265 research outputs found
Measurement of the B0–B0 oscillation frequency Δmd with the decays B0→D−π+ and B0→ J/ψK∗0
No full textThe B
0
–B
0
oscillation frequency Δmd is measured by the LHCb experiment using a dataset corresponding
to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1
of proton–proton collisions at √
s = 7 TeV, and is found to be
Δmd
=0.5156±0.0051 (stat.)±0.0033 (syst.) ps−1
. The measurement is based on results from analyses
of the decays B
0
→ D
−π
+ (D
−
→ K
+π
−π
−) and B
0
→ J/ψK
∗0
(J/ψ →μ
+μ
−,K
∗0
→ K
+π
−) and
their charge conjugated modes
Episodic encoding is more than the sum of its parts: An fMRI investigation of multifeatural contextual encoding
No full textEpisodic memories are characterized by their contextual richness, yet little is known about how the various features comprising an episode are brought together in memory. Here we employed fMRI and a multidimensional source memory procedure to investigate processes supporting the mnemonic binding of item and contextual information. Volunteers were scanned while encoding items for which the contextual features (color and location) varied independently, allowing activity elicited at the time of study to be segregated according to whether both, one, or neither feature was successfully retrieved on a later memory test. Activity uniquely associated with successful encoding of both features was identified in the intra-parietal sulcus, a region strongly implicated in the support of attentionally mediated perceptual binding. The findings suggest that the encoding of disparate features of an episode into a common memory representation requires that the features be conjoined in a common perceptual representation when the episode is initially experienced
Book Reviews
No full textBook Review 1Book Title: Poliomyelitis. Second EditionBook Author: W. Ritchie RussellPp. xi + 147. 16s. net. London: Edward Amold (publishers) Ltd. 1956.Book Review 2Book Title: Medical Writing. MD International Symposia No. 2.Book Authors: Waiter C. Alvarez, Hugh Clegg, Felix Marti-Ibanez, Hans Selye & Henry E. SigeristPp. 66. New York: MD Publications, inc. 1956.Book Review 3Book Title: Clinical Urology for General PracticeBook Author: Justin J. CordonnierPp. 252. 47 Illustrations. South African Price £2 17s. 6d. St. Louis: The C.Y. Mosby Company. 1956.Book Review 4Book Title: Preparing for MotherhoodBook Author: Samuel R. MeakerPp. 196+19 Illustrations. 8.00.) Chicago: Year Book Publishers, Inc., 1954
Politics, Child Mortality, and Health System Development in Tanzania and Uganda, 1995-2009.
No full textSub-Saharan African countries have diverged sharply in health status in recent years: Some have reduced premature mortality rapidly while others have made little progress, despite significant health-oriented foreign aid. This article identifies political economy and institutional factors that help explain dramatic differences in the pace of child mortality reduction between Tanzania and Uganda from 1995-96 to 2006-07. The existing literature largely explains divergence in basic health outcomes like child mortality with reference to economic variables such as GDP per capita, or in terms of inputs such as the level of public sector health spending. However, these factors cannot explain recent divergence across African countries with similar levels of GDP per capita, rates of economic growth, and levels of health funding. I argue that in addition to economic factors, governance-related variables can play a large role in determining health outcomes. I argue that institutional and governance divergences between Tanzania and Uganda can be linked directly to differing levels of coverage of key child health interventions (especially related to malaria control), and thus to differing child health outcomes. These governance-related divergences are found in the institutional dynamics of malaria control, in the degree of meritocracy and bureaucratic autonomy found at the Ministry of Health, in the political economy of health sector decentralization, and in corruption levels in the pharmaceutical supply chain. These institutional differences can be explained in part by historical factors, but the more relevant causes can be found in recent years. In Tanzania, there was an unusually effective project of institution-building in the health sector, centered on malaria policy and research institutions, and on district-level reforms driven by use of demographic surveillance systems. In Uganda, by contrast, there was a negative political shock to the health system, driven by the repatrimonialization of the Ugandan state after President Yoweri Museveni’s decision to eliminate term limits in the 2001-2006 period and embark on the “president-for-life project.” This repatrimonialization process reversed previous health sector institutional gains and had particularly negative effects on child health service delivery in Uganda
The role of genetic factors in breast cancer aetiology
No full textBreast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is also the leading cause of cancermortality in women. There are several known risk factors for breast cancer including geneticfactors which account for at least 25% of the incidence of breast cancer, although only a smallproportion of this is a result of mutations in known high penetrance susceptibility genes. Themajority of genetic risk is now thought to be due to common genetic variants, for example singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We investigated whether SNPs in candidate genes, with abiological reason for being of interest to study in relation to breast cancer, were correlated withthe development of tumours with a certain phenotype, such as grade, lymph node involvement,oestrogen receptor status and the presence of distant metastases.We genotyped 206 SNPs across 30 candidate genes in 1001 patients. Association was performedusing Cochran-Armitage trend test and 2-by-3 tables of disease by genotype.We replicated observations from previous studies such as the association of SNPs in FGFR2,TNRC9 and ATM with oestrogen receptor status and identified novel associations of SNPs in theoestrogen receptor gene and matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene (MMP-9) with grade and presenceof distant metastasis respectively.The function of two promoter SNPs in MMP-9 were further investigated using luciferase reportergene assays. The C allele of rs3918242 had a 1.5 fold increase in MMP-9 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells and the A allele of rs3918241 showed a slight increase in MMP-9 expression in MCF-7and NIH-3T3 cell lines although not significant.The novel results identified need to be replicated for validation but this study provides evidencethat common genetic variants play a role in predisposing to certain tumour types
Environmental and Parental Influences on Offspring Health and Growth in Great Tits (Parus major)
No full textPMCID: PMC3728352This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Foam aptitude of Bobal variety in white sparkling wine elaboration and study of volatile compounds
No full text[EN] Fining agents can also have an effect on the flavor components of the must, and other compounds which are important for the sensory characteristics and in the case of sparkling wine, the foam quality. The influence of fining agents and tirage solution, on volatile compounds, and foam characteristics of sparkling wines made from grapes of the Bobal variety was studied. The data obtained show how the fining agent affects the foam properties and the final volatile composition of sparkling wines. In this study, it was bentonite with gelatine that produced amounts of acetates and esters. The use of Colle 2P in the tirage solution means that more aromatic sparkling wines with better foam characteristics can be obtained.The experimental report here is a part of a project financially supported by the Universidad Polytechnic of Valencia, Vice-rectorate for research (20040938) which the authors gratefully acknowledge.García Esparza, MJ.; Aleixandre Benavent, JL.; Alvarez Cano, MI.; Lizama Abad, V. (2009). Foam aptitude of Bobal variety in white sparkling wine elaboration and study of volatile compounds. European Food Research and Technology. 229(1):133-139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-009-1034-zS1331392291Andres-Lacueva C, López-Tamames E, Lamuela-Raventos RM, Buxaderas S, de la Torre-Boronat MC (1996) J Agric Food Chem 44:989–995Andres-Lacueva C, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Buxaderas S, de la Torre-Boronat MC (1997) J Agric Food Chem 45:2520–2525Armada L, Falque E (2007) Eur Food Res Technol 225:553–558Blade WH, Boulton R (1988) Am J Enol Vitic 39(3):193–199Bradford M (1976) Ann Biochem 72:248–254Brissonnet F, Maujean A (1991) Am J Enol Vitic 42:97–102Dubourdieu D, Darriet P, Ollivier C, Boidron JN, Ribéreau-Gayon P (1988) C R Acad Sci III 489-493Etiévant PX (1991) In: Maarse H (ed) Wine. Marcel Dekker, New YorkGarofolo A, Morassut M, Ciolfi G (1990) Industrie delle Bevande XIX:388–393Girbau-Solá T, López-Tamames E, Bujan J, Buxaderas S (2002) J Agric Food Chem 50:5596–5599Herranz MD (1999) Talanta 50:413Hough JS, Maddox IS (1970) Proc Biochem 210:50–53López-Barajas M, Viu-Marco A, López-Tamames E, Buxaderas S, de la Torre-Boronat MC (1997) J Agric Food Chem 45:2526–2529Lopez-Barajas M, Lopez-Tamames E, Buxaderas S, de la Torre-Boronat MC (1998) Am J Enol Vitic 49(4):397–402Lubbers S, Guerreau J, Feuillat M (1995) Bull l’OIV 68(769–770):224–244Martínez-Rodríguez AJ, Polo MC (2000) In: Pandali SG (ed) Recent research developments in microbiology. Research Signpost, Trivandrum, pp 285–301Martínez-Rodríguez AJ, Polo MC (2003) Food Chem 84:117–123Martinez-Rodriguez A, Carrascosa AV, Barcenilla JM, Pozo-Bayon MA, Polo MC (2001) Food Microbiol 18(2):183–191Martínez-Rodriguez AJ, Carrascosa AV, Martín-Alvarez PJ, Moreno-Arribas V, Polo MC (2002) J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 29:314–322Maujean A (1993) Rev Fr Oenol Sept–Oct, pp 43–53Maujean A, Poinsaut P, Dantan F, Brissonet H, Cossiez E (1990) Bull l’OIV 711–712:405–426Moreno-Arribas V, Pueyo E, Nieto FJ, Martin-Alvarez PJ, Polo MC (2000) Food Chem 70:309–317O.I.V. (1990) Recopilación de los métodos internacionales de análisis de vinos, p 16Patel MT, Kilara A (1990) J Dairy 73:2731–2740Poinsaut P (1991) Rev Fr Oenol 59:36–43Pozo-Bayon MA, Polo MC, Martin-Alvarez PJ, Pueyo E (2004) Food Chem 86:413–419Pueyo E, Martín-Álvarez PJ, Polo C (1995) Am J Enol Vitic 46(4):518–524Puig-Deu M, Lopez-Tamames E, Buxaderas S, Torre-Boronat MC (1999) Food Chem 66:35–42Rapp A, Mandery H (1986) Experientia 42:873–884Riu-Amatell M, Bosch-Fusté J, Lopez-Tamames E, Buxaderas S (2006) Food Chem 95:237–242Santoro M (1995) Am J Enol Vitic 46:250–254Selli S, Canbas A, Cabaroglu T, Erten H, Günata Z (2006) Food Chem 94:319Senee J, Viaux L, Robillard B, Duteurtre B, Vignes-Adler M (1998) Food Hydrocoll 12:217–226Shimizu M, Takahashi T, Kaminogawa S, Yamauchi K (1983) J Agric Food Chem 31:1214–1218Tominaga J, Guimbertau G, Dubordieu D (2003) J Agric Food Chem 51:1016–1020Todd BEN, Fleet GH, Henschke PA (2000) Am J Enol Vitic 51:65–72Vanrell G, Cabanillas P, Albet S, Canals JM, Arola L, Zamora F (2002) Rev Fr Oenol 196:30–36Vanrell G, Canals R, Esteruelas M, Fort F, Canals J, Zamora F (2007) Food Chem 104:148–15
Cardiotoxicity of anthracycline agents for the treatment of cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
No full textBackground: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the risk of early and late cardiotoxicity of anthracycline agents in patients treated for breast or ovarian cancer, lymphoma, myeloma or sarcoma.Methods: Randomized controlled trials were sought using comprehensive searches of electronic databases in June 2008. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also scanned for additional articles. Outcomes investigated were early or late clinical and sub-clinical cardiotoxicity. Trial quality was assessed, and data were pooled through meta-analysis where appropriate.Results: Fifty-five published RCTs were included; the majority were on women with advanced breast cancer. A significantly greater risk of clinical cardiotoxicity was found with anthracycline compared with non-anthracycline regimens (OR 5.43 95% confidence interval: 2.34, 12.62), anthracycline versus mitoxantrone (OR 2.88 95% confidence interval: 1.29, 6.44), and bolus versus continuous anthracycline infusions (OR 4.13 95% confidence interval: 1.75, 9.72). Risk of clinical cardiotoxicity was significantly lower with epirubicin versus doxorubicin (OR 0.39 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.78), liposomal versus non-liposomal doxorubicin (OR 0.18 95% confidence interval: 0.08, 0.38) and with a concomitant cardioprotective agent (OR 0.21 95% confidence interval: 0.13, 0.33). No statistical heterogeneity was found for these pooled analyses. A similar pattern of results were found for subclinical cardiotoxicity; with risk significantly greater with anthracycline containing regimens and bolus administration; and significantly lower risk with epirubicin, liposomal doxorubicin versus doxorubicin but not epirubicin, and with concomitant use of a cardioprotective agent. Low to moderate statistical heterogeneity was found for two of the five pooled analyses, perhaps due to the different criteria used for reduction in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction. Meta-analyses of any cardiotoxicity (clinical and subclinical) showed moderate to high statistical heterogeneity for four of five pooled analyses; criteria for any cardiotoxic event differed between studies. Nonetheless the pattern of results was similar to those for clinical or subclinical cardiotoxicity described above.Conclusions: Evidence is not sufficiently robust to support clear evidence-based recommendations on different anthracycline treatment regimens, or for routine use of cardiac protective agents or liposomal formulations. There is a need to improve cardiac monitoring in oncology trials.<br/
How Reliable is Clinical Evaluation in Hindfoot Coronal Alignment?
No full textCategory: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Hindfoot alignment in the coronal plane is an extremely important aspect to consider in order to make a comprehensive evaluation of different foot and ankle disorders. To the authors knowledge the evidence concerning the precision of clinical hindfoot alignment assessment is scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate correlation and reproducibility between clinical and radiographical hindfoot alignment. Methods: Intra and interobserver reliability of clinical and radiographical hindfoot assessment was performed in 85 patients. Clinical alignment was evaluated on photographs taken at the time of presentation and hindfoot alignment was quantified on long axial view radiographs in neutral rotation position. Photographs were classified into three categories (valgus, neutral and varus) and radiographs were measured taking standardized parameters. Each observer made measurements independently and was blinded to both patient identification and the others’ measurements. All measurements were made on two separate occasions with the order of images randomized. Results: We did not observe a significant correlation between clinical and radiographical assessment (k1a 0,072 - p=0,24; k1b 0,167 - p=0,029; k2a 0,23 - p< 0,001; k2b 0,137 - p=0,021). We did find a good clinical and radiographical intraobserver agreement (K1= 0,789; K2=0,783; Pearson1= 0,956; Pearson2= 0,990). Clinical interobserver agreement was moderate (K1= 0,584; K2=0,566) while radiographical interobserver agreement was statical significant (Pearson1= 0,926; Pearson2= 0,953). Conclusion: Due to a poor clinical-radiographical correlation we should not rely on clinical evaluation to guide the decision making in different foot and ankle conditions. We strongly recommend the use of the long axial view in order to assess the magnitude of the hindfoot deformity
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