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Selected AbstractsTransient expression of serotonin 5-HT4 receptors in the mouse developing thalamocortical projectionsDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Erin R. Slaten Abstract The serotonin 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT4 -R) is an unusually complex G-protein coupled receptor that is likely to play important roles in brain development and that may underlie the comorbidity of central and peripheral abnormalities in some developmental disorders. We studied the expression of 5-HT4 -Rs in the developing mouse forebrain at embryonic days 13, 15, 17, and at postnatal days 3 and 14 by using immunohistochemistry, tract tracing, and quantitative RT-PCR. The developing thalamocortical projections transiently expressed 5-HT4 -Rs in the embryonic brain and the 5-HT4 -R expression in the forebrain changed from axonal to somatic around birth. From embryonic days 13,17, the forebrain mRNA levels of the 5-HT4(a) -R and 5-HT4(b) -R splice variants increased nine- and fivefold, respectively, whereas the levels of the 5-HT4(e) -R and 5-HT4(f) -R variants remained relatively low throughout the studied period of embryonic development. These results suggest that during development 5-HT4 -R expression undergoes a dynamic regulation and that this regulation may be important for the normal development of sensory and limbic processing. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2010. [source] Hematological malignancies in the island of Sardinia, 1974,1993: age and sex distributions and temporal changes in incidenceHEMATOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2004G. Broccia Abstract We have collected, by an active retrospective survey, all the cases of hematologic malignancies (HM) newly diagnosed during the time period 1974,1993 in the resident population of Sardinia. Diagnosis was deemed valid, after consultation of clinical records, in more than 90% of the 7264 collected cases. The number of newly diagnosed cases by year more than doubled during the 20-year period investigated. This striking increase can be only partially accounted for by ageing of population. Indeed, age-specific and age-adjusted rates of most of HM increased during this period, although Hodgkin Disease (HD), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) were notable exceptions. The observed increase in rates is likely, in a large part, to be fictitious, due to easier access to a health care system, which in the meantime, improved its diagnostic efficiency. This was particularly evident for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Multiple Myeloma (MM) and some others myelo- and lympho-proliferative disorders, but its relevance declined after 1984,1989. A likely true increase in occurrence was evidenced for Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL) and similarly, although to a lesser extent and more doubtful, for Myelodysplasias (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). At the end of the studied period each type of HM presented age and sex distributions and age-adjusted rates that show only minor differences from those reported for other western countries. No argument emerged to suggest that any genetic peculiarities of the Sardinian population might have affected the occurrence of HM. The confounding effects of improved diagnostic efficiency have prevented a reliable assessment of influence on incidences of environmental and socio-economic changes that, in relatively recent times, have occurred in Sardinia. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Changes in hot days and heat waves in China during 1961,2007INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Ting Ding Abstract Based on the daily maximum temperature (DMT) records at 512 stations during 1961,2007, the geographical patterns and temporal variations of hot days (HDs) and heat waves (HWs, including those persisting for 3,5 days and longer) over mainland China were studied. The HD (and hence HW) was defined in two ways, one by an absolute criterion, DMT > 35 °C, as applied in the nationwide meteorological agencies and another in a relative sense, DMT > the 90th percentile threshold of a local daily temperature distribution around the day. Two centers of high frequencies (over 5 days per year) of the absolute HDs during June,September were found in the regions of Xinjiang and the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The highest frequencies of the absolute HWs were about 1.5 times per year in the Xinjiang region and to the south of the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The frequencies of the relative HWs were about 1,1.5 times per year in most of China. The HDs and HWs increased significantly during the studied period in most of China, especially over the southeastern coast and northern China (by over 4 days per decade for relative HDs and 0.4 times per decade for relative HWs), but decreased significantly at some stations in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Over most of China except northwestern China, the frequency of HDs was high during the 1960s,1970s, low in the 1980s, and high afterwards, with strong interannual variations. A remarkable increasing trend of HDs occurred after the 1990s in all regions. The changes in HDs and HWs were closely related to those in rain days and atmospheric circulation patterns at the interannual and interdecadal scales. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Trends in elective terminations of pregnancy between 1989 and 2000 in a French county (the Isère)PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 11 2003P. Guillem Abstract Objectives This study was performed in order to provide a description of indications for induced elective terminations of pregnancy (ETOP), their characteristics (e.g. gestational age), and their evolution over time. Design of the Study This is an epidemiological study. The geographic area covered is the French county of ,Isère', which represents a mean of 14 000 births per year over the study period. Materials and Methods Data on ETOPs were collected actively from medical records by a register of childhood deficiencies and adverse perinatal events in this county. Between 1989 and 2000, 996 ETOPs were notified. Results Four main grounds for ETOPs were identified: (1) morphological anomalies with normal karyotype (39%), (2) chromosomal anomalies (35%), (3) other fetal grounds (16%), and (4) maternal indications (10%). Prevalence rates for the first two grounds increased significantly over the study period respectively from 2.0 to 2.9 and from 1.4 to 2.7 per 1000. Among the ETOPs carried out because of fetal indications, the percentage of late ETOPs (from 24 weeks of gestation) was 34.6%, and remained stable over the studied period. In some cases, a medical consensus was not reached with respect to indications for termination (sex chromosome anomalies, limb defects). We estimated the percentage of these cases as being 2.7% of the figure for fetal indications, without any variation in prevalence over the whole period (p = 0.59). The increasing number of ETOPs that occurred in the chromosomal aberrations group during the study period is thought to be due to an increase in diagnostic sensitivity. The increase that occurred in the morphological anomalies group is thought to be due both to an increase in sensitivity and to a widening of the field with respect to indications, some of which have an uncertain prognosis (e.g. agenesis of the corpus callosum). Conclusion This study provides useful data for monitoring medical practice consistency within the field of prenatal diagnosis, and for the drive to keep medical practice within ethically acceptable limits. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Forest History as a Basis for Ecosystem Restoration,A Multidisciplinary Case Study in a South Swedish Temperate LandscapeRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Matts Lindbladh Abstract Basic knowledge of the previous forest types or ecosystem present in an area ought to be an essential part of all landscape restoration. Here, we present a detailed study of forest and land use history over the past 2,000 years, from a large estate in southernmost Sweden, which is currently undergoing a restoration program. In particular, the aim was to identify areas with long continuity of important tree species and open woodland conditions. We employed a multidisciplinary approach using paleoecological analyses (regional and local pollen, plant macrofossil, tree ring) and historical sources (taxation documents, land surveys, forest inventories). The estate has been dominated by temperate broad-leaved trees over most of the studied period. When a forest type of Tilia, Corylus, and Quercus started to decline circa 1,000 years ago, it was largely replaced by Fagus. Even though extensive planting of Picea started in mid-nineteenth century, Fagus and Quercus have remained rather common on the estate up to present time. Both species show continuity on different parts of the estate from eighteenth century up to present time, but in some stands, for the entire 2,000 years. Our suggestions for restoration do not aim for previous "natural" conditions but to maintain the spatial vegetational pattern created by the historical land use. This study gives an example of the spatial and temporal variation of the vegetation that has historically occurred within one area and emphasizes that information from one methodological technique provides only limited information about an area's vegetation history. [source] Ontogeny of the shi drum Umbrina cirrosa (Linnaeus 1758), a candidate new species for aquacultureAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 13 2005Giorgos Koumoundouros Abstract The ontogeny of shi drum Umbrina cirrosa (Linnaeus 1758), a candidate new species for aquaculture, was studied throughout the entire larval phase. Geometric morphometric analysis revealed two clear inflection points (7.0 and 12.7 mm total length, TL) in the shape ontogeny of this species, separating the studied period into three phases of different allometric priorities. Spline graphs demonstrated that the major non-uniform shape ontogeny correlated with the development of the fins, the anterior dorsal area of the body, the caudal peduncle, the eye and the mouth. Concerning the morphological features, shi drum larvae are characterized by an upward anterior bending of the notochord. The ontogeny of the fins began with the formation of the pectoral buds (2.9 mm TL), continued with the notochord flexion (4.3 mm TL, associated with the caudal fin development), the appearance of the pelvic buds, the first anal rays (4.5 mm TL) and the first dorsal rays (4.8 mm TL). Shi drum juveniles presented 25 vertebrae and the following dominant fin types: D XI,23, AII,6, VI,5, P17 and C17. [source] The sensitivity of Western European NO2 columns to interannual variability of meteorology and emissions: a model,GOME studyATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 4 2008Nicholas H. Savage Abstract Interannual variability (IAV) in tropospheric species concentrations can be driven by variability in emissions, chemistry, transport and UV radiation. In a 3D CTM study we have found good agreement between the IAV of NO2 columns observed by the GOME satellite instrument and model simulations over Western Europe from 1996 to 2000. We find that meteorological variability is an important factor during this period. Averaged 10 m wind speeds from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) operational analysis are a good proxy for the overall meteorology driving the IAV during the studied period of 1996,2000. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Sudden infant death syndrome during low incidence in Sweden 1997,2005ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2010P Möllborg Abstract Background:, Following the change from prone to supine in preferred sleeping position, the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in Sweden fell from 1.1 per 1000 live births in 1992 to 0.41 in 1995. After a further small decline, we have been experiencing a plateau at around 0.25 since 2000. Aim:, To identify the changes that have occurred in the epidemiology of SIDS since the end of the Nordic Epidemiological SIDS Study in 1995. Methods:, Data from the Medical Birth Register of Sweden, covering the years 1995,2005, were used. Sleeping position is not included in the register. Results:, The incidence of SIDS has remained low in Sweden. Independent risk factors were smoking during early pregnancy, parents not living together, low maternal age, high parity and short gestational age. The odds ratio for smoking has continued to increase and the median age of death has continued to decrease since the previous study. We found no signs of seasonality in the current material. Conclusions:, Age at death continued to decrease. The high incidence during weekends persisted. Seasonality was not significant. There was no evidence of a changing effect from risk factors in the studied period. [source] | ||||||||||||||||