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Selected AbstractsStructure determination of a novel protein by sulfur SAD using chromium radiation in combination with a new crystal-mounting methodACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 8 2005Yu Kitago A novel and easy crystal-mounting technique was developed for the sulfur SAD method using Cr,K, radiation (2.29,Å). Using this technique, the cryo-buffer and cryoloop around the protein crystal can be removed before data collection in order to eliminate their X-ray absorption. The superiority and reproducibility of the data sets with this mounting technique were demonstrated using tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme crystals. The structure of a novel protein, PH1109, from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 was solved using this technique. At the wavelength of Cr,K, radiation, the anomalous signal ,|,F|,/,|F|, of PH1109 is expected to be 1.72% as this protein of 144 residues includes four methionines and two cysteines. Sulfur SAD phasing was performed using SHELXD and SHELXE. In the case of the data set obtained using this novel crystal-mounting technique, 54.9% of all residues were built with side chains automatically by RESOLVE. On the other hand, only 16.0% were built with side chains for the data set collected using the standard cryoloop. These results indicated that this crystal-mounting technique was superior to the standard loop-mounting method for the measurement of small anomalous differences at longer wavelength and yielded better results in sulfur-substructure solution and initial phasing. The present study demonstrates that the sulfur SAD method with a chromium source becomes enhanced and more practical for macromolecular structure determination using the new crystal-mounting technique. [source] Childhood Onset Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus Does Not Resolve at Puberty: A Prospective Case SeriesPEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Saxon D. Smith M.B.Ch.B. However when it occurs in adult women it is accepted that remission is unlikely and that in addition untreated or inadequately treated disease may be complicated by significant disturbance of vulvar architecture and less commonly squamous cell carcinoma. Our database reveals 18 girls who developed lichen sclerosus prior to puberty who are now adolescents or young adults. Twelve have remained under surveillance and the other six patients have been lost to follow-up. We report a prospective series of these 12 patients. Three patients have achieved complete remission sustained for three or more years, all prior to menarche. Nine patients, or 75% of the cohort, who still had active lichen sclerosus at puberty continue to require maintenance therapy after menarche. Of the 12, six have had significant disturbance of vulvar architecture. The concept that prepubertal lichen sclerosus resolves at puberty would appear not to be true in the majority of patients. Even when diagnosed early and treated effectively, childhood onset lichen sclerosus may be complicated by distortion of vulvar architecture. [source] Calculation of the Vibrationally Resolved, Circularly Polarized Luminescence of d -Camphorquinone and (S,S)- trans -,-HydrindanoneCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 11 2010Benjamin Pritchard Abstract Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), the differential emission of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light from a molecule, is modeled by using time-dependent density functional theory. Calculations of the CPL spectra for the first electronic excited states of d -camphorquinone and (S,S)- trans -,-hydrindanone under the Franck,Condon approximation and using various functionals are presented, as well as calculations of absorption, emission, and circular dichroism spectra. The functionals B3LYP, BHLYP, and CAM-B3LYP are employed, along with the TZVP and aug-cc-pVDZ Gaussian-type basis sets. For the lowest-energy transitions, all functionals and basis sets perform comparably, with the long-range-corrected CAM-B3LYP better reproducing the excitation energy of camphorquinone but leading to a blue shift with respect to experiment for hydrindanone. The vibrationally resolved spectra of camphorquinone are very well reproduced in terms of peak location, widths, shapes, and intensities. The spectra of hydrindanone are well reproduced in terms of overall envelope shape and width, as well as the lack of prominent vibrational structure in the emission and CPL spectra. Overall the simulated spectra compare well with experiment, and reproduce the band shapes, emission red shifts, and presence or absence of visible vibrational fine structure. [source] SGXPro: a parallel workflow engine enabling optimization of program performance and automation of structure determinationACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 7 2005Zheng-Qing Fu SGXPro consists of four components. (i) A parallel workflow engine that was designed to automatically manage communication between the different processes and build systematic searches of algorithm/program/parameter space to generate the best possible result for a given data set. This is performed by offering the user a palette of programs and techniques commonly used in X-ray structure determination in an environment that lets the user choose programs in a mix-and-match manner, without worrying about inter-program communication and file formats, during the structure-determination process. The current SGXPro program palette includes 3DSCALE, SHELXD, ISAS, SOLVE/RESOLVE, DM, SOLOMON, DMMULTI, BLAST, AMoRe, EPMR, XTALVIEW, ARP/wARP and MAID. (ii) A client/server architecture that allows the user to utilize the best computing facility available. (iii) Plug-in-and-play design, which allows easily integration of new programs into the system. (iv) User-friendly interface. [source] PHYSICAL TRAINING, ETHICAL DISCIPLINE, AND CREATIVE VIOLENCE: Zones of Self-Mastery in the Hindu Nationalist MovementCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2010ARAFAAT A. VALIANI ABSTRACT This essay advances understanding of how projects of self-mastery within neighborhood physical training programs associated with the Hindu Nationalist Movement produce subjects that are simultaneously ethically oriented and creatively violent. Such an analysis is contrasted with the conventional view that Hindu Nationalist volunteers are mere objects who blindly conform to a nationalist ideology or religious norms. Drawing on the author's participant observation of physical conditioning within the movement, the essay illustrates how combat training depends on an analytical sensibility by which techniques of drill are simultaneously learned and innovated by volunteers in a disciplinary zone of self-experimentation. Within such a zone, volunteers modify drill routines, enriching and refining them on an everyday basis. Thus, the evolution of physical techniques transforms training into an unfolding enterprise that is continually oriented toward attaining physical and moral self-mastery through the probing of bodily exercises. The essay underscores the social significance of such forms of physical self-exploration, in which movement volunteers understand the iterative probing of physical practice as driven by a resolve that deepens the volunteer's moral fortitude. The essay illuminates how a set of physical and moral processes are intertwined, processes through which militant subjects are culturally formed and routines of violence are sustained as a social and ethical practice. Physical training is connected to anti-Muslim pogroms in postcolonial Gujarat demonstrating how the evolving nature of physical training shapes, prolongs, and enables the improvisation of tactics of ethnic cleansing. [source] Residual cognitive impairments in remitted depressed patients,DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 6 2008Wendelien Merens M.A. Abstract Depressive disorders are associated with various cognitive impairments. Studies on whether or not these impairments persist into the euthymic phase have shown conflicting results, due to differences in test versions and in study samples. In this paper, we aimed to compare the cognitive performance of remitted depressed patients with that of age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers across a wide range of cognitive domains. In two studies, we found few differences on neutral as well as emotional information processing tests. The findings indicate that remitted depressed patients who use antidepressant medication still show an increased recognition of facial expression of fear compared to healthy controls. Patients also performed worse on a test of recognition of abstract visual information from long-term memory. No other residual cognitive impairments were found. These results indicate that most of the cognitive impairments associated with depression resolve with recovery through medication, even when recovery is incomplete. Considering the finding that remitted depressed patients have higher levels of cognitive reactivity, future studies may investigate the possibility that these cognitive impairments have not resolved but have become latent, and may therefore easily be triggered by small changes in mood state. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,10, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Patterns of motor disability in very preterm childrenDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 4 2002Melanie Bracewell Abstract Motor development in very preterm children differs in several important ways from that of children born at full term. Variability is common, although the anatomic and physiologic bases for that variability are often poorly understood. Motor patterns over the first postnatal year may depend on behaviours learned during often long periods of neonatal intensive care. The normal pattern of development may be modified by disturbances of brain function caused both by the interruption of normal brain maturation ex-utero and the superimposition of focal brain injuries following very preterm birth. Abnormal patterns of development over the first year may evolve into clear neuromotor patterns of cerebral palsy or resolve, as "transient dystonias." Cerebral palsy is associated with identified patterns of brain injury secondary to ischaemic or haemorrhagic lesions, perhaps modified by activation of inflammatory cytokines. Cerebral palsy rates have not fallen as might be expected over the past 10 years as survival has improved, perhaps because of increasing survival at low gestations, which is associated with the highest prevalence of cerebral palsy. Children who escape cerebral palsy are also at risk of motor impairments during the school years. The relationship of these impairments to perinatal factors or to neurological progress over the first postnatal year is debated. Neuromotor abnormalities are the most frequent of the "hidden disabilities" among ex-preterm children and are thus frequently associated with poorer cognitive ability and attention deficit disorders. Interventions to prevent cerebral palsy or to reduce these late disabilities in very preterm children are needed. MRDD Research Reviews 2002;8:241,248. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Withdrawal symptoms in abstinent methamphetamine-dependent subjectsADDICTION, Issue 10 2010Todd Zorick ABSTRACT Aims Withdrawal symptoms have been linked to a propensity for relapse to drug abuse. Inasmuch as this association applies to methamphetamine (MA) abuse, an understanding of the course of MA withdrawal symptoms may help to direct treatment for MA dependence. Previous studies of symptoms manifested during abstinence from MA have been limited in size and scope. We asked (i) whether debilitating psychological and/or physical symptoms appear during the first several weeks of MA abstinence, (ii) how craving for MA evolves and (iii) whether psychiatric symptoms (e.g. depression, psychosis) persist beyond a month of abstinence. Design A study of MA-dependent participants, who initiated and maintained abstinence from the drug for up to 5 weeks, compared to a matched healthy comparison group. Setting In-patient research hospital ward (MA-dependent subjects) and out-patient (comparison subjects). Participants Fifty-six MA-dependent and eighty-nine comparison subjects. Measurements Rater-assessed MA withdrawal questionnaire and self-report assessment of craving (MA-dependent subjects) and self-report assessment of psychiatric symptoms (both groups). Findings At study entry, MA-dependent subjects exhibited a wide range in severity of depressive symptoms, with the average score at a mild,moderate level of severity. Symptoms of psychosis were also prevalent. While depressive and psychotic symptoms largely resolved within a week of abstinence, craving did not decrease significantly from the time of initiating abstinence until the second week, and then continued at a reduced level to the fifth week. Conclusions Depressive and psychotic symptoms accompany acute withdrawal from methamphetamine but resolve within 1 week. Craving is also present and lasts at least 5 weeks. [source] A question of balance: prioritizing public health responses to harm from gamblingADDICTION, Issue 5 2009Peter J. Adams ABSTRACT Aim To provide an overview on the nature and importance of public health approaches to the global expansion of commercial gambling. Method Three key areas of public health activity are examined: harm minimization, health promotion and the political determinants for change. Findings The rapid proliferation of gambling experienced in many countries is driven by the commercial development of new products orientated around continuous and rapid mass consumption. This is particularly the case with ongoing refinements to electronic gambling machines and the development of new gambling technologies using the internet and mobile telephones. So far responses to negative impacts have, on the whole, focused upon individualized treatment interventions. A public health approach to gambling offers a broad range of strategies to tackle the wider implications of gambling expansion: harm reduction provides evidence-based strategies for managing identifiable harm; health promotion focuses upon communities building their capacity, knowledge and resilience with regard to the attractions of gambling, and action on the political determinants sets out to increase the accountability and reduce the conflicts of interest that influence government resolve in managing their gambling environments. Conclusion In this new environment of mass consumption, efforts in developing treatment responses to problem gambling need to be balanced with, at least, equal efforts in developing public health responses. With the expansion of commercial gambling occurring globally, international agencies could play a critical role in supporting public health initiatives. [source] Bacterial immobilization and remineralization of N at different growth rates and N concentrationsFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Per Bengtson Abstract An experiment was designed to resolve two largely unaddressed questions about the turnover of N in soils. One is the influence of microbial growth rate on mobilization and remineralization of cellular N. The other is to what extent heterotrophic immobilization of is controlled by the soil concentration of . Bacteria were extracted from a deciduous forest soil and inoculated into an aqueous medium. Various N pool dilution/enrichment experiments were carried out to: (1) calculate the gross N immobilization and remineralization rates; (2) investigate their dependence on concentrations; (3) establish the microbial preference for depending on the concentration ratio. Remineralization of microbial N occurred mainly at high growth rates and concentrations. There was a positive correlation between immobilization and remineralization rates, and intracellular recycling of N seemed to be an efficient way for bacteria to withstand low inorganic N concentrations. Thus, extensive remineralization of microbial N is likely to occur only when environmental conditions promote high growth rates. The results support previous observations of high immobilization rates, especially at low concentrations, but was also immobilized at high NH4 concentrations. The latter can be understood if part of the microbial community has a preference for . [source] Increasing the vertical resolution of conventional sub-bottom profilers by parametric equalizationGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 2 2002P. Cobo ABSTRACT Vertical resolution, i.e. the ability to resolve two close reflectors, is a crucial aspect of pulses used in geo-acoustic exploration of sea sub-bottoms. This paper deals with the problem of exploring the shallowest unconsolidated layers of the seafloor with conventional piezo-electric sonar pulses. Such transducers do not have a sufficiently broad transmission response to enable them to radiate short high-resolution pulses. Therefore, some kind of equalization process must be applied to broaden the transmission response. Here, inverse filtering is used to calculate the transducer driving waveform so that the subsequent acoustic pulse has a zero-phase cosine-magnitude nature. Within a specified bandwidth, this pulse has minimum length, i.e. maximum resolution. The method has been applied to compress the acoustic pulses radiated by two piezo-electric transducers. In conventional performance, these transducers radiate narrowband pulses which contain several cycles at the natural resonance frequency. Under equalized driving, both transducers emit broadband pulses, with resolving power greatly increased, at the cost of some amplitude loss. That is, the pulses radiated by both transducers have been shortened from 1 ms (low-frequency transducer) and 0.274 ms (high-frequency transducer) in conventional performance to 0.13 ms and 0.038 ms in equalized mode, with amplitude losses of 33% and 56%, respectively. The great improvement in the resolution of this technique is demonstrated by comparing the synthetic echograms that should be obtained when exploring a wedge model using zero-phase cosine-magnitude pulses with conventional ping pulses. [source] Effects of age and viral determinants on chronicity as an outcome of experimental woodchuck hepatitis virus infectionHEPATOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Paul J. Cote Ph.D. Acute hepadnavirus infections either resolve or progress to chronicity. Factors that influence chronicity as an outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in humans can be studied experimentally in the woodchuck model. Accordingly, several woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) inocula were characterized. Representative inocula had high titers of infectious virus (approximately 107.7 -109.5 woodchuck 50% infectious doses per milliliter [WID50% /mL] by subcutaneous inoculation), with 1 WID50% ranging between 21 and 357 physical virion particles. WHV7P1 (standard high dose, 5 × 106WID50%) produced a 72% chronicity rate (i.e., percent chronic of total infected) in neonatal woodchucks (1-3 days old). Comparable doses of WHV8P1 resulted in a lower chronicity rate in neonates (34% chronic) indicating that it represented a strain different from WHV7P1. Neonatal woodchucks were more susceptible to chronic infection by high doses of WHV7P1 (range, 65%-75% chronic) compared with 8-week-old weanlings (33% chronic) and adult woodchucks (0% chronic; i.e., all resolved). High doses of cloned wild-type viruses also induced high rates of chronicity in neonates (70%-80% chronic). Chronicity rates in neonates were decreased for low doses of WHV7P1 (500 WID50% , 9% chronic) and for high doses of a precore WHeAg-minus mutant WHV8 clone (17% chronic). Thus, both age and viral determinants can influence chronicity as an outcome of experimental WHV infection. Standardized inocula will enable the study of mechanisms that initiate and maintain chronic hepadnavirus infection and also provide a means for developing WHV carriers for therapeutic studies. [source] Twelve immunotherapy drugs that could cure cancersIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2008Mac' Cheever, Martin A. Summary: Immune T cells can kill cancer cells. Cancer vaccines function by increasing the number of immune T cells. There are exceedingly strict biologic limits imposed on the immune system to prevent excessive T-cell activation and expansion. The same biological restrictions limit cancer vaccines. Immunotherapeutic agents that circumvent the biological restrictions have been invented and formulated, including (i) dendritic cell activators and growth factors, (ii) vaccine adjuvants, (iii) T-cell stimulators and growth factors, (iv) immune checkpoint inhibitors, and (v) agents to neutralize or inhibit suppressive cells, cytokines, and enzymes. Few of these agents are broadly available for the development of effective multiple component regimens. The major problem facing immunotherapy today is a lack of broad availability of agents already in existence. The National Cancer Institute has developed a well-vetted ranked list of agents with high potential to serve as immunotherapeutic drugs. This review focuses on 12 of the agents, all with proven ability to augment T-cell responses. Alone, each has little chance of making substantial inroads into cancer therapy. In combinations dictated by biology, the agents are overwhelmingly likely to have an impact. Future availability of these agents for development of innovative combination cancer therapy regimens will provide a benchmark for the resolve of the national cancer therapy translational research enterprise. [source] Molecular phylogeny of Diabrotica beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) inferred from analysis of combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencesINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001T. L. Clark Abstract The phylogenetic relationships of thirteen Diabrotica (representing virgifera and fucata species groups) and two outgroup Acalymma beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) were inferred from the phylogenetic analysis of a combined data set of 1323 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the entire second internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA of 362 characters. Species investigated were D. adelpha, D. balteata, D. barberi, D. cristata, D. lemniscata, D. longicornis, D. porracea, D. speciosa, D. undecimpunctata howardi, D. u. undecimpunctata, D. virgifera virgifera, D. v. zeae, D. viridula, and outgroup A. blandulum and A. vittatum. Maximum parsimony (MP), minimum evolution (ME), and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses of combined COI and ITS-2 sequences clearly place species into their traditional morphological species groups with MP and ME analyses resulting in identical topologies. Results generally confer with a prior work based on allozyme data, but within the virgifera species group, D. barberi and D. longicornis strongly resolve as sister taxa as well as monophyletic with the neotropical species, D. viridula, D. cristata and D. lemniscata also resolve as sister taxa. Both relationships are not in congruence with the prior allozyme-based hypothesis. Within the fucata species group, D. speciosa and D. balteata resolve as sister taxa. Results also strongly supported the D. virgifera and D. undecimpunctata subspecies complexes. Our proposed phylogeny provides some insight into current hypotheses regarding distribution status and evolution of various life history traits for Diabrotica. [source] Non-oscillatory relaxation methods for the shallow-water equations in one and two space dimensionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 5 2004Mohammed Seaïd Abstract In this paper, a new family of high-order relaxation methods is constructed. These methods combine general higher-order reconstruction for spatial discretization and higher order implicit-explicit schemes or TVD Runge,Kutta schemes for time integration of relaxing systems. The new methods retain all the attractive features of classical relaxation schemes such as neither Riemann solvers nor characteristic decomposition are needed. Numerical experiments with the shallow-water equations in both one and two space dimensions on flat and non-flat topography demonstrate the high resolution and the ability of our relaxation schemes to better resolve the solution in the presence of shocks and dry areas without using either Riemann solvers or front tracking techniques. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Measuring the Dose of Nursing InterventionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 4 2007David Reed PhD PURPOSE.,To increase awareness of the many issues involved in measuring the dose of nursing intervention in nursing interventions effectiveness research. METHODS.,Identify critical issues in measurement of the dose of nursing intervention and discuss decisions regarding dosage measurement made in a study of the effectiveness of nursing interventions. FINDINGS.,A single method can be applied to resolve two critical issues in intervention dosage measurement. CONCLUSIONS.,Those conducting nursing interventions effectiveness research must think explicitly about how intervention dosage will be measured and reported so that dosage can be replicated in research and practice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.,,Measuring and reporting the dose of nursing intervention in research is essential to the development of an evidence base adequate to support practice. [source] Molecular clocks keep dispersal hypotheses afloat: evidence for trans-Atlantic rafting by rodentsJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2010Diane L. Rowe Abstract Aim, In order to resolve disputed biogeographical histories of biota with Gondwanan continental distributions, and to assess the null hypothesis of vicariance, it is imperative that a robust geological time-frame be established. As an example, the sudden and coincident appearance of hystricognath rodents (Rodentia: Hystricognathi) on both the African and South American continents has been an irreconcilable controversy for evolutionary biologists, presenting enigmas for both Gondwanan vicariance and Late Eocene dispersal hypotheses. In an attempt to resolve this discordance, we aim to provide a more robust phylogenetic hypothesis and improve divergence-date estimates, which are essential to assessing the null hypothesis of vicariance biogeography. Location, The primary centres of distribution are in Africa and South America. Methods, We implemented parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods to generate a phylogeny of 37 hystricognath taxa, the most comprehensive taxonomic sampling of this group to date, on the basis of two nuclear gene regions. To increase phylogenetic resolution at the basal nodes, these data were combined with previously published data for six additional nuclear gene regions. Divergence dates were estimated using two relaxed-molecular-clock methods, Bayesian multidivtime and nonparametric rate smoothing. Results, Our data do not support reciprocal monophyly of African and South American lineages. Indeed, Old World porcupines (i.e. Hystricomorpha) appear to be more closely related to New World lineages (i.e. Caviomorpha) than to other Old World families (i.e. Bathyergidae, Petromuridae and Thryonomyidae). The divergence between the monophyletic assemblage of South American lineages and its Old World ancestor was estimated to have occurred c. 50 Ma. Main conclusions, Our phylogenetic hypothesis and divergence-date estimates are strongly at odds with Gondwanan-vicariance isolating mechanisms. In contrast, our data suggest that transoceanic dispersal has played a significant role in governing the contemporary distribution of hystricognath rodents. Molecular-clock analyses imply a trans-Tethys dispersal event, broadly confined to the Late Cretaceous, and trans-Atlantic dispersal within the Early Eocene. Our analyses also imply that the use of the oldest known South American rodent fossil as a calibration point has biased molecular-clock inferences. [source] Can Market Incompleteness Resolve Asset Pricing Puzzles?JOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 7-8 2004Article first published online: 25 AUG 200, Mark C. Freeman Abstract: This paper shows that the presence of persistent uninsurable risk concentrated in economic depressions has the potential to resolve two well-known asset pricing puzzles. It is also shown that the presence of such risk in more normal economic expansions and recessions is likely to be much less relevant in determining equilibrium asset prices. [source] Breeding biology of ostriches (Struthio camelus) in the Serengeti ecosystem, TanzaniaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Flora J. Magige Abstract Ostrich breeding behaviour in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania was investigated for differences in laying dates between low altitude western area (WA) and high altitude eastern area (EA) populations. Ostriches in WA laid eggs significantly earlier than in EA. The differences could be attributed to topography and rainfall pattern. Reliable rains in lower altitudes ensure availability of food that in turn influences the whole process of the reproductive cycle. Clutches were contributed by several females with a nest having up to 38 eggs. We also compared the frequency of observation of predators, ostriches, nests, ,singletons' (single eggs laid randomly) and broods between the two areas. There was no significant difference between WA and EA in 1) ostrich/nest ratio, indicating similar breeding densities; 2) ostrich/predator and predator/nest ratios, indicating that predation pressure was equally high; 3) nest/singleton and predator/singleton ratios, indicating that loss of nests did not vary between areas. However, there were significantly more predators, nests and ostriches compared to broods in EA than in WA, indicating a significantly lower reproductive success in EA. Using metapopulation terminology, ostriches in EA could be regarded as a ,sink' population and those in WA as a ,source' population, but investigations over longer time-periods are needed to further resolve if this is the case. Résumé Le comportement reproducteur des autruches dans l'écosystème du Serengeti, en Tanzanie, a étéétudié pour voir les différences dans les dates de pontes entre les populations de la zone occidentale (WA) à basse altitude et de la zone orientale (EA) à plus haute altitude. Les autruches de la WA pondent significativement plus tôt que celles de l'EA. Les différences peuvent être attribuées à la topographie et au régime de la pluviosité. Les pluies fiables à plus basse altitude garantissent la disponibilité de la nourriture, ce qui influence dès lors tout le processus du cycle reproducteur. Des couvées réunissaient les ,ufs de plusieurs femelles , un nid a eu jusqu'à 38 ,ufs. Nous avons aussi comparé la fréquence d'observations de prédateurs, d'autruches, de nids, de «ingletons» (des ,ufs solitaires pondus au hasard) et de nichées entre les deux zones. Il n'y a pas de différence significative entre WA et EA pour 1) le ratio autruches/nids, ce qui indique des densités de reproduction similaires; 2) le ratio autruches/prédateurs et le ratio prédateurs/nids, ce qui indique que la pression de la prédation est aussi haute des deux côtés; et 3) le ratio nids/singletons et le ratio prédateurs/singletons, ce qui indique que la perte des nids ne variait pas entre les zones. Cependant, il y avait significativement plus de prédateurs, de nids et d'autruches par rapport aux nichées dans l'EA que dans la WA, ce qui indique une réussite de la reproduction significativement plus faible dans la EA. En utilisant la terminologie de la métapopulation, les autruches de la EA peuvent être considérées comme une population «puits» et celles de la WA comme une population «source», mais il faudrait faire des recherches de plus longue durée pour montrer si c'est bien le cas. [source] VALUES IN THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY THERAPIST: SELF DETERMINATION AND JUSTICEJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2003Richard Melito Recently, there has been renewed interest in the role of values in family therapy. A number of theorists agree that there is an inherent ethical dimension in all forms of therapy, because therapy necessarily involves influencing others in accord with a set of values. In cultures that value self determination, a potential conflict arises between the therapist's inherent moral influence and protecting the client's self determination. This article identifies that dilemma and investigates how different treatment approaches resolve it as they attempt to promote justice in the family. [source] Occurrence and management of acute respiratory illnesses in early childhoodJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 3 2007Merci MH Kusel Aim: Acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) impose massive economic burden on health services. The growing costs, limited benefits of pharmacotherapeutic agents, and alarming rise in antibiotic resistance poses a major health challenge. Analysis of the nature and burden of ARI through well-designed epidemiologic studies will help in the development of a uniform public health approach to identify methods to reduce disease transmission and maximise prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to analyse the nature and magnitude of the burden of ARI encountered by a cohort of children in the first 5 years of life. Methods: This community-based prospective study of ARI followed a cohort of children from birth until 5 years of age. Information on all episodes of ARI encountered, and their management, was collected through daily symptom diary and fortnightly telephone calls. Results: Four episodes of ARI/year were reported in the first 2 years and 2,3 episodes/year between 2 and 5 years. The majority were upper respiratory infections. 53% had at least one lower respiratory infection in the first year. For the majority, symptoms lasted 1,2 weeks. 53% were treated with antitussives or cough mixtures, 44% with paracetamol and 23% with antibiotics. A total of 46% of the episodes presented to a family physician, with younger children and those with lower respiratory infection more likely to seek attention. Conclusion: ARI are common in childhood and although symptoms may last for 4 weeks, the majority resolve spontaneously. Use of medication does not appear to significantly alter the course or duration of symptoms of ARI. [source] Thomas Reid and Philosophy with ChildrenJOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION, Issue 4 2005FIACHRA LONG This paper presents a rationale for doing philosophy with children. It suggests a rationale that differs from more usual arguments supporting philosophy with children,for such reasons as that it will enhance problem solving-skills or will help pupils' thinking to be more logical. These worthy objectives are not denied but only considered somewhat subordinate to the rationale proposed. This is presented in three steps. In the first step the issue of whether philosophy should be done with children is considered in the context of claims that children may be too young to do philosophy or too inexperienced in the ways of academic discipline to be able to discern proper philosophy. These objections are weighty enough, especially in view of general teacher reluctance to engage with philosophy itself in any form. In the second part, I invoke the common sense philosophy of Thomas Reid as a method of philosophy particularly significant for, and appropriate to, philosophy for children. Finally, I show how these aspects arising out of my understanding of Reid's philosophy can help resolve at least some of the misgivings people have about doing philosophy with children. It is hoped that these discussions will illuminate the question of how it may be appropriate for children to do philosophy in classrooms today. [source] Linear peak capacity of a comprehensive multi-dimensional separationJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 19 2008Leonid M. Blumberg Abstract In order to resolve (quantifiably and identifiably separate) the same number of peaks in the analysis of the same mixture yielding statistically uniform peak distribution, a comprehensive 2-D separation needs a two times larger peak capacity than a 1-D separation does. Each additional dimension further reduces the utilization of the peak capacity of comprehensive multi-dimensional (MD) separation by a factor of two per dimension. As a result, the same peak capacity means different things for separations with different dimensionalities. This complicates the use of the peak capacity for comparison of the potential separation performance of the separations with different dimensionalities. To facilitate the comparison, a concept of a linear peak capacity has been proposed. The linear peak capacity of an MD separation is the peak capacity of a 1-D separation that, in the analysis of the same mixture, is statistically expected to resolve the same number of peaks as the MD separation is. There are other factors that differently affect the performance of the separations that have different dimensionalities. Peak capacity of a 2-D separation with a rectangular separation space is 27% larger than the product of the peak capacities of its first and second dimension. This advantage of a 2-D separation is essentially nullified by the fact that the peak capacity of the first dimension of an optimized 2-D separation cannot be higher than 80% of the peak capacity of its first dimension standing alone. All in all, the incremental peak capacity gained from addition of a second dimension will not exceed 50% of the peak capacity of the added second dimension. All results are valid for arbitrarily shaped (not necessarily Gaussian) peaks. [source] Isoxsuprine hydrochloride in the horse: a reviewJOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2002R. S. ERKERT Isoxsuprine hydrochloride has been suggested for use in horses for treatment of navicular syndrome and laminitis. The drug has been shown to be a , -adrenoreceptor antagonist with , -adrenoreceptor agonistic properties, with both characteristics contributing to vasodilation and uterine relaxation. In addition, the drug is capable of decreasing blood viscosity and platelet aggregation. Studies have shown i.v. isoxsuprine to have a plasma half-life of <3 h with a large apparent volume of distribution. Cardiovascular effects resolve rapidly following i.v. administration, but are absent with oral dosing. Oral bioavailability is 2.2% with a high first pass effect. Isoxsuprine has an apparent affinity for melanin that may contribute to extended renal excretion. Clinical trials appear to support the use of isoxsuprine for treatment of navicular disease. However, poor bioavailability, lack of cardiovascular effects following oral administration, superficial support in clinical trials, and new evidence regarding the pathogenesis of navicular syndrome indicate that the use of isoxsuprine for treatment of navicular syndrome or laminitis is questionable at best. [source] Negotiation, Power in Conciliation, and Review of Compensation ClaimsLAW & POLICY, Issue 3 2002Robert Guthrie Workers Compensation claims are not interpersonal disputes. Almost always they are disputes between individuals and corporations. Compensation insurers are "repeat players" in the system. Workers are often "one,shotters" who have little or infrequent contact with the system. Power inequality between the worker, employer, insurer, and those who are required to facilitate negotiations and resolve and settle disputes under compensation legislation are matters of considerable importance. This paper examines the effects of the implementation, in 1993, of informal dispute resolution processes in the Western Australian workers compensation system under the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 1981(WA), which excluded lawyers from the process. It argues that preexisting power imbalances have been aggravated by these procedural changes, and in particular, by the exclusion of legal practitioners from the dispute resolution process. The issues raised herein have general application to most workers compensation systems. [source] Microscopic Fourier Transform Infrared Characterization on Two Types of Spherulite with Polymorphic Crystals in Poly(heptamethylene terephthalate)MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 15 2010Kai Cheng Yen Abstract FTIR microspectrometry with in situ temperature variation and IR-peak-mapping capability, and POM characterization were used to study the crystal distribution in dual spherulites in poly(heptamethylene terephthalate). By tracing the crystalline IR bands of the ,-crystal and ,-crystal to get the crystal distribution, the techniques resolve that the ringed and ringless spherulites comprise ,- and ,-crystals, respectively. In addition, temperature-dependent IR analyses on the spots related to the two crystals also reveal the ,- and ,-crystals melt at 98 and 104,°C, respectively. The ringed and ringless spherulites were proven to be correlated with the ,- and ,-crystal forms, respectively. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 13-14 2008Article first published online: 29 JUL 200 NSAIDs stroke risk NSAIDs have been linked with an increased risk of stroke in an epidemiological study from The Netherlands (Arch Intern Med 2008;168: 1219-24). Nine years' follow-up of 7636 older persons (mean age 70) identified 807 strokes. The risk of stroke was significantly increased for current use of nonselective NSAIDs (hazard ratio 1.72 for all strokes) and COX-2 selective NSAIDs (HR 2.75 for all strokes; HR 4.54 for ischaemic stroke). Increased risk was found for several individual NSAIDs but was statistically significant only for naproxen (HR 2.63) and the withdrawn rofecoxib (HR 3.38). HPV vaccine chosen The DoH has chosen GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix HPV vaccine for the national immunisation campaign beginning in September. Cervarix is a bivalent vaccine conferring immunity against HPV16 and 18, which account for 70 per cent of cervical cancers worldwide. Its competitor, Gardasil, is a quadrivalent vaccine additionally protecting against HPV6 and 11, which cause 90 per cent of genital warts. The procurement process assessed the vaccines against ,a wide range of criteria such as their scientific qualities and cost effectiveness'. The DoH has not revealed what it will pay for Cervarix. Melatonin for insomnia Lundbeck has introduced melatonin (Circadin) as monotherapy for the short-term treatment of primary insomnia characterised by poor quality of sleep in patients who are aged 55 or over. The dose is 2mg once daily two hours before bed-time and after food for three weeks. A course costs £10.77. Fesoterodine launched Pfizer has introduced feso-terodine (Toviaz), a prodrug for tolterodine (Detrusitol), for the treatment of symptoms of overactive bladder. Treatment is initiated at a dose of 4mg per day and increased to 8mg per day according to response. The full therapeutic effect may not occur until after two to eight weeks; treatment should be re-evaluated after eight weeks. A month's treatment at either dose costs £29.03, the same as sustained-release tolterodine (Detrusitol XL). Intensive glycaemic control for T2D? Two large trials of intensive glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes have conflicting implications for clinical practice. The ACCORD study (N Engl J Med 2008;358:2545-9) found that treating patients at high CVD risk to a target HbA1c of <6.0 per cent was associated with a 22 per cent increased risk of death and no reduction in macrovascular end-points compared with a target of 7.0-7.9 per cent. The ADVANCE study compared treating to a standard (HbA1c 7.3 per cent) or low (HBA1c 6.5 per cent) target. More intensive glycaemic control significantly reduced microvascular end-points, primarily due to a reduction in nephropathy. There was no difference in the risk of retinopathy or macrovascular end-points. Nicorandil as ulcer cause The potassium-channel activator nicorandil (Ikorel) may be associated with gastro-intestinal ulceration but is frequently overlooked as a possible cause, warns the MHRA in its latest Drug Safety Update (2008;1:Issue 11). Ulceration may affect any portion of the gastro-intestinal tract from the mouth to the perianal area, and it is frequently severe and may cause perforation. Ulcers due to nicorandil are refractory to treatment and only resolve on withdrawal of the drug. Withdrawal should be carried out under the supervision of a cardiologist. , This issue of Drug Safety Update also includes an overview of safety issues with natalizumab (Tysabri) for multiple sclerosis. Atypical antipsychotics diabetes risk ,small' The excess risk of diabetes due to treatment with an atypical antipsychotic is small compared with older anti-psychotics, say UK researchers (Br J Psychiatry 2008;192:406-11). Their meta-analysis of 11 studies found that, compared with the use of first-generation antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia, the over-all increased risk of diabetes with atypicals was 32 per cent. Risperidone was associated with lowest excess risk (16 per cent), followed by quetiapine (Seroquel) and olanzapine (Zyprexa; 28 per cent) then clozapine (39 per cent). Most studies had method-ological limitations. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] A strategy for high-resolution protein identification in surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: Calgranulin A and chaperonin 10 as protein markers for endometrial carcinomaPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 7 2005Jingzhong Guo Abstract Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (SELDI-MS) has conventionally been practiced on linear time of flight (TOF) which has low mass accuracy and resolution. Here we demonstrate in an examination of both malignant and nonmalignant endometrial tissue homogenates that high mass accuracy and resolution in the MS stage are crucial. Using a commercially available quadrupole/TOF (QqTOF), we were able to resolve two potential cancer markers, subsequently identified off-line as chaperonin 10 and calgranulin A, that differ by 8 Da in mass. Two off-line protein identification protocols were developed: the first was based on size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), protein extraction, trypsin digestion, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-tandem MS (MALDI-MS/MS); the second on SEC and shotgun nano-liquid chromatography (nanoLC)-MS/MS. Analyses on a cohort of 44 endometrial homogenates showed 22 out of 23 nonmalignant samples had nondetectable to very low abundance of chaperonin 10 and calgranulin A; 17 of the 21 malignant samples had detectable to abundant levels of both proteins. Immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray of 32 samples showed that approximately half of malignant endometrial tissues exhibited positive staining for calgranulin A in the malignant epithelium, while 9 out of 10 benign tissues exhibited negative epithelial staining. In addition, macrophages/granulocytes in malignant as well as nonmalignant tissues showed positive staining. No immunostaining occurred in stroma or myometrium. Calgranulin A, in combination with chaperonin 10 and other proteins, may eventually constitute a panel of markers to permit diagnosis and screening of endometrial cancer. [source] The unique value of primate models in translational researchAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Carol A. Shively Abstract This special issue of AJP is focused on research using nonhuman primates as models to further the understanding of women's health. Nonhuman primates play a unique role in translational science by bridging the gap between basic and clinical investigations. The use of nonhuman primates in biomedical research challenges our resolve to treat all life as sacred. The scientific community has responded by developing ethical guidelines for the care and the use of primates and clarifying the responsibility of investigators to insure the physical and psychological well-being of nonhuman primates used in research. Preclinical investigations often involve the use of animal models. Rodent models have been the mainstay of biomedical science and have provided enormous insight into the workings of many mammalian systems that h ave proved applicable to human biological systems. Rodent models are dissimilar to primates in numerous ways, which may limit the generalizability to human biological systems. These limitations are much less likely in nonhuman primates and in Old World primates, in particular, Macaques are useful models for investigations involving the reproductive system, bioenergetics, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular health, central nervous system function, cognitive and social behavior, the musculoskeletal system, and diseases of aging. This issue considers primate models of polycystic ovary syndrome; diet effects on glycemic control, breast and endometrium; estrogen, reproductive life stage and atherosclerosis; estrogen and diet effects on inflammation in atherogenesis; the neuroprotective effects of estrogen therapy; social stress and visceral obesity; and sex differences in the role of social status in atherogenesis. Unmet research needs in women's health include the use of diets in nonhuman primate studies that are similar to those consumed by human beings, primate models of natural menopause, dementia, hypertension, colon cancer, and frailty in old age, and dedicated colonies for the study of breast cancer. Am. J. Primatol. 71:715,721, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Does monetary policy transparency reduce disinflation costs?THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL, Issue 5 2003Georgios Chortareas We examine the relationship between central bank transparency and the costs of disinflation. We provide a model where disinflation efforts imply a higher sacrifice ratio when the public is not fully convinced about the central bank's resolve to reduce inflation and show that information dissemination by the central bank can remedy this problem. To assess the empirical implications we estimate sacrifice ratios based on individual estimates of Phillips curves in 21 OECD economies. Using transparency indices pertaining to both the detail with which central banks publish forecasts and the means by which policy decisions are explained, we find that a higher degree of central bank transparency is associated with lower sacrifice ratios. This result is robust to alternative estimation methods and periods considered. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||