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Selected AbstractsAnalytical Models for the Design of the LAPLAS ExperimentCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 4-5 2007A. R. Piriz Abstract We review the theoretical activity at the University of Castilla-LaMancha directed to the design of the LAPLAS (Laboratory of Planetary Sciences) experiment in the framework of the HEDgeHOB international collaboration. We have developed analytical models for the different phases of LAPLAS, including models for the implosion of the cylindrical shell target, for the generation of an annular focal spot by means of a high-frequency wobbler system and for the hydrodynamic instabilities that could affect the performance of the target implosion. These models have been complemented with one and two-dimensional numerical simulations and such a combination have allowed us to have a powerful tool available for the design of the experiments as well as for the interpretation of their results. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Economic Growth, Health and Poverty: An Exploratory Study for IndiaDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 2 2004Indrani Gupta This article analyses the possible links between economic growth, poverty and health, using panel data for the Indian states. The findings indicate that, though growth tends to reduce poverty, significant improvements in health status are also necessary for poverty to decrease. Also, economic growth and health status are positively correlated and have a two-way relationship, suggesting that better health enhances growth by improving productivity, and higher growth allows better human capital formation. Health expenditure is an important determinant of both higher growth and better health status, and is therefore a key tool available to policy-makers. Among other exogenous variables, literacy and industrialisation seem to improve both health outcomes and growth, and to reduce poverty. [source] Uses and abuses of fractal methodology in ecologyECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 3 2004J. M. Halley Abstract Fractals have found widespread application in a range of scientific fields, including ecology. This rapid growth has produced substantial new insights, but has also spawned confusion and a host of methodological problems. In this paper, we review the value of fractal methods, in particular for applications to spatial ecology, and outline potential pitfalls. Methods for measuring fractals in nature and generating fractal patterns for use in modelling are surveyed. We stress the limitations and the strengths of fractal models. Strictly speaking, no ecological pattern can be truly fractal, but fractal methods may nonetheless provide the most efficient tool available for describing and predicting ecological patterns at multiple scales. [source] EMCyberSchool An Evaluation of Computer-assisted Instruction on the InternetACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2000Kevin M. Baumlin MD Abstract. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that integration of the EMCyberSchool, a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tool available on the Internet, into the curriculum of a senior medical student subinternship in emergency medicine (EM) would improve exam scores and course satisfaction. Methods: Students were prospectively randomized, by four-week blocks, into a CAI group and a no-CAI group. All students were surveyed on previous computer experience and their use and opinion of the EMCyberSchool. Results: Completed data were obtained from 100 of 120 students. Sixty-five percent of the students said they wanted CAI as an adjunct to their course curricula; only 28% actually used the educational tool. The students who used the site rated it useful (4.2/5), easy to use (4.4/5), and easy to access (4.1/5). Of the students who had access, and chose not to use the EMCyberSchool, 77.8% reported not having enough time as the reason for not using the site. The mean exam scores were 72.8% for the students in the CAI group and 68.2% for those in the no-CAI group (p = 0.058). In the CAI group, 77.5% (31/40) of the students rated the course as outstanding or excellent; compared with 66% (33/50) in the no-CAI group (p = 0.23). Conclusions: Although desired, it remains unclear whether CAI on the Internet is a useful adjunct for teaching EM to medical students. [source] The Brief Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment,RevisedINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2005Robert W. Hopkins Abstract Objectives The Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment,Revised (KSCA-R) was designed to be a cognitive screening tool available to health professionals who were not trained in specialized cognitive assessment techniques. It was introduced to bridge the gap between brief, narrowly focused rating scales, and intensive, expensive, full neuropsychological assessments. We now present the Brief Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment,Revised (BriefKSCA-R). Methods Groups of Alzheimer's disease patients, patients suffering from other dementias, and a group of normal community dwelling elderly were assessed using the BriefKSCA-R. Results This shortened version of the full Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment,Revised can be given in half the time while retaining most of the full KSCA-R's effectiveness. Conclusions Suitable for a quick screening, or follow-up of patients already more fully assessed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Revised Kingston Standardized Cognitive AssessmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2004Robert W. Hopkins Abstract The original Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment (KSCA) was designed to assess cognitive functioning in the elderly with suspected organic brain damage (i.e. dementia). It was specifically designed to be a relatively quickly administered assessment tool available to mental health professionals who were not trained in specialized cognitive assessment techniques. It was introduced over a decade ago to bridge a gap between brief, narrowly focused rating scales, and intensive, expensive, full neuropsychological assessments. Recently, a revision of the KSCA was completed. This revision includes the addition of a word-list memory task with immediate recall, delayed recall and recognition formats, as well as new norms for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The updated norms reflect the abilities of higher-functioning (community-dwelling) patients. In order to facilitate the Revised KSCAs use we have developed a new scoring and analysis form as well as a more comprehensive scoring and administration manual. These changes have resulted in better detection of earlier Alzheimer's disease and use of comparison groups that reflect the changing referral base. The structure of the revised scale and updated normative data are described. An illustrative clinical case example is also provided. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Burn wound depth assessment , is laser Doppler imaging the best measurement tool available?INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006Article first published online: 19 JUN 200 Evaluation de la profondeur des brulures- l'imagerie laser doppler est elle le meilleur outil disponible? L'évaluation précoce de la profondeur de la plaie par brûlure est de plus en plus importante dans la prise de décision clinique. Les principes clinimétriques sont absolument indispensables lors du développement d'un nouveau test ou outil pour une utilisation clinique. Cet article évalue de façon critique les arguments clinimétriques d'un outil puissant pour la determination de la profondeur de la brûlureet si l'imagerie Laser Doppler peut atteindre ce but en différenciant clairement les brûlures superficielles des brûlures profondes. Evaluierung der Wundtiefe von Brandwunden , ist Laserdopplerimaging das beste Messinstrument? Die korrekte Bestimmung der Wundtiefe von Verbrennungswwunden ist von zunehmender Wichtigkeit in der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung. Klinimetrische Prinzipien sind absolut erforderlich, wenn ein neues Testinstrument für den klinischen Gebrauch entwickelt werden soll. Der vorliegende Artikel evaluiert kritisch die Klinimetrie eines leistungsfähigen Instrumentes für die Beurteilung von Wund-Tiefen und beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob Laserdopplerimaging die erforderlichen Kriterien erfüllen kann, um oberflächliche von tiefen Verbrennungswunden zu unterscheiden. Valutazione della profondità di ustione: il laser Doppler ad immagine risulta essere il migliore metodo disponibile? Una accurata e precoce valutazione della profondità di ustione appare sempre più importante per prendere delle decisioni cliniche. I principi clinici risultano assolutamente essenziali mentre vengono sviluppati nuovi test o dispositivi nella pratica clinica. Questo articolo valuta in modo critico i principi clinici di un metodo molto potente per la valutazione clinica ed anche se il laser Doppler ad immagine può soddisfare i criteri attraverso i quali si riesce a differenziare tra ustioni superficiali e profonde. Evaluación de heridas profundas: ¿es la exploración por imágenes doppler láser el mejor instrumento de medición disponible? La evaluación precoz precisa de la profundidad de las quemaduras cobra cada vez mayor importancia en la adopción de decisiones clínicas. Los principios clinimétricos son absolutamente imperativos mientras se elabora una nueva prueba o instrumento para uso en el ámbito clínico. En este artículo se evalúa críticamente la clinimetría de un potente instrumento para evaluar la profundidad de las quemaduras y si la exploración por imágenes Doppler Láser puede satisfacer estos criterios en función de la diferenciación entre quemaduras superficiales y quemaduras profundas. Utvärdering av djupet av brännskador ,Är laser doppler imaging det bästa tillgängliga instrumentet för mätning? Exakt tidig bedömning av djupet på brännskador är av ökande betydelse för klinisk beslutsfattning. Klinimetriska principer är ett måste vid utveckling av ett nytt mätningsinstrument för användning i klinisk miljö. Denna artikel granskar kritiskt klinimetriken hos ett kraftfullt instrument för bedömning av djup på brännskada och huruvida Laser Doppler Imaging kan tillfredställa dessa kriteria föt differentiering mellan ytliga och djupa brännskador. [source] Prescribed fire and conservation of a threatened mountain grassland specialist: a capture,recapture study on the Orsini's viper in the French alpsANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 3 2009A. Lyet Abstract Burning has traditionally been used in the southern French Alps to maintain open lands for grazing. In the context of land use abandonment, prescribed burning may be the only realistic practical tool available to oppose encroachment by woody plants in numerous mountainous landscapes. Although only recently developed as a modern tool for wildfire prevention and management of pastoral grasslands, this practice is now becoming widespread, which raises the issue of its impact on the fauna in general, and on endangered species in particular. We studied the impact of a prescribed fire on the survival and small-scale movements of one of the rarest snakes in Europe, the Orsini's viper Vipera ursinii, in order to evaluate its potential threat to population sustainability. We evaluated the body condition of snakes and the quality of their habitat, more precisely the abundance of grasshoppers as the main food resource, and the vegetation cover as shelter. About 3.6 ha of a 8.8 ha study site was burnt in autumn 2003. Snake population parameters were estimated using multi-state capture,mark,recapture methods. We demonstrate that burning reduced the survival of the vipers by more than half during the first year following the fire. Contrary to what was expected, there was no evidence of emigration from the burned to the unburned area immediately after the fire. Despite the decrease in grasshopper density and vegetation cover in the burned area, there was no evidence of mid-term mortality in snakes that could result from an increased predation rate or from the reduced body condition of snakes. As such high mortality, mainly or entirely due to the direct effect of fire, is likely to have large repercussions on population sustainability, we suggest several improvements of prescribed fire protocols to minimize their impact and strongly emphasize the need for a prescribed fire policy that takes into account specific recommendations for threatened species like Orsini's viper. The case of the Orsini's viper is very typical of conservation problems in open mountain lands, and we believe that our research will help determine the most suitable approach for long-term conservation of biodiversity in such semi-natural ecosystems. [source] Dynamic load-balancing mechanism for distributed Java applicationsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 3 2006Violeta Felea Abstract Program environments or operating systems generally leave the decision on the allocation of program entities to the developer, offering either placement directives, or tools available through the manipulation of a graphical interface. These approaches cannot always take into account the dynamic behavior of applications, dynamicity in the execution environment or the heterogeneity of the execution platform. Transparent deployment algorithms are necessary for automizing and optimizing application distribution. The Adaptive Distributed Applications in Java (ADAJ) project deals with placement and migration of Java objects. It automatically deploys parallel Java applications on a cluster of workstations using monitoring information about the application behavior. The transparency obtained through the integration of these tools in the middleware makes such an environment easy to use and improves efficiency. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] CI Implementation: An Empirical Test of the CI Maturity ModelCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2006Frances Jørgensen There are a number of tools available for organizations wishing to measure and subsequently develop Continuous Improvement (CI). In this article, we review and evaluate a well-accepted CI development model, namely the CI Maturity Model (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997), against data collected from the 2nd Continuous Improvement Network Survey and a number of empirical cases described in the literature. While the CI Maturity Model suggests that CI maturation ought to be a linear process, the findings in this article suggest that there are feasible alternatives for companies to develop CI capability. [source] Non-apoptotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegansDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 5 2010Manolis Vlachos Abstract The simple nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans has been instrumental in deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis. Beyond apoptosis, several paradigms of non-apoptotic cell death, either genetically or extrinsically triggered, have also been described in C. elegans. Remarkably, non-apoptotic cell death in worms and pathological cell death in humans share numerous key features and mechanistic aspects. Such commonalities suggest that similarly to apoptosis, non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms are also conserved, and render the worm a useful organism, in which to model and dissect human pathologies. Indeed, the genetic malleability and the sophisticated molecular tools available for C. elegans have contributed decisively to advance our understanding of non-apoptotic cell death. Here, we review the literature on the various types of non-apoptotic cell death in C. elegans and discuss the implications, relevant to pathological conditions in humans. Developmental Dynamics 239:1337,1351, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A new molecular tool for transgenic diatomsFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 13 2005Control of mRNA, protein biosynthesis by an inducible promoter, terminator cassette Research in diatom biology has entered the postgenomic era since the recent completion of the Thalassiosira pseudonana genome project. However, the molecular tools available for genetic manipulation of diatoms are still sparse, impeding the functional analysis of diatom genes in vivo. Here we describe the first method for inducible gene expression in transgenic diatoms. This method uses a DNA cassette containing both promoter (Pnr) and terminator (Tnr) elements derived from the nitrate reductase gene of the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis. By using green fluorescent protein (gfp) cDNA as a reporter gene, it is demonstrated that gene expression under the control of the Pnr/Tnr cassette is switched off when cells are grown in the presence of ammonium ions and becomes switched on within 4 h when cells are transferred to medium containing nitrate. Incubating cells in nitrogen-free medium switches on transcription of the gfp gene, yet gfp mRNA does not become translated into protein. This block on translation is released by the addition of nitrate, resulting in rapid onset of GFP production with a drastically reduced delay time of only 1 h. Altogether we have demonstrated that the Pnr/Tnr cassette enables inducible gene expression and control of both the level and timing of mRNA and protein expression in transgenic diatoms. [source] Strong seasonal disequilibrium measured between the oxygen isotope signals of leaf and soil CO2 exchangeGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 11 2010LISA WINGATE Abstract The oxygen isotope composition (,18O) of atmospheric CO2 is among a very limited number of tools available to constrain estimates of the biospheric gross CO2 fluxes, photosynthesis and respiration at large scales. However, the accuracy of the partitioning strongly depends on the extent of isotopic disequilibrium between the signals carried by these two gross fluxes. Chamber-based field measurements of total CO2 and CO18O fluxes from foliage and soil can help evaluate and refine our models of isotopic fractionation by plants and soils and validate the extent and pattern of isotopic disequilibrium within terrestrial ecosystems. Owing to sampling limitations in the past, such measurements have been very rare and covered only a few days. In this study, we coupled automated branch and soil chambers with tuneable diode laser absorption spectroscopy techniques to continuously capture the ,18O signals of foliage and soil CO2 exchange in a Pinus pinaster Aït forest in France. Over the growing season, we observed a seasonally persistent isotopic disequilibrium between the ,18O signatures of net CO2 fluxes from leaves and soils, except during rain events when the isotopic imbalance became temporarily weaker. Variations in the ,18O of CO2 exchanged between leaves, soil and the atmosphere were well explained by theory describing changes in the oxygen isotope composition of ecosystem water pools in response to changes in leaf transpiration and soil evaporation. [source] Rational Irrationality and Simulation in Environmental Politics: The Example of Climate ChangeGOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 2 2009Mathew Humphrey Do western publics make ,demands' for environmental policy that they have no desire to see enacted? The thesis that they do has been put forward recently by advocates of the ,post-ecologist' paradigm such as Ingolfur Blühdorn. Taking the example of climate change, this article assesses survey results that provide indicative evidence that such ,simulative' demands may exist. I suggest that such demands are, however, best explained through conceptual tools available from game-theoretic and rational-actor models of political behaviour, in particular rational ignorance and rational irrationality, rather than with the societal-level accounts preferred by Blühdorn and others. [source] Synthesis of Polymerizable Superoxide Dismutase Mimetics to Reduce Reactive Oxygen Species Damage in Transplanted Biomedical Devices,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 20 2008Charles Y. Cheung Abstract A new polymerizable superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic metalloporphyrin macromer was synthesized to minimize inflammatory damage associated with tissue transplantation and biomaterial implantation, such as the use of encapsulated pancreatic islets for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus (TIDM). This functional SOD mimetic, Mn(III) Tetrakis[1-(3-acryloxy-propyl)-4-pyridyl] porphyrin (MnTPPyP-Acryl), was copolymerized and crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) to form hydrogel networks that may actively reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage associated with biomaterial implantation. Solution phase activity assays with MnTPPyP-Acryl macromers showed comparable SOD activity to MnTMPyP, a non-polymerizable commercially available SOD mimetic. This work also describes the development of a new, simple, and inexpensive solid phase assay system that was developed to assess the activity of MnTPPyP-Acryl macromers polymerized within PEGDA hydrogels, which has the potential to fulfill an existing void with the biochemical tools available for testing other immobilized ROS antagonists. With this new assay system, hydrogels containing up to 0.25,mol% MnTPPyP-Acryl showed significantly higher levels of SOD activity, whereas control hydrogels polymerized with inactive TPPyP-Acryl macromers showed only background levels of activity. The potential for repeated use of such hydrogel devices to consistently reduce superoxide anion concentrations was demonstrated upon retention of ,100% SOD activity for at least 72,h post-polymerization. These results demonstrate the potential that polymerizable SOD mimetics may have for integration into medical devices for the minimization of inflammatory damage upon transplantation, such as during the delivery of encapsulated pancreatic islets. [source] Turning principles into practice in Alzheimer's diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 9 2010J. Lindesay Summary The prevalence of dementia is reaching epidemic proportions globally, but there remain a number of issues that prevent people with dementia, their families and caregivers, from taking control of their condition. In 2008, Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) launched a Global Alzheimer's Disease Charter, which comprises six principles that underscore the urgency for a more ambitious approach to diagnosis, treatment and care. This review highlights some of the most important aspects and challenges of dementia diagnosis and treatment. These issues are reviewed in light of the six principles of the recent ADI Charter: promoting dementia awareness and understanding; respecting human rights; recognizing the key role of families and caregivers; providing access to health and social care; stressing the importance of optimal diagnosis and treatment; and preventing dementia through improvements in public health. The authors continue to hope that, one day, a cure for Alzheimer's disease will be found. Meanwhile, healthcare professionals need to unite in rising to the challenge of managing all cases of dementia, using the tools available to us now to work toward improved patient care. [source] A review of ageing and an examination of clinical methods in the assessment of ageing skin.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008Part 2: Clinical perspectives, clinical methods in the evaluation of ageing skin Synopsis With the advancement of skin research, today's consumer has increased access to technological information about ageing skin and hair care products. As a result, there is a rapidly increasing demand for proof of efficacy of these products. Recognizing these demands has led to the development and validation of many clinical methods to measure and quantify ageing skin and the effects of anti-ageing treatments. Many of the current testing methods used to research and evaluate anti-ageing product claim to employ sophisticated instruments alongside more traditional clinical methods. Intelligent use of combined clinical methods has enabled the development of technologically advanced consumer products providing enhanced efficacy and performance. Of non-invasive methods for the assessment and quantification of ageing skin, there is a plethora of tools available to the clinical researcher as defined by key clinically observed ageing parameters: skin roughness and surface texture; fine lines and wrinkles; skin pigmentation; skin colour; firmness and elasticity; hair loss; and proliferative lesions. Furthermore, many clinical procedures for the evaluation of ageing skin treatments are combined with invasive procedures, which enable added-value to claims (such as identification and alteration of biochemical markers), particularly in those cases where perception of product effect needs additional support. As discussed herein, clinical methods used in the assessment of skin ageing are many and require a disciplined approach to their use in such investigations. Résumé Avec les progrès des recherches sur la peau, les consommateurs aujourd'hui ont un accès accru aux informations technologiques concernant le vieillissement de la peau et les produits de soins capillaires. Il en découle une demande rapidement croissante des preuves d'efficacité de ces produits. La reconnaissance de ces demandes a conduit au développement et à la validation de nombreuses méthodes cliniques pour mesurer et quantifier la peau âgée ou le vieillissement de la peau et les effets des traitements anti-âge. Beaucoup des méthodes de test classiques utilisées pour rechercher et évaluer les revendications des produits antivieillissement reposent sur des instruments sophistiqués, à côté des méthodes cliniques plus traditionnelles. La combinaison intelligente de méthodes cliniques a permis le développement de produits commerciaux aux technologies avancées, possédant une efficacité et une performance améliorées. A partir de méthodes non invasives pour la détermination et la quantification des peaux âgées, une pléthore d'outils utilisables par les chercheurs cliniciens a été développée. Elle repose sur les paramètres cliniques-clés observés lors du vieillissement : rêcheur de la peau et texture de surface, ridules et rides, pigmentation de la peau, couleur de la peau, fermeté et élasticité, chute des cheveux et lésions proliférantes. De plus, de nombreuses procédures cliniques pour l'évaluation des traitements des peaux âgées sont combinées à des procédures invasives qui permettent des revendications à valeur ajoutée comme l'identification et l'altération de marqueurs biochimiques, en particulier dans les cas où la perception de l'effet du produit nécessite une argumentation complémentaire. Comme discuté ici, les méthodes cliniques utilisées pour la détermination du vieillissement de la peau sont nombreuses et nécessitent une approche contrôlée pour pouvoir les utiliser dans de telles recherches. [source] Managing heterogeneity in elephant distribution: interactions between elephant population density and surface-water availabilityJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007SIMON CHAMAILLÉ-JAMMES Summary 1Concerns over the ecological impacts of high African elephant Loxodonta africana densities suggest that it may be necessary to control their numbers locally, although the best management approach is still widely debated. Artificial water supply is believed to be a major cause of local overabundance, and could be used as a potential tool to regulate elephant distribution and impact across landscapes, but its effect on elephants at the population scale has never been studied. 2We assessed how dry-season surface-water availability constrained the distribution of an entire elephant population, using aerial and waterhole census data from Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. The study was initiated in 1986, when the population was released from culling. We studied how artificial waterholes, holding water throughout the dry season, and vegetation production, estimated from a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), influenced the long-term distribution of elephant densities. We also investigated how the elephant distribution responded to changes in population density and annual rainfall, a driver of surface-water availability. 3Long-term dry-season elephant densities across the park tended to increase with vegetation production, and increased asymptotically with the density of artificial waterholes. 4Since the culling stopped, dry-season elephant densities have increased in most areas of the park, except in areas of low vegetation production and low water availability. Interannual fluctuations in elephant distribution are linked to rainfall variability through its effect on surface-water availability. During dry years elephants concentrated in areas where artificial pumping maintained surface-water availability during the dry season. 5During dry years elephant numbers at waterholes increased because of reduced surface-water availability, and elephants were distributed more evenly across waterholes, although active waterholes were unevenly distributed across the park. 6Synthesis and applications. Surface-water availability drives the distribution and abundance of elephants within Hwange National Park, and therefore appears to be at the heart of the trade-off between elephant conservation and the extent of their impact on ecosystems. Artificial manipulation of surface water is one of the tools available for the management of elephant populations and should not be overlooked when considering options for controlling elephant numbers in places where they are considered to be overabundant. [source] Investigating the presence of pesticide transformation products in water by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with different mass analyzers,JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 2 2008Félix Hernández Abstract Many pesticide transformation products (TPs) can reach environmental waters as a consequence of their normally having a higher polarity than their parent pesticides. This makes the development of analytical methodology for reliable identification and subsequent quantification at the sub-microgram per liter levels necessary, as required under current legislation. In this paper we report the photodegradation of several pesticides frequently detected in environmental waters from the Spanish Mediterranean region using the high-resolution and exact-mass capabilities of hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF MS) hyphenated to liquid chromatography (LC). Once the main photodegradation/hydrolysis products formed in aqueous media were identified, analytical methodology for their simultaneous quantification and reliable identification in real water samples was developed using on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE)-LC-tandem MS with a triple-quadrupole (QqQ) analyzer. The methodology was validated in both ground and surface water samples spiked at the limit of quantification (LOQ) and 10 × LOQ levels, i.e. 50 and 500 ng/l, obtaining satisfactory recoveries and precision for all compounds. Subsequent analysis of ground and surface water samples resulted in the detection of a number of TPs higher than parent pesticides. Additionally, several soil-interstitial water samples collected from the unsaturated zone were analyzed to explore the degradation/transformation of some pesticides in the field using experimental plots equipped with lisimeters. Several TPs were found in these samples, with most of them having also been detected in ground and surface water from the same area. This paper illustrates the extraordinary potential of LC-MS(/MS) with QTOF and QqQ analyzers for qualitative/structural and quantitative analysis, respectively, offering analytical chemists one of the most powerful tools available at present to investigate the presence of pesticide TPs in water. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reactivity of human T-lymphocyte-specific antibodies with peripheral blood mononuclear cells and spleen of Aotus azarae ssp. boliviensis (owl monkey)JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2000Jan A.M. Langermans Aotus monkeys offer one of the few models that can be used for the evaluation of the immunogenicity and efficacy of new vaccine candidates against the human malarias, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. However, the tools available for evaluation of the immune responses in these New World primates are still limited. In the present study, a previously selected set of monoclonal antibodies that were raised against human T cell determinants and were reactive with at least one other primate species was investigated for its reactivity with Aotus lymphocytes using FACS analysis, indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and immunohistochemistry. From a panel of 19 mAb, six were found to react consistently with Aotus lymphocytes using FACS analysis. Further evaluation of the mAb using IFA confirmed these findings. Analysis of the selected mAb on spleen sections of Aotus monkeys identified one anti-CD4 and one anti-CD8 mAb that can be used for immunohistochemical studies. The set of mAb identified in this study can be used for the detection of various T lymphocyte markers in peripheral blood and in tissues of Aotus monkeys. Together with data published by others, mAb are now identified for detection of six different markers of Aotus T lymphocytes. These mAb are very valuable for the characterisation of immune responses after vaccination and infection in the Aotus malaria models. [source] Integrating Experimental and Observational Personality Research,The Contributions of Hans EysenckJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2008William Revelle ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of Hans Eysenck's research was his emphasis upon using all the tools available to the researcher to study personality. This included correlational, experimental, physiological, and genetic approaches. Fifty years after Cronbach's call for the reunification of the two disciplines of psychology (Cronbach, 1957) and 40 years after Eysenck's plea for experimental approaches to personality research (H. J. Eysenck, 1966), what is the status of the unification? Should personality researchers use experimental techniques? Do experimental techniques allow us to tease out causality, and are we communicating the advantages of combining experimental with multivariate correlational techniques? We review the progress made since Cronbach's and Eysenck's original papers and suggest that although it is still uncommon to find experimental studies of personality, psychology would benefit from the joint use of correlational and experimental approaches. [source] An Assay for Evoked Locomotor Behavior in Drosophila Reveals a Role for Integrins in Ethanol Sensitivity and Rapid Ethanol ToleranceALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2009Poonam Bhandari Background:, Ethanol induces similar behavioral responses in mammals and the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. By coupling assays for ethanol-related behavior to the genetic tools available in flies, a number of genes have been identified that influence physiological responses to ethanol. To enhance the utility of the Drosophila model for investigating genes involved in ethanol-related behavior, we explored the value of an assay that measures the sedative effects of ethanol on negative geotaxis, an evoked locomotor response. Methods:, We established eRING (ethanol Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis) as an assay for quantitating the sedative effects of ethanol on negative geotaxis (i.e., startle-induced climbing). We validated the assay by assessing acute sensitivity to ethanol and rapid ethanol tolerance in several different control strains and in flies with mutations known to disrupt these behaviors. We also used eRING in a candidate screen to identify mutants with altered ethanol-related behaviors. Results:, Negative geotaxis measured in eRING assays was dose-dependently impaired by ethanol exposure. Flies developed tolerance to the intoxicating effects of ethanol when tested during a second exposure. Ethanol sensitivity and rapid ethanol tolerance varied across 4 control strains, but internal ethanol concentrations were indistinguishable in the 4 strains during a first and second challenge with ethanol. Ethanol sensitivity and rapid ethanol tolerance, respectively, were altered in flies with mutations in amnesiac and hangover, genes known to influence these traits. Additionally, mutations in the , integrin gene myospheroid and the , integrin gene scab increased the initial sensitivity to ethanol and enhanced the development of rapid ethanol tolerance without altering internal ethanol concentrations. Conclusions:, The eRING assay is suitable for investigating genetic mechanisms that influence ethanol sensitivity and rapid ethanol tolerance. Ethanol sensitivity and rapid ethanol tolerance depend on the function of , and , integrins in flies. [source] Observations at terrestrial impact structures: Their utility in constraining crater formationMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 2 2004Richard A. F. Grieve Local geology of the target area tends to be of secondary importance, and the net result is that impacts of similar size on a given planetary body produce similar results. This is the essence of the utility of observations at impact craters, particularly terrestrial craters, in constraining impact processes. Unfortunately, there are few well-documented results from systematic contemporaneous campaigns to characterize specific terrestrial impact structures with the full spectrum of geoscientific tools available at the time. Nevertheless, observations of the terrestrial impact record have contributed substantially to fundamental properties of impact. There is a beginning of convergence and mutual testing of observations at terrestrial impact structures and the results of modeling, in particular from recent hydrocode models. The terrestrial impact record provides few constraints on models of ejecta processes beyond a confirmation of the involvement of the local substrate in ejecta lithologies and shows that Z-models are, at best, first order approximations. Observational evidence to date suggests that the formation of interior rings is an extension of the structural uplift process that occurs at smaller complex impact structures. There are, however, major observational gaps and cases, e.g., Vredefort, where current observations and hydrocode models are apparently inconsistent. It is, perhaps, time that the impact community as a whole considers documenting the existing observational and modeling knowledge gaps that are required to be filled to make the intellectual breakthroughs equivalent to those of the 1970s and 1980s, which were fueled by observations at terrestrial impact structures. Filling these knowledge gaps would likely be centered on the later stages of formation of complex and ring structures and on ejecta. [source] Claviceps purpurea: molecular aspects of a unique pathogenic lifestyleMOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2004PAUL TUDZYNSKI SUMMARY Claviceps purpurea is a ubiquitous pathogen of cereals and grasses, causing Ergot disease, which results in substitution of grains by sclerotia. These overwintering structures contain ergot-alkaloids, which can cause severe intoxication in mammals. C. purpurea is an interesting model system for the study of host,pathogen interaction. It displays strict organ specificity, attacking exclusively young grass ovaries. It is optimally adapted to this special niche of infection, probably by mimicry of pollen tubes: there are no resistance genes known, and no effective resistance reactions can be detected in the early steps of infection. In this early phase of host tissue colonization the fungus shows directed, almost unbranched growth towards the base of the ovary. Thus, C. purpurea represents one of the few systems in which directed growth in filamentous fungi can be studied. Finally, the fungus behaves as a true biotroph in planta, although it can be easily grown in axenic culture. We describe here the tools available to study this interesting pathogen, report on recent molecular investigations concerning the role of cell-wall-degrading enzymes and of reactive oxygen species in this specialized interaction, and present an update of the signalling cascades involved in early events of pathogenesis. [source] The role of the pathologist in translational and personalized medicineMOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2007Daniel P. Perl MD Abstract Over the years, pathologists have served to make morphologic diagnoses for clinicians when provided with a biopsy or surgically resected tissue specimen. Traditionally, pathologists have used a series of morphologic techniques and relied on the microscopic appearance of resected tissues to determine a pathologic diagnosis and, with respect to neoplastic lesions, provide predictions of the potential growth pattern that might be anticipated. With the introduction of the techniques of molecular biology in medicine, the role of the pathologist has changed as have the tools available for characterizing pathologic specimens. With the pathologist's unique perspective on disease processes and access to tissue specimens from the operating room, he has become a key player in the area of translational and personalized medicine and the development of new approaches to diagnosis and translational research. Mt Sinai J Med 74:22,26, 2007. © 2007 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source] Managing arable weeds for biodiversityPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 6 2007Jonathan Storkey Abstract As a result of the recent intensification of crop production, the abundance and diversity of UK arable weeds adapted to cultivated land have declined, with an associated reduction in farmland birds. A number of questions need to be addressed when considering how these declines can be reversed. Firstly, can the delivery of crop production and biodiversity be reconciled by spatially separating cropping from designated wildlife areas? A number of subsidised environmental schemes in the UK take this approach and are focused on establishing vegetation cover on uncropped land. However, because of the lack of regular disturbance in these habitats, they are dominated by perennials and they therefore have limited potential for promoting the recovery of annual weed populations. A number of farmland bird species also rely on the provision of resources in field centres, and it is therefore likely that the recovery of their populations will rely on weed management options targeted at the cropped areas of the field. This raises two further questions. Firstly, is it possible to identify beneficial weed species that are relatively poor competitors with the crop and also have biodiversity value? Secondly, are the tools available to manage these species at acceptable levels while controlling pernicious weeds? A number of approaches are being employed to answer these questions, including predicting yield loss from weed competition models and exploiting herbicide selectivity. The further development of these tools is crucial if farmer opposition to managing weeds in crops is to be overcome. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Pulmonary complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Diagnostic approachesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Kasem Sirithanakul Abstract Pulmonary complications are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Pulmonary infiltrates in such patients pose a major challenge for clinicians because of the wide differential diagnosis of infectious and noninfectious conditions. It is rare for the diagnosis to be made by chest radiograph, and commonly these patients will need further invasive and noninvasive studies to confirm the etiology of the pulmonary infiltrates. This review describes the role of the different diagnostic tools available to reach a diagnosis in a timely manner in this patient population. Am. J. Hematol. 80:137,146, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Proteomics reveal tissue-specific features of the cress (Lepidium sativum L.) endosperm cap proteome and its hormone-induced changes during seed germinationPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 3 2010Kerstin Müller Abstract Mature angiosperm seeds consist of an embryo surrounded by the endosperm and the testa. The endosperm cap that covers the radicle plays a regulatory role during germination and is a major target of abscisic acidinduced inhibition of germination. Cress (Lepidium sativum) is a close relative of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Cress seeds offer the unique possibility of performing tissue-specific proteomics due to their larger size while benefiting the genomic tools available for Arabidopsis. This work provides the first description of endosperm cap proteomics during seed germination. An analysis of the proteome of the cress endosperm cap at key stages during germination and after radicle protrusion in the presence and absence of abscisic acid led to the identification of 144 proteins, which were clustered by the changes in their abundances and categorized by function. Proteins with a function in energy production, protein stability and stress response were overrepresented among the identified endosperm cap proteins. This strongly suggests that the cress endosperm cap is not a storage tissue as the cereal endosperm but a metabolically very active tissue regulating the rate of radicle protrusion. [source] Neuroproteomics and its applications in research on nicotine and other drugs of abusePROTEOMICS - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 11 2007Ming D. Li Dr. Abstract The rapidly growing field of neuroproteomics is able to track changes in protein expression and protein modifications underlying various physiological conditions, including the neural diseases related to drug addiction. Thus, it presents great promise in characterizing protein function, biochemical pathways, and networks to understand the mechanisms underlying drug dependence. In this article, we first provide an overview of proteomics technologies and bioinformatics tools available to analyze proteomics data. Then we summarize the recent applications of proteomics to profile the protein expression pattern in animal or human brain tissues after the administration of nicotine, alcohol, amphetamine, butorphanol, cocaine, and morphine. By comparing the protein expression profiles in response to chronic nicotine exposure with those appearing in response to treatment with other drugs of abuse, we identified three biological processes that appears to be regulated by multiple drugs of abuse: energy metabolism, oxidative stress response, and protein degradation and modification. Such similarity indicates that despite the obvious differences among their chemical properties and the receptors with which they interact, different substances of abuse may cause some similar changes in cellular activities and biological processes in neurons. [source] Network board continuity and effectiveness of open innovation in Swedish strategic small-firm networksR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009Joakim Wincent Increasing adoption of open innovation as an alternative route to research and development necessitates the development of new ways to organize innovation, as well as reassessment of existing ways. Much like traditional corporations that subscribe to the closed innovation paradigm, novel organizational arrangements targeting open innovation, such as small-firm networks, employ boards to effectively manage joint research-and-development activities. These boards are similar yet different from traditional corporate boards; as such, they may have different requirements for proper functioning. We use 5-year longitudinal data on 53 Swedish strategic small-firm networks to investigate how the boards should be organized to help improve the innovative status of network participants. We expand the set of tools available for effective organization of the boards' operations and emphasize the effects of network board continuity (rates of renewal) on network members' innovative performance. We argue that the relationship is curvilinear (U-shaped) and demonstrate that it is more pronounced in larger networks. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||