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Significant Role (significant + role)
Kinds of Significant Role Selected AbstractsAdsorption of Insulin Peptide on Charged Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Significant Role of Ordered Water MoleculesCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 8 2009Jia-Wei Shen Abstract Ordered hydration shells: The more ordered hydration shells outside the charged CNT surfaces prevent more compact adsorption of the peptide in the charged CNT systems (see picture), but peptide binding strengths on the charged CNT surfaces are stronger due to the electrostatic interaction. Studies of adsorption dynamics and stability for peptides/proteins on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are of great importance for a better understanding of the properties and nature of nanotube-based biosystems. Herein, the dynamics and mechanism of the adsorption of the insulin chain B peptide on different charged SWNTs are investigated by explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that all types of surfaces effectively attract the model peptide. Water molecules play a significant role in peptide adsorption on the surfaces of charged carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Compared to peptide adsorption on neutral CNT surfaces, the more ordered hydration shells outside the tube prevent more compact adsorption of the peptide in charged CNT systems. This shield effect leads to a smaller conformational change and van der Waals interaction between the peptide and surfaces, but peptide binding strengths on charged CNT surfaces are stronger than those on the neutral CNT surface due to the strong electrostatic interaction. The result of these simulations implies the possibility of improving the binding strength of peptides/proteins on CNT surfaces, as well as keeping the integrity of the peptide/protein conformation in peptide/protein,CNT complexes by charging the CNTs. [source] Forensic nursing in secure environmentsJOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING, Issue 3 2009Deborah Shelton PhD Abstract There are few well-designed studies of corrections or prison nursing roles. This study seeks to describe the corrections or prison role of forensic nurses in the United States who provide care in secure environments. National data detailing the scope of practice in secure environments are limited. This pencil and paper survey describes the roles of 180 forensic nurses from 14 states who work in secure environments. Descriptive statistics are utilized. A repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc analyses was implemented. These nurses were older than average in age, but had 10 years or less experience in forensic nursing practice. Two significant roles emerged to "promote and implement principles that underpin effective quality and practice" and to "assess, develop, implement, and improve programs of care for individuals." Significant roles varied based upon the security classification of the unit or institution in which the nurses were employed. Access to information about these nurses and their nursing practice was difficult in these closed systems. Minimal data are available nationally, indicating a need for collection of additional data over time to examine changes in role. It is through such developments that forensic nursing provided in secure environments will define its specialization and attract the attention it deserves. [source] Making the Leap from Researcher to Planner: Lessons from Avian Conservation Planning in the Dominican RepublicCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Steven C. Latta Published accounts of national, multidisciplinary planning efforts and priority setting for avian conservation are not common. I describe the process and results of a broad-based, grassroots-oriented avian conservation planning workshop held in the Dominican Republic in which we designed a coordinated strategy for avian conservation in the country. The planning process sought to (1) increase communication and cooperation among conservationists; (2) familiarize participants with resources pertinent to avian conservation; (3) encourage the transfer of information between researchers and managers; (4) promote the concepts of long-term avian monitoring, avian conservation plans, and species management plans; and (5) develop a common, multidisciplinary strategy to promote the conservation of birds in the Dominican Republic. The workshop highlighted group discussions among research biologists, managers, educators, and public policy specialists to assess avian conservation needs and priorities with respect to each discipline and has since galvanized a significant portion of the conservation community around several cooperative projects involving diverse segments of the community. Avian biologists can play a significant role in conservation efforts through a willingness to work with key players in diverse fields and to envision holistic, multidisciplinary approaches to conservation issues. Resumen: Cuando los biologícos investigadores incursionan en la biología de la conservación enfrentan nuevos desafíos, especialmente en países extranjeros, al intentar prestar apoyo para esfuerzos de planificación de la conservación. Los informes publicados de esfuerzos de planificación nacional, multidisciplinaria y de establecimiento de prioridades para la conservación de aves no son comunes. Describo el proceso y los resultados de un taller nacional de planificación para conservación de aves en la República Dominicana que utilizaba un proceso fundamental de base amplia donde creamos una estrategia coordinada para la conservación de aves del país. El proceso de planeación buscaba (1) aumentar comunicación y cooperación entre conservacionistas, (2) familiarizar a los participantes con los recursos disponibles para la conservación de aves, (3) estimular la transferencia de información entre investigadores y manejadores, (4) promover los conceptos del monitoreo de aves a largo plazo, planes de conservación de especies y planes de manejo de especies y (5) desarrollar una estrategia multidisciplinaria común para promover la conservación de aves en la República Dominicana. El taller puso a relieve discusiones de grupo entre investigadores, manejadores, educadores y especialistas en política pública para evaluar las necesidaes y prioridades para la conservación de aves con respecto a cada disciplina, desde entonces se ha estimulado a una porción significativa de la comunidad conservacionista alrededor de proyectos de cooperación que involucran a diversos segmentos de la comunidad. Los ornitólogos pueden jugar un papel significativo en los esfuerzos de conservación mediante una buena disposición para trabajar con personas clave en diversas disciplinas y visualizar de una manera integral y multidisciplinaria las estrategias para abordar asuntos de conservación. [source] Gender and Ethnic Diversity Among UK Corporate BoardsCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2007Stephen Brammer This paper investigates the ethnic and gender diversity of the corporate board of UK companies, placing particular emphasis on links to board size and industry characteristics. We employ a novel dataset that covers a large sample of UK PLCs and describes a director's gender, ethnicity and position held. We find both ethnic and gender diversity to be very limited, and that diversity is somewhat less pronounced among executive positions. We find significant cross-sector variation in gender diversity, with an above average prevalence of women in Retail, Utilities, Media and Banking, while such variation in ethnic diversity is considerably less pronounced. Our evidence suggests that a close proximity to final consumers plays a more significant role in shaping board diversity than does the female presence among the industry's workforce. We argue that this shows that board diversity is influenced by a firm's external business environment and particularly an imperative to reflect corresponding diversity among its customers. [source] Pollutant release and transfer registers: examining the value of government-led reporting on corporate environmental performanceCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2007Rory Sullivan Abstract Within this paper, we argue that the data released by companies through corporate environmental reports are of very limited value, particularly for analysts seeking to benchmark the environmental performance of different companies or sites. We also argue that the data published by governments through pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) such as the US Toxic Releases Inventory (TRI) or the EU Polluting Emissions Register (EPER) are of much greater value in comparative analyses. However, we recognize that PRTRs are limited in their scope and there are differences between the PRTRs that are in place in different countries. We find then that while PRTRs can inform comparative analyses within countries, their potential to provide a basis for benchmarking across different countries has not yet been fulfilled. Nonetheless, we conclude that PRTRs often provide the best available data for benchmarking corporate environmental performance and that increases in their scope and a harmonization of their design could play a significant role in illuminating variations in corporate environmental performance over time and across space. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Factors influencing the publication of social performance information: an Australian case studyCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Tony McMurtrie Abstract Traditional research into the social responsibility information published by firms has concentrated on the information published in the annual report and has not considered closely the driving forces that have guided the identification and preparation of information that is to be included in that publication. This paper reports on a case study that has examined some of the internal factors that have driven the publication of social responsibility information, and shows that while the annual report is still a major publication medium the internet plays a very significant role in the dissemination of information. Factors that impact on the publication media and the content of the published information in these cases were seen to be the nature of the information system used, the intended audience and their perceived power, and the level of corporate conservatism that guided the companies' management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Cellular oxygen sensing, signalling and how to survive translational arrest in hypoxiaACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 2 2009M. Fähling Abstract Hypoxia is a consequence of inadequate oxygen availability. At the cellular level, lowered oxygen concentration activates signal cascades including numerous receptors, ion channels, second messengers, as well as several protein kinases and phosphatases. This, in turn, activates trans -factors like transcription factors, RNA-binding proteins and miRNAs, mediating an alteration in gene expression control. Each cell type has its unique constellation of oxygen sensors, couplers and effectors that determine the activation and predominance of several independent hypoxia-sensitive pathways. Hence, altered gene expression patterns in hypoxia result from a complex regulatory network with multiple divergences and convergences. Although hundreds of genes are activated by transcriptional control in hypoxia, metabolic rate depression, as a consequence of reduced ATP level, causes inhibition of mRNA translation. In a multi-phase response to hypoxia, global protein synthesis is suppressed, mainly by phosphorylation of eIF2-alpha by PERK and inhibition of mTOR, causing suppression of 5,-cap-dependent mRNA translation. Growing evidence suggests that mRNAs undergo sorting at stress granules, which determines the fate of mRNA as to whether being translated, stored, or degraded. Data indicate that translation is suppressed only at ,free' polysomes, but is active at subsets of membrane-bound ribosomes. The recruitment of specific mRNAs into subcellular compartments seems to be crucial for local mRNA translation in prolonged hypoxia. Furthermore, ribosomes themselves may play a significant role in targeting mRNAs for translation. This review summarizes the multiple facets of the cellular adaptation to hypoxia observed in mammals. [source] POLICE SUSPICION AND DISCRETIONARY DECISION MAKING DURING CITIZEN STOPS,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2005GEOFFREY P. ALPERT This study examines the influence of racial, demographic and situational variables on types of police suspicion and the ancillary decision to stop and question suspects. Data were drawn from an observational study of police decision making in Savannah, Georgia. Based on the literature, we hypothesized that minority suspects will be more likely to be viewed suspiciously by the police for nonbehavioral reasons. We also hypothesize that minority status will play a significant role in the decision to stop and question suspicious persons. The findings from this study provide partial support for these hypotheses. The results indicate that minority status does influence an officer's decision to form nonbehavioral as opposed to behavioral suspicion, but that minority status does not influence the decision to stop and question suspects. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding race and its role in police decision making. [source] The Artist in Society: Understandings, Expectations, and Curriculum ImplicationsCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2008RUBÉN A. GAZTAMBIDE-FERNÁNDEZ ABSTRACT Disparate and contradicting assumptions about culture play a significant role in how the artist is constructed in the public imagination. These assumptions have important implications for how young artists should be educated and for the curriculum of artistic education. In this article, I theorize three conceptions of the role of the artist in society and the challenge they present for artistic education. I discuss three theoretical conceptions: the artist as Cultural "Civilizer," the artist as "Border Crosser," and the artist as "Representator." Although markedly different, these three conceptions all view the artist as an agent playing an active role in society, or a type of "cultural worker." I argue that these different views of the artist are grounded on different cultural discourses, that each of these discourses constructs the artist as an individual in a particular way, and that each view of the artist corresponds to specific institutions that mediate the role of the artist in society. Furthermore, I suggest the implications that each of these views has for the curriculum of artistic education and the preparation of cultural workers. I suggest that a contemporary artistic education grounded on these views should affirm the role of the artist in the public sphere of a democratic society. [source] Overexpression of CD7 in classical Hodgkin lymphoma-infiltrating T lymphocytes,CYTOMETRY, Issue 3 2009Adam C. Seegmiller Abstract Background: Diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is sometimes complicated by the scarcity of neoplastic cells in a reactive inflammatory background. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry (FC) has not played a significant role in HL diagnosis because of its consistent failure to identify these neoplastic cells. However, HL-infiltrating T cells have been shown to play a role in HL pathogenesis. This study characterizes the FC immunophenotype of these T lymphocytes to determine whether they can be used to assist in the diagnosis of HL. Methods: Cell suspensions from 76 lymph nodes involved by HL and 156 lymph nodes with reactive lymphadenopathy (LAD) were analyzed by flow cytometry to assess the expression of T-cell antigens. Results: The CD4:CD8 ratio and CD7 expression in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells are increased in HL compared with reactive lymph nodes and there are significant differences between these features in different subtypes of HL. However, only the expression of CD7 in CD4(+) T cells distinguishes between HL and reactive LAD. This is especially true for classical HL in younger patients. Using a CD7 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) cutoff value generated by this data, 37/47 FNA specimens were correctly diagnosed. Conclusions: There are significant differences in the immunophenotypes of HL-infiltrating T cells. Of these, the CD7 expression in CD4(+) T cells discriminates between HL and reactive LAD, suggesting that this could be a useful and practical adjunctive tool in the diagnosis of HL. It may also further our understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease. © 2008 Clinical Cytometry Society [source] Evidence for axonemal distortion during the flagellar beat of ChlamydomonasCYTOSKELETON, Issue 8 2007Charles B. Lindemann Abstract In order to understand the working mechanism that governs the flagellar beat it is essential to know if the axoneme undergoes distortion during the course of the beat cycle. The rapid fixation method employed by Mitchell was able to preserve the waveform of Chlamydomonas flagella much as it appears during normal flagellar beating [Mitchell, Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 2003;56:120,129]. This conservation of the waveform suggests that the stress responsible for the production of bending is also trapped by the fixation procedure. Longitudinal sections of these well-preserved flagella were used to document variations in the relative axonemal diameter. Sections aligned to the plane of bending, showing both the central pair microtubules and outer doublets, were examined for this purpose. Micrographs were selected that continuously showed both the outer doublets and the central pair from a straight region to a curved region of the flagellum. Axoneme diameters measured from these select micrographs showed an increase in relative diameter that averaged 39 nm greater at the crest of the bent region. This constituted a 24% increase in the axoneme diameter in the bends. The transverse stress acting across the axoneme during bending was calculated from the Geometric Clutch computer model for a simulated Chlamydomonas -like flagellar beat. If we assume that this is representative of the transverse stress acting in a real flagellum, then the Young's modulus of the intact axoneme is ,0.02 MPa. The possibility that the distortion of the axoneme during the beat could play a significant role in regulating dynein function is discussed. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Brain mechanisms underlying emotional alterations in the peripartum period in ratsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 3 2003Inga D. Neumann Abstract In the period before and after parturition, i.e., in pregnancy and lactation, a variety of neuroendocrine alterations occur that are accompanied by marked behavioral changes, including emotional responsiveness to external challenging situations. On the one hand, activation of neuroendocrine systems (oxytocin, prolactin) ensures reproduction-related physiological processes, but in a synergistic manner also ensures accompanying behaviors necessary for the survival of the offspring. On the other hand, there is a dramatic reduction in the responsiveness of neuroendocrine systems to stimuli not relevant for reproduction, such as the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to physical or emotional stimuli in both pregnant and lactating rats. With CRH being the main regulator of the HPA axis, downregulation of the brain CRH system may result in various behavioral, in particular emotional, adaptations of the maternal organisms, including changes in anxiety-related behavior. In support of this, the lactating rat becomes less emotionally responsive to novel situations, demonstrating reduced anxiety, and shows a higher degree of aggressive behavior in the test for agonistic behavior as well as in the maternal defense test. These changes in emotionality are independent of the innate (pre-lactation) level of anxiety and are seen in both rats bred for high as well as low levels of anxiety. Both brain oxytocin and prolactin, highly activated at this time, play a significant role in these behavioral and possibly also neuroendocrine adaptations in the peripartum period. Depression and Anxiety 17:111,121, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A Method of Augmenting the Cheek Area Through SMAS, subSMAS, and Subcutaneous Tissue Recruitment During Facelift SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2003Dominic A. Brandy MD BACKGROUND As the human face ages, there is a depletion of fat that occurs in the submalar region. Various techniques such as fat transfers, fillers, alloplastic implants, and composite rhytidectomies have been used to augment this area in the past. OBJECTIVE To describe a technique that augments the submalar areas during facelift surgery without the use of fat transfer, fillers, alloplastic implants, or a risky composite technique. METHOD An oval is scribed over the depressed submalar areas preoperatively. During facelift surgery, a fusiform area is scribed over the SMAS. This fusiform is scribed so that the medial end is directed at the center of the submalar depression, and the lateral end is toward the posterior earlobe. A defect is created within the lateral aspect of the fusiform, but not the medial portion. The fusiform is subsequently closed with a 2-0 Ethibond suture using three horizontal mattress sutures and two interrupted sutures. Upon closure of this defect, SMAS, subSMAS, and subcutaneous tissue overlying the SMAS are recruited into the submalar defect by the simple phenomenon of dog-ear formation. Additionally, there is a component of frank elevation of the tissues inferior to the medial aspect of the fusiform and submalar space. RESULTS The aforementioned technique has been performed on 123 patients over 7 years and has resulted in consistently good improvement in the submalar space. The procedure is not difficult to learn, and good results can be achieved with initial cases. The learning curve was not found to be steep, with good results being achieved quickly. CONCLUSION Depression of the submalar space plays a significant role in creating an aged face. In the past, various fillers and/or alloplastic implants have been used to augment this region. A low-risk method is described that mobilizes SMAS, subSMAS, and subcutaneous tissues into the submalar space through the phenomenon of dog-ear formation after fusiform closure. [source] Rubber Erasures, Rubber Producing Rights: Making Racialized Territories in West Kalimantan, IndonesiaDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2009Nancy Lee Peluso ABSTRACT This article makes connections between often-disparate literatures on property, violence and identity, using the politics of rubber growing in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as an example. It shows how rubber production gave rise to territorialities associated with and productive of ethnic identities, depending on both the political economies and cultural politics at play in different moments. What it meant to be Chinese and Dayak in colonial and post-colonial Indonesia, as well as how categories of subjects and citizens were configured in the two respective periods, differentially affected both the formal property rights and the means of access to rubber and land in different parts of West Kalimantan. However, incremental changes in shifting rubber production practices were not the only means of producing territory and ethnicity. The author argues that violence ultimately played a more significant role in erasing prior identity-based claims and establishing the controls of new actors over trees and land and their claims to legitimate access or ,rightfulness'. Changing rubber production practices and reconfigurations of racialized territories and identity-based property rights are all implicated in hiding the violence. [source] Private Provision of Infrastructure in Emerging Markets: Do Institutions Matter?DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Sudeshna Ghosh Banerjee Governments in developing countries have encouraged private sector investment to meet the growing demand for infrastructure. According to institutional theory, the role of institutions is paramount in private sector development. A longitudinal dataset of 40 developing economies between 1990 and 2000 is used to test empirically how different institutional structures affect private investment in infrastructure, in particular its volume and frequency. The results indicate that property rights and bureaucratic quality play a significant role in promoting private infrastructure investment. Interestingly, they also suggest that countries with higher levels of corruption attract greater private participation in infrastructure. [source] Enhancer detection in zebrafish permits the identification of neuronal subtypes that express Hox4 paralogsDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 8 2008Beena Punnamoottil Abstract Activity of zebrafish hoxb4a in the developing brain was analyzed in comparison to hoxa4a and hoxd4a using unique enhancer detection transgenes. Cytoplasmic YFP revealed shape and axonal projections of neurons in animals with insertions near the Hox4 genes and provided a means for the identification of neuronal subtypes. Despite an early activity of the genes in neuroepithelial cells and later in immature postmitotic neurons, we found reporter expression in distinct neuronal subtypes in the r7,r8-derived hindbrain. Most strikingly, hoxb4a neuronal subtypes projected through the vagus and into the pectoral fin while others formed symmetrically located fiber tracts innervating the cerebellum and the tectum, features that are partially shared by the other two paralogs. Collectively, our expression analysis indicates that hoxb4a in combination with its paralogs may play a significant role in the development of precerebellar, vagal, and pectoral fin neuronal subtypes. Developmental Dynamics 237:2195,2208, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] In vivo muscle architecture and size of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis in children and adolescents with cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 10 2009NOELLE G MOREAU PHD PT Aim, Our aim was to investigate muscle architecture and size of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) compared with age-matched typically developing participants. Method, Muscle architecture and size were measured with ultrasound imaging in 18 participants with spastic CP (9 females, 9 males; age range 7.5,19y; mean age 12y [SD 3y 2mo]) within Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I (n=4), II (n=2), III (n=9), and IV (n=3) and 12 typically developing participants (10 females, 2 males; age range 7,20y; mean age 12y 4mo [SD 3y 11mo]). Exclusion criteria were orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery within 6 months before testing or botulinum toxin injections to the quadriceps within 3 months before testing. Results, RF cross-sectional area was significantly lower (48%), RF and VL muscle thickness 30% lower, RF fascicle length 27% lower, and VL fascicle angle 3° less in participants with CP compared to the typically developing participants (p<0.05). Intraclass correlation coefficients were ,0.93 (CP) and , 0.88 (typical development), indicating excellent reliability. Interpretation, These results provide the first evidence of altered muscle architecture and size of the RF and VL in CP, similar to patterns observed with disuse and aging. These alterations may play a significant role in the decreased capacity for force generation as well as decreased shortening velocity and range of motion over which the quadriceps can act. [source] Age-dependent differential expression of genes involved in steroid signalling pathway in the brain of protandrous black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegeliDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Sherly Tomy Abstract The mechanisms underlying brain sex differentiation in animals are poorly understood. In the present study, using black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, as primary experimental model, we investigated the temporal expression patterns of receptors for androgen (ar) and estrogen (esr1 and esr2a) in the brain during posthatching ages and analyzed them against the timing of gonadal germ cell development. We hypothesized that endogenous estrogens naturally masculinize the brain of black porgy. The expression of sex steroid receptors was studied in relation to a wider suite of other related genes (nr5a2, nr0b1, star, and cyp19a1b) to provide some insight into the monomale sex differentiation pattern observed in this species. Our results revealed a highly significant increase in esr1 together with the increase in esr2a at 120 dph (days posthatching), suggesting a significant role for esr in sex differentiation in this species. Temporal expression patterns of nr5a2, nr0b1, star, sex steroid receptors, and cyp19a1b in the brain provided evidence for their physiological roles in the monomale sex differentiation in this species. The expression of nr5a2, star, ar, esr1, esr2a, and cyp19a1b increased at 120 dph, a period when brain sex differentiation probably occurs in this species. The study also suggests that neurosteroidogenesis in black porgy may be regulated by both nr5a2 -dependent and nr5a2 -independent mechanisms. The results demonstrated striking differences in the abundance of the gene transcripts in discrete brain region throughout ontogeny. In addition, the sex steroid hormone levels and aromatase activity in brain at different developmental states and the changes in the gene expression patterns in response to aromatase inhibitor treatment are also discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2009 [source] Age- and subcaste-related patterns of serotonergic immunoreactivity in the optic lobes of the ant Pheidole dentataDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 11 2008Marc A. Seid Abstract Serotonin, a biogenic amine known to be a neuromodulator of insect behavior, has recently been associated with age-related patterns of task performance in the ant Pheidole dentata. We identified worker age- and subcaste-related patterns of serotonergic activity within the optic lobes of the P. dentata brain to further examine its relationship to polyethism. We found strong immunoreactivity in the optic lobes of the brains of both minor and major workers. Serotonergic cell bodies in the optic lobes increased significantly in number as major and minor workers matured. Old major workers had greater numbers of serotonergic cell bodies than minors of a similar age. This age-related increase in serotonergic immunoreactivity, as well as the presence of diffuse serotonin networks in the mushroom bodies, antennal lobes, and central complex, occurs concomitantly with an increase in the size of worker task repertoires. Our results suggest that serotonin is associated with the development of the visual system, enabling the detection of task-related stimuli outside the nest, thus playing a significant role in worker behavioral development and colony-wide division of labor. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008. [source] CB1 receptors: emerging evidence for central and peripheral mechanisms that regulate energy balance, metabolism, and cardiovascular healthDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 7 2007Daniela Cota Abstract Insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and obesity are the major cardiometabolic risk factors contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Owing to the increasing prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and CVD, new and effective pharmacologic therapies are urgently needed. In this regard, the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS), a neuromodulatory system involved in the regulation of various aspects of energy balance and eating behaviour through central and peripheral mechanisms, may present the potential to meet this need. In the central nervous system (CNS), cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors and their respective ligands, the endocannabinoids, have a significant role in the modulation of food intake and motivation to consume palatable food. CB1 receptors have also been found in organs involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis, such as liver, white adipose tissue, muscle and pancreas. Dysregulation of the ECS has been associated with the development of dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance, and obesity, and CB1 receptor blockade may have a role in ameliorating these metabolic abnormalities. Thus, pharmacologic options targeting the ECS may provide a novel, effective approach to the prevention and management of CVD, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Treatment of symptomatic diabetic neuropathyDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue S1 2003Andrew J. M. Boulton Abstract Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common and particularly unpleasant long-term complication of diabetes that affects a significant minority of patients with distal polyneuropathy. After exclusion of other causes of neuropathic pain, attention should be focused on achieving optimal and stable glycaemic control avoiding flux of blood glucose levels, which have been shown to aggravate pain. Most patients will require pain control therapy and whilst the tricyclic drugs remain a first-line approach, their use is often hampered by predictable but troublesome side effects. Gabapentin, the only agent specifically licensed for the treatment of neuropathic pain in the United Kingdom, is useful in diabetic neuropathy and is generally better tolerated than the tricyclics. Additionally, other pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management approaches may be useful. Patient education has a significant role to play in the avoidance of late neurological complications. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin in sclerosing adenosis, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breastDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Gil Facina M.D., Ph.D. Abstract E-cadherin (EC) is an important glycoprotein cell-adhesion molecule that appears to play a significant role in the progression of breast lesions. The objective of this study was to evaluate EC expression in sclerosing adenosis, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma. Samples of breast lesions from 44 women were used in this study, comprising cases of sclerosing adenosis (n = 11), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (n = 10) and invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 23). Immunohistochemical evaluation of EC expression was assessed semiquantitatively and considered negative (<10% of cells with stained cytoplasmic membranes), positive+ (10,50% of cells stained) or positive++ (> 50% of cells stained). Fisher's exact test was used to compare the distribution of staining intensity in the lesions (P< 0.05). There was a progressive loss of EC expression from benign to malignant lesions. This difference was statistically significant when sclerosing adenosis was compared with DCIS (P < 0.0002), when sclerosing adenosis was compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (P < 0.008) and when DCIS was compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (P < 0.007). The present findings point to a significant association between reduced EC expression and the progression and aggressivity of breast lesions. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] NGO Initiatives in Risk Reduction: An OverviewDISASTERS, Issue 3 2001Charlotte Benson NGOs appear to be well placed to play a significant role in natural disaster mitigation and preparedness (DMP), working, as they do, with poorer and marginalised groups in society. However, there is little information on the scale or nature of NGO DMP activities. This paper reports the findings of a study seeking to address that gap. It confirms that NGOs are involved in a diverse range of DMP activities but that a number of them are not labelled as such. Moreover, evidence of the demonstrable quality and benefits of DMP involvement is poor. The paper concludes that a number of problems need to be overcome before DMP can be satisfactorily mainstreamed into NGO development and post-disaster rehabilitation programmes. However, there are some early indications of momentum for change. [source] The origins of kingship in early medieval KentEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 1 2000Charlotte Behr In this article, it is argued that Bede's famous account of the origin and early development of the people and kings of Kent in Historia ecclesiastica (I.15) does not report historical events, but reflects eighth-century concepts of migration-period kingship with mythical links to the Jutes of Scandinavia. Bracteate evidence shows that the veneration of Woden existed in Kent by the sixth century. Support for a contemporary belief in the Scandinavian origin of Kentish kings is found in locally produced bracteates, which imitate Scandinavian styles, and where several recovered from Kentish cemeteries are found in close proximity to places with royal connections. These include the only known Kentish site linked to the veneration of Woden. Evidence suggests that Kentish genealogy reflects a mythical belief in ancestry from Woden, rather than historical descent from Scandinavian Jutes. Finally, it is argued that Kentish bracteates, usually found in exceptionally rich female graves, were worn by high status women. These women may have played a significant role in legitimizing new royal claims. [source] Role of Echocardiography in Percutaneous Occlusion of the Left Atrial AppendageECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2007Mráz M.D. Percutaneous occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is a modern alternative for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and with a high risk of stroke who are not eligible for long-term anticoagulation therapy. Echocardiography plays a significant role in selecting patients, guiding the procedure, and in the postprocedural follow-up. Objectives and methods: To test the role of transesophagoeal echocardiography (TEE) and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in facilitating and shortening the procedure. Results: ICE represents a more convenient approach in patients who are not under generally anesthesia and helps to facilitate transseptal puncture. On the other hand, TEE, having the ability to rotate the image plane, helps to better determine the position of the occluder. Conclusions: Echocardiographic guidance of this procedure is essential. Which approach will be preferred will depend on the development of these two methods. [source] The worldwide airline network and the dispersal of exotic species: 2007,2010ECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2009Andrew J. Tatem International air travel has played a significant role in driving recent increases in the rates of biological invasion and spread of infectious diseases. By providing high speed, busy transport links between spatially distant, but climatically similar regions of the world, the worldwide airline network (WAN) increases the risks of deliberate or accidental movements and establishment of climatically sensitive exotic organisms. With traffic levels continuing to rise and climates changing regionally, these risks will vary, both seasonally and year-by-year. Here, detailed estimates of air traffic trends and climate changes for the period 2007-2010 are used to examine the likely directions and magnitudes of changes in climatically sensitive organism invasion risk across the WAN. Analysis of over 144 million flights from 2007-2010 shows that by 2010, the WAN is likely to change little overall in terms of connecting regions with similar climates, but anticipated increases in traffic and local variations in climatic changes should increase the risks of exotic species movement on the WAN and establishment in new areas. These overall shifts mask spatially and temporally heterogenous changes across the WAN, where, for example, traffic increases and climatic convergence by July 2010 between parts of China and northern Europe and North America raise the likelihood of exotic species invasions, whereas anticipated climatic shifts may actually reduce invasion risks into much of eastern Europe. [source] The effect of concentrated smoke products on the restoration of highly disturbed mineral sands in southeast VictoriaECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION, Issue 2 2003By Terry D. Coates Summary Recent studies have recognized the potential of broad-scale surface application of smoke compounds for enhancing germination from the soil seed-bank in fire-prone vegetation communities. Results suggest that smoke technology may play, in the future, a significant role in the restoration and management of areas supporting indigenous vegetation. An important step in the development of smoke-based restoration tools is the conduct of in situ field trials in a range of geographical locations and environmental conditions. However, most of the published work on the effectiveness of smoke products in promoting seedbank germination has been conducted at sites in southwestern Australia. The present study examines the effect of commercially available smoke-water products on the regeneration of a highly disturbed former mine-site at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, in southeastern Victoria. Various combinations of concentrated smoke products and topsoil harvested from a nearby heathy woodland community were applied to exposed, uniform mineral sands to test their effect on seedling density and species richness of regrowth. The trials showed that after 12 months a number of common, herbaceous species including Austrodanthonia setacea, Opercularia varia and Platysace heterophylla were recorded in significantly higher numbers in areas treated with a commercial smoke-water. However, there was no overall improvement in the density of seedlings or the richness of species as a result of the application of the smoke products. Similarly, total seedling density and species richness were not affected by the addition of topsoil, either alone or in combination with smoke products. [source] Predator control of ecosystem nutrient dynamicsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 10 2010Oswald J. Schmitz Abstract Predators are predominantly valued for their ability to control prey, as indicators of high levels of biodiversity and as tourism attractions. This view, however, is incomplete because it does not acknowledge that predators may play a significant role in the delivery of critical life-support services such as ecosystem nutrient cycling. New research is beginning to show that predator effects on nutrient cycling are ubiquitous. These effects emerge from direct nutrient excretion, egestion or translocation within and across ecosystem boundaries after prey consumption, and from indirect effects mediated by predator interactions with prey. Depending on their behavioural ecology, predators can create heterogeneous or homogeneous nutrient distributions across natural landscapes. Because predator species are disproportionately vulnerable to elimination from ecosystems, we stand to lose much more from their disappearance than their simple charismatic attractiveness. [source] The wholesale and retail markets of London, 1660,1840ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2002Colin Smith Markets and marketing are perennial themes in English economic and social history. Yet they remain largely unexplored in relation to London during a period of remarkable growth and change, the long eighteenth century. This article begins to fill that void, by surveying over 70 London produce markets that existed during the period, and identifying patterns in their collective development. It concludes that the physical market place, though ancient in origin, evolved through the ,commercial revolution' as a highly dynamic and diverse institution that played a significant role in London's distribution. [source] MALE MARITAL WAGE DIFFERENTIALS: TRAINING, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND FIXED EFFECTSECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 3 2010WILLIAM M. RODGERS III Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we replicate previous estimates of the marital wage differential for white men, extend the analysis to African American men, then explain the within and between race differentials. We first control for formal job training, then for cognitive skills, parental background, and self-esteem with little effect. By contrast, the white differential but not the black differential disappears in fixed-effects estimation. We reconcile the cross-section/panel differentials by focusing on the distinct identification conditions employed by each technique. Men who never change marital status play a significant role in white cross-sectional estimates. (JEL J31, J12) [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||