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Potential Implications (potential + implication)
Selected AbstractsCorrelation Between Two Size Classes of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and Its Potential Implications for Selective Breeding ProgramsJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2000Brad J. Argue Breeders may assume that the largest brood-stock shrimp were also the largest market shrimp. In this study, 120 market shrimp were individually tagged and grown to broodstock in an earthen pond. There was a significant relationship between market and broodstock weight (P < 0.001) but it was not highly correlated (r = 0.42). There was no correlation between market weight and post-market weight gain (P= 0.477; r= 0.08). Of the largest 20 broodstock, only seven were among the top 20 at market weight. If the goal of a breeding program is to select the fastest growing individuals to market, shrimp should be individually selected at market weight and not as broodstock. [source] Climate-driven fluctuations in surface-water availability and the buffering role of artificial pumping in an African savanna: Potential implication for herbivore dynamicsAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 7 2007SIMON CHAMAILLÉ-JAMMES Abstract In arid and semiarid environments surface-water strongly constrains the distribution and abundance of large herbivores during the dry season. Surprisingly, we know very little about its variability in natural ecosystems. Here we used long-term data on the dry-season occurrence of water at individual waterholes to model the surface-water availability across Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, under contrasted climatic and management scenarios. Without artificial pumping only 19.6% of the park occurred within 5 km of water under average climatic conditions. However surface-water availability was strongly influenced by annual rainfall, and over 20 years the variability of the surface area of the park occurring within 5 km of water was slightly larger than the variability of rainfall. This contrasts with the usual buffered response of vegetation production to rainfall fluctuations, and suggests that the variability in dry-season foraging range determined by surface-water availability could be the main mechanism regulating the population dynamics of large herbivores in this environment. Artificial pumping increased surface-water availability and reduced its variability over time. Because changes in surface-water availability could cause the greatest changes in forage availability for large herbivores, we urge ecologists to investigate and report on the variability of surface-water in natural ecosystems, particularly where rapid climate changes are expected. [source] Geriatric Oncology and Primary Care: Promoting Partnerships in Practice and ResearchJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2009Julia Hannum Rose PhD This supplement is a compilation of original work that was presented at an interdisciplinary conference on "Geriatric Oncology and Primary Care: Promoting Partnerships in Practice and Research" held in Cleveland, Ohio, April 3 to 4, 2008. An audience of 77 clinicians and researchers attended this conference, primarily coming from Ohio and adjacent states. Articles are organized around a conceptual framework to consider primary and shared care roles of primary care physicians (PCPs) and oncologists in the care of older patients with cancer and their families. Articles in Section One focus on evidence-based clinical practice and recommendations. Section Two includes articles on original psychosocial and health services research that inform this topic. Papers in this conference were developed in recognition of the greater prevalence and growing incidence of cancer in older adults; the unique geriatric expertise and practice considerations essential to the prevention and control of cancer in older adults; the important and effective roles that PCPs may play in such care; and the need to develop shared care models that foster collaboration between PCPs and oncologists, from cancer prevention through long-term survivorship and end-of-life care of older adults. Models of shared care between oncologists and PCPs should be tested and compared for optimal care of older patients with cancer and their families. Potential implications of ideally shared care include more-informed patient-centered decision-making, better adherence to treatment, improved match between older patient goals and treatments, and thus better outcomes. [source] Estrogen and non-genomic upregulation of voltage-gated Na+ channel activity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells: Role in adhesion,JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Scott P. Fraser External (but not internal) application of ,-estradiol (E2) increased the current amplitude of voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer (BCa) cells. The G-protein activator GTP-,-S, by itself, also increased the VGSC current whilst the G-protein inhibitor GDP-,-S decreased the effect of E2. Expression of GPR30 (a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor) in MDA-MB-231 cells was confirmed by PCR, Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Importantly, G-1, a specific agonist for GPR30, also increased the VGSC current amplitude in a dose-dependent manner. Transfection and siRNA-silencing of GPR30 expression resulted in corresponding changes in GPR30 protein expression but only internally, and the response to E2 was not affected. The protein kinase A inhibitor, PKI, abolished the effect of E2, whilst forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, by itself, increased VGSC activity. On the other hand, pre-incubation of the MDA-MB-231 cells with brefeldin A (a trans -Golgi protein trafficking inhibitor) had no effect on the E2-induced increase in VGSC amplitude, indicating that such trafficking (,externalisation') of VGSC was not involved. Finally, acute application of E2 decreased cell adhesion whilst the specific VGSC blocker tetrodotoxin increased it. Co-application of E2 and tetrodotoxin inhibited the effect of E2 on cell adhesion, suggesting that the effect of E2 was mainly through VGSC activity. Pre-treatment of the cells with PKI abolished the effect of E2 on adhesion, consistent with the proposed role of PKA. Potential implications of the E2-induced non-genomic upregulation of VGSC activity for BCa progression are discussed. J. Cell. Physiol. 224: 527,539, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cognitive-behavioral treatment for chronic nightmares in trauma-exposed persons: assessing physiological reactions to nightmare-related fearJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Jamie L. Rhudy Abstract Cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBTs) that target nightmares are efficacious for ameliorating self-reported sleep problems and psychological distress. However, it is important to determine whether these treatments influence objective markers of nightmare-related fear, because fear and concomitant physiological responses could promote nightmare chronicity and sleep disturbance. This randomized, controlled study (N=40) assessed physiological (skin conductance, heart rate, facial electromyogram) and subjective (displeasure, fear, anger, sadness, arousal) reactions to personally relevant nightmare imagery intended to evoke nightmare-related fear. Physiological assessments were conducted at pretreatment as well as 1-week, 3-months, and 6-months posttreatment. Results of mixed effects analysis of variance models suggested treatment reduced physiological and subjective reactions to nightmare imagery, gains that were generally maintained at the 6-month follow-up. Potential implications are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 66: 1,18, 2010. [source] Kinetics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 and IE-1-specific IFN, CD8+ and CD4+ T cells during episodes of viral DNAemia in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients: Potential implications for the management of active CMV infectionJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 7 2010Nuria Tormo Abstract The dynamics of CMV pp65 and IE-1-specific IFN,-producing CD8+ (IFN, CD8+) and CD4+ (IFN, CD4+) T cells and CMV DNAemia were assessed in 19 pre-emptively treated episodes of active CMV infection. Peripheral counts of IFN, CD8+ and IFN, CD4+ T cells inversely correlated with CMV DNAemia levels (P,=,<0.001 and P,=,0.003, respectively). A threshold value of 1.3,cells/µl predicting CMV DNAemia clearance was established for IFN, CD8+ T cells (PPV, 100%; NPV, 93%) and for IFN, CD4+ T cells (PPV, 100%; NPV, 75%). Undetectable T-cell responses were usually observed at the time of initiation of pre-emptive therapy. Either a rapid (within 7 days) or a delayed (median 31 days) expansion of both T-cell populations concomitant with CMV DNAemia clearance was observed in 5 and 8 episodes, respectively. An inconsistent or a lack of expansion of both T-cell subsets was related to a persistent CMV DNAemia. Robust and maintained CMV-specific T-cell responses after CMV DNAemia clearance and cessation of antiviral therapy were associated with a null incidence of relapsing infections at least during the following month. Data obtained in the present study may be helpful in the design of therapeutic strategies for the management of active CMV infections in the allo-SCT recipient. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1208,1215, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Chondrocranial development in larval Rana sylvatica (Anura: Ranidae): Morphometric analysis of cranial allometry and ontogenetic shape changeJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Peter M. Larson Abstract This study provides baseline quantitative data on the morphological development of the chondrocranium in a larval anuran. Both linear and geometric morphometric methods are used to quantitatively analyze size-related shape change in a complete developmental series of larvae of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. The null hypothesis of isometry was rejected in all geometric morphometric and most linear morphometric analyses. Reduced major axis regressions of 11 linear chondrocranial measurements on size indicate a mixture of allometric and isometric scaling. Measurements in the otic and oral regions tend to scale with negative allometry and those associated with the palatoquadrate and muscular process scale with isometry or positive allometry. Geometric morphometric analyses, based on a set of 11 chondrocranial landmarks, include linear regression of relative warp scores and multivariate regression of partial warp scores and uniform components on log centroid size. Body size explains about one-quarter to one-third of the total shape variation found in the sample. Areas of regional shape transformation (e.g., palatoquadrate, otic region, trabecular horns) are identified by thin-plate spline deformation grids and are concordant with linear morphometric results. Thus, the anuran chondrocranium is not a static structure during premetamorphic stages and allometric patterns generally follow scaling predictions for tetrapod cranial development. Potential implications regarding larval functional morphology, cranial development, and chondrocranial evolution in anurans are discussed. J. Morphol. 252:131,144, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Potential implications of endogenous aldehydes in ,-amyloid misfolding, oligomerization and fibrillogenesisJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2006Kun Chen Abstract Aldehydes are capable of inducing protein cross-linkage. An increase in aldehydes has been found in Alzheimer's disease. Formaldehyde and methylglyoxal are produced via deamination of, respectively, methylamine and aminoacetone catalyzed by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO, EC 1.4.3.6. The enzyme is located on the outer surface of the vasculature, where amyloidosis is often initiated. A high SSAO level has been identified as a risk factor for vascular disorders. Serum SSAO activity has been found to be increased in Alzheimer's patients. Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal are derived from lipid peroxidation under oxidative stress, which is also associated with Alzheimer's disease. Aldehydes may potentially play roles in ,-amyloid aggregation related to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, thioflavin-T fluorometry, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to reveal the effect of endogenous aldehydes on ,-amyloid at different stages, i.e. ,-sheet formation, oligomerization and fibrillogenesis. Formaldehyde, methylglyoxal and malondialdehyde and, to a lesser extent, 4-hydroxynonenal are not only capable of enhancing the rate of formation of ,-amyloid ,-sheets, oligomers and protofibrils but also of increasing the size of the aggregates. The possible relevance to Alzheimer's disease of the effects of these aldehydes on ,-amyloid deposition is discussed. [source] Skeletal muscle fiber type conversion during the repair of mouse soleus: Potential implications for muscle healing after injuryJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 11 2007Tetsuya Matsuura Abstract We used a mouse model of cardiotoxin injury to examine fiber type conversion during muscle repair. We evaluated the soleus muscles of 37 wild-type mice at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after injury. We also used antibodies (fMHC and sMHC) against fast and slow myosin heavy chain to classify the myofibers into three categories: fast-, slow-, and mixed (hybrid)-type myofibers (myofibers expressing both fMHC and sMHC). Our results revealed an increase in the percentage of slow-type myofibers and a decrease in the percentage of fast-type myofibers during the repair process. The percentage of hybrid-type myofibers increased 2 weeks after injury, then gradually decreased over the following 6 weeks. Similarly, our analysis of centronucleated myofibers showed an increase in the percentage of slow-type myofibers and decreases in the percentages of fast- and hybrid-type myofibers. We also investigated the relationship between myofiber type conversion and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-, coactivator-1, (PGC-1,). The expression of both PGC-1, protein, which is expressed in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of regenerating myofibers, and sMHC protein increased with time after cardiotoxin injection, but we observed no significant differential expression of fMHC protein in regenerating muscle fibers during muscle repair. PGC-1,-positive myofibers underwent fast to slow myofiber type conversion during the repair process. These results suggest that PGC-1, contributes to myofiber type conversion after muscle injury and that this phenomenon could influence the recovery of the injured muscle. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:1534,1540, 2007 [source] Genetic variants in the noncoding region of RPS19 gene in Diamond-Blackfan anemia: Potential implications for phenotypic heterogeneity,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Aurore Crétien Mutations in the RPS19 gene have been identified in 25% of individuals affected by Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), a congenital erythroblastopenia characterized by an aregenerative anemia and a variety of malformations. More than 60 mutations in the five coding exons of RPS19 have been described to date. We previously reported a mutation (c.-1 + 26G>T) and an insertion at ,631 upstream of ATG (c.-147_-146insGCCA) in the noncoding region. Because DBA phenotype is extremely heterogeneous from silent to severe and because haploinsufficiency seems to play a role in this process, it is likely that genetic variations in the noncoding regions affecting translation of RPS19 can modulate the phenotypic expression of DBA. However, to date, very few studies have addressed this question comprehensively. In this study, we performed detailed sequence analysis of the RPS19 gene in 239 patients with DBA and 110 of their relatives. We found that 6.2% of the patients with DBA carried allelic variations upstream of ATG: 3.3% with c.-1 + 26G>T; 2.5% with c.-147_-146insGCCA; and 0.4% with c.-174G>A. Interestingly, the c.-147_-146insGCCA, which has been found in a black American and French Caribbean control population, was not found in 500 Caucasian control chromosomes we studied. However, it was found in association with the same haplotype distribution of four intronic polymorphisms in our patients with DBA. Although a polymorphism, the frequency of this variant in the patients with DBA and its association with the same haplotype raises the possibility that this polymorphism and the other genetic variations in the noncoding region could play a role in DBA pathogenesis. Am. J. Hematol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A national approach to evaluating delays in diagnosis and treatment: Potential implications for age related and geo-political differences in access to care and outcome in children and adolescents with cancerPEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 4 2008Gregory H. Reaman MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Penile Linear Porokeratosis in a Child: A Case ReportPEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009ANTONIA K. KIENAST M.D. A biopsy revealed changes typical of linear porokeratosis. Potential implications for subsequent development of penile carcinoma are discussed. [source] The status of school psychology: Implications of a major personnel shortagePSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 4 2004Michael J. Curtis The findings of earlier studies are reviewed and results of analyses of recent data are reported in presenting an overview of the current and possible future status of school psychology in the United States. Recognizing that legislation could have major, but as yet unclear, implications for the field, projections suggest that school psychology is likely to face a severe personnel shortage over the next 10 years. Projections also indicate that serious, although less severe, shortages are likely to continue through at least 2020. Shortages are predicted to vary markedly by geographical region of the country and type of school setting. Potential implications of the shortage are examined for the public schools. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 431,442, 2004. [source] Breakdown of Casimir invariance in curved space-timeANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 8 2010D. Singh Abstract It is shown that the commonly accepted definition for the Casimir scalar operators of the Poincaré group does not satisfy the properties of Casimir invariance when applied to the non-inertial motion of particles while in the presence of external gravitational and electromagnetic fields, where general curvilinear co-ordinates are used to describe the momentum generators within a Fermi normal co-ordinate framework. Specific expressions of the Casimir scalar properties are presented. While the Casimir scalar for linear momentum remains Lorentz invariant in the absence of external fields, this is no longer true for the spin Casimir scalar. Potential implications are considered for the propagation of photons, gravitons, and gravitinos as described by the spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger vector-spinor field. In particular, it is shown that non-inertial motion introduces a frame-based effective mass to the spin interaction, with interesting physical consequences that are explored in detail. [source] Non-lethal foraging by bell miners on a herbivorous insect: Potential implications for forest healthAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2010KATHRYN M. HAYTHORPE Abstract Tree health is often negatively linked with the localized abundance of parasitic invertebrates. One group, the sap-sucking psyllid insects (Homoptera: Psyllidae) are well known for their negative impact upon vegetation, an impact that often culminates in the defoliation and even death of hosts. In Australia, psyllid-infested forest in poor health is also frequently occupied by a native honeyeater, the bell miner (Manorina melanophrys; Meliphagidae), so much so that the phenomenon has been dubbed ,bell miner-associated dieback' (BMAD). Bell miners are thought to be the causative agent behind BMAD, in part because the species may selectively forage only upon the outer covering (lerp) exuded by psyllid nymphs, leaving the insect underneath to continue parasitizing hosts. As bell miners also aggressively exclude all other avian psyllid predators from occupied areas, these behavioural traits may favour increases in psyllid populations. We examined bell miner foraging behaviour to determine if non-lethal foraging upon psyllid nymphs occurred more often than in a congener, the noisy miner (M. melanocephala; Meliphagidae). This was indeed the case, with bell miners significantly more likely to remove only the lerp covering during feeding, leaving the insect intact underneath. This arose from bell miners using their tongue to pry off the lerp cases, whereas noisy miners used their mandibles to snap at both the lerp and insect underneath. Furthermore, psyllids left behind following a bell miner foraging event were significantly more likely to be viable and regrow a lerp covering than those exposed by noisy miners. Together, this behaviour supports the theory that non-lethal foraging behaviour of bell miners may contribute to high psyllid abundance, consistent with the mechanisms by which BMAD is thought to develop. [source] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in CanadaCNS: NEUROSCIENCE AND THERAPEUTICS, Issue 3 2008Michael Van Ameringen Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become a global health issue, with prevalence rates ranging from 1.3% to 37.4%. As there is little current data on PTSD in Canada, an epidemiological study was conducted examining PTSD and related comorbid conditions. Modified versions of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) PTSD module, the depression, alcohol and substance abuse sections of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), as well as portions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were combined, and administered via telephone interview in English or French. Random digit dialing was used to obtain a nationally representative sample of 2991, aged 18 years and above from across Canada. The prevalence rate of lifetime PTSD in Canada was estimated to be 9.2%, with a rate of current (1-month) PTSD of 2.4%. Traumatic exposure to at least one event sufficient to cause PTSD was reported by 76.1% of respondents. The most common forms of trauma resulting in PTSD included unexpected death of a loved one, sexual assault, and seeing someone badly injured or killed. In respondents meeting criteria for PTSD, the symptoms were chronic in nature, and associated with significant impairment and high rates of comorbidity. PTSD is a common psychiatric disorder in Canada. The results are surprising, given the comparably low rates of violent crime, a small military and few natural disasters. Potential implications of these findings are discussed. [source] The petrosquamosal sinus in humansJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2006Diego San Millán Ruíz Abstract This article provides a comprehensive description of the morphology of the human petrosquamosal sinus (PSS) derived from original observations made on 13 corrosion casts of the cranial venous system combined with routine clinical imaging studies in two patients. The PSS is not a rare finding in the adult human. In particular, continuous developments in imaging techniques have made radiologists become increasingly aware of this anatomical entity in recent years. The role of the PSS as a major encephalic drainage pathway and its potential implication in pathological conditions such as intracranial venous hypertension are discussed. [source] Endogenous melatonin protects L -DOPA from autoxidation in the striatal extracellular compartment of the freely moving rat: potential implication for long-term L -DOPA therapy in Parkinson's diseaseJOURNAL OF PINEAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2006Gaia Rocchitta Abstract:, We previously showed, using microdialysis, that autoxidation of exogenous L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l -DOPA) occurs in vivo in the extracellular compartment of the freely moving rat, with a consequent formation of l -DOPA semiquinone (l -DOPA-SQ). In the present study, intrastriatal infusion of l -DOPA (1.0 ,m for 200 min) increased dialysate l -DOPA concentrations (maximum increases up to 116-fold baseline values); moreover, l -DOPA-SQ was detected in dialysates. Individual dialysate concentrations of l -DOPA were negatively correlated with those of l -DOPA-SQ. Co-infusion of N -acetylcysteine (100 ,m) or melatonin (50 ,m) increased l -DOPA (up to 151- and 246-fold, respectively) and decreased l -DOPA-SQ (by about 53% and 87%, respectively) dialysate concentrations. Systemic l -DOPA [25 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) twice in a 12-h interval] significantly increased striatal baseline dialysate concentrations of l -DOPA and decreased dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AsAc) concentrations, when compared with controls. Following systemic l -DOPA, l -DOPA-SQ was detected in dialysates. Endogenous melatonin was depleted in rats maintained on a 24-h light cycle for 1 wk. In melatonin-depleted rats, systemic l -DOPA induced a smaller increase in dialysate l -DOPA, a greater increase in l -DOPA-SQ formation, and a greater reduction in DA and AsAc dialysate concentrations. Co-administration of melatonin (5.0 mg/kg, i.p., twice in a 12-h interval) with l -DOPA, in control as well as in light-exposed rats, significantly increased dialysate l -DOPA concentrations, greatly inhibited l -DOPA-SQ formation, and restored up to the control values dialysate DA and AsAc concentrations. These findings demonstrate that endogenous melatonin protects exogenous l -DOPA from autoxidation in the extracellular compartment of the striatum of freely moving rats; moreover, systemic co-administration of melatonin with l -DOPA markedly increases striatal l -DOPA bioavailability in control as well as in melatonin-depleted rats. These results may be of relevance to the long-term l -DOPA therapy of Parkinson's disease. [source] Increased metastatic potential of tumor cells in von Willebrand factor-deficient miceJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 3 2006V. TERRAUBE Summary.,Background:,The key role played by von Willebrand factor (VWF) in platelet adhesion suggests a potential implication in various pathologies, where this process is involved. In cancer metastasis development, tumor cells interact with platelets and the vessel wall to extravasate from the circulation. As a potential mediator of platelet,tumor cell interactions, VWF could influence this early step of tumor spread and therefore play a role in cancer metastasis.Objectives:,To investigate whether VWF is involved in metastasis development.Methods:,In a first step, we characterized the interaction between murine melanoma cells B16-BL6 and VWF in vitro. In a second step, an experimental metastasis model was used to compare the formation of pulmonary metastatic foci in C57BL/6 wild-type and VWF-null mice following the injection of B16-BL6 cells or Lewis lung carcinoma cells.Results:,In vitro adhesion assays revealed that VWF is able to promote a dose-dependent adhesion of B16-BL6 cells via its Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence. In the experimental metastasis model, we found a significant increase in the number of pulmonary metastatic foci in VWF-null mice compared with the wild-type mice, a phenotype that could be corrected by restoring VWF plasma levels. We also showed that increased survival of the tumor cells in the lungs during the first 24 h in the absence of VWF was the cause of this increased metastasis.Conclusion:,These findings suggest that VWF plays a protective role against tumor cell dissemination in vivo. Underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated. [source] ,Going out': the growth of Chinese foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia and its implications for corporate social responsibilityCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Stephen Frost Abstract Analysts have finally started to pay increasing attention to the rapidly rising levels of Chinese investment abroad. Deals such as Lenovo's purchase of IBM's PC production arm have sparked interest in a quiet revolution. The story now is not just about the flow of foreign investment in China, but also of the flow of China's investment into other countries. However, most interest so far has concentrated on big ticket investments in the West and the consequences for European and particularly US geopolitical interests. Of less concern thus far have been the implications of Chinese investment on corporate social responsibility. This paper is a preliminary assessment of the potential implications of Chinese investments: in particular, the effect on sanctions designed to improve human rights (with specific reference to Myanmar), and whether pressure can be maintained on foreign investors to comply with international standards and norms in the face of Chinese investment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Soleus T reflex modulation in response to spinal and tendinous adaptations to unilateral lower limb suspension in humansACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 3 2008O. R. Seynnes Abstract Aim:, To investigate the influence of tendinous and synaptic changes induced by unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS) on the tendon tap reflex. Methods:, Eight young men underwent a 23-day period of ULLS. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), torque and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the plantar flexor muscles (normalized to the M wave), Achilles tendon,aponeurosis mechanical properties, soleus (SOL) H and T reflexes and associated peak twitch torques were measured at baseline, after 14 and 23 days of ULLS, and 1 week after resuming ambulatory activity. Results:, Significant decreases in muscle CSA (,9%), in maximal voluntary torque (,10%) and in the associated SOL EMG activity (,16%) were found after ULLS (P < 0.05). In addition to a 36% (P < 0.01) decrease in tendon,aponeurosis stiffness, normalized H reflex increased by 35% (P < 0.05). An increase in the slope (28%, P < 0.05) and intercept (85%, P < 0.05) of the T reflex recruitment curve pointed to an increase in the gain and to a decrease in the sensitivity of this reflex, possibly resulting from the decrease in the tendon,aponeurosis stiffness at low forces. Following ULLS, changes in tendinous stiffness correlated with changes in neuromuscular efficiency (peak twitch torque to reflex ratio) at higher tendon tap forces. Conclusion:, These findings point out the dual and antagonistic influences of spinal and tendinous adaptations upon the tendon tap reflex in humans under conditions of chronic unloading. These observations have potential implications for the sensitivity of the short-latency Ia stretch response involved in rapid compensatory contractions to unexpected postural perturbations. [source] Does the MBA Experience Support Diversity?DECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2010Demographic Effects on Program Satisfaction ABSTRACT Using data provided by graduates from 128 MBA programs, we examined the extent to which age, gender, and ethnicity predicted student perceptions of the MBA experience. We found that women and minorities were more likely to see program costs and the availability of financial support as significant factors in their program enrollment decisions than were Caucasian males. The most consistent predictor of students' perceptions of their educational experience was whether the MBA program was full time or part time, with full-time programs generally perceived more favorably. Our findings suggest that because diversity measures of age, gender, and ethnicity were not consistent predictors across the different perception areas, at minimum, MBA programs presently do not consistently inhibit diversity. However, given the increasing percentage of women and minorities that comprise the undergraduate population, maintaining the present path in program accessibility may create enrollment problems for MBA programs perhaps in the very near future. Therefore, we conclude with a discussion of the changing demographics in higher education and their potential implications for MBA programs and suggestions for how MBA programs might respond. [source] Topical antibiotics: therapeutic value or ecologic mischief?DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 5 2009James Q. Del Rosso ABSTRACT Based on antibiotic prescribing data from 2003, dermatologists account annually for 8,9 million prescriptions for oral antibiotics, and 3,4 million prescriptions for topical antibiotics. Overall, much of the emphasis on concerns related to emergence of clinically significant antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains focuses on use of systemic antibiotics, however, topical antibiotic use may also have potential implications. The following article discusses the perspectives of the authors related to the potential therapeutic benefits and ecologic implications ("ecologic mischief") of topical antibiotic therapy for specific indications encountered in ambulatory dermatology practice. [source] Obesity-related cardiovascular disease: implications of obstructive sleep apneaDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 3 2006R. Wolk Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often coexist. OSA has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Thus, OSA may contribute to the cardiovascular consequences of obesity. In this review, we explore clinical and pathophysiological interactions between obesity, cardiovascular disease and OSA. We discuss the mechanisms whereby OSA may contribute to hypertension, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and atrial fibrillation associated with obesity, and emphasize the potential implications for understanding why only a subgroup of obese patients develop cardiovascular disease. Identification of the OSA-dependent and OSA-independent pathways in the cardiovascular pathophysiology of obesity may hold clinical and therapeutic promise. [source] Modeling the effect of high dead-space syringes on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among injecting drug usersADDICTION, Issue 8 2010Georgiy V. Bobashev ABSTRACT Aims To illustrate the impact of different proportions of injecting drug users (IDUs) sharing high dead-space syringes (HDSS) or low dead-space syringes (LDSS) on the probability of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission; and thus the impact on injection-related HIV prevalence and incidence. Design A stochastic mathematical model was used to evaluate the impact of HDSS use in high- and low-risk IDU populations. Model parameters were obtained from peer-reviewed publications. Analytical solutions of a simplified deterministic model were obtained to explain the effect of HDSS on HIV endemic states. Findings Simulation analysis shows that the HIV epidemic could be sustained even when a small percentage of sharing (10%) involved HDSS. The effect is much stronger in high-risk compared with low-risk populations. Steady state HIV prevalence increases with the proportion of HDSS, and for high- and low-risk populations reaches around 80% and 20%, respectively. For low-risk populations, the use of LDSS could result in the virtual elimination of HIV. These results are dependent upon an evidence-supported assumption of a significant difference in HIV transmission risk associated with HDSS versus LDSS. Conclusions Our models suggest that injection-related HIV epidemics may not occur when most (e.g. 95% or more) IDUs use LDSS. While these results are based on indirect risk measures and a number of simplifying assumptions, the effect of blood retained in high dead-space syringes on HIV prevalence seems to be very strong, even using relatively conservative assumptions. The findings have potential implications for needle exchange programs and the types of syringes produced and distributed world-wide. [source] A two-step model for Langerhans cell migration to skin-draining LNEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 11 2008Eduardo J. Villablanca Abstract Although the role of Langerhans cells (LC) in skin immune responses is still a matter of debate, it is known that LC require the chemokine receptor CCR7 for migrating to skin-draining LN. A report in the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology unfolds some of the intricacies of LC migration, showing that LC need CXCR4, but not CCR7, for their migration from the epidermis to the dermis. Thus, LC migration to skin-draining LN occurs in two distinct phases: a first step from the epidermis to the dermis regulated by CXCR4 and a second CCR7-dependent step from the dermis to LN. Here we discuss the potential implications of this new two-step LC migration paradigm. [source] Simulation study of methemoglobin reduction in erythrocytesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2007Differential contributions of two pathways to tolerance to oxidative stress Methemoglobin (metHb), an oxidized form of hemoglobin, is unable to bind and carry oxygen. Erythrocytes are continuously subjected to oxidative stress and nitrite exposure, which results in the spontaneous formation of metHb. To avoid the accumulation of metHb, reductive pathways mediated by cytochrome b5 or flavin, coupled with NADH-dependent or NADPH-dependent metHb reductases, respectively, keep the level of metHb in erythrocytes at less than 1% of the total hemoglobin under normal conditions. In this work, a mathematical model has been developed to quantitatively assess the relative contributions of the two major metHb-reducing pathways, taking into consideration the supply of NADH and NADPH from central energy metabolism. The results of the simulation experiments suggest that these pathways have different roles in the reduction of metHb; one has a high response rate to hemoglobin oxidation with a limited reducing flux, and the other has a low response rate with a high capacity flux. On the basis of the results of our model, under normal oxidative conditions, the NADPH-dependent system, the physiological role of which to date has been unclear, is predicted to be responsible for most of the reduction of metHb. In contrast, the cytochrome b5,NADH pathway becomes dominant under conditions of excess metHb accumulation, only after the capacity of the flavin,NADPH pathway has reached its limit. We discuss the potential implications of a system designed with two metHb-reducing pathways in human erythrocytes. [source] Interpretation of biological activity data of bacterial endotoxins by simple molecular models of mechanism of actionFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Vladimir Frecer Lipid A moiety has been identified as the bioactive component of bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides). However, the molecular mechanism of biological activity of lipid A is still not fully understood. This paper contributes to understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of bacterial endotoxins by comparing molecular modelling results for two possible mechanisms with the underlying experimental data. Mechanisms of action involving specific binding of lipid A to a protein receptor as well as nonspecific intercalation into phospholipid membrane of a host cell were modelled and analysed. As the cellular receptor for endotoxin has not been identified, a model of a peptidic pseudoreceptor was proposed, based on molecular structure, symmetry of the lipid A moiety and the observed character of endotoxin-binding sites in proteins. We have studied the monomeric form of lipid A from Escherichia coli and its seven synthetic analogues with varying numbers of phosphate groups and correlated them with known biological activities determined by the Limulus assay. Gibbs free energies associated with the interaction of lipid A with the pseudoreceptor model and intercalation into phospholipid membrane calculated by molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics methods were used to compare the two possible mechanisms of action. The results suggest that specific binding of lipid A analogues to the peptidic pseudoreceptor carrying an amphipathic cationic binding pattern BHPHB (B, basic; H, hydrophobic; P, polar residue, respectively) is energetically more favourable than intercalation into the phospholipid membrane. In addition, binding affinities of lipid A analogues to the best minimum binding sequence KFSFK of the pseudoreceptor correlated with the experimental Limulus activity parameter. This correlation enabled us to rationalize the observed relationship between the number and position of the phosphate groups in the lipid A moiety and its biological activity in terms of specific ligand,receptor interactions. If lipid A,receptor interaction involves formation of phosphate-ammonium ion-pair(s) with cationic amino-acid residues, the specific mechanism of action was fully consistent with the underlying experimental data. As a consequence, recognition of lipid A variants by an amphipathic binding sequence BHPHB of a host-cell protein receptor might represent the initial and/or rate-determining molecular event of the mechanism of action of lipid A (or endotoxin). The insight into the molecular mechanism of action and the structure of the lipid A-binding pattern have potential implications for rational drug design strategies of endotoxin-neutralizing agents or binding factors. [source] Emergence of larval yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in South Dakota lakes: potential implications for recruitmentFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008D. A. ISERMANN Abstract, Temporal patterns in length frequency distributions and hatch dates were described for larval yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), captured in surface ichthyoplankton trawls from late April to mid-June 2000 to 2002 in six South Dakota, USA lakes. Fewer than 15 larval yellow perch were collected in four of six lakes during 2002, suggesting that in some cases factors prior to, during or immediately after hatching likely play a critical role in the perch recruitment process. When larval yellow perch were encountered in larger numbers, temporal trends in total length (TL) frequencies indicated that only a single cohort was produced annually in each lake. Most yellow perch in these lakes hatched between 29 April and 17 May, and most hatching occurred during 5,11 days each year. Larval TL was not related to hatch date. The apparent prevalence of relatively short hatch periods in these yellow perch populations probably increases the risk of catastrophic losses resulting from periods of poor environmental conditions. [source] Habitat selection and diel distribution of the crustacean zooplankton from a shallow Mediterranean lake during the turbid and clear water phasesFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007BRUNO B. CASTRO Summary 1. The fish fauna of many shallow Mediterranean Lakes is dominated by small-bodied exotic omnivores, with potential implications for fish,zooplankton interactions still largely unknown. Here we studied diel variation in the vertical and horizontal distribution of the crustacean plankton in Lake Vela, a shallow polymictic and eutrophic lake. Diel sampling was carried out on three consecutive days along a horizontal transect, including an open-water station and a macrophyte (Nymphaea alba) bed. Since transparency is a key determinant of the predation risk posed by fish, the zooplankton sampling campaigns were conducted in both the turbid (autumn) and clear water (spring) phases. 2. In the turbid phase, most taxa were homogeneously distributed along the vertical and horizontal axes in the three consecutive days. The only exception was for copepod nauplii, which showed vertical heterogeneity, possibly as a response to invertebrate predators. 3. In the clear water phase, most zooplankton taxa displayed habitat selection. Vertically, the general response consisted of a daily vertical migration (DVM), despite the limited depth (1.6 m). Horizontally, zooplankters showed an overall preference for the pelagic zone, independent of the time of the day. Such evidence is contrary to the postulated role of macrophytes as an anti-predator refuge for the zooplankton. 4. These vertical (DVM) and horizontal (macrophyte-avoidance) patterns were particularly conspicuous for large Daphnia, suggesting that predation risk from size-selective predators (fish) was the main factor behind the spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton in the spring. Thus, the difference in the zooplankton spatial distribution pattern and habitat selection among seasons (turbid and clear water phases) seems to be mediated the predation risk from fish, which is directly related to water transparency. 5. The zooplankton in Lake Vela have anti-predator behaviour that minimises predation from fish. We hypothesise that, due to the distinct fish community of shallow Mediterranean lakes, aquatic macrophytes may not provide adequate refuge to zooplankters, as seen in northern temperate lakes. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||