136 research outputs found
Colourful seafloor
No full textKay Vopel, Hilke Giles,, and John Zeldis have combined three existing tools to come up with a new way of assessing change in coastal ecosystems.
Sediments in coastal ecosystems have the job of breaking down organic matter. In a complex system of microbial activities and chemical reactions, organic matter is transformed to inorganic forms through a variety of pathways. Some of these paths return dissolved nutrients for the growth of algae living on the sediment or in the water; others produce ‘unwanted’ gases, such as the odorous hydrogen sulphide and methane. Bacteria play the most important part in the breakdown of organic matter but other organisms, such as worms, crustaceans, and larger bottom-dwelling creatures, also have important roles
Colourful seafloor
No full textKay Vopel, Hilke Giles,, and John Zeldis have combined three existing tools to come up with a new way of assessing change in coastal ecosystems.
Sediments in coastal ecosystems have the job of breaking down organic matter. In a complex system of microbial activities and chemical reactions, organic matter is transformed to inorganic forms through a variety of pathways. Some of these paths return dissolved nutrients for the growth of algae living on the sediment or in the water; others produce ‘unwanted’ gases, such as the odorous hydrogen sulphide and methane. Bacteria play the most important part in the breakdown of organic matter but other organisms, such as worms, crustaceans, and larger bottom-dwelling creatures, also have important roles
CONSUMER AWARENESS OF STATE-SPONSORED MARKETING PROGRAMS: AN EVALUATION OF THE JERSEY FRESH PROGRAM
No full textThe majority of consumers surveyed (77 percent) report awareness of the Jersey Fresh, state-sponsored promotional program. However, certain segments appear more likely to be familiar with Jersey Fresh and its logos than others are. Behavioral and demographic models were constructed to evaluate which characteristics influence consumer awareness of Jersey Fresh. The results indicate that those who shop at more than one supermarket, those who frequently shop at direct marketing facilities, and those who frequently read food advertisements are more likely to exhibit a preexisting awareness of the Jersey Fresh Program. The results also indicate that the period of residence in the state positively contributed to the awareness of the program.Consumer/Household Economics, Marketing,
Nutritional regulation of egg production of Calanus Finmarchicus in the North Atlantic
No full textShip-board experiments in the North Atlantic were used to study how food quality influences the egg production of Calanus finmarchicus feeding on natural planktonic diets. Food quality was expressed in terms of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5(n-3)) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6(n-3)). Five consecutive 24 hr bottle incubations were conducted in April and July/August 2002 under in situ conditions to determine egg production rates and the ingested quantities of C, N, EPA and DHA. Biomass contributions towards growth were determined and the biochemical composition of the eggs was examined. In order to accurately determine ingestion rates, a method to account for microzooplankton grazing in particle removal experiments was developed.Balanced physiological budgets were compiled for C. finmarchicus in both seasons. The input terms of these budgets consisted of ingestion and the use of biomass, and the outputs were growth, respiration, excretion and egestion. Respiration and
excretion were not determined experimentally, and were therefore determined by mass balance and compared to literature-derived values.In April, close agreement between literature- and mass balance-derived rates of respiration and excretion demonstrated that the experimentally determined components of the budget were accurate. Ingestion rates were low, and > 80 % of the C utilised was derived internally from somatic biomass. The absence of storage fatty acids and the low C:N ratio (~ 4 µg µg-1) of the biomass lost from the females indicated that these animals had been catabolising structural protein and were close to exhaustion. This suggests that when food is scarce, C. finmarchicus adopts a semelparous reproductive strategy. In July/August, the observed growth exceeded the estimated ingestion rates. This shortfall was possibly provided by cannibalising eggs.Assuming that EPA and DHA were used with high efficiency (0.9), the stoichiometric analysis predicted that these compounds were non-limiting in April. Using typical maximum growth efficiencies for C (< 0.6) and N (0.4), the former was predicted to be limiting because the biomass utilised was rich in N, EPA and DHA relative to the demand for C
Phase 1 study to determine the safety, tolerability and immunostimulatory activity of thalidomide analogue CC-5013 in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and other advanced cancers
No full textWe assessed the safety, tolerability and efficacy of the immunomodulatory drug, CC-5013 (REVIMID(TM)), in the treatment of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and other advanced cancers. A total of 20 heavily pretreated patients received a dose-escalating regimen of oral CC-5013. Maximal tolerated dose, toxicity and clinical responses were evaluated and analysis of peripheral T-cell surface markers and serum for cytokines and proangiogenic factors were performed. CC-5013 was well tolerated. In all, 87% of adverse effects were classified as grade 1 or grade 2 according to Common Toxicity Criteria and there were no serious adverse events attributable to CC-5013 treatment. Six patients failed to complete the study, three because of disease progression, two withdrew consent and one was entered inappropriately and withdrawn from the study. The remaining 14 patients completed treatment without dose reduction, with one patient achieving partial remission. Evidence of T-cell activation was indicated by significantly increased serum levels of sIL-2 receptor, granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumour necrosis factor-alpha and IL-8 in nine patients from whom serum was available. However, levels of proangiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor and basic foetal growth factor were not consistently affected, This study demonstrates the safety, tolerability and suggests the clinical activity of CC-5013 in the treatment of refractory malignant melanoma. Furthermore, this is the first report demonstrating T-cell stimulatory activity of this class of compound in patients with advanced cancer
Variability of internal tide energy, mixing and nitrate fluxes in response to changes in stratification on the northeast New Zealand continental shelf
No full textA 4-month time series of water column temperature structure on the shelf of North Island New Zealand is used to calculate the energy in the internal tide as stratification evolved between spring and summer. Average total energy in the internal tidal wave was 200 J m−2, with peaks reaching 600 J m−2. Wave energy was weakly correlated with stratification (r = 0.2) and with the spring-neap cycle of tidal currents (r = 0.17). Overall there was little predictability in internal tide behaviour in response to the physical environment. Reduction in wave energy was associated with a downwelling-favourable wind event which reduced stratification by mixing and by removing deeper water off the shelf. Vertical eddy diffusivity driven by internal wave dissipation ranged between 5.6 × 10−5 and 3.2 × 10−4 m2 s−1. Combined with nitrate data this diffusivity resulted in diapycnal nitrate fluxes towards the sea surface of 1.6–2.2 mmol m−2 day−1. Strong stratification in summer reduced the eddy diffusivity but had little effect on nitrate flux as a strengthened vertical nitrate gradient compensated for the reduced diffusivity. This compensation will be important when predicting how stronger stratification in a warmer climate might alter diapycnal nutrient supplies to the upper ocean
Epidemiology and pathophysiology of cancer-associated thrombosis
No full textVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with malignant disease. First recognised by Bouillard in 1823 and later described by Trousseau in 1844, multiple studies have since provided considerable evidence for a clinical association between VTE and cancer. Across all cancers, the risk for VTE is elevated 7-fold; in certain malignancies, the risk for VTE may be increased up to 28-fold. Venous thromboembolism is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer; among survivors, complications commonly include recurrent VTE and post-thrombotic syndrome, and (more rarely) chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, which are costly, and have a profound impact on the patient's quality of life. Tumour cells can activate blood coagulation through multiple mechanisms, including production of procoagulant, fibrinolytic, and proaggregating activities, release of proinflammatory and proangiogenic cytokines, and interacting directly with host vascular and blood cells (e.g., endothelial cells, leukocytes, and platelets) through adhesion molecules. Increasing evidence suggests that elements of the haemostatic system also have a direct role in eliciting or enhancing angiogenesis, cell survival, and metastasis. Despite the problem posed by VTE in the setting of cancer, it is evident that a significant number of oncologists do not recognise the link between cancer, its treatment, and thrombogenesis. On 22 May 2009, a group of UK-based physicians met in London, UK, to evaluate recent data on cancer thrombosis. This article (1 of 4) briefly reviews key data on the epidemiology and pathophysiology of VTE as a context for a discussion and consensus statement developed by meeting attendees, on the implications of this information for UK clinical practice
THE EFFECT OF COMBINATIONS OF AMNIOTIN AND PROGESTERONE ON THE UTERINE WEIGHTS OF RATS AND MICE
No full textThe relationship between angiogenesis and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in prostate cancer
No full text<b>OBJECTIVE</b>: To test the hypothesis that angiogenesis in prostate cancer is associated with tumour invasion and metastasis, and that this is mediated through increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression.
<b>PATIENTS AND METHODS</b>: Angiogenesis was assessed in 105 patients with either prostate cancer (79) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, 26) and these data correlated with levels of COX-2 expression in the same dataset. The mean microvessel density (MVD) was analysed as a marker of angiogenesis, using the endothelial antigen CD34 stained by immunohistochemistry.
<b>RESULTS</b>: There was no difference in MVD in progressive tumour stages compared with BPH. There was a negative correlation between MVD and COX-2 expression, but the effect of increased COX-2 expression on MVD was not marked.
<b>CONCLUSION</b>: These data suggest that COX-2 drives tumour spread in prostate cancer by means other than the promotion of angiogenesis
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