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Quantitative Estimates (quantitative + estimate)
Selected AbstractsThe assessment of insulin resistance in manDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 7 2002T. M. Wallace Abstract Background Insulin resistance exists when a normal concentration of insulin produces a less than normal biological response. The ability to measure insulin resistance is important in order to understand the aetiopathology of Type 2 diabetes, to examine the epidemiology and to assess the effects of intervention. Methods We assess and compare methods of measurement and have undertaken a literature review from 1966 to 2001. Results Quantitative estimates of insulin resistance can be obtained using model assessments, clamps or insulin infusion sensitivity tests. There is considerable variation in the complexity and labour intensity of the various methods. The most well-established methods are the euglycaemic clamp, minimal model assessment and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). No single test is appropriate under all circumstances. Conclusions There are a number of well-established tests used to measure insulin resistance: the choice of method depends on the size and type of study to be undertaken. Although the so-called ,gold-standard' test, the euglycaemic clamp, is useful for intensive physiological studies on small numbers of subjects, a simpler tool such as HOMA is more appropriate for large epidemiological studies. It is important to be aware that most techniques measure stimulated insulin resistance whereas HOMA gives an estimate of basal insulin resistance. Caution should be exercised when making comparisons between studies due to variations in infusion protocols, sampling procedures and hormone assays used in different studies. [source] Biotic homogenization: a new research agenda for conservation biogeographyJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 12 2006Julian D. Olden Abstract Aim, Biotic homogenization describes the process by which species invasions and extinctions increase the genetic, taxonomic or functional similarity of two or more biotas over a specified time interval. The study of biotic homogenization is a young and rapidly emerging research area in the budding field of conservation biogeography, and this paper aims to synthesize our current knowledge of this process and advocate a more systematic approach to its investigation. Methods, Based on a comprehensive examination of the primary literature this paper reviews the process of biotic homogenization, including its definition, quantification, underlying ecological mechanisms, environmental drivers, the empirical evidence for different taxonomic groups, and the potential ecological and evolutionary implications. Important gaps in our knowledge are then identified, and areas of new research that show the greatest promise for advancing our current thinking on biotic homogenization are highlighted. Results, Current knowledge of the patterns, mechanisms and implications of biotic homogenization is highly variable across taxonomic groups, but in general is incomplete. Quantitative estimates are almost exclusively limited to freshwater fishes and plants in the United States, and the principal mechanisms and drivers of homogenization remain elusive. To date research has focused on taxonomic homogenization, and genetic and functional homogenization has received inadequate attention. Trends over the past decade, however, suggest that biotic homogenization is emerging as a topic of greater research interest. Main conclusions, My investigation revealed a number of important knowledge gaps and priority research needs in the science of biotic homogenization. Future studies should examine the homogenization process for different community properties (species occurrence and abundance) at multiple spatial and temporal scales, with careful attention paid to the various biological mechanisms (invasions vs. extinctions) and environmental drivers (environmental alteration vs. biotic interactions) involved. Perhaps most importantly, this research should recognize that there are multiple possible outcomes resulting from the accumulation of species invasions and extinctions, including biotic differentiation whereby genetic, taxonomic or functional similarity of biotas decreases over time. [source] Estimating exposures in the asphalt industry for an international epidemiological cohort study of cancer riskAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2003Igor Burstyn Abstract Background An exposure matrix (EM) for known and suspected carcinogens was required for a multicenter international cohort study of cancer risk and bitumen among asphalt workers. Methods Production characteristics in companies enrolled in the study were ascertained through use of a company questionnaire (CQ). Exposures to coal tar, bitumen fume, organic vapor, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, diesel fume, silica, and asbestos were assessed semi-quantitatively using information from CQs, expert judgment, and statistical models. Exposures of road paving workers to bitumen fume, organic vapor, and benzo(a)pyrene were estimated quantitatively by applying regression models, based on monitoring data, to exposure scenarios identified by the CQs. Results Exposures estimates were derived for 217 companies enrolled in the cohort, plus the Swedish asphalt paving industry in general. Most companies were engaged in road paving and asphalt mixing, but some also participated in general construction and roofing. Coal tar use was most common in Denmark and The Netherlands, but the practice is now obsolete. Quantitative estimates of exposure to bitumen fume, organic vapor, and benzo(a)pyrene for pavers, and semi-quantitative estimates of exposure to these agents among all subjects were strongly correlated. Semi-quantitative estimates of exposure to bitumen fume and coal tar exposures were only moderately correlated. EM assessed non-monotonic historical decrease in exposures to all agents assessed except silica and diesel exhaust. Conclusions We produced a data-driven EM using methodology that can be adapted for other multicenter studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43:3,17, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Implicit Value Judgments in the Measurement of Health InequalitiesTHE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2010SAM HARPER Context: Quantitative estimates of the magnitude, direction, and rate of change of health inequalities play a crucial role in creating and assessing policies aimed at eliminating the disproportionate burden of disease in disadvantaged populations. It is generally assumed that the measurement of health inequalities is a value-neutral process, providing objective data that are then interpreted using normative judgments about whether a particular distribution of health is just, fair, or socially acceptable. Methods: We discuss five examples in which normative judgments play a role in the measurement process itself, through either the selection of one measurement strategy to the exclusion of others or the selection of the type, significance, or weight assigned to the variables being measured. Findings: Overall, we find that many commonly used measures of inequality are value laden and that the normative judgments implicit in these measures have important consequences for interpreting and responding to health inequalities. Conclusions: Because values implicit in the generation of health inequality measures may lead to radically different interpretations of the same underlying data, we urge researchers to explicitly consider and transparently discuss the normative judgments underlying their measures. We also urge policymakers and other consumers of health inequalities data to pay close attention to the measures on which they base their assessments of current and future health policies. [source] Molecular variation in pigmentation genes contributing to coat colour in native Korean Hanwoo cattleANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2008T. R. Mohanty Summary Pigmentation genes such as TYR (tyrosinase), TYRP1 (tyrosinase-related protein 1), DCT (previously TYRP2, or tyrosinase-related protein 2), ASIP (agouti) and MC1R (melanocortin receptor 1) play a major role in cattle coat colour. To understand the genotypic profile underlying coat colour in native Korean Hanwoo cattle and Angus black cattle, portions of the above-mentioned genes were amplified. Sequence analysis revealed variation in the TYRP1 (exon 5) and MC1R genes. Restriction enzyme analysis of these two genes could distinguish between different colours of Hanwoo cattle. Quantitative estimates of melanin and eumelanin in hair from three different-coloured Hanwoo phenotypes and Angus black showed significant differences at the breed and phenotypic levels. Finally, sequence variants in MC1R were associated with total melanin and eumelanin in breeds as well as in Hanwoo phenotypes. [source] ESTIMATING A GEOGRAPHICALLY EXPLICIT MODEL OF POPULATION DIVERGENCEEVOLUTION, Issue 3 2007L. Lacey Knowles Patterns of genetic variation can provide valuable insights for deciphering the relative roles of different evolutionary processes in species differentiation. However, population-genetic models for studying divergence in geographically structured species are generally lacking. Since these are the biogeographic settings where genetic drift is expected to predominate, not only are population-genetic tests of hypotheses in geographically structured species constrained, but generalizations about the evolutionary processes that promote species divergence may also be potentially biased. Here we estimate a population-divergence model in montane grasshoppers from the sky islands of the Rocky Mountains. Because this region was directly impacted by Pleistocene glaciation, both the displacement into glacial refugia and recolonization of montane habitats may contribute to differentiation. Building on the tradition of using information from the genealogical relationships of alleles to infer the geography of divergence, here the additional consideration of the process of gene-lineage sorting is used to obtain a quantitative estimate of population relationships and historical associations (i.e., a population tree) from the gene trees of five anonymous nuclear loci and one mitochondrial locus in the broadly distributed species Melanoplus oregonensis. Three different approaches are used to estimate a model of population divergence; this comparison allows us to evaluate specific methodological assumptions that influence the estimated history of divergence. A model of population divergence was identified that significantly fits the data better compared to the other approaches, based on per-site likelihood scores of the multiple loci, and that provides clues about how divergence proceeded in M. oregonensis during the dynamic Pleistocene. Unlike the approaches that either considered only the most recent coalescence (i.e., information from a single individual per population) or did not consider the pattern of coalescence in the gene genealogies, the population-divergence model that best fits the data was estimated by considering the pattern of gene lineage coalescence across multiple individuals, as well as loci. These results indicate that sampling of multiple individuals per population is critical to obtaining an accurate estimate of the history of divergence so that the signal of common ancestry can be separated from the confounding influence of gene flow,even though estimates suggest that gene flow is not a predominant factor structuring patterns of genetic variation across these sky island populations. They also suggest that the gene genealogies contain information about population relationships, despite the lack of complete sorting of gene lineages. What emerges from the analyses is a model of population divergence that incorporates both contemporary distributions and historical associations, and shows a latitudinal and regional structuring of populations reminiscent of population displacements into multiple glacial refugia. Because the population-divergence model itself is built upon the specific events shaping the history of M. oregonensis, it provides a framework for estimating additional population-genetic parameters relevant to understanding the processes governing differentiation in geographically structured species and avoids the problems of relying on overly simplified and inaccurate divergence models. The utility of these approaches, as well as the caveats and future improvements, for estimating population relationships and historical associations relevant to genetic analyses of geographically structured species are discussed. [source] Infertility among couples in a population-based study in Iran: prevalence and associated risk factorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 3 2008Mohammad Reza Safarinejad Summary To explore the prevalence and risk factors of infertility in Iran, a total of 12 285 ever-married women aged 15,50 years old and their husbands (if available) were interviewed by 82 female general practitioners and answered a self-administered questionnaire on several aspects of infertility. They were identified from the national population in 30 counties, and invited to a confidential interview. Data were obtained about their age, education, marital status, toxic habits, medical history, disabilities and illnesses, help-seeking, economy, ethnicity, geographic location, contraceptive use and age at which they had first intercourse. This study used the definition of childlessness proposed by World Health Organization: ,the woman has never conceived despite cohabitation and exposure to pregnancy for a period of 2 years'. The overall prevalence of infertility was 8% (95% CI: 3.2,15.0). The weighted national estimate of primary infertility was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.6,5.2). There was a pronounced regional pattern in the levels of primary infertility. The primary infertility increased significantly from 2.6 to 4.3 to 5.5% for the 1985,1989, 1990,1994 and 1995,2000 marriage cohorts. The prevalence of secondary infertility was 3.4% (95% CI: 2.4,5.1). Overall the prevalence of infertility falls within a relatively wide range being high in the Southern counties, and low in the Northern counties. The probability of first pregnancy at the end of 2 years of marriage was 0.78 for all ever-married women. The prevalence of infertility increased with age (linear chi-square 198.012, 1 d.f., p = 0.01). The age pattern of infertility also varies quite markedly across the counties analysed. No effect of race was detected; neither the intercept (analysis of covariance p = 0.36) nor the slope of the age relationship was influenced by race (analysis of covariance p = 0.41). Infertility were observed as significantly higher in the presence of history of tubo-ovarian surgery [odds ratio (OR): 1.43; 95% CI: 1.28,2.23; p = 0.01], salpingitis (OR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.31,4.3; p = 0.016), ectopic pregnancy (OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.90,3.44; p = 0.04), varicocele (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.61,5.20; p = 0.01) and cryptorchidism (OR: 3.81; 95% CI: 2.51,4.28; p = 0.031). This study provides a quantitative estimate of the prevalence and main risk factors for infertility in Iranian couples. Yet, further studies on the cause of primary and secondary infertility and geographical variations in the incidence and prevalence of infertility in Iran are needed. [source] Premature ejaculation in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 6 2003Ahmed I. El-Sakka Summary Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and to analyse risk factors for premature ejaculation (PE) in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes. A total of 676 male diabetic patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were screened for PE. At the screening time, patients were also interviewed for sociodemographic data that included age, education, occupation and marital status. Medical history included diabetes, duration of diabetes and diabetes-related complications. Clinical and laboratory assessment included body mass index and glycosylated haemoglobin. Mean age for the study sample was 53.4 ± 10.4 years. The prevalence of PE was 32.4% in patients below 50 years, which increased to 67.6% in patients above 50 years. Of patients without PE, 31.4% were below 50 years compared with 68.6% above 50 years of age (p > 0.05). Patients with >10 years of diabetes were 2.7 times as likely to report PE as men with diabetes of <5 years (p < 0.05). Men with poor metabolic control were 9.6 times as likely to report PE as those with good metabolic control (p < 0.05). Patients without PE were four times as likely to have normal erectile function as those with PE (p < 0.05). There was a significant association between PE and cardiovascular diseases (p < 0.05). PE is common among diabetic patients. The study offers a quantitative estimate of the prevalence of PE and its main risk factors in diabetic patients. [source] Evaluation of an indirect serum ELISA and a bacteriological faecal culture test for diagnosis of Salmonella serotype Dublin in cattle using latent class modelsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004L.R. Nielsen Abstract Aims:, To evaluate a conventional bacteriological test based on faecal culture and an indirect serum ELISA for detection of S. Dublin infected cattle. To compare the predictive values of the two tests in relation to the prevalence. Methods and Results:, A total of 4531 paired samples from cattle in 29 dairy herds were analysed for presence of S. Dublin bacteria in faeces and immunoglobulins directed against S. Dublin lipopolysaccharide in an indirect serum ELISA. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated at two ELISA cut-off values using a validation method based on latent class models, which presumably provides less biased results than traditional validation methods. Stratification of data into three age groups gave significantly better estimates of test performance of the ELISA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for comparison of overall performance of the ELISA between the three age groups. The sensitivity of the faecal culture test was low (6,14%). ELISA appeared to have a higher validity for animals aged 100,299 days of age than older or younger animals. Overall, the negative predictive value of the ELISA was 2,10 times higher than for the faecal culture test at realistic prevalence of infection in the test population. Conclusions:, The diagnostic sensitivity of the faecal culture test for detection of S. Dublin is poor, the specificity is 1. The superior sensitivity and negative predictive value of the serum ELISA makes this test preferable to faecal culture as an initial screening test and for certification of herds not infected with S. Dublin. Significance and Impact of the Study:, A quantitative estimate of the sensitivity of a faecal culture test for S. Dublin in a general population was provided. ELISA was shown to be an appropriate alternative diagnostic test. Preferably, samples from animals aged 100,299 days of age should be used as these give the best overall performance of the ELISA. Plots of ROC curves and predictive values in relation to prevalence facilitates optimisation of the ELISA cut-off value. [source] Some highlights of research on aging with invertebrates, 2008AGING CELL, Issue 5 2008Linda Partridge Summary This annual review focuses on invertebrate model organisms, which shed light on new mechanisms in aging and provide excellent systems for in-depth analysis. This year, the first quantitative estimate of evolutionary conservation of genetic effects on lifespan has pointed to the key importance of genes involved in protein synthesis, a finding confirmed and extended by experimental work. Work in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila has highlighted the importance of phase 2 detoxification in extension of lifespan by reduced insulin/Igf-like signalling. Thorough characterization of systems for dietary restriction in C. elegans is starting to show differences in the mechanisms by which these interventions extend lifespan and has revealed a requirement for autophagy. The response to heat shock in C. elegans turns out to be systemic, and mediated by sensory neurons, with potentially interesting implications for the response of lifespan to temperature. Work in Escherichia coli and yeast has revealed a role for retention of aggregated proteins in the parent in the rejuvenation of offspring while, as in C. elegans, removal of the germ line in Drosophila turns out to extend lifespan. Aging research has suffered the loss of a great scientific leader, Seymour Benzer, and his trail-blazing work on aging and neurodegeneration is highlighted. [source] Waterlogged archaeological wood,chemical changes by conservation and degradationJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 10 2006M. Christensen Abstract Conservation of waterlogged archaeological wooden artefacts from the Nydam Bog in the southern part of Denmark was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Two different conservation methods were used: the cellosolve/petroleum method and the polyethylene glycol (PEG)/freeze-drying method. Conservation with cellosolve/petroleum at both room and elevated temperatures was used to preserve archaeological arrows made from pinewood and ash wood. The double bonds in lignin were affected by the warm treatment. Holocellulose in the archaeological wooden arrows had decomposed completely. A band around 180 cm,1 in the R(v)-representation of the low-wavenumber Raman spectrum was used to monitor the presence of water in PEG2000 with a structure like the one in ,free' bulk water. The lignin/PEG2000 relative band intensities were used to make a quantitative estimate of the wood/PEG2000 ratio in a PEG2000 impregnated piece of hardwood. A decreasing degradation of holocellulose was observed from the surface to the centre of an oak piece from the Kolding Cog, built around 1200 A.D. A broad background was observed in the spectra recorded close to the surface of the plank. A similar, very intense, broad background was seen in untreated collapsed ash wood from the Nydam Bog. This broad background, most probably arising from fluorescence, was too intense to allow a Raman spectrum to be seen. In these cases, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is a valuable complementary tool in studies of waterlogged archaeological wood, confirming that holocellulose degrades more rapidly than lignin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reproducibility of the Italian ISQ method for quality classification of bread wheats: An evaluation by expert assessorsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 5 2007Giorgia Foca Abstract The great variety of different bakery products in Italy has led to the development of a method, the Synthetic Index of Quality (Indice Sintetico di Qualità, ISQ), for the classification of bread wheats in different quality categories. Based on chemical and rheological properties, each wheat sample is assigned to the most suitable class by an expert assessor. In many cases this procedure is not straightforward, making the class assignation uncertain, thus leading to the possibility of controversies during the trading phase. In the present study, in order to have a quantitative estimate of the validity and reliability of this procedure, a panel composed of nine expert assessors was utilised for the repeated evaluation of 100 samples of bread wheats of various qualities. The results suggest that the proposed approach can be used both to monitor the reliability of the single assessors, and to identify samples whose class assignation is reasonably indubitable, e.g. to be used for the development of automated classification methods. Moreover, the analysis of the most uncertain assignation cases can be useful in order to enhance the ISQ classification method itself. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Electrical Resistivity and Phase Transformation in SteelsMATERIALWISSENSCHAFT UND WERKSTOFFTECHNIK, Issue 1 2003O. N. Mohanty Elektrischer Widerstand; Phasenumwandlung; Magnetische Eigenschaften Abstract Changes in electrical resistance accompanying transformations in steels with magnetic change (e.g. , , martensite/bainite) and without magnetic change (e.g. , , ,, above Curie temperature) have been examined; the former class affects the resistivity the latter does not. Next, while the efficacy of electrical resistivity measurement in capturing the well-known features of austenite stabilization (e.g. over , ageing, reversibility, and influence of prior martensite amount and so on) in high carbon steels has been reported in an earlier publication, new features (e.g. increase in resistance -increase at very low temperatures, change in temperature co-efficient of resistivity in the stabilized material etc.) are highlighted here. Finally, the work shows that a quantitative estimate of precipitation in the copper bearing, age-hardenable HSLA-100 steel during tempering can be done by continuous electrical resistivity measurement. These data also allow an in-depth kinetic analysis using the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. Zusammenhang zwischen elektrischem Widerstand und Phasenumwandlungen in Stählen Änderungen des elektrischen Widerstands wurden im Zusammenhang mit Phasenumwandlungen, die zu Änderungen der magnetischen Eigenschaften führen (z.B. , , Martensit/Bainit), und solchen, die keine Änderungen der magnetischen Eigenschaften bewirken (z.B. , , , oberhalb der Curie-Temperatur), untersucht. Während sich die erste Umwandlungsart auswirkt, gilt dies für die andere nicht. Während über die Empfindlichkeit von Widerstandsmessungen zur Erfassung der Austenitstabilisierung (z.B. Überalterung, Umkehrbarkeit, Einfluß des vorher vorhandenen Martensitanteils, usw.) in übereutektoiden Stählen in einer früheren Veröffentlichung berichtet wurde, wird im zweiten Teil der hier vorgelegten Veröffentlichung auf neuerdings erfassbare Merkmale (z.B. der Anstieg des Widerstands bei sehr niedrigen Temperaturen, die Änderung der Temperaturabhängigkeit des Widerstands im stabilisierten Material, usw.) eingegangen. Schließlich zeigt die Arbeit, daß durch kontinuierliche Widerstandsmessungen während des Anlassens eine quantitative Abschätzung der Ausscheidungsgehalte im kupferhaltigen, ausscheidungsverfestigenden HSLA-100-Stahl erfolgen kann. Die Daten hierzu erlauben zudem eine vertiefte kinetische Analyse auf Basis der Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Gleichung. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,ENDOCRINE: Pattern of Endocrinal Changes in Patients with Sexual DysfunctionTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2005Ahmed I. El-Sakka MD ABSTRACT Introduction., Many patients with endocrinal changes (endocrinopathy) have some degrees of sexual dysfunction that necessitate assessment and treatment. Aim., To assess the prevalence, and identify the pattern, of endocrinopathy in patients with sexual dysfunction in our community. Methods., A total of 1,248 male patients with sexual dysfunction were enrolled in this study. Patients were screened for erectile dysfunction (ED) and sexual desire by the erectile function and the sexual desire domains of the International Index of Erectile Function (IEEF). Patients underwent routine laboratory investigations as well as total testosterone and prolactin assessment. All patients were referred to an endocrinologist for clinical and biochemical assessment of their endocrine function. The evaluation consisted of comprehensive history taking, physical examination, and, as needed, laboratory investigations. Results., Mean ages ± SD were 51.9 ± 12.2 and 52.3 ± 11.7 years for patients with and without endocrinopathy, respectively. Of the study population, 23.8% had endocrinopathy. The most frequent endocrinal changes were low testosterone level (15%), hyperprolactinemia (13.7%), and hypothyroidism (3.1%). There were significant associations between endocrinopathy and obesity, smoking, low desire, and premature ejaculation (P < 0.05 for each). Also, significant associations were found between low desire and low testosterone level, hyperprolactinemia, and hypothyroidism (P < 0.05 for each). Hyperprolactinemia was significantly associated with premature ejaculation (P < 0.05) but not with low testosterone level (P > 0.05). There was no significant association between endocrinopathy and age, cigarette smoking (number and duration), and ED (duration, severity, type of onset, and progression) (P > 0.05 for each). Conclusion., Endocrinopathy is not a rare condition among ambulatory patients with sexual dysfunction. This study provides a quantitative estimate of endocrinopathy in ambulatory patients with sexual dysfunction. [source] A quantitative estimate of melanoma mortality from ultraviolet A sunbed use in the U.K.BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003B.L. Diffey Summary Background, Concern has been expressed for many years in the medical and regulatory literature about the adverse health effects, especially melanoma, from the use of sunbeds for cosmetic tanning. Objectives, To estimate the mortality from melanoma as a result of the use of sunbeds for cosmetic tanning in the U.K. Methods A model using a Monte Carlo random sampling technique was developed to estimate human ultraviolet exposure to both sunlight and sunbeds, and these data were used to predict the contribution of sunbeds to melanoma mortality in the U.K. Results, The mortality from melanoma due to sunbed use each year in the U.K. is estimated to be about 100 deaths. Conclusions, Sunbed use could be regarded as a relatively minor self-imposed detriment to public health compared with other voluntary ,pleasurable' activities associated with significant mortality, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. While cosmetic tanning using sunbeds should be discouraged, prohibition is not warranted especially as exposure to the sun, which cannot be regulated, remains the major contributory factor to the risk of melanoma. [source] Can Electrophilicity Act as a Measure of the Redox Potential of First-Row Transition Metal Ions?CHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 33 2007Jan Moens Abstract Previous contributions concerning the computational approach to redox chemistry have made use of thermodynamic cycles and Car,Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations to obtain accurate redox potential values, whereas this article adopts a conceptual density functional theory (DFT) approach. Conceptual DFT descriptors have found widespread use in the study of thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of a variety of organic and inorganic reactions. However, redox reactions have not received much attention until now. In this contribution, we prove the usefulness of global and local electrophilicity descriptors for the prediction of the redox characteristics of first row transition metal ions (from Sc3+|Sc2+ to Cu3+|Cu2+) and introduce a scaled definition of the electrophilicity based on the number of electrons an electrophile ideally accepts. This scaled electrophilicity concept acts as a good quantitative estimate of the redox potential. We also identify the first solvation sphere together with the metal ion as the primary active region during the electron uptake process, whereas the second solvation sphere functions as a non-reactive continuum region. [source] The Relevance of the Collaborative Effect in Determining the Performances of Photorefractive Polymer MaterialsCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 2 2010Rocco Angelone Dr. Abstract A derivative of 2-methylindole, 3-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]-1-allyl-2-methylindole, NPEMI-A, is studied for its photoconductivity and photorefractivity behaviour. Its blends with the organic polymer poly-(2,3-dimethyl- N -vinylindole), PVDMI, are also investigated. Due to the expected and devised mutual solubility of the two components of the blends, it is possible to carry out measurements with the weight percent of the chromophore NPEMI-A changing from zero to 100. Films were produced by a squeezing process between two ITO-covered glass sheets. No opacity phenomena, that are so common for many other organic blends due to the segregation of the dissolved chromophore, are observed. The photorefractive optical gain ,2 is obtained as a function of the chromophore content. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements (DSC) are also carried out to obtain the whole change of the glass transition temperature Tg as a function of the amount of chromophore contained in the blends. From the experimental trend of Tg a meaningful quantitative estimate of the value of the electrostatic interactions acting in the studied blends, is obtained. The importance of the value of Tg, and of the electrostatic interactions, in determining the extent of the photorefractivity is clearly evident. The results are compared for NPEMI-A (,2=210 cm,1) and for NPEMI-E (,2 , 2000 cm,1) that has a N-2-ethylhexyl group instead of a N-allyl group. The Pockels and Kerr contributions and,for the first time,a "collaborative effect" of the photorefractivity of NPEMI-A are distinguished and quantitatively evaluated. [source] Extinction-Rate Estimates for a Modern Neotropical FloraCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Nigel C. A. Pitman We present the first quantitative estimates of extinction rate in a complete Neotropical flora based on historical plant-collection records, quantitative measurements of forest loss and plant diversity, and the conservation status of endemic plant species in Ecuador. Our analyses suggest that 19,46 endemic plant species have gone extinct in Ecuador over the last 250 years, mostly because of habitat loss, and therefore are now globally extinct. An additional 282 species, nearly 7% of Ecuador's endemic flora, qualify as critically endangered. We found evidence of impending large-scale plant extinctions in the country's coastal and Andean forests, but little extinction and low potential for extinction in the Amazonian lowlands. Resumen: Las preocupaciones sobre las elevadas tasas de extinción en los trópicos son una característica común en la literatura sobre conservación, pero las mediciones directas son escasas. Presentamos las primeras estimaciones cuantitativas de la tasa de extinción en una flora neotropical completa basada en los expedientes históricos de colecciones de plantas, las mediciones cuantitativas de la pérdida de bosque y de diversidad y el estado de conservación de especies de plantas endémicas en Ecuador. Nuestro análisis sugiere que 19,46 especies de plantas se han extinguido en el Ecuador a lo largo de los últimos 250 años, debido principalmente a la pérdida de hábitat y por lo tanto son ahora extintas a nivel mundial. Además 282 especies, cerca del 7% de la flora endémica del Ecuador califica como críticamente amenazada. Encontramos indicaciones de inminentes extinciones de gran escala en el país, tanto en los bosques costeros como en los bosques de los Andes, pero poca extinción y bajo potencial de extinción en las tierras bajas del Amazonas. [source] A CRITICAL LOOK AT PAP ADEQUECY: ARE OUR CRITERIA SATISFACTORY?CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 2006D.R. Bolick Liquid based Pap (LBP) specimen adequacy is a highly documented, yet poorly understood cornerstone of our GYN cytology practice. Each day, as cytology professionals, we make adequacy assessments and seldom wonder how the criteria we use were established. Are the criteria appropriate? Are they safe? What is the scientific data that support them? Were they clinically and statistically tested or refined to achieve optimal patient care? In this presentation, we will take a fresh look at what we know about Pap specimen adequacy and challenge some of the core assumptions of our daily practice. LBP tests have a consistent, well-defined surface area for screening, facilitating the quantitative estimates of slide cellularity. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to establish reproducible adequacy standards that can be subjected to scientific scrutiny and rigorous statistical analysis. Capitalizing on this opportunity, the TBS2001 took the landmark step to define specimen adequacy quantitatively, and set the threshold for a satisfactory LBP at greater than 5,000 well visualized squamous epithelial cells. To date, few published studies have attempted to evaluate the validity or receiver operator characteristics for this threshold, define an optimal threshold for clinical utility or assess risks of detection failure in ,satisfactory' but relatively hypocellular Pap specimens. Five years of cumulative adequacy and cellularity data of prospectively collected Pap samples from the author's laboratory will be presented, which will serve as a foundation for a discussion on ,Pap failure'. A relationship between cellularity and detection of HSIL will be presented. Risk levels for Pap failure will be presented for Pap samples of different cellularities. The effect of different cellularity criterion on unsatisfactory Pap rates and Pap failure rates will be demonstrated. Results from this data set raise serious questions as to the safety of current TBS2001 adequacy guidelines and suggest that the risk of Pap failure in specimens with 5,000 to 20 000 squamous cells on the slide is significantly higher than those assumed by the current criteria. TBS2001 designated all LBP to have the same adequacy criterion. Up to this point, it has been assumed that ThinPrep, SurePath, or any other LBP would be sufficiently similar that they should have the same adequacy criteria. Data for squamous cellularity and other performance characteristics of ThinPrep and SurePath from the author's laboratory will be compared. Intriguing data involving the recently approved MonoPrep Pap Test will be reviewed. MonoPrep clinical trial data show the unexpected finding of a strong correlation between abundance of endocervical component and the detection of high-grade lesions, provoking an inquiry of a potential new role for a quantitative assessment of the transition zone component. The current science of LBP adequacy criteria is underdeveloped and does not appear to be founded on statistically valid methods. This condition calls us forward as a body of practitioners and scientists to rigorously explore, clarify and define the fundamental nature of cytology adequacy. As we forge this emerging science, we will improve diagnostic performance, guide the development of future technologies, and better serve the patients who give us their trust. Reference:, Birdsong GG: Pap smear adequacy: Is our understanding satisfactory? Diagn Cytopathol. 2001 Feb; 24(2): 79,81. [source] EVOLUTION OF COLOR VARIATION IN DRAGON LIZARDS: QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ROLE OF CRYPSIS AND LOCAL ADAPTATIONEVOLUTION, Issue 7 2004Devi M. Stuart-Fox Abstract Many animal species display striking color differences with respect to geographic location, sex, and body region. Traditional adaptive explanations for such complex patterns invoke an interaction between selection for conspicuous signals and natural selection for crypsis. Although there is now a substantial body of evidence supporting the role of sexual selection for signaling functions, quantitative studies of crypsis remain comparatively rare. Here, we combine objective measures of coloration with information on predator visual sensitivities to study the role of crypsis in the evolution of color variation in an Australian lizard species complex (Ctenophorus decresii). We apply a model that allows us to quantify crypsis in terms of the visual contrast of the lizards against their natural backgrounds, as perceived by potential avian predators. We then use these quantitative estimates of crypsis to answer the following questions. Are there significant differences in crypsis conspicuousness among populations? Are there significant differences in crypsis conspicuousness between the sexes? Are body regions "exposed" to visual predators more cryptic than "hidden" body regions? Is there evidence for local adaptation with respect to crypsis against different substrates? In general, our results confirmed that there are real differences in crypsis conspicuousness both between populations and between sexes; that exposed body regions were significantly more cryptic than hidden ones, particularly in females; and that females, but not males, are more cryptic against their own local background than against the background of other populations. Body regions that varied most in contrast between the sexes and between populations were also most conspicuous and are emphasized by males during social and sexual signaling. However, results varied with respect to the aspect of coloration studied. Results based on chromatic contrast ("hue' of color) provided better support for the crypsis hypothesis than did results based on achromatic contrast ("brightness' of color). Taken together, these results support the view that crypsis plays a substantial role in the evolution of color variation and that color patterns represent a balance between the need for conspicuousness for signaling and the need for crypsis to avoid predation. [source] Characterizing interannual variations in global fire calendar using data from Earth observing satellitesGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2005César Carmona-Moreno Abstract Daily global observations from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometers on the series of meteorological satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration between 1982 and 1999 were used to generate a new weekly global burnt surface product at a resolution of 8 km. Comparison with independently available information on fire locations and timing suggest that while the time-series cannot yet be used to make accurate and quantitative estimates of global burnt area it does provide a reliable estimate of changes in location and season of burning on the global scale. This time-series was used to characterize fire activity in both northern and southern hemispheres on the basis of average seasonal cycle and interannual variability. Fire seasonality and fire distribution data sets have been combined to provide gridded maps at 0.5° resolution documenting the probability of fire occurring in any given season for any location. A multiannual variogram constructed from 17 years of observations shows good agreement between the spatial,temporal behavior in fire activity and the ,El Niño' Southern Oscillation events, showing highly likely connections between both phenomena. [source] Quantifying uncertainty in estimates of C emissions from above-ground biomass due to historic land-use change to cropping in AustraliaGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2001Damian J. Barrett Abstract Quantifying continental scale carbon emissions from the oxidation of above-ground plant biomass following land-use change (LUC) is made difficult by the lack of information on how much biomass was present prior to vegetation clearing and on the timing and location of historical LUC. The considerable spatial variability of vegetation and the uncertainty of this variability leads to difficulties in predicting biomass C density (tC ha,1) prior to LUC. The issue of quantifying uncertainties in the estimation of land based sources and sinks of CO2, and the feasibility of reducing these uncertainties by further sampling, is critical information required by governments world-wide for public policy development on climate change issues. A quantitative statistical approach is required to calculate confidence intervals (the level of certainty) of estimated cleared above-ground biomass. In this study, a set of high-quality observations of steady state above-ground biomass from relatively undisturbed ecological sites across the Australian continent was combined with vegetation, topographic, climatic and edaphic data sets within a Geographical Information System. A statistical model was developed from the data set of observations to predict potential biomass and the standard error of potential biomass for all 0.05° (approximately 5 × 5 km) land grid cells of the continent. In addition, the spatial autocorrelation of observations and residuals from the statistical model was examined. Finally, total C emissions due to historic LUC to cultivation and cropping were estimated by combining the statistical model with a data set of fractional cropland area per land grid cell, fAc (Ramankutty & Foley 1998). Total C emissions from loss of above-ground biomass due to cropping since European colonization of Australia was estimated to be 757 MtC. These estimates are an upper limit because the predicted steady state biomass may be less than the above-ground biomass immediately prior to LUC because of disturbance. The estimated standard error of total C emissions was calculated from the standard error of predicted biomass, the standard error of fAc and the spatial autocorrelation of biomass. However, quantitative estimates of the standard error of fAc were unavailable. Thus, two scenarios were developed to examine the effect of error in fAc on the error in total C emissions. In the first scenario, in which fAc was regarded as accurate (i.e. a coefficient of variation, CV, of fAc = 0.0), the 95% confidence interval of the continental C emissions was 379,1135 MtC. In the second scenario, a 50% error in estimated cropland area was assumed (a CV of fAc = 0.50) and the estimated confidence interval increased to between 350 and 1294 MtC. The CV of C emissions for these two scenarios was 25% and 29%. Thus, while accurate maps of land-use change contribute to decreasing uncertainty in C emissions from LUC, the major source of this uncertainty arises from the prediction accuracy of biomass C density. It is argued that, even with large sample numbers, the high cost of sampling biomass carbon may limit the uncertainty of above-ground biomass to about a CV of 25%. [source] Reconstructing floodplain sedimentation rates from heavy metal profiles by inverse modellingHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2002Dr Hans Middelkoop Abstract The embanked floodplains of the lower River Rhine in the Netherlands contain large amounts of heavy metals, which is a result of many years deposition of contaminated overbank sediments. Depending on local sedimentation rates and changing pollution trends in the past, the metal pollution varies greatly between different floodplain sections as well as vertically within the floodplain soil profiles. Maximum metal concentrations in floodplain soils vary from 30 to 130 mg/kg for Cu, from 70 to 490 mg/kg for Pb and from 170 to 1450 mg/kg for Zn. In the present study these metals were used as a tracer to reconstruct sedimentation rates at 28 sites on the lower River Rhine floodplains. The temporal trend in pollution of the lower River Rhine over the past 150 years was reconstructed on the basis of metal concentrations in sediments from small ponds within the floodplain area. Using a one-dimensional sedimentation model, average sedimentation rates over the past century were determined using an inverse modelling calibration procedure. The advantage of this method is that it uses information over an entire profile, it requires only a limited number of samples, it accounts for post-depositional redistribution of the metals, and it provides quantitative estimates of the precision of the sedimentation rates obtained. Estimated sedimentation rates vary between about 0·2 mm/year and 15 mm/year. The lowest metal concentrations are found in the distal parts of floodplain sections with low flooding frequencies and where average sedimentation rates have been less than about 5 mm/year. The largest metal accumulations occur in low-lying floodplain sections where average sedimentation rates have been more than 10 mm/year. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Using molecular and quantitative variation for assessing genetic impacts on Nucella lapillus populations after local extinction and recolonizationINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2006Isabelle Colson Abstract The dogwhelk Nucella lapillus is a predatory marine gastropod living on rocky shores in the North Atlantic. As with many other gastropod species, Nucella was affected by tributyltin (TBT) pollution during the 1970s and 1980s, and local populations underwent extinction. After a partial ban on TBT in the UK in 1987, vacant sites have been recolonized. Levels of genetic diversity and quantitative genetic variation in shell form were compared between recolonized sites and sites that showed continuous population at three localities across the British Isles. Overall, estimates of genetic diversity were only slightly lower in recolonized populations, suggesting that populations have recovered from previous impacts due to the relatively high levels of migration from non-impacted sites. Molecular and quantitative analyses are broadly concordant and a positive correlation was observed (although not statistically significant) between molecular and quantitative estimates of genetic diversity, indicating the potential usefulness of quantitative methods to complement molecular population genetics analyses. [source] Toward accurate relative energy predictions of the bioactive conformation of drugsJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2009Keith T. Butler Abstract Quantifying the relative energy of a ligand in its target-bound state (i.e. the bioactive conformation) is essential to understand the process of molecular recognition, to optimize the potency of bioactive molecules and to increase the accuracy of structure-based drug design methods. This is, nevertheless, seriously hampered by two interrelated issues, namely the difficulty in carrying out an exhaustive sampling of the conformational space and the shortcomings of the energy functions, usually based on parametric methods of limited accuracy. Matters are further complicated by the experimental uncertainty on the atomic coordinates, which precludes a univocal definition of the bioactive conformation. In this article we investigate the relative energy of bioactive conformations introducing two major improvements over previous studies: the use sophisticated QM-based methods to take into account both the internal energy of the ligand and the solvation effect, and the application of physically meaningful constraints to refine the bioactive conformation. On a set of 99 drug-like molecules, we find that, contrary to previous observations, two thirds of bioactive conformations lie within 0.5 kcal mol,1 of a local minimum, with penalties above 2.0kcal mol,1 being generally attributable to structural determination inaccuracies. The methodology herein described opens the door to obtain quantitative estimates of the energy of bioactive conformations and can be used both as an aid in refining crystallographic structures and as a tool in drug discovery. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2009 [source] Mechanisms of pathogenesis and the evolution of parasite virulenceJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008S. A. FRANK Abstract When studying how much a parasite harms its host, evolutionary biologists turn to the evolutionary theory of virulence. That theory has been successful in predicting how parasite virulence evolves in response to changes in epidemiological conditions of parasite transmission or to perturbations induced by drug treatments. The evolutionary theory of virulence is, however, nearly silent about the expected differences in virulence between different species of parasite. Why, for example, is anthrax so virulent, whereas closely related bacterial species cause little harm? The evolutionary theory might address such comparisons by analysing differences in tradeoffs between parasite fitness components: transmission as a measure of parasite fecundity, clearance as a measure of parasite lifespan and virulence as another measure that delimits parasite survival within a host. However, even crude quantitative estimates of such tradeoffs remain beyond reach in all but the most controlled of experimental conditions. Here, we argue that the great recent advances in the molecular study of pathogenesis provide a way forward. In light of those mechanistic studies, we analyse the relative sensitivity of tradeoffs between components of parasite fitness. We argue that pathogenic mechanisms that manipulate host immunity or escape from host defences have particularly high sensitivity to parasite fitness and thus dominate as causes of parasite virulence. The high sensitivity of immunomodulation and immune escape arise because those mechanisms affect parasite survival within the host, the most sensitive of fitness components. In our view, relating the sensitivity of pathogenic mechanisms to fitness components will provide a way to build a much richer and more general theory of parasite virulence. [source] Effect of bone chip orientation on quantitative estimates of changes in bone mass using digital subtraction radiographyJOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2003André Mol Objectives:, To assess the effect of the orientation of arbitrarily shaped bone chips on the correlation between radiographic estimates of bone loss and true mineral loss using digital subtraction radiography. Methods:, Twenty arbitrarily shaped bone chips (dry weight 1,10 mg) were placed individually on the superior lingual aspect of the interdental alveolar bone of a dry dentate hemi-mandible. After acquiring the first baseline image, each chip was rotated 90 degrees and a second radiograph was captured. Follow-up images were created without the bone chips and after rotating the mandible 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 degrees around a vertical axis. Aluminum step tablet intensities were used to normalize image intensities for each image pair. Follow-up images were registered and geometrically standardized using projective standardization. Bone chips were dry ashed and analyzed for calcium content using atomic absorption. Results:, No significant difference was found between the radiographic estimates of bone loss from the different bone chip orientations (Wilcoxon: P > 0.05). The correlation between the two series of estimates for all rotations was 0.93 (Spearman: P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis indicated that both correlates did not differ appreciably ( and ). Conclusion:, It is concluded that the spatial orientation of arbitrarily shaped bone chips does not have a significant impact on quantitative estimates of changes in bone mass in digital subtraction radiography. These results were obtained in the presence of irreversible projection errors of up to six degrees and after application of projective standardization for image reconstruction and image registration. [source] Influence of perfusion on high-intensity focused ultrasound prostate ablation: A first-pass MRI study,MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 1 2007Marlène Wiart Abstract Our aim was to evaluate the influence of regional prostate blood flow (rPBF) on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment outcome. A total of 48 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were examined by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI prior to HIFU therapy. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir threshold of 0.2 ng/ml was used to define the populations of responders and nonresponders. A dedicated tracer kinetic model, namely "monoexponential plus constant" (MPC) deconvolution, was implemented to provide quantitative estimates of rPBF. The results were compared with those obtained by semiquantitative (steepest slope, mean gradient) and quantitative (Fermi deconvolution) approaches. Of the four methods studied, quantitative rPBF obtained by MPC deconvolution proved the most sensitive to the perfusion changes encountered in this study. Furthermore, blood-flow values obtained with MPC deconvolution in the prostate and muscle (12 ± 8 and 5 ± 3 ml/min/100 g, respectively) were in good agreement with literature data. The mean pretreatment rPBF obtained with MPC deconvolution was significantly higher in nonresponders compared to responders (16 ± 9 vs. 10 ± 6 ml/min/100 g), suggesting a correlation between baseline perfusion and treatment outcome. The present work describes and validates the use of dynamic MRI to estimate rPBF in patients, which in the future may help to refine the conduct of HIFU therapy. Magn Reson Med 58:119,127, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Voids in the 2dFGRS and ,CDM simulations: spatial and dynamical propertiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006L. Ceccarelli ABSTRACT We perform a statistical study on the distribution and dynamics of voids in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS). Our statistics are tested and calibrated using mock 2dFGRS catalogues. We analyse the dynamics around voids in mock and real 2dFGRS surveys. The void,galaxy cross-correlation redshift-space distortions show evidence of the continuing growth of voids, confirming another prediction of the hierarchical clustering scenario. A non-linear outflow model can be used to provide quantitative estimates of the outflow velocities around 2dFGRS voids. These results are consistent with maximum outflows of 110, 210 and 270 km s,1 for voids of ,rvoid,= 7.5, 12.5 and 17.5 Mpc h,1, assuming a galaxy bias of b= 1. As an application for future surveys, our study of the mock catalogues shows that direct measurements of the expansion of voids can be obtained using peculiar velocity data. We find that it would also be possible to detect differences in the velocity dispersion of galaxies in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the void walls. [source] Calibrated quantitative ultrasound imaging of skeletal muscle using backscatter analysisMUSCLE AND NERVE, Issue 1 2008Craig M. Zaidman MD Abstract We evaluated the ability of an ultrasound method, which can characterize cardiac muscle pathology and has reliability across different imaging systems, to obtain calibrated quantitative estimates of backscatter of skeletal muscle. Our procedure utilized a tissue-mimicking phantom to establish a linear relationship between ultrasound grayscale and backscatter levels. We studied skeletal muscles of 82 adults: 45 controls and 37 patients with hereditary myopathies. We found that skeletal muscle ultrasound backscatter levels varied with probe orientation, age, and muscle contraction and pathology. Reliability was greater with the probe in longitudinal compared with transverse planes. Backscatter levels were higher in those >40 years of age, in muscle extension than flexion, and in myopathic patients than controls. Calibrated measurements of muscle backscatter have sensitivity and specificity in identifying and reliably measuring levels of skeletal muscle pathology. Muscle Nerve 38: 893,898, 2008 [source] | |||||||||||||||||||