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Striking Result (striking + result)
Selected AbstractsOutcome after hemispherectomy in hemiplegic adult patients with refractory epilepsy associated with early middle cerebral artery infarctsEPILEPSIA, Issue 6 2009Arthur Cukiert Summary Purpose:, To study the outcome after hemispherectomy (HP) in a homogeneous adult patient population with refractory hemispheric epilepsy. Methods:, Fourteen adult patients submitted to HP were studied. Patients had to be at least 18 years old, and have refractory epilepsy, clearly focal lateralized seizures and unilateral porencephalus consistent with early middle cerebral artery infarct on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All patients were submitted to functional hemispherectomy. We analyzed age of seizure onset, age by the time of surgery, gender, seizure type and frequency, interictal and ictal electroencephalography (EEG) findings, MRI and IQ scores preoperatively; seizure frequency, drug regimen, and IQ outcome were studied postoperatively. Results:, Mean follow-up was 64 months. All patients had frequent daily seizures preoperatively. All patients had unilateral simple partial motor seizures (SPS); 11 patients had secondarily generalized tonic,clonic (GTC) seizures and five patients had complex partial seizures (CPS), preoperatively. All patients had hemiplegia and hemianopsia. Twelve patients had unilateral EEG findings, and in two epileptic discharges were seen exclusively over the apparently normal hemisphere. Twelve patients were seizure-free after surgery and two patients had at least 90% improvement in seizure frequency. Pre- and postoperative mean general IQ was 84 and 88, respectively. Five of the twelve Engel I patients were receiving no drugs at last follow-up. There was no mortality or major morbidity. Conclusions:, Our results suggest that well-selected adult patients might also get good results after HP. Although good results were obtained in our adult series, the same procedure yielded a much more striking result if performed earlier in life. [source] Exploring the primary electron acceptor (QA)-site of the bacterial reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroidesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2002Binding mode of vitamin K derivatives The functional replacement of the primary ubiquinone (QA) in the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with synthetic vitamin K derivatives has provided a powerful tool to investigate the electron transfer mechanism. To investigate the binding mode of these quinones to the QA binding site we have determined the binding free energy and charge recombination rate from QA, to D+ (kAD) of 29 different 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives with systematically altered structures. The most striking result was that none of the eight tested compounds carrying methyl groups in both positions 5 and 8 of the aromatic ring exhibited functional binding. To understand the binding properties of these quinones on a molecular level, the structures of the reaction center-naphthoquinone complexes were predicted with ligand docking calculations. All protein,ligand structures show hydrogen bonds between the carbonyl oxygens of the quinone and AlaM260 and HisM219 as found for the native ubiquinone-10 in the X-ray structure. The center-to-center distance between the naphthoquinones at QA and the native ubiquinone-10 at QB (the secondary electron acceptor) is essentially the same, compared to the native structure. A detailed analysis of the docking calculations reveals that 5,8-disubstitution prohibits binding due to steric clashes of the 5-methyl group with the backbone atoms of AlaM260 and AlaM249. The experimentally determined binding free energies were reproduced with an rmsd of ,,4 kJ·mol,1 in most cases providing a valuable tool for the design of new artificial electron acceptors and inhibitors. [source] Providing care for an elderly parent: interactions among siblings?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 9 2009Roméo Fontaine Abstract This article is focused on children providing and financing long-term care for their elderly parent. The aim of this work is to highlight the interactions that may take place among siblings when deciding whether or not to become a caregiver. We look at families with two children using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe; our sample contains 314 dependent elderly and their 628 adult children. In order to identify the interactions between siblings, we have specified a two-person discrete game model. To estimate this model, without invoking the ,coherency' condition, we have added an endogenous selection rule to solve the incompleteness problem arising from multiplicity or absence of equilibrium. Our empirical results suggest that the three classical effects identified by Manski could potentially explain the observed correlation between the siblings' caregiving behaviour. Correlated effects alone appear to be weak. Contextual interactions and endogenous interactions reveal cross-effects. The asymmetric character of the endogenous interactions is our most striking result. The younger child's involvement appears to increase the net benefit of caregiving for the elder one, whereas the elder child's involvement decreases the net benefit of caregiving for the younger child. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Greater leftward lateralization of the inferior frontal gyrus in second language learners with higher syntactic abilitiesHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 11 2009Arihito Nauchi Abstract There is a great individual variability for acquiring syntactic knowledge in a second language (L2). Little is, however, known if there is any anatomical basis in the brain for individual differences in syntactic acquisition. Here we examined brain structures in 95 nonnative speakers of English, including 78 high-school students and 17 adult international students. We found a significant correlation between the performance of a syntactic task and leftward lateralization of a single region in the triangular part (F3t) of the inferior frontal gyrus, which has been proposed as the grammar center. Moreover, this correlation was independent of the performance of a spelling task, age, gender, and handedness. This striking result suggests that the neural basis for syntactic abilities in L2 is independent of that for lexical knowledge in L2, further indicating that the individual differences in syntactic acquisition are related to the lateralization of the grammar center. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] MACROALGAL TISSUE NUTRIENTS AS INDICATORS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS STATUS IN THE FLORIDA KEYSJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000Hanisak M. D. This study used the tremendous biochemical and ecological diversity of macroalgae to assess nitrogen and phosphorus availability at a broad, ecosystem-level scale in the Florida Keys and nearby waters. Spatial variation in tissue nutrients (carbon, C; nitrogen, N; phosphorus, P) of dominant macroalgae were assessed, both as ratios and absolute values, along 12 inshore-offshore transects in the Florida Keys and at 10 stations in nearby Florida Bay. The resulting detailed analysis demonstrated spatial and temporal patterns in macroalgal tissue nutrients. The transect data revealed no universal inshore-offshore patterns in tissue nutrients and no obvious "hotspots" of nutrient enrichment. Similarly, when data were compared among segments, there was no universal geographical pattern in tissue nutrients for all species. The most striking result was that the N and P status of macroalgae in Florida Bay was significantly different than other locations. Macroalgae collected from Florida Bay generally had higher N and lower P levels than algae collected elsewhere. The most common inshore-offshore pattern was higher %N and lower %P availability inshore; however, limited inshore-offshore differences in N:P ratio suggests that both nutrients were generally readily available in proportional amounts required by the various species. Most species in this study had higher %N, and to a lesser extent, higher %P and %C in March than in July. Based on the published literature on other species of macroalgae, it appears that N and P are generally available in sufficient quantities that most macroalgal growth is not limited by either nutrient. [source] Long-term Effects of the Efficiency Wage Hypothesis in Goodwin-type EconomiesMETROECONOMICA, Issue 4 2000Piero Manfredi The existence of an efficiency wage mechanism in Goodwin-type models may lead to the unexpected appearance of an economically meaningful equilibrium with zero labour share, which is globally stable for some parameter constellation and allows the system to attain its ,maximal growth'. A subsequent ,normative' comparison between the possible long-term regimes of the economy shows that (1) the zero labour share equilibrium can be the ,preferred' equilibrium in terms of welfare; (2) in all the long-term regimes the welfare is higher than in the original Goodwin model; (3) a point of maximal welfare exists. Moreover, the effects of rational behaviour of firms are compared with the ,traditional' situation in which rationality is not explicitly assumed. A striking result appears: myopic rationality can have deleterious effects on the profit of firms and on the overall welfare of the economy. [source] Comparative study of temperature-dependent electroluminescence efficiency in blue and green (In,Ga)N multiple-quantum-well diodesPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 6 2008H. Jimi Abstract Electroluminescence (EL) efficiency is comparatively investigated in the c -plane blue and green multiple-quantum-well (MQW) diodes over a wide temperature range (20-300 K) and as a function of injection current (0.01-10 mA). One striking result of the external quantum efficiency ,ex observed is that for the blue diode strong EL quenching can occur at temperatures below 100 K in agreement with the previous reports, while no significant EL collapse is seen below 100 K for the green MQW diode, especially at low injection currents. This means that the anomalous low temperature EL reduction observed for the blue (In,Ga)N MQW diode is not solely determined by temperature only but strongly modified by changing the In content in the active layers, suggesting mechanisms ruled by forward-bias dependent weaker carrier capture for the shallow potential depth MQW rather than hole freeze-out at deep Mg acceptors. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Quality of protein crystal structuresACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 9 2007Eric N. Brown The genomics era has seen the propagation of numerous databases containing easily accessible data that are routinely used by investigators to interpret results and generate new ideas. Most investigators consider data extracted from scientific databases to be error-free. However, data generated by all experimental techniques contain errors and some, including the coordinates in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), also integrate the subjective interpretations of experimentalists. This paper explores the determinants of protein structure quality metrics used routinely by protein crystallographers. These metrics are available for most structures in the database, including the R factor, Rfree, real-space correlation coefficient, Ramachandran violations etc. All structures in the PDB were analyzed for their overall quality based on nine different quality metrics. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that while technological improvements have increased the number of structures determined, the overall quality of structures has remained constant. The quality of structures deposited by structural genomics initiatives are generally better than the quality of structures from individual investigator laboratories. The most striking result is the association between structure quality and the journal in which the structure was first published. The worst offenders are the apparently high-impact general science journals. The rush to publish high-impact work in the competitive atmosphere may have led to the proliferation of poor-quality structures. [source] Time-resolved scattering investigations of brome mosaic virus microcrystals appearanceACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 10-1 2002M. Casselyn The behavior of brome mosaic virus in solution as a function of physico-chemical conditions has already been characterized by Small Angle X-ray Scattering studies. The most striking result was that the precipitates induced by the addition of polyethylene glycol were in fact made of microcrystals. This result was reinvestigated on the ID2 beamline at ESRF (Grenoble, France) to determine whether there was an amorphous state before the organized one, and measure the necessary period of latency for the microcrystals to form. The stopped-flow device associated to the high brilliance of the beamline enabled us to characterize the growth of the diffraction peaks as a function of time. [source] The Delphi approach to Attain consensus in methodology of local regional therapy for peritoneal surface malignancy,,JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Shigeki Kusamura MD Abstract At the Fifth International Workshop on Peritoneal Surface Malignancy (PSM), held in Milan, December 2006, the consensus on technical aspects of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was obtained through the Delphi process. The following topics were discussed: pre-operative workup; eligibility to CRS,+,HIPEC; intra-operative staging system; technical aspects of surgery; residual disease classification systems; HIPEC: nomenclature and modalities; drugs, carrier solution and optimal temperature; morbidity grading systems. Conflicting points regarding above-mentioned topics were elaborated and voted in two rounds by a panel of international experts in local-regional therapy. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the organization and the methodology of the consensus statements and to interpret and discuss the implications of the most striking results. J. Surg. Oncol. 2008;98:217,219. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] FX Trading and Exchange Rate DynamicsTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 6 2002Martin D. D. Evans I examine the sources of exchange rate dynamics by focusing on the information structure of FX trading. This structure permits the existence of an equilibrium distribution of transaction prices at a point in time. I develop and estimate a model of the price distribution using data from the Deutsche mark/dollar market that prroduces two striking results:(1) Much of the short-term volatility in exchange rates comes from sampling the heterogeneous trading decisions of dealers in a distribution that, under normal market conditions, changes comparatively slowly; (2) public news is rarely the predominant source of exchange rate movements over anyhorizon. [source] Augmented suppression of androgen receptor signaling by a combination of ,-tocopheryl succinate and methylseleninic acidCANCER, Issue 12 2006Haitao Zhang PhD Abstract BACKGROUND. Previous reports showed that ,-tocopheryl succinate (,TS) and methylseleninic acid (MSA) independently reduce the abundance of androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells. The response to MSA happens quickly, whereas the response to ,TS takes much longer. The present study was designed to investigate whether a combination of ,TS and MSA would produce an additive or a greater than additive effect in suppressing AR level, AR transactivation, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). METHODS. LNCaP cells were treated with ,TS alone for 31 hours, MSA alone for 3 hours, or ,TS first for 28 hours and ,TS/MSA together for the last 3 hours. AR and PSA mRNA levels were quantitated by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). AR transactivation was determined by the ARE-luciferase reporter assay. Both cellular and secretory PSA was also measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. RESULTS. Different doses of ,TS were evaluated in combination with MSA. Some striking results are highlighted below for ,TS alone, MSA alone, or ,TS/MSA (presented in that order). AR mRNA level was depressed by 0%, 20%, or 60%, respectively; AR transactivation was inhibited by 35%, 10%, or 60%, respectively; whereas the PSA mRNA level was decreased by 40%, 60%, or 90%, respectively. Interestingly, secretory PSA was consistently reduced to a greater extent than cellular PSA. CONCLUSIONS. A combination of ,TS/MSA produced a greater than additive effect in suppressing AR signaling compared with the single agent. Decreased AR abundance is a major factor, but not necessarily the sole factor, in diminishing the transcriptional activity of AR by ,TS or MSA. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||