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Significant Consequences (significant + consequence)
Selected AbstractsResearch Methods of InquiryACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006Joel Rodgers MA Incidents of significant consequence that create surge may require special research methods to provide reliable, generalizable results. This report was constructed through a process of literature review, expert panel discussion at the journal's consensus conference, and iterative development. Traditional clinical research methods that are well accepted in medicine are exceptionally difficult to use for surge incidents because the incidents are very difficult to reliably predict, the consequences vary widely, human behaviors are heterogeneous in response to incidents, and temporal conditions prioritize limited resources to response, rather than data collection. Current literature on surge research methods has found some degree of reliability and generalizability in case-control, postincident survey methods, and ethnographical designs. Novel methods that show promise for studying surge include carefully validated simulation experiments and survey methods that produce validated results from representative populations. Methodologists and research scientists should consider quasi-experimental designs and case-control studies in areas with recurrent high-consequence incidents (e.g., earthquakes and hurricanes). Specialists that need to be well represented in areas of research include emergency physicians and critical care physicians, simulation engineers, cost economists, sociobehavioral methodologists, and others. [source] Impact of perfluorooctanoic acid on fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) fatty acyl-coa oxidase activity, circulating steroids, and reproduction in outdoor microcosmsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2004Ken D. Oakes Abstract This study investigates reproductive impairment and biochemical changes in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) exposed for 39 d to varying concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) under microcosm conditions. While the concentrations tested in this study were much higher than those normally found in the environment, no mortality was associated with PFOA exposure. Only modest changes were observed in condition factor and in relative liver and gonad size. Significant declines in circulating plasma steroids were observed, but these were accompanied by only limited increases in time to first oviposition and decreases in overall egg production. Peroxisome proliferation, as quantified by fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (FAO) activity, was elevated with low PFOA concentrations but attenuated with exposure to higher PFOA doses. Little evidence was seen of differential induction of peroxisome-associated enzyme activity with sex. Oxidative stress, as quantified by the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay, was only modestly influenced by PFOA exposure and is not a significant consequence of FAO activity in fathead minnow. Perfluorooctanoic acid appears to be relatively nontoxic at environmentally relevant concentrations but may impact biochemical and reproductive endpoints under conditions associated with environmental spills. [source] Lessons from the past: the collapse of Jamaican coral reefsFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2009Marah J. Hardt Abstract Since Pre-Columbian times, humans have exploited Jamaican marine ecosystems with significant consequences for flora and fauna. This study focuses on the history of reef fish exploitation in Jamaica, from first human occupation to the present day, to determine how past fishing activities contributed to subsequent declines in the coral reef ecosystem. The pattern of declining reef fish populations was nonlinear. Reef fish first declined in prehistoric times but then potentially recovered, following genocide of the native human population. Reduced fishing pressure lasted until the mid-19th century. At that time, depletion of reef fish populations again occurred with a precipitous decline from the 1850s to the 1940s. The final shift from relatively abundant to overfished marine fauna corresponded to subtle changes in fish trap design as well as development of recreational fishing. Government subsidies throughout the second half of the 20th century exacerbated the declines. This analysis shows that local artisanal fisheries with relatively low levels of effort and seemingly subtle shifts in technology can significantly impact the coral reef ecosystem and that declines occurred decades to centuries before modern ecological studies began. This research shows how historical analysis can be a powerful tool to minimize shifted baselines and establish realistic targets for recovery and sustainable management of marine ecosystems. [source] Behavioral treatment of substance abuse in schizophreniaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 8 2009Wendy N. Tenhula Abstract Co-occurring substance use disorders are highly prevalent among individuals with schizophrenia and other serious and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) and are associated with clinically significant consequences. A multifaceted behavioral treatment called Behavioral Treatment for Substance Abuse in Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (BTSAS) can reduce substance abuse in persons with SPMI. The key treatment strategies in BTSAS include a urinalysis contingency, short-term goal setting, training in drug refusal skills, psychoeducation about the impact of drug use, and relapse prevention training. A case example illustrating the application of BTSAS is presented and relevant clinical issues are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 65: 1,11, 2009. [source] Immunoreactivity of CD99 in invasive malignant melanomaJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 10 2006Anne E. Wilkerson Background:, CD99, also known as p30/32, is a glycoprotein product of the MIC2 gene. It was originally utilized in immunohistochemistry as a unique marker for Ewing sarcoma, other primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and subsequently in other tumors. Its expression in malignant melanoma (MM) has not been well documented, with just two isolated cases of MM recently reported. Recent studies have documented CD99 expression in a significant percentage of atypical fibroxanthomas (AFX), posing potential diagnostic problems in differentiating these two entities. As mistaking MM for AFX based on immunohistochemical staining pattern has significant consequences, we sought to determine the percentage of invasive MM in our archives that have this staining pattern. Methods:, Seventy-eight cases of invasive melanoma were retrieved from our files. Each case was stained with mouse anti-human CD99 and evaluated for membranous expression. Results:, Our evaluation revealed that 47 of 78 MM cases (60%) stain positive for CD99. Conclusion:, This study is the first to demonstrate, in a large series, the prevalence of CD99 expression in primary cutaneous melanoma. Additionally, this introduces in the histologic differential diagnosis of CD99 expressing dermal spindle cell lesions. [source] Can't stop dancing: Could it be St. Vitus' dance?JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 7 2008Corrie Rogness RN Abstract Purpose: To inform providers of one of the rare but significant consequences that result from not diagnosing and treating streptococcal pharyngitis: Sydenham's chorea (St. Vitus' dance). Data sources: Current Internet sources including review articles, informational articles, online medical textbooks, and professional organization Web sites. Conclusion: It is vital that each case of streptococcal pharyngitis be treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy. Doing so will help prevent the sequelae associated with streptococcal infections, such as acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and Sydenham's chorea. Implications for practice: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a common illness that has the potential to cause very serious consequences. The consequences may be life altering, such as suffering permanent heart damage. With appropriate diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics, the sequelae of ARF and Sydenham's chorea can be prevented. [source] Sampling within households in household surveysJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 1 2007Robert G. Clark Summary., The number of people to select within selected households has significant consequences for the conduct and output of household surveys. The operational and data quality implications of this choice are carefully considered in many surveys, but the effect on statistical efficiency is not well understood. The usual approach is to select all people in each selected household, where operational and data quality concerns make this feasible. If not, one person is usually selected from each selected household. We find that this strategy is not always justified, and we develop intermediate designs between these two extremes. Current practices were developed when household survey field procedures needed to be simple and robust; however, more complex designs are now feasible owing to the increasing use of computer-assisted interviewing. We develop more flexible designs by optimizing survey cost, based on a simple cost model, subject to a required variance for an estimator of population total. The innovation lies in the fact that household sample sizes are small integers, which creates challenges in both design and estimation. The new methods are evaluated empirically by using census and health survey data, showing considerable improvement over existing methods in some cases. [source] Gene expression profile of Huh-7 cells expressing hepatitis C virus genotype 1b or 3a core proteinsLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2009Valerio Pazienza Abstract Background: The liver disease expression in chronic hepatitis C patients is variable and may partially depend on the sequence of the infecting viral genotype. Aim: To identify some hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype-specific virus,host interactions potentially leading to clinically significant consequences. Methods: We compared the gene expression profile of Huh-7 cells transiently expressing the core protein of HCV genotype 1b and 3a using microarray technology. Results: Thirty-two genes were overexpressed in Huh-7 transfected with the HCV genotype 1b core protein and 57 genes in cells transfected with the genotype 3a core protein. On the other hand, we found 20 genes downregulated by core 1b and 31 genes by core 3a. These included genes involved in lipid transport and metabolism, cell cycle, immune response and insulin signalling. Conclusion: The expression of HCV core proteins of different genotypes leads to a specific gene expression profile. This may account for the variable disease expression associated with HCV infection. [source] Combating drought through preparednessNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 4 2002Donald A. Wilhite Drought is a complex, slow,onset phenomenon that affects more people than any other natural hazard and results in serious economic, social, and environmental impacts. Although drought affects virtually all climatic regimes and has significant consequences in both developed and developing countries, its impacts are especially serious in developing countries where dryland agriculture predominates. The impacts of drought are often an indicator of unsustainable land and water management practices, and drought assistance or relief provided by governments and donors encourages land managers and others to continue these practices. This often results in a greater dependence on government and a decline in self,reliance. Moving from crisis to risk management will require the adoption of a new paradigm for land managers, governments, international and regional development organizations, and non,governmental organizations. This approach emphasizes preparedness, mitigation, and improved early warning systems (EWS) over emergency response and assistance measures. Article 10 of the Convention to Combat Desertification states that national action programmes should be established to identify the factors contributing to desertification and practical measures necessary to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. In the past 10 years, there has been considerable recognition by governments of the need to develop drought preparedness plans and policies to reduce the impacts of drought. Unfortunately, progress in drought preparedness during the last decade has been slow because most nations lack the institutional capacity and human and financial resources necessary to develop comprehensive drought plans and policies. Recent commitments by governments and international organizations and new drought monitoring technologies and planning and mitigation methodologies are cause for optimism. The challenge is the implementation of these new technologies and methodologies. It is critical for governments that possess this experience to share it with others through regional and global networks. One way to accomplish this goal is to create a network of regional networks on drought preparedness to expedite the adoption of drought preparedness tools to lessen the hardships associated with severe and extended drought episodes. [source] Analysis of gastrointestinal physiology using a novel intestinal transit assay in zebrafishNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 3 2009H. A. Field Abstract, Gastrointestinal function depends upon coordinated contractions to mix and propel food through the gut. Deregulation of these contractions leads to alterations in the speed of material transit through the gut, with potentially significant consequences. We have developed a method for visualizing intestinal transit, the physiological result of peristaltic contractions, in larval zebrafish. This method allows direct, non-invasive observation of luminal content as it traverses the gut. Using this method, we characterized gastrointestinal transit in zebrafish larvae at 7 days postfertilization. In addition, we used this transit assay to assess the physiological consequences of reduced or absent enteric neurones on intestinal transit in larval zebrafish. This may facilitate the use of the zebrafish for investigating the effect of compounds and candidate genes on gastrointestinal motility. [source] The control of chlorophyll catabolism and the status of yellowing as a biomarker of leaf senescencePLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 2008H. Ougham Abstract The pathway of chlorophyll catabolism during leaf senescence is known in a fair amount of biochemical and cell biological detail. In the last few years, genes encoding a number of the catabolic enzymes have been characterized, including the key ring-opening activities, phaeophorbide a oxygenase (PaO) and red chlorophyll catabolite reductase (RCCR). Recently, a gene that modulates disassembly of chlorophyll,protein complexes and activation of pigment ring-opening has been isolated by comparative mapping in monocot species, positional cloning exploiting rice genomics resources and functional testing in Arabidopsis. The corresponding gene in pea has been identified as Mendel's I locus (green/yellow cotyledons). Mutations in this and other chlorophyll catabolic genes have significant consequences, both for the course of leaf senescence and senescence-like stress responses, notably hypersensitivity to pathogen challenge. Loss of chlorophyll can occur via routes other than the PaO/RCCR pathway, resulting in changes that superficially resemble senescence. Such ,pseudosenescence' responses tend to be pathological rather than physiological and may differ from senescence in fundamental aspects of biochemistry and regulation. [source] A mass spectrometry based functional assay for the quantitative assessment of ABC transporter activityRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 21 2009Mária Katona ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are highly expressed in pharmacological barriers limiting the access of drugs to their targets. Since characterization of a compound as a transporter substrate or inhibitor bears significant consequences in drug development, there is a great need for reliable tools that enable the rapid analysis of the transport susceptibility of drugs. Here we describe a simple but very efficient high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) assay for measuring the ABC transporter-dependent vesicular transport of compounds. In addition, we provide evidence that the requirement for sample preparation can be minimized using desorption electrospray ionization (DESI)-MS, paving the way for a direct, high-throughput investigation of drug-transporter interactions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Making ,bad' deaths ,good': the kinship consequences of posthumous conceptionTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 1 2001Bob Simpson Recent developments in assisted reproduction mean that a child may now be born long after its father's demise. Acts of posthumous conception raise a host of complex ethical and social issues. The article draws attention to these by means of an analysis of the medical, legal, and political commentaries generated by the case of Diane Blood in her dispute with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which had prevented her from using her deceased husband's sperm to become pregnant. Analysis of this and similar cases reveals that the desire for offspring following the death of a husband or partner has significant consequences for notions of marriage, paternity, memoriam, and inheritance . The article identifies as an underlying theme in acts of posthumous conception an attempt to ameliorate the grief of a widow, a family, and the wider society by making ,bad' deaths to some extent ,good'. To achieve this transformation the meaning of sperm within reproductive transactions is subject to radical reinterpretations which simultaneously commodotize and sacralize human gametes. [source] Inhibition of caspase-dependent spontaneous apoptosis via a cAMP-protein kinase A dependent pathway in neutrophils from sickle cell disease patientsBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Nicola Conran Summary Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by high leucocyte counts, altered cytokine levels and endothelial cell injury. As the removal of inflammatory cells by apoptosis is fundamental for the resolution of inflammation, we aimed to determine whether the leucocyte apoptotic process is altered in SCD. Neutrophils from SCD individuals showed an inhibition of spontaneous apoptosis when cultured in vitro, in the presence of autologous serum for 20 h. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels were approximately twofold increased in SCD neutrophils; possible cAMP-upregulating factors present in SCD serum include interleukin-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and prostaglandin. Accordingly, co-incubation of SCD neutrophils with KT5720, a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor, abrogated increased SCD neutrophil survival. Caspase-3 activity was also significantly diminished in SCD neutrophils cultured for 16 h and this activity was restored when cells were co-incubated with KT5720. BIRC2 (encoding cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1, cIAP1), MCL1 and BAX expression were unaltered in SCD neutrophils; however, BIRC3 (encoding the caspase inhibitor, cIAP2), was expressed at significantly higher levels. Thus, we report an inhibition of spontaneous SCD neutrophil apoptosis that appears to be mediated by upregulated cAMP-PKA signalling and decreased caspase activity. Increased neutrophil survival may have significant consequences in SCD; contributing to leucocytosis, tissue damage and exacerbation of the chronic inflammatory state. [source] Genetics and genomics of Candida albicans biofilm formationCELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 9 2006Clarissa J. Nobile Summary Biofilm formation by the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a complex process with significant consequences for human health: it contributes to implanted medical device-associated infections. Recent advances in gene expression profiling and genetic analysis have begun to clarify the mechanisms that govern C. albicans biofilm development and acquisition of unique biofilm phenotypes. Such studies have identified candidate adhesin genes, and have revealed that biofilm drug resistance is multifactorial. Newly defined cell,cell communication pathways also have profound effects on biofilm formation. Future challenges include the elucidation of the structure and function of the extracellular exopolymeric substance that surrounds biofilm cells, and the extension of in vitro biofilm observations to newly developed in vivo biofilm models. [source] | ||||||||||||||||