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Marked Decline (marked + decline)
Selected AbstractsTrends in and predictors of second-hand smoke exposure indexed by cotinine in children in England from 1996 to 2006ADDICTION, Issue 3 2010Michelle Sims ABSTRACT Aims To explore trends in and predictors of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in children. To identify whether inequalities in SHS exposure are changing over time. Design Repeated cross-sectional study with data from eight annual surveys conducted over an 11-year period from 1996 to 2006. Setting England. Participants Nationally representative samples of children aged 4,15 years living in private households. Measurements Saliva cotinine (4,15-year-olds), current smoking status (8,15-year-olds), smoking status of parents and carers, smoking in the home, socio-demographic variables. Findings The most important predictors of SHS exposure were modifiable factors,whether people smoke in the house on most days, whether the parents smoke and whether the children are looked after by carers who smoke. Children from more deprived households were more exposed and this remained the case even after parental smoking status has been controlled for. Exposure over time has fallen markedly among children (59% decline over 11 years in geometric mean cotinine), with the most marked decline observed in the period immediately preceding smoke-free legislation. Declines in exposure have generally been greater in children most exposed at the outset. For example, in children whose parents both smoke, median cotinine declined annually by 0.115 ng/ml compared with 0.019 ng/ml where neither parent smokes (P < 0.05). Conclusions In the 11 years leading up to smoke-free legislation in England, the overall level of SHS exposure in children as well as absolute inequalities in exposure have been declining. Further efforts to encourage parents and carers to quit and to avoid smoking in the home would benefit child health. [source] Changes in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure over a 20-year period: cross-sectional and longitudinal analysesADDICTION, Issue 3 2009Barbara J. Jefferis ABSTRACT Aims To examine long-term changes in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in British men between 1978 and 2000, using serum cotinine. Design Prospective cohort: British Regional Heart Study. Setting General practices in 24 towns in England, Wales and Scotland. Participants Non-smoking men: 2125 studied at baseline [questionnaire (Q1): 1978,80, aged 40,59 years], 3046 studied 20 years later (Q20: 1998,2000, aged 60,79 years) and 1208 studied at both times. Non-smokers were men reporting no current smoking with cotinine < 15 ng/ml at Q1 and/or Q20. Measurements Serum cotinine to assess ETS exposure. Findings In cross-sectional analysis, geometric mean cotinine level declined from 1.36 ng/ml [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31, 1.42] at Q1 to 0.19 ng/ml (95% CI: 0.18, 0.19) at Q20. The prevalence of cotinine levels , 0.7 ng/ml [associated with low coronary heart disease (CHD) risk] rose from 27.1% at Q1 to 83.3% at Q20. Manual social class and northern region of residence were associated with higher mean cotinine levels both at Q1 and Q20; older age was associated with lower cotinine level at Q20 only. Among 1208 persistent non-smokers, cotinine fell by 1.47 ng/ml (95% CI: 1.37, 1.57), 86% decline. Absolute falls in cotinine were greater in manual occupational groups, in the Midlands and Scotland compared to southern England, although percentage decline was very similar across groups. Conclusions A marked decline in ETS exposure occurred in Britain between 1978 and 2000, which is likely to have reduced ETS-related disease risks appreciably before the introduction of legislation banning smoking in public places. [source] Influences of restock age and habitat patchiness on Tree Pipits Anthus trivialis breeding in Breckland pine plantationsIBIS, Issue 2007NIALL H.K. BURTON The British Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis population has shown a marked decline in recent decades, together with a range contraction that has been most apparent in central and southeast England. In East Anglia, the species is now largely restricted to heathland and, in particular, the conifer plantations established on light soils in these areas. Here I evaluate how Tree Pipits are influenced by the age of pine restock and the patchiness of habitat in Thetford Forest in the Breckland area of Norfolk and Suffolk, eastern England. Both the probability of occurrence and the densities of territory-holding Tree Pipits varied according to the age of coupes of restock , densities peaking in restock 1,6 years old , and were also significantly higher in coupes (a stand comprising one or more forest subcompartments planted in the same year, usually with the same tree crop) in the largest, most central forest block than in smaller, isolated blocks peripheral to this. Within coupes, the distribution and thus densities of Tree Pipits were limited by the availability of songposts. Few songflights finished on the ground or in flight and displaying birds only perched on restock once trees were at least 3 years old (0.8 m high) , thus, territories were only established away from bordering or retained mature trees once restock had reached this age. Pairing success was reduced among males with territories of less than 1 ha, as found in the highest densities in restock, but was unrelated to the proportion of songflights that individuals finished on perches. Thus, although the availability of songposts limited the distribution of the species, it did not appear to affect individual breeding success. The study highlights the importance of pine plantations for the species in lowland England, but also the benefits of large blocks of habitat and targeted forest management, for instance, the retention of mature trees in coupes of restock for Pipits to use as songposts. [source] Influence of slope and aspect on long-term vegetation change in British chalk grasslandsJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2006JONATHAN BENNIE Summary 1,The species composition of fragmented semi-natural grasslands may change over time due to stochastic local extinction and colonization events, successional change and/or as a response to changing management or abiotic conditions. The resistance of vegetation to change may be mediated through the effects of topography (slope and aspect) on soils and microclimate. 2,To assess long-term vegetation change in British chalk grasslands, 92 plots first surveyed by F. H. Perring in 1952,53, and distributed across four climatic regions, were re-surveyed during 2001,03. Changes in vegetation since the original survey were assessed by comparing local colonization and extinction rates at the plot scale, and changes in species frequency at the subplot scale. Vegetation change was quantified using indirect ordination (Detrended Correspondence Analysis; DCA) and Ellenberg indicator values. 3,Across all four regions, there was a significant decrease in species number and a marked decline in stress-tolerant species typical of species-rich calcareous grasslands, both in terms of decreased plot occupancy and decreased frequency within occupied plots. More competitive species typical of mesotrophic grasslands had colonized plots they had not previously occupied, but had not increased significantly in frequency within occupied plots. 4,A significant increase in Ellenberg fertility values, which was highly correlated with the first DCA axis, was found across all regions. The magnitude of change of fertility and moisture values was found to decrease with angle of slope and with a topographic solar radiation index derived from slope and aspect. 5,The observed shift from calcareous grassland towards more mesotrophic grassland communities is consistent with the predicted effects of both habitat fragmentation and nutrient enrichment. It is hypothesized that chalk grassland swards on steeply sloping ground are more resistant to invasion by competitive grass species than those on flatter sites due to phosphorus limitation in shallow minerogenic rendzina soils, and that those with a southerly aspect are more resistant due to increased magnitude and frequency of drought events. [source] Genotype and viral load as prognostic indicators in the treatment of hepatitis CJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 4 2000Trepo Interferon-, (IFN-,), either alone or in combination with ribavirin, is the standard treatment for patients with hepatitis C. However, most patients do not achieve a sustained remission with this treatment regimen. A number of studies have demonstrated that genotype, baseline viral load and/or a decrease in viral load early after treatment induction are the major predictive factors for response to treatment with IFN. Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 are more resistant to treatment with IFN, whereas low viral load at baseline and a marked decline in the HCV RNA level during the first 2,12 weeks of IFN therapy are associated with enhanced treatment efficacy. These variables could potentially be used to develop treatment algorithms that tailor therapies for specific clinical situations. Continued development and refinement of such algorithms would facilitate both the selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from therapy and the development of optimal treatment regimens for different patient groups. Predictive factors will also enable clinicians to identify subsets of patients who are not expected to respond well to current treatment. The development of new delivery methods for IFN that produce sustained antiviral pressure may provide a means of treating these previously difficult-to-treat patient groups. [source] Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans induces apoptosis of T lymphocytes by the Fas and Fas ligand pathwayMOLECULAR ORAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2002A. Nalbant Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans expresses a number of toxins capable of inducing apoptotic cell death of T lymphocytes. However, the exact mechanism(s) has not been elucidated. The present study investigated the involvement of the Fas (CD95)-mediated apoptotic pathway in A. actinomycetemcomitans -induced T-cell apoptosis. To that end, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured with or without A. actinomycetemcomitans cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) for 0,96 h. The cells were then labeled with specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry was performed. Results demonstrated up-regulation of Fas and activation of caspase-3 in T cells in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans CFCS. Monocytes were the only cells analyzed to express Fas ligand (FasL) constitutively, and this was further up-regulated in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans CFCS, while T cells expressed FasL only after this stimulation. Depletion of monocytes prior to stimulation with A. actinomycetemcomitans CFCS led to a marked decline in apoptosis. Blocking of Fas,FasL interactions with anti-Fas monoclonal antibody or Fas:Fc fusion protein lead to a significant decline, but not abolition, of T-cell apoptosis. Nearly all T cells expressed Bcl-2 at the outset of culture, and Bcl-2 expression declined in T cells stimulated with A. actinomycetemcomitans CFCS. Collectively, these data provide evidence for the induction of T-cell apoptosis by A. actinomycetemcomitans via the Fas-mediated pathway, involving caspase-3 and Bcl- 2. Moreover, this apoptotic response was dependent on the presence of monocytes. [source] Adverse effects associated with persistent stimulation of Leydig cells with hCG in vitroMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 11 2009Archana Aggarwal The detrimental effects of persistent stimulation with hCG were investigated in rat Leydig cells in vitro. Significant rise in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) with concomitant attenuation in the activities of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione- S -transferase was observed. Transcripts for catalase and superoxide dismutase were also depleted. Subsequent to each hCG challenge, the total antioxidant capacity in the target cells also declined significantly (P,<,0.05). There was an increase in cell apoptosis (23%), which was associated with a rise in caspase-3 activity, PARP cleavage, and Fas, FasL, caspase-8 expression. While Bax and Caspase-9 expression remained unchanged, Bcl-2 demonstrated a marked decline. Taken together, the above data indicate that persistent hCG stimulation of Leydig cells induced adverse effects leading to oxidative stress and apoptosis which was channeled primarily through the extrinsic pathway. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 1076,1083, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Consequences of forest fragmentation for polyporous fungi at two spatial scalesOIKOS, Issue 2 2006R. Penttilä Greatly reduced area of old-growth forests and the very low amount of dead wood in managed forests in northern Europe have caused a marked decline in the populations of saproxylic species. It is less clear at which spatial and temporal scales these adverse changes are taking place, and more information is needed to reliably predict which species are especially sensitive to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Here we compare species richness, incidence of occurrence in forest fragments, and abundance of polyporous fungal species and species groups between two regions in Finland with contrasting histories of forestry and a marked difference in the amount and spatial configuration of old-growth forests. We also analyse the consequences of increasing loss of connectivity on the presence and abundance of polypores in a study region with a documented short-term history of old-growth fragmentation. Our results show that the species number, incidence of occurrence, and abundance of especially the rare, threatened, and near-threatened species are much lower in the old-growth fragments in Häme in southern Finland in comparison with Kuhmo in eastern Finland, most probably because of the longer history of intensive forestry in Häme. Among the rare species, the species that show the greatest difference between the two regions (at the scale of 500 km) also tended to respond most strongly to the more recent forest fragmentation within the study region in Kuhmo (at the scale of 50 km). Polypores associated with spruce seem to be more strongly affected by forestry than species associated with pine, possibly reflecting the differences in the natural dynamics of spruce-dominated and pine-dominated forests. [source] Chagos feels the pinch: assessment of holothurian (sea cucumber) abundance, illegal harvesting and conservation prospects in British Indian Ocean TerritoryAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 1 2010A. R. G. Price Abstract 1.Data are analysed from visual censuses of shallow-water holothurians (sea cucumbers) in 72 shallow water transects 100,m×2,m within four atolls of Chagos. Mean holothurian abundance in Diego Garcia, where harvesting is absent, was 18.5 individuals/transect (all transects) and 55.4 individuals/transect (only those containing holothurians). In the three exploited atolls, mean abundance did not exceed 3.5 and 5.2 individuals/transect, respectively. 2.Comparison with data collected during this study and an earlier investigation reveals a marked decline over four years in both mean and maximum density of commercially valuable Stichopus chloronotus and Holothuria atra in Salomon and Peros Banhos, both exploited atolls, and also for Holothuria nobilis in the latter. 3.Holothurian counts were also made along an extensive transect (21,km×4,m) encircling Salomon atoll. Abundance showed highly significant negative correlation with fishing pressure, the latter estimated using an ordinal (0,3) scale (Rs=,0.605, P,0.01). Harvesting effects were not discernible using data from 200,m2 transects. 4.While recent studies have shown Chagos is virtually pristine regarding contaminant levels, its holothurian resources are under increasing pressure. Results from this study, and examination of Sri Lanka's fishing activity in distant waters, point to heavy and illegal harvesting. 5.Stronger measures are needed to control the illegal fishery, to prevent holothurian abundances falling to the non-sustainable levels now prevalent across much of the Indo-Pacific, and to ensure that Chagos remains a biodiversity hotspot and environment of international renown. Use of smaller surveillance vessels would facilitate this.Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Environmental changes in man-made coastal dune pools since 1850 as indicated by sedimentary and epiphytic diatom assemblages (Belgium)AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 3 2003Luc Denys Abstract 1.Diatom assemblages of man-made coastal dune wetlands between Blankenberge and Heist (Belgium), dating from 1852 to 1929 and sampled from herbarium specimens of macrophytes, were compared with more recent samples collected in the remaining calcareous dune marshes and pools in this area. 2.Overall, nutrient conditions inferred from the reference assemblages were fairly eutrophic for phosphorus. Only a minority of the historical assemblages pointed to presumably nitrogen-limited conditions. 3.Significant alterations in general assemblage composition were observed, including a marked decline of epiphytic species, and a decrease in the compositional variation in sediment diatom assemblages. These changes can be attributed mainly to an increased availability of nutrients and degradable organic matter since the mid 1970s. No changes in the salinity range seem to have occurred, suggesting fairly stable hydrological conditions. 4.Possible causes for eutrophication include increased atmospheric deposition of nutrients, but also more site-related phenomena such as guanotrophication, angling and, perhaps, effects of nature management on soil,nutrient cycling. Their relative importance needs to be established and further monitoring is necessary. 5.Measures are required to reduce nutrient levels of both permanently and periodically inundated sites and to promote small-scale habitat differentiation. Due to physical constraints, the latter will be possible only by mimicking the processes that act upon more natural dune systems in management practice. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Socioeconomic Changes and the Decline in Poverty: A View from Three Villages in the Philippines, 1985,1997,ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005Jonna P. Estudillo O10; O15 The present paper examines socioeconomic changes and decline in rural poverty using a panel dataset collected in the Philippine villages in 1985, 1993 and 1997. The most important finding is the transition of the rural economy away from a regime of low nonfarm income to a regime of high nonfarm income accompanied by a marked decline in poverty. The relative contribution of access to land on rural poverty reduction declined, whereas the relative contribution of human capital, more importantly represented by college schooling, increased over time. [source] Long-term Administration of Rapamycin Reduces Adiposity, but Impairs Glucose Tolerance in High-Fat Diet-fed KK/HlJ MiceBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Geng-Ruei Chang In this study, we investigated the metabolic effects of rapamycin in an obese animal model, KK/HlJ mice. Mice were treated with a daily intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin at 2 mg/kg or vehicle for 42 days on a high-fat diet. Treated mice lost body weight and adiposity, reduced weight gain and retroperitoneal and epididymal fat pads/body weight, decreased serum leptin and plasma triglyceride levels and had lower liver fat concentration. However, treated mice had higher serum insulin levels and food intake. Dissection of rapamycin-treated mice revealed a marked reduction in fatty liver scores and fat cell size in retroperitoneal and epididymal adipocytes. Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed that rapamycin treatment resulted in decreasing adipophilin expression, as a marker of lipid accumulation, and reducing phosphorylation of mTOR downstream targets S6K1 compared to control group. Unfortunately, rapamycin-treated animals showed a marked decline in glucose tolerance as judged by the 180-min. area under the curve for plasma glucose levels, paralleled by increased generation of plasma reactive oxygen species. These results suggest that continual rapamycin administration may help to prevent diet-induced obesity, while prolonged use of rapamycin may exacerbate glucose intolerance. [source] Declining Trends in Cesarean Deliveries, Ohio 1989,1996: An Analysis by IndicationsBIRTH, Issue 1 2000Siran M. Koroukian PhD Background:Similar to trends observed nationwide, the rates of cesarean deliveries declined in Ohio during the late 1980s and the early 1990s. This study examined the trends in cesarean deliveries in Ohio from 1989 through 1996, in the presence or absence of indications, and in relation to the use of obstetric procedures. Methods:Birth certificate data for all singleton, liveborn infants in Ohio (n =1,204,859) were used to analyze temporal trends in cesarean sections. Results:The rates of primary and repeat cesarean deliveries declined, respectively, from 15.7 to 12.4 percent and from 83 to 63.3 percent during the 8-year study period. Significant declines in repeat cesarean deliveries were observed both in the presence and absence of documented medical conditions that could present a potential indication for the procedure. The rates of repeat cesareans remained comparable among women with and without documented indications for cesarean section (64% and 61%, respectively). In addition, 45 and 30 percent of repeat cesareans in 1989 and 1996, respectively, were performed in the absence of any documented indications, or on an elective basis. The declines in cesarean delivery rates during the 8-year study period occurred simultaneously with an increase in the use of electronic fetal monitoring, induction, and stimulation of labor. Conclusions:The findings suggest that a sizable proportion of repeat cesarean deliveries in 1996 may be unnecessary, even though a marked decline in the procedure has occurred between 1989 and 1996. [source] Protein kinase E of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a role in the nitric oxide stress response and apoptosis in a human macrophage model of infectionCELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Deepak Jayakumar Summary Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an intracellular pathogen, inhibits macrophage apoptosis to support survival and replication inside the host cell. We provide evidence that the functional serine/threonine kinase, PknE, is important for survival of M. tuberculosis that enhances macrophage viability by inhibiting apoptosis. A promoter of PknE identified in this study was shown to respond to nitric oxide stress. Deletion of pknE in virulent M. tuberculosis, H37Rv, resulted in a strain that has increased resistance to nitric oxide donors and increased sensitivity to reducing agents. The deletion mutant created by specialized transduction induced enhanced apoptosis while inhibiting necrosis. The pknE mutant also modifies the innate immune response as shown by the marked decline in the pro-inflammatory cytokines in a macrophage model of infection. These findings suggest a novel mechanism, by which PknE senses nitric oxide stress and prevents apoptosis by interfering with host signalling pathways. [source] | |||||||||||||