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Terms modified by Mid Selected AbstractsSpiritual Seeking, Narcissism, and Psychotherapy: How Are They Related?JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2005PAUL WINK This study used data from a long-term longitudinal study of men and women to examine the relations among spirituality, narcissism, and psychotherapy. The findings indicated that in late adulthood (age late 60s/mid 70s) spirituality was related to autonomous or healthy narcissism but was unrelated to willful (overt) or hypersensitive (covert) narcissism, two pathological forms of the construct. Autonomy in early adulthood (age 30s) was a significant predictor of spirituality in late adulthood (a time interval of close to 40 years) and this relation was mediated by involvement in psychotherapy in midlife. Autonomy was related positively, and hypersensitivity was related negatively, to concern for the welfare of future generations. These findings are discussed in light of current concerns about the social implications of the therapeutic culture. [source] Additives in intravenous anesthesia modulates pulmonary inflammation in a model of LPS-induced respiratory distressACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2009J. J. HAITSMA Background: It has been suggested that propofol with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can modulate the systemic inflammatory response. Prolonged higher levels of pulmonary inflammation are associated with poor outcome of patients with acute lung injury. In the present study, we hypothesized that pulmonary inflammation could be modulated by propofol with EDTA compared with propofol with sulfite. Methods: Respiratory distress was induced in rats (n=25) by intratracheal nebulization of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24 h, animals were randomized to either propofol with EDTA (PropofolEDTA), propofol with sulfite (Propofolsulfite) or ketamine/midazolam (Ket/Mid); control animals received saline (n=30). Animals were ventilated for 4 h and blood gases were measured hourly. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for cytokine analysis of: tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2. Results: LPS led to increased pulmonary inflammation in all groups compared with the control groups. Gas exchange deteriorated over time only in the LPS Propofolsulfite group and was significantly lower than the Ket/Mid group. Only IL-6 was significantly higher in the LPS Propofolsulfite group compared with both the Ket/Mid group and the PropofolEDTA group. Conclusion: Pulmonary IL-6 can be modulated by additives in systemic anesthesia. Implication Statement: This study demonstrates that pulmonary inflammation caused by direct lung injury can be modulated by intravenous anesthesia used in critically ill patients. [source] What changes in health-related quality of life matter to multiple myeloma patients?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010A prospective study Abstract Objective: To determine the clinical significance of changes in quality-of-life scores in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), we have estimated the minimal important difference (MID) for the health-related quality-of-life instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30. The MID is the smallest change in a quality-of-life score considered important to patients. Methods: Between 2006 and 2008, 239 patients with MM completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 at inclusion (T1) and after 3 months (T2). At T2, a structured quality-of-life interview was also performed. MIDs were calculated by using mean score changes (T2,T1) for patients who in the interview stated they had improved, deteriorated or were unchanged. MIDs were also estimated by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve method as well as by calculation effect sizes using standard deviations of baseline scores. Results: MIDs varied slightly depending on the method used. Patients stating in the interview that they had ,improved' or ,deteriorated' had a corresponding change in EORTC QLQ-C30 score ranging from 6 to15 (improvement) and from 9 to17 (deterioration) (scale range 0,100). The ROC analysis indicated that changes in score from 7 to17 represent clinically important changes to patients. The effect size method suggested 5,6 to be a small and 11,15 to be a medium change. Conclusion: Calculation of MIDs as mean score changes or by ROC analysis suggested that a change in the EORTC QLQ-C30 score in the range of approximately 6,17 is considered important by patients with MM. These MIDs are closer to a medium effect size than to a small effect size. Our findings imply that mean score changes smaller than 6 are unlikely to be important to the patients, even if these changes are statistically significant. [source] The Joint Democracy,Dyadic Conflict Nexus: A Simultaneous Equations ModelINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2003Rafael Reuveny Many statistical studies in international relations investigate the claim that democracies do not fight one another. Virtually all of these studies employ a single-equation design, where the dependent variable measures the presence or absence of a dyadic militarized interstate dispute (MID). A separate group of studies argues that conflict affects democracy and that its effect could be positive or negative. By and large, these two bodies of literature have not incorporated one another's insights. We argue that democracy and dyadic conflict affect each other significantly and that statistical models that ignore the reciprocal nature of these effects may make incorrect inferences. To test this argument, we develop a simultaneous equations model of democracy and dyadic conflict. Our sample includes all the politically relevant dyads from 1950 to 1992. We find that dyadic military disputes reduce joint democracy and joint democracy reduces the probability of MIDs. Compared with the single-equation estimates in the literature, the absolute effect of joint democracy in our paper is smaller while in relative terms, the effect is similar in size. The effect of joint democracy on MID involvement is considerably smaller for noncontiguous countries than for contiguous ones. The effects of a number of control variables in the MID equation are also found to differ from those reported previously in single- equation,based studies. [source] Eyewitness testimony and perceived credibility of youth with mild intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2004M. Peled Abstract Background Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are more vulnerable to abuse compared to individuals without disabilities yet have limited access to the legal system. This study examined perceived credibility of youth with mild intellectual disability (MID) who provide courtroom testimony. Method Participants, 187 undergraduates, were asked general questions about credibility. They also read eyewitness testimony and answered questions about a particular witness's credibility. Half the participants were informed that the youth has MID [chronological age (CA) 15 years, mental age (MA) 10 years] and the others were informed that the youth is a typically developing 10-year-old. Results When participants were asked general questions about credibility they rated 15-year-olds with MID (MA 10 years) as less credible than typically developing 15-year-olds and as less credible than typically developing 10-year-olds. However, when participants read eyewitness testimony and answered questions about a particular witness's credibility, no statistically significant differences were found between participants who were informed that the witness was a 15-year-old with MID (MA 10 years) and those who were informed that the witness was a typically developing 10-year-old. Conclusions The present study provided a preliminary investigation of perceived credibility of witnesses with MID and suggests directions for future research in this area. [source] Introduction of picture archiving and communication system at The Townsville HospitalJOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2005PE Jackson Summary The performance of a medical imaging department (MID) can be judged by the timing and availability of an image and its report to the treating physician, as this can impact on the patient's treatment, as well as the length and cost of a patient's hospitalization. The use of digital imaging has dramatically improved report turnaround time. In October 2001, The Townsville Hospital (TTH) was opened as a 460 bed greenfield site and as part of the installation a picture archiving and communication system, including web distribution of images and reports to wards and clinics, was included. This retrospective analysis of the MID at TTH is the first data on departmental productivity and individual workload and how these have changed since the hospital's opening 2 years ago, with some ideas for further improvement. [source] GRAY WHALEs' MID-SPRING FEEDING AT BAHÍA DE LOS ÁNGELES, GULF OF CALIFORNIA, MEXICOMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2001JoséÁngel Sánchez-Pacheco [source] Methods to Determine the Minimum Important Difference for a Sexual Event Diary Used by Postmenopausal Women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire DisorderTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2007Tara Symonds PhD ABSTRACT Introduction., Recently, there has been much discussion in the literature about how to determine the meaningfulness of results generated from a patient-reported outcome measure. A number of reviews have shown that there are two main approaches: anchor- and distribution-based approaches for determining the minimum important difference (MID) for a new measure. There are issues with calculating an MID using each method: Will the two approaches give the same estimate? If the estimates differ, how do you decide on one estimate? Would asking patients directly be more beneficial? Aim., A case study was presented to address these issues based on a newly developed diary assessing number of satisfactory sexual events (SSEs) per week in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Methods., Anchor- and distribution-based estimates were generated from data gathered in two double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trials for the treatment of HSDD (N = 788). A novel interview study was used to ask women directly about an MID for SSEs (N = 77). Main Outcome Measures., Defining the MID for an SSE diary in women with HSDD. Results., The estimates varied, producing a range of mean MID estimates between 0.04 and 0.46 SSEs per week. Conclusion., We recommend that rather than defining the MID, a range should be selected from the set of estimates formed by the limits of the 95% confidence intervals. Symonds T, Spino C, Sisson M, Soni P, Martin M, Gunter L, and Patrick DL. Methods to determine the minimum important difference for a sexual event diary used by postmenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. J Sex Med 2007;4;1328,1335. [source] End-to-end and end-to-middle interhelical interactions: new classes of interacting helix pairs in protein structuresACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 10 2009Tarini Shankar Ghosh Helix,helix interactions are important for the structure, stability and function of ,-helical proteins. Helices that either cross in the middle or show extensive contacts between each other, such as coiled coils, have been investigated in previous studies. Interactions between two helices can also occur only at the terminal regions or between the terminal region of one helix and the middle region of another helix. Examples of such helix pairs are found in aquaporin, H+/Cl, transporter and Bcl-2 proteins. The frequency of the occurrence of such `end-to-end' (EE) and `end-to-middle' (EM) helix pairs in protein structures is not known. Questions regarding the residue preferences in the interface and the mode of interhelical interactions in such helix pairs also remain unanswered. In this study, high-resolution structures of all-, proteins from the PDB have been systematically analyzed and the helix pairs that interact only in EE or EM fashion have been extracted. EE and EM helix pairs have been categorized into five classes (N,N, N,C, C,C, N,MID and C,MID) depending on the region of interaction. Nearly 13% of 5725 helix pairs belonged to one of the five classes. Analysis of single-residue propensities indicated that hydrophobic and polar residues prefer to occur in the C-terminal and N-terminal regions, respectively. Hydrophobic C-terminal interacting residues and polar N-terminal interacting residues are also highly conserved. A strong correlation exists between some of the residue properties (surface area/volume and length of side chains) and their preferences for occurring in the interface of EE and EM helix pairs. In contrast to interacting non-EE/EM helix pairs, helices in EE and EM pairs are farther apart. In these helix pairs, residues with large surface area/volume and longer side chains are preferred in the interfacial region. [source] Longitudinal validity and responsiveness of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire , Parent Form in children 0,12 years following positive and negative food challengesCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 3 2010A. DunnGalvin Summary Background There are no published studies of longitudinal health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessments of food-allergic children using a disease-specific measure. Objective This study assessed the longitudinal measurement properties of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire , Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF) in a sample of children undergoing food challenge. Methods Parents of children 0,12 years completed the FAQLQ-PF and the Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM) pre-challenge and at 2 and 6 months post food challenge. In order to evaluate longitudinal validity, differences between Group A (positive challenge) and Group B (negative challenge) were expected over time. We computed correlation coefficients between change scores in the FAQLQ-PF and change scores in the FAIM. To determine the minimally important difference (MID), we used distributional criterion and effect size approaches. A logistic regression model profiled those children falling below this point. Results Eighty-two children underwent a challenge (42 positive; 40 negative). Domains and total score improved significantly at pos-challenge time-points for both groups (all P<0.05). Sensitivity was demonstrated by significant differences between positive and negative groups at 6 months [F(2, 59)=6.221, P<0.003] and by differing improvement on relevant subscales (P<0.05). MID was 0.45 on a seven-point response scale. Poorer quality of life at baseline increased the odds by over 2.0 of no improvement in HRQL scores 6-month time-point. General maternal health (OR 1.252), number of foods avoided (OR 1.369) and children >9 years (OR 1.173) were also predictors. The model correctly identified 84% of cases below MID. Conclusion The FAQLQ-PF is sensitive to change, and has excellent longitudinal reliability and validity in a food-allergic patient population. The standard error of measurement value of 0.5 points as a threshold for meaningful change in HRQL questionnaires was confirmed. The FAQLQ-PF may be used to identify problems in children, to assess the effectiveness of clinical trials or interventions, and to guide the development of regulatory policies. Cite this as: A. DunnGalvin, C. Cullinane, D. A. Daly, B. M. J. Flokstra-de Blok, A. E. J. Dubois and J. O'B. Hourihane, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 476,485. [source] Major and minor depression in Parkinson's disease: a neuropsychological investigationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 9 2006A. Costa Previous studies have failed to distinguish the differential contribution of major and minor depression to cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). This study was aimed at investigating the relationships among major depression (MD), minor depression (MiD) and neuropsychological deficits in PD. Eighty-three patients suffering from PD participated in the study. MD and MiD were diagnosed by means of a structured interview (SCID-I) based on the DSM-IV criteria, and severity of depression was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory. For the neuropsychological assessment, we used standardized scales that measure verbal and visual episodic memory, working memory, executive functions, abstract reasoning and visual-spatial and language abilities. MD patients performed worse than PD patients without depression on two long-term verbal episodic memory tasks, on an abstract reasoning task and on three measures of executive functioning. The MiD patients' performances on the same tests fell between those of the other two groups of PD patients but did not show significant differences. Our results indicate that MD in PD is associated with a qualitatively specific neuropsychological profile that may be related to an alteration of prefrontal and limbic cortical areas. Moreover, the same data suggest that in these patients MiD and MD may represent a gradual continuum associated with increasing cognitive deficits. [source] Mid- and high-ratio premix insulin analogues: potential treatment options for patients with type 2 diabetes in need of greater postprandial blood glucose controlDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2 2010J. S. Christiansen Some patients with type 2 diabetes continue to have high postprandial blood glucose levels on twice-daily regimens of ,low-ratio' premix insulin formulations (up to 30% rapid-acting, with 70% protracted insulin). These patients require intensified insulin therapy, which can be provided by a twice- or thrice-daily regimen of mid-ratio (50% rapid-acting and 50% protaminated intermediate-acting insulin , human or analogue) or high-ratio (70% rapid-acting and 30% protaminated insulin , analogue only) premix insulin. Alternatively, a third daily injection of low-ratio premix insulin can be added to the regimen, with the option of incorporating one or more injections of mid- or high-ratio premix as required, and as an alternative to basal,bolus therapy. How these mid- and high-ratio formulations differ from the low-ratio premix insulins is reviewed here, with the aim of identifying the role of these formulations in diabetes management. Glucose clamp studies have shown that premix analogues give serum insulin levels proportional to their percentage of rapid-acting uncomplexed insulin: the higher the proportion, the greater the maximum level reached. Other pharmacokinetic parameters were not always significantly different between the mid- and high-ratio formulations. In clinical trials, postprandial plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were significantly reduced with thrice-daily mid- /high-ratio premix analogue when compared with twice-daily low-ratio biphasic human insulin (BHI) 30/70 or once-daily insulin glargine. Moreover, glycaemic control with mid-/high-ratio premix analogue was found to be similar to that with a basal,bolus therapy. Mid- and high-ratio premix regimens are generally well tolerated. The frequency of minor hypoglycaemia was reportedly higher with mid- /high-ratio premix analogues than with BHI 30, but nocturnal hypoglycaemia was less frequent. Although there is little evidence that clinical outcomes with mid-ratio premix analogues are different from those with high-ratio, they are useful additions to the low-ratio formulations for the management of diabetes, and addressing postprandial hyperglycaemia in particular. [source] Ex Ante Hedging Effectiveness of UK Stock Index Futures Contracts: Evidence for the FTSE 100 and FTSE Mid 250 ContractsEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000Darren Butterworth Ex ante hedging effectiveness of the FTSE 100 and FTSE Mid 250 index futures contracts is examined for a range of portfolios, consisting of stock market indexes and professionally managed portfolios (investment trust companies). Previous studies which focused on ex post hedging performance using spot portfolios that mirror market indexes are shown to overstate the risk reduction potential of index futures. Although ex ante hedge ratios are found to be characterised by intertemporal instability, ex ante hedging performance of direct hedges and cross hedges approaches that of the ex post benchmark when hedge ratios are estimated using a sufficient window size. [source] Diagnostic osteology and analysis of the Mid- to Late Holocene dynamics of shags and cormorants in Tierra del FuegoINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2007D. Causey Abstract We present here illustrated characteristics and anatomical descriptions of features that can be used to discriminate between four common skeletal elements (i.e. humerus, coracoid, femur, tarsometatarsus) of the five species of shags and cormorants known to occur in southern South America. We also present a detailed study of their distribution and abundance from about 6000 years before present to historical times as revealed by identification of faunal material excavated earlier and by re-analysis of material published previously. Our results present a high-resolution examination of the avian resource base used by early human hunters, and provide a foundation for future studies on the palaeoavifauna of Tierra del Fuego during the Mid- to Late Holocene. On the broadest scales, species diversity of the Phalacrocoracidae is qualitatively stable over space and time, a pattern that is also reflected in the larger marine bird community. On a finer scale, however, our results indicate that the abundance and distribution of cormorants and shags in Mid- and Late Holocene zooarchaeological deposits varied in a complex manner through time. These patterns do not appear to be related to proximity effects of hunters to colonies, but to other factors possibly associated with environmental change. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Proof of the Pudding: The Effects of Increased Trade Transparency in the London Stock ExchangeJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 7-8 2000John Board The trade publication rules of the London Stock Exchange were changed on 1 January, 1996, to increase transparency. This paper investigates whether these changes affected market behaviour by examining data on 60 firms from the FTSE 100, FTSE Mid 250 and the FTSE Small Cap indices before and after this rule change. This study finds there has been a major increase in transparency, with no detrimental effects on the quality of the market. In particular, neither the volume nor the traded bid-ask spread has been adversely affected. [source] Arrhythmogenesis of T Wave Alternans Associated with Surface QRS Complex Alternans and the Role of Ventricular Prematurity: Observations from a Canine Model of LQT3 SyndromeJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2002MASAOMI CHINUSHI M.D. Intramural TWA and Its Arrhythmogenesis.Introduction: T wave alternans (TWA) is characterized by cycle-to-cycle changes in the QT interval and/or T wave morphology. It is believed to amplify the underlying dispersion of ventricular repolarization. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanisms and arrhythmogenesis of TWA accompanied by QRS complex and/or blood pressure (BP) waveform alternans, using transmural ventricular electrogram recordings in an anthopleurin-A model of long QT syndrome. Methods and Results: The cardiac cycle length was gradually shortened by interruption of vagal stimulation, and TWA was induced in six canine hearts. Transmural unipolar electrograms were recorded with plunge needle electrodes from endocardial (Endo), mid-myocardial (Mid), and epicardial (Epi) sites, along with the surface ECG and BP. The activation-recovery interval (ARI) was measured to estimate local refractoriness. During TWA, ARI alternans was greater at the Mid than the Epi/Endo sites, and it was associated with the development of marked spatial dispersion of ventricular repolarization. As TWA increased, ventricular activation of the cycles associated with shorter QT intervals displayed delayed conduction at the Mid sites as a result of a critically longer ARI of the preceding cycle and longer QT interval, while normal conduction was preserved at the Epi site. Delayed conduction at the Mid sites manifested as surface ECG QRS and BP waveform alternans, and spontaneous ventricular tachyarrhythmias developed in absence of ventricular prematurity. In other instances, in absence of delayed conduction during TWA, ventricular premature complexes infringed on a prominent spatial dispersion of ventricular repolarization of cycles with long QT intervals and initiated ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Conclusion: TWA accompanied by QRS alternans may signal a greater ventricular electrical instability, since it is associated with intramural delayed conduction, which can initiate ventricular tachyarrhythmia without ventricular premature complexes. [source] Demographic variation and population viability in Gentianella campestris: effects of grassland management and environmental stochasticityJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2001Tommy Lennartsson Summary 1,Transition matrix models were used to evaluate the effects of environmental stochasticity and four different methods of grassland management on dynamics and viability of a population of the biennial Gentianella campestris (Gentianaceae) in species-rich grassland. Data were collected between 1990 and 1995. 2,Continuous summer grazing, the prevailing management strategy in Scandinavian grasslands, resulted in high recruitment of new plants, mainly because litter accumulation was prevented and gaps were created by trampling. Trampling and repeated grazing, however, caused damage which reduced seed production. Lambda for the average matrix was c. 0.77, and a stochastic matrix model yielded an extinction probability for the total population of c. 0.08 within 50 years. 3,Mowing in mid-July (used as a conservation tool) increased seed production, but litter accumulation following re-growth of the vegetation prevented establishment. Lambda and extinction risk were similar to continuous grazing. 4,Mowing in October (another conservation tool) promoted recruitment because of low litter accumulation, but the seed output decreased because plant growth was impaired by tall vegetation. Lambda was 0.64, while the extinction probability was very high (c. 0.98 within 50 years). 5,Mid-July mowing followed by autumn grazing (the historical management regime) yielded high values for both seed production and establishment of rosettes. Lambda was 0.94 and the probability of extinction within 50 years was below detection level. 6,Log-linear analysis showed that the matrices differed significantly both between treatments and between years. The latter indicates environmental stochasticity, here caused by summer drought that increased the extinction risk. Lambda may be slightly underestimated because drought occurred in one out of five summers during the study period, which is high compared with the natural frequency. 7,We conclude that traditional grassland management is more favourable for G. campestris than the methods that prevail in Scandinavia today. This indicates a serious conservation problem, because grazing has replaced traditional management in many of the remaining semi-natural grasslands throughout Europe. [source] Age-Related Changes in Drinking Patterns From Mid- to Older Age: Results From the Wisconsin Longitudinal StudyALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2010Rachel C. Molander Background:, Drinking has generally been shown to decline with age in older adults. However, results vary depending on the measure of alcohol consumption used and the study population. The goals of this study were to (i) describe changes in drinking in a current cohort of older adults using a variety of measures of drinking and (ii) examine a number of different possible predictors of change. Methods:, This is a longitudinal study of a community-based sample surveyed at 2 time points, ages 53 and 64 years. We estimated a series of logistic regressions to predict change and stability in drinking categories of nondrinking, moderate drinking, and heavy drinking. Linear regressions were used to predict change in past-month drinking days, past-month average drinks per drinking day, and past-month total drinks. Results:, From age 53 to 64, average drinks per drinking day and heavy drinking decreased. Frequency of drinking increased for men and women, and total drinks per month increased for men. The most consistent predictors of drinking changes were gender, health, and education. Other factors predicted drinking change but were not consistent across drinking measures including: adolescent IQ, income, lifetime history of alcohol-related problems, religious service attendance, depression, debt, and changes in employment. Conclusions:, Heavy drinking decreases with age, but we may see more frequent moderate drinking with current and upcoming cohorts of older adults. Components of quantity and frequency of drinking change differently. Composite measures of total alcohol consumption may not be adequate for describing relevant changes in drinking over time. A number of factors predicted patterns of change in drinking and warrant further exploration. [source] Mid- to late Holocene relative sea-level change in Poole Harbour, southern EnglandJOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Robin J. Edwards Abstract A foraminiferal transfer function for mean tide level (MTL) is used in combination with AMS radiocarbon dated material to construct a record of relative sea-level (RSL) change from Poole Harbour, southern Britain. These new data, based on multiple cores from duplicate sites, indicate four phases of change during the last 5000 cal. (calendar) yr: (i) rising RSL between ca. 4700 cal. yr BP and ca. 2400 cal. yr BP; (ii) stable to falling RSL from ca. 2400 cal. yr BP until ca. 1200 cal. yr BP; (iii) a brief rise in RSL from ca. 1200 cal. yr BP to ca. 900 cal. yr BP, followed by a period of stability; (iv) a recent increase in the rate of RSL rise from ca. 400,200 cal. yr BP until the present day. In addition, they suggest that the region has experienced long-term crustal subsidence at a rate of 0.5 mm C14 yr,1. Although this can account for the overall rise in MTL observed during the past 2500 yr, it fails to explain the changes in the rate of rise during this period. This implies that the phases of RSL change recorded in the marshes of Poole Harbour reflect tidal range variations or ,eustatic' fluctuations in sea-level. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pregnancy outcome in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency and normal karyotypePRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 5 2002M. V. Senat Abstract Objective This study was conducted to evaluate pregnancy outcome and mid- and long-term prognosis of cases with nuchal translucency ,4,mm and normal karyotype. Methods Retrospective analysis of 160 cases who presented with a nuchal translucency ,4,mm when the CRL was between 45 and 84,mm was undertaken. Cystic hygromas were excluded. When the karyotype was normal a detailed anomaly scan was performed at 20 to 24 weeks followed by serial ultrasound examination. Clinical examination of the neonates was performed by a paediatrician. Long-term follow-up was completed through a questionnaire filled in by parents, GPs and paediatricians. Results 160 fetuses had an NT ,4,mm. 44.3% had an abnormal karyotype. Of the 55.7% with normal karyotypes, 74 % did not show any abnormalities on follow-up ultrasound scan. Mid- and long-term outcome was known in 91% of the cases. 6.4% had a malformation diagnosed only at birth. Among the normal neonates, 11.1% are considered to have a significant neurological handicap or orthopaedic problems at 12 to 72 months of age. Conclusion In an unselected population, NT ,4,mm is associated with a high incidence of chromosomal and non chromosomal abnormalities. Even when the fetal karyotype and serial ultrasound examinations are considered to be normal, the risk of fetal malformation and developmental delay should not be underestimated. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mid,Cretaceous Episodic Magmatism and Tin Mineralization in Khingan-Okhotsk Volcano,Plutonic Belt, Far East RussiaRESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Kohei SATO Abstract: Age of magmatism and tin mineralization in the Khingan-Okhotsk volcano,plutonic belt, including the Khingan, Badzhal and Komsomolsk tin fields, were reviewed in terms of tectonic history of the continental margin of East Asia. This belt consists mainly of felsic volcanic rocks and granitoids of the reduced type, being free of remarkable geomagnetic anomaly, in contrast with the northern Sikhote-Alin volcano,plutonic belt dominated by oxidized-type rocks and gold mineralization. The northern end of the Khingan-Okhotsk belt near the Sea of Okhotsk, accompanied by positive geomagnetic anomalies, may have been overprinted by magmatism of the Sikhote-Alin belt. Tin,associated magmatism in the Khingan-Okhotsk belt extending over 400 km occurred episodically in a short period (9510 Ma) in the middle Cretaceous time, which is coeval with the accretion of the Kiselevka-Manoma complex, the youngest accretionary wedge in the eastern margin of the Khingan-Okhotsk accretionary terranes. The episodic magmatism is in contrast with the Cretaceous-Paleogene long,lasted magmatism in Sikhote,Alin, indicating the two belts are essentially different arcs, rather than juxtaposed arcs derived from a single arc. The tin-associated magmatism may have been caused by the subduction of a young and hot back-arc basin, which is inferred from oceanic plate stratigraphy of the coeval accre-tionary complex and its heavy mineral assemblage of immature volcanic arc provenance. The subduction of the young basin may have resulted in dominance of the reduced-type felsic magmas due to incorporation of carbonaceous sediments within the accretionary complex near the trench. Subsequently, the back-arc basin may have been closed by the oblique collision of the accretionary terranes in Sikhote,Alin, which was subjected to the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene magmatism related to another younger subduction system. These processes could have proceeded under transpressional tectonic regime due to oblique subduction of the paleo-Pacific plates under Eurasian continent. [source] Temporal Distribution of Diagnostic Biofabrics in the Lower and Middle Ordovician in North China: Clues to the Geobiology of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification EventACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 3 2009Jianbo LIU Abstract: The temporal distribution of the diagnostic biofabrics in the Lower and Middle Ordovician in North China distinctly illustrates that the sedimentary systems on the paleoplate have been changed markedly as consequences of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE). The pre-GOBE sedimentary systems deposited in Tremadoc display widespread microbialite and flat-pebble conglomerates, and a less extent of bioturbation. Through the transitional period of early Floian, the sedimentary systems in the rest of the Early and Mid- Ordovician change to GOBE type and are characterized by intensive bioturbation and vanishing flat-pebble conglomerates and subtidal microbial sediments. The irreversible changes in sedimentary systems in North China are linked to the GOBE, which conduced the increase in infaunal tiering, the expansion of infaunal ecospace, and the appearance of new burrowers related to the development of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna during the Ordovician biodiversification. Thus, changes in sedimentary systems during the pivotal period of the GOBE were consequences of a steep diversification of benthic faunas rather than the GOBE's environmental background. [source] Surgery for carcinoid tumours of the lower gastrointestinal tractCOLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 2 2003A. C. Goede Abstract Introduction, Carcinoid tumours are rare neoplasms that originate from neuroendocrine cells of the primitive gastrointestinal tract. Mid- and hind-gut tumours comprise the majority of these rare tumours. With many recent advances in medical treatment the role and importance of surgery and the surgeon needs to be assessed. Method, A Medline, Pubmed and Embase databases search was undertaken. All relevant articles were cross-referenced. Results and conclusions, Incidental findings of carcinoid tumours should be treated at initial surgery whilst elective surgery and further management should be undertaken in specialist centres by a multidisciplinary team. Asymptomatic patients have a better prognosis than those with symptoms. In advanced cases surgery combined with chemotherapy and liver resection is appropriate. The outlook for the majority of cases is good. [source] Simultaneous determination of parabens, triclosan and triclocarban in water by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometryRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 12 2009Iria González-Mariño A method for the determination of several household biocides in water by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) is presented. It permits the simultaneous determination of triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC) and seven parabens, including the distinction between branched and linear isomers of propyl (i -PrP and n -PrP) and butyl parabens (i -BuP and n -BuP). Prior to LC/MS/MS, analytes are preconcentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on Oasis HLB (60,mg) cartridges at natural sample pH and subsequently eluted with 4,mL of methanol. This simple SPE procedure provides extraction recoveries above 85% except for raw wastewater, where it falls to 65% for TCC. The performance of the method was tested with two triple-quadrupole LC/MS instruments from a low/mid and mid/high market range: a Varian 1200L and an API-4000. The latter system provided between 3 and 80 times lower limits of quantification (LOQs) than the first one, in the 0.08,0.44,ng/L range for surface water. Moreover, a comparison of matrix effects on both instruments showed a very different behaviour, particularly in the case of parabens. For these compounds signal suppression was observed in the 1200L instrument and signal enhancement with the 4000 instrument. As a result, different calibration approaches were chosen for them and this pointed to the need of matrix effect re-evaluation in method transfer between different LC/MS systems. The application of the method to real samples showed the ubiquity of methyl paraben (MeP) and n -PrP (at the 1,6,µg/L in raw wastewater) and the coexistence of i -BuP and n -BuP at similar levels (ca. 100,200,ng/L in raw wastewater). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Heavy Extinctions of Forest Avifauna in Singapore: Lessons for Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast AsiaCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2000Marjorie Castelletta In Southeast Asia, Singapore, a newly developing country, has had 95% of its native lowland rainforest cleared. Most of the rainforest was lost in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. We compared avifauna checklists from 1923, 1949, and 1998 to determine the extent of extinctions between 1923 and 1998 in Singapore. Of 203 diurnal bird species, 65 were extirpated in Singapore in the past 75 years. Four of these species were nonforest- dependent species, whereas 61 (94%) were forest bird species dependent on the primary or old secondary forest to survive. Twenty-six forest bird species became extinct between 1923 and 1949, whereas 35 forest species disappeared after 1949. We compared the body lengths, feeding guilds, and vertical feeding zones between extinct and extant forest bird species to determine whether extinction patterns were dependent on these characteristics. Larger forest bird species went extinct between 1923 and 1949. Body sizes, however, did not affect the loss of forest bird species between 1949 and 1998. We observed high losses of insectivorous birds; the insectivore-carnivore and insectivore-granivore guilds lost> 80% of the species present in 1923. The highest losses were among birds that fed in the canopy. None of the forest bird species are currently common (>100 individuals/species) within Singapore. Our study shows that more than half the forest avifauna became locally extinct after extensive deforestation. Based on this fact, the countries within Southeast Asia should reconsider their heavy deforestation practices. Resumen: Las consecuencias de la tala rápida del bosque lluvioso sobre la avifauna nativa son poco conocidas. En Asia sudoriental, Singapur, un país en desarrollo, un 95% de su bosque nativo de tierras bajas ha sido talado. La mayoríia del bosque se perdió entre mediados y finales del siglo diecinueve. En este trabajo comparamos las listas de avifauna de 1923, 1949 y 1998 para determinar la extensión de las extinciones en Singapur entre 1923 y 1998. Sesenta y cinco de las 203 especies diurnas de aves fueron extirpadas de Singapur en los últimos 75 años. Cuatro de estas especies fueron especies no dependientes del bosque, mientras que 61 (94%) fueron especies de aves del bosque (especies que dependen del bosque primario o secundario viejo para sobrevivir). Veintiséis de las especies de aves del bosque se extinguieron entre 1923 y 1949, mientras que 35 especies del bosque desaparecieron después de 1949. Comparamos las longitudes del cuerpo, los gremios de alimentación y las zonas de alimentación vertical entre especies de aves de bosque extintas y existentes para determinar si los patrones de extinción fueron dependientes de estas características. Las especies de aves grandes del bosque se extinguieron entre 1923 y 1949. Sin embargo, el tamaño del cuerpo no afectó la pérdida de especies del bosque entre 1949 y 1998. Observamos altas pérdidas de aves insectívoras; los gremios de insectívoros-carnívoros e insectívoros-granívoros perdieron> 80% de las especies que estaban presentes en 1923. Los números más altos de pérdidas fueron de aves que se alimentan en el dosel. Ninguna de las especies de aves del bosque es común en la actualidad (>100 individuos/especie) dentro de Singapur. Nuestro estudio muestra que más de la mitad de la avifauna del bosque se ha extinguido localmente después de una deforestación extensiva. Con base en este hecho, los países dentro de Asia Sudoriental deberían reconsiderar sus prácticas de intensa deforestación. [source] Fzd3 and Fzd6 deficiency results in a severe midbrain morphogenesis defectDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 1 2010Sebastian Stuebner Abstract Wnt/,-catenin signaling controls the proper development of the mid-/hindbrain region (MHR) and of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons, but the Frizzled (Fzd) receptors transducing these signals are still unknown. Fzd3 is expressed throughout the mouse anterior neural tube, whereas Fzd6 is restricted to the MHR. We show that the MHR is properly established and mDA neurons develop normally in Fzd6,/, mutants, but the number of mDA neurons is initially reduced and recovers at later stages in Fzd3,/, embryos. Fzd3,/,; Fzd6,/, double mutants exhibit a severe midbrain morphogenesis defect consisting of collapsed brain ventricles, apparent thickening of the neuroepithelium, focal disruption of the ventricular basal lamina and protrusion of individual cells, and increased proliferation at later stages, despite a normal closure of the anterior neural tube and the rescue of the mDA defect in these embryos. Fzd3 and Fzd6 thus control proper midbrain morphogenesis by a yet unknown mechanism in the mouse. Developmental Dynamics 239:246,260, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Differential expression of CaMK-II genes during early zebrafish embryogenesisDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 1 2007Sarah C. Rothschild Abstract CaMK-II is a highly conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase expressed throughout the lifespan of all vertebrates. During early development, CaMK-II regulates cell cycle progression and "non-canonical" Wnt-dependent convergent extension. In the zebrafish, Danio rerio, CaMK-II activity rises within 2 hr after fertilization. At the time of somite formation, zygotic expression from six genes (camk2a1, camk2b1, camk2g1, camk2g2, camk2d1, camk2d2) results in a second phase of increased activity. Zebrafish CaMK-II genes are 92,95% identical to their human counterparts in the non-variable regions. During the first three days of development, alternative splicing yields at least 20 splice variants, many of which are unique. Whole-mount in situ hybridization reveals that camk2g1 comprises the majority of maternal expression. All six genes are expressed strongly in ventral regions at the 18-somite stage. Later, camk2a1 is expressed in anterior somites, heart, and then forebrain. Camk2b1 is expressed in somites, mid- and forebrain, gut, retina, and pectoral fins. Camk2g1 appears strongly along the midline and then in brain, gut, and pectoral fins. Camk2g2 is expressed early in the midbrain and trunk and exhibits the earliest retinal expression. Camk2d1 is elevated early at somite boundaries, then epidermal tissue, while camk2d2 is expressed in discrete anterior locations, steadily increasing along either side of the dorsal midline and then throughout the brain, including the retina. These findings reveal a complex pattern of CaMK-II gene expression consistent with pleiotropic roles during development. Developmental Dynamics 236:295,305, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ontogeny of tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA expression in mid- and forebrain: Neuromeric pattern and novel positive regionsDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2005Faustino Marín Abstract Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of catecholamines and, thus, critical in determining the catecholaminergic phenotype. In this study, we have examined the expression of TH mRNA by in situ hybridization in the embryonic mouse forebrain and midbrain and have mapped its localization according to the neuromeric pattern. We find that early in embryonic development, 10 to 12 days post coitum (dpc), TH mRNA is expressed in ample continuous regions of the neuroepithelium, extending across several neuromeres. However, from 12.5 dpc onward, the expression becomes restricted to discrete regions, which correspond to the dopaminergic nuclei (A8 to A15). In addition to these nuclei previously described, TH mRNA is also observed in regions that do not express this enzyme according to immunohistochemical studies. This difference in relation to protein expression pattern is consequent with the known posttranscriptional regulation of TH expression. The most representative example of a novel positive region is the conspicuous mRNA expression in both medial and lateral ganglionic eminences. This result agrees with reports describing the capacity of striatal stem cells (that is, located at the lateral ganglionic eminence) to become dopaminergic in vitro. Other regions include the isthmic mantle layer and the early floor plate of the midbrain,caudal forebrain. On the whole, the expression map we have obtained opens new perspectives for evolutionary/comparative studies, as well as for therapeutic approaches looking for potentially dopaminergic cells. Developmental Dynamics 234:709,717, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Phenotypic analyses of mouse embryos with ubiquitous expression of Oct4: Effects on mid,hindbrain patterning and gene expressionDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 1 2005Verónica Ramos-Mejía Abstract Oct4 is a transcription factor that has been associated with pluripotency and fate determination in the initial cell lineages of mammals. On the other hand, Pou2, the ortholog of Oct4 in zebrafish, serves additional later functions during brain development acting as a differentiation switch. In mice, Oct4 is expressed throughout the neural plate of embryos until embryonic day (E) 8.0. In this study, we produced transgenic mouse embryos that ubiquitously express Oct4 and analyzed the consequences during development. We show that, at E8.0, a higher dosage of Oct4 in the neuroectoderm is sufficient to transiently alter mid,hindbrain patterning and produced a strong up-regulation of Pax2, indicating that Oct4 can regulate this gene in vivo. After E9.5, ectopic Oct4 in this region produced cell death and affected the development of the forebrain, suggesting that, at these later stages, Oct4 down-regulation is necessary for normal development to proceed. The phenotype of the transgenic embryos was also accompanied with an increase of Fgf8 expression in several of its endogenous domains, suggesting the possibility that Oct4 can participate in the regulation of expression of this ligand. Our observations support the hypothesis that Oct4, like zebrafish Pou2, has a conserved function during early brain patterning in mouse. Developmental Dynamics 232:180,190, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Early requirement for fgf8 function during hindbrain pattern formation in zebrafishDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 2 2004Elizabeth L. Wiellette Abstract Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is required for normal development of the vertebrate brain, including the isthmus and caudal regions of the hindbrain. Recent work in zebrafish has identified a requirement for the combination of fgf3 and fgf8 functions in specification of rhombomeres 5 and 6 (r5, r6), when evaluated at mid- and late somitogenesis stages. However, when examined earlier in development, during early somitogenesis stages, FGF8 alone is required to initiate r5 and r6 development. Both a mutation in fgf8 and injection of fgf8 -targeted antisense morpholino-modified oligonucleotides result in suppression of genes normally expressed in r5 and r6 by the one- to two-somite stage. This expression recovers by the six-somite stage, and we propose that this recovery is a response to activation of fgf3 and to delayed accumulation of fgf8. These data demonstrate an early, nonredundant requirement for fgf8 function in hindbrain patterning. Developmental Dynamics 229:393,399, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||