitsACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2010Ian A. Meinertzhagen Abstract Meinertzhagen, I.A. 2010. The organisation of invertebrate brains: cells, synapses and circuits. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 64,71 Invertebrate brains are structurally diverse. Neuron numbers range from ,102 to 108 in different groups, compared with larger numbers in vertebrate brains, ,107 to 1014. The underpopulated brains of invertebrates are noted in their extreme cases for having few cells, and neurons that can be identified from animal to animal, many known in great detail. Although few in number, invertebrate neurons nevertheless comprise many classes. Correlated with the paucity of their number they are sparsely connected, many having ,50 synapses or fewer. Synaptic densities, roughly 1 per ,m3 of neuropile, differ little from those for much larger vertebrate neurons. Invertebrate neurons differ from their vertebrate counterparts in the position of their soma, generally in a cortex surrounding the neuropile that consequently occupies a relatively small volume. Their axons typically lack myelin and, supporting a range of conduction velocities, have diameters that differ over a wide range, from 103 to 10,1,m. Nerves with thousands of axons differ from neuropile fascicles, which typically have 20 or less. Unlike most vertebrate synapses, but like those of the vertebrate retina, synapses in many invertebrate groups , probably all ecdysozoans and possibly some lophotrochozoans , have synaptic contacts with multiple postsynaptic elements, dyads, triads and so on. [source] Seismic risk assessments and GIS technology: applications to infrastructures in the Friuli,Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy)EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 11 2003Raffaella Codermatz Abstract This paper illustrates the seismic risk preliminary estimates of two different groups of structures located on the territory of the Friuli,Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy) : the first group includes some special industrial plants, and the second group includes bridges and tunnels belonging to the regional highway network. The part of the study on special industrial plants tries to evaluate the degree of expected damage, taking into account their structural typology and ground shaking expressed in terms of macroseismic intensity. The second part of the study is an application of the HAZUS methodology to the tunnels and bridges of a highway network: the combination of expected ground shaking and the construction characteristics lead to very different risk levels, especially when considering the bridges. The resulting damage levels to bridges and tunnels are still only indicative because of the fragility curves used in the evaluations: they were developed for existing bridge and tunnel structural typologies in the U.S.A. Moreover, both examples show the power of GIS technology in storing, elaborating, and mapping spatial data. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Resting Echocardiography for the Early Detection of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Chest Pain Unit PatientsECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2010Vito Maurizio Parato M.D. Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of resting echocardiography to detect an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) before the occurrence of ischemic electrocardiogram (ECG) changes or troponin-T elevations. Methods: Four hundred and three patients who presented to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain, normal ECGs, and normal troponin-T levels were admitted to the cardiologist-run Chest Pain Unit (CPU) for further monitoring. They underwent serial resting echocardiography for monitoring of left ventricle wall motion (LVWM), ECG telemetry monitoring, and serial troponin-T measurements. Results: An ACS was detected in 49 patients (12.1%). These 49 patients were then subdivided into three different groups based on the initial mode of detection of their ACS. In group A, 16 of 49 (32.6%) patients had ACS shown by echocardiographic detection of LVWM abnormalities. In group B, 24 of 49 (48.9%) patients had an ACS detected by ischemic ECG changes. In group C, 9 of 49 (18.3%) patients had an ACS detected by troponin-T elevations. The shortest time interval between CPU-admission and ACS-detection occurred in group A (A vs. B, P < 0.003; A vs. C, P < 0.0001). In group A, cardiac angiogram showed that the culprit coronary lesion was more frequent in the circumflex artery (11 out of 16; 68.7%) (LCx vs. LAD, P < 0.02; LCx vs. RCA, P < 0.001) and of these 11 patients with circumflex lesions, the ECG was normal in eight (72.7%) patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the utility of LVWM monitoring by serial echocardiography as part of a diagnostic protocol that can be implemented in a CPU. Furthermore, echocardiography could become an essential tool used in the diagnosis of ACS secondary to circumflex lesions. (Echocardiography 2010;27:597-602) [source] Measures, perceptions and scaling patterns of aggregated species distributionsECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2010Cang Hui Non-random (aggregated) species distributions arise from habitat heterogeneity and nonlinear biotic processes. A comprehensive understanding of the concept of aggregation, as well as its measurement, is pivotal to our understanding of species distributions and macroecological patterns. Here, using an individual-based model, we analyzed opinions on the concept of aggregation from the public and experts (trained ecologists), in addition to those calculated from a variety of aggregation indices. Three forms of scaling patterns (logarithmic, power-law and lognormal) and four groups of scaling trajectories emerged. The experts showed no significant difference from the public, although with a much lower deviation. The public opinion was partially influenced by the abundance of individuals in the spatial map, which was not found in the experts. With the increase of resolution (decrease of grain), aggregation indices showed a general trend from significantly different to significantly similar to the expert opinion. The over-dispersion index (i.e. the clumping parameter k in the negative binomial distribution) performed, at certain scales, as the closest index to the expert opinion. Examining performance of aggregation measures from different groups of scaling patterns was proposed as a practical way of analyzing spatial structures. The categorization of the scaling patterns of aggregation measures, as well as their over- and in-sensitivity towards spatial structures, thus not only provides a potential solution to the modifiable areal unit problem, but also unveils the interrelationship among the concept, measures and perceptions of aggregated species distributions. [source] A dose,response perspective on college drinking and related problemsADDICTION, Issue 2 2010Paul J. Gruenewald ABSTRACT Aims In order to examine the degree to which heavy drinking contributes to risks for problems among college drinkers this paper develops and tests a dose,response model of alcohol use that relates frequencies of drinking specific quantities of alcohol to the incidence of drinking problems. Methods A mathematical model was developed that enabled estimation of dose,response relationships between drinking quantities and drinking problems using self-report data from 8698 college drinkers across 14 campuses in California, USA. The model assumes that drinking risks are a direct monotone function of the amount consumed per day and additive across drinking days. Drinking problems accumulate across drinking occasions and are the basis for cumulative reports of drinking problems reported by college drinkers. Results Statistical analyses using the model showed that drinking problems were related to every drinking level, but increased fivefold at three drinks and more gradually thereafter. Problems were associated most strongly with occasions on which three drinks were consumed, and more than half of all reported problems were related to occasions on which four or fewer drinks were consumed. There were some important differences in dose,responsiveness between men and women and between different groups of ,light', ,moderate' and ,heavier' drinkers. Conclusion Many problems among college students are associated with drinking relatively small amounts of alcohol (two to four drinks). Programs to reduce college drinking problems should emphasize risks associated with low drinking levels. [source] Generalizability of Cognitive Interview-Based Measures Across Cultural GroupsEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Guillermo Solano-Flores We addressed the challenge of scoring cognitive interviews in research involving multiple cultural groups. We interviewed 123 fourth- and fifth-grade students from three cultural groups to probe how they related a mathematics item to their personal lives. Item meaningfulness,the tendency of students to relate the content and/or context of an item to activities in which they are actors,was scored from interview transcriptions with a procedure similar to the scoring of constructed-response tasks. Generalizability theory analyses revealed a small amount of score variation due to the main and interaction effect of rater but a sizeable magnitude of measurement error due to the interaction of person and question (context). Students from different groups tended to draw on different sets of contexts of their personal lives to make sense of the item. In spite of individual and potential cultural communication style differences, cognitive interviews can be reliably scored by well-trained raters with the same kind of rigor used in the scoring of constructed-response tasks. However, to make valid generalizations of cognitive interview-based measures, a considerable number of interview questions may be needed. Information obtained with cognitive interviews for a given cultural group may not be generalizable to other groups. [source] Recent advances in the analysis of antibiotics by CE and CECELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 1 2010María Castro-Puyana Abstract This article reviews the latest advances in the development of analytical methodologies by CE and CEC for the analysis of different groups of antibiotics. CZE and MEKC have been the most employed CE modes. Analytical information on experimental conditions, detection mode, and LOD are provided to the readers. In addition, the main applications performed in the pharmaceutical, biological, food, and environmental fields have been reviewed emphasizing the sample preparation requirements. The publications reviewed cover the period of time from June 2007 to May 2009. [source] Insecticidal control of the mealybug Phenacoccus gossypiphilous (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a new pest of cotton in PakistanENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007Shafqat SAEED Abstract The mealybug Phenacoccus gossypiphilous (Stanley) played havoc with the cotton crop in Pakistan during 2005. To control this pest, insecticides of different groups were evaluated in both the laboratory and in field conditions. In the laboratory, bifenthrin, profenofos and chlorpyrifos proved to be the best insecticides for mealybug control, based on their susceptibility with the leaf dip method for their LC50. In field conditions, the recommended application rates of methomyl, profenofos and chlorpyrifos provided the best control: the lethal time studies proved their efficiency for better and timely control of this sporadic pest. The present study has shown that the insecticides tested, in particular profenofos, chlorpyrifos, methomyl and bifenthrin, provide satisfactory control of the cotton mealybug. The control of the insect pest complex throughout the cotton crop predominantly depends on wise and justified use of these chemicals, and necessitates development of an integrated pest management strategy. [source] Characterization of bacterial pectinolytic strains involved in the water retting processENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 9 2003Elena Tamburini Summary Pectinolytic microorganisms involved in the water retting process were characterized. Cultivable mesophilic anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were isolated from unretted and water-retted material. A total of 104 anaerobic and 23 aerobic pectinolytic strains were identified. Polygalacturonase activity was measured in the supernatant of cell cultures; 24 anaerobic and nine aerobic isolates showed an enzymatic activity higher than the reference strains Clostridium felsineum and Bacillus subtilis respectively. We performed the first genotypic characterization of the retting microflora by a 16S amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA). Anaerobic isolates were divided into five different groups, and the aerobic isolates were clustered into three groups. 84.6% of the anaerobic and 82.6% of the aerobic isolates consisted of two main haplotypes. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were determined for 12 strains, representative of each haplotype. All anaerobic strains were assigned to the Clostridium genus, whereas the aerobic isolates were assigned to either the Bacillus or the Paenibacillus genus. Anaerobic isolates with high polygalacturonase (PG) activity belong to two clearly distinct phylogenetic clusters related to C. acetobutylicum,C. felsineum and C. saccharobutylicum species. Aerobic isolates with high PG activity belong to two clearly distinct phylogenetic clusters related to B. subtilisT and B. pumilusT. [source] National and Regional Prevalence of Self-reported Epilepsy in CanadaEPILEPSIA, Issue 12 2004José F. Tellez-Zenteno Summary:,Purpose: To assess the point prevalence of self-described epilepsy in the general population nationally, provincially, and in different groups of interest. Methods: We analyzed data from two national health surveys, the National Population Health Survey (NPHS, N = 49,000) and the Community Health Survey (CHS, N = 130,882). Both surveys captured sociodemographic information, as well as age, sex, education, ethnicity, household income, and labor force status of participants. Epilepsy was ascertained with only one question in both surveys. "Do you have epilepsy diagnosed by a health professional?" (NPHS) and "Do you have epilepsy?" (CHS). Prevalences were age-adjusted by using national standard populations at the time of each survey. Exact 95% confidence intervals were obtained. Results: In the NPHS, 241 of 49,026 subjects described themselves as having been diagnosed with epilepsy, yielding a weighted point prevalence of 5.2 per 1,000 [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.9,5.4]. In the CHS, 835 of 130,822 subjects described themselves as having epilepsy, yielding a weighted point prevalence of 5.6 per 1,000 (95% CI, 5.1,6.0). Trends in differences in prevalence among some Canadian provinces were observed. Prevalence was statistically significantly higher in groups with the lowest educational level, lowest income, and in those unemployed in the previous year. Prevalence also was higher in nonimmigrants than in immigrants. Conclusions: The overall and group-specific results are in keeping with those obtained in other developed countries by using different ascertainment methods. We discuss methodologic aspects related to the ascertainment of epilepsy in both surveys, and to the validity and implications of our findings. [source] A Kindling Model of Pharmacoresistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Sprague,Dawley Rats Induced by Coriaria Lactone and Its Possible MechanismEPILEPSIA, Issue 4 2003Ying Wang Summary: ,Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a new animal model of pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) by repeated intramuscular injection of Coriaria lactone (CL) at subthreshold dosages and to explore the mechanisms that might be involved. Methods: Healthy male Sprague,Dawley rats (n = 160) were randomized into four groups during the kindling process: three groups (n = 50 for each group) received CL injection at subthreshold dosages (1.25, 1.5, and 1.75 mg/kg, respectively), and ten received normal saline (NS) injection as a control group. The maximal human adult dosage of carbamazepine (CBZ), valproate (VPA), and phenytoin (PHT) was administered as monotherapy to different groups of kindled rats for 1 month (n = 20 for each group). Changes in EEG recording, seizure number, intensity (expressed as grade 1,5 according to Racine stage), and duration, including spontaneous seizures during different interventions, were compared. The expression of P-170, a multiple drug resistance gene (MDR1) encoding P-glycoprotein, was measured in brain samples from different groups of experimental rats by using an image analysis and measurement system (ImagePro-Plus 4.0). Results: A total of 70 (46.7%) rats were fully kindled with a median of 15 (seven to 20) CL injections. Electrocorticogram (ECoG) including hippocampal (EHG) monitoring revealed the temporal lobe origins of epileptiform potentials, which were consistent with the behavioral changes observed. Spontaneous seizures occurred with frequency and diurnal patterns similar to those of human TLE. The antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) tested lacked a satisfactory seizure control. The maximal P-170 expression was in the kindled rats with AED treatment; the next highest was in the kindled rats without AED intervention. Nonkindled SD rats with CL injection also had increased P-170 expression compared with control SD rats. Conclusions: The study provided a simple and stable animal TLE kindling model with pharmacoresistant properties. The pharmacoresistance observed in the kindled rats to CBZ, VPA, and PHT at maximal human adult dosages together with the increased P-170 expression was a distinct feature of this model. This model might be used in further investigations of the mechanisms involved in pharmacoresistant TLE and for developing new AEDs. [source] The Chorus Song of Cooperatively Breeding Laughing Kookaburras (Coraciiformes, Halcyonidae: Dacelo novaeguineae): Characterization and Comparison Among GroupsETHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Myron C. Baker I studied vocalizations of laughing kookaburras in Western Australia by sampling the laugh-song choruses of eight different groups and the isolated vocalizations of four individuals of this cooperatively breeding species. These data provided a description of the acoustic structure of vocal elements of the laugh song and a between-group comparison of laugh choruses. I identified six different categories of syllables: some syllable types appear graded with modal forms predominating. Group choruses were produced by several birds vocalizing simultaneously, usually following initiation by a single bird producing one of two typical introductory sets of syllable repetitions. Statistical analyses of samples of mid-chorus vocalizations of kookaburra groups revealed that the samples from each of the eight groups clustered in principal coordinate space and the group clusters segregated from each other to a significant degree. Linear discriminant analysis assigned 24 of the 25 samples to their correct groups. These results suggest that there is group-specific vocal signature information in the laugh chorus. The within-group similarity and between-group differences may result from heritable variation or from imitation learning. Observations of the contexts of the laugh chorus vocalization supported the interpretations of others that the chorus song is involved in group advertisement of territory occupancy and in defense of the communal borders. [source] An exploration of anger phenomenology in multiple sclerosisEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2009U. Nocentini Background and purpose:, Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are often emotionally disturbed. We investigated anger in these patients in relation to demographic, clinical, and mood characteristics. Patients and methods:, About 195 cognitively unimpaired MS patients (150 relapsing,remitting and 45 progressive) were evaluated with the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. The patients' anger score distribution was compared with that of the normal Italian population. Correlation coefficients among scale scores were calculated and mean anger scores were compared across different groups of patients by analysis of variance. Results:, Of the five different aspects of anger, levels of withheld and controlled Anger were respectively higher and lower than what is expected in the normal population. Although anger was correlated with anxiety and depression, it was largely independent from these mood conditions. Mean anger severity scores were not strongly influenced by individual demographic characteristics and were not higher in more severe patients. Conclusions:, The presence of an altered pattern of anger, unrelated to the clinical severity of MS, suggests that anger is not an emotional reaction to disease stress. An alteration of anger mechanisms might be a direct consequence of the demyelination of the connections among the amygdale, the basal ganglia and the medial prefrontal cortex. [source] Differential cortical activity for precision and whole-hand visually guided grasping in humansEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2007Chiara Begliomini Abstract Effective grasping involves the remarkable ability to implement multiple grasp configurations such as precision grip (PG; opposition between the index finger and thumb) and whole-hand grasp (WHG), depending on the properties of the object grasped (e.g. size, shape and weight). In the monkey brain, different groups of cells in the anterior,lateral bank of the intraparietal sulcus (area AIP) are differentially active for various hand configurations during grasping of differently shaped objects. Visually guided grasping studies in humans suggest the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) as the homologue of macaque area AIP, but leave unresolved the question of whether activity in human aIPS reflects the relationship between object size and grasp configuration, as in macaques. To address this issue, a human fMRI study was conducted in which objects were grasped with the right hand while object size was varied. The results indicated that the left aIPS was active when the subjects naturally adopted a PG to grasp the small object but showed a much weaker response when subjects naturally adopted a WHG to grasp the large object. The primary motor cortex and somatosensory cortices were active for both PG and WHG. Our results suggest that, in humans, the aIPS is centrally involved in determining the type of grasp. [source] Repeated withdrawal from ethanol impairs acquisition but not expression of conditioned fearEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 2 2003T. L. Ripley Abstract Repeated withdrawal from ethanol impairs acquisition of conditioned fear [Stephens, D.N., Brown, G., Duka, T. & Ripley, T.L. (2001) Eur. J. Neurosci., 14, 2023,2031]. This study further examined the effect of repeated withdrawal from ethanol on the expression and acquisition of fear conditioning. Following training, presentation of a cue associated with footshock (CS+) resulted in a suppression of operant responding for food reinforcement. In different groups, shock thresholds were manipulated to give weak or severe behavioural suppression. Rats were subsequently chronically treated with ethanol-containing liquid diet either continuously (single withdrawal) or with three withdrawal periods (repeated withdrawal). Ethanol treatment and withdrawal had no effect on conditioned suppression of responding tested 2 weeks after the final withdrawal, at either shock intensity. Nevertheless, extinction of conditioned fear was impaired in the repeated withdrawal group exposed to the higher shock intensity. In the high intensity group, the stimulus,shock association was then reversed, so that the previously neutral conditioned stimulus (CS,) became the CS+. Acquisition of suppression to the new CS+ was significantly less in the animals previously given repeated experience of withdrawal, confirming our previous finding. Thus, repeated withdrawal from ethanol lead to disruption in the acquisition of fear conditioning but had no effect on retrieval of an association formed prior to the ethanol-withdrawal experiences. [source] Aza-MIRC Reactions of Sulfonyl-Activated Hydroxycarbamates with ,,,-Difunctionalised AcrylatesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 23 2003Stefania Fioravanti Abstract Highly functionalised aziridines are readily obtained in high yields (up to 95%) under mild conditions from the reaction of trisubstituted olefins bearing different groups with nosyloxycarbamates in the presence of calcium oxide. We propose a possible explanation for the different reactivities observed between these olefins and the aminating agents. Reagent-controlled stereoselective amination reactions led to the expected products with high conversions and purities. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003) [source] Routes to party choice: Ideology, economic evaluations and voting at the 1997 British General ElectionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2001C.J. PATTIE Most conventional accounts of voting behaviour fit single models to the entire electorate, implicitly assuming that all voters respond to the same sets of influences, and do so in similar ways. However, a growing body of research suggests that this approach may be misleading, and that distinct groups of voters approach politics, and the electoral decision, from different perspectives. The paper takes a disaggregated look at voting in the 1997 British General Election, dividing voters into different groups according to their formal educational qualifications. Results suggest that different groups of voters respond to different stimuli, depending on their education, and on the party they are voting for. [source] The Kohonen self-organizing map: an application to the study of strategic groups in the UK hotel industryEXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 1 2001Bruce Curry This paper examines a neural network method known as the self-organizing map (SOM). The motivation behind the SOM is to transform the data to a two-dimensional grid of nodes while preserving its 'topological' structure. In neural network terminology this involves unsupervised learning. The nearest related statistical technique is cluster analysis. We employ the SOM in the task of identifying strategic groups of companies, using data which relate to the generic strategies suggested by Porter. Following identification of different groups of hotels with certain strategic emphases, the study investigates correlations between strategies followed and hotel performance. We compare and contrast the 'feature map' generated by the SOM with the results of a standard cluster analysis using the k-means method. The data also cover performance indicators and the results indicate that performance varies between strategic groups. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||