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Final Stage (final + stage)
Selected AbstractsDesign, surgical technique and complications MOOKPACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009GC FALCINELLI Purpose To describe design, surgical technique of the modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP),originated from Strampelli's OOKP, with the modifications and the innovations made by Falcinelli, between these thoseones of the last years to the first stage of the procedure, never published. Methods First stage:abstraction of the mono-rooted tooth with surrounding root and bone. Preparation of the lamina to which, in the dentine central part,the PMMA optic cylinder is glued.Burying of the lamina for 3 months (subcutaneoos pocket). New modification:opening of the A.C., complete removal of the iris, lens cryo-extraction,anterior vitrectomy.Intermediate stage: after 1 month covering of the eye surface by buccal mucosa. Final stage: after3 months implant of the lamina on the eye with insertion in A.C. of the cylinder after corneal trephining,covering with buccal mucosa previously detached. Results MOOKP COMPLICATIONS- 1- Intraoperative, easy to be cured. 2- After the 1st stage and intermediate stage: all easily treatable. 3- After the prosthesis implant, more severe: a) Prosthesis complications which affect mainly the mucosa, easy to be cured, or the lamina and the cylinder, more rare, difficult to be cured. b) Eye complications: retinal detachment, not frequent and easily cured. Retroprosthetic membranes, very rare. Endophthalmites, very difficult to treat, fortunately rare. Conclusion Biological properties Strampelli's osteo-odonto lamina (OOL)with Falcinelli's surgical modifications make of MOOKP a KPro with best results, teorically without duration limits in the less and in the very severe cases of corneal and anterior oculare surfice alterations like the last stage of dray eye. [source] Final stages of N -body star cluster encountersMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2000M. R. De Oliveira We performed numerical simulations of star cluster encounters with Hernquist's treecode on a CRAY YMP-2E computer. We used different initial conditions (relative positions and velocities, cluster sizes, masses and concentration degrees) with the total number of particles per simulation ranging from 4608 to 20 480. Long-term interaction stages (up to 1 Gyr) when the pair coalesces into a single cluster are compared with isolated LMC clusters. Evidence is found that, when seen in a favourable plane, these resulting clusters show elliptical shapes as a result of the disruption of one of the companions. These elliptical shapes are essentially time-independent, but they do depend on the initial structural parameters of the pair components. We also analysed the fraction of stars that are ejected to the field by the interaction. We found that this fraction can be almost 50 per cent for the disrupted cluster. These simulations can represent a possible mechanism with which to explain the ellipticity observed in several star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. [source] Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: an updateDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 10 2010JOSE GUTIERREZ Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a chronic encephalitis occurring after infection with measles virus. The prevalence of the disease varies depending on uptake of measles vaccination, with the virus disproportionally affecting regions with low vaccination rates. The physiopathology of the disease is not fully understood; however, there is evidence that it involves factors that favour humoral over cellular immune response against the virus. As a result, the virus is able to infect the neurons and to survive in a latent form for years. The clinical manifestations occur, on average, 6 years after measles virus infection. The onset of SSPE is insidious, and psychiatric manifestations are prominent. Subsequently, myoclonic seizures usually lead to a final stage of akinetic mutism. The diagnosis is clinical, supported by periodic complexes on electroencephalography, brain imaging suggestive of demyelination, and immunological evidence of measles infection. Management of the disease includes seizure control and avoidance of secondary complications associated with the progressive disability. Trials of treatment with interferon, ribavirin, and isoprinosine using different methodologies have reported beneficial results. However, the disease shows relentless progression; only 5% of individuals with SSPE undergo spontaneous remission, with the remaining 95% dying within 5 years of diagnosis. [source] Case of early ampullary cancer treated by endoscopic papillectomyDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2 2004Kei Ito We herein report a case of ampullary cancer in a 65-year-old man who underwent endoscopic papillectomy. Duodenoscopy revealed an exposed-type tumor mass at the ampulla of Vater. Histology of the biopsy specimen demonstrated well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasonography and intraductal ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic mass limited to the ampulla of Vater (clinical stage, T1). Endoscopic papillectomy was performed after informed consent was obtained. Histological examination of the resected specimen revealed adenocarcinoma limited to the ampulla of Vater (final stage, pT1). Both accurate preoperative T staging and proper histological evaluation of the resected specimen appear to justify endoscopic treatment of early ampullary cancer. [source] Heat Shock Protein-27 Is Upregulated in the Temporal Cortex of Patients with EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 12 2004Hans-J Bidmon Summary:,Purpose: Heat shock protein-27 (HSP-27) belongs to the group of small heat shock proteins that become induced in response to various pathologic conditions. HSP-27 has been shown to protect cells and subcellular structures, particularly mitochondria, and serves as a carrier for estradiol. It is a reliable marker for tissues affected by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and related cellular defence mechanisms are currently thought to play a major role during experimentally induced epileptic neuropathology. We addressed the question whether HSP-27 becomes induced in the neocortex resected from patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Methods: Human epileptic temporal neocortex was obtained during neurosurgery, and control tissue was obtained at autopsy from subjects without known neurologic diseases. The tissues were either frozen for Western blot analysis or fixed in Zamboni's fixative for the topographic detection of HSP-27 at the cellular level by means of immunohistochemistry. Results: HSP-27 was highly expressed in all epilepsy specimens and in the cortex of a patient who died in the final stage of multiple sclerosis (positive control), whereas only low amounts of HSP-27 were detectable in control brains. In epilepsy patients, HSP-27 was present in astrocytes and in the walls of blood vessels. The intracortical distribution patterns varied strongly among the epilepsy specimens. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that HSP-27 becomes induced in response to epileptic pathology. Although the functional aspects of HSP-27 induction during human epilepsy have yet to be elucidated, it can be concluded that HSP-27 is a marker for cortical regions in which a stress response has been caused by seizures. [source] Technical basis on structural fire resistance design in building standards law of JapanFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 2-4 2004Kazunori Harada Abstract Structural fire resistance design method came into effect due to the revision of Japan's building code (building standards law of Japan) in June 2001. The method includes standard methods to calculate (1) fire exposure to structural elements, (2) temperature rise of steel and RC elements during fire exposure and (3) structural end points such as ultimate steel temperature for buckling of columns, bending failure of beams and so on. This paper discusses the technical basis for design methods especially focused on steel framed buildings. The calculated values by design equations were compared with experimental values in order to examine the redundancies implied. In the final stage, all the redundancies were combined by Monte-Carlo method and first-order moment method (AFORM). Target safety index and corresponding partial safety factors were discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Temporal variation of energy reserves in mayfly nymphs (Hexagenia spp.) from Lake St Clair and western Lake ErieFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 10 2003J.F. Cavaletto Summary 1. We analysed changes in energy reserves (lipid and glycogen) and length,weight relationships of burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia spp.) in 1997,99 to compare an established population in Lake St Clair with a recovering population in western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes. In addition, we measured changes in water temperature and potential food in both water columns and sediments. 2. Although overall mean values of lipid and glycogen levels of Hexagenia nymphs from Lake St Clair and western Lake Erie were not significantly different, there were differences in seasonal patterns between the two lakes. In Lake St Clair, levels were highest in early spring, declined throughout the year, and reached their lowest levels in fall during all 3 years of study. In contrast, levels in western Lake Erie were lower in spring, increased to a maximum in summer, then declined in fall. Seasonal patterns in length,weight relationships were similar to those for lipid and glycogen. 3. Total lipid as a percentage of dry weight did not increase with developmental stage of nymphs until just prior to metamorphosis and emergence from water. However, the major reserve lipid, triacylglycerols, increased systematically with development stage. In the final stage of development, triacylglycerols declined, probably as a result of energy consumption and its conversion to other biochemical components for metamorphosis and reproduction. 4. Indicators of potential food (algal fluorescence in the water column and chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a/phaeophytin ratio in sediments) suggest that Hexagenia in Lake St Clair have a food source that is benthic based, especially in early spring, whereas in western Lake Erie nymphs have a food source that is water column based and settles to the lake bottom during late spring and summer. [source] A decision support methodology for increasing public investment efficiency in Brazilian agrarian reformINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009Leonardo Melgarejo Abstract The Brazilian Agrarian Reform Program has subsidized the settlement of over 425,000 destitute families on previously unproductive land in what has become a very effective vehicle for social inclusion and productivity growth for those settlers who reach the final stage of the process and receive definitive title to the land. Unfortunately, there is a large difference in efficiency and productivity between more and less successful settlements , fewer than 10% of relocated families have received title and over 25% of them have abandoned the property to which they were assigned. This paper presents a decision support methodology for increasing the efficiency of public investments in agrarian reform that includes a data envelopment analysis model and a mechanism for building consensus among the various constituencies of the agrarian reform process, who not infrequently have conflicting objectives. The OR model described herein uses principal component analysis and data envelopment analysis to identify the most important success factors for relocated families leading to an increase in the chance of both autonomous integration with the market economy and definitive entitlement by these displaced families as well as an increase in the predictability of future settlement success. The model was implemented successfully in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, and was partially used in a pilot project for the countrywide agrarian reform accelerated consolidation program. [source] Quality of Life While Dying: A Qualitative Study of Terminally Ill Older MenJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 11 2003Elizabeth K. Vig MD Objectives: To characterize the experience of quality of life while dying from the perspective of terminally ill men. Design: Descriptive study involving semistructured interviews. Setting: Patients attending clinics at two university-affiliated medical centers were interviewed in a private conference room or in their homes. Participants: Twenty-six men identified by their physicians as having terminal heart disease or cancer. Eligible participants acknowledged that they had serious illness. Measurements: The interview contained open-ended questions such as: "What are the most important things in your life right now?" The interview also contained closed-ended questions about symptom intensity, presence of depressed mood, and other items related to overall quality of life. The open-ended questions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory methods. The closed-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Participants believed that death was near. Participants saw engaging in hobbies and other enjoyable activities as an alternative to moving into the final stage of illness, in which they saw themselves as actively dying. They admitted to occasionally ignoring prescribed diets; these actions improved their overall quality of life but worsened symptoms. New symptoms brought concerns about progression to active dying. They anticipated what their dying would be like and how it would affect others. Participants believed that their actions in the present could improve the quality of their dying and lessen the burden of their deaths on others. Many participants therefore were preparing for death by engaging in such tasks as putting their finances in order and planning their funerals, to relieve anticipated burden on loved ones. Conclusion: To help terminally ill patients plan for the end of life, clinicians are encouraged to become familiar with their patients' experiences of living with terminal illness, to identify each patient's unique priorities, and to incorporate that information into care plans aimed at maximizing quality of life at the end of life. [source] A systematic review of definitions of periodontitis and methods that have been used to identify this diseaseJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Amir Savage Abstract Objective: To perform a systematic review and critical analysis of the definitions of periodontitis and the methods which have been used to identify and measure this disease. Material and Methods: Relevant publications were identified after searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCISEARCH and LILACS electronic databases. Screening of titles and abstracts and data extraction was conducted independently by two reviewers. To be included in the review, studies were required to define periodontitis and to indicate how it was measured. Studies that related purely to gingivitis, and/or intervention studies, and/or studies where prevalence or severity of periodontitis was not a principal outcome were excluded. Results: From a total of 3472 titles and abstracts, 104 potentially relevant full text papers were identified. Of these, 15 met the criteria for inclusion in the final stage of the review. The survey revealed heterogeneity between the studies in the measurement tools used, particularly the types of probes and the sites and areas of the mouth that were assessed. There was also heterogeneity in the use of clinical attachment loss (CAL) and pocket probing depth (PPD) as criteria for periodontitis. In the 15 studies, the threshold for a diagnosis of periodontitis when CAL was the criterion ranged from 2 to 6 mm and when PPD was used, from 3 to 6 mm. Conclusions: This review has confirmed previous work which has suggested that epidemiological studies of periodontal diseases are complicated by the diversity of methodologies and definitions used. The studies that were reviewed utilized a minimum diagnostic threshold defining periodontitis, at a given site in terms of CAL of 2 mm and PPD of 3 mm. [source] Reproductive isolation between chromosomal races of the house mouse Mus musculus domesticus in a parapatric contact area revealed by an analysis of multiple unlinked lociJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008P. FRANCHINI Abstract The house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, exhibits a high level of chromosomal polymorphism because of the occurrence and fast fixation of Robertsonian fusions between telocentric chromosomes. For this reason, it has been considered a classical speciation model to analyse the role of the chromosomal changes in reproductive isolation. In this study, we analysed a parapatric contact area between two metacentric races in central Italy, the Cittaducale race (CD: 2n = 22) and the Ancarano race (ACR: 2n = 24), to estimate gene flow at the boundary. Hybrids between these two races show high levels of structural heterozygosity and are expected to be highly infertile. A sample of 88 mice from 14 sites was used. The mice were genotyped by means of eight microsatellite loci mapped in four different autosomal arms. The results show clear genetic differentiation between the CD and ACR races, as revealed by differences in allele frequencies, factorial correspondence analysis and indexes of genetic population (e.g. FST and RST) along the contact zone. The genetic differentiation between the races was further highlighted by assignation and clustering analyses, in which all the individuals were correctly assigned by their genotypes to the source chromosomal race. This result is particularly interesting in view of the absence of any geographical or ecological barrier in the parapatric contact zone, which occurs within a village. In these conditions, the observed genetic separation suggests an absence of gene flow between the races. The CD,ACR contact area is a rare example of a final stage of speciation between chromosomal races of rodents because of their chromosomal incompatibility. [source] ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF MELANOIDINSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2 2007JOSÉ A. RUFIÁN-HENARES ABSTRACT Melanoidins are high molecular weight compounds formed during the final stage of the Maillard reaction. Melanoidins have been studied in recent years because of their nutritional, biological and health implications, apart from their role on the stability during processing and shelf life of foods. A fast and robust microtiter plate-based assay for a quantitative screening of the antimicrobial activity of melanoidins was applied. Oxytetracyclin was used as reference for assessing the antimicrobial activity of different melanoidins isolated from model systems. The minimum inhibitory concentration was calculated, and activity was related to the antimicrobial activity of an oxytetracyclin solution (100 µg/L). Glucose,lysine melanoidin exerted the highest antimicrobial activity, being at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, equivalent to an oxytetracyclin solution of 170 µg/L. [source] PPF1 May Suppress Plant Senescence via Activating TFL1 in Transgenic Arabidopsis PlantsJOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Da-Yong Wang Abstract Senescence, a sequence of biochemical and physiological events, constitutes the final stage of development in higher plants and is modulated by a variety of environmental factors and internal factors. PPF1 possesses an important biological function in plant development by controlling the Ca2+ storage capacity within chloroplasts. Here we show that the expression of PPF1 might play a pivotal role in negatively regulating plant senescence as revealed by the regulation of overexpression and suppression of PPF1 on plant development. Moreover, TFL1, a key regulator in the floral repression pathway, was screened out as one of the downstream targets for PPF1 in the senescence-signaling pathway. Investigation of the senescence-related phenotypes in PPF1(,) tfl1-1 and PPF1(+) tfl1-1 double mutants confirmed and further highlighted the relation of PPF1 with TFL1 in transgenic plants. The activation of TFL1 expression by PPF1 defines an important pathway possibly essential for the negative regulation of plant senescence in transgenic Arabidopsis. [source] Accelerated DNA fragmentation of the denture-bearing mucosal epithelium in an animal model of diabetesJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 4 2001Y. Maruo This study examined the effect of masticatory pressure transmitted directly to the hard palate mucosa on the final stage of terminal differentiation of keratinizing system of rats with and without streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. In the nondiabetic rats with masticatory pressure, the number of terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated deoxyuridine-triphospate-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) positive cells tended to increase about twice as much as in the nondiabetic rats without pressure with and without denture. A similar tendency of increase was observed in the diabetic rats without pressure. The synergy of the mechanical pressure and diabetic condition for 2 weeks greatly accelerated the DNA fragmentation, showing 8-fold increase in TUNEL positive cells over the normal control, and caused exfoliation of the stratum corneum. A 4-week exposure of diabetics to the masticatory pressure induced laminar splitting in the midst of the spinosum. Some cells in the stratum granulosum exhibited a sign of DNA fragmentation when laminar splitting took place in the vital cell layer. Premature DNA fragmentation may disturb the adhesion between spinosum cells and prevent the maturation of stratum corneum. Increase in Bax protein-like immunoreactivity in these epithelial cells as revealed by immunocytochemistry may underlie the premature DNA fragmentation in the oral masticatory epithelium under pressure in diabetic patients. [source] The relaxations of temporal bond polarizabilities of methylviologen adsorbed on the Ag electrode by 514.5 nm excitation: a Raman intensity studyJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 3 2009Chao Fang Abstract An algorithm to elucidate the temporal bond polarizabilities from the surface enhanced Raman (SERS) intensities was employed to the case of methylviologen (MV) adsorbed on the Ag electrode. This enables us to obtain the properties of its SERS mechanisms and the effect of its adsorption. The analysis shows that the charge transfer and electromagnetic mechanisms involving in this MV SERS system possess different relaxation times for its various temporal bond polarizabilities. The physics is that the process involved in the charge transfer mechanism will take longer time than that involved in the electromagnetic mechanism since it needs more time to redistribute the charges during relaxation. The time division between these two mechanisms is figured out to be around 3 ps for this system. Adsorption also enhances the relaxation of the temporal bond polarizabilities, in general. The adsorption effect is indicated by the temporal bond polarizabilities close to the final stage of relaxation. They are, in fact, the quantities parallel to the bond electronic densities in the molecular orbital (MO) concept. For comparison, the case of MV solid was also analyzed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effect of Green Density on the Thermomechanical Properties of a Ceramic During SinteringJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2006Sam E. Schoenberg The thermomechanical properties of a commercial barium titanate were experimentally or theoretically determined for samples with green densities ranging from 45% to 55%. For stresses less than 300 kPa, sample deformation was determined to be linear viscous for all three stages of sintering. The shrinkage rates at a given temperature can differ by up to ,25% as the green density changes from 45% to 55%, and the maximum shrinkage rate increased with decreasing green density. The increase in shrinkage rate with lower green density samples persisted through the final sintering stage. The viscosity was determined by cyclic loading dilatometry to range from 5 to 6 GPa·s in the initial stage of sintering, to 2 GPa·s in the intermediate stage, and to increase to 10,20 GPa·s for all specimens in the final stage of sintering. Differences in the final-stage viscosity were attributed to grain size differences. Relaxation times for the sintering body were estimated to be less than 1 s, indicating that viscous behavior is dominant throughout the sintering process. [source] Microstructure in Silicon Nitride Containing ,-Phase Seeding: III, Grain Growth and CoalescenceJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2001Horng-Hwa Lu The mechanical properties of Si3N4 materials depend mainly on the microstructure, which originates during the densification process. The microscopic evidence indicates that ,-Si3N4 seeds incorporated in the starting powders play an important role in microstructural development, especially in the heterogeneous grain growth of ,-Si3N4 grains during sintering. The growth of ,-grains is initiated from the ,-seeds, resulting in a core/shell microstructure. The presence of Moiré fringes and dislocations is attributed to misfit strain and compositional differences between the core and the shell. Coalescence can occur at the final stage of sintering. [source] Mullitization from a Multicomponent Oxide System in the Temperature Range 1200°,1500°CJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 5 2000Hyunho Shin Mullitization from a multicomponent oxide system (alumina,kaolin,quartz,feldspar,talc) was analyzed as a function of firing temperature from 1200° to 1500°C based on quantitative XRD and SEM. In the present study, whisker forms of mullite grew in three characteristic stages. In the first stage (1255°,1295°C), mullitization (nucleation) took place from glass via alumina dissolution into glass under the condition of no apparent change in glass content. The reaction in this stage was rate-limited by alumina dissolution into glass. Extensive mullitization occurred in the 1295°,1335°C range (second stage) directly from glass. Unlike in the sol,gel-based binary system, alumina dissolution into glass was not shown to be the rate-controlling mechanism during this extensive mullitization stage. Finally (>1335°C, third stage), the reaction was saturated, accompanied by an apparent decrease in glass consumption rate. The impingement of mullite whiskers by other whiskers and crystals was speculated to cause mullite to grow in the transverse direction, yielding a diminished reaction rate in the final stage. Mullitization stages in this work were compared with those of the alumina,silica binary system shown in the literature. [source] Forming supermassive black holes by accreting dark and baryon matterMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Jian Hu ABSTRACT Given a large-scale mixture of self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) particles and baryon matter distributed in the early Universe, we advance here a two-phase accretion scenario for forming supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with masses around ,109 M, at high redshifts z(,6). The first phase is conceived to involve a rapid quasi-spherical and quasi-steady Bondi accretion of mainly SIDM particles embedded with baryon matter on to seed black holes (BHs) created at redshifts z, 30 by the first generation of massive Population III stars; this earlier phase rapidly gives birth to significantly enlarged seed BH masses of during z, 20,15, where ,0 is the cross-section per unit mass of SIDM particles and Cs is the velocity dispersion in the SIDM halo referred to as an effective ,sound speed'. The second phase of BH mass growth is envisaged to proceed primarily via baryon accretion, eventually leading to SMBH masses of MBH, 109 M,; such SMBHs may form either by z, 6 for a sustained accretion at the Eddington limit or later at lower z for sub-Eddington mean accretion rates. In between these two phases, there is a transitional yet sustained diffusively limited accretion of SIDM particles which in an eventual steady state would be much lower than the accretion rates of the two main phases. We intend to account for the reported detections of a few SMBHs at early epochs, e.g. Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) 1148+5251 and so forth, without necessarily resorting to either super-Eddington baryon accretion or very frequent BH merging processes. Only extremely massive dark SIDM haloes associated with rare peaks of density fluctuations in the early Universe may harbour such early SMBHs or quasars. Observational consequences are discussed. During the final stage of accumulating a SMBH mass, violent feedback in circumnuclear environs of a galactic nucleus leads to the central bulge formation and gives rise to the familiar empirical MBH,,b correlation inferred for nearby normal galaxies with ,b being the stellar velocity dispersion in the galactic bulge; in our scenario, the central SMBH formation precedes that of the galactic bulge. [source] Explaining Third-Party Intervention in Ethnic Conflict: Theory and EvidenceNATIONS AND NATIONALISM, Issue 2 2000David Garment One of the most challenging developments for students of international relations is the resurgence of ethnic strife, including secessionism and irredentism. Basic questions are only beginning to be addressed in the post-Cold War era. Why are some states more likely than others to intervene in ethnic conflicts? How can international norms about third-party intervention in ethnic conflicts be evaded or ignored by some states but respected by others? Why are some states inclined to use force rather than mediation to resolve ethnic strife? In short, what accounts for the emergence of adventurous and belligerent foreign policies with respect to internal ethnic conflicts? These questions are of increasing importance to students of international politics, yet the dynamics and internationalisation of ethnic conflict are far from fully understood. This study focuses on the dynamics of third-party intervention in ethnic strife and implications for peaceful resolution. The first section presents a model that identifies the general conditions under which ethnic strife is most likely to lead to intervention by third-party states. The second uses four cases to illustrate, within the context of the model, different processes with respect to internationalisation of ethnic conflict. The third and final stage identifies implications for policy and theory, along with directions for future research. [source] Postinfectious gastroparesis related to autonomic failure: a case reportNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 2 2006A. Lobrano Abstract, Background and aim:, Severe dysautonomia may be secondary to viral infections, resulting in impaired autoimmune, cardiovascular, urinary and digestive dysfunction. Herein, we present a case of a 31-year-old white female patient who had severe gastroparesis related to autonomic failure following an episode of acute gastroenteritis. This seems to be the first report providing thorough assessment of the enteric and autonomic nervous system by analysis of full-thickness small intestinal biopsies, cardiovagal testing and autopsy. Hospital course:, This patient affected by a severe gastroparesis was treated with antiemetics, prokinetics, analgesics and gastric electrical stimulation to control symptoms. Nutritional support was made using jejunal feeding tube and, in the final stage of disease, with total parenteral nutrition. Autonomic studies revealed minimal heart rate variability and a disordered Valsalva manoeuvre although the enteric nervous system and the smooth muscle layer showed a normal appearance. Hospital courses were complicated by episodes of bacteraemia and fungemia. Serum antiphospholipid antibodies were noted but despite anticoagulation, she developed a pulmonary embolism and shortly thereafter the patient died. Autopsy revealed acute haemorrhagic Candida pneumonia with left main pulmonary artery thrombus. Sympathetic chain analysis revealed decreased myelinated axons with vacuolar degeneration and patchy inflammation consistent with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The evaluation of the enteric nervous system in the stomach and small bowel revealed no evidence of enteric neuropathy or myopathy. Conclusion:, A Guillain-Barre-like disease with gastroparesis following acute gastroenteritis is supported by physiological and autonomic studies with histological findings. [source] Managing electronic documents and work flows: Enterprise content management at work in nonprofit organizationsNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 4 2007Joel Iverson Web management and knowledge management systems have made significant technological advances, culminating in large information management systems such as enterprise content management (ECM). ECM is a Web-based publishing system that manages large numbers of electronic documents and other Web assets intended for publication to Web portals and other complex Web sites. Work in nonprofit organizations can benefit from adopting new communication technologies that promote collaboration and enterprisewide knowledge management. The unique characteristics of ECM are enumerated and analyzed from a knowledge management perspective. We identify three stages of document life cycles in ECM implementations,content, reification, and commodification/process,as the content management model. We present the model as a mechanism for decision makers and scholars to use in evaluating the organizational impacts of systems such as ECM. We also argue that decision makers in nonprofit organizations should take care to avoid overly commodifying business processes in the final stage, where participation may be more beneficial than efficiency. [source] Whole-seed development in Sicyos angulatus (Cucurbitaceae, Sicyeae) and a comparison with the development of water-impermeable seeds in five other familiesPLANT SPECIES BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010XIAOXIA QU Abstract Sicyos is the only member of the Cucurbitaceae known to have water-impermeable seeds, that is, physical dormancy (PY), and development of seeds with PY has not been studied in detail in this family. Our primary aim was to describe seed development in Sicyos angulatus from pollination to seed maturity and to compare it with the development of water-impermeable seeds in other families reported in the literature. Full seed stage (highest moisture content [MC]) occurred 4,6 days after pollination (DAP) and physiological maturity occurred 20 DAP. Seeds became water impermeable 32 DAP, with 14.6% MC. The hilum was the site of water loss during the final stage of maturation drying. Excised embryos could germinate from 20 DAP to 36 DAP, whereas no intact seeds germinated during any stage of seed development. Mechanical scarification did not promote germination of seeds after the seed coat became water impermeable at 32,36 DAP. Based on a previous study of seed dormancy and germination in S. angulatus, we suggest that germination in these scarified seeds may have been prevented by resistance of inner membrane and fruit-seed coat to embryo expansion. The MC when seeds became impermeable (14.6%) is in the range of that reported for seeds of species in five other families with PY. Information on seed development in S. angulatus will be useful in planning the timing of management strategies for this pernicious annual weed. [source] The FliK protein and flagellar hook-length controlPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 5 2007Richard C. Waters Abstract The bacterial flagellum is a highly complex prokaryotic organelle. It is the motor that drives bacterial motility, and despite the large amount of energy required to make and operate flagella, motile organisms have a strong adaptive advantage. Flagellar biogenesis is both complex and highly coordinated and it typically involves at least three two-component systems. Part of the flagellum is a type III secretion system, and it is via this structure that flagellar components are exported. The assembly of a flagellum occurs in a number of stages, and the "checkpoint control" protein FliK functions in this process by detecting when the flagellar hook substructure has reached its optimal length. FliK then terminates hook export and assembly and transmits a signal to begin filament export, the final stage in flagellar biosynthesis. As yet the exact mechanism of how FliK achieves this is not known. Here we review what is known of the FliK protein and discuss the evidence for and against the various hypotheses that have been proposed in recent years to explain how FliK controls hook length, FliK as a molecular ruler, the measuring cup theory, the role of the FliK N terminus, the infrequent molecular ruler theory, and the molecular clock theory. [source] Career Paths and Choices in a Highly Differentiated Profession: The Position of Newly Qualified SolicitorsTHE MODERN LAW REVIEW, Issue 4 2001Andrew Boon Differences in the working lives of solicitors have become increasingly marked in recent years. Growing numbers of lawyers are employed in the public and corporate sectors and, with the increasing size and wealth of City of London commercial firms, there are significant differences between these firms and those ,high-street' firms that serve local communities. These differences impact on lawyers throughout training and beyond, both in terms of rites of passage into the profession and in conditions of employment. This research, the final stage in a longitudinal survey spanning the 1990s, combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the reactions of newly qualified solicitors to their work. Building on the project's previous surveys, which charted the nature of disadvantage suffered by many prospective entrants to the legal profession, the research finds a large measure of satisfaction regarding careers. It also identifies causes for concern, including increasing specialisation in legal education and the potential separation of the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of professional practice. [source] Azoospermia and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome: hypoxia in the sperm production site due to impairment in venous drainage of male reproductive systemANDROLOGIA, Issue 5 2010Y. Gat Summary Sertoli-cell-only (SCO) syndrome, or germ cell aplasia, is diagnosed on testicular biopsy when germ cells are seen to be absent without histological impairment of Sertoli or Leydig cells. It is considered a situation of irreversible infertility. Recent studies have shown that varicocele, a bilateral disease, causes hypoxia in the testicular microcirculation. Destruction of one-way valves in the internal spermatic veins (ISV) elevates hydrostatic pressure in the testicular venules, exceeding the pressure in the arteriolar system. The positive pressure gradient between arterial and venous system is reversed, causing hypoxia in the sperm production site. Sperm production deteriorates gradually, progressing to azoospermia. Our prediction was that, if genetic problems are excluded, SCO may be the final stage of longstanding hypoxia which deteriorates sperm production in a progressive process over time. This would indicate that SCO is not always an independent disease entity, but may represent deterioration of the testicular parenchyma beyond azoospermia. Our prediction is confirmed by histology of the seminiferous tubules demonstrating that SCO is associated with extensive degenerative ischaemic changes and destruction of the normal architecture of the sperm production site. Adequate treatment of bilateral varicocele by microsurgery or by selective sclerotherapy of the ISV resumes, at least partially, the flow of oxygenated blood to the sperm production site and restored sperm production in 4 out of 10 patients. Based on our findings the following statements can be made: (i) SCO may be related in part of the cases to persistent, longstanding testicular parenchymal hypoxia; (ii) germ cells may still exist in other areas of the testicular parenchyma; and (iii) if genetic problems are excluded, adequate correction of the hypoxia may restore very limited sperm production in some patients. [source] Indefinite oscillators and black-hole evaporationANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 10-11 2009C. Kiefer Abstract We discuss the dynamics of two harmonic oscillators of which one has a negative kinetic term. This model mimics the Hamiltonian in quantum geometrodynamics, which possesses an indefinite kinetic term. We solve for the time evolution in both the uncoupled and coupled case. We use this setting as a toy model for studying some possible aspects of the final stage of black-hole evaporation. We assume that one oscillator mimics the black hole, while the other mimics Hawking radiation. In the uncoupled case, the negative term leads to a squeezing of the quantum state, while in the coupled case, which includes back reaction, we get a strong entangled state between the mimicked black hole and the radiation. We discuss the meaning of this state. We end by analyzing the limits of this model and its relation to more fundamental approaches. [source] Indefinite oscillators and black-hole evaporationANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 10-11 2009C. Kiefer Abstract We discuss the dynamics of two harmonic oscillators of which one has a negative kinetic term. This model mimics the Hamiltonian in quantum geometrodynamics, which possesses an indefinite kinetic term. We solve for the time evolution in both the uncoupled and coupled case. We use this setting as a toy model for studying some possible aspects of the final stage of black-hole evaporation. We assume that one oscillator mimics the black hole, while the other mimics Hawking radiation. In the uncoupled case, the negative term leads to a squeezing of the quantum state, while in the coupled case, which includes back reaction, we get a strong entangled state between the mimicked black hole and the radiation. We discuss the meaning of this state. We end by analyzing the limits of this model and its relation to more fundamental approaches. [source] Some interfaces of dendritic cell biologyAPMIS, Issue 7-8 2003RALPH M. STEINMAN The field of dendritic cell (DC) biology is robust, with several new approaches to analyze their role in vivo and many newly recognized functions in the control of immunity and tolerance. There also is no shortage of mysteries and challenges. To introduce this volume, I would like to summarize four interfaces of DC research with other lines of investigation and highlight some current issues. One interface is with hematopoiesis. DCs constitute a distinct lineage of white blood cell development with some unique features, such as their origin from both lymphoid and myeloid progenitors, the existence of several distinct subsets, and an important final stage of differentiation termed "maturation," which occurs in response to inflammation and infection, and is pivotal for determining the subsequent immune response. A second interface is with lymphocyte biology. DCs are now known to influence many different classes of lymphocytes (B, NK, NKT) and many types of T cell responses (Th1/Th2, regulatory T cells, peripheral T cell deletion), not just the initial priming or induction of T cell-mediated immunity, which was the first function to be uncovered. DCs are sentinels, controlling many of the afferent or inductive limbs of immune function, alerting the immune system and controlling its early decisions. A third interface is with cell biology. This is a critical discipline to understand at the subcellular and molecular levels the distinct capacities of DCs to handle antigens, to move about the body in a directed way, to bind and activate lymphocytes, and to exert many quality controls on the type of responses, for both tolerance and immunity. A fourth interface is with medicine. Here DCs are providing new approaches to disease pathogenesis and therapy. This interface is perhaps the most demanding, because it requires research with humans. Human research currently is being slowed by the need to deal with many challenges in the design of such studies, and the need to excite, attract and support the young scientists who are essential to move human investigation forward. Nonetheless, DCs are providing new opportunities to study patients and the many clinical conditions that involve the immune system. [source] Finishing diets stimulate compensatory growth: results of a study on Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peeliiAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 5 2007G.M. TURCHINI Abstract The effective implementation of a finishing strategy (wash-out) following a grow-out phase on a vegetable oil-based diet requires a period of several weeks. However, fish performance during this final stage has received little attention. As such, in the present study the growth performance during both, the initial grow-out and the final wash-out phases, were evaluated in Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii). Prior to finishing on a fish oil-based diet, fish were fed one of three diets that differed in the lipid source: fish oil, a low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) vegetable oil mix, and a high PUFA vegetable oil mix. At the end of the grow-out period the fatty acid composition of Murray cod fillets were reflective of the respective diets; whilst, during the finishing period, those differences decreased in degree and occurrence. The restoration of original fatty acid make up was more rapid in fish previously fed with the low PUFA vegetable oil diet. During the final wash-out period, fish previously fed the vegetable oil-based diets grew significantly (P < 0.05) faster (1.45 ± 0.03 and 1.43 ± 0.05, specific growth rate, % day,1) than fish continuously fed with the fish oil-based diet (1.24 ± 0.04). This study suggests that the depauperated levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids in fish previously fed vegetable oil-based diets can positively stimulate lipid metabolism and general fish metabolism, consequently promoting a growth enhancement in fish when reverted to a fish oil-based diet. This effect could be termed ,lipo-compensatory growth'. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||