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Selected AbstractsBaseline cognition, behavior, and motor skills in children with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2010VIKRAM V BHISE Aim, Epilepsy is associated with difficulties in cognition and behavior in children. These problems have been attributed to genetics, ongoing seizures, psychosocial issues, underlying abnormality of the brain, and/or antiepileptic drugs. In a previous study, we found baseline cognitive differences between children with partial versus generalized and convulsive versus non-convulsive seizures. Measures in that study focused primarily on IQ scores. In the present study, we assessed baseline function with respect to new learning, attention, and memory, thus providing a more comprehensive profile than our previous study. Method, We examined 57 children (42 females, 15 males), aged 6 to 17 years (mean 10y 1mo, SD 2y 9mo), with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsy, using tests of cognitive function reflective of new learning, memory, and attention. Seizures were classified as generalized convulsive (n=5), generalized non-convulsive (n=18), or focal (n=34). Focal seizures were divided into unilateral versus bilateral independent foci, and presence versus absence of secondary generalization. Results, Attention was a particular area of weakness across all groups. The Vocabulary score of an intelligence screen was higher for the focal seizure groups (p=0.012), primarily because of a difference between the unilateral focal and the primary generalized groups (p<0.047). Children with generalized, non-convulsive seizures performed significantly worse than the focal group on a measure of short-term auditory memory (p=0.019). All groups performed poorly on a test of visual,motor speed. Interpretation, These findings suggest intrinsic abnormalities in children with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsy at baseline. [source] Relationship of glucose regulation to changes in weight: a systematic review and guide to future researchDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 5 2010Ching-Ju Chiu Abstract Although weight gain and obesity are risk factors for poor glucose regulation, the relationship, if any, of glucose regulation to changes in weight is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research examining the relationship of glucose regulation to changes in weight in human-based studies and to provide guidelines for future research in this area. We searched electronic databases and reference sections of relevant articles, including both diabetic and non-diabetic populations, to locate all the literature published before February 2010, and then conducted a systematic review across studies to compare the research designs and findings. The 22 studies meeting our criteria for review generally supported the relationship of glucose regulation to changes in weight. Three studies reported that poor glucose regulation is associated with weight gain; 12 studies concluded that poor glucose regulation is associated with weight loss; 5 showed complex relationships depending on age, sex, or race/ethnicity; and 2 suggested no relationship. The diverse findings may imply that the direction (negative or positive) of the relationship may depend on specific conditions. More research focused on different subpopulations may provide more definitive information supplemental to the current preliminary findings. Recommendations regarding future research in this particular area are provided in the discussion. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Thai Isolates of Pyricularia grisea by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNAJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2008P. Sirithunya Abstract One hundred and seventy-four isolates of Pyricularia grisea were collected from various hosts such as barley, rice, weed and wild rice in Thailand. Seven arbitrary decamer primers from the set of University of British Columbia were employed and nine lineages were classified. Lineages B, C and H were predominant, contributing up to 70% of total pathogens in this study. Analysis showed that the distribution of each lineage differs from the predominant lineages across Thailand in such that other lineages were restricted in particular area. For instance, lineage A was limited only in southern Thailand, whereas wide distribution of lineages B and C reflected an influence of both biological and physical effects on pathogen variation. Principal component analysis resulted in a total of four groups of blast pathogen with small distinctions between barley-, rice-, weed- and wild rice-infected blast. Bridging relationships occurred among border isolates of weed and rice blast suggesting a chance of migrations between hosts. Higher diversity was observed in northern, north-eastern and central Thailand while eastern and southern parts were rather low. Genetic diversity indices elucidated an abundance of pathogen lineages existing in northern Thailand suggesting that it should be the centre of diversity. [source] Malaria Antibodies and Mefloquine Levels among United Nations Troops in AngolaJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2001Eli Schwartz Background: The United Nations deployed about 8,000 soldiers in a peacekeeping mission in Angola. Malaria is the most common disease there and consequently it was the major risk to the UN troops. Most of them are from malaria free areas. As a result of improper prophylactic measures there were many cases of malaria, including some deaths in 1995. In February,March 1996, an Israeli team was sent to Angola to evaluate the malaria situation among UN soldiers. This paper deals specifically with some aspects of chemoprophylaxis and diagnosis. The efforts were concentrated in one particular area where malaria incidence had been reported as the highest. Methods: Blood samples were collected from nonimmune soldiers who were using mefloquine as a prophylactic drug and were exposed to malaria. The mefloquine and the antimalarial antibody plasma levels were monitored. Results: While the local laboratory indicated that about 80% had a malaria episode, the serological results revealed that only 5 soldiers of the 56 (9%) examined had antimalarial antibodies, of which 3 were Angolans. Despite a controlled prophylactic regimen there was considerable variability in mefloquine plasma levels: 46% of the samples were below the required prophylactic level and 26% above it. All patients who were proven positive with malaria by both microscopic and serologic observation had a low level of mefloquine. Conclusions: In field conditions, a kit which identifies plasmodial antigens, is preferable, to a microscopic diagnostic method. Controlled mefloquine prophylaxis may not prevent malaria, especially when blood levels are low. The reason for the low mefloquine blood levels is not clear and needs further evaluation. [source] Introduction to "Moral Economies, State Spaces, and Categorical Violence"AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 3 2005K. SIVARAMAKRISHNAN Guest Editor By studying and writing about social revolutions and popular protest, James Scott has provided anthropologists and social theorists with a wide-ranging analytical vocabulary for speaking about peace and its inseparable twin,violence. His particular area of expertise has been the arts of repressive peace, and the artfulness of those who elude or defy such silencing technologies. The publication of The Moral Economy of the Peasant in 1976 initiated the first interactions between Scott's unique brand of political theory and anthropology in the shared topical space of peasant studies and the shared geographic space of Asian studies. The authors of this "In Focus" have assembled this special collection to celebrate and evaluate those and subsequent interactions covering a quarter of a century and spanning the publication of at least three other books: Weapons of the Weak (1985), Domination and the Arts of Resistance (1990), and Seeing Like a State (1998). [source] Communication with the Environment?POLITICS, Issue 3 2000Non-human Nature in the Theories of Jürgen Habermas The theories of Jürgen Habermas provide us with a powerful analytical tool for the analysis of politics, including social movements. However, they are lacking in one particular area, the analysis of environmental politics. The reasons behind these difficulties can be traced through the development of Habermas's work and lie in the inability of non-human nature to participate in language-based discourse. The dilemma is acute , the ecocentric moral position needs grounding in the rationality of discourse if it is not to slip into possibly dangerous irrationality, but how can such a grounding occur? This article reviews the development of discussion in this area and investigates advocacy as a possible resolution of the problem. [source] Identification of a spatially efficient portfolio of priority conservation sites in marine and estuarine areas of FloridaAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 4 2009Laura Geselbracht Abstract 1.A systematic conservation planning approach using benthic habitat and imperilled species data along with the site prioritization algorithm, MARXAN, was used to identify a spatially efficient portfolio of marine and estuarine sites around Florida with high biodiversity value. 2.Ensuring the persistence of an adequate geographic representation of conservation targets in a particular area is a key goal of conservation. In this context, development and testing of different approaches to spatially-explicit marine conservation planning remains an important priority. 3.This detailed case study serves as a test of existing approaches while also demonstrating some novel ways in which current methods can be tailored to fit the complexities of marine planning. 4.The paper reports on investigations of the influence of varying several algorithm inputs on resulting portfolio scenarios including the conservation targets (species observations, habitat distribution, etc.) included, conservation target goals, and socio-economic factors. 5.This study concluded that engaging stakeholders in the development of a site prioritization framework is a valuable strategy for identifying broadly accepted selection criteria; universal target representation approaches are more expedient to use as algorithm inputs, but may fall short in capturing the impact of historic exploitation patterns for some conservation targets; socio-economic factors are best considered subsequent to the identification of priority conservation sites when biodiversity value is the primary driver of site selection; and the influence of surrogate targets on portfolio selection should be thoroughly investigated to ensure unintended effects are avoided. 6.The priority sites identified in this analysis can be used to guide allocation of limited conservation and management resources. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Species concepts and floras: what are species for?BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008SANDRA KNAPP In 1992, in a special paper in the American Journal of Botany, Ernst Mayr attempted to ,prove' the biological species concept (BSC) worked as well in plants as it did in animals by analyzing the flora of the Concord region of northern Massachusetts. He concluded that there were minimal difficulties when applying the BSC for the plants of this particular area, and concluded that botanists were misguided in not accepting the BSC. He suggested that what he called ,typological' thinking was prevalent in the taxonomic community, and that this was a factor in botanical resistance to the BSC. Typology, as defined by Mayr in his 1992 foray into botany, is to a certain extent a straw-man and, by the late 20th Century, no longer a way of thinking in widespread use in the taxonomic community in any organismal group. Here, I examine his analysis in the light of current interest in plant diversity. Species can be characterized as hypotheses about the distribution of variation in nature, subject to test with new data of many kinds. Species concepts like the BSC, although of interest philosophically and to researchers looking at mechanisms of speciation, may actually get in the way of achieving a baseline understanding of the diversity of life on Earth. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 17,25. [source] Clinical Assessment and Surgical Implications of Anatomic Challenges in the Anterior MandibleCLINICAL IMPLANT DENTISTRY AND RELATED RESEARCH, Issue 4 2003Nuri Mraiwa BDS ABSTRACT Background: The anterior mandible is generally considered a rather safe surgical area, involving few risks of damage to vital anatomic structures. Nevertheless, both neurosensory disturbances and hemorrhages have been reported after implant surgery in that particular area. Purpose: With the increasing demand for oral implant placement, the anatomy of the anterior mandible should receive more attention. This review will focus on the anatomic peculiarities of the anterior mandible and the related clinical implications. Methods: The scientific evidence on the anatomic, histologic, physiologic, and clinical aspects of the neurovascularization of the anterior mandible will be reviewed. Results: Surgical complications may be attributed to the existence of a mandibular incisive canal with a true neurovascular supply. Potential risks may also be related to the presence of the lingual foramen and anatomic variations, such as an anterior looping of the mental nerve. Conclusions: Preoperative radiographic planning for oral implant placement in the anterior mandible should therefore not only consider all esthetic and functional demands but should also pay particular attention to the anatomic peculiarities of this region to avoid any neurovascular complications. [source] Vulnerability, Control and Oil Palm in Sarawak: Globalization and a New Era?DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2002Fadzilah Majid Cooke In the post logging era, Sarawak is being restructured to make way for large-scale oil palm plantations. In this restructuring, the vulnerabilities of particular areas are being used in a wider battle to control production, particularly for export. Native customary lands, considered ,unproductive' or ,idle' by officials, are the target of oil palm plantation development under a new land development programme called Konsep Baru (New Concept). This article looks at the contradictions generated by the complex process of laying claims to ,idle' native customary land and focuses on Dayak organizing initiatives in northern Sarawak, Malaysia. [source] IS EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY STRATEGIC SCIENCE?EVOLUTION, Issue 1 2007Thomas R. Meagher There is a profound need for the scientific community to be better aware of the policy context in which it operates. To address this need, Evolution has established a new Outlook feature section to include papers that explore the interface between society and evolutionary biology. This first paper in the series considers the strategic relevance of evolutionary biology. Support for scientific research in general is based on governmental or institutional expenditure that is an investment, and such investment is based on strategies designed to achieve particular outcomes, such as advance in particular areas of basic science or application. The scientific community can engage in the development of scientific strategies on a variety of levels, including workshops to explicitly develop research priorities and targeted funding initiatives to help define emerging scientific areas. Better understanding and communication of the scientific achievements of evolutionary biology, emphasizing immediate and potential societal relevance, are effective counters to challenges presented by the creationist agenda. Future papers in the Outlook feature section should assist the evolutionary biology community in achieving a better collective understanding of the societal relevance of their field. [source] Plant species as indicators of the extent of desertification in four sandy rangelandsAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Ping An Abstract We examined the distribution of plants in sandy rangelands with different degrees of desertification in (i) Horqin and Mu Us sandy lands in north China, (ii) Darfur district in north-west Sudan and (iii) southern Tunisia. The severity of desertification in these areas was classified as light, moderate, severe or extreme. The following vegetation changes were observed with increasing severity of desertification: a decrease in the number of plant species, an increase in drought-tolerant plants, a decrease in the proportion of palatable grasses and the occurrence of some species in only one category of desertification, whereas other species occurred in several categories. Plant species with unique niche requirements were identified and recommended as indicators of the degree of desertification for particular areas. We discuss the characteristics of species in areas with severe desertification and the method of using plant species as indicators of the extent of desertification. Résumé Nous avons examiné la distribution des plantes dans des régions sableuses touchées à différents degrés par la désertification 1) dans les terres sableuses de Horqin et de Mu Us, dans le nord de la Chine, 2) dans le district du Darfur, au nord-ouest du Soudan et 3) dans le sud de la Tunisie. La gravité de la désertification était classifiée comme légère, modérée, sévère ou extrême. Les changements de végétation suivants ont été observés en fonction de l'accroissement de la désertification: une diminution du nombre d'espèces de plantes, une augmentation des plantes supportant la sécheresse, une diminution de la proportion de plantes appétantes, et l'occurrence de certaines espèces qui ne vivent que dans une catégorie de désertification, alors que d'autres espèces apparaissent dans plusieurs catégories. On a identifié les espèces végétales qui exigent une niche précise et on les a recommandées comme indicateurs du degré de désertification dans des zones particulières. Nous discutons des caractéristiques des espèces dans des régions où la sécheresse est sévère et de la méthode pour utiliser les espèces végétales comme indicateurs de la gravité de la désertification. [source] The City as Social Display: Landed Elites and Urban Images in Charleston and PalermoJOURNAL OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Enrico Del Lago The landed elites of Charleston and Palermo successfully modified the layout of the two cities by choosing particular areas of residence in which they could express their economic and social exclusivity through ,representational' architecture. In doing this, the two landed elites constructed images of the cities which built upon already established ones acquired in previous centuries. While the old images were the symbolic expressions of the political domination of two distant states over their colonies, the new images symbolized the power of the landed aristocrats, their domination of the social and economic life of the cities, and their commitment to nationalist struggles against new and hostile political institutions. [source] Modeling of Thermal Behavior of Ancient Metallurgical CeramicsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007Anno Hein The finite element method is used to examine the thermal properties of functional ceramics, which were used in metallurgical processes during antiquity. Based on the ceramics' microstructure a model is developed considering the impact of porosity and inclusions and the heat transfer from ceramics to environment. An example of a Bronze Age copper smelting furnace from Cyprus is presented. Particularly the influence of pore shape and pore orientation on the thermal conductivity is investigated. Temperature development in the entire furnace is simulated and compared with estimations of the firing temperature in particular areas of the furnace. [source] Male and female range use in a group of white-bellied spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in Yasuní National Park, EcuadorAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Stephanie N. Spehar Abstract Spider monkeys (Ateles sp.) live in a flexible fission,fusion social system in which members of a social group are not in constant association, but instead form smaller subgroups of varying size and composition. Patterns of range use in spider monkeys have been described as sex-segregated, with males and females often ranging separately, females utilizing core areas that encompass only a fraction of the entire community range, and males using much larger portions of the community range that overlap considerably with the core areas of females and other males. Males are also reported to use the boundary areas of community home ranges more often than females. Spider monkeys thus seem to parallel the "male-bonded" patterns of ranging and association found among some groups of chimpanzees. Over several years of research on one group of spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador, we characterized the ranging patterns of adult males and females and evaluated the extent to which they conform to previously reported patterns. In contrast to ranging patterns seen at several other spider monkey sites, the ranges of our study females overlapped considerably, with little evidence of exclusive use of particular areas by individual monkeys. Average male and female home range size was comparable, and males and females were similar in their use of boundary areas. These ranging patterns are similar to those of "bisexually bonded" groups of chimpanzees in West Africa. We suggest that the less sex-segregated ranging patterns seen in this particular group of spider monkeys may be owing to a history of human disturbance in the area and to lower genetic relatedness between males, highlighting the potential for flexibility some aspects of the spider monkeys' fission,fusion social system. Am. J. Primatol. 72:129,141, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Kinship and social bonds in female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Kevin Langergraber A large body of theoretical and empirical research suggests that kinship influences the development and maintenance of social bonds among group-living female mammals, and that human females may be unusual in the extent to which individuals form differentiated social relationships with nonrelatives. Here we combine behavioral observations of party association, spatial proximity, grooming, and space use with extensive molecular genetic analyses to determine whether female chimpanzees form strong social bonds with unrelated individuals of the same sex. We compare our results with those obtained from male chimpanzees who live in the same community and have been shown to form strong social bonds with each other. We demonstrate that party association is as good a predictor of spatial proximity and grooming in females as it is in males, that the highest party association indices are consistently found between female dyads, that the sexes do not differ in the long-term stability of their party association patterns, and that these results cannot be explained as a by-product of the tendency of females to selectively range in particular areas of the territory. We also show that close kin (i.e. mother,daughter and sibling dyads) are very rare, indicating that the vast majority of female dyads that form strong social bonds are not closely related. Additional analyses reveal that "subgroups" of females, consisting of individuals who frequently associate with one another in similar areas of the territory, do not consist of relatives. This suggests that a passive form of kin-biased dispersal, involving the differential migration of females from neighboring communities into subgroups, was also unlikely to be occurring. These results show that, as in males, kinship plays a limited role in structuring the intrasexual social relationships of female chimpanzees. Am. J. Primatol. 71:840,851, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Keeping connected: security, place, and social capital in a ,Londoni' village in SylhetTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 3 2008Katy Gardner This article explores the relationship between social mobility, insecurity, and connectedness to hierarchically ordered foreign places in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Here, particular areas have migratory connections with Britain, a destination which is perceived by those left behind as supplying bountiful economic opportunities and long-lasting security. In contrast, Bangladesh is experienced as insecure and lacking in prospects. Within this context, social connections are vital, for through them links to Britain are produced and maintained; this is especially the case for young men who are hoping to find a British bride. For them, connectedness results from both their social capital (relationships to successful ,Londoni' migrants who help arrange their marriages) and their cultural capital (gained by participating in particular forms of work and lifestyles, thus making them more attractive as prospective grooms). Meanwhile for those families settled in Britain, another form of transnational connectedness takes place, in which the political insecurity and social exclusion experienced in Britain are offset by economic and social investments in the desh (homeland). Résumé L'article explore la relation entre mobilité sociale, insécurité et connections avec des lieux situés à l'étranger et entre lesquels une hiérarchie est établie. Dans le Sylhet, région du Bangladesh, certaines zones ont des connections migratoires avec la Grande-Bretagne, destination que ceux qui sont restés perçoivent comme riche de possibilités économiques lucratives et de sécurité durable alors que le Bangladesh est perçu comme peu sûr et dépourvu de perspectives. Dans ce contexte, les connections sociales sont vitales car elles font le lien avec la Grande-Bretagne, en particulier pour les jeunes hommes qui espèrent y trouver une épouse. Dans leur cas, les connections sont le produit à la fois d'un capital social (relations avec les émigrés londoni qui ont réussi et qui aident à arranger les mariages) et d'un capital culturel (acquis en participant à certaines formes de travail et de mode de vie qui améliorent leur attrait en tant que maris potentiels). Pour les familles installées en Grande-Bretagne, les connections transnationales prennent une autre forme, dans laquelle l'insécurité politique et l'exclusion sociale vécues sur place sont compensées par les investissements économiques et sociaux dans le desh (« le pays »). [source] Using T-PODs to assess variations in the occurrence of coastal bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoisesAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2010Helen Bailey Abstract 1.Assessments of anthropogenic impacts on cetaceans are often constrained by limited data on the extent to which these species use particular areas. 2.Timing porpoise detectors (T-PODs) are autonomous data recorders for detecting cetacean echolocation clicks, potentially providing cost-effective opportunities for monitoring cetacean occurrence. 3.The performance of T-PODs was assessed in three areas off the Scottish east coast, where the relative occurrence of bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises was known to differ. Land-based observations in one area compared visual and acoustic detections of dolphins, while direct hydrophone recordings of dolphin echolocation clicks were compared with T-POD detections during boat surveys. 4.Land-based surveys recorded 89 groups of dolphins within 900 m of the T-POD. All groups spending >30,min in the area were detected on the T-POD, and the probability of detection declined in relation to distance from the recording site. 5.The number of dolphin clicks recorded on the independent hydrophone system was significantly related to the number detected by a T-POD. Between pairs of T-PODs, there was also significant correlation with the numbers of clicks recorded in each hour, both for channels set to detect bottlenose dolphins and for channels set to detect harbour porpoises. 6.Year-round deployments of paired T-PODs detected significant geographical variation in detections for both bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises. This pattern reflected published data from visual surveys, where dolphins occurred most regularly within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, and porpoises were sighted more regularly in offshore waters. 7.T-PODs do not detect all cetaceans in the area, and care must be taken when interpreting data from mixed species communities. Nevertheless, these results confirm that T-PODs provide an effective method for monitoring the occurrence of bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises, and provide excellent potential for collecting baseline data from poorly studied areas and monitoring long-term temporal change in key areas of interest. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||