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Potential Contribution (potential + contribution)
Selected AbstractsDopamine and Oxytocin Interactions Underlying Behaviors: Potential Contributions to Behavioral DisordersCNS: NEUROSCIENCE AND THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2010Tracey A. Baskerville Dopamine is an important neuromodulator that exerts widespread effects on the central nervous system (CNS) function. Disruption in dopaminergic neurotransmission can have profound effects on mood and behavior and as such is known to be implicated in various neuropsychiatric behavioral disorders including autism and depression. The subsequent effects on other neurocircuitries due to dysregulated dopamine function have yet to be fully explored. Due to the marked social deficits observed in psychiatric patients, the neuropeptide, oxytocin is emerging as one particular neural substrate that may be influenced by the altered dopamine levels subserving neuropathologic-related behavioral diseases. Oxytocin has a substantial role in social attachment, affiliation and sexual behavior. More recently, it has emerged that disturbances in peripheral and central oxytocin levels have been detected in some patients with dopamine-dependent disorders. Thus, oxytocin is proposed to be a key neural substrate that interacts with central dopamine systems. In addition to psychosocial improvement, oxytocin has recently been implicated in mediating mesolimbic dopamine pathways during drug addiction and withdrawal. This bi-directional role of dopamine has also been implicated during some components of sexual behavior. This review will discuss evidence for the existence dopamine/oxytocin positive interaction in social behavioral paradigms and associated disorders such as sexual dysfunction, autism, addiction, anorexia/bulimia, and depression. Preliminary findings suggest that whilst further rigorous testing has to be conducted to establish a dopamine/oxytocin link in human disorders, animal models seem to indicate the existence of broad and integrated brain circuits where dopamine and oxytocin interactions at least in part mediate socio-affiliative behaviors. A profound disruption to these pathways is likely to underpin associated behavioral disorders. Central oxytocin pathways may serve as a potential therapeutic target to improve mood and socio-affiliative behaviors in patients with profound social deficits and/or drug addiction. [source] Impact of BRCA mutations on female fertility and offspring sex ratio,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Roxana Moslehi Positive selection for inherited mutations in breast and ovarian cancer predisposing genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may contribute to the high frequency of BRCA mutations among the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Impact of BRCA mutations on fertility has not been generally explored in epidemiologic studies. There are reports of distorted sex ratios in BRCA carrier families but these findings have been attributed to bias. We investigated the effect of BRCA mutations on female fertility and offspring sex ratio in a study of 260 Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer and 331 controls, unselected for age or family history of the disease. Pregnancy success was similar for 96 mutation carrier (0.84) and 164 noncarrier cases (0.87) and controls (0.83). After adjusting for covariates, there were no significant differences between BRCA carrier and noncarrier cases and controls with regards to fertility, despite lower pregnancy rates among all cases compared to controls (P = 0.0049). Male/female sex ratios were significantly lower among offspring of carriers (0.71) than offspring of noncarriers (0.95) or those of the controls (0.99). Comparisons among the three groups yielded statistically significant distortion against males among the offspring of known and obligate BRCA carriers compared to noncarriers (OR = 0.74, 95% CI:0.55,0.99) and controls (OR = 0.71, 95% CI:0.54,0.94). In conclusion, we did not find evidence for an effect of BRCA mutations on female fertility. We found a significant excess of females among the offspring of female carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Potential contribution of observed sex ratio distortions to positive selection for BRCA mutations may warrant further investigation. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Potential contribution of selected canopy traits to the tolerance of foliar disease by spring barleyPLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2009I. J. Bingham A model of canopy photosynthesis and above-ground growth rate was used to investigate the potential impact of several canopy traits on tolerance of foliar disease by barley. Disease tolerance was defined as the reduction in predicted crop dry-matter growth rate per unit of visible disease symptoms. The traits were canopy area (leaf area index, LAI), light extinction coefficient (k) and the ratio of virtual to visible lesion size (,). The effects of altering the area of the healthy flag leaf and its light-saturated rate of photosynthesis (Pmax) in response to disease elsewhere on the plant were also investigated. The model was parameterized for spring barley and run with a solar radiation and temperature regime typical of north-east Scotland. Predicted reductions in growth rate per unit increase in disease were greatest at high disease severity and when disease was distributed relatively uniformly through the canopy. Tolerance was increased by increasing LAI to >3 and k to >0·3, but the beneficial effects depended on the severity and, to a lesser extent, the distribution of disease. Tolerance was reduced by increasing ,. A sensitivity analysis performed at a single disease severity and distribution showed that tolerance was most sensitive to variations in , and compensatory adjustments in area and Pmax of the flag leaf, and least sensitive to whole canopy LAI and k. Future research should quantify the genetic variation in these traits within barley germplasm to evaluate the scope for improving the disease tolerance of spring barley. [source] HLA,B27,restricted antigen presentation by human chondrocytes to CD8+ T cells: Potential contribution to local immunopathologic processes in ankylosing spondylitisARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 6 2009Maren Kuhne Objective Analysis of the histopathologic features of hip arthritis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has revealed accumulation of infiltrating mononuclear cells in the bone end plate and presence of hyaline articular cartilage that is not found in areas of total cartilage destruction. This study was undertaken to assess whether chondrocytes attract lymphocytes and whether cartilage chondrocytes from patients with AS have the potential to directly stimulate T cells in an HLA-restricted manner. Methods Human HLA,B27+ T cell lines, specific for the Epstein-Barr virus,derived peptide EBNA258,266, and autologous chondrocytes, serving as nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), were available for use in a model system to study chondrocyte functions in femoral head joint cartilage of patients with AS. Peptide functionality of cytotoxic T cells was assessed by flow cytometry, and cellular interactions were detected by fluorescence confocal microscopy. Results When maintained in an alginate matrix, chondrocytes isolated from the femoral heads of patients with AS constitutively expressed type II collagen and CD80. When pulsed with the EBNA258,266 peptide, autologous chondrocytes functioned as APCs and, specifically, induced interferon-, production in CD8+ T cells. In mixed chondrocyte,T cell cultures, cell,cell contacts were dependent on the presence of the EBNA258,266 peptide. T cells adjacent to chondrocytes produced perforin and granzyme B; both molecules were found in focal aggregates, a prerequisite for antigen-specific lysis of target cells. Conclusion Antigen presentation through human chondrocytes allows the stimulation of peptide-specific CD8+ T cells. These results indicate that human chondrocytes can act as nonprofessional APCs, and suggest that there is an interferon-,,triggered autocrine loop of immune cell,mediated chondrocyte activation in the already inflamed environment. Thus, local HLA-dependent activation of peptide-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells by chondrocytes might contribute to inflammatory processes in the spondylarthritides. [source] An Eco-innovation Case Study of Domestic Dishwashing through the Application of TRIZ ToolsCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2001Elies Jones The benefits of applying a structured method such as TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch: the Russian theory of inventive problem solving) to Eco-innovation are examined through use of two problem-solving tools from TRIZ in an Eco-innovation case study. A novel problem hierarchy model has been integrated to help identify the systems and sub-systems level innovations required for Eco-innovation. The benefits and shortcomings of the TRIZ tools, and the potential contribution of the problem hierarchy model in the innovation process are discussed. [source] A comparative evaluation of digital imaging, retinal photography and optometrist examination in screening for diabetic retinopathyDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 7 2003J. A. Olson Abstract Aims To compare the respective performances of digital retinal imaging, fundus photography and slit-lamp biomicroscopy performed by trained optometrists, in screening for diabetic retinopathy. To assess the potential contribution of automated digital image analysis to a screening programme. Methods A group of 586 patients recruited from a diabetic clinic underwent three or four mydriatic screening methods for retinal examination. The respective performances of digital imaging (n = 586; graded manually), colour slides (n = 586; graded manually), and slit-lamp examination by specially trained optometrists (n = 485), were evaluated against a reference standard of slit-lamp biomicroscopy by ophthalmologists with a special interest in medical retina. The performance of automated grading of the digital images by computer was also assessed. Results Slit-lamp examination by optometrists for referable diabetic retinopathy achieved a sensitivity of 73% (52,88) and a specificity of 90% (87,93). Using two-field imaging, manual grading of red-free digital images achieved a sensitivity of 93% (82,98) and a specificity of 87% (84,90), and for colour slides, a sensitivity of 96% (87,100) and a specificity of 89% (86,91). Almost identical results were achieved for both methods with single macular field imaging. Digital imaging had a lower technical failure rate (4.4% of patients) than colour slide photography (11.9%). Applying an automated grading protocol to the digital images detected any retinopathy, with a sensitivity of 83% (77,89) and a specificity of 71% (66,75) and diabetic macular oedema with a sensitivity of 76% (53,92) and a specificity of 85% (82,88). Conclusions Both manual grading methods produced similar results whether using a one- or two-field protocol. Technical failures rates, and hence need for recall, were lower with digital imaging. One-field grading of fundus photographs appeared to be as effective as two-field. The optometrists achieved the lowest sensitivities but reported no technical failures. Automated grading of retinal images can improve efficiency of resource utilization in diabetic retinopathy screening. Diabet. Med. 20, 528,534 (2003) [source] Sexual selection did not contribute to the evolution of male lifespan under curtailed age at reproduction in a seed beetleECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2009ALEXEI A. MAKLAKOV Abstract. 1. Sexual selection is a powerful evolutionary force that is hypothesised to play an important role in the evolution of lifespan. Here we test for the potential contribution of sexual selection to the rapid evolution of male lifespan in replicated laboratory populations of the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. 2. For 35 generations, newly hatched virgin male beetles from eight different populations were allowed to mate for 24 h and then discarded. Sexual selection was removed in half of these populations by enforcing random monogamy. 3. Classic theory predicts that because of sexual competition, males from sexually selected lines would have higher age-specific mortality rates and shorter lifespan than males from monogamous lines. 4. Alternatively, condition-dependent sexual selection may also favour genes that have positive pleiotropic effects on lifespan and ageing. 5. Males from all eight populations evolved shorter lifespans compared with the source population. However, there was no difference in lifespan between males from populations with or without sexual selection. Thus, sexual selection did not contribute to the evolution of male lifespan despite the fact that such evolution did occur in our study populations. [source] Systemic concentrations of antioxidants and biomarkers of macromolecular oxidative damage in horses with grass sicknessEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2003B. C. McGORUM Summary Reasons for performing study: The aetiopathogenesis of equine grass sickness (EGS) is unknown. The role of free radical-mediated neuronal damage has not previously been investigated in this condition. Objectives: To investigate the potential contribution of oxidative damage and antioxidant status to neurodegeneration in EGS. Methods: Systemic levels of surrogate biomarkers were determined in 10 horses with acute EGS and in 2 control populations; 10 healthy horses co-grazing with the 10 EGS horses at the onset of clinical disease, and 10 healthy mares grazing where EGS has not been reported. Results: EGS horses had alterations in levels of several antioxidants, consistent with oxidative stress, the acute phase response and/or the secondary metabolic complications of EGS. EGS horses had elevated plasma dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) levels. Conclusions: The elevated DOPA levels probably reflected a generalised disturbance of catecholamine metabolism rather than increased DOPA production via free radical-mediated oxidation of tyrosine. However, there was no evidence of systemic macromolecular oxidative damage. Potential clinical relevance: Further work is required to determine whether macromolecular oxidative damage occurring at the neuronal level contributes to EGS. [source] Modularity, evolvability, and adaptive radiations: a comparison of the hemi- and holometabolous insectsEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2001Andrew S. Yang SUMMARY Despite recent attention given to the concept of modularity and its potential contribution to the evolvability of organisms, there has been little mention of how such a contribution may affect rates of diversification or how this would be assessed. A first key prediction is that lineages with relatively greater degrees of modularity in given traits should exhibit higher rates of diversification. Four general conditions for testing this prediction of the modular evolvability hypothesis are outlined here. The potential role of modularity as a deterministic factor in adaptive radiations is best examined by looking at historic patterns of diversification rather than just levels of extant diversity, the focus of most analyses of key innovations. Recent developmental evidence supports the notion that phenotypes of juvenile and adult stages of insects with "complete" metamorphosis (Holometabola) are distinct developmental and evolvable modules compared to the highly correlated life stages of insects with "incomplete" metamorphosis (Hemimetabola). Family-level rates of diversification for these two groups were calculated from the fossil record. The Holometabola was found to have a significantly and characteristically higher rate of diversification compared to the less modular Hemimetabola, consistent with the idea that intrinsic differences in modularity can influence the long-term evolvability of organisms. The modular evolvability hypothesis also makes a second key prediction: that characters in more modular clades will exhibit greater levels of variation due to their independence. This provides an independent, phenotypically based test of the hypothesis. We discuss here how this second prediction may be tested in the case of the Hemi- and Holometabola. [source] The role of steroid hormones in the regulation of vasopressin and oxytocin release and mRNA expression in hypothalamo neurohypophysial explants from the ratEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2000Celia D. Sladek Vasopressin and oxytocin release from the neural lobe, and the vasopressin and oxytocin mRNA contents of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei are increased by hypertonicity of the extracellular fluid. The factors regulating these parameters can be conveniently studied in perifused explants of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system that include the supraoptic nucleus (but not the paraventricular nucleus) with its axonal projections to the neural lobe. Vasopressin and oxytocin release and the mRNA content of these explants respond appropriately to increases in the osmolality of the perifusate. This requires synaptic input from the region of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis. Glutamate is a likely candidate for transmitting osmotic information from the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis to the magnocellular neurones, because agonists for excitatory amino acid receptors stimulate vasopressin and oxytocin release, and because increased vasopressin release and mRNA content induced in hypothalamo-neurohypophysial explants by a ramp increase in osmolality are blocked by antagonists of both NMDA (N -methyl-D-aspartate) and non-NMDA glutamate receptors. Osmotically stimulated vasopressin release is also blocked by testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol and corticosterone. Both oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone block NMDA stimulation of vasopressin release, and in preliminary studies oestradiol blocked AMPA stimulation of vasopressin release. Thus, steroid inhibition of osmotically stimulated vasopressin secretion may reflect inhibition of mechanisms mediated by excitatory amino acids. Recent studies have demonstrated numerous mechanisms by which steroid hormones may impact upon neuronal function. Therefore, additional work is warranted to understand these effects of the steroid hormones on vasopressin and oxytocin secretion and to elucidate the potential contribution of these mechanisms to regulation of hormone release in vivo. [source] Can C4 plants contribute to aquatic food webs of subtropical streams?FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Joanne E. Clapcott Summary 1. Recent stable isotope studies have revealed that C4 plants play a minor role in aquatic food webs, despite their often widespread distribution and production. We compared the breakdown of C3 (Eucalyptus) and C4 (Saccharum and Urochloa) plant litter in a small rain forest stream and used laboratory feeding experiments to determine their potential contribution to the aquatic food web. 2. All species of litter broke down at a fast rate in the stream, although Urochloa was significantly faster than Eucalyptus and Saccharum. This was consistent with the observed higher total organic nitrogen of Urochloa compared with the other two species. 3. The breakdown of Urochloa and Saccharum was, however, not associated with shredding invertebrates, which were poorly represented in leaf packs compared with the native Eucalyptus. The composition of the invertebrate fauna in packs of Urochloa quickly diverged from that of the other two species. 4. Feeding experiments using a common shredding aquatic insect Anisocentropus kirramus showed a distinct preference for Eucalyptus over both C4 species. Anisocentropus was observed to ingest C4 plant litter, particularly in the absence of other choices, and faecal material collected was clearly of C4 origin, as determined by stable isotope analysis. However, the stable carbon isotope values of the larvae did not shift away from their C3 signature in any of the feeding trials. 5. These data suggest that shredders avoid the consumption of C4 plants, in favour of native C3 species that appear to be of lower food quality (based on C : N ratios). Lower rates of consumption and lack of assimilation of C4 carbon also suggest that shredders may have a limited ability to process this material, even in the absence of alternative litter sources. Large scale clearing of forest and vegetation for C4 crops such as sugarcane will undoubtedly have important consequences for stream ecosystem function. [source] Nicotinic acid/laropiprant: a new lipid-modifying therapyFUTURE PRESCRIBER, Issue 1 2009MRPharmS Medical Writer, Steve Chaplin MSc Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in the UK.1 Blood choleserol levels are a key risk factor for CVD, and can be modified by both drug treatment and lifestyle changes. In this article, Steve Chaplin considers the available clinical data on a new lipid-modifying therapy, a modified-release formulation of nicotinic acid and laropiprant; and Marc Evans comments on its potential contribution to reducing the risk of CVD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The ecology and agronomy of Miscanthus sinensis, a species important to bioenergy crop development, in its native range in Japan: a reviewGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 2 2009J. RYAN STEWART Abstract Among several candidate perennial taxa, Miscanthus×giganteus has been evaluated and promoted as a promising bioenergy crop. Owing to several limitations, however, of the sterile hybrid, both at the taxon and agronomic production levels, other options need to be explored to not only improve M. ×giganteus, which was originally collected in Japan, but to also consider the development of other members of its genus, including Miscanthus sinensis, as bioenergy crops. Indeed, there is likely much to be learned and applied to Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop from the long history of intensive interaction between humans and M. sinensis in Japan, which in some regions of the country spans several thousand years. Combined with its high amount of genetic variation, stress tolerance, biotic interactions with fauna, and function as a keystone species in diverse grasslands and other ecosystems within its native range, the unique and extensive management of M. sinensis in Japan as a forage grass and building material provides agronomists, agroecologists, and plant breeders with the capability of better understanding this species in terms of potential contribution to bioenergy crop development. Moreover, the studies described in this review may serve as a platform for future research of Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop in other parts of the world. [source] Multiple pathology and tails of disability: Space,time structure of disability in longevityGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2003Satoru Matsushita Disability and the resulting lowered quality of life are serious issues accompanying increased longevity. Curiously, despite its potential contribution to aging theory, complete statistical and etiological structures of this common and unwelcome aging phenotype before death have not been well identified. Another neglected issue in aging and disability is the principles of phylogenesis and morphogenesis, which contemporary life science invariably starts with. In the present review these two related subjects are addressed, with an introduction of an analysis on patients and published data. Statistically rigorous log,normal and normal distributions distinguish disability for its duration and age-wise distribution, respectively. Multiple pathology and diverse effects of various endogenous diseases on disability are confirmed. The robust long-tailed log,normal distribution for various phases of disability validates the fact that patients in disability undergo series of stochastic subprocesses of many independent endogenous diseases until death. For 60% of patients, the log,normal distribution is mimicked by a random walk model. Diseases of core organs are major causes of the long tails. A declining force of natural selection after reproduction and trade-off of life history through pleiotropy of the genes are considered to be the roots of aging. The attenuated selection pressure and the resulting decrease of genetic constraints produce an increased opportunity for chance and stochastics. Elucidated stochastic behaviors of disability underscore the key role of chance in aging. Evolutionary modifications in the development of the structure tend to favor developmentally later stages first. Distal parts are developmentally last, therefore most subject to modification. The rate of molecular evolution of the genes is also found to be relatively slow at the core and rapid at the edge of cells and organs. Therefore, systems at the core must be relatively slow and inactive to comply with pleiotropy and trade-offs in comparison with systems at the edge. Hence, against flat and probabilistic aging, the core organs must be moulded to be more robust with a lower threshold for dysfunction, to age relatively slowly, and should have less of a disease quota in aging. The principle of core protective aging assures possibilities not only to reduce disability but also to accomplish the Third Age as well. Finally, it must also be acknowledged that the principle is a double-edged sword. Paradoxically, the developed biological and societal organization provides protection for the injured core, and so develops long tails of disability. The principle of core protective aging re-emphasizes the key role of prevention in order to reduce the amount of disability. [source] An exploration of the contribution of the community nurse to rehabilitationHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2003Rosie Kneafsey RGN BSc Abstract Effective hospital and community rehabilitation services are increasingly recognised as a means of meeting the changing pattern of health and social care need. While the district or community nurse has the potential to play a central part in community rehabilitation provision, this role has received relatively scant attention in the literature. This paper describes research findings on community nurses' perceptions of their role and potential contribution to rehabilitation. As part of a wider, 2-year, qualitative investigation of the role of the nurse in rehabilitation, fieldwork was undertaken with both district and community staff nurses. This comprised focus group discussions and interviews with staff recruited as a consequence of the follow-up of patients' experiencing rehabilitation. The findings indicate that community-based nurses contributed to patient rehabilitation by making assessments, referring on to other members of the multi-professional team, advocating for and liaising with other services, helping people to adapt, teaching and motivating patients and carers, supporting and involving families, and providing technical care. A number of challenges to community-based nursing roles were apparent, including feelings of exclusion, lack of recognition, a lack of time for rehabilitation and paucity of referrals for rehabilitation. Greater clarity and recognition is needed of the community-based nursing contribution to rehabilitation, and there is a need to ensure that community nursing assessments contribute to patients' rehabilitation goals and the promotion of independent living. [source] Improving TCP performance over networks with wireless components using ,probing devices'INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2002A. Lahanas Abstract TCP error control mechanism lacks the ability to detect with precision the nature of potential errors during communication. It is only capable of detecting the results of the errors, namely that segments are dropped. As a result, the protocol lacks the ability to implement an appropriate error recovery strategy cognizant of current network conditions and responsive to the distinctive error characteristics of the communication channel. TCP sender always calls for the sending window to shrink. We show that probing mechanisms could enhance the error detection capabilities of the protocol. TCP could then flexibly adjust its window in a manner that permits the available bandwidth to be exploited without violating the requirements of stability, efficiency and fairness that need to be guaranteed during congestion. Our experiments have three distinct goals: First, to demonstrate the potential contribution of probing mechanisms. A simple probing mechanism and an immediate recovery strategy are grafted into TCP-Tahoe and TCP-Reno. We show that, this way, standard TCP can improve its performance without requiring any further change. Second, to study the performance of adaptive strategies. An adaptive TCP with probing is used, that is responsive to the detected error conditions by alternating slow start, fast recovery and immediate recovery. An adaptive error recovery strategy can yield better performance. Third, to study the design limitations of the probing device itself. The aggressive or conservative nature of the probing mechanisms themselves can determine the aggressive or conservative behaviour of the protocol and exploit accordingly the energy/throughput trade-off. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is hospital admission a sufficiently sensitive outcome measure for evaluating medication review services?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 2 2007A descriptive analysis of admissions within a randomised controlled trial Objective The aims of the study were: to describe and assess hospital admissions occurring during a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a pharmacist-led medication review service; to describe the admissions in terms of emergency status and main cause; to estimate the potential contribution of pharmaceutical care issues (PCIs) to admission; and to assess the proportion of admissions that could be influenced by a pharmacist intervention. Setting Within the context of a RCT of pharmacists providing medication review for 332 elderly patients living at home, taking at least four repeat medicines, carried out in one region of Scotland. Method Hospital data were obtained for all admissions occurring during the 9-month period studied, summarised and evaluated by two independent medical reviewers for the contribution of PCIs to admission. Two pharmacists assessed the extent to which PCIs were preventable by pharmacist intervention. Key findings Approximately two-thirds of the 77 admissions were unplanned, and two-thirds were to medical wards. Only 17 (22%) of all admissions were considered to be related to PCIs and 10 (13%) possibly preventable by pharmacist intervention. Although the majority of surgical admissions were considered to be unrelated to PCIs (26/29), both unplanned and planned medical admissions were related to PCIs. One of these occurred as a direct result of the pharmacist's recommendation. Conclusion The overall numbers of hospital admissions, medical admissions and unplanned admissions may not be sufficiently sensitive outcome measures for evaluating the impact of pharmacist interventions. Consideration could be given to developing categories of admission that are related to medicines or are likely to be preventable as more relevant measures. Including more details of hospital admissions in future studies may be useful. [source] Introduction: Drug Trafficking, Organised Crime, and Public Policy for Drug ControlINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 169 2001Michel Schiray This introduction to studies carried out mainly in Brazil, India, and China aims to show the importance, for an understanding of the drug trade and its consequences, of research that compensates for the limitations of information available either in the media or from official specialist institutions. It sketches an overview of current academic activity around the world, noting the undeniable pre-eminence of the United States but also the exceptional efforts made by researchers in some closely involved countries, including Colombia and Italy, and, by contrast, the astonishing lack of engagement on the part of academic circles in most other countries. It selects for discussion some of the results of the various studies which might point the way for further research. It observes that the questions which arise vary considerably depending on the level considered , local, national or international; and identifies some of these. It demonstrates that the drug trade is linked to other criminal activities, and seeks to analyse the forms of organisation which control it. Lastly, it puts forward some basic questions about the potential contribution of research to national and international public policy for control. [source] "Quasi Track-One" Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli,Palestinian Conflict,INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 2 2010Amira Schiff The diversity of unofficial diplomacy activities in the last three decades has led to extensive attention in theoretical literature to the role of unofficial diplomacy in conflict resolution processes and to the development of a broad range of concepts used to describe different types of unofficial diplomatic activities. Yet certain unofficial activities, such as the process that preceded the Geneva Accords, do not neatly conform to the prevailing unofficial diplomacy concepts. This study seeks to contribute to the theoretical development of the unofficial diplomacy theory through an examination of the assumptions underlying models and concepts relating to unofficial diplomacy as applied to the process leading to the drafting of the Geneva Accords. The study suggests that the unofficial diplomacy process leading to the Geneva Accords was in fact "a quasi track-one" diplomacy,a diplomacy characterized by unique features, some of which weakened its potential contribution to the policy-making process. [source] Using the theory of constraints thinking processes to complement system dynamics' causal loop diagrams in developing fundamental solutionsINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Victoria J. Mabin Abstract Standard OR/MS methods mainly focus on ,hard' aspects of problems represented by quantitative or mathematical formulations. Organisational settings typically pose challenges in the use of such methods, in that they may be inadequate to capture the ,softer' issues surrounding human behaviours, organisational practices and policies. Over the last 20 years, a number of ,soft OR' tools, methods and methodologies have emerged as a means of addressing such challenges, and in this paper, we selectively examine how such methodologies can complement hard and other soft methods. In particular, we examine the potential contribution of the theory of constraints (TOC) and system dynamics (SD) to multi-methodological intervention. We begin by discussing their philosophical underpinnings in relation to other OR/MS methods, and by exploring how such an understanding can provide a theoretical basis for mixing methodologies and for their complementary use. Then, using a case suitable for classroom discussion, the paper provides insights into how the systemic qualities of selected TOC methods and tools may be harnessed in multi-methodological intervention by identifying the communality and complementarity of TOC and other hard and soft OR/MS approaches to problem solving, in particular, the causal loop diagramming method of SD. [source] Multi-level analysis of cultural phenomena: The role of ERPs approach to prejudiceJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2009AGUSTÍN IBÁŃEZ Brain processes and social processes are not as separated as many of our Social Psychology and Neuroscience departments. This paper discusses the potential contribution of social neuroscience to the development of a multi-level, dynamic, and context-sensitive approach to prejudice. Specifically, the authors review research on event related potentials during social bias, stereotypes, and social attitudes measurements, showing that electrophysiological methods are powerful tools for analyzing the temporal fine-dynamics of psychological processes involved in implicit and explicit prejudice. Meta-theoretical implications are drawn regarding the social psychological modeling of social attitudes, and for the integration of social neuroscience into a multi-level account of cultural behavior. [source] Impact of the Cropping Systems of a Minor Dry Season on the Growth, Yields and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea mays L) Grown in the Humid Tropics during the Major Rainy SeasonJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 6 2003U. R. Sangakkara Abstract A field study evaluated the residual effect of a cropping system in two minor (dry) seasons on the productivity pattern and nitrogen utilization of a maize crop grown in the subsequent major (wet) seasons. The cropping systems established in the minor seasons, where evaporation exceeds rainfall, were either monocultures of maize (Zea mays L), or maize intercropped with either common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) or sunhemp (Crotolaria juncea L). In addition, monocultures of two green manures, namely sunhemp (Crotolaria juncea) or Tithonia (Tithonia diversifolia), were established. The residues of maize and beans and the green manures were incorporated at the end of the minor season; at the onset of rains in the major season, maize crops were established on the same plots. Germination of maize was not affected by the previous cropping system. In contrast, crop growth and yields of maize and nitrogen utilization were affected by the previous cropping system. Optimum growth and highest yields were procured in maize that was grown after a green manure crop. Similarly, although the yields were high, the planting of a green manure crop reduced nitrogen utilization by maize in the major season, thereby indicating its potential contribution to sustainability, due to its lower mining of soil nitrogen. On the basis of the results of this two-year study, the impact of cropping systems in minor seasons on the productivity of maize, a very important highland cereal in the tropics, grown under rain-fed conditions in a major season, is presented. [source] Comparative analysis of cost factors in sturgeon fingerling production in Iranian hatcheries (2000,2004)JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 5 2009H. Salehi Summary Production cost analysis in aquaculture is an essential exercise to assist farm managers. Economic assessment of a farm operation also provides the basis to formulate governmental aquaculture and enhancement policies in many regions. The present study employed questionnaires and interviewed managers while also using governmental statistics to gain insight into production cost variables in Iranian sturgeon hatcheries. Within a decade, production of sturgeon fingerlings for release and stock enhancement increased in Iran to more than 21 million fingerlings by 2004. Costs and contributions of various production factors were determined using data obtained from a questionnaire involving all hatcheries between 2000 and 2004. A team of experts completed the questionnaire data sets while conducting interviews at all sturgeon centres and other related departments. From 2000 to 2004 the contribution of A. persicus was 79% of the total number of sturgeon fingerlings produced followed by A. nudiventris with 7.5% and Huso huso with 6.6%. Among the various expenditures between 2000 and 2004, the costs for permanent and part-time employees contributed the greatest share of total costs, averaging 44%, with a noticeable declining trend from 51% in 2000 to 36% in 2004. Obtaining and incubating fertilized eggs averaged 22% of total costs, increasing during the same time period from 6 to 35%, respectively. On average, the 2000,2004 production cost for a single sturgeon fingerling was estimated at Rials 1667 (US$ 0.20), increasing from Rials 992 (US$ 0.12) to Rials 2623 (US$ 0.29) over these 4 years. Permanent staff at a hatchery was determined as being the principal cost, followed by costs for obtaining fertilized eggs (including broodstock handling). Over the 5-year study period the results indicated that costs for part-time labour declined yearly and, conversely, the costs of obtaining broodstocks as well as fertilizing and incubating eggs increased. Considering the background of hatchery production and stock enhancement of sturgeon species and the results of fishing data, it is possible to arrive at a first estimate of the potential contribution of Persian sturgeon farming to the total catch in Iranian waters; it is assumed that these increases were most likely through stock enhancement. [source] PSMD9 gene variants within NIDDM2 may rarely contribute to type 2 diabetesJOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007C. Gragnoli Multiple genome-wide scans in different populations have linked the chromosome 12q24 region, known as NIDDM2 (non-insulin-dependent-diabetes, locus 2), to type 2 diabetes. Within NIDDM2 we examined the PSMD9 (proteasome modulator 9/Bridge-1) gene that encodes a PDZ-domain transcriptional coactivator of insulin production. Our goal was to identify a potential contribution of the PSMD9 gene to type 2 diabetes in Italians. We directly sequenced the entire gene PSMD9 in Italian type 2 diabetes patients (n,=,237) and controls subjects (n,=,215) and performed an association study with the identified gene variants. We found five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A17V, IVS1+nt29, IVS3+nt460, IVS3+nt437, and E197G, which are not associated with disease in our case,control study. Furthermore, we identified two PSMD9 gene variants in type 2 diabetes patients, which produced nonconservative amino acid substitutions S143G and N166S within the PDZ domain and two other gene variants. Three out of four of these variants are absent from the control subjects screened. We propose that the three PSMD9 gene variants (S143G, N166S and G,>,A at IVS3+nt102), absent in control subjects, contribute rarely to late-onset type 2 diabetes in Italians. In fact, the frequency rate of such variants in unrelated cases equals 0.016. We may not exclude that PSMD9 gene variants may contribute, either commonly or rarely, to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in other populations. J. Cell. Physiol. 212:568,571, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Liver disease and the renin,angiotensin system: Recent discoveries and clinical implicationsJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 9 2008John S Lubel Abstract The renin,angiotensin system (RAS) is a key regulator of vascular resistance, sodium and water homeostasis and the response to tissue injury. Historically, angiotensin II (Ang II) was thought to be the primary effector peptide of this system. Ang II is produced predominantly by the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) on angiotensin I (Ang I). Ang II acts mainly through the angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1) and, together with ACE, these components represent the ,classical' axis of the RAS. Drug therapies targeting the RAS by inhibiting Ang II formation (ACE inhibitors) or binding to its receptor (angiotensin receptor blockers) are now in widespread clinical use and have been shown to reduce tissue injury and fibrosis in cardiac and renal disease independently of their effects on blood pressure. In 2000, two groups using different methodologies identified a homolog of ACE, called ACE2, which cleaves Ang II to form the biologically active heptapeptide, Ang-(1,7). Conceptually, ACE2, Ang-(1,7), and its putative receptor, the mas receptor represent an ,alternative' axis of the RAS capable of opposing the often deleterious actions of Ang II. Interestingly, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers increase Ang-(1,7) production and it has been proposed that some of the beneficial effects of these drugs are mediated through upregulation of Ang-(1,7) rather than inhibition of Ang II production or receptor binding. The present review focuses on the novel components and pathways of the RAS with particular reference to their potential contribution towards the pathophysiology of liver disease. [source] Self-determination, social abilities and the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2007L. Nota Summary Background The international literature has documented that self-determination is impacted by environmental factors, including living or work settings; and by intraindividual factors, including intelligence level, age, gender, social skills and adaptive behaviour. In addition, self-determination has been correlated with improved quality of life (QoL). This study sought to contribute to the growing literature base in this area by examining the relationship among and between personal characteristics, self-determination, social abilities and the environmental living situations of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Methods The study involved 141 people with ID residing in Italy. Healthcare professionals and social workers who had known participants for at least 1 year completed measures of self-determination, QoL and social skills. Analysis of variance was conducted to verify whether different levels of intellectual impairment were associated with different degrees of the dependent variables. The Pearson product,moment correlation was used to examine any relationships among dependent variables and IQ scores. Finally, discriminant function analysis was used to examine the degree to which IQ score, age, self-determination and social abilities predicted membership in groups that were formed based on living arrangement, and on QoL status (high vs. low). Results The anova determined, as expected, that participants with more severe ID showed the lowest levels of self-determination, QoL and social abilities. Discriminant function analysis showed that (a) individuals attending day centres were distinguished from those living in institutions in that they were younger and showed greater autonomy of choice and self-determination in their daily activities; (b) basic social skills and IQ score predicted membership in the high or low QoL groups; and (c) the IQ score predicted membership in the high or low self-determination groups. A manova conducted to examine gender- and age-level differences on self-determination found gender differences; women had higher self-determination scores than men. Conclusions These findings contribute to an emerging knowledge base pertaining to the role of intraindividual and environmental factors in self-determination and QoL. In general, the study replicated findings pertaining to the relative contribution of intelligence to self-determination and QoL, added information about the potential contribution of social abilities, and pointed to the potentially important role of opportunities to make choices as a particularly important aspect of becoming more self-determined, at least in the context of residential settings. [source] The Dynamic Influence of Social Capital on the International Growth of New VenturesJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 6 2010Shameen Prashantham abstract This paper explores the origin, evolution, and appropriation of social capital by new ventures seeking international growth. Using longitudinal case studies in the software industry, we model the dynamic influence of social capital on new venture internationalization. We theorize that new ventures of founders from a globally-connected environment, such as with return migration or MNC experience, have higher stocks of initial social capital than others. We provide a nuanced analysis of the dynamic processes involved in the evolution of social capital, and highlight the mechanisms of decay and replenishment over time. Network learning plays a critical role in new ventures' ability to realize the potential contribution of social capital to international growth. [source] Slow-tonic muscle fibers and their potential innervation in the turtle, Pseudemys (Trachemys) scripta elegansJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Robert J. Callister Abstract A description is provided of the ratio of slow-tonic vs. slow- and fast-twitch fibers for five muscles in the adult turtle, Pseudemys (Trachemys) scripta elegans. The cross-sectional area of each fiber type and an estimation of the relative (weighted) cross-sectional area occupied by the different fiber types are also provided. Two hindlimb muscles (flexor digitorum longus, FDL; external gastrocnemius, EG) were selected on the basis of their suitability for future motor-unit studies. Three neck muscles (the fourth head of testo-cervicis, TeC4; the fourth head of retrahens capitus collique, RCCQ4; transversalis cervicis, TrC) were chosen for their progressively decreasing oxidative capacity. Serial sections were stained for myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), NADH-diaphorase, and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (,-GPDH). Conventional fiber-type classification was then performed using indirect markers for contraction speed and oxidative (aerobic) vs. glycolytic (anaerobic) metabolism: i.e., slow oxidative (SO, including slow-twitch and possibly slow-tonic fibers), fast-twitch, oxidative-glycolytic (FOG), and fast-twitch glycolytic (Fg) fibers. Slow-tonic fibers in the SO class were then revealed by directing the monoclonal antibody, ALD-58 (raised against the slow-tonic fiber myosin heavy chain of chicken anterior latissimus dorsi), to additional muscle cross sections. All five of the tested muscles contained the four fiber types, with the ATPase-stained fibers including both slow-tonic and slow-twitch fibers. The extreme distributions of SO fibers were in the predominately glycolytic TrC vs. the predominately oxidative TeC4 muscle (TrC,SO, 9%; FOG, 20%; Fg, 71% vs. TeC4,SO, 58%: FOG, 16%; Fg, 25%). Across the five muscles, the relative prevalence of slow-tonic fibers (4,47%) paralleled that of the SO fibers (9,58%). TeC4 had the highest prevalence of slow-tonic fibers (47%). The test muscles exhibited varying degrees of regional concentration of each fiber type, with the distribution of slow-tonic fibers paralleling that of the SO fibers. In the five test muscles, fiber cross-sectional area was usually ranked Fg > FOG > SO, and slow-twitch always > slow-tonic. In terms of weighted cross-sectional area, which provides a coarse-grain measure of each fiber type's potential contribution to whole muscle force, all five muscles exhibited a higher Fg and lower SO contribution to cross-sectional area than suggested by their corresponding fiber-type prevalence. This was also the case for the slow-twitch vs. slow-tonic fibers. We conclude that slow-tonic fibers are widespread in turtle muscle. The weighted cross-sectional area evidence suggested, however, that their contribution to force generation is minor except in highly oxidative muscles, with a special functional role, like TeC4. There is discussion of: 1) the relationship between the present results and previous work on homologous neck and hindlimb muscles in other nonmammalian species, and 2) the potential motoneuronal innervation of slow-tonic fibers in turtle hindlimb muscles. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Kynurenine inhibits chondrocyte proliferation and is increased in synovial fluid of patients with septic arthritisJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 11 2010Tim T. Lögters Abstract Kynurenine, the major degradation product of tryptophan has been shown to directly damage various tissues. Its potential contribution to septic arthritis is unknown. In this study, we analyzed the putative diagnostic value of kynurenine for bacterial joint infection and its potential harmful effects on cartilage. In a prospective study 41 patients with a joint effusion who had undergone arthrocentesis were included. Tryptophan and kynurenine levels from synovial fluid were quantified by HPLC. Diagnostic value of kynurenine was evaluated and its effects on the proliferation of the chondrocyte cell line ATDC5 were determined. Synovial fluid kynurenine values from patients with septic arthritis (4.1,±,0.8,µmol/L, n,=,9) were significantly increased compared to patients with non-infectious inflammatory arthropathy (1.8,±,0.2,µmol/L, n,=,17) or osteoarthritis (1.2,±,0.1,µmol/L, n,=,15, p,<,0.01). At a cut-off value of 2.28,µmol/L kynurenine had a sensitivity of 0.89 and a specificity of 0.87. Further, kynurenine inhibited chondrocyte (ATDC5) cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Septic arthritis is associated with significantly increased values of synovial kynurenine. Furthermore kynurenine inhibits proliferation of chondrocytes, which strongly suggests a pathophysiological effect of kynurenine on cartilage in inflammatory arthropathies. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:1490,1496, 2010 [source] Community-Based Day Services for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities in the United Kingdom: A Review and DiscussionJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 4 2007Murray K. Simpson Abstract, Recent policy statements about services for adults with intellectual disabilities in the UK have pushed for a reoriented day services model. However, there is comparatively little research into new models of day service provision. Drawing on the findings of an evaluation of a "dispersed" or "center-less" service, the author discusses the potential contribution such services might play. These findings showed that services based on accessing mainstream community amenities and facilities, rather than scheduled attendance at special day services centers, are popular with service users, staff, and parents. However, such conclusions can mask longer-term and deeper tensions and problems. One notable feature is a failure to articulate clearly specific objectives for individuals and for the service. This elasticity and multiplicity of aims is what allows different constituent parties to appear to concur in their evaluations when in fact they have altogether different registers of success. These and a number of other questions are raised and need to be addressed before any further expansion of dispersed services is considered, such as their contribution to social inclusion and potential longer-term implications,running out of new activities, boredom, and so forth. More significant is the question of the symbolic role day services centers played as a physical and fiscal commitment to public service provision. There are reasons to suspect that an increased shift toward dispersed services may lead to a declining commitment by local authorities to provide for others than those persons with severe or complex disabilities. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||