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Selected AbstractsClustering and switching in semantic fluency: predictors of the development of Alzheimer's diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2008Ana B. Fagundo Abstract Objective The aims of the study are twofold: (1) to compare semantic fluency, clustering and switching performance among subjects with memory complaints, patients with Alzheimer Disease (AD), and healthy controls; and (2) to examine the clinical utility of the clustering/switching scoring system in the prediction of incident AD in subjects with memory complaints. Methods A semantic fluency task was used to compare thirty eight subjects with memory complaints, forty two AD patients and twenty five healthy controls on the total number of words generated, clustering and switching performance. Subjects with memory complaints were followed-up for a maximum period of two years and re-evaluated. They remained in the memory complaints group (twenty eight subjects) or were defined as probable AD (ten subjects). Results AD patients generated fewer correct words (p,<,0.001) and showed a reduction in clustering (p,=,0.008) and switching (p,<,0.001). Subjects with memory complaints showed a significant reduction in correct words (p,<,0.001) and clustering performance (p,=,0.008) compare to controls. In the first evaluation, the subgroup of patients who converted to AD at follow up produced less correct words (p,<,0.01) and smaller clusters (p,=,0.007) than the subgroup who did not become demented. There were no differences in switching between these two subgroups. AD development was better predicted by cluster size than by the total number of words generated or by switching. Conclusions Subjects with memory complaints and AD patients have an alteration in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of semantic fluency. A clustering analysis could enhance the reliability of early AD diagnosis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Habitat preference by grayling (Thymallus thymallus) in an artificially modified, hydropeaking riverbed: a contribution to understand the effectiveness of habitat enhancement measuresJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 1 2003T. Vehanen Summary This paper describes a case study to rehabilitate habitat for adult European grayling (Thymallus thymallus L.) in a large river reservoir in northern Finland. A channelled river reach was restored by building small islands and reefs as well as cobble and boulder structures for grayling. The total area of the restored stretch was 1.0 ha. The physical habitat was mapped using an echosounder, Doppler device, tachometer and scuba diving, and modelled with a 2D hydraulic model. The mean water velocity in the modelled stream section was 0.28 m s,1 during 110 m3 s,1 flow and 0.43 m s,1 during 300 m3 s,1 flow. Twelve adult grayling, tagged with transmitters, were released into the area and tracked for a maximum period of 30 days. The grayling largely stayed in the restored area and tended to avoid the unchanged channel of the river. The range of daily movement was from stationary to 2700 m per day. The adult grayling preferred water velocities between 0.20 and 0.45 m s,1, water depths between 0.20 and 1.55 m and coarse substrate. The study provides a small part of the information needed in habitat restoration for grayling. [source] Changes in amino acid composition in the tissues of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) as a consequence of dietary L-carnitine supplementsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 3 2002R. O. A. Ozório A study was undertaken to examine the effect of different amounts of dietary lysine (13 and 21 g kg,1 diet), lipid (80 and 160 g kg,1 diet) and L -carnitine (0.2 and 1.0 g kg,1 diet) on growth performance, proximate composition and amino acid metabolism of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Juvenile African catfish (23 ± 1.5 g/fish) were stocked into 70-L aquaria (16 aquaria, 28 fish/aquarium) connected to a recirculation system during a maximum period of 74 days. All groups were fed at a level of 24 g kg,0.8 day,1 in an experiment run at pair feeding. Animals receiving 1.0 g carnitine accumulated up to six times more carnitine in their tissues than animals receiving 0.2 g (P < 0.05). Acyl-carnitine and free L -carnitine levels increased in the whole body and in tissues. Dietary L -carnitine supplements increased protein-to-fat ratios in the body, but did not affect growth rate. Protein-to-fat ratios were only affected when the biosynthesis capacity of L -carnitine was restricted due to low lysine levels and when there was a shortage of dietary fat. When lysine was offered at 21 g kg,1 feed, dietary L -carnitine supplements did not affect the amino acid concentrations of body tissues. Dietary L -carnitine supplements raised the concentration of glutamic acid,>,aspartic acid,>,glycine > alanine > arginine > serine > threonine in skeletal muscle tissue (P < 0.05). Total amino acid concentration in muscle and liver tissues (dry-matter basis) increased from 506 to 564 and from 138 to 166 mg g,1, respectively, when diets were offered with high L -carnitine, low lysine and low fat levels. These data suggest that dietary L -carnitine supplementation may increase fatty acid oxidation and possibly decrease amino acid combustion for energy. [source] A molecular epidemiological study of sequential oral isolates of Candida albicans from terminally ill patientsJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 4 2001M. J. Wilson Abstract: The pattern of candidal colonisation was studied in a group of terminally ill patients receiving antifungal treatment for oral candidosis. A total of 43 isolates of C. albicans was collected pre- and post-antifungal treatment from patients up to a maximum period of 4 weeks. Isolates were analysed by electrophoretic karyotyping (EK) and by inter-repeat polymerase chain reaction (IR-PCR). Fifteen electrophoretic karyotypes and 17 IR-PCR profiles were identified. Sequential isolates from 10 patients yielded identical profiles in both EKs and IR-PCR analyses. In the case of four patients, minor differences in the profiles were obtained by either EK or IR-PCR. The findings suggest that antifungal treatment in this patient group fails to eradicate the original C. albicans strain, thereby allowing recolonisation of the oral cavity. The present study has also shown that either EK or IR-PCR is a useful typing approach in such epidemiological investigations. [source] Intraspecific changes in plant morphology, associated with grazing, and effects on litter quality, carbon and nutrient dynamics during decompositionAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2006MARÍA SEMMARTIN Abstract: Continuous biomass removal by grazing usually changes the resource allocation pattern of plants. These changes often increase resistance to tissue removal and produce individuals with different morphometric traits, such as root to shoot or blade to sheath ratios. Shifts in morphometric traits, in turn, may alter nutrient cycling through changes in the average quality of litter that decomposes in soil. Previous work has shown that Paspalum dilatatum, a native grass from the Pampas grasslands, which inhabits a vast area and supports a wide range of grazing conditions, increases its blade to sheath ratio under continuous grazing with respect to ungrazed conditions. Here, we explored the consequences of these changes apparently associated with grazing regime on litter quality and nutrient dynamics during litter breakdown in soil. We separately analysed litter quality of blades and sheaths of P. dilatatum and determined under controlled conditions their decomposition and nutrient release kinetics over a maximum period of 1 year. We also studied the mineral nitrogen contents in soil amended with each litter type. Blade quality was significantly higher than sheath quality, nitrogen concentrations of blades and sheaths were approximately 1% and 0.6%, respectively, and lignin to nitrogen ratios were approximately 5 and 11 for blades and sheaths, respectively. Phosphorus concentration, however, was similar in both litter types. Blades decomposed 10% faster than sheaths, released 20% more nitrogen and released 15% more phosphorus than sheaths during the last half of the incubation period. During the first 3 months, the soil nitrogen content of litter-amended incubations indicated immobilization with respect to non-amended control; however, later blade incubations mineralized nitrogen, whereas sheath incubations continued immobilizing it. Results revealed that grazing potentially accelerates nutrient cycling during decomposition by increasing the blade to sheath ratio of P. dilatatum individuals, and suggest that this may be an important mechanism underlying grazing impact on nutrient cycling. [source] Conservative treatment of patients with periapical lesions associated with extraoral sinus tractsAUSTRALIAN ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Janir Alves Soares phd Abstract This paper describes the clinical courses of three cases with extra-oral sinus tract formation, from diagnosis and treatment to short-term follow-up and evaluation. All teeth involved had periradicular radiolucent areas noted on radiographic examination and extra-oral sinus tracts appearing on the chin with exudation and unpleasant aesthetic appearance. The adopted treatment protocol included treating the sinus tract surface simultaneously with the root canal therapy. After root canal shaping using 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution, calcium hydroxide-based pastes associated with different vehicles were inserted into the root canal for 4 months, and were changed monthly. All the sinus tracts healed in 7 to 10 days. The apical lesions were completely repaired in a maximum period of 24 months. The treatment adopted provided a complete healing of the periapical lesions in a short follow-up period. Surgical repair of the cutaneous sinus tract was therefore unnecessary. [source] Breakdown of teenage placements in Swedish foster and residential careCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 2 2004Marie Sallnäs ABSTRACT This article deals with the problem of breakdown in different types of out-of-home care (foster care/residential care) for Swedish teenagers. How often are such placements prematurely terminated against the wishes and intentions of child welfare authorities? Which factors appear to increase or decrease the risk of placement breakdown? The sample consists of a national cohort of 776 youths who started 922 placements during 1991. Every placement was followed in municipal case files for a maximum period of five years. Between 30 and 37% of all placements were prematurely terminated, the exact figure depending on whether a narrow or wide definition of breakdown was applied. The lowest rates of breakdown were found in kinship care and secure units, the highest in non-kinship foster homes. Teenagers who display antisocial behaviour and/or have mental health problems constitute a high-risk category for most types of out-of-home care, but especially in non-kinship foster homes. Risk factors in relation to breakdown were analysed in the four main forms of Swedish out-of-home care separately (foster homes, privately/publicly run residential care and secure units). The analysis pointed out that risk factors are not the same in all types of care, but antisocial behaviour at time of placement increased the risk in most forms of care. Prior research indicates that placement breakdown is a major problem of child welfare in other countries, and this study found that Sweden is no exception. [source] Temperature-dependent development and distribution in the soil profile of pupae of greyback canegrub Dermolepida albohirtum (Waterhouse) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Queensland sugarcaneAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2007David P Logan Abstract, The temperature-dependent development rate of pupae of greyback canegrub, Dermolepida albohirtum (Waterhouse) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), a major pest of sugarcane in central and northern Queensland, was determined under six constant temperature regimes: 18, 20, 23, 25, 27 and 30°C, and for four geographically separated populations. Development rate increased significantly with increasing temperature. Parameters of the linear regression equation did not differ among populations and common coefficients were calculated. Developmental zero, at and below which no development occurs, for pupae was 12.0°C and the thermal constant was 476 day-degrees (D°). Minimum and maximum periods for pupal development were 26 days at 30°C and 75 days at 18°C, respectively. The phenology of pupae was determined in soil-filled cubicles in a shade house and in the field at Ayr (19°35,S, 147°25,E), north Queensland, using D. albohirtum field-collected as late-stage third-instar larvae and kept in containers. Pupation of D. albohirtum began in late August or early September and eclosion was complete by mid- to late October. The phenology data were used to validate the development model. Eclosion was predicted by summing hourly fractions of day-degrees until 476 D° was reached and was close to actual eclosion. As temperature, and hence pupal development rate, varies with soil depth, the distribution of the third instars in pupal cells in the soil profile was determined in recently harvested fields of sugarcane in the Burdekin sugarcane district centred on Ayr. Numbers of late third instars in pupal cells peaked at 300,400 mm, with pupae found from 30 to 700 mm. Pupal development was simulated using hourly soil temperatures measured at depths of 200 and 400 mm at Ayr and at Sarina (21°22,S, 149°13,E). The pupal stage was predicted to take up to 2,10 days longer at 200 mm deep than at 400 mm depending on pupation site and date. When pupation was simulated in late August, as is likely in the field, pupal development at 400 mm deep took 48,56 days at Ayr and 58,62 days at Sarina. [source] | |||||||||||||