The contribution of biotechnology toward progress in diagnosis, management, and treatment of allergic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Palomares, O; Crameri, R; Rhyner, C

2014-12-01

'Biotechnology' has been intuitively used by humans since thousands of years for the production of foods, beverages, and drugs based on the experience without any scientific background. However, the golden era of this discipline emerged only during the second half of the last century. Incredible progresses have been achieved on all fields starting from the industrialization of the production of foods to the discovery of antibiotics, the decipherment of the genetic code, and rational approaches to understand and define the status we now call 'healthy'. The extremely complex interactions between genetic background, life style, and environmental factors influencing our continuously increasing life span have become more and more evident and steadily generate new questions which are only partly answered. Here, we try to summarize the contribution of biotechnology to our understanding, control, and cure of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. We are aware that a review of such a vast topic can never cover all aspects of the progress achieved in the different fields. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Brachytherapy technology and physics practice since 1950: a half-century of progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williamson, Jeffrey F [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 (United States)

2006-07-07

The 50-year tenure of Physics in Medicine and Biology has coincided with some of the most important developments in radiological science, including the introduction of artificial radioactivity, computers and 3D imaging into medicine. These events have profoundly influenced the development of brachytherapy. Although it is not the dominant radiotherapy modality, it continues to play an important role in cancer therapy, more than a century after its introduction. This paper reviews the impact of three broad categories of innovation introduced since 1950 from the North American perspective: the introduction of artificial radioactivity, computer- and image-based treatment planning, and basic single-source dosimetry. (review)

Brachytherapy technology and physics practice since 1950: a half-century of progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williamson, Jeffrey F

2006-01-01

The 50-year tenure of Physics in Medicine and Biology has coincided with some of the most important developments in radiological science, including the introduction of artificial radioactivity, computers and 3D imaging into medicine. These events have profoundly influenced the development of brachytherapy. Although it is not the dominant radiotherapy modality, it continues to play an important role in cancer therapy, more than a century after its introduction. This paper reviews the impact of three broad categories of innovation introduced since 1950 from the North American perspective: the introduction of artificial radioactivity, computer- and image-based treatment planning, and basic single-source dosimetry. (review)

Background and Factors of Origin of Economic Knowledge in Western Ukraine in the second half of XIX – first half of XX centuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Мychajlo Holubka

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The scientific article is devoted to research of features of economic knowledge in Western Ukraine during the second half of the XIX – first half of the XX century, also summarizes the essence of economic knowledge and the high importance which affects the activity level of investment, entrepreneurial activity, employment, governance, and efficiency etc. The article noted that economic knowledge affects the possibility of personal fulfilment as the economically active member of society. Particular attention is given to determine the characteristics and transformation processes in the second half of the XIX – early XX century in Western Ukraine in the formation, development, and dissemination of economic knowledge among the population. Particular attention is paid to the identification of economic knowledge of business culture, which in turn includes to its structure the need to consider the public interest. Significant values of the revitalization process of the cooperative movement in the territories, forced by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, including in western Ukraine. The analysis of the institutional framework of economic knowledge in the population allowed to mark a key role in these processes of self-organization of institutions, including the society "Prosvita" and others. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of the functioning of societies and the basic aspects of their activities. It is stated that the main purpose of the society were educational and economic spheres. The paper describes the key achievements of societies in terms of establishment and the commencement of the different organizations as associations and in order to do businesses, cooperatives, educational institutions, professional courses, publishing, the organization of specialized events and more. The results of other institutions, with the specification of their main activities for the development and dissemination of economic knowledge among the population of

Nuclear computational science a century in review

CERN Document Server

Azmy, Yousry

2010-01-01

Nuclear engineering has undergone extensive progress over the years. In the past century, colossal developments have been made and with specific reference to the mathematical theory and computational science underlying this discipline, advances in areas such as high-order discretization methods, Krylov Methods and Iteration Acceleration have steadily grown. Nuclear Computational Science: A Century in Review addresses these topics and many more; topics which hold special ties to the first half of the century, and topics focused around the unique combination of nuclear engineering, computational

The Orchestras of the Príncipe and Cruz Coliseums in Madrid during the Second Half of the 18th Century

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Marina BARBA

2016-06-01

Full Text Available There were no stable orchestras in Madrid’s public theatres during the first half of the Eighteenth Century, and a variable number of instrumentalists were used on each occasion. This paper discusses the development of the two town-owned theatres in the second half of the century, when the orchestra was considered an important element and a new way of hiring musicians developed, based on sources kept at the Archivo de Villa de Madrid, Sección de Secretaría.René Andioc and Mireille Coulon in their Cartelera teatral madrileña del siglo XVIII: (1708-1808 refer to the companies that worked in both theatres in the second half of the 18th Century, those of de Josef de Parra, María Hidalgo, José Martínez Gálvez, Juan Ángel, Águeda de la Calle, María Ladvenant, Nicolás de la Calle, Juan Ponce, Manuel Martínez, Eusebio Ribera, Joaquín Palomino, Luis Navarro and Francisco Ramo, although they do not study the orchestral musicians. The first study on this issue is that by José Máximo Leza «Las orquestas de ópera en Madrid entre los siglos XVIII-XIX», although it does not discuss the theatres of La Cruz and El Príncipe in the second half of the century. 

[Silicosis in Switzerland. A half century of observation. The physician's viewpoint].

Science.gov (United States)

Maillard, J M; Zufferey, R; Fellmann, E

1983-01-01

In Switzerland, the first cases of silicosis were recorded by Zangger in 1900. Since 1930, patients with silicosis have been provided with certain services by the "Caisse Nationale Suisse d'Assurances" (i.e. Swiss National Insurance Fund), an organization enforcing the Occupational Accidents and Diseases Bill. However, it took another two years before an effectively organized struggle against silicosis was started. Eventually, by 1938, this specific pneumoconiosis was acknowledged as an occupational disease under Swiss Law. Thus, the CNSA has been concerned with this disease for half a century, and it seems relevant now to take stock of the situation. From 1930 to late 1980, 9690 cases of silicosis were accepted by the CNSA. Nearly one half (46%) of these silicotic patients were still alive on December 31, 1980; another third had died of silicosis and the rest of other affections not related The origin of cases has remained remarkably constant over the course of time. Underground working and the stone-working industry account for the majority of cases (70%), followed by smelting works (16%) and the ceramic industry (5%). The remaining 9% are due to various causes. Silicosis hazards have declined but still remain real. In late 1980, 1287 companies in Switzerland were being monitored from this standpoint. More than two-thirds (67%) belong to the stone-working industry (even though only 30% of hazard-exposed workers are employed in this sector), 10% are involved in underground work (10% of hazard-exposed workers), 10% are smelting industries (36% exposed) and 6% belong to the ceramic industry (17% exposed). Since 1950, the number of hazard-exposed people has fluctuated between relatively narrow limits (i.e. 15,000 and 20,000). Corresponding figures for previous periods are not known. Some facts indicate that silicosis is becoming less problematic: a) The annual incidence rate of silicosis in Switzerland has evolved in three distinct phases. From 1930 to 1940 the

A century of progress in industrial and organizational psychology: Discoveries and the next century.

Science.gov (United States)

Salas, Eduardo; Kozlowski, Steve W J; Chen, Gilad

2017-03-01

In a century of research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology , we have seen significant advances in our science. The results of this science have broad applications to the workplace and implications for improving organizational effectiveness through a variety of avenues. Research has focused on understanding constructs, relationships, and processes at multiple levels, including individual, team, and organizational. A plethora of research methods and questions have driven this work, resulting in a nuanced understanding of what matters in the workplace. In this paper, we synthesize the most salient discoveries, findings, and/or conclusions in 19 domains. We seek to summarize the progress that has been made and highlight the most salient directions for future work such that the next century of research in industrial and organizational psychological science can be as impactful as the first century has been. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing Progress in Mastery of Counseling Communication Skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J. Kuntze (Jeroen)

2009-01-01

textabstractDuring the last century the attention paid in higher education to the development of professional skills has progressively increased. In the first half of the last century the term ‘skill’ mainly referred to motor or technical actions, for instance driving a car or operating a machine

Reflections on a half-century in the field of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Paul

2009-01-01

The subject of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy may properly be said to have begun with the experimental transmission of scrapie by Cuillé and Chelle in 1936, although Creutzfeldt and Jakob had described the disease that bears their names in 1920-21. Thirty more years passed before the human disease was also shown to be transmissible, in 1966, and the following half century has seen the field move from classical biology to molecular biology and genetics, and from 'slow virus' to host-encoded 'prion' protein. Because nothing is more important to the research scientist than the process of seeing a problem and devising ways of solving it, and because we live and die by our publications, as much care should be given to these vehicles of our work and reputations as to the research itself. Four aspects have been chosen for comment: authorship, abbreviations, data presentation, and references. In addition to the 'science of research' there are several 'para-scientific' activities that may be categorized as 'the politics of research', which include administrative duties, committees (e.g., scientific meetings, grant organizations), journal/book editing, peer reviewing, and public relations Many young scientists are either unaware or dismissive of the importance of these 'scientific distractions', but their potential for influencing the direction of a field of research becomes increasingly evident as careers unfold. They are subject to uses and abuses, and some guidance and examples are given by way of illustration, particular attention being paid to the process of manuscript review which, because of its anonymity, is the most vulnerable to abuse. As public and government interest in prions wanes in parallel with the disappearance of iatrogenic and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the flow of money to sustain research is in evident jeopardy. With an uncertain future, it nevertheless seems possible that one of two things may breathe new life into the field: either

Scientific Productivity on Research in Ethical Issues over the Past Half Century: A JoinPoint Regression Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Nguyen Phuoc; Huy, Nguyen Tien; Trang, Nguyen Thi Huyen; Luan, Nguyen Thien; Anh, Nguyen Hoang; Nghi, Tran Diem; Hieu, Mai Van; Hirayama, Kenji; Karbwang, Juntra

2014-09-01

Ethics is one of the main pillars in the development of science. We performed a JoinPoint regression analysis to analyze the trends of ethical issue research over the past half century. The question is whether ethical issues are neglected despite their importance in modern research. PubMed electronic library was used to retrieve publications of all fields and ethical issues. JoinPoint regression analysis was used to identify the significant time trends of publications of all fields and ethical issues, as well as the proportion of publications on ethical issues to all fields over the past half century. Annual percent changes (APC) were computed with their 95% confidence intervals, and a p-value years (from 1996 to 2013). When comparing the absolute number of ethics related articles (APEI) to all publications of all fields (APAF) on PubMed, the results showed that the proportion of APEI to APAF statistically increased during the periods of 1965-1974, 1974-1986, and 1986-1993, with APCs of 11.0, 2.1, and 8.8, respectively. However, the trend has gradually dropped since 1993 and shown a marked decrease from 2002 to 2013 with an annual percent change of -7.4%. Scientific productivity in ethical issues research on over the past half century rapidly increased during the first 30-year period but has recently been in decline. Since ethics is an important aspect of scientific research, we suggest that greater attention is needed in order to emphasize the role of ethics in modern research.

Protecting trees against virus diseases in the 21st century: genetic engineering of Plum pox virus resistance - from concept to product

Science.gov (United States)

Sharka disease, caused by Plum pox virus (PPV), was first recorded in Bulgaria during the early twentieth century. Since that first report, the disease has progressively spread throughout Europe where it has infected over 100 million stone fruit trees. From Europe, sharka disease spread to Asia, A...

Diseases of comfort: primary cause of death in the 22nd century.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Bernard C K; Hunter, David J; Tsou, Walter; Sainsbury, Peter

2005-12-01

The world has started to feel the impact of a global chronic disease epidemic, which is putting pressure on our health care systems. If uncurbed, a new generation of "diseases of comfort" (such as those chronic diseases caused by obesity and physical inactivity) will become a major public health problem in this and the next century. To describe the concept, causes, and prevention and control strategies of diseases of comfort. Brokered by a senior research scientist specialised in knowledge translation, a chair, a president, and a past president of national public health associations contributed their views on the subject. Diseases of comfort have emerged as a price of living in a modern society. It is inevitable that these diseases will become more common and more disabling if human "progress" and civilisation continue toward better (more comfortable) living, without necessarily considering their effects on health. Modern technology must be combined with education, legislation, intersectoral action, and community involvement to create built and social environments that encourage, and make easy, walking, physical activity, and nutritious food choices, to reduce the health damaging effects of modern society for all citizens and not only the few. Public health needs to be more passionate about the health issues caused by human progress and adopt a health promotion stance, challenging the assumptions behind the notion of social "progress" that is giving rise to the burden of chronic disease and developing the skills to create more health promoting societies in which individual health thrives.

The medical film 1897-1997: Part I. The first half-century.

Science.gov (United States)

Essex-Lopresti, M

1998-03-01

Medicine has frequently been in the forefront of applying new illustrative media to its needs, and cinematographic film is a good example. Within a year of the introduction of moving pictures, cine-film was used for medical research and to a lesser extent for teaching. The profession took advantage of the spread of cinemas by making health education films, and during the first half century of cinematography surgeons were keen to have their operations filmed. Medical educators were slow to include film in their teaching programmes and several organizations were formed to encourage their use. After the Second World War, medical films for undergraduate and postgraduate education became accepted until, as the medical film reached its centenary, cine-film declined in favour of video-recordings.

Environment and Climate - the Past Half Century and the Next

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theys, Jacques

2015-01-01

As the 21. Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) approaches (to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015), there have in recent months been increasing debates on global warming and ways of stemming its further advance at the planetary level. Yet previous COPs have shown how difficult it was to arrive at concerted international regulation in this area, even if environmental issues have come, within a few decades, to occupy an important place on the political agenda. However, as Jacques Theys shows here in the specific case of France, though we have actually come a long way in terms of concern for ecological issues within national policy, the road to an ecological and energy transition that matches the challenges to come still seems a long one. With more than 40 years of experience in the intricacies of government environmental policy behind him, Jacques Theys assesses how well environmental issues have been integrated into the political agenda over the past half century. In that assessment, he identifies several waves of development which, though they may have brought notable advances, neglected to remedy a number of failings. Among these latter, we may highlight the 'isolation' of the environmental problem (as a sectorial rather than a general issue), 'excess of technocracy' in dealing with it, lack of attention to the social dimension of environmental challenges (which has probably limited the mobilization of opinion) and a cautiously passive stance that has meant simply reacting to problems rather than anticipating them. These lessons and the perceived difficulty of reconciling the timescales of nature, society, the economy and politics give a good indication of the magnitude of the problems to be faced in the next half-century where the political management of environmental questions is concerned. It will no longer do to be 'always fighting the last war

Progress in rheumatology in the early 21st century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. L. Nasonov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA, juvenile arthritis, spondyloarthritis, including psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, and other systemic connective tissue diseases, are the most severe chronic immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases (IIRDs that affect as high as 10% of the population. Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of IIRDs in the 21st century. The current Treat to Target (T2T strategy for RA is to achieve remission as soon as possible. The main treatment goal is to improve quality of life, by controlling the symptoms of the disease, by preventing joint destruction and dysfunction, and by maintaining social possibilities. The most important way to achieve this goal is to inhibit inflammation and to evaluate the efficiency of treatment, by using the standardized activity indices and by choosing the appropriate treatment option. The widespread use of biological agents in combination with standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs could substantially enhance therapeutic effectiveness. A new class of medicaments (chemically synthesized small molecular weight agents to treat RA has appeared. The point of their application is tyrosine kinases, primarily Janus kinase (JAK. The new era in the treatment of SLE and other IIRDs is associated with the design of the new class of drugs Р BLyS inhibitors. In the coming years, the main lines of researches by Russian rheumatologists will be to elaborate a strategy to prevent IIRDs; to introduce innovative methods for their early diagnosis and treatment (biological agents, JAK inhibitors, and other cell signaling molecules and for the prediction of the outcomes of the most severe forms of IIRD; to realize the concept of personified medicine (to investigate the prognostic biomarkers of the efficiency and safety of targeted therapy, to reduce the risk of infectious complications, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporotic fractures, and other comorbidities.

Work, development and waste classifi cation: changes in the past half century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina Dimarco

2013-01-01

Full Text Available During the last decades in almost the whole Latin America a new social actor has arisen: the organizations of urban classifi ers of residues. The present article analyzes this recent phenomenon taking it as a social fact that condenses two deep structural transformations that they have sealed to the Latin-American continent throughout last half century: on the one hand, the changes in the world of the work (in the labor market and in the form about which there is thought what is the “decent” work; on the other hand, the transformations in the form in which the question of the development is thought about these countries from the emergence of the environmental question and the theories of the sustainable development.

The Role of Degeneration Theory in the Understanding of Mental Illness, Colombia First Half of the Twentieth Century

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María Fernanda Vásquez Valencia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Based on medical journals and theses from the first half of the twentieth century, this article analyzes the role played by the theory of degeneration in the understanding of mental illness in Colombia. It is particularly interesting to show how Colombian physicians have appropriated concepts such as degeneration, diathesis, morbid heredity and stigmas of degeneration since the early 20th century to describe, classify and define mental illnesses present in Colombian territory. During this period the theory of degeneration served as the conceptual and theoretical framework for understanding the etiology, genesis and evolution of mental illness.

Variation of the Solar Microwave Spectrum in the Last Half Century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimojo, Masumi; Saito, Masao [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan); Iwai, Kazumasa [Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601 (Japan); Asai, Ayumi [Kwasan and Hida Observatories, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 (Japan); Nozawa, Satoshi [Department of Science, Ibaraki University, Mito, Ibaraki, 310-8512 (Japan); Minamidani, Tetsuhiro, E-mail: masumi.shimojo@nao.ac.jp [Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University of Advanced Studies), Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan)

2017-10-10

The total solar fluxes at 1, 2, 3.75, and 9.4 GHz were observed continuously from 1957 to 1994 at Toyokawa, Japan, and from 1994 until now at Nobeyama, Japan, with the current Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters. We examined the multi-frequency and long-term data sets, and found that not only the microwave solar flux but also its monthly standard deviation indicate the long-term variation of solar activity. Furthermore, we found that the microwave spectra at the solar minima of Cycles 20–24 agree with each other. These results show that the average atmospheric structure above the upper chromosphere in the quiet-Sun has not varied for half a century, and suggest that the energy input for atmospheric heating from the sub-photosphere to the corona have not changed in the quiet-Sun despite significantly differing strengths of magnetic activity in the last five solar cycles.

Coal, an unavoidable energy in the 21. century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botte, J.M.

2010-01-01

With the steam engine generalization, coal has become the emblematic energy source of the 19. century industrial revolution and of the progress of the maritime and rail transports. It should have been disappeared of the world energy during the first half of the 21. century on account of the production of nobler energies (nuclear power, petroleum, natural gas, photovoltaic energy or wind power) and of the requirements of the climatic change. Nevertheless, all around the world, coal backs down and sets up as an unavoidable fuel for the 2030-2050 scenarios. (O.M.)

[A short history of infectious diseases since the fifties of the last century and the importance of vaccination].

Science.gov (United States)

Marešová, Vilma

2015-01-01

Vaccination in the Czech lands has a long history; it begun during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1803 by vaccination against smallpox, and in the late 19th century by vaccination against rabies. In the second half of the 20th century, the basic vaccination included also other vaccines. Thanks to paediatricians, vaccination coverage of children was so high that in addition to the immunity of individuals the collective immunity was also significant. The incidence of infectious diseases has dropped significantly. Today the population, both medical and lay, almost does not know the classic childrens infectious diseases or their risk of complications. This creates a feeling in recent years that vaccination is unnecessary and that it is a source of complication and, therefore, better not to vaccinate. However, diseases, except for smallpox, have not disappeared, and for the susceptible unvaccinated individuals they represent a great risk. There are now occurring at atypical age groups where their diagnosis is even not considered. Therefore, it is important to return to the course of disease as well as to the potentially serious complications in unvaccinated people.

Half body irradiation of malignant diseases in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gocheva, L.

2000-01-01

The possibilities of modern medicine make the prognosis of children with malignant diseases more optimistic, compared to adult patients. At the present stage the favourable outcome of pediatric oncological diseases varies within the limits of 50 - 80 %. Despite the good treatment results after optimal complex treatment, the rest of the ill children represent a serious therapeutical problem. The achieved good local tumor control after performed radiotherapy represents a potential for its application as a systemic therapy in patients with advanced or resistant to chemotherapy tumours. The radiobiological bases of the half body irradiation as a systemic therapy in pediatric oncology and as one of the main forms of large field irradiation are considered. The important clinical investigations have been discussed. Half body irradiation can be considered as a valuable alternative of chemotherapy and as a complementary systemic treatment in the case of advanced malignant diseases in children's age. (author)

The Armory Chamber and Armed Forces of Russia in the Second Half of 17th - Early 18th Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlenko Sergey P.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the insufficiently studied aspect of the activities of the Armory chamber in the second half of 17th - beginning of 18th centuries – supplying the needs of the Russian armed forces. Political and military realities of the first half of the seventeenth century revealed the need for the modernization and transformation of the armed forces of Russia. Military reform required a massive amount of combat weapons and equipment made by Western European standard. The middle of the 17th century was the times of a search for an optimal algorithm which would provide the armed forces with weapons and equipment. The integration in this process of the court gunsmith and Armory was an effective solution. The content of the Inventory of the Armory Chamber in 1647 can be divided into two parts: 1 parade and ceremonial weapons and armor, designed for the sovereign and court 2 a huge number of combat weapons deposed in a different storages. The research is based on the complex of archival documents showing the role of the Armory chamber officials in organizing the purchase of combat weapons, its testing, preserving, repairing and transfer to the troops. The author also observed the changes in the activities of the institution in the last quarter of the century – when craftspeople of the court Armory workshop participated in the manufacturing of some special types of combat arms and service as a military gunsmith directly in troops and provincial armories.

Multispectral imaging reveals biblical-period inscription unnoticed for half a century.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin

Full Text Available Most surviving biblical period Hebrew inscriptions are ostraca-ink-on-clay texts. They are poorly preserved and once unearthed, fade rapidly. Therefore, proper and timely documentation of ostraca is essential. Here we show a striking example of a hitherto invisible text on the back side of an ostracon revealed via multispectral imaging. This ostracon, found at the desert fortress of Arad and dated to ca. 600 BCE (the eve of Judah's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, has been on display for half a century. Its front side has been thoroughly studied, while its back side was considered blank. Our research revealed three lines of text on the supposedly blank side and four "new" lines on the front side. Our results demonstrate the need for multispectral image acquisition for both sides of all ancient ink ostraca. Moreover, in certain cases we recommend employing multispectral techniques for screening newly unearthed ceramic potsherds prior to disposal.

Gaucher disease: Progress and ongoing challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistry, Pramod K; Lopez, Grisel; Schiffmann, Raphael; Barton, Norman W; Weinreb, Neal J; Sidransky, Ellen

Over the past decades, tremendous progress has been made in the field of Gaucher disease, the inherited deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase. Many of the colossal achievements took place during the course of the sixty-year tenure of Dr. Roscoe Brady at the National Institutes of Health. These include the recognition of the enzymatic defect involved, the isolation and characterization of the protein, the localization and characterization of the gene and its nearby pseudogene, as well as the identification of the first mutant alleles in patients. The first treatment for Gaucher disease, enzyme replacement therapy, was conceived of, developed and tested at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health. Advances including recombinant production of the enzyme, the development of mouse models, pioneering gene therapy experiments, high throughput screens of small molecules and the generation of induced pluripotent stem cell models have all helped to catapult research in Gaucher disease into the twenty-first century. The appreciation that mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene are an important risk factor for parkinsonism further expands the impact of this work. However, major challenges still remain, some of which are described here, that will provide opportunities, excitement and discovery for the next generations of Gaucher investigators. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Spanish Radiology in the second half of the XX Century: A view from inside

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonmati, Jose

2008-01-01

Radiology was born in 1896 with the immediate recognition of the diagnostic value of X-rays in medicine and progressed throughout the XX Century with the increasing knowledge of its properties and clinical applications. By mid-century Radiology was a respected clinical specialty in advanced countries, the radiological report was a requirement in hospital practice and radiologists' opinions requested in scientific meetings. In the last decades of the century has had a spectacular expansion with the emergence of new imaging modalities and revolutionary technologies that have transformed the specialty worldwide. In Spain Radiology lagged behind needs and demand in 1950. Radiological practice was unregulated and performance of X-ray exams by non-radiologists was common. Teaching of Radiology was non-existent in Medical Schools or postgraduation. The diagnostic value of the specialty was unrecognized by physicians and the role of radiologists ignored. Most hospital radiology services were poorly equipped and functionally inadequate. The shadow of the Civil War (1936-39) was conditioning Radiology in the country. The point of inflexion in the development of Radiology in Spain was the inclusion of film reading sessions in the 1965 academic program of the Society of Radiology. It was in the presentation of cases at these conferences that Clinical Radiology found the finest demonstration ground and as a result was immediately adopted by radiologists and progressively applied in scientific meetings, clinical practices and training programs. Its influence was important in reforming hospital practice, legislation on specialization and education, as well as in national health care plans. At the end of the century radiology in Spain was at a par with the standards of other western nations. The author was a witness of the evolution of Radiology during his 50 years of professional life. This article does not pretend to be exhaustive in names or contributions. It is an overview of

[Martin Klesment. Fertility development in Estonia during the second half of the XX century: the economic context and its implications] / Olaf Mertelsmann

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mertelsmann, Olaf, 1969-

2011-01-01

Arvustus: Martin Klesment. Fertility development in Estonia during the second half of the XX century: the economic context and its implications. Tallinn: Tallinna Ülikool, 2010. (Tallinna Ülikooli sotsiaalteaduste dissertatsioonid, 46)

Style and elegance in Bessarabian photographs of the 2nd half of the 19th century

OpenAIRE

Mihail Dohot

2017-01-01

The author presents the fashion trends of Western Europe, Romania and Bessarabia in the second half of the 19th century through the prism of photography. The influence of European monarchic houses on the fashion of that time is considered, as well as the role of artistic and cultural emancipation, which has left its imprint on society through the visual arts. The article lists fashion designers who contributed to the development of fashion and whose work was reflected in the photographs.

The earliest instructions for weather observations in Bohemia from the 1st half of the 19th century. (A historical note)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Munzar, Jan; Ondráček, Stanislav

2016-01-01

Roč. 158, č. 158 (2016), s. 334-344 ISSN 0029-9138 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : instructions for weather observation * Bohemia * first half of the 19th century Subject RIV: AB - History Impact factor: 0.167, year: 2016

Rethinking "the" History of Education for Asian-American Children in California in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

Science.gov (United States)

Jahng, Kyung Eun

2013-01-01

This article brings to light discourses that constituted the education of Asian-American children in California in the second half of the nineteenth century. Guided by Foucaultian ideas and critical race theory, I analyze California public school laws, speeches of a governor-elect and a superintendent, and a report of the board of supervisors,…

Reading Societies and their Social Exclusivity: Dalmatia in the First Half of the 19th century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Lakuš

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Reading societies, known as the gabinetto di lettura, or the casino, appeared in Dalmatia in the middle of the 18th century modelled on their Western European, North Italian and Austrian counterparts. They became centres of social and cultural life in the region. However, their number was very small in comparison with other Central and Western European countries. In spite of that, their statutes can serve a historian as very fertile and useful historical sources. First of all, they can reveal the importance given to books and reading as well as changing attitude towards reading in the course of time. They can also indicate social structure of the reading circles as well as the interaction and communication among the members. In addition, they can reveal the participation of women in social and cultural life, internal functioning of the society, etc. Based on the statutes of several reading societies of the 19th century, this work suggests several important issues. First, it shows that in the first half of the 19th century the membership of these societies was still select and prestigious, acquired by position on the social scale. In other words, reading societies were still confined to very narrow social circles of the educated. Although in Western parts of Europe the reading public became more heterogeneous and open, in Dalmatia reading still preserved its exclusive features. Second, the work also suggests that what some historians of book and reading called the ”reading revolution” or ”revolution in reading” occurred in Dalmatia much later, and even then mostly in urban areas. Some changes in reading habits occurred in the region, albeit to a limited extent and with less influence on society as a whole. Third, the work also demonstrates that from the 1840s reading acquired a new dimension, becoming open to the more social strata and gradually losing its exclusive character. The reading societies, lending libraries and other cultural

Style and elegance in Bessarabian photographs of the 2nd half of the 19th century

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Mihail Dohot

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The author presents the fashion trends of Western Europe, Romania and Bessarabia in the second half of the 19th century through the prism of photography. The influence of European monarchic houses on the fashion of that time is considered, as well as the role of artistic and cultural emancipation, which has left its imprint on society through the visual arts. The article lists fashion designers who contributed to the development of fashion and whose work was reflected in the photographs.

Interconnected commercial flows: The Asian and American markets during the second half of the 17th Century

OpenAIRE

José Miguel Herrera Reviriego

2016-01-01

During the second half of the 17th Century, American and Asian commerce were profoundly interconnected, to the extent that events on one continent could trigger a series of changes on the other. This article studies how certain events in China, India and the Philippines during this period had a strong effect on American commerce and how this market in turn affected these regions of Asia. It also investigations the repercussions of these events on European trade.

Russian Portrait Engraving of the Second Half of the XVIII Century among European Schools. The Problem of Correlation with Painted Originals

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Zalina V. Tetermazova

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of interpretation of easel paintings in portrait engraving of the second half of the XVIII century. The national features of Russian portrait engravings development are examined on the basis of comparison with west-European works.

Progression of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ruiping Xia; Zhi-Hong Mao

2012-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease that is clinically manifested by a triad of cardinal motor symptoms - rigidity,bradykinesia and tremor - due to loss of dopaminergic neurons.The motor symptoms of PD become progressively worse as the disease advances.PD is also a heterogeneous disease since rigidity and bradykinesia are the major complaints in some patients whereas tremor is predominant in others.In recent years,many studies have investigated the progression of the hallmark symptoms over time,and the cardinal motor symptoms have different rates of progression,with the disease usually progressing faster in patients with rigidity and bradykinesia than in those with predominant tremor.The current treatment regime of dopamine-replacement therapy improves motor symptoms and alleviates disability.Increasing the dosage of dopaminergic medication is commonly used to combat the worsenirtg symptoms.However,the drug-induced involuntary body movements and motor comphcations can significantly contribute to overall disability.Further,none of the currently-available therapies can slow or halt the disease progression.Significant research efforts have been directed towards developing neuroprotective or disease-modifying agents that are intended to slow the progression.In this article,the most recent clinical studies investigating disease progression and current progress on the development of disease-modifying drug trials are reviewed.

Interconnected commercial flows: The Asian and American markets during the second half of the 17th Century

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José Miguel Herrera Reviriego

2016-10-01

Full Text Available During the second half of the 17th Century, American and Asian commerce were profoundly interconnected, to the extent that events on one continent could trigger a series of changes on the other. This article studies how certain events in China, India and the Philippines during this period had a strong effect on American commerce and how this market in turn affected these regions of Asia. It also investigations the repercussions of these events on European trade.

Site-level progression of periodontal disease during a follow-up period

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Morozumi, Toshiya; Nakagawa, Taneaki; Sugaya, Tsutomu; Kawanami, Masamitsu; Suzuki, Fumihiko; Takahashi, Keiso; Abe, Yuzo; Sato, Soh; Makino-Oi, Asako; Saito, Atsushi; Takano, Satomi; Minabe, Masato; Nakayama, Yohei; Ogata, Yorimasa; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Izumi, Yuichi; Sugano, Naoyuki; Ito, Koichi; Sekino, Satoshi; Numabe, Yukihiro; Fukaya, Chie; Yoshinari, Nobuo; Fukuda, Mitsuo; Noguchi, Toshihide; Kono, Tomoo; Umeda, Makoto; Fujise, Osamu; Nishimura, Fusanori; Yoshimura, Atsutoshi; Hara, Yoshitaka; Nakamura, Toshiaki; Noguchi, Kazuyuki; Kakuta, Erika; Hanada, Nobuhiro; Takashiba, Shogo; Amitani, Yasuharu; Yoshie, Hiromasa

2017-01-01

Periodontal disease is assessed and its progression is determined via observations on a site-by-site basis. Periodontal data are complex and structured in multiple levels; thus, applying a summary statistical approach (i.e., the mean) for site-level evaluations results in loss of information. Previous studies have shown the availability of mixed effects modeling. However, clinically beneficial information on the progression of periodontal disease during the follow-up period is not available. We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study. Using mixed effects modeling, we analyzed 18,834 sites distributed on 3,139 teeth in 124 patients, and data were collected 5 times over a 24-month follow-up period. The change in the clinical attachment level (CAL) was used as the outcome variable. The CAL at baseline was an important determinant of the CAL changes, which varied widely according to the tooth surface. The salivary levels of periodontal pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, were affected by CAL progression. “Linear”- and “burst”-type patterns of CAL progression occurred simultaneously within the same patient. More than half of the teeth that presented burst-type progression sites also presented linear-type progression sites, and most of the progressions were of the linear type. Maxillary premolars and anterior teeth tended to show burst-type progression. The parameters identified in this study may guide practitioners in determining the type and extent of treatment needed at the site and patient levels. In addition, these results show that prior hypotheses concerning "burst" and "linear" theories are not valid. PMID:29206238

Sleep, Cognition, and Normal Aging: Integrating a Half-Century of Multidisciplinary Research

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Scullin, Michael K.; Bliwise, Donald L.

2014-01-01

Sleep is implicated in cognitive functioning in young adults. With increasing age there are substantial changes to sleep quantity and quality including changes to slow wave sleep, spindle density, and sleep continuity/fragmentation. A provocative question for the field of cognitive aging is whether such changes in sleep physiology affect cognition (e.g., memory consolidation). We review nearly a half-century of research studies across 7 diverse correlational and experimental literature domains, which historically have had little crosstalk. Broadly speaking, sleep and cognitive functions are often related in advancing age, though the prevalence of null effects (including correlations in the unexpected, negative direction) in healthy older adults indicates that age may be an effect modifier of these associations. We interpret the literature as suggesting that maintaining good sleep quality, at least in young adulthood and middle age, promotes better cognitive functioning and serves to protect against age-related cognitive declines. PMID:25620997

Public Administration Theoretical Aspects Disputes in Legal Science of the Second Half of XX – Early XXI Centuries

OpenAIRE

Ol'ga D. Karnaukh

2013-01-01

The article is focused on comparative aspect of different approaches to the “public administration” notion in the legal science of the second half of the XX – early XXI centuries. The author came to a conclusion that the study of many pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern scientists’ views of the problem of public administration notion definition, its structure, functional orientation and territory administration features allows to conclude that different approaches to its understanding, devel...

Folk Beliefs, Religion and Spiritualism in Serbian Society in the 19th and first half of the 20th Century

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Ana Banić-Grubišić

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Review of the book by Radmila Radić. Narodna verovanja, religija i spiritizam u srpskom društvu 19. i u prvoj polovini 20. veka. [Folk Beliefs, Religion and Spiritualism in Serbian Society in the 19th and first half of the 20th Century]. 2009. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije, pp. 295

The anticipated state of mining in the first half of 21th century

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Rybár Pavol

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The development and state of mining and availability of earth resources is also connected with the required state of the environment, human population, respecting the concept of the sustainable development, adopting new technologies and materials, globalization, the transfer of the capital in the form of investments, and with political and economic intentions of decision-taking countries and groups throughout the world.In the presented study I devote a minimum attention to the problem of energetic resources because such studies are numerous, easily available and well-known. Another reason is that the question of availability of fossil fuels is today especially a matter of politics. Therefore, the study is primarily directed toward the mining industry and availability of non-energetic resources.Basing on the development in the second half of the 20th century, we can expect that in the 21th the same mineral resources will be explored. Ceramic materials, glass, polymers, composite materials and laminates, which may decrease the demand for metals, will be certainly of a higher importance. The same metals however will be of use in new technologies and products. Commodities for which an increased demand can be expected with a high probability are:• light, strong materials such as magnesium, titanium, carbon filaments and materials of petrochemical industry. The volume of production of plastics should overcome that of metals at the beginning of the 21th century. The development of plastics is oriented toward regulating their durability or biological tolerance because of the environmental protection.• Zirconium, tantalum, rare-earth elements, pure quartz in high-tech applications• elements of platinum group• iron, aluminium, copper – steel is expected to persist as a dominant metal in the 21th century concerning the produced amount. A high consumption of aluminium and its alloys could also be predicted. Copper will increasingly be consumed in

Half a century of optics in computing--a personal perspective [Invited].

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Shamir, Joseph

2013-02-01

Optical signal processing and computing was triggered by the invention of the laser. Starting practically in 1960, it really took off with the introduction of the spatial-matched filter in 1964. Almost half a century later, research and engineering activity in the field continues unabated but in directions that could not have been anticipated in those early days. This paper presents an overview of the developments in the field, discussing the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of optics in computing paradigms to indicate where and how optics can be exploited in this area. Initially, optical methods were introduced for processing analog signals. Early attempts to extend optical methods toward digital processing failed because the differences between photons and electrons were not properly appreciated. In the last part of the paper we show that some novel concepts and advanced technology may revitalize also optical processes within the digital computing world. This latter development is demonstrated by digital logic functions implemented on simple electro-optic networks. (My personal perspective on the role of optics in computing is deeply rooted in many years of collaboration with my late friend, H. John Caulfield, and I dedicate this paper to his memory.).

Disarmament in the last half century and its future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

In the face of recent fundamental changes in the international situation, regional and subregional issues have acquired additional urgency and importance in the field of disarmament and international security. The pursuit of regional solutions to regional problems is thus being encouraged by the international community. Towards this end, the United Nations Centre for Disarmament Affairs is seeking to promote regional approaches to disarmament either through the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament or in cooperation with individual Governments. Regional conferences, meetings and seminars to facilitated exchange of ideas and information between governmental and non-governmental sectors, and between governmental and other experts, have been organized as a means of finding common ground, fostering the process of confidence-building and delineating areas of possible future negotiation and agreement. On the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of the Second World War, a Conference on the theme ''Disarmament in the last half century and its future prospects'' was held in Nagasaki, Japan, from 12 to 16 June 1995. The Conference was organized by the Centre for Disarmament Affairs through the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific and in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the Prefecture and City of Nagasaki. This publication is based on material presented at that Conference

The key role of ozone depleting substances in weakening the Walker Circulation over the second half of the 20th Century

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Bellomo, K.; Polvani, L. M.

2017-12-01

It is widely believed that the Walker Circulation will weaken in response to increasing greenhouse gases (GHG) by the end of the 21st century. But over the 20th century, the existence of a statistical significant weakening trends in the observations remains unclear. We here present new modelling evidence showing that Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) may have significantly contributed to the weakening of the Walker Circulation over the years 1955-2005. While the primary impact of increasing ODS has been the formation of the ozone hole, it is perhaps not as widely appreciated that ODS are also powerful greenhouse gases. Using an ensemble of integrations with the the Whole Atmosphere Chemistry Climate Model, we show that the surface warming caused by increasing ODS over the second half of the 20th century causes a statistically significant weakening of the Walker Circulation in the model. In fact, we find that the increase of the other well-mixed GHG alone leads to a strengthening, not a weakening of the Walker Circulation, over that period in our model. When ODS concentrations are held fixed at 1950's levels, the effect of the other GHG is not sufficient, and a warming delay in the eastern tropical Pacific SST leads to an increase in the east-west SST gradient which is accompanied by a strengthening of the Walker Circulation. But, when the forcing from ODS is added in, the additional radiative forcing causes the eastern Pacific to warm faster, and the trend in the Walker Circulation reverses sign and becomes negative over the second half of the 20th century.

Progression of Liver Disease

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... Liver Function Tests Clinical Trials Liver Transplant FAQs Medical Terminology Diseases of the Liver Alagille Syndrome Alcohol-Related ... the Liver The Progression of Liver Disease FAQs Medical Terminology HOW YOU CAN HELP Sponsorship Ways to Give ...

Industrializing the near-earth asteroids: Speculations on human activities in space in the latter half of the 21st century

Science.gov (United States)

Sercel, Joel C.

1990-01-01

The use of solar system resources for human industry can be viewed as a natural extension of the continual growth of our species' habitat. Motivations for human activities in space can be discussed in terms of five distinct areas: (1) information processing and collection; (2) materials processing; (3) energy production to meet terrestrial power needs; (4) the use of extraterrestrial materials; and (5) disaster avoidance. When considering 21st-Century activities in space, each of these basic motivations must be treated in light of issues likely to be relevant to the 21st-Century earth. Many of the problems facing 21st-Century earth may stem from the need to maintain the world population of 8 to 10 billion people as is projected from expected growth rates. These problems are likely to include managing the impact of industrial processes on the terrestrial biosphere while providing adequate energy production and material goods for the growing population. The most important human activities in space in the latter half of the 21st Century may be associated with harnessing the resources of the near-earth asteroids for industrial processes. These above topics are discussed with an emphasis on space industrialization.

Chemistry in Serbian journals in the second half of the 19th century

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Cvjetićanin Stanko M.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is selection and analysis of articles with chemistry content in selected Serbian journals in the second half of the 19th century, which were aimed towards general public, in order to get insight into the level and quality of additional chemistry informing of readers. Two journals were selected, that contained entertaining, literature and scientific content ('Sedmica' and 'Vila', and two other, with entertainment and literature nature ('Danica' and 'Matica'. The analyzed journals primarily addressed the general public and played an important role in readers' information and education. Historical method was applied in this research. The above-mentioned journals were analyzed separately, with the short historical survey. Complete editions of these journals were analyzed, and the selection of articles was made according to the textual content or the title itself. The chemistry content presented in these journals is of the great variety. Among other things, interesting comments of the chemical schoolbooks are found, as well as lectures on science.

Women and political struggles: achievements and limitations lived in the second half of twentieth century

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Flávia Fernandes de Carvalhaes

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The second half of the twentieth century was a period marked by important achievements and setbacks in the struggle for women's rights field. This study mapped out and described part of speeches, images and movements undertaken in that historical period and its effects on people's lives. Adopting a perspective of historical and theoretical analysis, the description looked up, first, the struggles carried out in some countries of Europe and the United States, highlighting its main challenges and difficulties. Then, the struggles undertaken are mapped in Brazil, with the analysis axis facing women inequality. Finally, it is considered that the political struggles carried out in the analyzed period had as greatest merits the disruption and exploitation of gender boundaries.

The Ukrainian community of Western Siberia: specific features of formation and development in the 2nd half of the 19th – early 20th century

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Vladimir N. Shaidurov

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The agrarian crisis in the European part of the Russian Empire in the middle of the 20th century seriously impeded agricultural progress. Agrarian overpopulation and peasants deprived of land in the course of the peasant reform of 1861 further aggravated the negative situation in the governorates of Central Russia, Belarus, and left-bank Ukraine. These factors provided fertile soil for migratory sentiments among peasants. It was resettlement in vacant lands in the Asiatic Russia and North Caucasus, which allowed most of them to preserve their homesteads. In the 2nd half of the 19th – early 20th century, Ukrainian peasants were actively engaged in the migration movement which was supported by the state. One of the main placement areas became Western Siberia where a large Ukrainian peasant community was formed. The history of research on the Ukrainian community in Western Siberia is fragmentary, as many aspects remain unstudied. Hence, the article focuses on the following questions: causes of the Ukrainian migration to the border lands of the Russian Empire; stages in the migration; main areas where Ukrainians resided in Siberia; population dynamics of the Ukrainian community; adaptation patterns specific for Ukrainian migrants in their new places of residence; their role in the economic life of Siberia in the early 20th century. This article utilizes primary data from the All-Russian Agricultural and Land Census of 1917, which have been introduced for scientific use for the first time. As the methodological basis, the study draws on the system approach combining regional, neo-imperial and comparative principles.

Deacon Oleshka Pavlov and Bookwriting in Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery in the First Half of the 15th Century

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Shibaev Mikhail A.

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to one of the writers who created the books for Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Deacon Oleshka Pavlov was the teacher of grammar and the booklore mentor of Martinian of Belozersk who later became reverend as well as some other monks. The analysis of the acts and the hagiographical texts allows to reconstruct the biography of the scriber and to come to the conclusion, that the deacon of the parish temple Oleshka had not got the direct connection with Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, he lived outside, in Feodosjin town with his father, priest Pavel. The article includes the autographs of Oleshka and determines the chronological borders of the books, which were rewritten by him: from the 1410s to the second half of 1440s. In the article the earlier works of the predecessors – R. Romanchuk, E.E. Shevchenko, I. Ševčenco, etc. were critically analyzed. Besides, the books with the inscriptions of Oleshka, four books, which were written with participation of deacon, were identified. Oleshka had half-uncial handwriting of not very good quality and, clearly, he wasn’t a professional calligrapher. Moreover, some manuscripts were commissioned to him, and not only by Kirillo-Belozersky monastery. Most of the books which were written by Oleshka were not noted in the monasterial register of the books by the middle of the 1480s. The codicological observations on the one of the manuscripts allowed to come to the conclusion that the deacon was able to contact with the monasterial direction only sporadically, he received the written orders. So, it is not likely, that Oleshka was the director of the junior school for the young inhabitants of Kirillo-Belozersky monastery. In the first half of the 15th century, Kirillo-Belozersky monastery was forced to use the local clerics as well as brothers for book writing. The research on Oleshka’s biography allowed to come to the conclusion, that the organization of book writing in Kirillo

THE DYNAMICS OF STYLISTICALLY MARKED VERBAL LEXIS IN THE INFINITIVE FORM IN THE RUSSIAN LITERARY CRITICISM OF THE MIDDLE AND SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY

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Yakovenko Larisa Aleksandrovna

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article studies the functioning of stylistically marked verbal lexis in the infinitive form in literary critical articles of Russian publicists of the middle and second half of the 19th century. The critical texts of that period are characterized by the use of different functional, stylistic and expressive emotional coloring verbal lexemes. The author reveals the lexical content of infinitive forms, determines the markedness character (functional and stylistic, or expressive and emotional. The article presents the dynamics of using infinitive forms which shows that in the texts of 19th century they are used to express critics' attitude to fiction works, litetrary images, and this attitude is determined by publicists' ideas about the ways of reality depiction. It is revealed that in the second half of 19th century this form reflects the urge to evaluate the social maturity and fiction skills of a writer, and that serves to increasing number of stylistically marked lexemes in the texts of that period.

Hydrocephalus-history of surgical treatment over the centuries

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Milojević Aleksandar J.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To trace the history of the treatment of hydrocephalus is to document the parallel development of medicine as a whole; when one reviews the treatment of hydrocephalus, the integral relationship between basic science and therapy is reaffirmed. The treatment of hydrocephalus, over the centuries, underwent three stages of evolution. Prior to the late 19 th century, treatment for 'water on the brain' involved more observation than intervention. During antiquity, middle ages and renaissance, hydrocephalus was not understood. Medical treatment was useless; surgery was hopeless. The second stage extends from the 19th century to the end of the first half of the 20 th century. Cerebrospinal fluid circulation was now understood; surgery however, remained inefficient, but some patients survived with arrested hydrocephalus. The third stage begins in the nineteen fifties with the development of silicone shunts with a valve. Surgery transforms the prognosis of hydrocephalus, but the number of post-operative complications creates new problems. The different attempts that have been made during these past two decades to solve these problems are reviewed. They have resulted in a reduction of the mechanical and infectious complications. CSF over drainage has been minimized. Percutaneous ventriculo-cisternostomies have in some cases replaced shunts. In the future, to improve outcome in these hydrocephalics, surgery, when indicated, should be performed as early as possible. Knowledge and prevention of the causes of hydrocephalus should be developed. As we progress further in this new millennium, it is appropriate to reflect on the past understanding and treatment of this disorder, review strategies to curb this disease process, and consider therapies and possibly cures that will be available in the future.

The losting memory and the mourning writing in two Portuguese novels of the second half of twentieth century

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Maristela Kirst de Lima Girola

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This essay aims to analyze how is the writing of the mourning in two Portuguese novels, A Sibila (1954 by Agustina Bessa-Luís and Não entres tão depressa nessa noite escura (2000 by António Lobo Antunes. These novels have different literary styles and were published in different moments in the second half of the twentieth century, but both use the memory as an important resource for telling about traumatic events in the life of those characters who responsible for the writing.

Training of Russian Officers in Line Troops in the Second Half of the 17th – First Half of the 18th Century

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Aleksey N. Grebenkin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This article considers the attempts of officer training directly in the troops of Russian army, which were undertook in the second half of the 17th –first half of the 18th centuries. The author gives the characteristic to the training of “commanding people” in reytar regiment of I. Fanbukoven in 1649-1653 and comes to conclusion that it was effective. The author thinks that the military educational activity of the “toy” army was focused on the training of soldiers, not officers. The attempt of Peter I to organize the military training of young courtiers abroad wasn’t successful because of their weak base preparation. The training of officers in guard regiments was more effective, but it quickly became sham because young noblemen only numbered in lists of military units. Besides, regiment schools which had been organized in the guard troops since 1721 didn’t give so much military knowledge as the technical one, moreover training was organized on a rather low level. The author comes to conclusion that difficulties which were connected with the organization of officer training directly in the troops (such as lack of qualified teachers, impossibility of regular conduct of classes, etc. made the government to pay close attention to the development of boarding military schools – cadet corpses.

National Gender Policy in Public Education in the Russian Empire in the Latter Half of the 19th-Early 20th Centuries

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Saifullova, Razilia Rauilovna; Maslova, Inga Vladimirovna; Krapotkina, Irina Evgenevna; Kaviev, Airat Farkhatovich; Nasyrova, Liliya Gabdelvalievna

2016-01-01

This article presents the national gender policy in public education in the Russian Empire in the latter half of the 19th-early 20th centuries. In the course of work the authors have used special historical research methods enabling to hammer out the facts and to approach historical sources from a critical standpoint. The comparative method…

Chronology of 3rd–5th Century Female Graves from Tarasovo Burial Ground

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Goldina Rimma D.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article represents the concluding part a series of works by the authors on the dating of burials from the unique 1st–5th century Tarasovo burial ground in the Middle Kama region. The first article was dedicated to the chronology of graves dating back to the early Nyrgynda stage (1st–2nd centuries of this monument. The second and third publications feature an analysis of the chronology of 3rd–5th century male burials. The present work describes 160 female burials of 3rd–5th centuries analyzed from the perspective of chronology. Similarly to previous research, the three main methods employed by the authors of this research include those of formal typology, cultural stratigraphy and the nearest neighbour method. A total of 12 chronological groups were singled out as a result: 1st half of 3rd century A.D. (group 1; 2nd half of 3rd century (2; 3rd century (3; 4th century (group 4; 2nd half of 3rd–4th centuries (5а; 3rd–4th centuries (5б; 1st half of 5th century (6; 2nd half of 5th century (7; 5th century (group 8; 2nd half of 4th–5th centuries (9; 4th–5th centuries (10; 2nd half of 3rd–5th centuries

The Debate about the Origin of Venereal Disease and VD Control in Modern China : Focusing on Shanghai and Beijing in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

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SIHN Kyuhwan

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines venereal disease(VD control in Shanghai and Beijing in the first half of the twentieth century. It focuses on the debate about the origin of VD in which western doctors stressed the importance of prostitution rather than VD itself. While missionary western doctors approached VD and prostitution from a moral perspective, Chinese western doctors adopted a public health approach. Because Chinese western doctors favored the medium of popular magazines and newspapers to publicize VD and enlighten the public, it is difficult to find their writings on VD in the medical journals such as The National Medical Journal of China(NMJ. Therefore, Chinese western doctors had not been indifferent to VD as previously thought. Common people preferred the black market to the open clinic, and abused salvarsan to cure VD in secret. This suggests the sensitive nature of VD as a disease that degrades personal honor. VD control varied depending on the perspective of the origin of VD and the prostitution, and measures taken. While moralists in the debate upheld a position to abolish licensed prostitution, public health enthusiasts propped up licensed prostitution. VD control in Shanghai and Beijing displays a striking contrast. In Shanghai, the power to control VD and prostitutes were separated. The Shanghai Municipal Council(SMC, French Municipal Council(FMC, and Shanghai Municipality(SM did not cooperate in the control of VD and prostitutes. When SMC devoted its energies to abolish licensed prostitution, FMC and SM enjoyed prostitute's taxes. The Beiping Municipality(1928-1937 practiced multiple forms of control patterns and targets of VD. They adopted a bifurcated policy regarding VD. The targets of diagnosis were divided into prostitute, pregnant women, and normal citizen. The range of the reach of the health administration in Beiping Municipality was gradually magnified.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOWN GALATZ IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MOLDAVIA DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

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CHEŞCU Ana-Maria

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present the activity of foreigners in the port city of Galatz, during the first half of the 19th century. Consulted material included documentary sources, monographs, and historical synthesis. Through the correlation of data extracted from historiographical sources and documentary sources, we were able to bring completions to the existing material, regarding the importance of foreigner’s activities in the port-city Galatz.

Peasant protests in Ukraine in the second half of the 16th – the first half of the 17th century: theoretical and practical aspects of historical data base designing

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Sviatets, Yu. A.

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the basic theoretical and practical aspects of designing of the database about the protest movement of the peasants in Ukraine in the second half of the 16th – the first half of the 17th centuries. The analysis of the material documents published collection found typical records structure of acts of disobedience identified the main entities – "Document", "Action", "Person" and "Estate". Relations between tables entities represented the relationship of the "one to many", which provided accounting data variability of peasant protest actions. Filling database data records forms of information orderly basis for further concrete historical study of demographic and migration processes, the structure of the protest movement of the peasants, the dynamics of the actions, the ratio of personal (subjective and public (objective factors increase social tension and others.

Penal symbolism in Serbia in the first half of the 19th century

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Todorović Miljana

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The author explores a scarce and unusual phenomenon for the 19th century Serbia, of the emphasized nexus between crime and penalty. The author marks that special, symbolical relation of penalty, on the one hand, and sanction on the other, as 'penal symbolism'. This term refers to penalization which reflects the ties between crime and punishment by copying crime in terms of modus or place of execution, or by 'punishing' those body parts which partook in committing a crime. The author classifies the examples of preserved judgments and legislations containing penal symbolism to those referring to modus or place of execution of death penalty, those which are examples of penal symbolism related to other sanctions, and those which are examples of the symbolic talion. The author raises the questions of the origin of this phenomenon, as well as of its justification, and aims at providing answers by reconstructing legal and social framework of Serbia in the first half of the 19th century. With this objective in mind, she discusses the development of Criminal Law and its basic features, as well as the development of judiciary, the systematic institutionalization of the network of criminal courts, and, especially, the composition thereof. In the conclusion, the author rejects the possibility that penal symbolism is a product of legal transplantation or that of the continuity of Serbian medieval law. She asserts that the scarcity of material criminal law sources led to judging by 'justice and fairness', and that those facts created conditions for the primitive sense of justice to find its way into judgments and legislations as penal symbolism.

Balkans as a cultural symbol in the Serbian music of the first half of the twentieth century

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Milanović Biljana

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Focus on the internalization of Western images in the Balkans has special significance in researching Serbian art. The functioning of Balkanism as it overlapped and intersected with Orientalism is indicated in the text by an examination of the cases of Petar Konjović, Miloje Milojević and Josip Slavenski, the three significant composers working in Serbia during the first half of the twentieth century. Their modernistic projects present different metaphors of the Balkans. Nevertheless each of them is marked by desire to change the Balkan image into a 'positive' one and thus stands as a special voice for Serbian and regional placing in European competition for musical spaces.

[Progressive visual agnosia].

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimoto, Azusa; Futamura, Akinori; Kawamura, Mitsuru

2011-10-01

Progressive visual agnosia was discovered in the 20th century following the discovery of classical non-progressive visual agnosia. In contrast to the classical type, which is caused by cerebral vascular disease or traumatic injury, progressive visual agnosia is a symptom of neurological degeneration. The condition of progressive visual loss, including visual agnosia, and posterior cerebral atrophy was named posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) by Benson et al. (1988). Progressive visual agnosia is also observed in semantic dementia (SD) and other degenerative diseases, but there is a difference in the subtype of visual agnosia associated with these diseases. Lissauer (1890) classified visual agnosia into apperceptive and associative types, and it in most cases, PCA is associated with the apperceptive type. However, SD patients exhibit symptoms of associative visual agnosia before changing to those of semantic memory disorder. Insights into progressive visual agnosia have helped us understand the visual system and discover how we "perceive" the outer world neuronally, with regard to consciousness. Although PCA is a type of atypical dementia, its diagnosis is important to enable patients to live better lives with appropriate functional support.

Haphazard Reality Half a Century of Science

CERN Document Server

Casimir, HBG

2010-01-01

Casimir, himself a famous physician, studied and worked with three great physicists of the twentieth century: Niels Bohr, Wolfgang Pauli and Paul Ehrenfest. In his autobiography, the brilliant theoretician lets the reader witness the revolution that led to quantum physics, whose influence on modern society turned out to be many times larger than the first atomic physicists could have imagined. Through his involvement in the technical-scientific and the business aspects of physics, through management positions at Philips Research Laboratory and as a member of the Board of Directors of Philips,

CRITICISM OF PROGRESS AND ITS ETHICAL EVALUATION FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE NATIONAL “APOCALYPTIC CULTURE” OF THE TURN OF THE XIXTH AND XXTH CENTURIES

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A. I. Simonov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The approaches to understanding the crisis of culture in the context of Russian philosophical thought at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries are considered in this article. The relevance of the topic of the article is in similarity of spiritual situation in that era and in modern Russia.Materials and methods: The research material is a tripartite structure that characterizes the crisis of culture; “Russian spiritual tradition” – criticism of cultural progress in the second half of the 19th century - the Apocalyptica of culture of the Silver Age.In the article the methodology of historical and philosophical analysis is used, combined with the practice of a phenomenological description of cultural phenomena and the spiritual history of the country. From the methodological point of view it is a question of revealing of philosophical and culturological aspect of the problem. Such categories as “progress” and relationship between “good” and “evil” in the context of culture are studied there.Results: In the process of disclosure of these categories, their positive and negative sides are examined which gives an insight into the spiritual state of culture and the ways of finding new worldview and value paradigms for it. The result of the article is the formulation of an understanding of Russian culture and thought in the second half of the XIXth and XXth centuries that it has one of the main and fundamental themes – the theme of the end of the world and history.Discussion and Conclusions: Within the framework of disclosure of the stated problems it offers the analysis optics according to which the crisis state of culture is investigated in terms of the categories of Christian Apocalypse. At the same time historical, cultural and ethical problems are revealed in the development of Russian philosophy.

[JAN JĘDRZEJEWICZ AND EUROPEAN ASTRONOMY OF THE 2ND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY].

Science.gov (United States)

Siuda-Bochenek, Magda

2015-01-01

Jan Jędrzejewicz was an amateur astronomer who in the 2nd half of the 19th century created an observation centre, which considering the level of research was comparable to the European ones. Jędrzejewicz settled down in Plonsk in 1862 and worked as a doctor ever since but his greatest passion was astronomy, to which he dedicated all his free time. In 1875 Jędrzejewicz finished the construction of his observatory. He equipped it with basic astronomical and meteorological instruments, then began his observations and with time he became quite skilled in it. Jędrzejewicz focused mainly on binary stars but he also pointed his telescopes at the planets of the solar system, the comets, the Sun, as well as all the phenomena appearing in the sky at that time. Thanks to the variety of the objects observed and the number of observations he stood out from other observers in Poland and took a very good position in the mainstream of the 19th-century astronomy in Europe. Micrometer observations of binary stars made in Płońsk gained recognition in the West and were included in the catalogues of binary stars. Interest in Jędrzejewicz and his observatory was confirmed by numerous references in the English "Nature" magazine.

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF OFFICIALS OF NOBLE BIRTH IN SECOND HALF OF XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES (BASED ON MATERIALS OF THE RYAZAN PROVINCE

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Наталья Викторовна Власова

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problems of the Russian provincial officialdom of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. It analyzes the educational level of the officials of noble birth and shows the number of the officials with higher, secondary, elementary and home education. Attention is drawn to the changes in the training of the officials by the early 20th century. The paper is based on the archival materials (service records foundinthe State Archives of the Ryazan region. The analysis of the sources shows that about 15% of the officials studied in the institutions of higher education, 31% got secondary education, 29% - elementary education. About 19% had home education. And only about 21% of the officials had systematic (that is finished higher and secondary education. The author concludes that in comparison with early 19th century the educational level of the officials had an upward tendency but on the whole it continued to be low.

Development of Accounting Theories Specific to the National Accounting Literature of the First Half of Twentieth Century

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Sorin Damian

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Need to identify plausible explanations of the principles underlying the double entry accountingover time determined by various manifestations of thought that have resulted in many theories. All thesetheories have proposed to explain and substantiate dopic formalism, but many of them no longer a valuetoday than a purely historical perspective. The representative of such theories has been many pages writtenRomanian and foreign authors in the first half of the twentieth century. Some Romanian authors mention theIoan E. Evian, D. Voina, CG Demetrescu, S. Iacobescu, Al. Sorescu, C. Pantu, C. Petrescu, Grigore-TrancuIaşi and others. Bibliography time accounting theories shared accounts: embryos of theories and scientifictheories.

Central Blood Pressure and Chronic Kidney Disease Progression

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Debbie L. Cohen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Hypertension, diabetes, and proteinuria are well-recognized risk factors for progressive kidney function loss. However, despite excellent antihypertensive and antidiabetic drug therapies, which also often lower urinary protein excretion, there remains a significant reservoir of patients with chronic kidney disease who are at high risk for progression to end-stage kidney disease. This has led to the search for less traditional cardiovascular risk factors that will help stratify patients at risk for more rapid kidney disease progression. Among these are noninvasive estimates of vascular structure and function. Arterial stiffness, manifested by the pulse wave velocity in the aorta, has been established in a number of studies as a significant risk factor for kidney disease progression and cardiovascular endpoints. Much less well studied in chronic kidney disease are measures of central arterial pressures. In this paper we cover the physiology behind the generation of the central pulse wave contour and the studies available using these approaches and conclude with some speculations on the rationale for why measurements of central pressure may be informative for the study of chronic kidney disease progression.

The Use of Slovenian in Education, the Church, and Early Theatre Performances in the 17th Century and the First Half of the 18th Century

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Kozma Ahačič

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The Use of Slovenian in Education, the Church, and Early Theatre Performances in the 17th Century and the First Half of the 18th Century Summary The paper provides a sociolinguistic survey of the use of Slovenian in education, the church, and early theatre performances in the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. The extant studies and primary sources serve to identify the occasions for, and forms of, its use. The practice of elementary education shows no significant changes between the 16th and 17th centuries; there are, however, some changes at the ideological level. There is no explicit request for elementary education in Slovenian, either in the period of the Catholic reformation or later, while the demand for the use of Slovenian in education is primarily limited to catechesis: in catechesis, however, the emphasis was not on reading texts but on listening and on spoken reproduction. Some sources do suggest the use of Slovenian in elementary education at certain “non-Slovenian” schools, but it was not systematic. The same applies to the Ljubljana Jesuit gymnasium, where the use of Slovenian is likely – especially at the early stages – but lacks immediate evidence. On the other hand, the presence of Slovenian can be proved for the theological seminary adjoining the Ljubljana Cathedral, as well as for the educational centre at Gornji Grad. Moreover, the great number of Jesuit gymnasia significantly improved the general language knowledge in their localities as compared to the previous periods. The use of Slovenian in church was concentrated in preaching. All Slovenian priests were encouraged by the bishops to preach, and there were ecclesiastical orders that particularly fostered this activity. Sources testify to the delivery of Slovenian sermons by the Capuchin Friars, Jesuits, and Franciscans, while the role of Slovenian in the sermons by the Dominicans, Augustinians and Cistercians has received less attention. Of

Elements of positivism in the Ukrainian philosophy and culture of the second half of the 19th century

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Vyacheslav Artyukh

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the appropriation of positivist thought by Ukrainian intellectuals in the second half of the nineteenth century, in particular in the field of philosophy of history. By discussing elements of positivist thought in the works of Mykhailo Drahomanov, Ivan Franko and Pantaleimon Kulish, the author argues that all three were under direct influence of positivist thought, but none of them was a blind adherent of positivism. Positivism particularly influenced their thinking about history and the issue of determinism. Importantly, it was not the French positivism of Auguste Comte whose ideas were adopted, but rather the English positivism of Henry Thomas Buckle and John Stuart Mill.

Public Administration Theoretical Aspects Disputes in Legal Science of the Second Half of XX – Early XXI Centuries

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Ol'ga D. Karnaukh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article is focused on comparative aspect of different approaches to the “public administration” notion in the legal science of the second half of the XX – early XXI centuries. The author came to a conclusion that the study of many pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern scientists’ views of the problem of public administration notion definition, its structure, functional orientation and territory administration features allows to conclude that different approaches to its understanding, developed by pre-revolutionary scientists objectively survived, were affected by class ideology in Soviet period and are influenced by the paradigm of law-governed democratic state at present.

A retrospective of an unconventionally trained plant pathologist: plant diseases to molecular plant pathology.

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Ouchi, Seiji

2006-01-01

Plant pathology evolved from its mycology-oriented origins into a science dealing with biochemical mechanisms of diseases, along with enhanced crop production through disease control. This retrospective describes first my personal experience from my introduction to plant pathology, to the establishment of the concept of accessibility as a model pertaining to genetically defined basic compatibility induced by pathogens. I then refer to the development of molecular plant pathology from physiological and biochemical plant pathology fostered by the growth in recombinant technology in the second half of the past century. This progress was best reflected by the U.S.-Japan Seminar Series held at 4-5-year intervals from 1966 to 2003 and documented by publications in major journals of our discipline. These seminars emphasized that progress in science has always been supported by the invention of novel techniques and that knowledge integrated from modern genomics and subsequent proteomics should contribute to the progress of basic life sciences and, more importantly, to the elaboration of rational measures for disease control.

Urinary endotrophin predicts disease progression in patients with chronic kidney disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Daniel Guldager Kring; Fenton, Anthony; Jesky, Mark

2017-01-01

Renal fibrosis is the central pathogenic process in progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Collagen type VI (COL VI) is upregulated in renal fibrosis. Endotrophin is released from COL VI and promotes pleiotropic pro-fibrotic effects. Kidney disease severity varies considerably and accurate...... information regarding CKD progression may improve clinical decisions. We tested the hypothesis that urinary endotrophin derived during COL VI deposition in fibrotic human kidneys is a marker for progression of CKD in the Renal Impairment in Secondary Care (RIISC) cohort, a prospective observational study...... of 499 CKD patients. Endotrophin localised to areas of increased COL VI deposition in fibrotic kidneys but was not present in histologically normal kidneys. The third and fourth quartiles of urinary endotrophin:creatinine ratio (ECR) were independently associated with one-year disease progression after...

The emergence of the confessional theology in Russia (18th – first half of the 19th centuries

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Eugene Lyutko

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article looks at a text dealing with theology as a text dealing with the reality that stands behind this text. Based on examples of three Russian church hierarchs who tried to systematise theology in the 18th and 19th centuries — Archbishop Feofan (Prokopovich, St. Philaret (Drozdov, St. Innocent (Borisov — the paper reveals and interprets the following issues: gradual penetration of categories of history, administration and church service into the structure of theology; rejection of the socalled natural theology (theologia naturalis, which takes place at the beginning of the 19th century. Proceeding from Foucauld’s methodology, we come to a conclusion about the emergence of confession in the Russian Empire of the fi rst half of the 19th century. This was an integrated and distinct social body, the key category of which was theology. Theology unites the social space of the confession by means of three key narratives: the identity (a complex of historical disciplines, administration (the canon law, or “theologia rectrix”, and pastoral theology, participation practices (liturgics. At the end of the period in question, the category of “Church” emerges within the theological system. On the one hand, this fact refl ects the completion of the process of constructing the confession; on the other hand, it is a sign of the emergence of ecclesiology, the new practice of theological discourse that came to be dominant in the following period.

Present status of refining and conversion facility dismantling. Progress in first half of 2010FY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kado, Kazumi; Sugitsue, Noritake; Morimoto, Yasuyuki; Ikegami, Sohei; Tanaka, Yoshio; Takahashi, Nobuo; Tokuyasu, Takashi

2011-06-01

The Refining and Conversion Facility located in the Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center had the natural uranium conversion process and reprocessed uranium conversion process. The construction of this facility was started in 1979 and completed in October 1981. Dismantling of equipments in radiation controlled area of this facility was started from 2008, and all equipments in radiation controlled area will be dismantled by the 2011 fiscal year. This report describes the master plan of this decommissioning and shows as the progress in first half year of 2010FY, the actual time schedule, the method of decommissioning, the decommissioning progress appearance with photographs, work rates of each room / each worker class, and the quantity of dismantled materials and secondary wastes. (author)

Present status of refining and conversion facility dismantling. Progress in first half of 2009FY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kado, Kazumi; Sugitsue, Noritake; Morimoto, Yasuyuki; Ikegami, Sohei; Tanaka, Yoshio; Takahashi, Nobuo; Tokuyasu, Takashi

2010-03-01

The Refining and Conversion Facility located in the Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center had the natural uranium conversion process and reprocessed uranium conversion process. The construction of this facility was started in 1979 and completed in October 1981. Dismantling of equipments in radiation controlled area of this facility was started from 2008, and all equipments in radiation controlled area will be dismantled by the 2011 fiscal year. This report describes the master plan of this decommissioning and shows as the progress in first half year of 2009FY, the actual time schedule, the method of decommissioning, the decommissioning progress appearance with photographs, work rates of each room / each worker class, and the quantity of dismantled materials and secondary wastes. (author)

Present status of refining and conversion facility dismantling. Progress in latter half of 2008FY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kado, Kazumi; Sugitsue, Noritake; Morimoto, Yasuyuki; Ikegami, Sohei; Takahashi, Nobuo; Tokuyasu, Takashi

2010-01-01

The Refining and Conversion Facility located in the Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center had the natural uranium conversion process and reprocessed uranium conversion process. The construction of this facility was started in 1979 and completed in October 1981. Dismantling of equipments in radiation controlled area of this facility was started from 2008, and all equipments in radiation controlled area will be dismantled by the 2011 fiscal year. This report describes the master plan of this decommissioning and shows as the progress in latter half year of 2008FY, the actual time schedule, the method of decommissioning, the decommissioning progress appearance with photographs, work rates of each room/each worker class, and the quantity of dismantled materials and secondary wastes. (author)

Determinants of territorial exogamy in Friuli (north-east Italy) in the second half of the nineteenth century.

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Fornasin, Alessio

2011-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of individuals who formed exogamic marriages in the Friuli region (north-east Italy) during the second half of the 19th century. Logistic regression models were devised to measure the influence of the determinants of exogamic marriage, taking into account not only variables related to context but also spouses' economic, social and cultural characteristics. The determinants of exogamic marriage differ for men and women, and also vary by region due to differences in geographical mobility and size of the marriage market. The majority of exogamic spouses belong to one of two categories: either older individuals, often, especially in the case of men, with a previous marriage; or the upper social classes. © Cambridge University Press, 2011

A cracked mirror? - forming the ideal ruler in Epirus and Nicaea in the first half of the 13th century

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Vukašinović Milan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available During the first half of the 13th century both Byzantine Empire and the image of its ideal ruler had to undergo a transformation. By applying mostly the narratological analysis to the parenetic texts written in the two successor states of the Empire, the paper sheds light on the dynamic ‘negotiations’ within the Roman elites of the place that the Emperor should have inside the symbolic order, and suggests a possible model of approach to other Byzantine texts and periods. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177015

“CURING” PYRRHONIAN DOUBT: ANTI-SKEPTICAL RHETORIC IN THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY

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Anton MATYTSIN

2012-04-01

Full Text Available By examining the analogies of sickness and disease used by severalopponents of philosophical skepticism (Pyrrhonism in the early 18th century, this articlewill shed light on the rhetorical strategies used in attempts to undermine the revival ofthis ancient school of philosophy. It will look at the ways in which anti-skeptics discussedthe repercussions of the spread of Pyrrhonism for society and describe how theyproposed to “cure” this so-called disease. A consideration of the strategies will bothreveal some of the assumptions commonly shared by authors of apologetic literature inthe first half of the 18th century and explain why they saw skepticism as such a dangerousphilosophical position.

Trousseau: economic and design aspects from the second half of 20th century in Brazil

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Laktim, M. C.; Giacomin, A. M.; Silva-Santos, M. C.; Santos, H. N.; Borelli, C.; Baruque-Ramos, J.

2017-10-01

The trousseau is notorious since antiquity and has been influenced by a series of modifications, reflected in the type of fabric, confection, design, fashion and market share. This study aimed to present economic and design aspects of the bedding, table and bath linen sector (also known as bed, bath and beyond) occurred from the second half of the 20th century to recently in Brazil. A bibliographic research was carried out from the scientific literature and magazines of the area, notably the “Revista Vogue Casa Brasil” (“Vogue House Brazil Magazine”). It is concluded that the classic patterns predominate: white color and cotton in bed, table and bath products, being embroidery the most outstanding style ornament. The maintenance of these standards by the Brazilian manufacturers is interesting to maintain sales in the domestic market, but a limitation for export products destined to publics with different values and aesthetic tastes and with greater supply of items with variety of surface designs.

Of Hard Joy: Half a Century of Viivi Luik's Creations. Poetry

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Arne Merilai

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Viivi Luik has been active in Estonian literature for half a century: from the times of Soviet censorship to regained independence. Her renowned novels Seitsmes rahukevad (The Seventh Spring of Peace, 1985 and Ajaloo ilu (The Beauty of History, 1991 have been published in a number of foreign languages. Her first collection of poetry Pilvede püha (Holiday of Clouds appeared in 1965. Since then ten more collections have followed: Taevaste tuul (Wind of the Skies, 1966, Lauludemüüja (Song Vendor, 1968, Hääl (Voice, 1968, Ole kus oled (Stay Where You Are, 1971, Pildi sisse minek (Entering a Picture, 1973, Põliskevad (Perpetual Spring, 1975, Maapäälsed asjad (Earthly Matters, 1978, and Rängast rõõmust (Of Hard Joy, 1982. In addition, she has published three books of selected verse together with the volume of collected verse (2006, as well as four books of fiction, three volumes of essays, several children’s books and two dramas. Many Estonian songwriters have appreciated her lyrics, evident in dozens of music books and recordings. Guided by a methodologically holistic perspective and moving towards a “unified field theory” of literary criticism, this contribution to Luik scholarship makes available, for the first time, a biobibliographical comparative introduction of all of her works for the international audience. It illuminates the broadly representative character of her oeuvre and shows how Luik charts the course for an entire generation of “Soviet” writers of the Baltics as “border states”.

The Sociedad Espanola de Ceramica y Vidrio over half a century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez Navarro, J.M.

2010-01-01

The double objective of this lecture is to commemorate, on the occasion of its golden jubilee, the work performed by the Spanish Society of Ceramics and Glass and to pay a special homage to the memory of its main promoter and supporter, Professor Antonio Garcia Verduch. Since its foundation in 1960 the Society has contributed to join all the experts in ceramics and glass, as well as to promote and spread among them scientific and technical knowledge related to both areas, while adapting itself to the investigation trends of each moment in time and to the interests of the different industrial sectors. Along its half century of history it has organized some hundred and twenty-five national congresses and specialized technical meetings and nine national congresses. It represents Spain in five international associations. The Society's main contribution, together with its international activities, has been the uninterrupted publication of its bimonthly magazine, the Society's Bulletin, which since 1999 is included in the database of the Science Citation Index. Furthermore, the Society keeps a permanent relationship with investigation centres, universities, museums, technicians and manufacturers associations and fairground institutions. As a sign of its promotion of technical development, the Society grants every year since 1977 its Alfa de Oro Awards to the most outstanding industrial products shown in the Valencia Fair, in order to highlight quality, technological innovation and design. In 1999 the Society's Electroceramics group created the Epsilon de Oro Awards which are granted every two years to the people or institutions that have produced the main scientific contribution in a given field. (Author).

Bone morphogenetic protein-induced heterotopic bone formation: What have we learned from the history of a half century?

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Takenobu Katagiri, PhD

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP was originally discovered by Marshall Urist a half century ago following the observation of a unique activity that induced heterotopic bone formation in skeletal muscle tissue. The molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of heterotopic bone formation in skeletal muscle by BMPs were elucidated through the purification and molecular cloning of BMPs and identification of their functional receptors and downstream effectors, as well as from genetic disorders related to BMP activity. BMPs are important regulators of not only skeletal development and regeneration but also the homeostasis of normal skeletal muscle mass. There is still much to learn about the physiology and pathology at the interface of BMPs and skeletal muscle.

The century of nuclear materials

Science.gov (United States)

Mansur, Lou; Was, Gary S.; Zinkle, Steve; Petti, David; Ukai, Shigeharu

2018-03-01

In the spring of 1959 the well-read metallurgist would have noticed the first issue of an infant Journal, one dedicated to a unique and fast growing field of materials issues associated with nuclear energy systems. The periodical, Journal of Nuclear Materials (JNM), is now the leading publication in the field from which it takes its name, thriving beyond the rosiest expectations of its founders. The discipline is well into the second half-century. During that time much has been achieved in nuclear materials; the Journal provides the authoritative record of virtually all those accomplishments. These pages introduce the 500th volume, a significant measure in the world of publishing. The Editors reflect on the progress in the field and the role of this journal.

Clothes in Kazan Petty Bourgeoisie of the First Half of the 19 Century as a Marker of Sociocultural Identity

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Tatyana V. Bessonova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the study of a Kazan philistine costume of the first half of the 19th century as an integral feature of social quality in the conditions of the class system. This period in Russian history is the time of transition to a bourgeois society, during which the views on fashion and beauty changed, which was reflected in the dress and appearance of people. The main source that allows to recreate a philistine image of that period is the description of the Kazan philistine property, drawn up during the transfer to the trusteeship or sold for debts. The analysis of archival materials, most of which were introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, made it possible to reconstruct a Russian petty bourgeois suit and to present a visual image of an ordinary citizen and the townspeople of the period under study. The approaches to the study of this issue are based on the methods used in microhistory and historical anthropology with the use of lexical-semantic analysis elements. The study showed that philistine clothing is a social marker reflecting the social-cultural identity of an urban commoner, taking into account gender and ethnic-confessional features. The costume of an urban commoner as a whole retained a traditional image for Russia, which was formed during the era prior to Peter I, which was reflected, among other things, in lexical archaisms. In the first half of the 19th century the social-cultural mentality of a petty bourgeois remained generally at the level of a class-based mentality.

From Domination to Autonomy: Two Eras of Progress in World-sociological Perspective

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Peter Wagner

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, the belief in progress that was widespread across the two centuries following the French Revolution has withered away. This article suggests, though, that the diagnosis of the end of progress can be used as an occasion to rethink what progress meant and what it might mean today. The proposal for rethinking proceeds in two big steps. First, the meaning of progress that was inherited from the Enlightenment is reconstructed and contrasted with the way progress actually occurred in history. In this step, it is demonstrated that progress was expected through human autonomy, but that it was actually brought about by domination and resistance to domination. A look at the short revival of progress after the middle of the twentieth century will confirm this insight and direct the attention to the transformation of the world over the past half century, on which the second step focuses. This socio-political transformation is analyzed as spelling (almost the end of formal domination. The current era has often been characterized by the tendencies towards globalization and individualization as well as, normatively, by the increasingly hegemonic commitment to human rights and democracy. A critical analysis of the current socio-political constellation, however, shows that the end of formal domination does not mean the end of history; it rather requires the elaboration of a new understanding of possible progress. Progress can no longer predominantly be achieved through resistance to domination, but rather through autonomous collective action and through the critical interpretation of the world one finds onself in.

Key textbooks in the development of modern american plastic surgery: the first half of the twentieth century.

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Haddock, Nicholas T; McCarthy, Joseph G

2013-07-01

A number of historical texts published during the first half of the twentieth century played a pivotal role in shaping and defining modern plastic surgery in the United States. Blair's Surgery and Diseases of the Mouth and Jaws (1912), John Staige Davis's Plastic Surgery: Its Principles and Practice (1919), Gillies's Plastic Surgery of the Face (1920), Fomon's Surgery of Injury and Plastic Repair (1939), Ivy's Manual of Standard Practice of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Military Surgery Manuals (1943), Padgett and Stephenson's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1948), and Kazanjian and Converse's The Surgical Treatment of Facial Injuries (1949) were reviewed. These texts were published at a time when plastic surgery was developing as a distinct specialty. Each work represents a different point in this evolution. All were not inclusive of all of plastic surgery, but all had a lasting impact. Four texts were based on clinical experience from World War I; one included experience from World War II; and two included experience from both. One text became a military surgical handbook in World Wars I and II, playing an important role in care for the wounded. History has demonstrated that times of war spark medical/surgical advancements, and these wars had a dramatic impact on the development of reconstructive plastic surgery. Each of these texts documented surgical advancements and provided an intellectual platform that helped shape and create the independent discipline of plastic surgery during peacetime. For many future leaders of plastic surgery, these books served as their introduction to this new field.

Muscovy and the Crimea in the Historical Destinies of the Peoples of the North Caucasus in the second half of the XVI century

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Aleksandr A. Kudryavtsev

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the second half of the XVI century Moscow state, defeating Kazan (1552 and Astrakhan (1556 khanate, came to the Caspian sea to the North Caucasus, where he encountered opposition from two very strong opponents: Turkey and the Crimean khanate. The Ottoman Empire, which included Northern Caspian and the Caucasus in the number of its geopolitical interests, sought power and diplomatic means to subdue the mountain and nomadic population, their power and actively opposed their rapprochement with Russia. One of the main performers and conductors of Turkish policy in the region were dependent vassal of Turkey, the Crimean khanate. The peoples of the North Caucasus, first of all Nogai, the Kabardians and the representatives of several other Circassian tribes, seen in Moscow state protection from the expansive aspirations of the Crimea and Turkey and actively supported the Russian fortification construction and anticrime military operations of the Russian North Caucasus. Military and diplomatic successes of the Russian state in the North Caucasus and the Caspian sea in the second half of the XVI century contributed to the development of international Eastern trade along the Volga-Caspian route and the strengthening of the authority of Moscow in the region and in the international arena.

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hensman Moss, Davina J; Pardiñas, Antonio F; Langbehn, Douglas

2017-01-01

indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008-11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers...... in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression......BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate...

Genome-Wide Search for Host Association Factors during Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus Infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Thompson

Full Text Available Ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV is an important virus that causes serious diseases in sheep and goats with a prevalence of 36% in the USA. Although OPPV was discovered more than half of a century ago, little is known about the infection and pathogenesis of this virus. In this report, we used RNA-seq technology to conduct a genome-wide probe for cellular factors that are associated with OPPV infection. A total of approximately 22,000 goat host genes were detected of which 657 were found to have been significantly up-regulated and 889 down-regulated at 12 hours post-infection. In addition to previously known restriction factors from other viral infections, a number of factors which may be specific for OPPV infection were uncovered. The data from this RNA-seq study will be helpful in our understanding of OPPV infection, and also for further study in the prevention and intervention of this viral disease.

Present status of refining and conversion facility dismantling. Progress in latter half of 2010FY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kado, Kazumi; Sugitsue, Noritake; Morimoto, Yasuyuki; Ikegami, Sohei; Tanaka, Yoshio; Takahashi, Nobuo; Tokuyasu, Takashi

2011-09-01

The Refining and Conversion Facility located in the Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center had the natural uranium conversion process and reprocessed uranium conversion process. The construction of this facility was started in 1979 and completed in October 1981. Dismantling of equipments in radiation controlled area of this facility was started from 2008. Equipments in radiation controlled area (excluding ventilating equipment and liquid waste treatment equipment) will be dismantled by the 2011 fiscal year, and ventilating equipment and liquid waste treatment equipment will be dismantled by the 2014 fiscal year. This report describes the master plan of this decommissioning and shows as the progress in latter half year of 2010FY, the actual time schedule, the method of decommissioning, the decommissioning progress appearance with photographs, work rates of each room / each worker class, and the quantity of dismantled materials and secondary wastes. (author)

Banting Memorial Lecture 2010^. Type 2 diabetes as an 'infectious' disease: is this the Black Death of the 21st century?

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, D R; Matthews, P C

2011-01-01

We are currently facing a global pandemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In some settings, the population prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is 50%, and half of those affected will die from diabetes-related complications. Eight centuries ago, an epidemic of bubonic plague swept across Europe, killing at least half of its victims. We here draw comparisons between these two pandemics, proposing close analogies between the 'Black Death' of the 14th century and the modern-day equivalent of Type 2 diabetes. Both diseases can be considered in terms of an aetiological agent, a reservoir, a vector and a predisposing toxic environment; populations can be considered as highly susceptible to the transmissable agents of Type 2 diabetes in the setting of calorie excess, inadequate food labelling, poorly regulated advertising and sedentary lifestyles. As for tackling a pandemic of a contagious microbial pathogen, we believe that breaking the cycle of transmission in the diabetes epidemic must be underpinned by political will and prompt, decisive legislation backed by the medical community. Far from fearing that such measures edge us towards a 'nanny state', we believe individuals should expect a responsible government to safeguard them from the toxic milieu that puts them at risk of obesity and its complications, and that communities and populations have the right to have their health protected. © 2010 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2010 Diabetes UK.

The Lazy Reader: Labor, Books, and Disease in Nineteenth-Century Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Aselmeyer, Norman

Looking at nineteenth-century Germany, this article investigates the origin of the idea that fiction causes disease, among both the bourgeoisie and the working class. I argue that the socially constructed notions of reading addiction, which were consistent with medical concepts at that time, touched the bourgeois virtues of industriousness and health. However, little has been written about the transfer of the bourgeois attitudes towards reading to the German working class. The study of workers' autobiographies shows that social circumstances and the emulation of bourgeois values and attitudes resulted in appropriating the concept of lazy readers in the working class. The paper follows the paths from the early nineteenth century accusation of readers to the working class's perception of novels causing disease around 1900.

Progression of Late-Onset Stargardt Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambertus, Stanley; Lindner, Moritz; Bax, Nathalie M; Mauschitz, Matthias M; Nadal, Jennifer; Schmid, Matthias; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; den Hollander, Anneke I; Weber, Bernhard H F; Holz, Frank G; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Fleckenstein, Monika; Hoyng, Carel B

2016-10-01

Identification of sensitive biomarkers is essential to determine potential effects of emerging therapeutic trials for Stargardt disease. This study aimed to describe the natural history of late-onset Stargardt, and demonstrates the accuracy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy progression as an outcome measure. We performed a retrospective cohort study collecting multicenter data from 47 patients (91 eyes) with late-onset Stargardt, defined by clinical phenotype, at least one ABCA4 mutation, and age at disease onset ≥ 45 years. We analyzed RPE atrophy progression on fundus autofluorescence and near-infrared reflectance imaging using semiautomated software and a linear mixed model. We performed sample size calculations to assess the power in a simulated 2-year interventional study and assessed visual endpoints using time-to-event analysis. Over time, progression of RPE atrophy was observed (mean: 0.22 mm/year, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.27). By including only patients with bilateral RPE atrophy in a future trial, 32 patients are needed to reach a power of 83.9% (95% CI: 83.1-84.6), assuming a fixed therapeutic effect size of 30%. We found a median interval between disease onset and visual acuity decline to 20/32, 20/80, and 20/200 of 2.74 (95% CI: 0.54-4.41), 10.15 (95% CI: 6.13-11.38), and 11.38 (95% CI: 6.13-13.34) years, respectively. We show that RPE atrophy represents a robust biomarker to monitor disease progression in future therapeutic trials. In contrast, the variability in terms of the course of visual acuity was high.

Semantic Memory in the Clinical Progression of Alzheimer Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tchakoute, Christophe T; Sainani, Kristin L; Henderson, Victor W

2017-09-01

Semantic memory measures may be useful in tracking and predicting progression of Alzheimer disease. We investigated relationships among semantic memory tasks and their 1-year predictive value in women with Alzheimer disease. We conducted secondary analyses of a randomized clinical trial of raloxifene in 42 women with late-onset mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease. We assessed semantic memory with tests of oral confrontation naming, category fluency, semantic recognition and semantic naming, and semantic density in written narrative discourse. We measured global cognition (Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale), dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes), and daily function (Activities of Daily Living Inventory) at baseline and 1 year. At baseline and 1 year, most semantic memory scores correlated highly or moderately with each other and with global cognition, dementia severity, and daily function. Semantic memory task performance at 1 year had worsened one-third to one-half standard deviation. Factor analysis of baseline test scores distinguished processes in semantic and lexical retrieval (semantic recognition, semantic naming, confrontation naming) from processes in lexical search (semantic density, category fluency). The semantic-lexical retrieval factor predicted global cognition at 1 year. Considered separately, baseline confrontation naming and category fluency predicted dementia severity, while semantic recognition and a composite of semantic recognition and semantic naming predicted global cognition. No individual semantic memory test predicted daily function. Semantic-lexical retrieval and lexical search may represent distinct aspects of semantic memory. Semantic memory processes are sensitive to cognitive decline and dementia severity in Alzheimer disease.

A paycheck half-empty or half-full? Framing, fairness and progressive taxation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stian Reimers

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Taxation policy is driven by many factors, including public opinion, but little research has examined the strength and stability of the public's taxation preferences. This paper demonstrates one way in which preferences for progressiveness depend on the framing of the question asked. Participants indicated how they would share a fixed tax burden between two individuals who earned different amounts of money, either by adjusting the amount of tax paid by the two individuals, or by adjusting the amount of post-tax income retained. The units in which tax was described --- amount of money or percentage tax rate --- were manipulated orthogonally. There was a strong metric effect: Participants favored progressiveness more when tax was described as a percentage rather than amount. However, there was also a clear interaction: for amounts, participants favored progressiveness significantly more when considering post-tax money retained rather than tax paid; for percentages, no such effect was found.

[Various pathways leading to the progression of chronic liver diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Egresi, Anna; Lengyel, Gabriella; Somogyi, Anikó; Blázovics, Anna; Hagymási, Krisztina

2016-02-21

As the result of various effects (viruses, metabolic diseases, nutritional factors, toxic agents, autoimmune processes) abnormal liver function, liver steatosis and connective tissue remodeling may develop. Progression of this process is complex including various pathways and a number of factors. The authors summarize the factors involved in the progression of chronic liver disease. They describe the role of cells and the produced inflammatory mediators and cytokines, as well as the relationship between the disease and the intestinal flora. They emphasize the role of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in disease progression. Insulin resistance and micro-elements (iron, copper) in relation to liver damage are also discussed, and genetic and epigenetic aspects underlying disease progression are summarized. Discovery of novel treatment options, assessment of the effectiveness of treatment, as well as the success and proper timing of liver transplantation may depend on a better understanding of the process of disease progression.

[Malaria in pictures: images from Brazil's public health campaigns in the first half of the twentieth century].

Science.gov (United States)

Hochman, Gilberto; Mello, Maria Teresa Bandeira de; Santos, Paulo Roberto Elian dos

2002-01-01

The article discusses a set of pictures that illustrate public health activities, practices, and campaigns against malaria in Brazil from 1918 through 1956. Exemplary of certain key moments in this history, the illustrations belong to three archives from the Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz collection: Arquivo Belisário Penna, Arquivto Fundação Rockefeller ("Serviço de Malária do Nordeste" series), and Arquivo Rostan Soares. The article links these photographic records to their specific historical-public health contexts and to the campaign models and strategies represented by each archive. It also draws relations with the 20th -century history of the photographic medium itself. It is argued that these images of malaria constitute prime sources in constructing a visual history of the disease in 20th -century Brazil and of the country's public health history.

The position of nervous diseases between internal medicine and psychiatry in the XIXth century.

Science.gov (United States)

Shterenshis, M V

1999-12-01

It is frequently said and believed that the history of clinical neurology of the 19th century has much in common with the history of psychiatry. Though neurology and psychiatry are neighboring clinical disciplines, the development of clinical neurology differs from that of psychiatry in 19th century Europe. The history of bedside neurology is that of gradual separation of nervous diseases from other internal diseases. Despite the efforts of the German psychiatrists, any influence of psychiatry on that process was very limited.

Historical outline of the cancer in the speech of the Doctors of the atlantic coast. The first half of the 20th century

OpenAIRE

Sierra-Merlano Rita; Tuñón-Pitalúa Martha; Simancas-Mendoza Estela

2012-01-01

The present article is result of an historical investigation of descriptive character whichfundamental aim is to show, since the review of the medical scientific publications at theend of the 20th century and the first half of the 20thcentury, the presence of the canceras a welfare and academic subject matter in the Facultad de Medicina of the Universidadde Cartagena in Colombia. Moreover, to identify to the teachers who contributed in thediffusion of the knowledge in those subject matters an...

Alzheimer\\'s Disease: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farid Fadaei

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease is the most common and well - known cause of dementia, as a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that affects cognitive function, personality, thought, perception and behaviour. Alzheimer's disease is the fourth leading cause of death in western countries. Interesting to know that this disease was unknown in medical community till 100 years ago and had no name. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist was the person who suspected the presence of this new illness and by succinct clinical, neuroanatomic, and neuropathologic examination of some cases; including the first known case of this disease- a woman named Auguste Deter- documented it. In further Emil Kraepe1inby knowing about the cases that Dr. Alzheimer reported, and another reports of this disease that were published in the first decade of the twentieth century, set the name of Alzbeimer on this new disease. Descriptions of Dr. Alzheimer and Kraepelin are the same as the present day descriptions of this disease. Electron microscopy, quantitative morphology and modem biochemistry emerging in the second half of the twentieth century opened a new era in dementia research with description of the ultra structure and biochemistry of senileplaques and neuronfibrillary tangles, the major disease markers of Alzheimer's disease. Basic research gave insight into the molecular genetics and pathophysiology of Alzheimers disease and based on the biochemical findings, new pharmacological treatment options were opened. The future attempts will probably be concentrated on the prevention of this disease. Oxidative stress, excessive transition metal ions, and misfolded / aggregated proteins and inflammation are among the probable causes of Alzheimer's disease and the future research will focus on their better understanding and prevention of their occurrence. As the last word, stem cells grafts that in animals have led to remarkable improvement of brain function may also be a

Norman Mailer - the most influental critic of contemporary reality in the second half of the twentieth century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasna Potočnik Topler

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Norman Mailer, one of the most influential authors of the second half of the twentieth century, faithfully followed his principle that a writer should alsobe a critic of contemporary reality. Therefore, most of his works portray the reality of the United States of America and the complexities of the contemporary American scene. Mailer described the spirit of his time - from the terror of war and numerous dynamic social and political processes to the 1969 moon landing. Conflicts were often in the centre of his writing, as was the relationship between an individual and the society; he speaks of politicalpower and the dangerous power of capital, while pointing to the threat of totalitarianism in America. Mailer spent his entire career writing about violence, power, perverted sexuality, the phenomenon of Hitler, terrorism, religion and corruption. He continually pointed out that individuals were in constant danger of losing freedom and dignity.

Emerging and Neglected Infectious Diseases: Insights, Advances, and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Nii-Trebi, Nicholas Israel

2017-01-01

Infectious diseases are a significant burden on public health and economic stability of societies all over the world. They have for centuries been among the leading causes of death and disability and presented growing challenges to health security and human progress. The threat posed by infectious diseases is further deepened by the continued emergence of new, unrecognized, and old infectious disease epidemics of global impact. Over the past three and half decades at least 30 new infectious agents affecting humans have emerged, most of which are zoonotic and their origins have been shown to correlate significantly with socioeconomic, environmental, and ecological factors. As these factors continue to increase, putting people in increased contact with the disease causing pathogens, there is concern that infectious diseases may continue to present a formidable challenge. Constant awareness and pursuance of effective strategies for controlling infectious diseases and disease emergence thus remain crucial. This review presents current updates on emerging and neglected infectious diseases and highlights the scope, dynamics, and advances in infectious disease management with particular focus on WHO top priority emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and neglected tropical infectious diseases.

Progression of Stargardt Disease as Determined by Fundus Autofluorescence in the Retrospective Progression of Stargardt Disease Study (ProgStar Report No. 9).

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Rupert W; Muñoz, Beatriz; Ho, Alexander; Jha, Anamika; Michaelides, Michel; Cideciyan, Artur V; Audo, Isabelle; Birch, David G; Hariri, Amir H; Nittala, Muneeswar G; Sadda, SriniVas; West, Sheila; Scholl, Hendrik P N

2017-11-01

Sensitive outcome measures for disease progression are needed for treatment trials of Stargardt disease. To describe the yearly progression rate of atrophic lesions in the retrospective Progression of Stargardt Disease study. A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at tertiary referral centers in the United States and Europe. A total of 251 patients aged 6 years or older at baseline, harboring disease-causing variants in ABCA4 (OMIM 601691), enrolled in the study from 9 centers between August 2, 2013, and December 12, 2014; of these patients, 215 had at least 2 gradable fundus autofluorescence images with atrophic lesion(s) present in at least 1 eye. Areas of definitely decreased autofluorescence (DDAF) and questionably decreased autofluorescence were quantified by a reading center. Progression rates were estimated from linear mixed models with time as the independent variable. Yearly rate of progression using the growth of atrophic lesions measured by fundus autofluorescence. A total of 251 participants (458 study eyes) were enrolled. Images from 386 eyes of 215 participants (126 females and 89 males; mean [SD] age, 29.9 [14.7] years; mean [SD] age of onset of symptoms, 21.9 [13.3] years) showed atrophic lesions present on at least 2 visits and were graded for 2 (156 eyes), 3 (174 eyes), or 4 (57 eyes) visits. A subset of 224 eyes (123 female participants and 101 male participants; mean [SD] age, 33.0 [15.1] years) had areas of DDAF present on at least 2 visits; these eyes were included in the estimation of the progression of the area of DDAF. At the first visit, DDAF was present in 224 eyes (58.0%), with a mean (SD) lesion size of 2.2 (2.7) mm2. The total mean (SD) area of decreased autofluorescence (DDAF and questionably decreased autofluorescence) at first visit was 2.6 (2.8) mm2. Mean progression of DDAF was 0.51 mm2/y (95% CI, 0.42-0.61 mm2/y), and of total decreased fundus autofluorescence was 0.35 mm2/y (95% CI, 0.28-0.43 mm2/y). Rates of

Periodontal profile classes predict periodontal disease progression and tooth loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Thiago; Moss, Kevin L; Preisser, John S; Beck, James D; Divaris, Kimon; Wu, Di; Offenbacher, Steven

2018-02-01

Current periodontal disease taxonomies have limited utility for predicting disease progression and tooth loss; in fact, tooth loss itself can undermine precise person-level periodontal disease classifications. To overcome this limitation, the current group recently introduced a novel patient stratification system using latent class analyses of clinical parameters, including patterns of missing teeth. This investigation sought to determine the clinical utility of the Periodontal Profile Classes and Tooth Profile Classes (PPC/TPC) taxonomy for risk assessment, specifically for predicting periodontal disease progression and incident tooth loss. The analytic sample comprised 4,682 adult participants of two prospective cohort studies (Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and Piedmont Dental Study) with information on periodontal disease progression and incident tooth loss. The PPC/TPC taxonomy includes seven distinct PPCs (person-level disease pattern and severity) and seven TPCs (tooth-level disease). Logistic regression modeling was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of these latent classes with disease progression and incident tooth loss, adjusting for examination center, race, sex, age, diabetes, and smoking. To obtain personalized outcome propensities, risk estimates associated with each participant's PPC and TPC were combined into person-level composite risk scores (Index of Periodontal Risk [IPR]). Individuals in two PPCs (PPC-G: Severe Disease and PPC-D: Tooth Loss) had the highest tooth loss risk (RR = 3.6; 95% CI = 2.6 to 5.0 and RR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.9 to 5.1, respectively). PPC-G also had the highest risk for periodontitis progression (RR = 5.7; 95% CI = 2.2 to 14.7). Personalized IPR scores were positively associated with both periodontitis progression and tooth loss. These findings, upon additional validation, suggest that the periodontal/tooth profile classes and the derived

Possible role of the dimming/brightening in observed temperatures across Europe since the second half of the 20th century

Science.gov (United States)

van den Besselaar, E. J. M.; Sanchez-Lorenzo, A.; Wild, M.; Klein Tank, A. M. G.

2012-04-01

The surface solar radiation (SSR) is the fundamental source of energy in the climate system, and consequently the source of life on our planet, due to its central role in the surface energy balance. Therefore, a significant impact on temperatures is expected due to the widespread dimming/brightening phenomenon observed since the second half of the 20th century (Wild, 2009). Previous studies pointed out the effects of SSR trends in temperatures series over Europe (Makowski et al., 2009; Philipona et al., 2009), although the lack of long-term SSR series limits these results. This work describes an updated sunshine duration (SS) dataset compiled by the European Climate Assessment and Dataset (ECA&D) project based on around 300 daily time series over Europe covering the 1961-2010 period. The relationship between the SS and temperature series is analysed based on four temperature variables: maximum (TX), minimum (TN) and mean temperature (TG), as well as the diurnal temperature range (DTR). Regional and pan-European mean series of SS and temperatures are constructed. The analyses are performed on annual and seasonal scale, and focusing on the interannual and decadal agreement between the variables. The results show strong positive correlations on interannual scales between SS and temperatures over Europe, especially for the DTR and TX during the summer period and regions in Central Europe. Interestingly, the SS and temperatures series show a tendency towards higher correlations in the smoothed series, both for different regions and temperature variables. These results confirm the relationship between temperature and SS trends over Europe since the second half of the 20th century, which has been speculated to partially decrease (increase) temperatures during the dimming (brightening) period (Makowski et al., 2009; Wild, 2009). Further research is needed to confirm this cause-effect relationship currently found only using correlation analysis.

Murman Coast of the Barents Sea at the Second Half of the 19th and the Begining 20th Century. Russian or European Colonization?

OpenAIRE

Pavel V. Fedorov

2014-01-01

This article is dedicated to analysing the historical background of the process of colonization Murman coast of the Barents Sea at the second half of the 19th and the begining 20th century. It consider two different interpretations of the history of colonization. One of them is the process of checking the Murman coast as a result of Russia imposed Western European initiatives. Another interpretation associates colonization with traditional process of the Russian presence on Murman.

Predictors of disease progression in HIV infection: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ananworanich Jintanat

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract During the extended clinically latent period associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV infection the virus itself is far from latent. This phase of infection generally comes to an end with the development of symptomatic illness. Understanding the factors affecting disease progression can aid treatment commencement and therapeutic monitoring decisions. An example of this is the clear utility of CD4+ T-cell count and HIV-RNA for disease stage and progression assessment. Elements of the immune response such as the diversity of HIV-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte responses and cell-surface CD38 expression correlate significantly with the control of viral replication. However, the relationship between soluble markers of immune activation and disease progression remains inconclusive. In patients on treatment, sustained virological rebound to >10 000 copies/mL is associated with poor clinical outcome. However, the same is not true of transient elevations of HIV RNA (blips. Another virological factor, drug resistance, is becoming a growing problem around the globe and monitoring must play a part in the surveillance and control of the epidemic worldwide. The links between chemokine receptor tropism and rate of disease progression remain uncertain and the clinical utility of monitoring viral strain is yet to be determined. The large number of confounding factors has made investigation of the roles of race and viral subtype difficult, and further research is needed to elucidate their significance. Host factors such as age, HLA and CYP polymorphisms and psychosocial factors remain important, though often unalterable, predictors of disease progression. Although gender and mode of transmission have a lesser role in disease progression, they may impact other markers such as viral load. Finally, readily measurable markers of disease such as total lymphocyte count, haemoglobin, body mass index and delayed type hypersensitivity may come into favour

From silk to satellite: Half a century of ocean colour anomalies in the Northeast Atlantic

KAUST Repository

Raitsos, Dionysios E.

2014-04-23

Changes in phytoplankton dynamics influence marine biogeochemical cycles, climate processes, and food webs, with substantial social and economic consequences. Large-scale estimation of phytoplankton biomass was possible via ocean colour measurements from two remote sensing satellites - the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS, 1979-1986) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS, 1998-2010). Due to the large gap between the two satellite eras and differences in sensor characteristics, comparison of the absolute values retrieved from the two instruments remains challenging. Using a unique in situ ocean colour dataset that spans more than half a century, the two satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) eras are linked to assess concurrent changes in phytoplankton variability and bloom timing over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Results from this unique re-analysis reflect a clear increasing pattern of Chl-a, a merging of the two seasonal phytoplankton blooms producing a longer growing season and higher seasonal biomass, since the mid-1980s. The broader climate plays a key role in Chl-a variability as the ocean colour anomalies parallel the oscillations of the Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) since 1948. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From silk to satellite: Half a century of ocean colour anomalies in the Northeast Atlantic

KAUST Repository

Raitsos, Dionysios E.; Pradhan, Yaswant; Lavender, Sam; Hoteit, Ibrahim; McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail L.; Reid, Philip Chris; Richardson, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

Changes in phytoplankton dynamics influence marine biogeochemical cycles, climate processes, and food webs, with substantial social and economic consequences. Large-scale estimation of phytoplankton biomass was possible via ocean colour measurements from two remote sensing satellites - the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS, 1979-1986) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS, 1998-2010). Due to the large gap between the two satellite eras and differences in sensor characteristics, comparison of the absolute values retrieved from the two instruments remains challenging. Using a unique in situ ocean colour dataset that spans more than half a century, the two satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) eras are linked to assess concurrent changes in phytoplankton variability and bloom timing over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Results from this unique re-analysis reflect a clear increasing pattern of Chl-a, a merging of the two seasonal phytoplankton blooms producing a longer growing season and higher seasonal biomass, since the mid-1980s. The broader climate plays a key role in Chl-a variability as the ocean colour anomalies parallel the oscillations of the Northern Hemisphere Temperature (NHT) since 1948. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Natural History of Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Stages ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Natural History of Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Stages 4 and 5. ... Conclusion: Low serum bicarbonate level and high urinary protein excretion at baseline are independent predictors of progression in stage 4 and 5 CKD. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; End stage renal disease; Glomerular filtration rate; ...

A half-century of terrestrial analog studies: From craters on the Moon to searching for life on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Léveillé, Richard

2010-03-01

Terrestrial analogs to the Moon and Mars have been used to advance knowledge in planetary science for over a half-century. They are useful in studies of comparative geology of the terrestrial planets and rocky moons, in astronaut training and testing of exploration technologies, and in developing hypotheses and exploration strategies in astrobiology. In fact, the use of terrestrial analogs can be traced back to the origins of comparative geology and astrobiology, and to the early phases of the Apollo astronaut program. Terrestrial analog studies feature prominently throughout the history of both NASA and the USGS' Astrogeology Research Program. In light of current international plans for a return missions to the Moon, and eventually to send sample return and manned missions to Mars, as well as the recent creation of various analog research and development programs, this historical perspective is timely.

Progress in genetics of coronary artery disease

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Radwa Gamal

To the Editor. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide [1] and it is a result of coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery disease refers to the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Progressive infiltration of the ...

Overlap between age-at-onset and disease-progression determinants in Huntington disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, N Ahmad; van der Burg, Jorien M M; Tabrizi, Sarah J; Landwehrmeyer, G Bernhard

2018-05-09

A fundamental but still unresolved issue regarding Huntington disease (HD) pathogenesis is whether the factors that determine age at onset are the same as those that govern disease progression. Because elucidation of this issue is crucial for the development as well as optimal timing of administration of novel disease-modifying therapies, we aimed to assess the extent of overlap between age-at-onset and disease-progression determinants in HD. Using observational data from Enroll-HD, the largest cohort of patients with HD worldwide, in this study we present, validate, and apply an intuitive method based on linear mixed-effect models to quantify the variability in the rate of disease progression in HD. A total of 3,411 patients with HD met inclusion criteria. We found that (1) about two-thirds of the rate of functional, motor, and cognitive progression in HD is determined by the same factors that also determine age at onset, with CAG repeat-dependent mechanisms having by far the largest effect; (2) although expanded HTT CAG repeat size had a large influence on average body weight, the rate of weight loss was largely independent of factors that determine age at onset in HD; and (3) about one-third of the factors that determine the rate of functional, motor, and cognitive progression are different from those that govern age at onset and need further elucidation. Our findings imply that targeting of CAG repeat-dependent mechanisms, for example through gene-silencing approaches, is likely to affect the rate of functional, motor, and cognitive impairment, but not weight loss, in manifest HD mutation carriers. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Climate warming over the past half century has led to thermal degradation of permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Youhua; Li, Xin; Cheng, Guodong

2018-02-01

Air temperature increases thermally degrade permafrost, which has widespread impacts on engineering design, resource development, and environmental protection in cold regions. This study evaluates the potential thermal degradation of permafrost over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) from the 1960s to the 2000s using estimated decadal mean annual air temperatures (MAATs) by integrating remote-sensing-based estimates of mean annual land surface temperatures (MASTs), leaf area index (LAI) and fractional snow cover values, and decadal mean MAAT date from 152 weather stations with a geographically weighted regression (GWR). The results reflect a continuous rise of approximately 0.04 °C a-1 in the decadal mean MAAT values over the past half century. A thermal-condition classification matrix is used to convert modelled MAATs to permafrost thermal type. Results show that the climate warming has led to a thermal degradation of permafrost in the past half century. The total area of thermally degraded permafrost is approximately 153.76 × 104 km2, which corresponds to 88 % of the permafrost area in the 1960s. The thermal condition of 75.2 % of the very cold permafrost, 89.6 % of the cold permafrost, 90.3 % of the cool permafrost, 92.3 % of the warm permafrost, and 32.8 % of the very warm permafrost has been degraded to lower levels of thermal condition. Approximately 49.4 % of the very warm permafrost and 96 % of the likely thawing permafrost has degraded to seasonally frozen ground. The mean elevations of the very cold, cold, cool, warm, very warm, and likely thawing permafrost areas increased by 88, 97, 155, 185, 161, and 250 m, respectively. The degradation mainly occurred from the 1960s to the 1970s and from the 1990s to the 2000s. This degradation may lead to increased risks to infrastructure, reductions in ecosystem resilience, increased flood risks, and positive climate feedback effects. It therefore affects the well-being of millions of people

Byzantine Taurica in the Second Half of the 11th Century and New Seal of Leon Aliates from Cherson

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Nikolay A. Alekseenko

2017-11-01

Full Text Available he discovery of a valuable and important sphragistic source in Cherson – the seal of Strategos and Patrikios Leon Aliates, known by the inscription of 1059, brings us back to the old problems of the development of the administrative system of the Crimean region. Basing the research on the other data as well, today we can confidently state that the presence of the imperial administration in Taurica in the second half of the 11th century does not only decrease, but even expands and reinforces. This is associated, firstly, with Sougdea joining Cherson, and, secondly, with the creation of Cherson katepanate and making Sougdea an independent theme. The seal of vetarch Nicephorus Alan, catepan of Cherson and Khazaria, proves the existence of a new military administrative district in Taurica in the second half of the 11th – at the turn of the 11th / 12th centuries. This fact makes it necessary not only to look in a new way at the history of the region during the collapse of the feudal system, but also in a certain sense to reestimate the role and significance of Cherson in Byzantine politics and diplomacy of that time. The appearance of the katepanate in Taurica, which included not only the traditional regions around Cherson, but also the vast Khazar lands of the Steppe and Northeast Crimea in the sphere of its jurisdiction, was caused by the need to increase the military force of borderlands in the face of an ever-increasing threat from the nomads of the north. For the same reason, Sougdea becomes an independent theme, designed to control the East-Crimean region, the Azov Sea and the Caucasian coast of Ponta. It is possible that a similar situation could apply to Bosporus. The finds of the seals of Russian princes and governors of Tmutarakan in the very area of Bosporus and Sougdea serve as indirect evidence in favor of this fact.

The Discoveries and Achievements of Modern Historiography of the Don Cossacks in the Second Half of the XIX Century

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Oleg E. Chuikov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article examines the current historiography of the Don Cossacks in the second half of the XIX century, there is described the traditional and the alternative concepts advanced by historians after 2000 year. The article analyses the main studies on this chronological period, their advantages and disadvantages. It is shown that many of the events and reforms are not sufficiently understood so far. The authors note that the increase in the number of specialists on Don history of 1860–1890 should be considered the major trend in the development of modern historiography of this period, and it is hoped that the range of the studied issues will only expand in the future, and the level and number of publications revealing new facts and offering new concepts will continue to grow.

HISTORICAL ROLE OF P.I. JURGENSON IN MUSIC PUBLISHING IN SECOND HALF OF XIX TH - EARLY XX TH CENTURIES

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Наталья Вячеславовна Логачева

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the peculiarities of publishing activity of P.I. Jurgenson in the second half of the XIXth - early XXth centuries, who was the outstanding representative of the Russian musical culture. He created a musical publishing house, which became the major musical, creative and scientific center which brought together composers, famous singers, writers, artists and other representatives of the Russian pre-revolutionary elite. The article highlights the fact that for years in his publishing house P.I. Jurgenson published nearly 140 works by famous authors, including Tchaikovsky, Arensky, Balakirev, Glinka, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov and others. The author emphasizes the fact that the musical works published by P.I. Jurgenson are in great demand among contemporary musicians and music community of modern Russia.

Lessons from Toxicology: Developing a 21st-Century Paradigm for Medical Research

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Austin, Christopher P.; Balapure, Anil K.; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Bucher, John R.; Fentem, Julia; Fitzpatrick, Suzanne C.; Fowle, John R.; Kavlock, Robert J.; Kitano, Hiroaki; Lidbury, Brett A.; Muotri, Alysson R.; Peng, Shuang-Qing; Sakharov, Dmitry; Seidle, Troy; Trez, Thales; Tonevitsky, Alexander; van de Stolpe, Anja; Whelan, Maurice; Willett, Catherine

2015-01-01

Summary Biomedical developments in the 21st century provide an unprecedented opportunity to gain a dynamic systems-level and human-specific understanding of the causes and pathophysiologies of disease. This understanding is a vital need, in view of continuing failures in health research, drug discovery, and clinical translation. The full potential of advanced approaches may not be achieved within a 20th-century conceptual framework dominated by animal models. Novel technologies are being integrated into environmental health research and are also applicable to disease research, but these advances need a new medical research and drug discovery paradigm to gain maximal benefits. We suggest a new conceptual framework that repurposes the 21st-century transition underway in toxicology. Human disease should be conceived as resulting from integrated extrinsic and intrinsic causes, with research focused on modern human-specific models to understand disease pathways at multiple biological levels that are analogous to adverse outcome pathways in toxicology. Systems biology tools should be used to integrate and interpret data about disease causation and pathophysiology. Such an approach promises progress in overcoming the current roadblocks to understanding human disease and successful drug discovery and translation. A discourse should begin now to identify and consider the many challenges and questions that need to be solved. PMID:26523530

Allopurinol Against Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease.

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Golmohammadi, Sima; Almasi, Afshin; Manouchehri, M; Omrani, Hamid Reza; Zandkarimi, Mohammad Reza

2017-07-01

Hyperuricemia is common in approximately 50% of patients with kidney failure due to decreased uric acid excretion, and it has been recently known as an independent factor in the progression of renal insufficiency. Allopurinol inhibits the production of uric acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of allopurinol on chronic kidney disease progression. In a clinical trial, patients with stages 3 and 4 of chronic kidney disease were divided into two groups to receive allopurinol, 100 mg, daily and placebo for 12 months. Patients' kidney function and serum uric acid levels were assessed at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after initial administration. Subgroups of patients with severe and mild glomerular filtration rate (GFR) impairment (GFR, 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 to 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 to 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively), were compared between the groups. Serum uric acid levels decreased significantly during after 12 months of allopurinol administration (P = .004). In patients with severe GFR impairment, serum creatinine levels did not decrease significantly and there was no significant increase in GFR, but in those with mild GFR impairment, serum creatinine levels decreased and GFR increase significantly (P kidney disease progression and could be administered with other effective medications for controlling the kidney disease.

When Progressive Disease Does Not Mean Treatment Failure: Reconsidering the Criteria for Progression

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2012-01-01

Although progression-based endpoints, such as progression-free survival, are often key clinical trial endpoints for anticancer agents, the clinical meaning of “objective progression” is much less certain. As scrutiny of progression-based endpoints in clinical trials increases, it should be remembered that the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) progression criteria were not developed as a surrogate for survival. Now that progression-free survival has come to be an increasingly important trial endpoint, the criteria that define progression deserve critical evaluation to determine whether alternate definitions of progression might facilitate the development of stronger surrogate endpoints and more meaningful trial results. In this commentary, we review the genesis of the criteria for progression, highlight recent data that question their value as a marker of treatment failure, and advocate for several research strategies that could lay the groundwork for a clinically validated definition of disease progression in solid tumor oncology. PMID:22927506

Love Practices in the Colombian School during the First Half of the Twentieth Century: Notes for a History of Feminine Love

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Claudia Ximena Herrera Beltrán

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In Latin America women increasingly detach themselves from feminine representations produced by certain discourses of modernity. However, unequal relations, binary constructions of sex and gender, and exclusion whenever there is any sign of resistance are still signs of contemporaneity. In response to this situation, this research paper shows, through an archaeological and genealogical study, how love, as a feeling and emotion, was a subject of education for girls in the Colombian school during the first half of the twentieth century. In that sense, the author reflects upon emotions, feelings and discourses, and reveals how society shaped practices and legitimized truths that, even today, define both men’s and women’s nature.

The Fashioning of Fashionable Diseases in the Eighteenth Century.

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Shuttleton, David E

This essay considers why the eighteenth century has particular significance for anyone concerned with the cultural forces necessary to render a disease fashionable. A brief overview of a pervasive cult of sensibility addresses the role of popular medical writing, imaginative literature, and spas in circulating a romanticized model of nervous disorders as signs of intellectual and moral superiority. Attention is drawn to the ambiguity in the term "fashionable" implying "popular," but also something that might be contrived; to what extent were Georgian fashionable diseases merely cultural constructs? Here the medicalization of masturbation suggests a limit-case. The discussion concludes with an individual case history as reported to the leading academic physician William Cullen.

Metic's philia: a gender approach to the Antigones of the XXth century

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Elena Porciani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This essay intends to investigate interpretations and rewritings of Sofocle’s Antigone in the second half of 20th Century from a gender perspective. In particular, it analyses four thematic features departing from Sofocle’s text and aims to a progressive inclusion of gender issues into a queer point of view: the unburied dead, the conflict between Antigone and Creon, women’s ‘philia’ on stage, Antigone as a ‘metoikos’ with fluid identity. It examines works of female authors and scholars such as Judith Butler, Martha Nussbaum, Grete Weil, and María Zambrano.

[Eugenics and Discrimination in Colombia: the Role of Medicine and Psychiatry in Immigration Policy at the Beginning of the 20th Century].

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Moog, Jaime Carrizosa

2014-03-01

With the Theory of Evolution, eugenics had its beginnings during the last decades of the 19th century. Academics discussed the results obtained from their observations, and progressively had influence on the promulgation of laws and norms related to ethnic hygiene and improvement of race. Such principles were the fundamentals to order eugenic and discriminatory laws. Colombia was not outside that discussion and developed immigration laws congruent to that thinking during the first half of the 20th century. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

The Protest Movement in the North Caucasus in the second half of XIX – the beginning of XX centuries: Causes, Character, Significance

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Amiran T. Urushadze

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the protest movement in the North Caucasus in second half of XIX– the beginning of XX centuries. The article is the first of planned by authors cycle of articles about the protest movement in the North Caucasus during the second half of the XIX century to early XXI century. The article based on analysis of published and archival evidence highlighted the reasons for the uprisings, and their character and significance. The frame of archival material were documents of central state archive of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and the Archive of the Kabardino-Balkarian Institute of humanitarian researches. The main catalysts for the protests on the southern outskirts of the Russian Empire were the inertia of the Caucasian war, the large-scale legal and administrative innovations, unreasonable actions of the crown authorities. The article describes the largest rebellion of the highlanders in this period, which allows us to trace the peculiarities of the various stages of the protest movement in the North Caucasus. The insurrections of the 1860s became the reaction of traditional mountain societies on the Imperial upgrades. The indignation of the indigenous population caused the increase of taxes, which threatened completely to upset the already undermined by years of war economy of highlanders. The forced resettlement of highlanders to the plainsby the Russian authorities pushedthe mountaineers to the rebellion.The role of a fuse played the numerous rumors about the impending mass baptism of the highlanders and turn them into Cossacks. But the most important that the indigenous population did not trust the Russian legal and administrative institutions, did not believe in their fairness and impartiality. The uprising of 1877 was the last attempt to stop the spread of Russian sovereignty in the North Caucasus. The uprising tried to copy the state structure of the Imamate of Shamil, to restore the old titles and forms of

Rise and fall of peptic ulceration: A disease of civilization?

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Roberts-Thomson, Ian C

2018-07-01

Humans and Helicobacter pylori have evolved and adapted over tens of thousands of years. Yet peptic ulcer disease appeared to be rare prior to the 19th century. The prevalence of peptic ulcer disease increased between 1850 and 1900 and culminated in a cohort at high risk that was born at the end of the 19th century. This coincided with the provision of safe water and improvements in sanitation and personal hygiene. One hypothesis for the emergence of peptic ulcer disease focuses on the rate of development of atrophic gastritis induced by H. pylori. The hypothesis developed in this article focuses on delay in the age of acquisition of H. pylori to a time when immune and inflammatory responses to the infection were more mature. Whereas the acquisition of H. pylori in infancy usually resulted in mild pangastritis, hypochlorhydria, and a low risk for peptic ulcer disease, delayed acquisition could cause either more severe pangastritis (predisposing to gastric ulceration) or gastritis largely restricted to the antrum of the stomach (predisposing to duodenal ulceration). The decline in the prevalence of peptic ulcer disease over the past 100 years parallels the decline in the prevalence of H. pylori. The epidemic of ulcer disease in the first half of the 20th century seems likely to be an adverse effect of important public health measures undertaken in the latter half of the 19th century. © 2018 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The applause sign and neuropsychological profile in progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease.

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Somme, Johanne; Gómez-Esteban, Juan Carlos; Tijero, Beatriz; Berganzo, Koldo; Lezcano, Elena; Zarranz, Juan Jose

2013-08-01

The applause sign has been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. We investigate its validity in the differential diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease, and its relationship with neuropsychological tests. 23 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and 106 patients with Parkinson's disease were included and administered the following scales: progressive supranuclear palsy rating scale, unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), frontal assessment battery (FAB), neuropsychiatric inventory and three-clap test. 73.9% with progressive supranuclear palsy and 21.7% with Parkinson's disease showed a positive applause sign. Only a positive applause sign, UPDRS II score and disease duration were found to be predictors of progressive supranuclear palsy. Both patient-groups showed statistically significant correlations between the applause sign and neuropsychological tests: in progressive supranuclear palsy patients MMSE correlation coefficient: 0.62 (p: 0.002) and FAB correlation coefficient: 0.48 (p: 0.02), and in Parkinson's disease patients MMSE correlation coefficient: 0.47 (pspecific to progressive supranuclear palsy and may also be observed in Parkinson's disease patients with altered cognition, and it's related to cortical frontal abnormalities such as language disorders and inhibitory control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contributions to a historical review of biological anthropology in Brazil from the second half of the twentieth century

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Verlan Valle Gaspar Neto

Full Text Available Abstract This article provides a preliminary historical survey of Brazilian biological anthropology from the second half of the twentieth century. Even today, little historiographic information on the last 50 or 60 years is available and/or has been explored, while few allusions to bioanthropology can be found in existing works on the history and contemporary state of anthropology in Brazil; this article attempts to span this gap. The first section examines various aspects of the general development of biological anthropology as it radiated from the centers (Europe and the United States outward over time. This initial survey affords a clearer understanding of the Brazilian case, which is the topic of the second section. This is followed by a brief historical and bibliographic account of the most recent state of biological anthropology in the country, including a number of specialized areas of research. The article concludes with a short discussion of the material covered.

ROMANIAN CHORAL CREATION OF FOLK ESSENCE FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY: DIRECTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

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MORARU EMILIA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Th is article is dedicated to identifying ways of development of Romanian choral music from the fi rst half of the twentieth century. In this regard, the author highlights the composition directions of this period, representative composers, the genre and thematic spectrum, and the ways of capitalizing authentic folk music. Th us, the author’s aim is to underline the achievements of composers, such as Dumitru G. Kiriac, Gheorghe Cucu (who cultivated the choral genre in miniature forms and of composers Ioan D. Chirescu, Dimitrie Cuclin, Sabin Drăgoi, Mihail Jora, Paul Constantinescu, Marţian Negrea (who conceived a varied choral creation by using modern harmonic methods: polyrhythm, colour modes, harmonization based on seconds, stacked fourths. Although strongly infl uenced by artistic currents „in vogue” of universal music, the Romanian composers of this period got more and more affi liated to those followers who created „in the style” or „in popular character”

"Not a very nice subject." Changing views of parasites and parasitology in the twentieth century.

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Vickerman, Keith

2009-10-01

The man in-the-street who frequently asks the question "Why am I here?" finds even more difficulty with the question "Why are parasites here?" The public's distaste for parasites (and by implication, for parasitologists!) is therefore understandable, as maybe was the feeling of early 20th century biologists that parasites were a puzzle because they did not conform to the then widely held association between evolution and progress, let alone the reason why a benevolent Creator should have created them. In mid-century, the writer, contemplating a career in parasitology was taken aback when he found that extolled contemporary biologists disdained parasites or thought little of parasitology as an intellectual subject. These attitudes reflected a lack of appreciation of the important role of parasites in generating evolutionary novelty and speciation, also unawareness of the value of parasite life-cycle studies for formulating questions of wider significance in biology, deficiencies which were gratifyingly beginning to be remedied in the latter half of the century.

The pipe model theory half a century on: a review.

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Lehnebach, Romain; Beyer, Robert; Letort, Véronique; Heuret, Patrick

2018-01-23

More than a half century ago, Shinozaki et al. (Shinozaki K, Yoda K, Hozumi K, Kira T. 1964b. A quantitative analysis of plant form - the pipe model theory. II. Further evidence of the theory and its application in forest ecology. Japanese Journal of Ecology14: 133-139) proposed an elegant conceptual framework, the pipe model theory (PMT), to interpret the observed linear relationship between the amount of stem tissue and corresponding supported leaves. The PMT brought a satisfactory answer to two vividly debated problems that were unresolved at the moment of its publication: (1) What determines tree form and which rules drive biomass allocation to the foliar versus stem compartments in plants? (2) How can foliar area or mass in an individual plant, in a stand or at even larger scales be estimated? Since its initial formulation, the PMT has been reinterpreted and used in applications, and has undoubtedly become an important milestone in the mathematical interpretation of plant form and functioning. This article aims to review the PMT by going back to its initial formulation, stating its explicit and implicit properties and discussing them in the light of current biological knowledge and experimental evidence in order to identify the validity and range of applicability of the theory. We also discuss the use of the theory in tree biomechanics and hydraulics as well as in functional-structural plant modelling. Scrutinizing the PMT in the light of modern biological knowledge revealed that most of its properties are not valid as a general rule. The hydraulic framework derived from the PMT has attracted much more attention than its mechanical counterpart and implies that only the conductive portion of a stem cross-section should be proportional to the supported foliage amount rather than the whole of it. The facts that this conductive portion is experimentally difficult to measure and varies with environmental conditions and tree ontogeny might cause the commonly

Progress, Wealth, and Mathematics Achievement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valero, Paola

2013-01-01

I am interested in discussing the historical conditions that make it possible to formulate the idea that the mathematical qualifications of citizens in modern states is connected to the progress and economic development of nations. I interconnect apparently unrelated areas in an attempt to shed l......, H. (1899). Préface. L' Enseignement Mathématique, 1(1), 1-5. Popkewitz, T. S. (2008). Cosmopolitanism and the age of school reform: Science, education, and making society by making the child. New York: Routledge....... to the end of the 19th century. During the second half of the 19th century, mathematics teachers in different countries struggled to make mathematics part of the classic school curricula. During the second industrialization, the justification for the need for mathematics education was formulated in the first...... as a result, among others, of the growing series of comparative information on educational achievement and development. Such reports can be seen as performances of the comparative logic of Modernity that operates differential positioning, not only among individuals but also among nations, with respect to what...

Biomarkers for disease progression and AAV therapeutic efficacy in feline Sandhoff disease

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Bradbury, Allison M; Gray-Edwards, Heather L; Shirley, Jamie L; McCurdy, Victoria J; Colaco, Alexandria N; Randle, Ashley N; Christopherson, Pete W; Bird, Allison C; Johnson, Aime K; Wilson, Diane U; Hudson, Judith A; De Pompa, Nicholas L; Sorjonen, Donald C; Brunson, Brandon L; Jeyakumar, Mylvaganam; Platt, Frances M; Baker, Henry J; Cox, Nancy R; Sena-Esteves, Miguel; Martin, Douglas R

2014-01-01

The GM2 gangliosidoses, Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) and Sandhoff disease (SD), are progressive neurodegenerative disorders that are caused by a mutation in the enzyme β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex). Due to the recent emergence of novel experimental treatments, biomarker development has become particularly relevant in GM2 gangliosidosis as an objective means to measure therapeutic efficacy. Here we describe blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electrodiagnostic methods for evaluating disease progression in the feline SD model and application of these approaches to assess AAV-mediated gene therapy. SD cats were treated by intracranial injections of the thalami combined with either the deep cerebellar nuclei or a single lateral ventricle using AAVrh8 vectors encoding feline Hex. Significantly altered in untreated SD cats, blood and CSF based biomarkers were normalized after AAV gene therapy. Also reduced after treatment were expansion of the lysosomal compartment in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and elevated activity of secondary lysosomal enzymes. MRI changes characteristic of the gangliosidoses were documented in SD cats and normalized after AAV gene therapy. The minimally invasive biomarkers reported herein should be useful to assess disease progression of untreated GM2 patients and those in future clinical trials. PMID:25284324

Lipid-Altering Therapies and the Progression of Atherosclerotic Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wierzbicki, Anthony S.

2007-01-01

Lipids play a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis, and lipid-lowering therapies have been studied for 30 years in coronary disease. Measurement of the progression of atherosclerosis through carotid intima-media thickness, coronary mean lumen diameter, and, mostly recently, intravascular ultrasound is generally accepted. This article reviews the role of lipid-lowering therapies in changing the rate of atherosclerosis progression in the coronary and carotid circulations. Statins are the primary therapy used to reduce atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events, including strokes and transient ischemic attacks, and have benefits in reducing events in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. In contrast, data for other agents, including fibrates and nicotinic acid, in reducing the progression of atherosclerosis are less extensive and not as well known. There is increasing interest in optimizing the whole lipid profile, as this might deliver extra benefits over and above statin therapy alone. Initial proof of this concept has recently come from studies that measured the progression of atherosclerosis and showed that adding nicotinic acid to statin therapy and, more directly, infusion of high-density lipoprotein-like particles reduced progression and indeed might induce regression of the disease. It is likely that the management of significant carotid stenosis will become ever more drug focused and will be customized to the lipid profile of each patient with intervention reserved only for late-stage symptomatic disease

Metabonomics Research Progress on Liver Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Mengqian; Zhu, Ying; Cong, Qingwei; Wu, Chunyan

2017-01-01

Metabolomics as the new omics technique develops after genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics and has rapid development at present. Liver diseases are worldwide public health problems. In China, chronic hepatitis B and its secondary diseases are the common liver diseases. They can be diagnosed by the combination of history, virology, liver function, and medical imaging. However, some patients seldom have relevant physical examination, so the diagnosis may be delayed. Many other liver diseases, such as drug-induced liver injury (DILI), alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and autoimmune liver diseases, still do not have definite diagnostic markers; the diagnosis consists of history, medical imaging, and the relevant score. As a result, the clinical work becomes very complex. So it has broad prospects to explore the specific and sensitive biomarkers of liver diseases with metabolomics. In this paper, there are several summaries which are related to the current research progress and application of metabolomics on biomarkers of liver diseases.

Twentieth-century global-mean sea level rise: Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, J.M.; White, N.J.; Church, J.A.; Bierkens, M.F.P.; Box, J.E.; Van den Broeke, M.R.; Cogley, J.G.; Fettweis, X.; Hanna, E.; Huybrechts, P.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Leclercq, P.W.; Marzeion, B.; Oerlemans, J.; Tamisiea, M.E.; Wada, Y.; Wake, L.M.; Van de Wal, R.S.W.

2013-01-01

Confidence in projections of global-mean sea level rise (GMSLR) depends on an ability to account for GMSLR during the twentieth century. There are contributions from ocean thermal expansion, mass loss from glaciers and ice sheets, groundwater extraction, and reservoir impoundment. Progress has been made toward solving the “enigma” of twentieth-century GMSLR, which is that the observed GMSLR has previously been found to exceed the sum of estimated contributions, especially for the earlier decades. The authors propose the following: thermal expansion simulated by climate models may previously have been underestimated because of their not including volcanic forcing in their control state; the rate of glacier mass loss was larger than previously estimated and was not smaller in the first half than in the second half of the century; the Greenland ice sheet could have made a positive contribution throughout the century; and groundwater depletion and reservoir impoundment, which are of opposite sign, may have been approximately equal in magnitude. It is possible to reconstruct the time series of GMSLR from the quantified contributions, apart from a constant residual term, which is small enough to be explained as a long-term contribution from the Antarctic ice sheet. The reconstructions account for the observation that the rate of GMSLR was not much larger during the last 50 years than during the twentieth century as a whole, despite the increasing anthropogenic forcing. Semiempirical methods for projecting GMSLR depend on the existence of a relationship between global climate change and the rate of GMSLR, but the implication of the authors' closure of the budget is that such a relationship is weak or absent during the twentieth century.

[The becoming of public medicine in the second half of XVIII-first half of XIX centuries. Report II. The development of public systems of training of medical manpower and charity provision to socially unprotected groups of population].

Science.gov (United States)

Stochik, A M; Zatravkin, S N; Stochik, A A

2013-01-01

The present report considers the history of becoming of concept of medical police in second half of XVIII century. This concept became one of the most important instruments of public management in Austria, France, Prussia and Russia. Two directions of activity of public authorities in the area of implementation of medical police are discussed i.e. control of frauds and development of public systems of training of medical manpower and charity provision to socially unprotected groups of population. The historiographical data is presented concerning the development of public systems of training of medical manpower, reform of university medical education, implementation of hospital reform.

Feminism and psychology: analysis of a half-century of research on women and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Eagly, Alice H; Eaton, Asia; Rose, Suzanna M; Riger, Stephanie; McHugh, Maureen C

2012-04-01

Starting in the 1960s, feminists argued that the discipline of psychology had neglected the study of women and gender and misrepresented women in its research and theories. Feminists also posed many questions worthy of being addressed by psychological science. This call for research preceded the emergence of a new and influential body of research on gender and women that grew especially rapidly during the period of greatest feminist activism. The descriptions of this research presented in this article derive from searches of the journal articles cataloged by PsycINFO for 1960-2009. These explorations revealed (a) a concentration of studies in basic research areas investigating social behavior and individual dispositions and in many applied areas, (b) differing trajectories of research on prototypical topics, and (c) diverse theoretical orientations that authors have not typically labeled as feminist. The considerable dissemination of this research is evident in its dispersion beyond gender-specialty journals into a wide range of other journals, including psychology's core review and theory journals, as well as in its coverage in introductory psychology textbooks. In this formidable body of research, psychological science has reflected the profound changes in the status of women during the last half-century and addressed numerous questions that these changes have posed. Feminism served to catalyze this research area, which grew beyond the bounds of feminist psychology to incorporate a very large array of theories, methods, and topics.

A "telephone system" applied to the theatrical composition: Dramaturgy and theatrical practices in Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the 19th century

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Silvia Cristina Martins de Souza

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In the second half of the nineteenth century, Rio de Janeiro witnessed some significant changes in its cultural landscape, in which new practices emerging in terms of leisure and market. In this article we analyze one of these practices: the dialogues established between the titles of plays that were answered or parodyed. Such created a kind of "telephone system" based on a close relationship between word, interpreter, producer and receiver, meeting the expectations and interests of increasingly heterogeneous audiences attending theatrical performances.

Progress in China's climate change study in the 20th century%20世纪中国气候变化研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

翟盘茂; 巢清尘; 邹旭恺

2004-01-01

Studies on the 20th century climate change in China have revealed that under the background of global warming over the past century,climate in China has also experienced significant change with mean annual temperature increased by about 0.5 °C.More reliable results for the latter part of the 20th century indicate that the largest warming occurred in Northwest China,North China and Northeast China,and the warming in winter is most significant.Although no obvious increase or decrease trends were detected for mean precipitation over China in the past half century,regional differences are very distinct.In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,precipitation increased,while that in the Yellow River Basin markedly decreased.Studies suggest that climate change in China seems to be related not only with the internal factors such as ENSO,PDO,and the others,but also with the anthropogenic effects such as greenhouse gas emissions,and land use.The future climate change studies in China seem to be important in narrowing understanding the nature of China's climate change and its main causes,since it is significant for projection and for impact assessment of climate change in the future.

Winners, Socially Displaced and Cinderellas: Representations of Race and Social Climbing in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

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Pietro Pisano

2014-01-01

Full Text Available From the study of articles published in Colombian magazines (particularly Cromos magazine in the second half of the twentieth century, this article proposes the analysis of some representations about upward mobility of black people. Consideration is given to the stories of some characters at different times: the judge Jose Antonio Camacho, the boxer Kid Pambelé, the model Laura Mosquera and the pianist Teresa Gómez. Although they emerged in different professional contexts, narratives about their paths have in common the emphasis on how the class representations articulated with the race and gender ones and were used to show the difficulty for a black person to be inserted in a social context different from the popular sectors, showing both their alleged incompatibility with the values of the middle class as well as the inability to fully integrate into a society dominated by whites.

The development’s phases of educational sciences as academic disciplin in Hungary in first half of the 20th century

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András Németh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A number of historical anthologies and monographs have been published recently that give priority to the social approach in the history of science of the educational sciences – using Stichweh’s concept of discipline – as discipline formation and discipline development. The study to date indicates that four phases in the academic discipline development of the educational sciences in Hungary can be distinguished. In the first phase we find the institutional formation of pedagogy, as it was then understood, as a disciplinary field. This development proceeded most rapidly in the last third of the nineteenth century. It took on two overlapping forms, following the general institutionalization of teacher education. On the one hand, broad-based theory formation regarding educational practice took place, reaching its peak in Herbartianism. On the other hand, university courses were introduced and academic chairs created, often closely tied to philosophy, that were dedicated to pedagogy and represented the academic foundations of the discipline. The second phase, which is the focus of the present contribution continued into the twentieth century. In this period an educational movement arose that centered on the empirical paradigms of research in the social sciences. But the various lines of the movement (reform pedagogy, experimental pedagogy, child study did not always succeed at becoming established at the universities. The third phase is the phase of lasting institutionalization of the educational sciences, which in most places began already in the first half of the twentieth century. Here the German «Geisteswissenschaft» played a role. After the 2nd World War was Hungary included in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union and began the fourth phase of development of the educational sciences in Hungary. Educational science was most highly affected among social sciences by the political power shifts oft the Stalinism.

RandomForest4Life: a Random Forest for predicting ALS disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hothorn, Torsten; Jung, Hans H

2014-09-01

We describe a method for predicting disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The method was developed as a submission to the DREAM Phil Bowen ALS Prediction Prize4Life Challenge of summer 2012. Based on repeated patient examinations over a three- month period, we used a random forest algorithm to predict future disease progression. The procedure was set up and internally evaluated using data from 1197 ALS patients. External validation by an expert jury was based on undisclosed information of an additional 625 patients; all patient data were obtained from the PRO-ACT database. In terms of prediction accuracy, the approach described here ranked third best. Our interpretation of the prediction model confirmed previous reports suggesting that past disease progression is a strong predictor of future disease progression measured on the ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS). We also found that larger variability in initial ALSFRS scores is linked to faster future disease progression. The results reported here furthermore suggested that approaches taking the multidimensionality of the ALSFRS into account promise some potential for improved ALS disease prediction.

Valvular heart disease is changing – a challenge for Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The pattern of valvular heart disease is changing in. Western populations [1]. There are implications for Africa as healthcare improves and people live longer. Over the last half century in Western countries there has been a change in the incidence of valvular heart disease from a rheumatic cause to one of degeneration.

Progression of Alzheimer Disease in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vellas, B; Hausner, L; Frolich, L

2012-01-01

The clinical progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) was studied in European subjects under treatment with AChE inhibitors (AChE-I) in relation to geographical location over a 2-years period. One thousand three hundred and six subjects from 11 European countries were clustered into 3 regions (North...

Chronology of the 1st–2nd Century Graves from the Tarasovo Burial Ground

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Goldina Rimma D.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the chronology of graves dating back to the early (1st – 2nd centuries AD – Nyrgynda stage of the 1st – 5th century Tarasovo burial ground, a classical monument attributed to the Cheganda culture of the Pyany Bor cultural-historical community. Cultural stratigraphy is applied as a research method. Artifacts from the early stage were correlated for 37 male and 102 female complexes, separately. The analysis of grave goods from male burials showed the following three chronological groups, that can be distinguished at the Nyrgynda stage: 1st century (group 1, 2nd century (group 2 and 1st – 2nd centuries AD (group 3. The goods from female graves are more representative and various, so three more groups with shorter chronological lives can be singled out: the fi rst half of the 2nd century (group 2а, the second half of the 2nd century (group 2б and the 1st – fi rst half of the 2nd century (group 4. Certainly, the suggested chronology leaves room for any eventual corrections subject to new findings.

Model-based economic evaluation in Alzheimer's disease: a review of the methods available to model Alzheimer's disease progression.

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Green, Colin; Shearer, James; Ritchie, Craig W; Zajicek, John P

2011-01-01

To consider the methods available to model Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression over time to inform on the structure and development of model-based evaluations, and the future direction of modelling methods in AD. A systematic search of the health care literature was undertaken to identify methods to model disease progression in AD. Modelling methods are presented in a descriptive review. The literature search identified 42 studies presenting methods or applications of methods to model AD progression over time. The review identified 10 general modelling frameworks available to empirically model the progression of AD as part of a model-based evaluation. Seven of these general models are statistical models predicting progression of AD using a measure of cognitive function. The main concerns with models are on model structure, around the limited characterization of disease progression, and on the use of a limited number of health states to capture events related to disease progression over time. None of the available models have been able to present a comprehensive model of the natural history of AD. Although helpful, there are serious limitations in the methods available to model progression of AD over time. Advances are needed to better model the progression of AD and the effects of the disease on peoples' lives. Recent evidence supports the need for a multivariable approach to the modelling of AD progression, and indicates that a latent variable analytic approach to characterising AD progression is a promising avenue for advances in the statistical development of modelling methods. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Theological Responses to the Challenges of European Utopian Tradition: Some Teological Programmes of the First Half of the 20th Century

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Mikhailov Petr

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Author supposes that the major social-politic events in European history of the fi rst half of the 20th century have as their root an eschatological utopian tradition that subdues the fact of world Redemption to progressive logic of history. The circle of theologians from Dominican and Jesuit’s Orders associated with Saulchoir (Tournai, Belgium and Fourvière (Lyon, France has proposed some theological responses for such kind of opposition to the Christian testimony in the world. They have evident correlation with each other in their general principals and common convictions in the inner structure of theology (cf. M. Blondel and M.-D. Chenu. The theological system has an experience of faith and obedience to the Church as its root, historical research (cf. «théologie de ressourcement», «positive théologie» or historical theology as its foundation. Two great representatives of Catholic theology — Yves Congar and Henri de Lubac — followed that direction in their scientific works. Congar succeeded in his project of theology of unity that had to resolve two great schisms: 1 between faith and life, 2 between the Church and the world. He developed his ideas in two vectors of ecclesiology: historical ecclesiology (nature and theology of the Church and practical ecclesiology (position of the Church in dialogue with the other confessions and external world. Henri de Lubac saw the beginning of the crisis of the world Christianity in the actual condition of contemporary theology as a result of inner opposition between reason and faith. His activity was directed at its overcoming. He edifies the structure of theology from the phenomenon of faith understood as a supernatural gift of God. Further lines were identified as a unity in social, historical and transcendent dimensions.

[Historical sketch of modern pharmaceutical science and technology (Part 3). From the second half of the 19th century to World War II].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamakawa, K

1995-01-01

beriberi (Katuke), were searched for in medical and agricultural laboratories. Dr. Suzuki discovered olizanine from rice bran, which was effective for deficiency of vitamin B1 disease. However, pharmaceutical scientists did not participate in this research. Hygienic and forensic chemistry were included in pharmaceutical departments. 8. Pharmaceutical scientific studies in Europe and Japan in the first half of the 20th century. The discovery of a drug for the treatment of syphilis by Ehrlich-Hata (1889), then chemotherapeutics were started. Adrenalin, the first isolated hormone, by Takamine (1900), after this time many hormones were discovered. The first Japanese pharmacists who studied abroad studied in Germany and came back to Japan. Then, they built the pharmaceutical sciences. Studies on natural products by chemistry and organic chemistry were started. 9. Pharmaceutical scientific and technology during 15 Years of War (1931-45). Since 1930, theoretical organic chemistry was developed in England and America. The discovery of chemotherapeutics and antibiotics (sulfonamides and penicillin) and studies on some vitamins and hormones proceeded during the 15 years of war (1931-45) at Tokyo and Kyoto Universities, and some institutes in China and Manchuria. Studies on anti-maralia, sulfonamides and penicillins were carried out.

V.P. Naumenko Sociopolitical Activity (Second Half of XIX Century. – 1917 Year

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Lilya R. Vegera

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The article investigates socio-political activity of V.P. Naumenko (1852-1919 – an outstanding representative of the Ukrainian intelligentsia of the late XIX – early XX century, politics, philologist, publisher, teacher. The scientist's career was developing under the influence of liberatory ideas during this period. The numerous works of eminent historians, who were contemporaries of V.P. Naumenko and researchers late XX – early XXI century, evidenced about it. Analysis of documentary materials proved that the impetus for an active social life of Vladimir Naumenko was family upbringing where service people attached great importance. The University of St. Vladimir in Kiev, where he was enrolled like a free listener in the 1868 had significant impact on the formation of personality and socio-political position of V.P. Naumenko. Scientist's activities in Kiev society where he held «right» liberal wing played an important role in his socio-political life. Vladimir Pavlovich along with other members of the «right» wing did not mind the ideas of socialism, but they treated them as a distant prospect. V.P. Naumenko saw the path to this ideal in peaceful reforms. V.P. Naumenko was also an active member of the liberal-democratic union – Ukrainian common nonpartisan democratic organization (UCNDO. Soon Vladimir Pavlovich stepped back from this participation, because in the early twentieth century the organization began to acquire a political character. Thus, the article analyzed V.P. Naumenko's socio-political activities and elucidate his role in the political process since the middle of the XIX century till the 1917 revolution.

Consistent past half-century trends in the atmosphere, the sea ice and the ocean at high southern latitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goosse, Hugues; Montety, Anne de; Crespin, Elisabeth [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique G. Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Lefebvre, Wouter [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique G. Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); The Vlaams Instituut voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO), Mol (Belgium); Orsi, Alejandro H. [Texas A and M University, Department of Oceanography, College Station, TX (United States)

2009-12-15

Simulations performed with the climate model LOVECLIM, aided with a simple data assimilation technique that forces a close matching of simulated and observed surface temperature variations, are able to reasonably reproduce the observed changes in the lower atmosphere, sea ice and ocean during the second half of the twentieth century. Although the simulated ice area slightly increases over the period 1980-2000, in agreement with observations, it decreases by 0.5 x 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} between early 1960s and early 1980s. No direct and reliable sea ice observations are available to firmly confirm this simulated decrease, but it is consistent with the data used to constrain model evolution as well as with additional independent data in both the atmosphere and the ocean. The simulated reduction of the ice area between the early 1960s and early 1980s is similar to the one simulated over that period as a response to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere while the increase in ice area over the last decades of the twentieth century is likely due to changes in atmospheric circulation. However, the exact contribution of external forcing and internal variability in the recent changes cannot be precisely estimated from our results. Our simulations also reproduce the observed oceanic subsurface warming north of the continental shelf of the Ross Sea and the salinity decrease on the Ross Sea continental shelf. Parts of those changes are likely related to the response of the system to the external forcing. Modifications in the wind pattern, influencing the ice production/melting rates, also play a role in the simulated surface salinity decrease. (orig.)

Weight preserving image registration for monitoring disease progression in lung CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorbunova, Vladlena; Lol, Pechin; Ashraf, Haseem; Dirksen, Asger; Nielsen, Mads; de Bruijne, Marleen

2008-01-01

We present a new image registration based method for monitoring regional disease progression in longitudinal image studies of lung disease. A free-form image registration technique is used to match a baseline 3D CT lung scan onto a following scan. Areas with lower intensity in the following scan compared with intensities in the deformed baseline image indicate local loss of lung tissue that is associated with progression of emphysema. To account for differences in lung intensity owing to differences in the inspiration level in the two scans rather than disease progression, we propose to adjust the density of lung tissue with respect to local expansion or compression such that the total weight of the lungs is preserved during deformation. Our method provides a good estimation of regional destruction of lung tissue for subjects with a significant difference in inspiration level between CT scans and may result in a more sensitive measure of disease progression than standard quantitative CT measures.

Conceptions of Landscape-Ecological Relevance Emerged in the Czech Botany during the Second Half of Twentieth Century

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Kovář Pavel

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper summarizes those substantial theoretical concepts or methods for applications within interdisciplinary or practical uses published by Czech autors (geobotanists = ecological botanists, plant ecologists and ecophysiologists during the second half of the 20th century, that were internationally cited. All selected thematical clusters are of landscape-ecological relevance through various contexts. Examples include the concepts of (potential reconstructed vegetation in maps (R. Neuhäusl, Z. Neuhäuslová, linear vegetation features (corridors in landscape and deductive classification of vegetation (K. Kopecký, analysis of soil seed bank (Z. Kropáč, dependency of macrophyte plant stands on ecodynamics (S. Hejný, dynamic periodicity in segetal vegetation (Z. Kropáč, E. Hadač, S. Hejný, anemo-orographic system explaining species richness in mountain regions (J. Jeník, productivity in grassland ecosystems (M. Rychnovská, J. Květ, elementary landscape units based on homogenity and potential vegetation (E. Hadač, landscape dispensation phenomena (V. Ložek, afforestation of coastal sandy dunes – the Netherlands, and polluted areas - the Czech Republic (J. Fanta, invasive plants and invasions into landscapes (M. Rejmánek.

Progressive neuronal degeneration of childhood with liver disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendall, B.E.; Boyd, S.G.; Egger, J.; Harding, B.N.

1987-01-01

The clinical, electrophysiological and neuroradiological features of thirteen patients suffering from progressive neuronal degeneration of childhood with liver failure are presented. The disease commonly presents very early in life with progressive mental retardation, followed by intractable epilepsy, and should be suspected clinically especially if there is a family history of similar disorder in a sibling. On computed tomography there are low density regions, particularly in the occipital and posterior temporal lobes, involving both cortex and white matter, combined with or followed by progressive atrophy. Typical EEG findings may be confirmatory. (orig.)

Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging in Stargardt Disease: Potential Marker for Disease Progression

OpenAIRE

Dysli Chantal; Wolf Sebastian; Hatz Katja; Zinkernagel Martin

2016-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to describe autofluorescence lifetime characteristics in Stargardt disease (STGD) using fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and to investigate potential prognostic markers for disease activity and progression. METHODS Fluorescence lifetime data of 16 patients with STGD (mean age, 40 years; range, 22-56 years) and 15 age-matched controls were acquired using a fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope based on a Heidelberg Eng...

Sudden oak death disease progression in oaks and tanoaks

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; Sylvia R. Mori; David L. Wood; Andrew J. Storer; Pavel Svihra; N. Maggi Kelly; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

In March 2000, we established twenty disease progression plots in Marin County to monitor the progress of sudden oak death symptoms in coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) (McPherson and others 2005). Plots were located to encompass a...

Haptocorrin as marker of disease progression in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lildballe, Dorte Launholt; Nguyen, Khoa Tran; Poulsen, Steen Seier

2011-01-01

No valid markers are routinely available to follow disease progression in patients with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC). We report data suggesting that the vitamin B12 binding protein haptocorrin (HC) may prove a suitable marker.......No valid markers are routinely available to follow disease progression in patients with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC). We report data suggesting that the vitamin B12 binding protein haptocorrin (HC) may prove a suitable marker....

Rheumatic Heart Disease in the Twenty-First Century.

Science.gov (United States)

Woldu, Bethel; Bloomfield, Gerald S

2016-10-01

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic valvular disease resulting after severe or repetitive episodes of acute rheumatic fever (ARF), an autoimmune response to group A Streptococcus infection. RHD has been almost eliminated with improved social and health infrastructure in affluent countries while it remains a neglected disease with major cause of morbidity and mortality in many low- and middle-income countries, and resource-limited regions of high-income countries. Despite our evolving understanding of the pathogenesis of RHD, there have not been any significant advances to prevent or halt progression of disease in recent history. Long-term penicillin-based treatment and surgery remain the backbone of a RHD control program in the absence of an effective vaccine. The advent of echocardiographic screening algorithms has improved the accuracy of diagnosing RHD and has shed light on the enormous burden of disease. Encouragingly, this has led to a rekindled commitment from researchers in the most affected countries to advocate and take bold actions to end this disease of social inequality.

Civil and Patriotic Education of Students by Means of Excursion Activities in Russia in the Second Half of XIX – Early XX Centuries

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Nadezhda V. Tarasova

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article is concerned with the problem of civil and patriotic education of students by means of voluntary activity, presents historical and educational analysis of excursion activities as one of the major forms of volunteer work of schoolchildren in Russia in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries, determines its major goals and objectives. The paper, using archive data, attempts to consider excursion activity as one of the major forms of volunteer work, promoting patriotism development in rising generation. The opinions of innovative teachers of the examined period, who considered that excursions had great educational potential are characterized. The position of the Ministry of Education, concerning educational potential of excursions is examined.

EFFECT OF ALTITUDE AND WOUNDING ON BLOOD DISEASE PROGRESS OF PLANTAIN

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Hadiwiyono, S. Subandiyah, C. Sumardiyono, J. Widada, and M. Fegan.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Effect of Altitude and Wounding on Blood Disease Progress of Plantain. In the latest decade, the blood disease of banana has spread in almost all provinces in Indonesia and caused wilting of millions banana clusters in several provinces.  It is very difficult to control the disease due  to the base data about ecology and epidemiology of the pathogen are still poorly understood. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of  wounding of inoculation site on blood disease progress of plantain. The experiment was arranged using randomized completely block design It was conducted at three locations with altitude of 100, 1000, and 1600 m above sea levels as replication block. The treatments were wounding, unwounding inoculation site, inoculation, and uninoculation of plantain cv. Kepok Kuning Wounding was applied by stabbing with an injection pin around the corm of 15 stabs/seedling. The seedlings were planted singly in one liter of non sterile soil in plastic bag.  Each treatment consisted of 5 seedlings which was replicated 3 times. Inoculation was done  by soil drenching of 20 ml bacterial suspension at  concentration of 108 cfu/ml two week after planting.  The pathogen used for inoculation originated from low land area (about 100 m above sea level.  Observation was done weekly for 5 weeks. The variables observed were wilt intensity and area under disease progress (AUDPC. The results showed that blood disease was able to establish at altitude of 1600 m above sea level. The disease progress however was slower that those at 100 and 1000 m above sea level. On wounded seedling, the disease progress was more aggressive than those on unwounded one.

[Venereal diseases in a "general practice" in the 17th and early 18th centuries].

Science.gov (United States)

Fries, F; Winckelmann, H J

2018-01-31

The diary of the town physician Johannes Franc (1649-1725), handwritten in Latin, gives-among other diseases-an overview of sexually transmitted infections affecting citizens in Ulm such as syphilis and gonorrhea. Franc reported on his own experiences in the diary and also included many theoretical details on the causes of the diseases and the corresponding therapies, including ethical considerations. Even in ancient times, there are indications of venereal diseases. However, at the latest with the outbreak of syphilis around the year 1495, the treatment and control of the spread of venereal diseases became an important task of medicine. Before gonococci were detected by Neisser in 1879, sexually transmitted diseases were generally seen as a single disease. However, at the beginning of the 18 th century, there were several doctors who treated syphilis and gonorrhea as separate entities. Franc was one of them. Examining the milestones in the history of syphilis and gonorrhea, the present article reviews the existing theories that tried to explain the origins of these diseases. Franc's treatment patterns are illustrated. Franc's case reports indicate a fundamental change in the perception of STIs at the end of the 17 th /beginning of the 18 th century.

Development of a Conceptual Model of Disease Progression for Use in Economic Modeling of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabberer, Maggie; Gonzalez-McQuire, Sebastian; Muellerova, Hana; Briggs, Andrew H; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H; Chambers, Mike; Lomas, David A

2017-05-01

To develop and validate a new conceptual model (CM) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for use in disease progression and economic modeling. The CM identifies and describes qualitative associations between disease attributes, progression and outcomes. A literature review was performed to identify any published CMs or literature reporting the impact and association of COPD disease attributes with outcomes. After critical analysis of the literature, a Steering Group of experts from the disciplines of health economics, epidemiology and clinical medicine was convened to develop a draft CM, which was refined using a Delphi process. The refined CM was validated by testing for associations between attributes using data from the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints (ECLIPSE). Disease progression attributes included in the final CM were history and occurrence of exacerbations, lung function, exercise capacity, signs and symptoms (cough, sputum, dyspnea), cardiovascular disease comorbidities, 'other' comorbidities (including depression), body composition (body mass index), fibrinogen as a biomarker, smoking and demographic characteristics (age, gender). Mortality and health-related quality of life were determined to be the most relevant final outcome measures for this model, intended to be the foundation of an economic model of COPD. The CM is being used as the foundation for developing a new COPD model of disease progression and to provide a framework for the analysis of patient-level data. The CM is available as a reference for the implementation of further disease progression and economic models.

Recent progress in ERCP for biliary and pancreatic diseases

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MIAO Lin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In recent years, with the continuous development of endoscopic and interventional techniques, many new devices and methods have been used in clinical practice, and the application of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP in biliary and pancreatic diseases has developed rapidly. This paper reviews and summarizes the recent progress in ERCP among patients with biliary and pancreatic diseases, including those with altered gastrointestinal anatomy, pregnant patients, patients with benign and malignant biliary strictures, and patients with pancreatic pseudocysts, as well as the application of SpyGlass, photodynamic therapy, and radiofrequency ablation, the management of ERCP-related duodenal perforation, and the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis. All the progress has made a great contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases.

Association between time to disease progression end points and overall survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors

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Singh S

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Simron Singh,1 Xufang Wang,2 Calvin HL Law1 1Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Novartis Oncology, Florham Park, NJ, USA Abstract: Overall survival can be difficult to determine for slowly progressing malignancies, such as neuroendocrine tumors. We investigated whether time to disease progression is positively associated with overall survival in patients with such tumors. A literature review identified 22 clinical trials in patients with neuroendocrine tumors that reported survival probabilities for both time to disease progression (progression-free survival and time to progression and overall survival. Associations between median time to disease progression and median overall survival and between treatment effects on time to disease progression and treatment effects on overall survival were analyzed using weighted least-squares regression. Median time to disease progression was significantly associated with median overall survival (coefficient 0.595; P=0.022. In the seven randomized studies identified, the risk reduction for time to disease progression was positively associated with the risk reduction for overall survival (coefficient on −ln[HR] 0.151; 95% confidence interval −0.843, 1.145; P=0.713. The significant association between median time to disease progression and median overall survival supports the assertion that time to disease progression is an alternative end point to overall survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. An apparent albeit not significant trend correlates treatment effects on time to disease progression and treatment effects on overall survival. Informal surveys of physicians’ perceptions are consistent with these concepts, although additional randomized trials are needed. Keywords: neuroendocrine tumors, progression-free survival, disease progression, mortality

Clinical course of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: an assessment of severity, progression, and outcomes

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Simeone JC

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Jason C Simeone,1 Jay P Bae,2 Byron J Hoogwerf,3 Qian Li,1 Axel Haupt,3 Ayad K Ali,4 Marilyn K Boardman,3 Beth L Nordstrom1 1Real-world Evidence, Evidera, Waltham, MA, USA; 2Global Patient Outcomes and Real World Evidence, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 3Lily Diabetes, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 4Global Patient Safety, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA Purpose: To identify the characteristics and initial disease severity of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD and assess incidence and risk factors for disease progression in a retrospective study.Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age without alcoholism or other liver diseases (eg, hepatitis B/C were selected from Geisinger Health System electronic medical record data from 2004 to 2015. Initial disease stage was stratified into uncomplicated NAFLD, advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, and liver transplant using clinical biomarkers, diagnosis, and procedure codes. Disease progression was defined as stage progression or death and analyzed via Kaplan–Meier plots and multistate models.Results: In the NAFLD cohort (N=18,754, 61.5% were women, 39.0% had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, and the mean body mass index was 38.2±10.2 kg/m2. At index, 69.9% had uncomplicated NAFLD, 11.7% had advanced fibrosis, and 17.8% had cirrhosis. Of 18,718 patients assessed for progression, 17.3% progressed (11.0% had stage progression, 6.3% died without evidence of stage progression during follow-up (median=842 days. Among subgroups, 12.3% of those without diabetes mellitus progressed vs 24.7% of those with T2DM. One-year mortality increased from 0.5% in uncomplicated NAFLD to 22.7% in HCC. After liver transplant, mortality decreased to 5.6% per year.Conclusions: In 2.3 years of follow-up, approximately 17% of patients progressed or died without evidence of stage progression. T2DM was associated with approximately twice the risk of

[The century of noise].

Science.gov (United States)

Pivato, Stefano

2011-01-01

When did, actually, "noise pollution" begin to coexist along with our daily life and activities and change our environmental natural sounds, which hadn't changed for centuries? Industrial revolution, first, and the introduction of new technologies later, introduced "noise" as one of the most relevant features that marked the development of progress. Later on, it became the distinctive characteristic of the XX century. The incessant rumble of industrial machinery, of weapons and cannons from the wars, the roar of cars in the streets and aeroplanes from the sky, the deafening sound of XX century music, as well as the shouting out of new political ideas suddenly invaded the new century. They became part of our daily life so much as almost to become a new lay religion of modernity. As the century proceeded towards economic boom, a "new noisy Man" complied with this change, becoming the anthropologic prototype who was able to adapt to the new style of life and even contribute to its expansion. All this finally allows, to day, a definition of the XX century as the "century of noise".

A century of progress in weed control in hardwood seedbeds

Science.gov (United States)

David B. South

2009-01-01

Weeds have existed in nurseries since before the time Bartram grew hardwoods during the 18th century. Hand weeding was the primary method of weed control during the first part of the 20th century. From 1931 to 1970, advances in chemistry increased the use of herbicides, and advances in engineering increased the reliance on machines for cultivation. Many managers now...

Reduced serum myostatin concentrations associated with genetic muscle disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Burch, Peter M; Pogoryelova, Oksana; Palandra, Joe; Goldstein, Richard; Bennett, Donald; Fitz, Lori; Guglieri, Michela; Bettolo, Chiara Marini; Straub, Volker; Evangelista, Teresinha; Neubert, Hendrik; Lochmüller, Hanns; Morris, Carl

2017-03-01

Myostatin is a highly conserved protein secreted primarily from skeletal muscle that can potently suppress muscle growth. This ability to regulate skeletal muscle mass has sparked intense interest in the development of anti-myostatin therapies for a wide array of muscle disorders including sarcopenia, cachexia and genetic neuromuscular diseases. While a number of studies have examined the circulating myostatin concentrations in healthy and sarcopenic populations, very little data are available from inherited muscle disease patients. Here, we have measured the myostatin concentration in serum from seven genetic neuromuscular disorder patient populations using immunoaffinity LC-MS/MS. Average serum concentrations of myostatin in all seven muscle disease patient groups were significantly less than those measured in healthy controls. Furthermore, circulating myostatin concentrations correlated with clinical measures of disease progression for five of the muscle disease patient populations. These findings greatly expand the understanding of myostatin in neuromuscular disease and suggest its potential utility as a biomarker of disease progression.

[Rabies in Tunisia during the 19th century: case increase or disease emergence?].

OpenAIRE

Ben Néfissa , Kmar; Moulin , Anne Marie; Dellagi , Koussay

2007-01-01

At the end of the 19th century, a canine rabies epidemics started in Tunis and in several other cities of the Beylik. Archives' data trace the epidemics back to 1870 and at that time its rapid progression was ascribed to the increase of immigration from Europe. Whether the European "street rabies virus" was also imported with the settlers' pet dogs is controversial. The epidemics might rather be linked to other factors such as socio-cultural or ecological changes. The authors try to reconstru...

Natural histories of infectious disease: ecological vision in twentieth-century biomedical science.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Warwick

2004-01-01

During the twentieth century, disease ecology emerged as a distinct disciplinary network within infectious diseases research. The key figures were Theobald Smith, F. Macfarlane Burnet, René Dubos, and Frank Fenner. They all drew on Darwinian evolutionism to fashion an integrative (but rarely holistic) understanding of disease processes, distinguishing themselves from reductionist "chemists" and mere "microbe hunters." They sought a more complex, biologically informed epidemiology. Their emphasis on competition and mutualism in the animated environment differed from the physical determinism that prevailed in much medical geography and environmental health research. Disease ecology derived in part from studies of the interaction of organisms - micro and macro - in tropical medicine, veterinary pathology, and immunology. It developed in postcolonial settler societies. Once a minority interest, disease ecology has attracted more attention since the 1980s for its explanations of disease emergence, antibiotic resistance, bioterrorism, and the health impacts of climate change.

Recent achievements in restorative neurology: Progressive neuromuscular diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimitrijevic, M.R.; Kakulas, B.A.; Vrbova, G.

1986-01-01

This book contains 27 chapters. Some of the chapter titles are: Computed Tomography of Muscles in Neuromuscular Disease; Mapping the Genes for Muscular Dystrophy; Trophic Factors and Motor Neuron Development; Size of Motor Units and Firing Rate in Muscular Dystrophy; Restorative Possibilities in Relation to the Pathology of Progressive Neuromuscular Disease; and An Approach to the Pathogenesis of some Congenital Myopathies

Regression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Zinc and Selenium Co-supplementation after Disease Progression in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Shidfar, Farzad; Faghihi, Amirhosein; Amiri, Hamid Lorvand; Mousavi, Seyedeh Neda

2018-01-01

Studies have shown that zinc and selenium deficiency is common in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the effects of zinc and selenium co-supplementation before and/or after disease progression on NAFLD are not clear enough. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of zinc and selenium co-supplementation before and/or after disease progression on NAFLD prognosis. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (197±4 g) were randomly assigned to 4 dietary groups: normal-fat diet (NFD; receiving 9% of calories as fat), high-fat diet (HFD; receiving 82% of calories as fat), supplementation before disease progression (S+HFD), and supplementation after disease progression (HFD+S). The diets were implemented over a 20-week period in all the groups. Biochemical and histologic parameters were compared between the 4 groups, and between-group comparisons were also carried out. There were significant differences in the average food dietary intake (P<0.001), weight (P<0.001), fasting blood sugar (P=0.005), triglyceride (P<0.001), total cholesterol (P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.002), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.001), alanine aminotransferase (P<0.001), and aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.001) between the 4 dietary groups. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly lower in the HFD+S Group than in the S+HFD Group (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). Fat accumulation was significantly reduced in the HFD+S Group (P<0.001). Zinc and selenium co-supplementation after disease progression improved biochemical and histologic parameters in an experimental model of NAFLD.

Progression of MDS-UPDRS Scores Over Five Years in De Novo Parkinson Disease from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative Cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Samantha K; Finseth, Taylor; Sillau, Stefan H; Berman, Brian D

2018-01-01

The Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UDPRS) is a commonly used tool to measure Parkinson disease (PD) progression. Longitudinal changes in MDS-UPDRS scores in de novo PD have not been established. Determine progression rates of MDS-UPDRS scores in de novo PD. 362 participants from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, a multicenter longitudinal cohort study of de novo PD, were included. Longitudinal progression of MDS-UPDRS total and subscale scores were modeled using mixed model regression. MDS-UPDRS scores increased in a linear fashion over five years in de novo PD. MDS-UPDRS total score increased an estimated 4.0 points/year, Part I 0.25 points/year, Part II 1.0 points/year, and Part III 2.4 points/year. The expected average progression of MDS-UPDRS scores in de novo PD from this study can assist in clinical monitoring and provide comparative data for detection of disease modification in treatment trials.

The ecological century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worthington, E. B.

1981-01-01

This essay attempts to reconstruct the evolution of Ecology as the scientific basis for environmental conservation and human progress, as seen through the eyes of a biologist who has exercised that science during a number of tasks in various parts of the world over most of the twentieth century. From its beginnings in evolutionary thinking during the nineteenth century, ecology emerged from natural history at the beginning of the twentieth. At first the running was made by botanists; but this was soon followed by zoologists, who dealt with more mobile communities. The first quarter-century was mainly exploratory; the second was mainly descriptive (although biological exploration was still dominant in the tropics). The third quarter saw ecology developing into an experimental science, and, as the environmental revolution got into its stride, ecology became organized both nationally and internationally. Although the term is now often misused and sometimes misunderstood by laymen, the last quarter-century is seeing the wide application of ecology in environmental and human affairs, and this gives some assurance that the twenty-first century will not become one of chaos.

Commerce and morality in eighteenth-century Italian political thought

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K.H. Stapelbroek (Koen)

2005-01-01

textabstractThis special issue presents a number of studies by young scholars in the history of eighteenth-century Italian political thought, a field that was put on the map in the second half of the twentieth century by the efforts of Franco Venturi. By taking up the theme of commerce and morality,

In memory of Professor Leonor Michaelis in Nagoya: great contributions to biochemistry in Japan in the first half of the 20th century.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagatsu, Toshiharu Toshi

2013-09-02

Leonor Michaelis spent the years of 1922-1926 as Professor of Biochemistry of the Aichi Medical College (now Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University) in Nagoya, Japan. Michaelis succeeded in gathering many bright young biochemists from all over Japan into his laboratory, and made tremendous contributions to the promotion of biochemistry in Japan. Michaelis was invited to many places in Japan to present lectures over those years. Kunio Yagi, who was Professor of Biochemistry at Nagoya University in the second half of the 20th century, succeeded in crystallizing the "Michaelis" enzyme-substrate complex. Historically, Michelis has had an enormous impact on biochemistry in Japan. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fusion plasma physics during half a century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehnert, Bo

1999-08-01

A review is given on the potentialities of fusion energy with respect to energy production and related environmental problems, the various approaches to controlled thermonuclear fusion, the main problem areas of research, the historical development, the present state of investigations, and future perspectives. This article also presents a personal memorandum of the author. Thereby special reference will be given to part of the research conducted at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, merely to identify its place within the general historical development. Considerable progress has been made in fusion research during the last decades. In large tokamak experiments temperatures above the ignition limit of about 10 8 K have been reached under break-even conditions where the fusion power generation is comparable to the energy loss. A power producing fusion reactor could in principle be realized already today, but it would not become technically and economically efficient. The future international research programme has therefore to be conducted along broad lines, with necessary ingredients of basis research and new ideas, and also within lines of magnetic confinement being alternative to that of tokamaks

Sex-Based Differences in Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Part II: Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Women and the Vulnerability of Men to Progression of this Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Shannon E; Gunde, Eva; Lee, Hyunwoo

2015-01-01

It is well known that a number of autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) predominantly affect women and there has been much attention directed toward understanding why this is the case. Past research has revealed a number of sex differences in autoimmune responses that can account for the female bias in MS. However, much less is known about why the incidence of MS has increased exclusively in women over the past half century. The recency of this increase suggests that changing environmental or lifestyle factors are interacting with biological sex to increase MS risk predominantly in females. Indeed, a number of recent studies have identified sex-specific differences in the effect of environmental factors on MS incidence. The first part of this chapter will overview this evidence and will discuss the possible scenarios of how the environment may be interacting with autoimmune mechanisms to contribute to the preferential rise in MS incidence in women. Despite the strong female bias in MS incidence, culminating evidence from natural history studies, and imaging and pathology studies suggests that males who develop MS may exhibit a more rapid decline in disability and cognitive functioning than women. Very little is known about the biological basis of this more rapid deterioration, but some insights have been provided by studies in rodent models of demyelination/remyelination. The second part of this chapter will overview the evidence that males with relapsing-onset MS undergo a more rapid progression of disease than females and will discuss potential biological mechanisms that account for this sex difference.

Carotid artery disease progression and related neurologic events after carotid endarterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Avgerinos, Efthymios D; Go, Catherine; Ling, Jennifer; Naddaf, Abdallah; Steinmetz, Amy; Abou Ali, Adham N; Makaroun, Michel S; Chaer, Rabih A

2016-08-01

During the last decade, there has been a dramatic improvement in best medical treatment for patients with vascular disease. Yet, there is a paucity of contemporary long-term data for restenosis and contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) progression. This study assessed ipsilateral and contralateral disease progression and cerebrovascular events after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). A consecutive cohort of CEAs between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, was retrospectively analyzed. End points were restenosis ≥50% and ≥70%, contralateral carotid disease progression (50%-69%, 70%-99%, or occlusion) and stroke. Survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to assess the effect of baseline predictors. During the 11-year study period, 1639 patients underwent 1782 CEAs (50.0% patch closure, 23.9% primary closure, 26.1% eversion, and 2.5% combined with coronary artery bypass grafting). The combined stroke/death rate was 2.6% overall and 1.8% in the asymptomatic cohort. The rate of restenosis ≥50% at 2, 5, and 10 years was 8.5%, 15.6%, 27.2%, and the rate for restenosis ≥70% was 3.4%, 6.5%, 10.2%, respectively. Restenosis ≥50% was predicted by hypertension (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; P = .027), female gender (HR, 1.43; P = .042), and younger age (≤65 years; HR, 1.56; P = .016), but not by statins, surgical technique, symptoms, or other baseline risk factors. Restenoses remained asymptomatic in 125 of 148 (84.5%). Progression of contralateral ICA disease at 2, 5, and 10 years was estimated at 5.4%, 15.5%, and 46.8%, respectively. Contralateral progression was only predicted by smoking (HR, 1.74; P = .008). The stroke rate in patients with disease progression of the contralateral ICA was not different compared with those without progression (7.0% vs 3.3%; P = .063). Any-stroke rates at 2, 5, and 10 years were 4.6%, 7.3%, and 15.7%, respectively. Predictors were symptomatic lesion (HR, 1.48; P = .039), renal insufficiency, defined as a

Disruption of gut homeostasis by opioids accelerates HIV disease progression

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Jingjing eMeng

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Cumulative studies during the past 30 years have established the correlation between opioid abuse and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection. Further studies also demonstrate that opioid addiction is associated with faster progression to AIDS in patients. Recently, it was revealed that disruption of gut homeostasis and subsequent microbial translocation play important roles in pathological activation of the immune system during HIV infection and contributes to accelerated disease progression. Similarly, opioids have been shown to modulate gut immunity and induce gut bacterial translocation. This review will explore the mechanisms by which opioids accelerate HIV disease progression by disrupting gut homeostasis. Better understanding of these mechanisms will facilitate the search for new therapeutic interventions to treat HIV infection especially in opioid abusing population.

Half a century after Ionescu’s work on Romanian Diplura – A faunal contribution based on material collected from karst areas

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Alberto Sendra

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The main publication on the Romanian diplurans belongs to M.A. Ionescu who inventoried 22 species mainly from soil and forest litter from 22 collecting points. The further faunal investigation of two caves (Peştera Izvorul Tăuşoarelor and Peştera Movile allowed Condé to describe other four new taxa, three species and one subspecies. This paper represents the first study at a national level, half century after Ionescu’s contribution. The faunal data presented, were obtained from over 60 sites, most of them karst areas (including caves unstudied up to the present. As a result, the faunal list of Diplura known in the Romanian fauna has risen to 28 taxa. A new combination: Litocampa montana Sendra n. comb. is argued. For 16 taxa, the local (based on the UTM grid codes and general distributions and the redescription of some species are given.

Discontinuing disease-modifying therapy in progressive multiple sclerosis: can we stop what we have started?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lonergan, Roisin

2012-02-01

Disease-modifying therapy is ineffective in disabled patients (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] > 6.5) with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) without relapses, or in primary progressive MS. Many patients with secondary progressive MS who initially had relapsing MS continue to use disease-modifying therapies. The enormous associated costs are a burden to health services. Regular assessment is recommended to guide discontinuation of disease-modifying therapies when no longer beneficial, but this is unavailable to many patients, particularly in rural areas. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1. To observe use of disease-modifying therapies in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis and EDSS > 6.5. 2. To examine approaches used by a group of international MS experts to stopping-disease modifying therapies in patients with secondary progressive MS without relapses. During an epidemiological study in three regions of Ireland (southeast Dublin city, and Wexford and Donegal Counties), we recorded details of disease-modifying therapies in patients with progressive MS and EDSS > 6.5. An e-questionnaire was sent to 26 neurologists with expert knowledge of MS, asking them to share their approach to stopping disease-modifying therapies in patients with secondary progressive MS. Three hundred and thirty-six patients were studied: 88 from southeast Dublin, 99 from Wexford and 149 from Donegal. Forty-four had EDSS > 6.5: 12 were still using disease-modifying therapies. Of the surveyed neurologists, 15 made efforts to stop disease-modifying therapies in progressive multiple sclerosis, but most did not insist. A significant proportion (12 of 44 patients with progressive MS and EDSS > 6.5) was considered to be receiving therapy without benefit. Eleven of the 12 were from rural counties, reflecting poorer access to neurology services. The costs of disease-modifying therapies in this group (>170,000 euro yearly) could be re-directed towards development

Regression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Zinc and Selenium Co-supplementation after Disease Progression in Rats

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Farzad Shidfar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Studies have shown that zinc and selenium deficiency is common in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. However, the effects of zinc and selenium co-supplementation before and/or after disease progression on NAFLD are not clear enough. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of zinc and selenium co-supplementation before and/or after disease progression on NAFLD prognosis. Methods: Forty male Sprague–Dawley rats (197±4 g were randomly assigned to 4 dietary groups: normal-fat diet (NFD; receiving 9% of calories as fat, high-fat diet (HFD; receiving 82% of calories as fat, supplementation before disease progression (S+HFD, and supplementation after disease progression (HFD+S. The diets were implemented over a 20-week period in all the groups. Biochemical and histologic parameters were compared between the 4 groups, and between-group comparisons were also carried out. Results: There were significant differences in the average food dietary intake (P<0.001, weight (P<0.001, fasting blood sugar (P=0.005, triglyceride (P<0.001, total cholesterol (P<0.001, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.002, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.001, alanine aminotransferase (P<0.001, and aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.001 between the 4 dietary groups. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly lower in the HFD+S Group than in the S+HFD Group (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively. Fat accumulation was significantly reduced in the HFD+S Group (P<0.001. Conclusion: Zinc and selenium co-supplementation after disease progression improved biochemical and histologic parameters in an experimental model of NAFLD.

Twenty-first century vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Rappuoli, Rino

2011-01-01

In the twentieth century, vaccination has been possibly the greatest revolution in health. Together with hygiene and antibiotics, vaccination led to the elimination of many childhood infectious diseases and contributed to the increase in disability-free life expectancy that in Western societies rose from 50 to 78–85 years (Crimmins, E. M. & Finch, C. E. 2006 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 498–503; Kirkwood, T. B. 2008 Nat. Med 10, 1177–1185). In the twenty-first century, vaccination will be expected to eliminate the remaining childhood infectious diseases, such as meningococcal meningitis, respiratory syncytial virus, group A streptococcus, and will address the health challenges of this century such as those associated with ageing, antibiotic resistance, emerging infectious diseases and poverty. However, for this to happen, we need to increase the public trust in vaccination so that vaccines can be perceived as the best insurance against most diseases across all ages. PMID:21893537

Connected speech as a marker of disease progression in autopsy-proven Alzheimer’s disease

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Samrah; Haigh, Anne-Marie F.; de Jager, Celeste A.

2013-01-01

Although an insidious history of episodic memory difficulty is a typical presenting symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, detailed neuropsychological profiling frequently demonstrates deficits in other cognitive domains, including language. Previous studies from our group have shown that language changes may be reflected in connected speech production in the earliest stages of typical Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the present study was to identify features of connected speech that could be used to examine longitudinal profiles of impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. Samples of connected speech were obtained from 15 former participants in a longitudinal cohort study of ageing and dementia, in whom Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed during life and confirmed at post-mortem. All patients met clinical and neuropsychological criteria for mild cognitive impairment between 6 and 18 months before converting to a status of probable Alzheimer’s disease. In a subset of these patients neuropsychological data were available, both at the point of conversion to Alzheimer’s disease, and after disease severity had progressed from the mild to moderate stage. Connected speech samples from these patients were examined at later disease stages. Spoken language samples were obtained using the Cookie Theft picture description task. Samples were analysed using measures of syntactic complexity, lexical content, speech production, fluency and semantic content. Individual case analysis revealed that subtle changes in language were evident during the prodromal stages of Alzheimer’s disease, with two-thirds of patients with mild cognitive impairment showing significant but heterogeneous changes in connected speech. However, impairments at the mild cognitive impairment stage did not necessarily entail deficits at mild or moderate stages of disease, suggesting non-language influences on some aspects of performance. Subsequent examination of these measures revealed significant linear trends

Progression of Late-Onset Stargardt Disease

OpenAIRE

Lambertus, Stanley; Lindner, Moritz; Bax, Nathalie M.; Mauschitz, Matthias M.; Nadal, Jennifer; Schmid, Matthias; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; den Hollander, Anneke I.; Weber, Bernhard H. F.; Holz, Frank G.; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Fleckenstein, Monika; Hoyng, Carel B.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Identification of sensitive biomarkers is essential to determine potential effects of emerging therapeutic trials for Stargardt disease. This study aimed to describe the natural history of late-onset Stargardt, and demonstrates the accuracy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy progression as an outcome measure. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study collecting multicenter data from 47 patients (91 eyes) with late-onset Stargardt, defined by clinical phenotype...

AMERICAN MULTI-DWELLING ARCHITECTURE OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

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Srđan Nađ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the evolution of American multiple-dwelling architecture was marked by the passage from the standard construction of single-family standalone homes and row houses to a new housing typology which corresponded to all of the new urban planning rules and requirements of the contemporary way of life in cities. New York was the first American city to face the problem of dense settlement in limited spaces. The »U, E, H« ground plan designs were developed and were most commonly used during the period when the Building Zone Resolution adopted in 1916 by New York City was in force. The Building Zone Resolution introduced another novelty into New York town planning, i.e. the setting back of exterior walls above a determined height. Consequently, this gave rise to buildings with stepped profiles and many more storeys. The solutions developed by the New York residential architecture were adopted by other cities and further developed in line with specific local influences. Chicago is the most interesting of these cities; between 1924 and 1929 several quality housing complexes were built there which strongly deviated from the then housing construction in New York by the consistent ground plan designs of structures and apartment designs.

Translation from the Classical Languages in the Second Half of the 19th Century

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Matej Hriberšek

2007-07-01

Full Text Available In addition to affecting the Slovene education system, the Austrian denationalising policy in the second half of the 19th century had a direct impact on translation. Most of the already scarce Slovene philologists were appointed to posts outside the Slovene national territory. The conditions only began to improve in the 1860s, with the translation activity taken up by the first students of the newly established philology courses at the University of Vienna (Ladislav Hrovat, Matija Valjavec, etc.. More often than not, however, the translators were not philologists. The first longer classical texts published in Slovene were individual books of the Homeric epics, Xenophon’s Memorabilia, Plato’s dialogues Apology and Crito, Virgil's Georgics, and Sophocles' Ajax (the complete Bible, of course, had been translated much earlier, but it holds a special place in the history of translation. The translations published as books represent the first Slovene book-format editions of the ancient classics, but most appeared in magazines and newspapers . Many translations met with the same fate as a number of contemporary Slovene classical-language textbooks: they remained in manuscript because of insufficient funds (the publishers were unwilling to run the risk of such enterprises, for fear that their investment would not pay, and also because of the national-awakening emphasis on Slovene, which was accompanied by a preference for translating from other modern languages, particularly Slavic ones. A noteworthy example of these unpublished translations is Caesar’s De Bello Gallico as prepared by the Franciscan Ladislav Hrovat. From the beginnings to the present, Slovene translations of the Greek and Latin classics have displayed a marked predominance of poetry, with prose works remaining in the minority.

Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Antibodies in Slow-Progression Motor Neuron Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Godani, Massimiliano; Zoccarato, Marco; Beronio, Alessandro; Zuliani, Luigi; Benedetti, Luana; Giometto, Bruno; Del Sette, Massimo; Raggio, Elisa; Baldi, Roberta; Vincent, Angela

2017-01-01

The spectrum of autoimmune neurological diseases associated with voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex antibodies (Abs) ranges from peripheral nerve disorders to limbic encephalitis. Recently, low titers of VGKC-complex Abs have also been reported in neurodegenerative disorders, but their clinical relevance is unknown. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of VGKC-complex Abs in slow-progression motor neuron disease (MND). We compared 11 patients affected by slow-progression MND with 9 patients presenting typical progression illness. Sera were tested for VGKC-complex Abs by radioimmunoassay. The distribution of VGKC-complex Abs was analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the mean values in the study and control groups. A case with long-survival MND harboring VGKC-complex Abs and treated with intravenous immunoglobulins is described. Although VGKC-complex Abs are not likely to be pathogenic, these results could reflect the coexistence of an immunological activation in patients with slow disease progression. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Fusion plasma physics during half a century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehnert, Bo

1999-08-01

A review is given on the potentialities of fusion energy with respect to energy production and related environmental problems, the various approaches to controlled thermonuclear fusion, the main problem areas of research, the historical development, the present state of investigations, and future perspectives. This article also presents a personal memorandum of the author. Thereby special reference will be given to part of the research conducted at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, merely to identify its place within the general historical development. Considerable progress has been made in fusion research during the last decades. In large tokamak experiments temperatures above the ignition limit of about 10{sup 8} K have been reached under break-even conditions where the fusion power generation is comparable to the energy loss. A power producing fusion reactor could in principle be realized already today, but it would not become technically and economically efficient. The future international research programme has therefore to be conducted along broad lines, with necessary ingredients of basis research and new ideas, and also within lines of magnetic confinement being alternative to that of tokamaks.

Generalizability of the Disease State Index Prediction Model for Identifying Patients Progressing from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's Disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hall, A.; Munoz-Ruiz, M.; Mattila, J.; Koikkalainen, J.; Tsolaki, M.; Mecocci, P.; Kloszewska, I.; Vellas, B.; Lovestone, S.; Visser, P.J.; Lotjonen, J.; Soininen, H.

2015-01-01

Background: The Disease State Index (DSI) prediction model measures the similarity of patient data to diagnosed stable and progressive mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cases to identify patients who are progressing to Alzheimer's disease. Objectives: We evaluated how well the DSI generalizes across

Non-monotonic reorganization of brain networks with Alzheimer’s disease progression

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Hyoungkyu eKim

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Identification of stage-specific changes in brain network of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD is critical for rationally designed therapeutics that delays the progression of the disease. However, pathological neural processes and their resulting changes in brain network topology with disease progression are not clearly known. Methods: The current study was designed to investigate the alterations in network topology of resting state fMRI among patients in three different clinical dementia rating (CDR groups (i.e., CDR = 0.5, 1, 2 and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI and age-matched healthy subject groups. We constructed cost networks from these 5 groups and analyzed their network properties using graph theoretical measures.Results: The topological properties of AD brain networks differed in a non-monotonic, stage-specific manner. Interestingly, local and global efficiency and betweenness of the network were rather higher in the aMCI and AD (CDR 1 groups than those of prior stage groups. The number, location, and structure of rich-clubs changed dynamically as the disease progressed.Conclusions: The alterations in network topology of the brain are quite dynamic with AD progression, and these dynamic changes in network patterns should be considered meticulously for efficient therapeutic interventions of AD.

Serbian musical criticism and essay writings during the XIXth and the first half of the XXth century as a subject of musicology research

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Vasić Aleksandar N.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The beginning of 2006 marked two decades since the death of Stana Djurić-Klajn, the first historian of Serbian musical literature. This is the exterior motive for presenting a summary of the state and results of up-to-date musicology research into Serbian musical criticism and essay writings during the XIXth and the first half of the XXth century, alongside the many works dedicated to this branch of national musical history, recently published. In this way the reader is given a detailed background of these studies – mainly the authors' names, books, studies, articles, as well as the problems of this branch of Serbian musicology. The first research is associated with the early years of the XXth century, that is, to the work of bibliography. The pioneer of Serbian ethnomusicology, Vladimir R. Djordjević composed An Essay of the Serbian Musical Bibliography until 1914, noting selected XIXth century examples of Serbian literature on music. Bibliographic research was continued by various institutions and experts during the second half of the XXth century: in Zagreb (today Republic of Croatia; the Yugoslav Institute for Lexicography, Novi Sad (Matica srpska; and Belgrade (Institute for Literature and Art, Slobodan Turlakov, Ljubica Djordjević, Staniša Vojinović etc. In spite of the efforts of these institutions and individuals, a complete analytic bibliography of music in Serbian print of the last two centuries has unfortunately still not been made. The most important contributions to historical research, interpretation and validation of Serbian musical criticism and essay writings were given by Stana Djurić-Klajn, Dr Roksanda Pejović and Dr Slobodan Turlakov. Professor Stana Djurić-Klajn was the first Serbian musicologist to work in this field of Serbian music history. She wrote a significant number of studies and articles dedicated to Serbian musical writers and published their selected readings. Prof. Klajn is the author and editor of the

Soluble beta-amyloid precursor protein is related to disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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Petra Steinacker

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Biomarkers of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS could support the identification of beneficial drugs in clinical trials. We aimed to test whether soluble fragments of beta-amyloid precursor protein (sAPPα and sAPPß correlated with clinical subtypes of ALS and were of prognostic value. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a cross-sectional study including patients with ALS (N = 68 with clinical follow-up data over 6 months, Parkinson's disease (PD, N = 20, and age-matched controls (N = 40, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF levels of sAPPα a, sAPPß and neurofilaments (NfH(SMI35 were measured by multiplex assay, Progranulin by ELISA. CSF sAPPα and sAPPß levels were lower in ALS with a rapidly-progressive disease course (p = 0.03, and p = 0.02 and with longer disease duration (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively. CSF NfH(SMI35 was elevated in ALS compared to PD and controls, with highest concentrations found in patients with rapid disease progression (p<0.01. High CSF NfH(SMI3 was linked to low CSF sAPPα and sAPPß (p = 0.001, and p = 0.007, respectively. The ratios CSF NfH(SMI35/CSF sAPPα,-ß were elevated in patients with fast progression of disease (p = 0.002 each. CSF Progranulin decreased with ongoing disease (p = 0.04. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new CSF candidate markers associated with progression of disease in ALS. The data suggest that a deficiency of cellular neuroprotective mechanisms (decrease of sAPP is linked to progressive neuro-axonal damage (increase of NfH(SMI35 and to progression of disease.

Liberal-Conservative Synthesis: the Experience of Creating the Concept of Evolutionary Modernization of Russia in the Second half of the 19th Century

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Maxim N. Krot

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to consideration of the liberal-conservative conception of Russia formed in the second half of the 19th century by a number of Russian public figures and statesmen, the most prominent of which were B.N. Chicherin, K.D. Cavelin and A.D. Gradovsky. The author reveals the main stages of modernization of the social and political system in Russia suggested by the liberals. The author deals with the concrete projects of changes and reforms, characterizes the methods of achieving these aims. The article reveals the essence of the liberal-conservative "anticonstitutionalism" of the 60s and the first half of the 70s of the 19th century, identifies the main arguments, used by the representatives of this social thought trend for proving their opinion. One issue is considered separately: the draft of the administrative reform by K.D. Kavelin, having offered a wide reorganization of the supreme bodies of state administration and the nature of their formation in order to prepare the basis for establishing of representative government in Russia in the future. The article characterizes the situation in Russia at the turn of 1870 - 1880s, under the circumstances of which there is a gradual transition of liberal conservatives to the idea of immediate creation of representative bodies in Russia. The author analyzes in detail the following: the main arguments and motivations, having induced them to introducing the requirements as well as the projects themselves, devoted to the establishment of elected representative bodies that were supposed to be integrated into the existing government management, complementing and improving it. In the article special attention is drawn to the harmonious combination of liberal - reformational and conservative-preserving principles that, according to its authors, on the one hand, must have promoted the evolution of social and political relations in the country, have avoided their stagnation and degradation

Sodium intake, RAAS-blockade and progressive renal disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Borst, Martin H; Navis, Gerjan

Pharmacological blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers is the current standard treatment to prevent progressive renal function loss in patients with chronic kidney disease. Yet in many patients the

Mapping Neurodegenerative Disease Onset and Progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeley, William W

2017-08-01

Brain networks have been of long-standing interest to neurodegeneration researchers, including but not limited to investigators focusing on conventional prion diseases, which are known to propagate along neural pathways. Tools for human network mapping, however, remained inadequate, limiting our understanding of human brain network architecture and preventing clinical research applications. Until recently, neuropathological studies were the only viable approach to mapping disease onset and progression in humans but required large autopsy cohorts and laborious methods for whole-brain sectioning and staining. Despite important advantages, postmortem studies cannot address in vivo, physiological, or longitudinal questions and have limited potential to explore early-stage disease except for the most common disorders. Emerging in vivo network-based neuroimaging strategies have begun to address these issues, providing data that complement the neuropathological tradition. Overall, findings to date highlight several fundamental principles of neurodegenerative disease anatomy and pathogenesis, as well as some enduring mysteries. These principles and mysteries provide a road map for future research. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Chronic Progressive Neurodegeneration in a transgenic mouse model of Prion disease

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Nina Fainstein

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Neurodegenerative diseases present pathologically with progressive structural destruction of neurons and accumulation of mis-folded proteins specific for each condition leading to brain atrophy and functional disability. Many animal models exert deposition of pathogenic protein without accompanying neurodegeneration pattern. The lack of a comprehensive model hinders the efforts to develop treatment. We performed longitudinal quantification of cellular, neuronal and synaptic density, as well as of neurogenesis in brains of mice, mimicking for genetic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease as compared to age matched wild type mice. Mice exhibited a neurodegenerative process indicated by progressive reduction in cortical neurons and synapses, starting at age of 4-6 months, in accordance with neurologic disability. This was accompanied by significant decrease in subventricular/subependymal zone neurogenesis. Although increased hippocampal neurogenesis was detected in mice, a neurodegenerative process of CA1 and CA3 regions associated with impaired hippocampal-dependent memory function was observed. In conclusion, mice exhibit pathological neurodegeneration concomitant with progressive neurological disease, indicating these mice can serve as a model for neurodegenerative diseases.

Chronic Progressive Neurodegeneration in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Prion Disease.

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Fainstein, Nina; Dori, Dvir; Frid, Kati; Fritz, Alexa T; Shapiro, Ilona; Gabizon, Ruth; Ben-Hur, Tamir

2016-01-01

Neurodegenerative diseases present pathologically with progressive structural destruction of neurons and accumulation of mis-folded proteins specific for each condition leading to brain atrophy and functional disability. Many animal models exert deposition of pathogenic proteins without an accompanying neurodegeneration pattern. The lack of a comprehensive model hinders efforts to develop treatment. We performed longitudinal quantification of cellular, neuronal and synaptic density, as well as of neurogenesis in brains of mice mimicking for genetic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease as compared to age-matched wild-type mice. Mice exhibited a neurodegenerative process of progressive reduction in cortical neurons and synapses starting at age of 4-6 months, in accord with neurologic disability. This was accompanied by significant decrease in subventricular/subependymal zone neurogenesis. Although increased hippocampal neurogenesis was detected in mice, a neurodegenerative process of CA1 and CA3 regions associated with impaired hippocampal-dependent memory function was observed. In conclusion, mice exhibit pathological neurodegeneration concomitant with neurological disease progression, indicating these mice can serve as a model for neurodegenerative diseases.

Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human diseases.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ballatori, N.; Krance, S.M.; Notenboom, S.; Shi, S.; Tieu, K.; Hammond, C.L.

2009-01-01

Glutathione (GSH) plays an important role in a multitude of cellular processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis, and as a result, disturbances in GSH homeostasis are implicated in the etiology and/or progression of a number of human diseases, including cancer, diseases

Serum metabolomics of slow vs. rapid motor progression Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

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Roede, James R; Uppal, Karan; Park, Youngja; Lee, Kichun; Tran, Vilinh; Walker, Douglas; Strobel, Frederick H; Rhodes, Shannon L; Ritz, Beate; Jones, Dean P

2013-01-01

Progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) is highly variable, indicating that differences between slow and rapid progression forms could provide valuable information for improved early detection and management. Unfortunately, this represents a complex problem due to the heterogeneous nature of humans in regards to demographic characteristics, genetics, diet, environmental exposures and health behaviors. In this pilot study, we employed high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to investigate the metabolic signatures of slow versus rapidly progressing PD present in human serum. Archival serum samples from PD patients obtained within 3 years of disease onset were analyzed via dual chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, with data extraction by xMSanalyzer and used to predict rapid or slow motor progression of these patients during follow-up. Statistical analyses, such as false discovery rate analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, yielded a list of statistically significant metabolic features and further investigation revealed potential biomarkers. In particular, N8-acetyl spermidine was found to be significantly elevated in the rapid progressors compared to both control subjects and slow progressors. Our exploratory data indicate that a fast motor progression disease phenotype can be distinguished early in disease using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling and that altered polyamine metabolism may be a predictive marker of rapidly progressing PD.

Serbian Written Sources on the Tatars and the Golden Horde (first half of the 14th century

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Aleksandar Uzelac

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Serbian narrative and documentary texts, written in the first half of the XIV century, represent valuable source material for the research of Tatar political and military influence in the Balkan lands. Most important among them are Vita of King Stephen Uroš II Milutin (1282–1321, extant in three different editions and Vita of Archbishop Daniel II (1324–1337. The first one offers insight into the relations between the Kingdom of Serbia and the powerful Juchid prince Nogai, while in the latter, the key role of Tatar contingents in internal power struggle between king Milutin and his brother Stephen Dragutin is mentioned. The presence of Tatars in the Battle of Velbazhd (1330, fought between Serbia and the Bulgarian Empire, is also attested in various sources, including the so-called Old Serbian chronicles and the Code of Law of Emperor Stephen Dušan (1349. Another group of sources analyzed in the text are several apocryphal writings of South Slavic literature. Their value lies in the fact that they reflect the image of the Tatars in the eyes of the Balkan Slavs. Last, but not least important testimony of Tatar activities in Serbian lands is preserved in place-names of Tatar origin, recorded in royal charters, issued by Milutin’s son Stephen (1321–1331 and grandson Stephen Dušan (1331–1355.

Being There & Getting Back Again: Half a Century of Deep Ocean Research & Discovery with the Human Occupied Vehicle "Alvin"

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German, C. R.; Fornari, D. J.; Fryer, P.; Girguis, P. R.; Humphris, S. E.; Kelley, D. S.; Tivey, M.; Van Dover, C. L.; Von Damm, K.

2012-12-01

In 2013, Alvin returns to service after significant observational and operational upgrades supported by the NSF, NAVSEA & NOAA. Here we review highlights of the first half-century of deep submergence science conducted by Alvin, describe some of the most significant improvements for the new submarine and discuss the importance of these new capabilities for 21st century ocean science and education. Alvin has a long history of scientific exploration, discovery and intervention at the deep seafloor: in pursuit of hypothesis-driven research and in response to human impacts. One of Alvin's earliest achievements, at the height of the Cold War, was to help locate & recover an H-bomb in the Mediterranean, while the last dives completed, just ahead of the current refit, were to investigate the impacts of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Alvin has excelled in supporting a range of Earth & Life Science programs including, in the late 1970s, first direct observations and sampling of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the unusual fauna supported by microbial chemosynthesis. The 1980s saw expansion of Alvin's dive areas to newly discovered hot-springs in the Atlantic & NE Pacific, Alvin's first dives to the wreck of RMS Titanic and its longest excursions away from WHOI yet, via Loihi Seamount (Hawaii) to the Mariana Trench. The 1990s saw Alvin's first event-response dives to sites where volcanic eruptions had just occurred at the East Pacific Rise & Juan de Fuca Ridge while the 2000s saw Alvin discover novel off-axis venting at Lost City. Observations from these dives fundamentally changed our views of volcanic and microbial processes within young ocean crust and even the origins of life! In parallel, new deep submergence capabilities, including manipulative experiments & sensor development, relied heavily on testing using Alvin. Recently, new work has focused on ocean margins where fluid flow from the seafloor results in the release of hydrocarbons and other chemical species that

Chronology of the Third – Fifth Centuries Male Graves from the Tarasovo Burial Ground

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Goldina Rimma D.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the chronological attribution of male graves from the late Mazunino stage of the Tarasovo burial ground and is a sequel to an earlier article about dating of the early Nyrgynda stage (1st – 2nd centuries of the same site. The three main methods employed in this research include those of formal typology, cultural stratigraphy and the nearest neighbor method. Eighty-six male graves of the third-fifth centuries were analyzed, with 12 identified as a result: first half of the 3rd c. AD (group 1, second half of the 3rd c. AD (2; 3rd c. (3; first half of the 4th c. (group 4; second half of the 3rd – 4th c. (5; third quarter of the 4th c. (6; fourth quarter of the 4th c. (group 7; second half of the 4th c. (8; second half of the 4th – 5th c. (9; 4th – 5th cc. (10; second half of the 3rd – 5th cc. (11 and 3rd – 5th cc. (12. This article minutes investigates the first six groups, while the rest will be covered in the next publication. Artifacts form the third – fifth century female graves of the Tarasovo burial ground will be studied separately.

The four and a half LIM domains 2 (FHL2) regulates ovarian granulosa cell tumor progression via controlling AKT1 transcription

OpenAIRE

Hua, G; He, C; Lv, X; Fan, L; Wang, C; Remmenga, S W; Rodabaugh, K J; Yang, L; Lele, S M; Yang, P; Karpf, A R; Davis, J S; Wang, C

2016-01-01

The four and a half LIM domains 2 (FHL2) has been shown to play important roles in the regulation of cell proliferation, survival, adhesion, motility and signal transduction in a cell type and tissue-dependent manner. However, the function of FHL2 in ovarian physiology and pathology is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the role and functional mechanism of FHL2 in the progression of ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs). Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that FHL2 was overexp...

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

OpenAIRE

Hensman Moss, Davina J; Pardinas, Antonio; Langbehn, Douglas; Lo, Kitty; Leavitt, Blair R; Roos, Raymund; Durr, Alexandra; Mead, Simon; Holmans, Peter; Jones, Lesley; Tabrizi, Sarah J; Coleman, A; Santos, R Dar; Decolongon, J; Sturrock, A

2017-01-01

Background\\ud \\ud Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure.\\ud \\ud Methods\\ud \\ud We generated a progression score on the basis of principal ...

Genome-wide analysis of disease progression in age-related macular degeneration.

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Yan, Qi; Ding, Ying; Liu, Yi; Sun, Tao; Fritsche, Lars G; Clemons, Traci; Ratnapriya, Rinki; Klein, Michael L; Cook, Richard J; Liu, Yu; Fan, Ruzong; Wei, Lai; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Swaroop, Anand; Chew, Emily Y; Weeks, Daniel E; Chen, Wei

2018-03-01

Family- and population-based genetic studies have successfully identified multiple disease-susceptibility loci for Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the first batch and most successful examples of genome-wide association study. However, most genetic studies to date have focused on case-control studies of late AMD (choroidal neovascularization or geographic atrophy). The genetic influences on disease progression are largely unexplored. We assembled unique resources to perform a genome-wide bivariate time-to-event analysis to test for association of time-to-late-AMD with ∼9 million variants on 2721 Caucasians from a large multi-center randomized clinical trial, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. To our knowledge, this is the first genome-wide association study of disease progression (bivariate survival outcome) in AMD genetic studies, thus providing novel insights to AMD genetics. We used a robust Cox proportional hazards model to appropriately account for between-eye correlation when analyzing the progression time in the two eyes of each participant. We identified four previously reported susceptibility loci showing genome-wide significant association with AMD progression: ARMS2-HTRA1 (P = 8.1 × 10-43), CFH (P = 3.5 × 10-37), C2-CFB-SKIV2L (P = 8.1 × 10-10) and C3 (P = 1.2 × 10-9). Furthermore, we detected association of rs58978565 near TNR (P = 2.3 × 10-8), rs28368872 near ATF7IP2 (P = 2.9 × 10-8) and rs142450006 near MMP9 (P = 0.0006) with progression to choroidal neovascularization but not geographic atrophy. Secondary analysis limited to 34 reported risk variants revealed that LIPC and CTRB2-CTRB1 were also associated with AMD progression (P < 0.0015). Our genome-wide analysis thus expands the genetics in both development and progression of AMD and should assist in early identification of high risk individuals.

The Disease of the Italian Poet Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837): A Case of Juvenile Ankylosing Spondylitis in the 19th Century?

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Sganzerla, Erik Pietro; Riva, Michele Augusto

2017-06-01

Some authors sustained that the pessimistic thought of the Italian writer and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837) may be attributed to his unhappy life, characterized by several health problems. His philosophical theories appear as the result of depressive and melancholic state, related to his precarious health conditions, so limiting their intrinsic values. Several authors formulated various hypotheses on the diseases that Leopardi suffered from and postulated different theories on the cause of his early death. This article assumed that Leopardi may have been affected by juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, conditioning spinal deformities, relapsing-remitting uveitis, urinary tract and bowel tract problems, and acute arthritis. Chest deformity, as a complication of juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, may have caused progressive cardiorespiratory failure, worsened by recurrent bronchial and pulmonary complications, until his death caused by acute right ventricular heart failure. The acknowledgment of a physical cause of Leopardi's disease contributes to reevaluate his "cosmic pessimism" as an original expression of his thought, so leading a general revaluation of the figure of one of the most important European thinkers of the 19th century.

Humanities: The Unexpected Success Story of the Twenty-First Century

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Davis, Virginia

2012-01-01

Humanities within universities faced challenges in the latter half of the twentieth century as their value in the modern world was questioned. This paper argues that there is strong potential for the humanities to thrive in the twenty-first century university sector. It outlines some of the managerial implications necessary to ensure that this…

Validating predictors of disease progression in a large cohort of primary-progressive multiple sclerosis based on a systematic literature review.

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Jan-Patrick Stellmann

Full Text Available New agents with neuroprotective or neuroregenerative potential might be explored in primary-progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS--the MS disease course with leading neurodegenerative pathology. Identification of patients with a high short-term risk for progression may minimize study duration and sample size. Cohort studies reported several variables as predictors of EDSS disability progression but findings were partially contradictory.To analyse the impact of published predictors on EDSS disease progression in a large cohort of PPMS patients.A systematic literature research was performed to identify predictors for disease progression in PPMS. Individual case data from the Sylvia Lawry Centre (SLC and the Hamburg MS patient database (HAPIMS was pooled for a retrospective validation of these predictors on the annualized EDSS change.The systematic literature analysis revealed heterogeneous data from 3 prospective and 5 retrospective natural history cohort studies. Age at onset, gender, type of first symptoms and early EDSS changes were available for validation. Our pooled cohort of 597 PPMS patients (54% female had a mean follow-up of 4.4 years and mean change of EDSS of 0.35 per year based on 2503 EDSS assessments. There was no significant association between the investigated variables and the EDSS-change.None of the analysed variables were predictive for the disease progression measured by the annualized EDSS change. Whether PPMS is still unpredictable or our results may be due to limitations of cohort assessments or selection of predictors cannot be answered. Large systematic prospective studies with new endpoints are needed.

Antioxidant effect of Morus nigra on Chagas disease progression.

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Montenote, Michelly Cristina; Wajsman, Vithor Zuccaro; Konno, Yoichi Takaki; Ferreira, Paulo César; Silva, Regildo Márcio Gonçalves; Therezo, Altino Luiz Silva; Silva, Luciana Pereira; Martins, Luciamáre Perinetti Alves

2017-11-06

Considering the widespread popular use of Morus nigra and the amount of scientific information on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, the effectiveness of this phytotherapeutic compound in the parasitemia progression during the acute phase of Chagas disease and its role in the development of the inflammatory process as well as its effects on the oxidative damage in the chronic phase of infection were evaluated. Thus, 96 male Swiss mice were randomly divided into eight groups, four groups were uninfected controls, and four groups were intraperitoneally infected with 5.0 x 104 blood trypomastigotes forms of T. cruzi QM2 strain. Four batches composed of one uninfected and one infected group were respectively treated with 70% alcohol solution and 25 μL, 50 μL and 75 μL of the phytotherapeutic compound. Levels of antioxidant elements (TBARS, FRAP, GSH and Sulfhydryl groups) were measured in plasma samples. The phytotherapeutic compound's antioxidant activity was measured by polyphenol and total flavonoid quantification, DPPH, NO, and FRAP method. Our results showed that the vehicle influenced some of the results that may have physiological relevance in Chagas disease. However, an important action of M. nigra tincture was observed in the progression of Chagas disease, since our results demonstrated a reduction in parasitemia of treated groups when compared to controls, especially in the group receiving 25 µL. However, in the chronic phase, the 50-µL dosage presented a better activity on some antioxidant defenses and minimized the tissue inflammatory process. Results indicated an important action of M. nigra tincture on the Chagas disease progression.

A half-century of automata theory celebration and inspiration

CERN Document Server

Salomaa, A; Yu, S

2001-01-01

This volume gathers lectures by 8 distinguished pioneers of automata theory, including two Turing Award winners. In each contribution, the early developments of automata theory are reminisced about and future directions are suggested. Although some of the contributions go into rather intriguing technical details, most of the book is accessible to a wide audience interested in the progress of the age of computers. The book is a must for professionals in theoretical computer science and related areas of mathematics. For students in these areas it provides an exceptionally deep view at the beginn

Ethno-confessional realities in the Romanian area: historical perspectives (XVII-XX centuries)

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

Contents: Barbu ŞTEFĂNESCU: Foreword; Barbu ŞTEFĂNESCU: Confessionalisation and Community Sociability (Transylvania, 18th Century – First Half of the 19th Century); Ion GUMENÂI Religious Minorities in Bessarabia during the -Reaction‖ of Nikolai I (The Case of Jewish Population); Eugen GHIŢĂ: Population, Ethnicity and Confession in the County of Arad in the Eighteenth Century and Early Nineteenth Century; Lavinia BUDA: “Oratory or the Rosary? a Nonexistent Controversy” in the Greek Catholi...

The Midwifery Legacies Project: history, progress, and future directions.

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Moore-Davis, Tonia L; McGee, Karen B; Moore, Elaine M; Paine, Lisa L

2015-01-01

The Midwifery Legacies Project, formerly known as the OnGoing Group, was founded as an annual greeting card outreach aimed at maintaining contact with midwives as they approached retirement and beyond. In 2009, the importance of documenting personal and professional stories of midwives arose out of a bequest by a midwife who was relatively unknown outside of the community she served. The result has been the evolution of a robust collection of stories, which are known as the 20th Century Midwife Story Collection. Between 2009 and 2014, more than 120 US midwives aged 65 years or older were interviewed by a midwife, a student midwife, or a professional filmmaker. Collectively, these midwives' stories offer an intimate snapshot of the social, political, and cultural influences that have shaped US midwifery during the past half century. Individually, the stories honor and recognize midwives' contributions to the profession and the women they have served. This article details the development, progress, and future directions of the Midwifery Legacies Project. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Perspective Insights into Disease Progression, Diagnostics, and Therapeutic Approaches in Alzheimer's Disease: A Judicious Update

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Arif Tasleem Jan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive accumulation of β-amyloid fibrils and abnormal tau proteins in and outside of neurons. Representing a common form of dementia, aggravation of AD with age increases the morbidity rate among the elderly. Although, mutations in the ApoE4 act as potent risk factors for sporadic AD, familial AD arises through malfunctioning of APP, PSEN-1, and−2 genes. AD progresses through accumulation of amyloid plaques (Aβ and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs in brain, which interfere with neuronal communication. Cellular stress that arises through mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum malfunction, and autophagy contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of AD. With high accuracy in disease diagnostics, Aβ deposition and phosphorylated tau (p-tau are useful core biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF of AD patients. Although five drugs are approved for treatment in AD, their failures in achieving complete disease cure has shifted studies toward a series of molecules capable of acting against Aβ and p-tau. Failure of biologics or compounds to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB in most cases advocates development of an efficient drug delivery system. Though liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles are widely adopted for drug delivery modules, their use in delivering drugs across the BBB has been overtaken by exosomes, owing to their promising results in reducing disease progression.

Serum metabolomics of slow vs. rapid motor progression Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

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James R Roede

Full Text Available Progression of Parkinson's disease (PD is highly variable, indicating that differences between slow and rapid progression forms could provide valuable information for improved early detection and management. Unfortunately, this represents a complex problem due to the heterogeneous nature of humans in regards to demographic characteristics, genetics, diet, environmental exposures and health behaviors. In this pilot study, we employed high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to investigate the metabolic signatures of slow versus rapidly progressing PD present in human serum. Archival serum samples from PD patients obtained within 3 years of disease onset were analyzed via dual chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, with data extraction by xMSanalyzer and used to predict rapid or slow motor progression of these patients during follow-up. Statistical analyses, such as false discovery rate analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, yielded a list of statistically significant metabolic features and further investigation revealed potential biomarkers. In particular, N8-acetyl spermidine was found to be significantly elevated in the rapid progressors compared to both control subjects and slow progressors. Our exploratory data indicate that a fast motor progression disease phenotype can be distinguished early in disease using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling and that altered polyamine metabolism may be a predictive marker of rapidly progressing PD.

Rise and fall in ischemic heart disease mortality: it may have happened before

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Azambuja Maria Inês R.

1995-01-01

Full Text Available The rise in ischemic heart disease(IHD mortality occurring mostly during the first half of the 20th century is usually associated with economic development and its consequences for people's lifestyles. On the basis of historical evidence, it is postulated that a previous IHD epidemic cycle may have occurred in England and Wales towards the turn of the nineteenth century. The implications of this on causal theories and current etiological research on atherosclerosis are discussed.

[Ancient methods of animal disease prevention in Belgium].

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Mammerickx, M

1994-06-01

The author describes traditional methods of animal disease control in Belgium and the evolution of these methods up to the present time. Evidence is drawn mainly from Belgian law. The principles of hygienic prophylaxis, which have required little modification over the passage of time, were set out at the beginning of the 18th century by Lancisi and Bates, physicians to Pope Clement XI and King George I of Great Britain, respectively. These principles were immediately incorporated into Belgian law. However, it was not until the second half of the 19th century that they were applied correctly and with success.

High performance p-type half-Heusler thermoelectric materials

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Yu, Junjie; Xia, Kaiyang; Zhao, Xinbing; Zhu, Tiejun

2018-03-01

Half-Heusler compounds, which possess robust mechanical strength, good high temperature thermal stability and multifaceted physical properties, have been verified as a class of promising thermoelectric materials. During the last two decades, great progress has been made in half-Heusler thermoelectrics. In this review, we summarize some representative work of p-type half-Heusler materials, the thermoelectric performance of which has been remarkably enhanced in recent years. We introduce the features of the crystal and electronic structures of half-Heusler compounds, and successful strategies for optimizing electrical and thermal transport in the p-type RFeSb (R  =  V, Nb, Ta) and MCoSb (M  =  Ti, Zr, Hf) based systems, including band engineering, the formation of solid solutions and hierarchical phonon scattering. The outlook for future research directions of half-Heusler thermoelectrics is also presented.

Ethnic Entrepreneurship in the Russian Empire in the Era of Economic Modernization in the Second Half of the 19th – Early 20th Century (as Illustrated in the Example of Siberia

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Vladimir N. Shaidurov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The second half of the 19th century brought about the modernization reforms in the Russian political system, which accelerated the development of the country's capitalist economy. The abolition of segregationist regulations contributed to the development of bourgeois relations in industry and agriculture. The pace of economic modernization was faster in European Russia, while the country’s frontier regions in the Asiatic part of the Russian Empire seriously lagged behind the center. The role of agents for capitalist change in industry and agriculture was accepted by the members of non-Russian ethnic groups, such as Jews, Germans, Poles and others. They became new bourgeois who were former government officials who had required connections to establish factories, and traders, who accumulated significant capital. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, a major role was performed by individual entrepreneurship inside ethnic communities. Its scope comprised the sectors which generated no economic interest among Russians living in Siberia, and which required large capital investments (distilling, shipping companies. In the early 20th century the social composition of communities was blurry thanks to peasants who formed a key component in migratory flows to Siberia. This shifted emphasis to small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector. The purpose of the paper is to use specific examples to show how ethnic entrepreneurship depended on a community's social composition, and determine its place in the regional economy in the conditions of ongoing political modernization and initial steps to industrialization. The foundation for the study is built on the archival documents, statistical digests and current research. The work is based on comparativism.

Progression of disease preceding lower extremity amputation in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pia Søe; Petersen, Janne; Kirketerp-Møller, Klaus

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Patients with non-traumatic lower extremity amputation are characterised by high age, multi-morbidity and polypharmacy and long-term complications of atherosclerosis and diabetes. To ensure early identification of patients at risk of amputation, we need to gain knowledge about...... the progression of diseases related to lower extremity amputations during the years preceding the amputation. DESIGN: A retrospective population-based national registry study. SETTING: The study includes data on demographics, diagnoses, surgery, medications and healthcare services from five national registries....... Data were retrieved from 14 years before until 1 year after the amputation. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the progression of diseases and use of medication and healthcare services. PARTICIPANTS: An unselected cohort of patients (≥50 years; n=2883) subjected to a primary non...

Data-driven models of dominantly-inherited Alzheimer's disease progression.

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Oxtoby, Neil P; Young, Alexandra L; Cash, David M; Benzinger, Tammie L S; Fagan, Anne M; Morris, John C; Bateman, Randall J; Fox, Nick C; Schott, Jonathan M; Alexander, Daniel C

2018-03-22

Dominantly-inherited Alzheimer's disease is widely hoped to hold the key to developing interventions for sporadic late onset Alzheimer's disease. We use emerging techniques in generative data-driven disease progression modelling to characterize dominantly-inherited Alzheimer's disease progression with unprecedented resolution, and without relying upon familial estimates of years until symptom onset. We retrospectively analysed biomarker data from the sixth data freeze of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network observational study, including measures of amyloid proteins and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, regional brain volumes and cortical thicknesses, brain glucose hypometabolism, and cognitive performance from the Mini-Mental State Examination (all adjusted for age, years of education, sex, and head size, as appropriate). Data included 338 participants with known mutation status (211 mutation carriers in three subtypes: 163 PSEN1, 17 PSEN2, and 31 APP) and a baseline visit (age 19-66; up to four visits each, 1.1 ± 1.9 years in duration; spanning 30 years before, to 21 years after, parental age of symptom onset). We used an event-based model to estimate sequences of biomarker changes from baseline data across disease subtypes (mutation groups), and a differential equation model to estimate biomarker trajectories from longitudinal data (up to 66 mutation carriers, all subtypes combined). The two models concur that biomarker abnormality proceeds as follows: amyloid deposition in cortical then subcortical regions (∼24 ± 11 years before onset); phosphorylated tau (17 ± 8 years), tau and amyloid-β changes in cerebrospinal fluid; neurodegeneration first in the putamen and nucleus accumbens (up to 6 ± 2 years); then cognitive decline (7 ± 6 years), cerebral hypometabolism (4 ± 4 years), and further regional neurodegeneration. Our models predicted symptom onset more accurately than predictions that used familial estimates: root mean squared error of 1

Benefit from autologous stem cell transplantation in primary refractory myeloma? Different outcomes in progressive versus stable disease

Science.gov (United States)

Rosiñol, Laura; García-Sanz, Ramón; Lahuerta, Juan José; Hernández-García, Miguel; Granell, Miquel; de la Rubia, Javier; Oriol, Albert; Hernández-Ruiz, Belén; Rayón, Consuelo; Navarro, Isabel; García-Ruiz, Juan Carlos; Besalduch, Joan; Gardella, Santiago; Jiménez, Javier López; Díaz-Mediavilla, Joaquín; Alegre, Adrián; Miguel, Jesús San; Bladé, Joan

2012-01-01

Background Several studies of autologous stem cell transplantation in primary refractory myeloma have produced encouraging results. However, the outcome of primary refractory patients with stable disease has not been analyzed separately from the outcome of patients with progressive disease. Design and Methods In the Spanish Myeloma Group 2000 trial, 80 patients with primary refractory myeloma (49 with stable disease and 31 with progressive disease), i.e. who were refractory to initial chemotherapy, were scheduled for tandem transplants (double autologous transplant or a single autologous transplant followed by an allogeneic transplant). Patients with primary refractory disease included those who never achieved a minimal response (≥25% M-protein decrease) or better. Responses were assessed using the European Bone Marrow Transplant criteria. Results There were no significant differences in the rates of partial response or better between patients with stable or progressive disease. However, 38% of the patients with stable disease at the time of transplantation remained in a stable condition or achieved a minimal response after transplantation versus 7% in the group with progressive disease (P=0.0017) and the rate of early progression after transplantation was significantly higher among the group with progressive disease at the time of transplantation (22% versus 2%; P=0.0043). After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, the median survival after first transplant of the whole series was 2.3 years. Progression-free and overall survival from the first transplant were shorter in patients with progressive disease (0.6 versus 2.3 years, P=0.00004 and 1.1 versus 6 years, P=0.00002, respectively). Conclusions Our results show that patients with progressive refractory myeloma do not benefit from autologous transplantation, while patients with stable disease have an outcome comparable to those with chemosensitive disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT00560053) PMID:22058223

MEA progress report, no. 10; 1st half year 1976

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

A survey is given of the progress on the construction of the 300MeV MEA Linac at IKO, Amsterdam. The progress report deals with the construction of the linac itself with auxiliary components as well as the testing of these components, the work at the different experimental stations: the 100MeV chemical station, the 100MeV physics station, the 300MeV electron scattering station, the pion facility and the 300MeV chemical station

Role for transforming growth factor-beta1 in alport renal disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayers, R; Kalluri, R; Rodgers, K D; Shield, C F; Meehan, D T; Cosgrove, D

1999-11-01

Alport syndrome results from mutations in either the alpha3(IV), alpha4(IV), or alpha5(IV) collagen genes. The disease is characterized by a progressive glomerulonephritis usually associated with a high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. A mouse model for an autosomal form of Alport syndrome [collagen alpha3(IV) knockout] was produced and characterized. In this study, the model was exploited to demonstrate a potential role for transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in Alport renal disease pathogenesis. Kidneys from normal and Alport mice, taken at different stages during the course of renal disease progression, were analyzed by Northern blot, in situ hybridization, and immunohistology for expression of TGF-beta1 and components of the extracellular matrix. Normal and Alport human kidney was examined for TGF-beta1 expression using RNase protection. The mRNAs encoding TGF-beta1 (in both mouse and human), entactin, fibronectin, and the collagen alpha1(IV) and alpha2(IV) chains were significantly induced in total kidney as a function of Alport renal disease progression. The induction of these specific mRNAs was observed in the glomerular podocytes of animals with advanced disease. Type IV collagen, laminin-1, and fibronectin were markedly elevated in the tubulointerstitium at 10 weeks, but not at 6 weeks, suggesting that elevated expression of specific mRNAs on Northern blots reflects events associated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The concomitant accumulation of mRNAs encoding TGF-beta1 and extracellular matrix components in the podocytes of diseased kidneys may reflect key events in Alport renal disease progression. These data suggest a role for TGF-beta1 in both glomerular and tubulointerstitial damage associated with Alport syndrome.

Globalisation of inflammatory bowel disease: perspectives from the evolution of inflammatory bowel disease in the UK and China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Gilaad G; Ng, Siew C

2016-12-01

The UK and China provide unique historical perspectives on the evolution of the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, which might provide insight into its pathogenesis. Historical records from the UK document the emergence of ulcerative colitis during the mid-1800s, which was later followed by the recognition of Crohn's disease in 1932. During the second half of the 20th century, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease rose dramatically in high-income countries. Globalisation at the turn of the 21st century led to rapid economic development of newly industrialised countries such as China. In China, the modernisation of society was accompanied by the recognition of a sharp rise in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease is expected to continue to rise in high-income countries and is also likely to accelerate in the developing world. An understanding of the shared and different environmental determinants underpinning the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease in western and eastern countries is essential to implement interventions that will blunt the rising global burden of inflammatory bowel disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Riemannian geometry during the second half of the twentieth century

CERN Document Server

Berger, Marcel

1999-01-01

In the last fifty years of the twentieth century Riemannian geometry has exploded with activity. Berger marks the start of this period with Rauch's pioneering paper of 1951, which contains the first real pinching theorem and an amazing leap in the depth of the connection between geometry and topology. Since then, the field has become so rich that it is almost impossible for the uninitiated to find their way through it. Textbooks on the subject invariably must choose a particular approach, thus narrowing the path. In this book, Berger provides a truly remarkable survey of the main developments in Riemannian geometry in the last fifty years, focusing his main attention on the following five areas: Curvature and topology; the construction of and the classification of space forms; distinguished metrics, especially Einstein metrics; eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Laplacian; the study of periodic geodesics and the geodesic flow. Other topics are treated in less detail in a separate section. Berger's survey p...

Effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on proteinuria and progression of chronic kidney disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Currie, Gemma; Taylor, Alison H M; Fujita, Toshiro

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and proteinuria are critically involved in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Despite treatment with renin angiotensin system inhibition, kidney function declines in many patients. Aldosterone excess is a risk factor for progression of kidney disease. Hyperkalaemi...... pressure and urinary protein/albumin excretion with a quantifiable risk of hyperkalaemia above predefined study upper limit....

Prediction of thyroidal 131I effective half-life in patients with Graves' disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruiguo; Zhang, Guizhi; Wang, Renfei; Tan, Jian; He, Yajing; Meng, Zhaowei

2017-10-06

Calculation of effective thyroidal half-life (Teff) of iodine-131( 131 I) is cumbersome and tedious. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that could be used to predict Teff and to develop a Teff prediction model in Graves' disease patients. A total of 256 patients with GD were involved in this study. We investigated the influences of age, gender, disease duration, thyroid weight, antithyroid drugs, antithyroid drugs discontinuation period (ADP), thyroid function indexes, thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) level and radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) values before 131 I therapy on Teff, applying univariate and multivariate analyses. Teff correlated negatively with thyroid peroxidase antibody, TRAb and thyroid weight, as well as positively with 24-hour, 48-hour, and 72-hour RAIU. Additionally, a longer ADP (especially≥ 14d) or without antithyroid drugs before 131 I therapy led to a longer Teff. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that 24-hour and 72-hour RAIU were statistically significant predictors of Teff ( P Graves' disease, with high prediction accuracy.

[Hepatobiliary System Diseases as the Predictors of Psoriasis Progression].

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnova, S V; Barilo, A A; Smolnikova, M V

2016-01-01

To assess the state of the hepatobiliary system in psoriasis andpsoriatic arthritis in order to establish a causal relationship and to identify clinical and functional predictors of psoriatic disease progression. The study includedpatients with extensive psoriasis vulgaris (n = 175) aged 18 to 66 years old and healthy donors (n = 30), matched by sex and age: Group 1--patients with psoriasis (PS, n = 77), group 2--patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA, n = 98), group 3--control. The evaluation of functional state of the hepatobiliary system was performed by the analysis of the clinical and anamnestic data and by the laboratory-instrumental methods. We identified predictors of psoriasis: triggers (stress and nutritionalfactor), increased total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, eosinophilia, giardiasis, carriers of hepatitis C virus, ductal changes andfocal leisons in the liver, thickening of the walls of the gallbladder detected by ultrasound. Predictors ofpsoriatic arthritis: age over 50 years, dyspeptic complaints, the presence of hepatobiliary system diseases, the positive right hypochondrium syndrome, the clinical symptoms of chronic cholecystitis, excess body weight, high levels of bilirubin, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, hepatomegaly, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. High activity of hepatocytes cytolysis, cholestasis, inflammation, metabolic disorders let us considerpsoriatic arthritis as a severe clinical stage psoriatic disease when the hepatobiliary system, in turn, is one of the main target organs in systemic psoriatic process. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic cholecystitis are predictors of psoriatic disease progression.

Homeostasis of metals in the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Domínguez, Raúl; García-Barrera, Tamara; Gómez-Ariza, José Luis

2014-06-01

In order to study the involvement of metals in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, serum samples from patients with Alzheimer and mild cognitive impairment were investigated. For this purpose, metal content was analyzed after size-fractionation of species and then, inter-element and inter-fraction ratios were computed. In this way, the analysis allowed discovering changes that could be used as markers of disease, but also provided a new insight into the interactions in the homeostasis of elements in neurodegeneration and its progression. Aluminum and labile forms of iron and copper were increased in demented patients, while manganese, zinc and selenium were reduced. Interestingly, levels of different elements, principally iron, aluminum and manganese, were closely inter-related, which could evidence a complex interdependency between the homeostasis of the different metals in this disorder. On the other hand, imbalances in metabolism of copper, zinc and selenium could be associated to abnormal redox status. Therefore, this study may contribute to our understanding of the pathological mechanisms related to metals in Alzheimer's disease.

Progression of autosomal dominant kidney disease: measurement of the stage transitions of chronic kidney disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher M Blanchette

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD is a progressive genetic disorder characterized by the development of numerous kidney cysts that result in kidney failure. Little is known regarding the key patient characteristics and utilization of healthcare resources for ADPKD patients along the continuum of disease progression. This observational study was designed to describe the characteristics of ADPKD patients and compare them with those of patients with other chronic kidney diseases. Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved patients with a claim for ADPKD or PKD unspecified from 1/1/2000–2/28/2013 and ≥6 months of previous continuous enrollment (baseline within a large database of administrative claims in the USA. A random sample of chronic kidney disease (CKD patients served as comparators. For a subset of ADPKD patients who had only a diagnosis code of unspecified PKD, abstraction of medical records was undertaken to estimate the proportion of patients who had medical chart-confirmed ADPKD. In patients with linked electronic laboratory data, the estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated via serum creatinine values to determine CKD stage at baseline and during follow-up. Proportions of patients transitioning to another stage and the mean age at transition were calculated. Results: ADPKD patients were, in general, younger and had fewer physician visits, but had more specific comorbidities at observation start compared with CKD patients. ADPKD patients had a longer time in the milder stages and longer duration before recorded transition to a more severe stage compared with CKD patients. Patients with ADPKD at risk of rapid progression had a shorter time-to-end-stage renal disease than patients with CKD and ADPKD patients not at risk, but stage duration was similar between ADPKD patients at risk and those not at risk. Conclusions: These results suggest that distribution of patients by age at transition

Portraits from the second half of the 18th century in Croatia – witnesses of clothing forms and fashion influences of rococo

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Katarina Nina Simončić

2016-03-01

Full Text Available his paper will attempt to analyze the clothing from the rococo period and underline fashion as an important segment in the reconstruction of a specific style era. Based on conserved portraits from the second half of the 18th century, as well as rare artifacts of clothing from the period found in Croatia, a description of primarily women’s types of clothing, accessories and the terms used to describe them will be given. Influences had, primarily through cultural and trade routes, come from the fashion capital of the period – France, and fashion innovations and the intensity of their changes were under the influence of the personal style first of Madame de Pompadour and afterwards Marie Antoinette. Croatia, which had at the time been part of the Habsburg monarchy and under the Republic of Venice, tended toward French influences in fashion, which represents a considerable move from the prior influence of Italian and German style.

Interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms and the risk of further periodontal disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzopoulos, Georgios; Doufexi, Aikaterini-Ellisavet; Wolff, Larry; Kouvatsi, Anastasia

2018-03-08

Susceptible genotypes to periodontal disease are associated with disease onset and progression. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of gene polymorphisms on the risk of further disease progression and the need for further treatment among adults with chronic periodontal disease. Sixty-seven patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis were grouped according to genotype status and risk of further progression of disease and tooth loss. All individuals were clinically evaluated for probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing at baseline and 45 days after treatment. Blood samples were collected at baseline and genotyping of the polymorphisms in IL-6 (rs1800796) and IL-10 (rs1800872) genes were performed by PCR. Following DNA separation and genotyping, 65.7% of the patients were homozygous carriers of the IL-6 -572G and 49.3% were carriers of the IL-10 -592A allele. Individuals at risk of disease progression ranged from 7.5% to 62.7% based on the criteria used. Carriers of the IL-10 -592A allele were significantly associated with BOP ≥ 30% and therefore exhibited a higher risk of further periodontal breakdown (p = 0.018) with an odds ratio of 1.18. None of the other definitions of disease progression were significantly associated with the examined IL-6 and IL-10 genotypes (p > 0.05). IL-10 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of further disease progression and the potential need for further treatment following non-surgical periodontal treatment. Susceptible IL-6 genotypes were not associated with the risk of persisting or recurrent disease activity.

Periodontal Pocket Depth, Hyperglycemia, and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jia-Feng; Yeh, Jih-Chen; Chiu, Ya-Lin; Liou, Jian-Chiun; Hsiung, Jing-Ru; Tung, Tao-Hsin

2017-01-01

No large epidemiological study has been conducted to investigate the interaction and joint effects of periodontal pocket depth and hyperglycemia on progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with periodontal diseases. Periodontal pocket depth was utilized for the grading severity of periodontal disease in 2831 patients from January 2002 to June 2013. Progression of chronic kidney disease was defined as progression of color intensity in glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria grid of updated Kidney Disease-Improving Global Outcomes guidelines. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) in various models were presented across different levels of periodontal pocket depth and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in forest plots and 3-dimensional histograms. During 7621 person-years of follow-up, periodontal pocket depth and HbA1C levels were robustly associated with incremental risks for progression of chronic kidney disease (aHR 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-4.6 for periodontal pocket depth >4.5 mm, and 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.4 for HbA1C >6.5%, respectively). The interaction between periodontal pocket depth and HbA1C on progression of chronic kidney disease was strong (P periodontal pocket depth (>4.5 mm) and higher HbA1C (>6.5%) had the greatest risk (aHR 4.2; 95% CI, 1.7-6.8) compared with the lowest aHR group (periodontal pocket depth ≤3.8 mm and HbA1C ≤6%). Our study identified combined periodontal pocket depth and HbA1C as a valuable predictor of progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with periodontal diseases. While considering the interaction between periodontal diseases and hyperglycemia, periodontal survey and optimizing glycemic control are warranted to minimize the risk of worsening renal function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

State of progress in treating cystic fibrosis respiratory disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flume Patrick A

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Since the discovery of the gene associated with cystic fibrosis (CF, there has been tremendous progress in the care of patients with this disease. New therapies have entered the market and are part of the standard treatment of patients with CF, and have been associated with marked improvement in survival. Now there are even more promising therapies directed at different components of the pathophysiology of this disease. In this review, our current knowledge of the pathophysiology of lung disease in patients with CF is described, along with the current treatment of CF lung disease, and the therapies in development that offer great promise to our patients.

Occupational therapy for patients with chronic diseases: CVA, rheumatoid arthritis and progressive diseases of the central nervous system.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, M.J.; Dekker, J.; Lankhorst, G.; Zee, J. van der

1997-01-01

A substantial proportion of the patients treated by occupational therapists have a chronic disease. The aim of this study was to describe the outlines of occupational therapy treatment for three specific groups of chronic diseases: progressive neurological diseases, cerebrovascular accident and

A Century of Human Capital and Hours

OpenAIRE

Diego Restuccia; Guillaume Vandenbroucke

2012-01-01

An average person born in the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century completed 7 years of schooling and spent 58 hours a week working in the market. By contrast, an average person born at the end of the twentieth century completed 14 years of schooling and spent 40 hours a week working. In the span of 100 years, completed years of schooling doubled and working hours decreased by 30 percent. What explains these trends? We consider a model of human capital and labor supply t...

Immunotoxicology: fifty years of global scientific progress.

Science.gov (United States)

McKarns, Susan C; Kerkvliet, Nancy I; Dean, Jack H; Bonn, Michael B; Cohen, Mitchell D; Franko, Jennifer; Laiosa, Michael D; Lawrence, B Paige; Luebke, Robert W; Luster, Michael I; Miller, Patrick G; Palmer, Rachel K; Pfau, Jean C; Raman, Priyadarshini; Regal, Jean F; Rodgers, Kathleen E; Schondelmeyer, Rio S; Zhang, Xiaochu; Burns-Naas, Leigh Ann

2012-01-01

The Immunotoxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) celebrated the 50(th) Anniversary of the SOT by constructing a poster to highlight the milestones of Immunotoxicology during that half-century period. This poster was assembled by an ad hoc committee and intertwines in words, citations, graphics, and photographs our attempts to capture a timeline reference of the development and progressive movement of immunotoxicology across the globe. This poster was displayed during the 50(th) Annual SOT Meeting in Washington DC in March, 2011. The poster can be accessed by any Reader at the SOT Website via the link http://www.toxicology.org/AI/MEET/AM2011/posters_rcsigss.asp#imss. We dedicate this poster to all of the founders and the scientists that followed them who have made the discipline of Immunotoxicology what it is today.

BOOKSELLER AS A CULTURAL AGENT: BOOK TRADE IN ESTONIA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jantson, Signe

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The article handles general developments and changes in book trade which took place in Estonia during the second half of the 19th century. The aim is to show the formation of bookshops trading with Estonian books and to analyse the activities of Estonian booksellers.The survey is based on the research literature and on the master thesis by Signe Jantson “Raamatukaubandus Eestis aastatel 1850–1917: raamatukauplused ja nende omanikud” (Book trade in Estonia 1850–1917: bookshops and their owners [9]. In this study great importance wasattached to the national and social origin of bookshop owners and their activities. Up to the middle of the 19th century the book production and dissemination in Estonia was in the hands of Baltic German entrepreneurs and depended on the political and economic developments not only in Russia but also in Germany. In the middle of the 19th century there were only 5 bookshops in Estonia located in bigger towns – Tallinn and Tartu. In 1870 the number of bookshops reached 13. The greater ascent can be noticed in the last decade of the period – 1870–1880 when 20 new bookshops were opened. In 1867 Heinrich Laakmann, a German origin publisher and the printing shop owner opened the first bookshop in Tartu to sell Estonian language books. The economic and political reforms as well as the national awakening movement favoured the engagement of Estonians in the sphere of book production and dissemination. Increasing publishing of Estonian language books enabled the development of trade. At the end of the national awakening period most of the bookshop owners were already of Estonian origin. Since 1870ies the number of Estonian bookshops started to grow and at the end of the 19th century they outnumbered German and Russian shops. In all over Europe book trade concentrated into the big cities (in the case of Estonia in Tallinn and Tartu, but bookshops were opened also in the rural area (small towns and villages

The footprint of Alaskan tundra fires during the past half-century: implications for surface properties and radiative forcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Adrian V; Loranty, Michael M; Higuera, Phil E; Mack, Michelle C; Hu Fengsheng; Jones, Benjamin M; Breen, Amy L; Rastetter, Edward B; Shaver, Gus R; Goetz, Scott J

2012-01-01

Recent large and frequent fires above the Alaskan arctic circle have forced a reassessment of the ecological and climatological importance of fire in arctic tundra ecosystems. Here we provide a general overview of the occurrence, distribution, and ecological and climate implications of Alaskan tundra fires over the past half-century using spatially explicit climate, fire, vegetation and remote sensing datasets for Alaska. Our analyses highlight the importance of vegetation biomass and environmental conditions in regulating tundra burning, and demonstrate that most tundra ecosystems are susceptible to burn, providing the environmental conditions are right. Over the past two decades, fire perimeters above the arctic circle have increased in size and importance, especially on the North Slope, indicating that future wildfire projections should account for fire regime changes in these regions. Remote sensing data and a literature review of thaw depths indicate that tundra fires have both positive and negative implications for climatic feedbacks including a decadal increase in albedo radiative forcing immediately after a fire, a stimulation of surface greenness and a persistent long-term (>10 year) increase in thaw depth. In order to address the future impact of tundra fires on climate, a better understanding of the control of tundra fire occurrence as well as the long-term impacts on ecosystem carbon cycling will be required. (letter)

Motivation related to work: A century of progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanfer, Ruth; Frese, Michael; Johnson, Russell E

2017-03-01

Work motivation is a topic of crucial importance to the success of organizations and societies and the well-being of individuals. We organize the work motivation literature over the last century using a meta-framework that clusters theories, findings, and advances in the field according to their primary focus on (a) motives, traits, and motivation orientations (content); (b) features of the job, work role, and broader environment (context); or (c) the mechanisms and processes involved in choice and striving (process). Our integrative review reveals major achievements in the field, including more precise mapping of the psychological inputs and operations involved in motivation and broadened conceptions of the work environment. Cross-cutting trends over the last century include the primacy of goals, the importance of goal striving processes, and a more nuanced conceptualization of work motivation as a dynamic, goal-directed, resource allocation process that unfolds over the related variables of time, experience, and place. Across the field, advances in methodology and measurement have improved the match between theory and research. Ten promising directions for future research are described and field experiments are suggested as a useful means of bridging the research-practice gap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

American archivists on oral history – review of the subject of texts published in the second half of the 20th century in pages of „The American Archivist”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Wiśniewska

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In its first part, the article consists of a detailed discussion on eighteen texts on oral history published in the second half of the 20th century in the leading American archival journal „The American Archivist”. The second part are conclusions concerning the presence of the subject of oral history in archival discourse in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. In the analyzed texts a lot of space has been given to the character of oral history interviews as historical sources. Especially, the question of reliability of oral history has been raised, as well as ways of guaranteeing it (e.g. through a proper description. Moreover, in many cases these texts attempt to persuade their readers to use oral history in their research. Also, it may be noticed, that at some point the understanding of oral history as historical source changes – an audio or video recording of the interview becomes a source itself, and not notes made while carrying it out or its transcription. Also relations between oral history and traditional (paper records are an important issue in discussions of the American authors. The analysis of the articles also indicates that the authors were interested more in issues of the historical nature, than of the archival one. Those latter are mostly providing access to oral history materials. But also the question of the role of archives and archivists in recording oral history is touched. Discussion on the issue of storing oral history is not present at all.

[50 years of progress in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Lerch, M M; Mayerle, J

2013-04-01

The German Journal of Gastroenterology celebrates its fifties anniversary in 2013. Over half a century original studies, reviews and guidelines covering the topics of acute and chronic pancreatitis as well as pancreatic cancer have assumed a prominent role on its pages. Already in the first edition of the Journal Haemmerli and Hefti have summarized the Zurich experience with chronic pancreatitis and provided a detailed state-of-the-art review for the year 1963. 50 years later the current guidelines of the German Society of Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) have been published in the same Journal and allow to summarize the scientific progress over this period. Back then chronic pancreatitis was regarded as a rare disorder (tenfold less common than e. g. acute pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer). This misconception had little to do with actual prevalence but with highly insensitive diagnostic tests, particularly in the area of diagnostic imaging. While pathogenetic factors for chronic pancreatitis, including a possible genetic disposition, were largely known in 1963, our understanding of their cellular mechanisms has very much improved. The greatest progress in diagnostic options was achieved by the introduction of novel imaging techniques such as ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound, ERCP, CT and MRCP. In terms of therapy the notion that a blockage of pancreatitic secretion is an effective pharmacological option has been abandoned and endoscopic intervention and surgical treatment have been newly developed as alternatives. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Serial Noninvasive Assessment of Apoptosis During Right Ventricular Disease Progression in Rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Campian, Maria E.; Verberne, Hein J.; Hardziyenka, Maxim; de Bruin, Kora; Selwaness, Mariana; van den Hoff, Maurice J. B.; Ruijter, Jan M.; van Eck-Smit, Berthe L. F.; de Bakker, Jacques M. T.; Tan, Hanno L.

2009-01-01

Right ventricular (RV) function is the major determinant of survival in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Yet, the pathophysiologic basis of RV disease is unresolved. We aimed to study the role of apoptosis in RV disease by monitoring it serially during disease progression using in vivo

One hundred years of alcoholism: the Twentieth Century.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, K; Hermann, D; Heinz, A

2000-01-01

The past 100 years witnessed the formation of a disease concept of alcoholism and a rapid increase in the knowledge of its aetiopathology and treatment options. In the first half of the century, public sanctions aimed at the abolition of alcoholism. In the United States, alcohol prohibition was revoked in the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. In Germany, proposed medical procedures to reduce the fertility of alcoholics had catastrophic consequences during the fascist dictatorship. A revived focus on alcoholics as patients with a right to medical treatment came out of self-organized groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The current disease concept includes the psychosocial and neurobiological foundations and consequences of alcoholism. Neurobiological research points to the dispositional factor of monoaminergic dysfunction and indicates that neuroadaptation and sensitization may play a role in the maintenance of addictive behaviour. New treatment options include pharmacological approaches and indicate that behaviour and motivational therapy and the attendance of patient groups may equally reduce the relapse risk. The task of the future will be to apply scientific discoveries in the best interest of the patients and to support their efforts to be respected like subjects suffering from other diseases.

Effect of blood pressure lowering on markers of kidney disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Udani, Suneel M; Koyner, Jay L

2009-10-01

Hypertension remains a common comorbidity and cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As the number of patients with CKD grows, so does the need to identify modifiable risk factors for CKD progression. Data on slowing progression of CKD or preventing end-stage renal disease with aggressive blood pressure control have not yielded definitive conclusions regarding ideal blood pressure targets. Shifting the focus of antihypertensive therapy to alternative markers of end-organ damage, specifically proteinuria, has yielded some promise in preventing the progression of CKD. Nevertheless, proteinuria and decline in estimated GFR may represent an irreversible degree of injury to the kidney that limits the impact of any therapy. The identification and use of novel markers of kidney injury to assess the impact of antihyper-tensive therapy may yield clearer direction with regard to optimal management of hypertension in the setting of CKD.

Heinz Werner: His Life, Ideas, and Contributions to Developmental Psychology in the First Half of the 20th Century.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostler, Teresa

2016-01-01

The author provides an overview of Heinz Werner's life and contributions to the field of developmental psychology during the first half of the 20th century. She focuses on his early work in Vienna and Munich as well as his tenure at the Psychological Institute in Hamburg, up through the time when he became a named Professor in Psychology at Clark University. Recognized as one of the founders of developmental psychology, Heinz Werner worked in the areas of perceptual development, comparative psychology, and symbol formation. Versatile in rigorous experimental methodologies, and in observational and phenomenological methodologies, Werner's approach to development stood in contrast to other approaches of development, both past and current. For Werner, development was a heuristic, a way of looking at processes in a variety of domains, including ontogeny, phylogeny, microgenesis, biology, developmental psychopathology, neuropsychology, and comparative psychology. Werner viewed development as proceeding from a state of relative globality and lack of differentiation to a state of increasing differentiation, articulation, and hierarchical integration, but he also stressed that individuals can function at different developmental levels under different times and conditions. Werner's holistic, organismic, comparative, and contextual approach to development transcended interdisciplinary boundaries, allowing him to study the interrelatedness between thought, language, feeling, perception, and culture.

Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Science.gov (United States)

Hourigan, Christopher S.; Karp, Judith E.

2014-01-01

Technological advances in the laboratory have lead to substantial improvements in clinical decision-making by the use of pre-treatment prognostic risk stratification factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unfortunately similar progress has not been made in treatment response criteria, with the definition of “complete remission” in AML largely unchanged for over half a century. Several recent clinical trials have demonstrated that higher sensitivity measurements of residual disease burden during or after treatment can be performed, that results are predictive for clinical outcome and can be used to improve outcomes by guiding additional therapeutic intervention to patients in clinical complete remission but at increased relapse risk. We review here these recent trials, the characteristics and challenges of the modalities currently used to detect minimal residual disease (MRD), and outline opportunities to both refine detection and better clinically utilize MRD measurements. MRD measurement is already the standard of care in other myeloid malignancies such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). It is our belief that response criteria for non-APL AML should be updated to include assessment for molecular complete remission (mCR) and that recommendations for post-consolidation surveillance should include regular monitoring for molecular relapse as a standard of care. PMID:23799371

Normal and mutant HTT interact to affect clinical severity and progression in Huntington disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aziz, N A; Jurgens, C K; Landwehrmeyer, G B

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene (HTT). We aimed to assess whether interaction between CAG repeat sizes in the mutant and normal allele could affect disease severity and progression. METHODS: Using...... with less severe symptoms and pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing CAG repeat size in normal HTT diminishes the association between mutant CAG repeat size and disease severity and progression in Huntington disease. The underlying mechanism may involve interaction of the polyglutamine domains of normal...

Legacy for the Millennium: A Century of Progress in Plant Pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sequeira, Luis

2000-09-01

Plant pathology came of age at the turn of this century and we can be proud of the many significant contributions it has made to fundamental research as well as to service to growers. The twenty-first century will present our profession with dramatic challenges to meet the demands for increased food, fiber, and fuel production from a declining agricultural base. This can be accomplished only if plant pathology retains its integrity as a profession and remains abreast of advancements in the fields of biotechnology and communications.

Characterization of annual disease progression of multiple sclerosis patients: A population-based study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Freilich, Jonatan; Manouchehrinia, Ali; Trusheim, Mark

2017-01-01

Previous research characterizing factors influencing multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression has typically been based on time to disease milestones (Kaplan-Meier, Cox hazard regression, etc.). A limitation of these methods is the handling of the often large groups of patients not reaching...... the milestone. To characterize clinical factors influencing MS disease progression as annual transitions from each Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The annual progression of 11,964 patients from the Swedish MS Registry was analysed with 10 multinomial logistic regressions, that is, one for transition...... from each full EDSS with explanatory variables age, sex, age at onset, time in current EDSS, highest prior EDSS, MS course and treatment. All factors (except sex) investigated had statistically significant impacts on transitions from at least one EDSS. However, significance and size of the effect...

The communities and the comuni: The implementation of administrative reforms in the Fiemme Valley (Trentino, Italy during the first half of the 19th century

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Giacomo Bonan

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper examines transformations in the common management of lands in a valley of the Trentino Alps during the process of Austro-Hungarian state centralization in the first half of 19th century. The main aspects of this process involved an administrative transformation that led to the abolition of all legal and institutional competences of the rural communities and their replacement with modern municipal corpora-tions, and new forest legislation. The hypothesis proposed here is that state intervention did not cause the end of common institutions, but in-stead caused a general redefinition of who could use these lands and how these lands could be used. These transformations were not simple top-down impositions, but the results of conflicts and negotiations with-in local communities and between them and the central government.

Progressive atlanto-axial subluxation in Behcet's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sang-hyuk [Chonbuk National University Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Jeonju City, Jeonbuk (Korea); Eoh, Whan [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul (Korea)

2010-03-15

Behcet's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition involving several organs, such as the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, joints, intestines, lungs and central nervous system. It rarely affects the spinal column. We describe a case of progressive atlanto-axial subluxation in a 44-year-old woman with Behcet's disease. The patient started complaining of posterior neck pain 10 years after the diagnosis of her Behcet's disease. Initial radiographs showed no abnormal finding, but follow-up radiographs 6 month later demonstrated atlanto-axial subluxation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case in the worldwide literature of an atlanto-axial instability in a patient with Behcet's disease. (orig.)

Disease progression of acute pancreatitis in pediatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Fabao; Guo, Hongjie; Luo, Qianfu; Guo, Chunbao

2016-05-15

Approximately 10% of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) progress to chronic pancreatitis. Little is known about the factors that affect recurrence of pancreatitis after an initial episode. We retrospectively investigated patients with AP, focusing on their outcomes and the predictors for disease progression. Between July 2003 and June 2015, we retrospectively enrolled first-time AP patients with medical records on disease etiology, severity (according to the Atlanta classifications), and recurrence of AP. Independent predictors of recurrent AP (RAP) and chronic pancreatitis were identified using the logistic regression model. Of the total 159 patients, 45 (28.3%) developed RAP, including two episodes of RAP in 19 patients, and 9 (5.7%) developed chronic pancreatitis. The median duration from the time of AP to the onset of RAP was 5.6 ± 2.3 months. RAP patients were identified as more common among patients with idiopathic first-time AP. The presence of severe ascites, pancreatic necrosis, and systemic complications was independent predictors of RAP in pediatric patients. Experiencing over two RAP episodes was the predictor for developing chronic pancreatitis. No influence of age or number of AP episodes was found on the occurrence of abdominal pain, pain severity, and the prevalence of any pain. Severity of first-time AP and idiopathic first-time AP are related to RAP. Recurrence increases risk for progression to chronic pancreatitis. The risk of recurrence increased with increasing numbers of AP episodes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease Progression/Clinical Outcome Model for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer in Patients Treated with Eribulin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Hasselt, J. G C; Gupta, A.; Hussein, Z.; Beijnen, J. H.; Schellens, J. H M; Huitema, A. D R

2015-01-01

Frameworks that associate cancer dynamic disease progression models with parametric survival models for clinical outcome have recently been proposed to support decision making in early clinical development. Here we developed such a disease progression clinical outcome model for castration-resistant

Role of rasagiline in treating Parkinson's disease: Effect on disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Malaty, Irene A; Fernandez, Hubert H

2009-08-01

Rasagiline is a second generation, selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitor. It has demonstrated efficacy in monotherapy for early Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in one large randomized, placebo-controlled trial (TVP-1012 in Early Monotherapy for Parkinson's Disease Outpatients), and has shown ability to reduce off time in more advanced PD patients with motor fluctuations in two large placebo-controlled trials (Parkinson's Rasagiline: Efficacy and Safety in the Treatment of "Off", and Lasting Effect in Adjunct Therapy With Rasagiline Given Once Daily). Preclinical data abound to suggest potential for neuroprotection by this compound against a variety of neurotoxic insults in cell cultures and in animals. The lack of amphetamine metabolites provides an advantage over the first generation MAO-B inhibitor selegiline. One large trial has investigated the potential for disease modification in PD patients (Attenuation of Disease progression with Azilect Given Once-daily) and preliminary results maintain some possible advantage to earlier initiation of the 1 mg/day dose. The clinical significance of the difference detected remains a consideration.

Tracing Africa’s progress towards implementing the Non-Communicable Diseases Global action plan 2013–2020: a synthesis of WHO country profile reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gertrude Nsorma Nyaaba

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Half of the estimated annual 28 million non-communicable diseases (NCDs deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs are attributed to weak health systems. Current health policy responses to NCDs are fragmented and vertical particularly in the African region. The World Health Organization (WHO led NCDs Global action plan 2013–2020 has been recommended for reducing the NCD burden but it is unclear whether Africa is on track in its implementation. This paper synthesizes Africa’s progress towards WHO policy recommendations for reducing the NCD burden. Methods Data from the WHO 2011, 2014 and 2015 NCD reports were used for this analysis. We synthesized results by targets descriptions in the three reports and included indicators for which we could trace progress in at least two of the three reports. Results More than half of the African countries did not achieve the set targets for 2015 and slow progress had been made towards the 2016 targets as of December 2013. Some gains were made in implementing national public awareness programmes on diet and/or physical activity, however limited progress was made on guidelines for management of NCD and drug therapy and counselling. While all regions in Africa show waning trends in fully achieving the NCD indicators in general, the Southern African region appears to have made the least progress while the Northern African region appears to be the most progressive. Conclusion Our findings suggest that Africa is off track in achieving the NCDs indicators by the set deadlines. To make sustained public health gains, more effort and commitment is urgently needed from governments, partners and societies to implement these recommendations in a broader strategy. While donors need to suit NCD advocacy with funding, African institutions such as The African Union (AU and other sub-regional bodies such as West African Health Organization (WAHO and various country offices could potentially play

Teleosts Genomics: Progress and Prospects in Disease Prevention and Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Munang'andu, Hetron Mweemba; Galindo-Villegas, Jorge; David, Lior

2018-04-04

Genome wide studies based on conventional molecular tools and upcoming omics technologies are beginning to gain functional applications in the control and prevention of diseases in teleosts fish. Herein, we provide insights into current progress and prospects in the use genomics studies for the control and prevention of fish diseases. Metagenomics has emerged to be an important tool used to identify emerging infectious diseases for the timely design of rational disease control strategies, determining microbial compositions in different aquatic environments used for fish farming and the use of host microbiota to monitor the health status of fish. Expounding the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as therapeutic agents against different pathogens as well as elucidating their role in tissue regeneration is another vital aspect of genomics studies that had taken precedent in recent years. In vaccine development, prospects made include the identification of highly immunogenic proteins for use in recombinant vaccine designs as well as identifying gene signatures that correlate with protective immunity for use as benchmarks in optimizing vaccine efficacy. Progress in quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is beginning to yield considerable success in identifying resistant traits against some of the highly infectious diseases that have previously ravaged the aquaculture industry. Altogether, the synopsis put forth shows that genomics studies are beginning to yield positive contribution in the prevention and control of fish diseases in aquaculture.

Teleosts Genomics: Progress and Prospects in Disease Prevention and Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hetron Mweemba Munang’andu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Genome wide studies based on conventional molecular tools and upcoming omics technologies are beginning to gain functional applications in the control and prevention of diseases in teleosts fish. Herein, we provide insights into current progress and prospects in the use genomics studies for the control and prevention of fish diseases. Metagenomics has emerged to be an important tool used to identify emerging infectious diseases for the timely design of rational disease control strategies, determining microbial compositions in different aquatic environments used for fish farming and the use of host microbiota to monitor the health status of fish. Expounding the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs as therapeutic agents against different pathogens as well as elucidating their role in tissue regeneration is another vital aspect of genomics studies that had taken precedent in recent years. In vaccine development, prospects made include the identification of highly immunogenic proteins for use in recombinant vaccine designs as well as identifying gene signatures that correlate with protective immunity for use as benchmarks in optimizing vaccine efficacy. Progress in quantitative trait loci (QTL mapping is beginning to yield considerable success in identifying resistant traits against some of the highly infectious diseases that have previously ravaged the aquaculture industry. Altogether, the synopsis put forth shows that genomics studies are beginning to yield positive contribution in the prevention and control of fish diseases in aquaculture.

An alpha-synuclein MRM assay with diagnostic potential for Parkinson's disease and monitoring disease progression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Li [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Stewart, Tessandra [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Shi, Min [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Pottiez, Gwenael [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Dator, Romel [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Wu, Rui [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Department of Pathology, No. 3 Hospital of Beijing University, Beijing China; Aro, Patrick [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Schuster, Robert J. [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Ginghina, Carmen [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Pan, Catherine [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Gao, Yuqian [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Qian, Weijun [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Zabetian, Cyrus P. [Parkinson' s Disease Research and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle WA USA; Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA USA; Hu, Shu-Ching [Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA USA; Quinn, Joseph F. [Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland OR USA; Zhang, Jing [Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA; Department of Pathology, Peking University Health Science Centre and Third Hospital, Beijing 100083 China

2017-04-19

Aim: The alpha-synuclein (α-syn) level in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as measured by immunoassays, is promising as a Parkinson’s disease (PD) biomarker. However, the levels of total α-syn are inconsistent among studies with large cohorts and different measurement platforms. Total α-syn level also does not correlate with disease severity or progression. Here, we developed a highly sensitive Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) method to measure absolute CSF α-syn peptide concentrations without prior enrichment or fractionation, aiming to discover new candidate biomarkers. Results: Six peptides covering 73% of protein sequence were reliably identified, and two were consistently quantified in cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts. Absolute concentration of α-syn in human CSF was determined to be 2.1ng/mL. A unique α-syn peptide, TVEGAGSIAAATGFVK (81-96), displayed excellent correlation with previous immunoassay results in two independent PD cohorts (p < 0.001), correlated with disease severity, and its changes significantly tracked the disease progression longitudinally. Conclusions: An MRM assay to quantify human CSF α-syn was developed and optimized. Sixty clinical samples from cross-sectional and longitudinal PD cohorts were analyzed with this approach. Although further larger-scale validation is needed, the results suggest that α-syn peptide could serve as a promising biomarker in PD diagnosis and progression.

Biomarkers of Renal Disease and Progression in Patients with Diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radovan Hojs

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, mainly due to the increase in type 2 diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy occurs in up to 40% of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is important to identify patients at risk of diabetic nephropathy and those who will progress to end stage renal disease. In clinical practice, most commonly used markers of renal disease and progression are serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria or albuminuria. Unfortunately, they are all insensitive. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the prognostic value and benefits of targeting some novel risk markers for development of diabetic nephropathy and its progression. It is focused mainly on tubular biomarkers (neutrophil-gelatinase associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule 1, liver-fatty acid-binding protein, N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase, markers of inflammation (pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-α and tumour necrosis factor-α receptors, adhesion molecules, chemokines and markers of oxidative stress. Despite the promise of some of these new biomarkers, further large, multicenter prospective studies are still needed before they can be used in everyday clinical practice.

Factors That Affect Disease Progression After First Attack of Acute Pancreatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertilsson, Sara; Swärd, Per; Kalaitzakis, Evangelos

2015-09-01

Little is known about recurrence of pancreatitis after an initial episode, and little is known about how the disease progresses or what factors affect progression. We performed a population-based study of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) to determine their outcomes and associated factors. We performed a retrospective study of patients with first-time AP from 2003 through 2012 in a well-defined area of Sweden. Data were collected from medical records on disease etiology, severity (according to the Atlanta classification), recurrence of AP, subsequent chronic pancreatitis, and mortality. Patients were followed up for a median time of 4.6 years, until death or the end of 2013. We identified 1457 patients with first-time AP (48% biliary disease, 17% alcohol-associated, 9.9% severe); 23% of patients had 1 or more recurrences. Risk for recurrence was significantly higher among smokers (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.95; P = .03), patients with alcohol-associated AP (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.25-2.23; P chronic pancreatitis, although alcohol-associated AP progressed most frequently (2.8/100 patient-years). Patients with recurrent AP were at the highest risk for chronic pancreatitis (HR, 6.74; 95% CI, 4.02-11.3; P associated AP (HR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.05-5.87; P associated only with organ failure (odds ratio, 71.17; 95% CI, 21.14-239.60; P chronic pancreatitis. Recurrence increases the risk for progression to chronic pancreatitis. Most patients who die upon disease recurrence have biliary AP. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Half a century of particle accelerators - 1950-2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, P.

2009-01-01

In a lively historical account the author tells of the extraordinary progress made in accelerator physics since World War II. He focuses mainly on the history of French accelerators which evolved from small electrostatic accelerators purchased abroad to complex and powerful storage rings and colliders built by French engineers and physicists. He shows how these machines served not only particle physicists, but also researchers working with synchrotron light. He recalls how these two scientific communities with such different backgrounds learned how to work together. The author was an accelerator physicist, and a project leader who played a key role in storage ring R and D, as well as in accelerator construction and operation. He describes the international context of the period, and relates the discussions on scientific policy issues of the time. He tells us about the technical challenges to be overcome and discusses the question of maintaining the balance between national development and international involvement. A number of important yet unknown features of this scientific adventure are related. This short history also includes his thoughts about the gestation of large scientific instruments which, no doubt, will interest researchers involved in 'big science'

Anosognosia in Alzheimer disease: Prevalence, associated factors, and influence on disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Castrillo Sanz, A; Andrés Calvo, M; Repiso Gento, I; Izquierdo Delgado, E; Gutierrez Ríos, R; Rodríguez Herrero, R; Rodríguez Sanz, F; Tola-Arribas, M A

2016-06-01

Anosognosia is a frequent symptom in Alzheimer disease (AD). The objective of this article is to describe prevalence of this condition at time of diagnosis and analyse any predisposing factors and their influence on disease progression. Observational, prospective, and analytical multi-centre study in an outpatient setting. Patients recently diagnosed with AD (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria) were included. Each patient underwent two cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric assessments separated by an interval of 18 months. The Clinical Insight Rating Scale was employed as a measure of anosognosia (CIR, scored 0-8). Progression was defined as an increase in the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-sum of boxes of more than 2.5 points. The predictor variables were analysed using binary logistic regression. The study included 127 patients, and 94 completed both assessments. Of the total, 31.5% displayed severe anosognosia (CIR 7-8); 39.4%, altered level of consciousness (CIR 3-6); and 29.1%, normal awareness (CIR 0-2). The median baseline CIR in this cohort was 4 (Q1-Q3: 1-7), and at 18 months, 6 (Q1-Q3: 3-8), Pde Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Savings: alternative for the purchase of manumission in Brazil (2nd half of the 19th century

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Grinberg, Keila

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this article is to discuss the relationship between slaves and their descendants and the monetary economy of Brazil in the second half of the 19th century. Focusing on the Caixa Econômica savings accounts of slaves, we argue that saving money was one of the strategies used to purchase manumission for themselves and their family, mainly after the Law of the Free Womb was enacted in 1871.Este artículo tiene por objeto discutir la relación entre los esclavos y sus descendientes y la economía monetaria en el Brasil en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. Abordando principalmente las cartillas de ahorro de cautivos de la Caixa Econômica, se pretende argumentar que el ahorro fue una de las estrategias de compra de la manumisión para sí y sus familiares, principalmente a partir de la promulgación de la Ley del Vientre Libre en 1871. [pt] Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir a relação entre os escravos e seus descendentes e a economia monetária no Brasil na segunda metade do século XIX. Abordando principalmente as cadernetas de poupança de cativos da Caixa Econômica, pretende-se argumentar que a poupança foi uma das estratégias de compra de alforria para si próprios e seus familiares, principalmente a partir da promulgação da Lei do Ventre Livre em 1871.

History of the Rochester Epidemiology Project: half a century of medical records linkage in a US population.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocca, Walter A; Yawn, Barbara P; St Sauver, Jennifer L; Grossardt, Brandon R; Melton, L Joseph

2012-12-01

The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) has maintained a comprehensive medical records linkage system for nearly half a century for almost all persons residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Herein, we provide a brief history of the REP before and after 1966, the year in which the REP was officially established. The key protagonists before 1966 were Henry Plummer, Mabel Root, and Joseph Berkson, who developed a medical records linkage system at Mayo Clinic. In 1966, Leonard Kurland established collaborative agreements with other local health care providers (hospitals, physician groups, and clinics [primarily Olmsted Medical Center]) to develop a medical records linkage system that covered the entire population of Olmsted County, and he obtained funding from the National Institutes of Health to support the new system. In 1997, L. Joseph Melton III addressed emerging concerns about the confidentiality of medical record information by introducing a broad patient research authorization as per Minnesota state law. We describe how the key protagonists of the REP have responded to challenges posed by evolving medical knowledge, information technology, and public expectation and policy. In addition, we provide a general description of the system; discuss issues of data quality, reliability, and validity; describe the research team structure; provide information about funding; and compare the REP with other medical information systems. The REP can serve as a model for the development of similar research infrastructures in the United States and worldwide. Copyright © 2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Nueva Granada pharmacy of the Company of Jesus: a laboratory for the exploration of medical practices in the province of Santafé in the irst half of the XVIIIth century.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Eugenia Osorio Oliveros

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the study of an inventory carried out in the pharmacy belonging to Colegio Máximo de Santafé of the Company of Jesus in 1767. This inventory is intended to recognize medical practices performed by missionaries in the province of Santafé during the irst half of the XVIIIth century. In the same way, importance is given to the exchange of healing knowledge between Jesuits and American natives, which was crucial for the colonial and local establishment of the paradigm of Humanist Galenism.

Quantitative muscle MRI as an assessment tool for monitoring disease progression in LGMD2I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willis, Tracey A; Hollingsworth, Kieren G; Coombs, Anna

2013-01-01

Outcome measures for clinical trials in neuromuscular diseases are typically based on physical assessments which are dependent on patient effort, combine the effort of different muscle groups, and may not be sensitive to progression over short trial periods in slow-progressing diseases. We hypoth...

[Fundus autofluorescence in dry AMD - impact on disease progression].

Science.gov (United States)

Vidinova, C N; Gouguchkova, P T; Vidinov, K N

2013-11-01

Fundus autofluorescence is a novel technique that gives us information about the RPE cells by evaluating the distribution of lipofuscin in the retina. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic abilities of OCT, RTVue and fundus autofluorescence in predicting the progression of dry AMD. In our study 37 dry AMD patients were enrolled: 22 of them with druses and 15 with developed geographic atrophy. They all underwent complete ophthalmological examinations including OCT and autofluorescence. We used the RTVue OCT programmes HD line, Cross line, EMM5 and EMM5 progression in all cases. The autofluorescence was recorded with the help of the Canon CX1 fundus camera. OCT images in the AMD patients with dry AMD and large druses showed typical undulations in the RPE/choroid line and occasionally drusenoid detachment of the RPE. Autofluorescence showed different patterns. The confluent reticular autofluorescence was associated with the development of neovascular membranes. In geographic atrophy patient OCTs showed diminished retinal thickness measured with EMM5. On autofluorescence the findings at the border zone atrophic/normal retina were of particular importance. The diffuse increased autofluorescence in that area was considered to be a sign for further atrophy progression. Our results point out that OCT in combination with autofluorescence is important in following the progression of dry AMD. Pathological autofluorescence at the border of atrophic lesions is an important sign for disease activity. Although both OCT and autofluorescence visualise the changes in RPE, autofluorescence is of key importance in predicting the development of the disease. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Highly sensitive measurements of disease progression in rare disorders: Developing and validating a multimodal model of retinal degeneration in Stargardt disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambertus, Stanley; Bax, Nathalie M; Fakin, Ana; Groenewoud, Joannes M M; Klevering, B Jeroen; Moore, Anthony T; Michaelides, Michel; Webster, Andrew R; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Hoyng, Carel B

2017-01-01

Each inherited retinal disorder is rare, but together, they affect millions of people worldwide. No treatment is currently available for these blinding diseases, but promising new options-including gene therapy-are emerging. Arguably, the most prevalent retinal dystrophy is Stargardt disease. In each case, the specific combination of ABCA4 variants (> 900 identified to date) and modifying factors is virtually unique. It accounts for the vast phenotypic heterogeneity including variable rates of functional and structural progression, thereby potentially limiting the ability of phase I/II clinical trials to assess efficacy of novel therapies with few patients. To accommodate this problem, we developed and validated a sensitive and reliable composite clinical trial endpoint for disease progression based on structural measurements of retinal degeneration. We used longitudinal data from early-onset Stargardt patients from the Netherlands (development cohort, n = 14) and the United Kingdom (external validation cohort, n = 18). The composite endpoint was derived from best-corrected visual acuity, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Weighting optimization techniques excluded visual acuity from the composite endpoint. After optimization, the endpoint outperformed each univariable outcome, and showed an average progression of 0.41° retinal eccentricity per year (95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.52). Comparing with actual longitudinal values, the model accurately predicted progression (R2, 0.904). These properties were largely preserved in the validation cohort (0.43°/year [0.33-0.53]; prediction: R2, 0.872). We subsequently ran a two-year trial simulation with the composite endpoint, which detected a 25% decrease in disease progression with 80% statistical power using only 14 patients. These results suggest that a multimodal endpoint, reflecting structural macular changes, provides a sensitive measurement of disease progression in

Highly sensitive measurements of disease progression in rare disorders: Developing and validating a multimodal model of retinal degeneration in Stargardt disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanley Lambertus

Full Text Available Each inherited retinal disorder is rare, but together, they affect millions of people worldwide. No treatment is currently available for these blinding diseases, but promising new options-including gene therapy-are emerging. Arguably, the most prevalent retinal dystrophy is Stargardt disease. In each case, the specific combination of ABCA4 variants (> 900 identified to date and modifying factors is virtually unique. It accounts for the vast phenotypic heterogeneity including variable rates of functional and structural progression, thereby potentially limiting the ability of phase I/II clinical trials to assess efficacy of novel therapies with few patients. To accommodate this problem, we developed and validated a sensitive and reliable composite clinical trial endpoint for disease progression based on structural measurements of retinal degeneration.We used longitudinal data from early-onset Stargardt patients from the Netherlands (development cohort, n = 14 and the United Kingdom (external validation cohort, n = 18. The composite endpoint was derived from best-corrected visual acuity, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Weighting optimization techniques excluded visual acuity from the composite endpoint. After optimization, the endpoint outperformed each univariable outcome, and showed an average progression of 0.41° retinal eccentricity per year (95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.52. Comparing with actual longitudinal values, the model accurately predicted progression (R2, 0.904. These properties were largely preserved in the validation cohort (0.43°/year [0.33-0.53]; prediction: R2, 0.872. We subsequently ran a two-year trial simulation with the composite endpoint, which detected a 25% decrease in disease progression with 80% statistical power using only 14 patients.These results suggest that a multimodal endpoint, reflecting structural macular changes, provides a sensitive measurement of disease

Primary progressive aphasia: from syndrome to disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Matías-Guiu, J A; García-Ramos, R

2013-01-01

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a clinical syndrome characterised by a progressive decline in language and speech of neurodegenerative origin. Major breakthroughs made in recent years have lent us a better understanding of this syndrome, which may be the first manifestation of any of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. We reviewed the main aspects of PPA epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, aetiology and treatment. Most cases manifest sporadically and the typical age of onset is between 50 and 70 years. Three clinically distinct variants have been described: nonfluent or agrammatic PPA, semantic PPA and logopenic PPA. Each of these variants tends to be associated with specific histopathological findings, but clinical diagnostic methods are imperfect predictors of underlying pathology. Anatomical and functional neuroimaging can provide useful biomarkers. Several treatments have been proposed, and while no clear benefits have been demonstrated, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may be useful, especially in the logopenic variant. PPA is an emerging syndrome which may be more prevalent than we might expect. It was previously listed as part of the frontotemporal dementia spectrum, and it is also related to Alzheimer disease. Clinical diagnosis, complemented by a biomarker evaluation, may predict the underlying pathology, which in turn will improve treatment possibilities. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

JAK2V617F mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia predicts early disease progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pahore, Z.A.A.; Shamsi, T.S.; Taj, M.; Farzana, T.; Ansari, S.H.; Nadeem, M.; Ahmad, M.; Naz, A.

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine the association of JAK2V617F mutation along with BCR-ABL translocation or Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia with early disease progression to advanced stages (accelerated phase or blast crisis) and poor outcome. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: National Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Karachi, from February 2008 to August 2009. Methodology: All the newly diagnosed cases of BCR-ABL or Philadelphia positive CML were tested for JAK2V617F mutation by Nested PCR. Demographic data, spleen size, hemoglobin levels, white blood cell and platelet counts were recorded. Independent sample t-test was used for age, haemoglobin level and spleen size. Fisher's exact test was applied to compare disease progression in JAK2V617F mutation positive and negative cases. Results: Out of 45 newly diagnosed cases of CML, 40 were in chronic phase, 01 in accelerated phase and 04 in blast crisis. JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 12 (26.7%) patients; 09 (22.5%) in chronic phase, none in accelerated phase and 03 (75%) in blast crisis. During a mean follow-up of 8 months, 03 patients in chronic phase transformed in blast crisis and 02 into accelerated phase. Overall 08 out of 11 (73%) JAK2V617F positive patients either had advanced disease or showed disease progression. Only 2 of 20 (10%) available patients, negative for the mutation, showed disease progression by transforming into blast crisis (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was seen in the age, spleen size, haemoglobin levels, white blood cells and platelets counts in JAK2V617F positive patients. Conclusion: JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 26.7% cases of chronic myeloid leukemia. A significant proportion of them showed early disease progression. (author)

Physical stature of Jewish Dutchmen: an overview of three cases from the nineteenth century

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tassenaar, Vincent

2013-01-01

I investigated the changes in stature of Jewish and Non-Jewish conscripts in Amsterdam (northern Holland) and Groningen (Groningen) during the second half of the nineteenth century. In the middle of the nineteenth century the position of the Jewish population was rather weak from an economic

Between Egyptian "national purity" and "local flexibility": prostitution in al-Mahalla al-Kubra in the first half of the 20th century.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammad, Hanan

2011-01-01

This article traces prostitution in al-Mahalla in the first half of the 20th century as a regulated urban practice until the trade was outlawed in Egypt in 1949. Studying prostitution during this period of exceptionally rapid growth and transformation not only provides a window on a particular type of illicit sexuality and public morality in a colonial context, it also gives us a hint as to gender relations and inter-communal relations on the invisible marginalized part of a provincial local community, and how it was socially transformed. I argue that the regulation of prostitution in Egypt in 1882 and 1905 created a sphere for a power contest between the colonial state and the local community, between nationalist discourse and the local way of life, and between public morality and private space. While nationalist discourse constructed one virtuous nation, the local community accepted the licensed prostitution quarter, and resisted secret prostitution. The people of the town actively and continually shifted boundaries on what was public and what was private, what was the state's responsibility and what was communal liability.

Molecular Differentiation of Risk for Disease Progression: Delineating Stage-Specific Therapeutic Targets for Disease Management in Breast Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Worsham, Maria J; Raju, Usha; Chase, Gary; Lu, Mei

2004-01-01

.... The aim of this research is to 1a: identify an informative set of specific genetic alterations that underlie the pathogenesis of disease progression to serve as targets for management of disease at the earliest stages and 1b...

Molecular Differentiation of Risk for Disease Progression: Delineating Stage-Specific Therapeutic Targets for Disease Management in Breast Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Worsham, Maria J; Raju, Usha; Lu, Mei

2006-01-01

.... The aim of this research is to 1a: identify an informative set of specific genetic alterations that underlie the pathogenesis of disease progression to serve as targets for management of disease at the earliest stages and 1b...

The Role of Women in Music in Nineteenth-Century Dublin

OpenAIRE

O'Connor, Jennifer

2010-01-01

During the nineteenth century the position of women in music grew throughout Europe, and Ireland was no exception. In Dublin, women went from participating in the city's musical culture as performers to participating as teachers, composers, organisers, performers and writers. In the first half of the century, private music teachers such as Mrs Allen represented women's first steps into promoting Irish music. With the re-organisation of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 185...

Progression of Common Variable Immunodeficiency Interstitial Lung Disease Accompanies Distinct Pulmonary and Laboratory Findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Maglione, Paul J; Overbey, Jessica R; Cunningham-Rundles, Charlotte

2015-01-01

Common variable immunodeficiency may be complicated by interstitial lung disease, which leads to worsened morbidity and mortality in some. Although immunomodulatory treatment has efficacy, choice of patient, duration of treatment, and long-term follow-up are not available. Interstitial lung disease appears stable in certain instances, so it is not known whether all patients will develop progressive disease or require immunomodulatory therapy. This study aims to determine if all common variable immunodeficiency patients with interstitial lung disease have physiological worsening, and if clinical and/or laboratory parameters may correlate with disease progression. A retrospective review of medical records at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York was conducted for referred patients with common variable immunodeficiency, CT scan-confirmed interstitial lung disease, and periodic pulmonary function testing covering 20 or more months before immunomodulatory therapy. Fifteen patients were identified from the retrospective review and included in this study. Of the 15 patients with common variable immunodeficiency, 9 had physiological worsening of interstitial lung disease adapted from consensus guidelines, associated with significant reductions in forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity, and diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide. Those with progressive lung disease also had significantly lower mean immunoglobulin G levels, greater increases and highest levels of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM), and more significant thrombocytopenia. Interstitial lung disease resulted in physiological worsening in many, but not all subjects, and was associated with suboptimal immunoglobulin G replacement. Those with worsening pulmonary function tests, elevated IgM, and severe thrombocytopenic episodes appear to be at highest risk for progressive disease. Such patients may benefit from immunomodulatory treatment. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy

Associations of hormonal contraceptive use with measures of HIV disease progression and antiretroviral therapy effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteman, Maura K; Jeng, Gary; Samarina, Anna; Akatova, Natalia; Martirosyan, Margarita; Kissin, Dmitry M; Curtis, Kathryn M; Marchbanks, Polly A; Hillis, Susan D; Mandel, Michele G; Jamieson, Denise J

2016-01-01

To examine the associations between hormonal contraceptive use and measures of HIV disease progression and antiretroviral treatment (ART) effectiveness. A prospective cohort study of women with prevalent HIV infection in St. Petersburg, Russia, was conducted. After contraceptive counseling, participants chose to use combined oral contraceptives (COCs), depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a copper intrauterine device (IUD) or male condoms for pregnancy prevention. Among participants not using ART at enrollment, we used multivariate Cox regression to assess the association between current (time-varying) contraceptive use and disease progression, measured by the primary composite outcome of CD4 decline to contraceptive method. During a total of 5233 months follow-up among participants not using ART with enrollment CD4 ≥350 cells/mm(3) (n=315), 97 experienced disease progression. Neither current use of COCs [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-1.48] nor DMPA (aHR 1.28, 95% CI 0.71-2.31) was associated with a statistically significant increased risk for disease progression compared with use of nonhormonal methods (IUD or condoms). Among participants using ART at enrollment (n=77), we found no statistically significant differences in the predicted mean changes in CD4 cell count comparing current use of COCs (p=.1) or DMPA (p=.3) with nonhormonal methods. Hormonal contraceptive use was not significantly associated with measures of HIV disease progression or ART effectiveness among women with prevalent HIV infection. Hormonal contraceptive use was not significantly associated with measures of HIV disease progression or ART effectiveness among women with prevalent HIV infection. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Innovation and productivity growth in Spain during the second half of the twentieth century; Innovacion y crecimiento de la productividad en Espana durante la segunda mitadl del siglo XX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cubel, A.; Esteve, V.; Sanchis, J. A.; Sanchis, M. T.

2012-07-01

In this study we analyse the effect of both foreign and domestic technological innovation on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) for Spain in the second half of the XXth century. For this purpose we estimate an extended version of Coe and Helpman (1995) model, in which the foreign and domestic stock of knowledge is measured using the expenditure on R and D. Our results suggest that the entrance of foreign technology had a positive and significant effect on the Spanish TFP. We also find that the domestic knowledge had a positive and significant effect, although this effect is always smaller than the effect associated to foreign knowledge. (Author)

Early intranasal insulin therapy halts progression of neurodegeneration: progress in Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Monte, Suzanne M

Evaluation of Craft S, Baker LD, Montine TJ, Minoshima S, Watson GS, Claxton A, et al. Intranasal Insulin Therapy for Alzheimer Disease and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Clinical Trial. Arch Neurol . 2011 Sep 12. Alzheimer's disease is associated with brain insulin deficiency and insulin resistance, similar to the problems in diabetes. If insulin could be supplied to the brain in the early stages of Alzheimer's, subsequent neurodegeneration might be prevented. Administering systemic insulin to elderly non-diabetics poses unacceptable risks of inadvertant hypoglycemia. However, intranasal delivery directs the insulin into the brain, avoiding systemic side-effects. This pilot study demonstrates both efficacy and safety of using intranasal insulin to treat early Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment, i.e. the precursor to Alzheimer's. Significant improvements in learning, memory, and cognition occured within a few months, but without intranasal insulin, brain function continued to deteriorate in measurable degrees. Intranasal insulin therapy holds promise for halting progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Astronomical dating in the 19th century

Science.gov (United States)

Hilgen, Frederik J.

2010-01-01

layering in Holocene peat bogs. He specifically linked the exceptionally wet Atlantic period to the prolonged precession minimum at 33,300 yr ago and further related basic stratigraphic alternations to precession induced climate change in general. Such a linkage was also proposed by Grove Karl Gilbert for cyclic alternations in the marine Cretaceous of North America. Extrapolating sedimentation rates, he arrived at an astronomical duration for part of the Cretaceous that was roughly as long as the final estimate of William Thomson for the age of the Earth. Assuming that orbital parameters directly affect sea level, Karl Mayer-Eymar and Blytt correlated the well known succession of Tertiary stages to precession and eccentricity, respectively. Remarkably, Blytt, like Croll before him, used very long-period cycles in eccentricity to establish and validate his tuning. Understandably these studies in the second half of the 19th century were largely deductive in nature and proved partly incorrect later. Nevertheless, this fascinating period marks a crucial phase in the development of the astronomical theory of the ice ages and climate, and in astronomical dating. It preceded the final inductive phase, which started with the recovery of deep-sea cores in 1947 and led to a spectacular revival of the astronomical theory, by a century. The first half of the 20th century can best be regarded as an intermediate phase, despite the significant progress made in both theoretical aspects and tuning.

The Demographic Characteristics of the Tribes of the Black Sea Region in the first half of the XIX century

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Aleksandr A. Cherkasov

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The social class structure of the Black sea tribes, the resettlement area which was the territory from Anapa to the river Bzyb, has not yet become a subject of research in the historiography. Natukhaitsy and shapsugs of Adygeyan tribe, ubykhs, and also jikis of Abaza tribe lived in the territory during the first half of the XIX century. The data sources on the population in this territory at a specified time are contradictory, thus practically does not reflect the proportion of estates. The authors attracted as sources the statistical materials of 1800-1860-ies, including those published in the modern period on the Abkhazia (Abaza tribe and the Kuban. By the comparison of the different sources there was made an attempt to calculate the proportion of the population on the estates, namely: the proportion of princes, nobles, free inhabitants, dependent inhabitants, slaves separately for coastal and mountain societies. In addition there were attracted the sources of personal origin – diaries and memoirs, the works of Abkhazians who lived among travelers, and, of course, the scientific literature. The authors used the methods of demographic statistics for reconstruction of the population of the tribes of the Black sea region due to the presence of incomplete data on the number of classes. In conclusion the research provides with the accumulated statistical data on total population, population class and gender.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY OF EDUCATION OF STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF UKRAINE (THE SECOND HALF OF 50S – EARLY OF 90S XX CENTURY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleksii S. Voronkin

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The article presents results of a synthesis study of the evolution of computer technologies to support students studying at the universities of Ukraine since the second half of 50th to the early of 90th of the twentieth century. Research was conducted on the basis of a wide range of sources and materials. There are four historical stages highlighted: 1 the emergence of algorithms of programmed learning; 2 the emergence of automated technologies to support studying; 3 the birth of the first computer training systems and the development of learning environment; 4 an integrated development of computer technology, the development of intelligent tutoring systems and virtual reality systems.

Effect of fluoxetine on disease progression in a mouse model of ALS

Science.gov (United States)

Koschnitzky, J. E.; Quinlan, K. A.; Lukas, T. J.; Kajtaz, E.; Kocevar, E. J.; Mayers, W. F.; Siddique, T.

2014-01-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants are often prescribed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients; however, the impact of these prescriptions on ALS disease progression has not been systematically tested. To determine whether SSRIs impact disease progression, fluoxetine (Prozac, 5 or 10 mg/kg) was administered to mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mice during one of three age ranges: neonatal [postnatal day (P)5–11], adult presymptomatic (P30 to end stage), and adult symptomatic (P70 to end stage). Long-term adult fluoxetine treatment (started at either P30 or P70 and continuing until end stage) had no significant effect on disease progression. In contrast, neonatal fluoxetine treatment (P5-11) had two effects. First, all animals (mutant SOD1G93A and control: nontransgenic and SOD1WT) receiving the highest dose (10 mg/kg) had a sustained decrease in weight from P30 onward. Second, the high-dose SOD1G93A mice reached end stage ∼8 days (∼6% decrease in life span) sooner than vehicle and low-dose animals because of an increased rate of motor impairment. Fluoxetine increases synaptic serotonin (5-HT) levels, which is known to increase spinal motoneuron excitability. We confirmed that 5-HT increases spinal motoneuron excitability during this neonatal time period and therefore hypothesized that antagonizing 5-HT receptors during the same time period would improve disease outcome. However, cyproheptadine (1 or 5 mg/kg), a 5-HT receptor antagonist, had no effect on disease progression. These results show that a brief period of antidepressant treatment during a critical time window (the transition from neonatal to juvenile states) can be detrimental in ALS mouse models. PMID:24598527

MMP-7 is a predictive biomarker of disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasmina Bauer

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF is a progressive interstitial lung disease with poor prognosis, which is characterised by destruction of normal lung architecture and excessive deposition of lung extracellular matrix. The heterogeneity of disease progression in patients with IPF poses significant obstacles to patient care and prevents efficient development of novel therapeutic interventions. Blood biomarkers, reflecting pathobiological processes in the lung, could provide objective evidence of the underlying disease. Longitudinally collected serum samples from the Bosentan Use in Interstitial Lung Disease (BUILD-3 trial were used to measure four biomarkers (metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7, Fas death receptor ligand, osteopontin and procollagen type I C-peptide, to assess their potential prognostic capabilities and to follow changes during disease progression in patients with IPF. In baseline BUILD-3 samples, only MMP-7 showed clearly elevated protein levels compared with samples from healthy controls, and further investigations demonstrated that MMP-7 levels also increased over time. Baseline levels of MMP-7 were able to predict patients who had higher risk of worsening and, notably, baseline levels of MMP-7 could predict changes in FVC as early as month 4. MMP-7 shows potential to be a reliable predictor of lung function decline and disease progression.

The Absolutist Reformism: Projects of Political Reforms in Russia (2nd half of 18th century – 1st quarter of 19th century

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Konstantin D. Bugrov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the phenomenon of absolutist reformism – a form of political culture that chronologically spans from the mid-18th century to 19th century, and is determined by both communicative context (genre, pragmatic purpose, and the social and political status of its participants, the members of court-administrative elite. The author argues that the principal reformers, who belonged to the court and administrative elite of Russian Empire, were competing with each other, and the reform proposals allowed the competitors to simultaneously improve their own positions within the structure of state governance and enact the absolute power of the monarch to bring the reform forth. However, that meant that the monarch was appearing in the reform proposals as an omnipotent arbiter capable of creating the social and political institutions by his will. Consequently, these reform proposals – starting from the early projects of the 1750es – 1760es, and finishing with the intense production of reform plans under Alexander I – were aimed at increasing the power of monarch, assuring its benevolent character, and protecting it from the potential usurpation from the inside of the bureaucratic apparatus. This logic of argumentation, which places the monarch against the bureaucracy, was to flourish later on in Russian 19th century.

Rapid Disease Progression With Delay in Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammed, Nasiruddin; Kestin, Larry Llyn; Grills, Inga Siiner; Battu, Madhu; Fitch, Dwight Lamar; Wong, Ching-yee Oliver; Margolis, Jeffrey Harold; Chmielewski, Gary William; Welsh, Robert James

2011-01-01

Purpose: To assess rate of disease progression from diagnosis to initiation of treatment for Stage I-IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Forty patients with NSCLC underwent at least two sets of computed tomography (CT) and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) scans at various time intervals before treatment. Progression was defined as development of any new lymph node involvement, site of disease, or stage change. Results: Median time interval between first and second CT scans was 13.4 weeks, and between first and second PET scans was 9.0 weeks. Median initial primary maximum tumor dimension (MTD) was 3.5 cm (0.6-8.5 cm) with a median standardized uptake value (SUV) of 13.0 (1.7-38.5). The median MTD increased by a median of 1.0 cm (mean, 1.6 cm) between scans for a median relative MTD increase of 35% (mean, 59%). Nineteen patients (48%) progressed between scans. Rate of any progression was 13%, 31%, and 46% at 4, 8, and 16 weeks, respectively. Upstaging occurred in 3%, 13%, and 21% at these intervals. Distant metastasis became evident in 3%, 13%, and 13% after 4, 8, and 16 weeks, respectively. T and N stage were associated with progression, whereas histology, grade, sex, age, and maximum SUV were not. At 3 years, overall survival for Stage III patients with vs. without progression was 18% vs. 67%, p = 0.05. Conclusions: With NSCLC, treatment delay can lead to disease progression. Diagnosis, staging, and treatment initiation should be expedited. After 4-8 weeks of delay, complete restaging should be strongly considered.

Sex differences in progression to mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cholerton, Brenna; Johnson, Catherine O; Fish, Brian; Quinn, Joseph F; Chung, Kathryn A; Peterson-Hiller, Amie L; Rosenthal, Liana S; Dawson, Ted M; Albert, Marilyn S; Hu, Shu-Ching; Mata, Ignacio F; Leverenz, James B; Poston, Kathleen L; Montine, Thomas J; Zabetian, Cyrus P; Edwards, Karen L

2018-05-01

Identification of factors associated with progression of cognitive symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is important for treatment planning, clinical care, and design of future clinical trials. The current study sought to identify whether prediction of cognitive progression is aided by examining baseline cognitive features, and whether this differs according to stage of cognitive disease. Participants with PD in the Pacific Udall Center Clinical Consortium who had longitudinal data available and were nondemented at baseline were included in the study (n = 418). Logistic and Cox regression models were utilized to examine the relationship between cognitive, demographic, and clinical variables with risk and time to progression from no cognitive impairment to mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) or dementia (PDD), and from PD-MCI to PDD. Processing speed (OR = 1.05, p = 0.009) and working memory (OR = 1.01, p = 0.03) were associated with conversion to PDD among those with PD-MCI at baseline, over and above demographic variables. Conversely, the primary predictive factor in the transition from no cognitive impairment to PD-MCI or PDD was male sex (OR = 4.47, p = 0.004), and males progressed more rapidly than females (p = 0.01). Further, among females with shorter disease duration, progression was slower than for their male counterparts, and poor baseline performance on semantic verbal fluency was associated with shorter time to cognitive impairment in females but not in males. This study provides evidence for sex differences in the progression to cognitive impairment in PD, while specific cognitive features become more important indicators of progression with impending conversion to PDD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transgenic Monkey Model of the Polyglutamine Diseases Recapitulating Progressive Neurological Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Ishibashi, Hidetoshi; Minakawa, Eiko N.; Motohashi, Hideyuki H.; Takayama, Osamu; Popiel, H. Akiko; Puentes, Sandra; Owari, Kensuke; Nakatani, Terumi; Nogami, Naotake; Yamamoto, Kazuhiro; Yonekawa, Takahiro; Tanaka, Yoko; Fujita, Naoko; Suzuki, Hikaru; Aizawa, Shu; Nagano, Seiichi; Yamada, Daisuke; Wada, Keiji; Kohsaka, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Abstract Age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and the polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, are becoming prevalent as a consequence of elongation of the human lifespan. Although various rodent models have been developed to study and overcome these diseases, they have limitations in their translational research utility owing to differences from humans in brain structure and function and in drug metabolism. Here, we generated a transgenic marmoset model of the polyQ diseases, showing progressive neurological symptoms including motor impairment. Seven transgenic marmosets were produced by lentiviral introduction of the human ataxin 3 gene with 120 CAG repeats encoding an expanded polyQ stretch. Although all offspring showed no neurological symptoms at birth, three marmosets with higher transgene expression developed neurological symptoms of varying degrees at 3–4 months after birth, followed by gradual decreases in body weight gain, spontaneous activity, and grip strength, indicating time-dependent disease progression. Pathological examinations revealed neurodegeneration and intranuclear polyQ protein inclusions accompanied by gliosis, which recapitulate the neuropathological features of polyQ disease patients. Consistent with neuronal loss in the cerebellum, brain MRI analyses in one living symptomatic marmoset detected enlargement of the fourth ventricle, which suggests cerebellar atrophy. Notably, successful germline transgene transmission was confirmed in the second-generation offspring derived from the symptomatic transgenic marmoset gamete. Because the accumulation of abnormal proteins is a shared pathomechanism among various neurodegenerative diseases, we suggest that this new marmoset model will contribute toward elucidating the pathomechanisms of and developing clinically applicable therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:28374014

Clinical neurorestorative progress in Parkinson's disease

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Chen L

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Lin Chen,1,2 Hongyun Huang,3–5 Wei-Ming Duan,6 Gengsheng Mao3 1Department of Neurosurgery, Yuquan Hospital, Tsinghua University, 2Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Center, Tsinghua University, 3Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, 4Center of Cell Research, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital of Capital Medical University, 5Beijing Hongtianji Neuroscience Academy, 6Department of Anatomy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD is one of the common neurodegenerative diseases. Besides the symptomatic therapies, the increasing numbers of neurorestorative therapies have shown the potential therapeutic value of reversing the neurodegenerative process and improving the patient's quality of life. Currrently available novel clinical neurorestorative strategies include pharmacological managements (glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor, selegiline, recombinant human erythropoietin, neuromodulation intervention (deep brain stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, tissue and cell transplantation (fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue, sympathetic neurons, carotid body cells, bone marrow stromal cells, retinal pigment epithelium cells, gene therapy, and neurorehabilitative therapy. Herein, we briefly review the progress in this field and describe the neurorestorative mechanisms of the above-mentioned therapies for PD. Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, clinical study, neurorestorative treatment, cell transplantation, neuromodulation

Slow progression of paediatric HIV disease: Selective adaptation or ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the European Caucasian populations, the chemokine-cell receptor variant CCR5 \\"Delta 32\\" is a the genetic determinant of HIV disease progression that is believed to have been selected for in the general population by exposure to antigens closely interlinked to HIV like Yersinia pestis or small pox virus. Among African ...

The Half-Half Plot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Einmahl, J.H.J.; Gantner, M.

2009-01-01

The Half-Half (HH) plot is a new graphical method to investigate qualitatively the shape of a regression curve. The empirical HH-plot counts observations in the lower and upper quarter of a strip that moves horizontally over the scatter plot. The plot displays jumps clearly and reveals further

The half-half plot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Einmahl, J.H.J.; Gantner, M.

2012-01-01

The Half-Half (HH) plot is a new graphical method to investigate qualitatively the shape of a regression curve. The empirical HH-plot counts observations in the lower and upper quarter of a strip that moves horizontally over the scatterplot. The plot displays jumps clearly and reveals further

Practical teachers in Recife and Olinda in second half XIX century

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Dayana Raquel Pereira de Lima

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The reading, transcription and systemisation of governmental sources related to work and teaching associations in Recife and Olinda, during the XIX century, revealed practices linked mainly to individual benefits and political gains in its relations with public power. When tracking the specific path and demands of members of the 1872 Sociedade Propagadora da Instrução Pública as well as the petitions done by the teachers to the public power in the main working shifts of teaching - salaries, gratifications, exchanges, medical licenses, transferences, educational material etc - we will argue, using the methodology of microanalysis (REVEL, 1998, that the teachers as a working category was marked by individual practices of citizenship. In this sense, although there were associations, of “common interests” and a “discomfort” of public teachers, those developed personal strategies, according to the privileges acquired along their career which in fact deviate from building a teacher identity

The Nineteenth Century Revised: Towards a New Narrative of Europe’s Past

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Bo Stråth

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The conventional history of Europe, connecting the Enlightenment heritage with our time, makes a huge detour around the violent nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth one. The article explores the European peace utopias of 1815, 1918 and 1951, and their eventual loss of suggestive force, and argues that they link today’s global Europe to the post-Napoleonic world two hundred years ago. This connection, through a series of illusions and disillusions about the nature of politics, represents a different view on the nineteenth and twentieth century than the conventional teleological narrative about fulfilment of the Enlightenment promise of progress. The analysis of the bicentenary chain of shifts between postwar, prewar and war should not be read in terms of a teleology necessitating a new war; the point is, rather to draw attention to the fragility and openness of historical processes. The new narrative outlined here emphasizes that there was no necessity in the development towards today’s Europe; the story is full of alternatives, and highlights the role as well as the responsibility of human agency. No solution appears as a necessary result of impersonal forces, everything has depended, and continues to depend, on human choice.

Sequential inflammatory processes define human progression from M. tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Scriba, Thomas J; Penn-Nicholson, Adam; Shankar, Smitha; Hraha, Tom; Thompson, Ethan G; Sterling, David; Nemes, Elisa; Darboe, Fatoumatta; Suliman, Sara; Amon, Lynn M; Mahomed, Hassan; Erasmus, Mzwandile; Whatney, Wendy; Johnson, John L; Boom, W Henry; Hatherill, Mark; Valvo, Joe; De Groote, Mary Ann; Ochsner, Urs A; Aderem, Alan; Hanekom, Willem A; Zak, Daniel E

2017-11-01

Our understanding of mechanisms underlying progression from Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to pulmonary tuberculosis disease in humans remains limited. To define such mechanisms, we followed M. tuberculosis-infected adolescents longitudinally. Blood samples from forty-four adolescents who ultimately developed tuberculosis disease (“progressors”) were compared with those from 106 matched controls, who remained healthy during two years of follow up. We performed longitudinal whole blood transcriptomic analyses by RNA sequencing and plasma proteome analyses using multiplexed slow off-rate modified DNA aptamers. Tuberculosis progression was associated with sequential modulation of immunological processes. Type I/II interferon signalling and complement cascade were elevated 18 months before tuberculosis disease diagnosis, while changes in myeloid inflammation, lymphoid, monocyte and neutrophil gene modules occurred more proximally to tuberculosis disease. Analysis of gene expression in purified T cells also revealed early suppression of Th17 responses in progressors, relative to M. tuberculosis-infected controls. This was confirmed in an independent adult cohort who received BCG re-vaccination; transcript expression of interferon response genes in blood prior to BCG administration was associated with suppression of IL-17 expression by BCG-specific CD4 T cells 3 weeks post-vaccination. Our findings provide a timeline to the different immunological stages of disease progression which comprise sequential inflammatory dynamics and immune alterations that precede disease manifestations and diagnosis of tuberculosis disease. These findings have important implications for developing diagnostics, vaccination and host-directed therapies for tuberculosis. Clincialtrials.gov, NCT01119521.

Inflammation in Lafora Disease: Evolution with Disease Progression in Laforin and Malin Knock-out Mouse Models.

Science.gov (United States)

López-González, Irene; Viana, Rosa; Sanz, Pascual; Ferrer, Isidre

2017-07-01

Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy (Lafora disease, LD) is a fatal rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of insoluble ubiquitinated polyglucosan inclusions in the cytoplasm of neurons, which is most commonly associated with mutations in two genes: EPM2A, encoding the glucan phosphatase laforin, and EPM2B, encoding the E3-ubiquitin ligase malin. The present study analyzes possible inflammatory responses in the mouse lines Epm2a -/- (laforin knock-out) and Epm2b -/- (malin knock-out) with disease progression. Increased numbers of reactive astrocytes (expressing the GFAP marker) and microglia (expressing the Iba1 marker) together with increased expression of genes encoding cytokines and mediators of the inflammatory response occur in both mouse lines although with marked genotype differences. C3ar1 and CxCl10 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are significantly increased in Epm2a -/- mice aged 12 months when compared with age-matched controls, whereas C3ar1, C4b, Ccl4, CxCl10, Il1b, Il6, Tnfα, and Il10ra mRNAs are significantly upregulated in Epm2b -/- at the same age. This is accompanied by increased protein levels of IL1-β, IL6, TNFα, and Cox2 particularly in Epm2b -/- mice. The severity of inflammatory changes correlates with more severe clinical symptoms previously described in Epm2b -/- mice. These findings show for the first time increased innate inflammatory responses in a neurodegenerative disease with polyglucosan intraneuronal deposits which increase with disease progression, in a way similar to what is seen in neurodegenerative diseases with abnormal protein aggregates. These findings also point to the possibility of using anti-inflammatory agents to mitigate the degenerative process in LD.

Five centuries of climate change in Australia: the view from underground

Science.gov (United States)

Pollack, Henry N.; Huang, Shaopeng; Smerdon, Jason E.

2006-10-01

Fifty-seven borehole temperature profiles from across Australia are analysed to reconstruct a ground surface temperature history for the past five centuries. The five-hundred-year reconstruction is characterised by a temperature increase of approximately 0.5 K, with most of the warming occurring in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 17th century was the coolest interval of the five-century reconstruction. Comparison of the geothermal reconstruction to the Australian annual surface air temperature time series in their period of overlap shows excellent agreement. The full geothermal reconstruction also agrees well with the low-frequency component of dendroclimatic reconstructions from Tasmania and New Zealand. The warming of Australia over the past five centuries is only about half that experienced by the continents of the Northern Hemisphere in the same time interval. Copyright

Government’s Fear of Newspapers in Russia and France in the Second Half of the 19 Century

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Valery F. Blokhin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to one of the measures of administrative influence on the publishers of periodicals in the form of a ban on the retail sale of newspapers and magazines in the imperial Russia and France. The author argues that this policy was introduced in Russia due to adoption of foreign experience of direct and indirect censorship, especially the French experience. So, the article seeks to access the difference between the original approach of the French empire and the Russian version of the policy. Also the article bridges the gap between the current Russian historiography and the existing archive materials with help of discourse analysis and comparative method. First, the author reviews the literature on Russian and French censorship in the second half of XIX century. This allows us to describe the original policy motives of leadership in France in area of media coverage and censorship. Second, the author presents some comparative parallels in the particular area of study of censorship and its institutional basis. Using official documents, data on discussions of the alleged measures and the reasons for their introduction, author shows features of approaches of the Russian Ministry of internal Affairs and a member of his censorship Departmen t to highligh t the key issues of social development, to enhance the effectiveness of state censorship policy. The article gives the significant boost towards new approaches in research of indirect censorship in Russia and France as well as the role models for such a policy. Also the article allows us to reconsider the diffusionist paradigm with regard to state's policy experience circulation between European empires and their reaction to the emergence of modern media.

Gender hormones and the progression of experimental polycystic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Stringer, Kenneth D; Komers, Radko; Osman, Shukri A; Oyama, Terry T; Lindsley, Jessie N; Anderson, Sharon

2005-10-01

Male gender is a risk factor for progression of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), clinically and in the Han:SPRD rat model. Orchiectomy limits progression, but mechanisms of the detrimental effect of androgen, and/or beneficial effects of estrogen, are not known. This protocol tested the hypothesis that male gender (intact androgen status) promotes progression, while female gender (intact estrogen status) is protective; and that these disease-modifying effects are due to changes in expression of known fibrotic mediators. Studies were performed in male and female noncystic control (+/+) and cystic (+/-) rats subjected to orchiectomy, ovariectomy, or sham operation. At 12 weeks of age, renal function was measured. Blood and kidneys were taken for measurement of plasma and renal renin, endothelin (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), using biochemical, protein expression, and immunohistochemical methods. Cystic male rats exhibited significantly reduced glomerular filtration (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) rates, with suppression of plasma and renal renin, up-regulation of renal ET-1 and eNOS, and down-regulation of renal VEGF expression. Orchiectomy attenuated the fall in GFR and ERPF, while numerically limiting changes in eNOS and VEGF. Female rats exhibited less cystic growth, with normal renin status, lesser elevation of renal ET-1, and proportionately lesser changes in VEGF and eNOS. Ovariectomy led to higher blood pressure and reduced GFR and ERPF, with a trend toward upregulation of ET-1, and significant down-regulation of VEGF and eNOS. Female gender is protective, but ovariectomy attenuates the protective effect of female gender, in association with changes in renal expression of ET-1, VEGF, and eNOS. The accelerated disease in male rats can be attenuated by orchiectomy and consequent changes in expression of disease mediators.

Half a century of progress in research on terrestrial impact structures: A review

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McCall, G. J. H.

2009-02-01

The author, who investigated the Wolfe Creek, Australia, in 1962 and edited two Benchmark Sets of Readings on Meteorite Craters and possible Astroblemes in 1977 and 1979, reviews the state of knowledge at the present time. The text is concerned with terrestrial impact structures, geological features, without any consideration of extraterrestrial analogues. A handful of definitive publications are drawn on to present the story of terrestrial impact in a single article. The text covers historical aspects (briefly); the effect of target variations; the paucity of human observation of such large-scale events; distinction from volcanic (endogenous) structures; modification by geological processes; the transience of the crater initially formed on the target, and its subsequent modifications; the global geographic distribution of the 174 structures now listed (of which a number are dubious attributions); their distribution in geological time (many ages being known only known to wide limits, maximum or minimum values); their size distribution; calculations of impact frequencies; shock effects; processes on impact; the stages of formation; impact into shallow marine and deep sea targets; impacts on ice (about which little is known); and finally the input of impact into biotic extinctions. In this last lengthy section, the summaries of the conclusions of scientists researching impact on Earth and palaeontologists researching biotic impact are set side by side. It is concluded that, if the recent foraminiferal evidence obtained by Gerta Keller and associates is taken at its face value, the case of impact as a sole agent in extinction is non-existent: biotic extinction is clearly a complex process involving a number of causes, in some cases it was staggered in time, and different sets of organisms responded quite differently and surprisingly, even in the same extinction event. Extraterrestrial impact may have been one of the causes in some cases, but it may have been regional rather than global in its effects. We may never know how much input it had into the record of biotic extinction on Earth? An enormous amount of new knowledge has arisen from detailed studies of this new family of remarkable geological structures.

Plague history: Yersin's discovery of the causative bacterium in 1894 enabled, in the subsequent century, scientific progress in understanding the disease and the development of treatments and vaccines.

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Butler, T

2014-03-01

The causative bacterium of plague was described and cultured by Alexandre Yersin in Hong Kong in 1894, after which transmission of bacteria from rodents by flea bites was discovered by Jean-Paul Simond in 1898. Effective treatment with antiserum was initiated in 1896, but this therapy was supplanted by sulphonamides in the 1930s and by streptomycin starting in 1947. India suffered an estimated 6 million deaths in 1900-1909, and Vietnam, during its war in 1965-1975, accounted for approximately 80% of the world's cases; since then, African countries have dominated, with >90% of the world's cases in the 1990s and early 21st century. Serological diagnosis with fraction 1 antigen to detect anti-plague antibodies was developed in the 1950s. Vaccine development started in 1897 with killed whole bacterial cells, and this was followed by a live attenuated bacterial vaccine, leading to millions of persons receiving injections, but the benefits of these vaccines remain clouded by controversy. Plasmid-mediated virulence was established in 1981, and this was followed by specific DNA methods that have allowed detection of plague genes in skeletal specimens from European graves of the sixth to 17th centuries. © 2014 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Role of rasagiline in treating Parkinson’s disease: Effect on disease progression

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Malaty, Irene A; Fernandez, Hubert H

2009-01-01

Rasagiline is a second generation, selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitor. It has demonstrated efficacy in monotherapy for early Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients in one large randomized, placebo-controlled trial (TVP-1012 in Early Monotherapy for Parkinson’s Disease Outpatients), and has shown ability to reduce off time in more advanced PD patients with motor fluctuations in two large placebo-controlled trials (Parkinson’s Rasagiline: Efficacy and Safety in the Treatment of “Off”, and Lasting Effect in Adjunct Therapy With Rasagiline Given Once Daily). Preclinical data abound to suggest potential for neuroprotection by this compound against a variety of neurotoxic insults in cell cultures and in animals. The lack of amphetamine metabolites provides an advantage over the first generation MAO-B inhibitor selegiline. One large trial has investigated the potential for disease modification in PD patients (Attenuation of Disease progression with Azilect Given Once-daily) and preliminary results maintain some possible advantage to earlier initiation of the 1 mg/day dose. The clinical significance of the difference detected remains a consideration. PMID:19753135

Highly sensitive measurements of disease progression in rare disorders: Developing and validating a multimodal model of retinal degeneration in Stargardt disease

Science.gov (United States)

Bax, Nathalie M.; Fakin, Ana; Groenewoud, Joannes M. M.; Klevering, B. Jeroen; Moore, Anthony T.; Michaelides, Michel; Webster, Andrew R.; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Hoyng, Carel B.

2017-01-01

Background Each inherited retinal disorder is rare, but together, they affect millions of people worldwide. No treatment is currently available for these blinding diseases, but promising new options—including gene therapy—are emerging. Arguably, the most prevalent retinal dystrophy is Stargardt disease. In each case, the specific combination of ABCA4 variants (> 900 identified to date) and modifying factors is virtually unique. It accounts for the vast phenotypic heterogeneity including variable rates of functional and structural progression, thereby potentially limiting the ability of phase I/II clinical trials to assess efficacy of novel therapies with few patients. To accommodate this problem, we developed and validated a sensitive and reliable composite clinical trial endpoint for disease progression based on structural measurements of retinal degeneration. Methods and findings We used longitudinal data from early-onset Stargardt patients from the Netherlands (development cohort, n = 14) and the United Kingdom (external validation cohort, n = 18). The composite endpoint was derived from best-corrected visual acuity, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Weighting optimization techniques excluded visual acuity from the composite endpoint. After optimization, the endpoint outperformed each univariable outcome, and showed an average progression of 0.41° retinal eccentricity per year (95% confidence interval, 0.30–0.52). Comparing with actual longitudinal values, the model accurately predicted progression (R2, 0.904). These properties were largely preserved in the validation cohort (0.43°/year [0.33–0.53]; prediction: R2, 0.872). We subsequently ran a two-year trial simulation with the composite endpoint, which detected a 25% decrease in disease progression with 80% statistical power using only 14 patients. Conclusions These results suggest that a multimodal endpoint, reflecting structural macular changes, provides a

Tartu as the Eastern Outpost of European Medicine in the First Half of the 17th Century

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Kaarina Rein

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The history of medicine in Tartu begins with medieval monastic Church, which were probably founded in the middle of the 13th century. The physician who arrived from Tallinn. Up to the beginning of the 17th century, the owners of the pharmacy were the only representatives of academic medicine in Tartu. Academic medical education in Tartu had its beginnings with the academic gymnasium founded in 1630 and the university founded in 1632. One of the three higher faculties at the University of Tartu at that time was the Faculty of Medicine. It was planned to have two professorships, although in reality only one professor of medicine was employed. The model of the University of Paris demanded that all “proper” universities must have a medical faculty. There were very few students studying at the Faculty of Medicine in Tartu in the 17th century. Only two names—David Cunitius and Olaus Oestenius—could be mentioned from among those who studied medicine at Academia Gustaviana and were later active as physicians. There were also students who studied in some other faculty in Tartu and However, the Swedish University of Tartu can be considered an important centre of early modern medical thought in the Eastern Europe. The article tries to give some idea about the medical situation in Tartu before the founding of the University of Tartu and during its early period of existence. The task is to investigate whether the academic medicine of the th century has introduced any changes into the history of medicine of Tartu.

A computational method for computing an Alzheimer’s Disease Progression Score; experiments and validation with the ADNI dataset

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Jedynak, Bruno M.; Liu, Bo; Lang, Andrew; Gel, Yulia; Prince, Jerry L.

2014-01-01

Understanding the time-dependent changes of biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a key to assessing disease progression and to measuring the outcomes of disease-modifying therapies. In this paper, we validate an Alzheimer’s disease progression score model which uses multiple biomarkers to quantify the AD progression of subjects following three assumptions: (1) there is a unique disease progression for all subjects, (2) each subject has a different age of onset and rate of progression, and (3) each biomarker is sigmoidal as a function of disease progression. Fitting the parameters of this model is a challenging problem which we approach using an alternating least squares optimization algorithm. In order to validate this optimization scheme under realistic conditions, we use the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. With the help of Monte Carlo simulations, we show that most of the global parameters of the model are tightly estimated, thus enabling an ordering of the biomarkers that fit the model well, ordered as: the Rey auditory verbal learning test with 30 minutes delay, the sum of the two lateral hippocampal volumes divided by the intra-cranial volume, followed by (the clinical dementia rating sum of boxes score and the mini mental state examination score) in no particular order and lastly the Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale. PMID:25444605

The effect of cigarette smoking, tea, and coffee consumption on the progression of Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandinov, Boris; Giladi, Nir; Korczyn, Amos D

2007-05-01

Previous epidemiological studies found a negative association between cigarette smoking, tea or coffee drinking with the occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is unknown how these factors affect the rate of progression of the disease. A retrospective study was conducted among 278 consecutive PD patients. Data on smoking and coffee or tea consumption were obtained through direct or proxy interviews, and the time from onset of motor symptoms until reaching Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) stage 3 was retrieved from the case records. Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meyer model were used to estimate whether the dependent variables (smoking, drinking coffee or tea) affect the rate of progression of the disease, which was measured by the time it took patients to reach H&Y stage 3. We found that disease progression was not affected by cigarette smoking, tea or coffee consumption. The present study suggests that these variables do not have a disease modifying effect in already diagnosed PD patients.

Food irradiation is safe: Half a century of studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Peter B.

2014-01-01

The potential benefits of food irradiation are yet to be realized due to slow progress in the commercialization of the technology. Processing food with ionizing radiation has encountered several barriers, one of which is the belief that consumers will not purchase irradiated food and a consequent caution among food retailers and producers. There is sufficient evidence that consumers will purchase irradiated foods when offered at retail in contrast to the data from many surveys of general public opinion. Communicating this evidence to food retailers and producers is essential if a major barrier to a greater use of the technology is to be overcome. - Highlights: • Food irradiation is safe and can benefit food safety, security and trade. • Commercial use remains limited. • The food trade tends to believe consumers will not buy irradiated food. • There is good evidence that consumers buy irradiated food when it is offered. • Demonstrating this evidence to industry is vital for commercial success

Modifiable Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors in the Population Aged 20-49 Years

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Francisco Carlos Valladares Mas

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: evidence provided by the Framingham Heart Study established the critical role of risk factors in the development of coronary heart disease. Over half a century later, current detection and control are still inadequate. Objective: to identify modifiable risk factors of coronary heart disease in individuals aged 20 to 49 years. Methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 276 individuals from the doctor’s office No. 1 of the Fabio di Celmo Community Teaching Polyclinic in Cienfuegos. Patients were examined in the clinic visit and/or whole family visit. The studied variables included age, sex, skin color, risk factors (excess weight/obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and psychosocial factors, which were obtained from the medical interview, physical examination, laboratory tests (total cholesterol and triglycerides and review of individual medical records and family history. Results: risk factors most frequently identified were excess weight/obesity (42.4 %, physical inactivity (34.4 % and smoking (20.3 %. Presence of these risk factors increased with age, showing differences in the distribution by sex and was associated with psychosocial factors. Their coexistence and progress with age was significant. Conclusion: prevalence of modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease in a young population was high, with frequent association, predominating factors related to unhealthy lifestyles.

The medium is the matter : Critical observations and strategic perspectives at half-time

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breen, J.; Breen, J.

2008-01-01

This paper critically re-views the professional impact and functionality of the pervasive digital 'matter' we have come to believe we can no longer do without.On the basis of a playful exploration of the first 'half-century' of our digital age, an attempt is made to draw new perspectives for the

Exercise and disease progression in multiple sclerosis: can exercise slow down the progression of multiple sclerosis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalgas, Ulrik; Stenager, Egon

2012-01-01

studies evaluating the effects on clinical outcome measures, (2) cross-sectional studies evaluating the relationship between fitness status and MRI findings, (3) cross-sectional and longitudinal studies evaluating the relationship between exercise/physical activity and disability/relapse rate and, finally......, (4) longitudinal exercise studies applying the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) animal model of MS. Data from intervention studies evaluating disease progression by clinical measures (1) do not support a disease-modifying effect of exercise; however, MRI data (2), patient-reported data...... (3) and data from the EAE model (4) indicate a possible disease-modifying effect of exercise, but the strength of the evidence limits definite conclusions. It was concluded that some evidence supports the possibility of a disease-modifying potential of exercise (or physical activity) in MS patients...

Effects of Lowering LDL Cholesterol on Progression of Kidney Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haynes, Richard; Lewis, David; Emberson, Jonathan

2014-01-01

Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of developing atherosclerotic events in CKD, but the effects of such treatment on progression of kidney disease remain uncertain. Here, 6245 participants with CKD (not on dialysis) were randomly assigned to simvastatin (20 mg) plus ezetimibe (10 mg) daily...... or matching placebo. The main prespecified renal outcome was ESRD (defined as the initiation of maintenance dialysis or kidney transplantation). During 4.8 years of follow-up, allocation to simvastatin plus ezetimibe resulted in an average LDL cholesterol difference (SEM) of 0.96 (0.02) mmol/L compared...... with placebo; rate ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.01; P=0.09). Exploratory analyses also showed no significant effect on the rate of change in eGFR. Lowering LDL cholesterol by 1 mmol/L did not slow kidney disease progression within 5 years in a wide range of patients with CKD....

Caffeine, creatine, GRIN2A and Parkinson's disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, David K; Wu, Cai; Tilley, Barbara C; Lohmann, Katja; Klein, Christine; Payami, Haydeh; Wills, Anne-Marie; Aminoff, Michael J; Bainbridge, Jacquelyn; Dewey, Richard; Hauser, Robert A; Schaake, Susen; Schneider, Jay S; Sharma, Saloni; Singer, Carlos; Tanner, Caroline M; Truong, Daniel; Wei, Peng; Wong, Pei Shieen; Yang, Tianzhong

2017-04-15

Caffeine is neuroprotective in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) and caffeine intake is inversely associated with the risk of PD. This association may be influenced by the genotype of GRIN2A, which encodes an NMDA-glutamate-receptor subunit. In two placebo-controlled studies, we detected no association of caffeine intake with the rate of clinical progression of PD, except among subjects taking creatine, for whom higher caffeine intake was associated with more rapid progression. We now have analyzed data from 420 subjects for whom DNA samples and caffeine intake data were available from a placebo-controlled study of creatine in PD. The GRIN2A genotype was not associated with the rate of clinical progression of PD in the placebo group. However, there was a 4-way interaction between GRIN2A genotype, caffeine, creatine and the time since baseline. Among subjects in the creatine group with high levels of caffeine intake, but not among those with low caffeine intake, the GRIN2A T allele was associated with more rapid progression (p=0.03). These data indicate that the deleterious interaction between caffeine and creatine with respect to rate of progression of PD is influenced by GRIN2A genotype. This example of a genetic factor interacting with environmental factors illustrates the complexity of gene-environment interactions in the progression of PD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of acquired immunity and periodontal disease progression.

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Teng, Yen-Tung A

2003-01-01

Our understanding of the pathogenesis in human periodontal diseases is limited by the lack of specific and sensitive tools or models to study the complex microbial challenges and their interactions with the host's immune system. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology research have demonstrated the importance of the acquired immune system not only in fighting the virulent periodontal pathogens but also in protecting the host from developing further devastating conditions in periodontal infections. The use of genetic knockout and immunodeficient mouse strains has shown that the acquired immune response-in particular, CD4+ T-cells-plays a pivotal role in controlling the ongoing infection, the immune/inflammatory responses, and the subsequent host's tissue destruction. In particular, studies of the pathogen-specific CD4+ T-cell-mediated immunity have clarified the roles of: (i) the relative diverse immune repertoire involved in periodontal pathogenesis, (ii) the contribution of pathogen-associated Th1-Th2 cytokine expressions in periodontal disease progression, and (iii) micro-organism-triggered periodontal CD4+ T-cell-mediated osteoclastogenic factor, 'RANK-L', which is linked to the induction of alveolar bone destruction in situ. The present review will focus on some recent advances in the acquired immune responses involving B-cells, CD8+ T-cells, and CD4+ T-cells in the context of periodontal disease progression. New approaches will further facilitate our understanding of their underlying molecular mechanisms that may lead to the development of new treatment modalities for periodontal diseases and their associated complications.

Impact of HIV Type 1 DNA Levels on Spontaneous Disease Progression: A Meta-Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsiara, Chrissa G; Nikolopoulos, Georgios K; Bagos, Pantelis G

2012-01-01

Abstract Several studies have reported the prognostic strength of HIV-1 DNA with variable results however. The aims of the current study were to estimate more accurately the ability of HIV-1 DNA to predict progression of HIV-1 disease toward acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or death...... of primary studies indicated that HIV-1 DNA was a significantly better predictor than HIV-1 RNA of either AIDS alone (ratio of RRs=1.47, 95% CI: 1.05-2.07) or of combined (AIDS or death) progression outcomes (ratio of RRs=1.51, 95% CI: 1.11-2.05). HIV-1 DNA is a strong predictor of HIV-1 disease progression...

Imagining the Twentieth Century: Retrospective, Myth, and the Colonial Question

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David B MacDonald

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Retrospectives on the twentieth century often portray it as the most atrocious century in human history, in terms of totalising ideologies, moral abandonment, technological horror, and mass death. The nineteenth and earlier centuries, by contrast, emerge as progressive and enlightened eras, characterised by morality, rationalism, and the absence of war. Creating a dramatic contrast between old and new centuries ignores the historical reality of colonialism and violence outside Europe’s borders. This article problematises twentieth century retrospectives and their nostalgia for the past, comparing these with recent histories of colonialism and genocide. Rather than see the twentieth century as a decisive break from the past, there are important elements of continuity and evolution which should not be ignored.

Developing novel blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Snyder, Heather M; Carrillo, Maria C; Grodstein, Francine

2014-01-01

Alzheimer's disease is the public health crisis of the 21st century. There is a clear need for a widely available, inexpensive and reliable method to diagnosis Alzheimer's disease in the earliest stages, track disease progression, and accelerate clinical development of new therapeutics. One avenue...... of research being explored is blood based biomarkers. In April 2012, the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened top scientists from around the world to discuss the state of blood based biomarker development. This manuscript summarizes the meeting and the resultant...

Women's Rights Movements in the Nineteenth Century: Conflict and Progress

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Janet

1978-01-01

Historical review of the function of social conflict in the nineteenth century women's rights movements. Considers whether suffrage and a move toward equality could have been accomplished without major philosophical differences. Differences between the Stanton and Anthony suffrage group and the Stone and Blackwell suffrage group are discussed.…

Differential Disease Progression in Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Late-Onset Stargardt Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindner, Moritz; Lambertus, Stanley; Mauschitz, Matthias M; Bax, Nathalie M; Kersten, Eveline; Lüning, Anna; Nadal, Jennifer; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; Schmid, Matthias; Holz, Frank G; Hoyng, Carel B; Fleckenstein, Monika

2017-02-01

To compare the disease course of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy secondary to age-related macula degeneratio (AMD) and late-onset Stargardt disease (STGD1). Patients were examined longitudinally by fundus autofluorescence, near-infrared reflectance imaging, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Areas of RPE atrophy were quantified using semi-automated software, and the status of the fovea was evaluated based on autofluorescence and near-infrared reflectance images. Mixed-effects models were used to compare atrophy progression rates. BCVA loss and loss of foveal integrity were analyzed using Turnbull's estimator. A total of 151 patients (226 eyes) with RPE atrophy secondary to AMD and 38 patients (66 eyes) with RPE atrophy secondary to late-onset STGD1 were examined for a median time of 2.3 years (interquartile range, 2.7). Mean baseline age was 74.2 years (SD, 7.6) in AMD and 63.4 (SD, 9.9) in late-onset STGD1 (P = 1.1 × 10-7). Square root atrophy progression was significantly faster in AMD when compared with late-onset STGD1 (0.28 mm/year [SE, 0.01] vs. 0.23 [SE, 0.03]; P = 0.030). In late-onset STGD1, the median survival of the fovea was significantly longer when compared with eyes with AMD (8.60 vs. 3.35 years; P = 0.005) with a trend to a later BCVA loss of ≥3 lines (5.97 vs. 4.37 years; P = 0.382). These natural history data indicate differential disease progression in AMD versus late-onset STGD1. The results underline the relevance of refined phenotyping in elderly patients presenting with RPE atrophy in regard to prognosis and design of interventional trials.

Disease emergence in birds: Challenges for the twenty-first century

Science.gov (United States)

Friend, Milton; McLean, R.G.; Dein, F.J.

2001-01-01

The paper by Hartup et al. (2001) on House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) conjunctivitis is an example of the rapid geographic spread that can result from disease emergence in naïve populations. That event was neither novel nor transient relative to its occurrence or effects. Disease emergence and reemergence are hallmarks of the latter part of the twentieth century (Center for Disease Control 1994, Levins et al. 1994, DaSilva and Laccarino 1999, Gratz 1999). Current examples involving domestic animals include the problems in Europe with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) (Brown 2001) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) (Kitching 1999). Human health has been affected by diseases caused by an array of viruses (Morse 1993, Nichol et al. 1993, Murphy and Nathanson 1994), bacteria (Dennis 1998, DaSilva and Laccarino 1999), rickettsia (Walker and Dumier 1996, Azad et al. 1997), protozoans (Tuerrant 1997, Saini et al. 2000), and metazoan parasites (Hildreth et al. 1991, Gubler 1998), as well as other causes. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has received the most notoriety of those diseases (Hahn et al. 2000, Schwartlander et al. 2000). A similar pattern exists on a global scale for free-ranging wildlife populations (Table 1) (Friend 1994, 1995; Epstein et al. 1998, Daszak et al. 2000). However, in comparison to disease emergence affecting humans and domestic animals, response to emerging diseases of wildlife is generally superficial. We present concepts and data to support our contention that failure to adequately address disease emergence in free-ranging wildlife is resulting in a diminished capability to achieve and sustain desired geographic distributions and population abundance for species of wild birds, including some threatened and endangered avifauna.For clarity, we define disease and disease emergence in the context of our use of those terms because they are the focus of our comments. Disease is any departure from health

Architectural creativity of Alexander Bernardazzi and Henry Lonsky in Kishinev during the second half of the XIXth century

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Chastina

2017-10-01

Full Text Available During the period following 1873, when Bessarabia was a province of the Russian Empire, the architecture of this period was dominated by a mixture of several historical styles and directions, the so-called “eclectic” stage. The creativity of leading architects such as Alexander Bernardazzi and Henry Lonsky was the most evident at that time. The image of the city of Kishinev became more eclectic and it was reflected in the buildings of the railway station and the passenger hall, the city club, the county court, the Noble Assembly, the winemaking school, all of which were built according to the designs of these architects in the second half of the XIX century. At that time, a question relative to the necessity of new theatre building in Kishinev was of a particular interest. In 1889 the Kishinev City Head Karl Schmidt proposed to construct a temporary theatre with beautiful facade, together with the fact that in size it could satisfy the needs of city for the next 15-20 years. And he appealed to the city architects, including A. Bernardazzi and H. Lonsky to present their views at this important problem. The author writes this article on the basis of the archival documents which present the history of the construction of various buildings and the creative activity of the architects. This is reflected through the prism of that era with a high level of development and methods of construction equipment, as well as with the artistic principles characteristic of that period.

Alkaptonuria--first inborn error of metabolism known for a century and new treatment option--preliminary report.

Science.gov (United States)

Sykut-Cegielska, Jolanta

2015-01-01

Alkaptonuria is a rare inborn error of metabolism, identified over a century ago. But its basic pathomechanism (i.e. ochronosis) is still not completely explained. Though clinical onset of osteoarthropathy and complications from other organs (including: heart and blood vessels, skin, eyes, kidneys) occurs at adult age, the symptoms are progressive, cause severe pains and significantly limit everyday life of the patients. Until now no effective therapeutic methods have been known in alkaptonuria. Recently, thanks to an initiative of the international patient organization for alkaptonuria, a hope for a potential treatment availability, appears. So, alkaptonuria is an example of a role of multidysciplinary care, cooperation and ongoing progress in the area of rare diseases.

[Progressive pulmonary hypertension in a patient with type 1 Gaucher disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Ponomarev, R V; Model, S V; Averbukh, O M; Gavrilov, A M; Galstyan, G M; Lukina, E A

Gaucher disease is the most common form of hereditary enzymopathies combined into a group of lysosomal storage diseases. The basis for the disease is a hereditary deficiency of the activity of acid β-glucosidase, a lysosomal enzyme involved in the catabolism of lipids, which results in the accumulation of nonutilized cellular metabolism products in the macrophage lysosomes. The main clinical manifestations of type 1 Gaucher disease are cytopenia, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly, and bone lesion. One of the atypical clinical manifestations of Gaucher disease is damage to the lungs with the development of pulmonary hypertension, which is usually considered within the underlying disease - the development of pneumosclerosis due to macrophage dysfunction. The paper describes a case of progressive pulmonary hypertension in a patient with type 1 Gaucher disease.

Unveiling clusters of RNA transcript pairs associated with markers of Alzheimer's disease progression.

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Ahmed Shamsul Arefin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: One primary goal of transcriptomic studies is identifying gene expression patterns correlating with disease progression. This is usually achieved by considering transcripts that independently pass an arbitrary threshold (e.g. p<0.05. In diseases involving severe perturbations of multiple molecular systems, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD, this univariate approach often results in a large list of seemingly unrelated transcripts. We utilised a powerful multivariate clustering approach to identify clusters of RNA biomarkers strongly associated with markers of AD progression. We discuss the value of considering pairs of transcripts which, in contrast to individual transcripts, helps avoid natural human transcriptome variation that can overshadow disease-related changes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We re-analysed a dataset of hippocampal transcript levels in nine controls and 22 patients with varying degrees of AD. A large-scale clustering approach determined groups of transcript probe sets that correlate strongly with measures of AD progression, including both clinical and neuropathological measures and quantifiers of the characteristic transcriptome shift from control to severe AD. This enabled identification of restricted groups of highly correlated probe sets from an initial list of 1,372 previously published by our group. We repeated this analysis on an expanded dataset that included all pair-wise combinations of the 1,372 probe sets. As clustering of this massive dataset is unfeasible using standard computational tools, we adapted and re-implemented a clustering algorithm that uses external memory algorithmic approach. This identified various pairs that strongly correlated with markers of AD progression and highlighted important biological pathways potentially involved in AD pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our analyses demonstrate that, although there exists a relatively large molecular signature of AD progression, only

Gut Microbiota in HIV Infection: Implication for Disease Progression and Management

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Felix Chinweije Nwosu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Survival rates among HIV patients have significantly improved since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART in HIV management. However, persistent disease progression and clinical complications in virally suppressed individuals point to additional contributing factors other than HIV replication; microbial translocation is one such factor. The role of underlying commensal microbes and microbial products that traverse the intestinal lumen into systemic circulation in the absence of overt bacteraemia is under current investigation. This review focuses on current knowledge of the complex microbial communities and microbial markers involved in the disruption of mucosal immune T-cells in the promotion of inflammatory processes in HIV infections. Unanswered questions and aims for future studies are addressed. We provide perspective for discussing potential future therapeutic strategies focused on modulating the gut microbiota to abate HIV disease progression.

Early energy deficit in Huntington disease: identification of a plasma biomarker traceable during disease progression.

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Fanny Mochel

Full Text Available Huntington disease (HD is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, with no effective treatment. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD has not been elucidated, but weight loss, associated with chorea and cognitive decline, is a characteristic feature of the disease that is accessible to investigation. We, therefore, performed a multiparametric study exploring body weight and the mechanisms of its loss in 32 presymptomatic carriers and HD patients in the early stages of the disease, compared to 21 controls. We combined this study with a multivariate statistical analysis of plasma components quantified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1H NMR spectroscopy. We report evidence of an early hypermetabolic state in HD. Weight loss was observed in the HD group even in presymptomatic carriers, although their caloric intake was higher than that of controls. Inflammatory processes and primary hormonal dysfunction were excluded. (1H NMR spectroscopy on plasma did, however, distinguish HD patients at different stages of the disease and presymptomatic carriers from controls. This distinction was attributable to low levels of the branched chain amino acids (BCAA, valine, leucine and isoleucine. BCAA levels were correlated with weight loss and, importantly, with disease progression and abnormal triplet repeat expansion size in the HD1 gene. Levels of IGF1, which is regulated by BCAA, were also significantly lower in the HD group. Therefore, early weight loss in HD is associated with a systemic metabolic defect, and BCAA levels may be used as a biomarker, indicative of disease onset and early progression. The decreased plasma levels of BCAA may correspond to a critical need for Krebs cycle energy substrates in the brain that increased metabolism in the periphery is trying to provide.

South-east frontier of the Russian Empire and the processes on the division of the Ural River left bank area between Kirghiz-Kaysaks and Ural Cossacks in the second half of the XIX century

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Alexey I. Kortunov

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the issue related to the peculiarities of formation of the south-east frontier of the Russian Empire and with the process on separation of the border areas of the Orenburg line (in particular of the Ural River left bank area between Kirghiz-Kaysaks and Ural Cossacks in the second half of XIX century. The author pays particular attention to the problem of the resolution of disputes between the Ural Cossacks and Kirghiz-Kaysaks by local and central authorities.

Nostalgia in the Army (17th-19th Centuries).

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Battesti, Michèle

2016-01-01

People died from nostalgia in the army in the 17th-19th centuries. The term 'nostalgia', created by the doctor Johannes Hofer (1669-1752), from Mulhouse, came from the Germanic Heimweh, or 'homesickness'. It affected the young people enrolled in the army, such as Swiss mercenaries. Longing for their native land, they were consumed by an ongoing desire to return home. If it was impossible to do so, they sank into 'a sadness accompanied with insomnia, anorexia and other unpleasant symptoms' that could lead to death. Nostalgia became classified as a disease during the last quarter of the 18th century and ravaged the French army during the Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. However, as soon as the wars ended, it ceased to exist in the army (except the colonial army). It was removed from the nosology in the first half of the 19th century. Rapidly explained as an example of a misdiagnosis or a confusion between 'connection and cause', nostalgia needs to be assessed in regard to the medical debate between 'alienists' and 'organicists'. Creating much concern, nostalgia needs to be considered in the historical context of a society destabilized by modernity, with some individuals uprooted by the sudden transition from civil society to military life. It raises questions about the role that the army played in the creation of the French national union. Nostalgia may have also covered psychic traumatisms later designated as combat fatigue, war neurosis, or post-traumatic stress disorder. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Prognostic indicators of renal disease progression in adults with Fabry disease: natural history data from the Fabry Registry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wanner, Christoph; Oliveira, João P.; Ortiz, Alberto; Mauer, Michael; Germain, Dominique P.; Linthorst, Gabor E.; Serra, Andreas L.; Maródi, László; Mignani, Renzo; Cianciaruso, Bruno; Vujkovac, Bojan; Lemay, Roberta; Beitner-Johnson, Dana; Waldek, Stephen; Warnock, David G.

2010-01-01

These analyses were designed to characterize renal disease progression in untreated adults with Fabry disease. Data from the Fabry Registry for 462 untreated adults (121 men and 341 women) who had at least two estimated GFR (eGFR) values over a span of ≥12 months before starting enzyme replacement

Role of rasagiline in treating Parkinson’s disease: effect on disease progression

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Irene A Malaty

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Irene A Malaty, Hubert H FernandezUniversity of Florida Movement Disorders Center, Gainesville, FL, USAAbstract: Rasagiline is a second generation, selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B inhibitor. It has demonstrated efficacy in monotherapy for early Parkinson’s disease (PD patients in one large randomized, placebo-controlled trial (TVP-1012 in Early Monotherapy for Parkinson’s Disease Outpatients, and has shown ability to reduce off time in more advanced PD patients with motor fluctuations in two large placebo-controlled trials (Parkinson’s Rasagiline: Efficacy and Safety in the Treatment of “Off”, and Lasting Effect in Adjunct Therapy With Rasagiline Given Once Daily. Preclinical data abound to suggest potential for neuroprotection by this compound against a variety of neurotoxic insults in cell cultures and in animals. The lack of amphetamine metabolites provides an advantage over the first generation MAO-B inhibitor selegiline. One large trial has investigated the potential for disease modification in PD patients (Attenuation of Disease progression with Azilect Given Once-daily and preliminary results maintain some possible advantage to earlier initiation of the 1 mg/day dose. The clinical significance of the difference detected remains a consideration.Keywords: rasagiline, Parkinson’s disease, neuroprotection, selegiline

Cysteine 138 mutation in HIV-1 Nef from patients with delayed disease progression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tolstrup, Martin; Laursen, Alex Lund; Gerstoft, J.

2006-01-01

on the delayed disease status. However, the results demonstrate a high incidence of a single amino acid polymorphism (cysteine 138) in HIV-1 Nef. The allelic frequency of cysteine 138 between the delayed disease progression group and the progressor group was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.......0139). The phylogeny of isolates was investigated and the variants harbouring the cysteine 138 mutation clustered independently. CONCLUSION: The present study describes a viral genetic polymorphism related to AIDS disease progression. The polymorphism (cysteine 138) has previously been reported to confer decreased...... viral replication (Premkumar DR, et al. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 1996; 12(4): 337-45). A sequence database search for comparative mutations revealed a high frequency of cysteine 138 in patients with reported SP AIDS...

Heart disease and the stress hypothesis in the mid-twentieth century: a historical review

OpenAIRE

Rogers,Heather L.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background In the 1920s, heart disease (a noncommunicable disease), was the new leading cause of death in the USA. Simultaneously, experimental progress in the study of stress provided scientific justification for a new type of risk factor. The objective of the present work is to examine the history of heart disease as a public health problem and the contribution of advancements in scientific knowledge about stress in the 1930s–1960s supporting the hypothesis of stress as one...

Pregnancy and HIV disease progression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvert, Clara; Ronsmans, Carine

2015-02-01

To assess whether pregnancy accelerates HIV disease progression. Studies comparing progression to HIV-related illness, low CD4 count, AIDS-defining illness, HIV-related death, or any death in HIV-infected pregnant and non-pregnant women were included. Relative risks (RR) for each outcome were combined using random effects meta-analysis and were stratified by antiretroviral therapy (ART) availability. 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Pregnancy was not associated with progression to HIV-related illness [summary RR: 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-2.61], AIDS-defining illness (summary RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.74-1.25) or mortality (summary RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.62-1.53), but there was an association with low CD4 counts (summary RR: 1.41, 95% CI: 0.99-2.02) and HIV-related death (summary RR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.06-2.57). In settings where ART was available, there was no evidence that pregnancy accelerated progress to HIV/AIDS-defining illnesses, death and drop in CD4 count. In settings without ART availability, effect estimates were consistent with pregnancy increasing the risk of progression to HIV/AIDS-defining illnesses and HIV-related or all-cause mortality, but there were too few studies to draw meaningful conclusions. In the absence of ART, pregnancy is associated with small but appreciable increases in the risk of several negative HIV outcomes, but the evidence is too weak to draw firm conclusions. When ART is available, the effects of pregnancy on HIV disease progression are attenuated and there is little reason to discourage healthy HIV-infected women who desire to become pregnant from doing so. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Scanning laser Doppler imaging may predict disease progression of localized scleroderma in children and young adults.

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Shaw, L J; Shipley, J; Newell, E L; Harris, N; Clinch, J G; Lovell, C R

2013-07-01

Localized scleroderma is a rare but potentially disfiguring and disabling condition. Systemic treatment should be started early in those with active disease in key functional and cosmetic sites, but disease activity is difficult to determine clinically. Superficial blood flow has been shown to correlate with disease activity in localized scleroderma. To examine whether superficial blood flow measured by laser Doppler imaging (LDI) has the potential to predict disease progression and therefore select patients for early systemic treatment. A group of 20 individuals had clinical assessment and scanning LDI blood-flow measurements of 32 affected body sites. After a mean follow-up of 8.7 months their clinical outcome was compared with the results of the initial LDI assessment. Eleven out of 15 patients with an assessment of active LDI had progressed clinically, and 16 out of the 17 scans with inactive LDI assessment had not progressed, giving a positive predictive value of 73% and a negative predictive value of 94%. We believe that LDI can be a useful tool in predicting disease progression in localized scleroderma, and it may help clinicians to decide which patients to treat early. © 2013 The Authors BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

The example of Europe and the pedagogical ideas of the Bulgarian writers during the Bulgarian National Revival (XVIII – the first half of the XIX century

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Milka Nikolova Terziyska-Stefanova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article aims to explore and analyze the essence and nature of the pedagogical thought in Bulgaria during the Bulgarian National Revival as a basis for educational reform. Objectivity requires pedagogical ideas to be considered in the context of overall socio-political and cultural life in the country on the one hand, and amid universal spiritual revival in Europe on the other. These tasks could be undertaken by a major international study, which is why we consider some of the questions highlighting this topic – the positive example of Europe on educational thought in the country presented by Bulgarian writers in the 18th century through the first half of the 19th century. The achievements of free European nations developing in all spheres of life were perceived by Bulgarian Renaissance writers as an incentive to overcome the age-old material and spiritual backwardness of the Bulgarians by the power of knowledge. In their activity they proceeded from a clearly motivated purpose: to contribute by educating citizens about spiritual awakening and rise of the Bulgarian nation. According to them, mass secular education in their native language was the road that would take the Bulgarians from their present slavery and provide them with material and spiritual well-being, like in other European nations. The need for secular books and secular schools to be taught in the mother tongue was one of the main ideas of Bulgarian writers during the Renaissance. Their mouthpieces were mainly clergymen, who perceived their role as national leaders and educators. Alongside the emerging secular intelligentsia, they actively contributed to the spiritual and cultural advancement of the Bulgarian nation and its integration into European civilization. An enlightened, free and independent Bulgaria was the ideal of our Renaissance leaders P. Hilendarski, G. S. Rakovski and Hr. Botev. While the revolutionary figures from the late 19th century thought that this could

Half-body irradiation-experience of size cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade Carvalho, H. de; Aguilar, P.B.; Nadalin, W.; Weissberger, Y.; Scaff, L.A.M.; Lins, J.R.B.

1990-01-01

From 1983 to 1989, six patients with disseminated neoplastic disease non-responsive to conventional therapy were treated with palliative antialgic means. Three patients with breast cancer, two with prostate and one with Ewing's sarcoma received a total of eight treatments. The irradiation was first administered to the half-body presenting worst symptomatology. Total single dose of 800 cGy was delivered to the lower half-body and 600 cGy to the upper half-body. Pain relief was observed 24 to 48 hours after the irradiation in all patients. The haematological tolerance was good and deaths of these patients were not related to complications due to the radiation therapy. (author)

Uraemia progression in chronic kidney disease stages 3-5 is not constant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heaf, James Goya; Mortensen, Leif Spange

2011-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease leading to loss of glomerular filtration rate (ΔGFR, measured in ml/min/1.73 m(2)/year). ΔGFR is usually assumed to be constant, but the hyperfiltration theory suggests that it accelerates in severe uraemia. A retrospective analysis of estimated...... GFR (eGFR) calculated from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation was performed to evaluate whether ΔGFR is constant or accelerating....

Personalized biomarkers to monitor disease progression in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with icotinib.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Gaoguang; Liu, Yujie; Wang, Yanying; Ren, Guanjun; Guo, Shuai; Ren, Junling; Zhang, Li; Li, Zhili

2015-02-02

Disease-specific humoral immune response-related protein complexes in blood are associated with disease progression. Thirty-one patients with stage IIIB and IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were administered with oral dose of icotinib hydrochloride (150 mg twice daily or 125 mg 3 times daily) for a 28-continuous-day cycle until diseases progressed or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The levels of immunoinflammation-related protein complexes (IIRPCs) in a series of plasma samples from 31 NSCLC patients treated with icotinib hydrochloride were determined by an optimized native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three characteristic patterns of the IIRPCs, named as patterns a, b, and c, respectively, were detected in plasma samples from 31 patients. Prior to the treatment, there were 18 patients in pattern a consisting of 5 IIRPCs, 9 in pattern b consisting of six IIRPCs, and 4 in pattern c without the IIRPCs. The levels of the IIRPCs in 27 patients were quantified. Our results indicate that the time length of humoral immune and inflammation response (TLHIIR) was closely associated with disease progression, and the median TLHIIR was 22.0 weeks, 95% confidence interval: 16.2 to 33.0 weeks, with a lead time of median 11 weeks relative to clinical imaging evidence confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (the median progression-free survival, 34.0 weeks, 95% confidence interval: 27.9 to 49.0 weeks). The complex relationships between humoral immune response, acquired resistance, and disease progression existed. Personalized IIRPCs could be indicators to monitor the disease progression. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with coronary artery disease progression assessed by serial coronary computed tomography angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camargo, Gabriel Cordeiro; Gottlieb, Ilan; Rothstein, Tamara; Derenne, Maria Eduarda; Sabioni, Leticia; Lima, Ronaldo de Souza Leão; Lima, João A. C.

2017-01-01

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) allows for noninvasive coronary artery disease (CAD) phenotyping. Factors related to CAD progression are epidemiologically valuable. Objective: To identify factors associated with CAD progression in patients undergoing sequential CCTA testing. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 384 consecutive patients who had at least two CCTA studies between December 2005 and March 2013. Due to limitations in the quantification of CAD progression, we excluded patients who had undergone surgical revascularization previously or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between studies. CAD progression was defined as any increase in the adapted segment stenosis score (calculated using the number of diseased segments and stenosis severity) in all coronary segments without stent (in-stent restenosis was excluded from the analysis). Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with CAD progression. Results: From a final population of 234 patients, a total of 117 (50%) had CAD progression. In a model accounting for major CAD risk factors and other baseline characteristics, only age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.01–1.07), interstudy interval (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.04), and past PCI (OR 3.66, 95%CI 1.77–7.55) showed an independent relationship with CAD progression. Conclusions: A history of PCI with stent placement was independently associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the odds of CAD progression, excluding in-stent restenosis. Age and interstudy interval were also independent predictors of progression. (author)

Factors associated with coronary artery disease progression assessed by serial coronary computed tomography angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camargo, Gabriel Cordeiro; Gottlieb, Ilan, E-mail: ilangottlieb@gmail.com [Casa de Saúde São José, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Rothstein, Tamara; Derenne, Maria Eduarda; Sabioni, Leticia; Lima, Ronaldo de Souza Leão [Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagem CDPI, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Lima, João A. C. [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (United States)

2017-05-15

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) allows for noninvasive coronary artery disease (CAD) phenotyping. Factors related to CAD progression are epidemiologically valuable. Objective: To identify factors associated with CAD progression in patients undergoing sequential CCTA testing. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 384 consecutive patients who had at least two CCTA studies between December 2005 and March 2013. Due to limitations in the quantification of CAD progression, we excluded patients who had undergone surgical revascularization previously or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between studies. CAD progression was defined as any increase in the adapted segment stenosis score (calculated using the number of diseased segments and stenosis severity) in all coronary segments without stent (in-stent restenosis was excluded from the analysis). Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with CAD progression. Results: From a final population of 234 patients, a total of 117 (50%) had CAD progression. In a model accounting for major CAD risk factors and other baseline characteristics, only age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.01–1.07), interstudy interval (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.04), and past PCI (OR 3.66, 95%CI 1.77–7.55) showed an independent relationship with CAD progression. Conclusions: A history of PCI with stent placement was independently associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the odds of CAD progression, excluding in-stent restenosis. Age and interstudy interval were also independent predictors of progression. (author)

Pregnancy and HIV Disease Progression in an Early Infection Cohort from Five African Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Kristin M; Rida, Wasima; Haddad, Lisa B; Kamali, Anatoli; Karita, Etienne; Lakhi, Shabir; Kilembe, William; Allen, Susan; Inambao, Mubiana; Yang, Annie H; Latka, Mary H; Anzala, Omu; Sanders, Eduard J; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Edward, Vinodh A; Price, Matt A

2017-03-01

Understanding associations between pregnancy and HIV disease progression is critical to provide appropriate counseling and care to HIV-positive women. From 2006 to 2011, women less than age 40 with incident HIV infection were enrolled in an early HIV infection cohort in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. Time-dependent Cox models evaluated associations between pregnancy and HIV disease progression. Clinical progression was defined as a single CD4 measurement pregnancy. Among 222 women, 63 experienced clinical progression during 783.5 person-years at risk (8.0/100). Among 205 women, 87 experienced immunologic progression during 680.1 person-years at risk (12.8/100). The association between pregnancy and clinical progression was adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2, 1.8. The association between pregnancy and immunologic progression was aHR = 1.7; 95% CI: 0.9, 3.3. Models controlled for age; human leukocyte antigen alleles A*03:01, B*45, B*57; CD4 set point; and HIV-1 subtype. CD4 measurements before versus after pregnancies were not different. In this cohort, pregnancy was not associated with increased clinical or immunologic HIV progression. Similarly, we did not observe meaningful deleterious associations of pregnancy with CD4s. Our findings suggest that HIV-positive women may become pregnant without harmful health effects occurring during the pregnancy. Evaluation of longer-term impact of pregnancy on progression is warranted.

Crevicular fluid biomarkers and periodontal disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinney, Janet S; Morelli, Thiago; Oh, Min; Braun, Thomas M; Ramseier, Christoph A; Sugai, Jim V; Giannobile, William V

2014-02-01

Assess the ability of a panel of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) biomarkers as predictors of periodontal disease progression (PDP). In this study, 100 individuals participated in a 12-month longitudinal investigation and were categorized into four groups according to their periodontal status. GCF, clinical parameters and saliva were collected bi-monthly. Subgingival plaque and serum were collected bi-annually. For 6 months, no periodontal treatment was provided. At 6 months, patients received periodontal therapy and continued participation from 6 to 12 months. GCF samples were analysed by ELISA for MMP-8, MMP-9, Osteoprotegerin, C-reactive Protein and IL-1β. Differences in median levels of GCF biomarkers were compared between stable and progressing participants using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test (p = 0.05). Clustering algorithm was used to evaluate the ability of oral biomarkers to classify patients as either stable or progressing. Eighty-three individuals completed the 6-month monitoring phase. With the exception of GCF C-reactive protein, all biomarkers were significantly higher in the PDP group compared to stable patients. Clustering analysis showed highest sensitivity levels when biofilm pathogens and GCF biomarkers were combined with clinical measures, 74% (95% CI = 61, 86). Signature of GCF fluid-derived biomarkers combined with pathogens and clinical measures provides a sensitive measure for discrimination of PDP (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00277745). © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Parkinsonian syndroms: Clinical phenotype, differential diagnosis and disease progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Storch, A.

2002-01-01

Parkinsonian syndromes include idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD), other neurodegenerative diseases with parkinsonism, the so-called atypical parkinsonian syndromes, and symptomatic parkinsonian syndromes, such as Wilson's disease. IPD is the most frequent disease with parkinsonism as the main clinical feature and is responsible for approx. 80% of all parkinsonian syndromes. Atypical parkinsonian syndromes are the most important differential diagnoses of IPD. The two most frequent types are multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). For clinical diagnosis it is essential to take a careful medical history and to examine the patients physically in regular intervals. However, various clinico-pathological studies have shown that approx. 25% of patients with clinical diagnosis of IPD may have other causes of parkinsonism. Selected technical investigations, in particular functional imaging of the central dopaminergic system using PET or SPECT, may help to make clinical diagnosis more secure. This paper reviews the clinical features and diagnostic findings in diseases with parkinsonism and summarises the difficulties in establishing early and differential diagnoses. (orig.) [de

131I albumin of patients carrying progressive systemic sclerosis study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cossermelli, W.; Carvalho, N.; Papaleo Netto, M.

1974-01-01

131 I albumin metabolic changes were studied in 14 female patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. A statistical study of the gathered data disclosed increased distribution and turnover half-life and diminished turnover rate of radioactive substance. Since T/2 of turnover and turnover rate are the result produced by the albumin synthesis and degradation, they are probably lowered during active disease causing hypoalbuminemia. The aminoacids also are probably absorbed by other protein like the gammaglobuline synthesis [pt

Influence of antithyroid medication on effective half-life and uptake of 131 I following radioiodine therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moka, D.; Voth, E.; Schicha, H.

1997-01-01

Aim: A radioiodine therapy (RIT) in thyrotoxic patients receiving antithyroid drugs (ATD) leads in comparison to nonpretreated patients either to higher therapeutic doses or to higher treatment failure rates. Aim of this study was to optimize the effect of RIT in patients pretreated with ATD. Methods: Therefore, the influence of ATD was assessed in 109 patients with shortened effective half-life of 131 I. RIT was performed under stationary conditions. Radioiodine activity of the thyroid gland was stopped three days after RIT. The patients antithyroid medication was stopped three days after RIT. The progress of the first RIT and of a second radioiodine application, which still was necessary in 29 patients, was compared to 32 patients receiving ATD, continuously. Results: Values of effective half-life for 131 I rose significantly from 3.2±0.2 to 5.7±0.2 days (Graves' disease: 3.4 to 5.7 days; toxic goiters' disease: Multifocal autonomy 3.2 to 6.2 days; unifocal autonomy 2.5 auf 5.0 days) 2-3 days after stopping ATD. There was an increase of the 131 I-uptake of a second RIT decreased significantly in patients receiving ATD, continuously. Conclusion: Effective half-life and uptake of 131 I was affected significantly by ATD. The stop taking of ATD after RIT is useful to improve an apparent insufficient RIT in thyrotoxic patients receiving ATD. (orig.) [de

Discordant Impact of HLA on Viral Replicative Capacity and Disease Progression in Pediatric and Adult HIV Infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Adland

2015-06-01

Full Text Available HLA class I polymorphism has a major influence on adult HIV disease progression. An important mechanism mediating this effect is the impact on viral replicative capacity (VRC of the escape mutations selected in response to HLA-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses. Factors that contribute to slow progression in pediatric HIV infection are less well understood. We here investigate the relationship between VRC and disease progression in pediatric infection, and the effect of HLA on VRC and on disease outcome in adult and pediatric infection. Studying a South African cohort of >350 ART-naïve, HIV-infected children and their mothers, we first observed that pediatric disease progression is significantly correlated with VRC. As expected, VRCs in mother-child pairs were strongly correlated (p = 0.004. The impact of the protective HLA alleles, HLA-B*57, HLA-B*58:01 and HLA-B*81:01, resulted in significantly lower VRCs in adults (p<0.0001, but not in children. Similarly, in adults, but not in children, VRCs were significantly higher in subjects expressing the disease-susceptible alleles HLA-B*18:01/45:01/58:02 (p = 0.007. Irrespective of the subject, VRCs were strongly correlated with the number of Gag CD8+ T-cell escape mutants driven by HLA-B*57/58:01/81:01 present in each virus (p = 0.0002. In contrast to the impact of VRC common to progression in adults and children, the HLA effects on disease outcome, that are substantial in adults, are small and statistically insignificant in infected children. These data further highlight the important role that VRC plays both in adult and pediatric progression, and demonstrate that HLA-independent factors, yet to be fully defined, are predominantly responsible for pediatric non-progression.

Type of Valvular Heart Disease Requiring Surgery in the 21st Century: Mortality and Length-of-Stay Related to Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Boudoulas, Konstantinos Dean; Ravi, Yazhini; Garcia, Daniel; Saini, Uksha; Sofowora, Gbemiga G.; Gumina, Richard J.; Sai-Sudhakar, Chittoor B.

2013-01-01

Aim: While the incidence of rheumatic heart disease has declined dramatically over the last half-century, the number of valve surgeries has not changed. This study was undertaken to define the most common type of valvular heart disease requiring surgery today, and determine in-hospital surgical mortality and length-of-stay (LOS) for isolated aortic or mitral valve surgery in a United States tertiary-care hospital. Methods: Patients with valve surgery between January 2002 to June 2008 at The Ohio State University Medical Center were studied. Patients only with isolated aortic or mitral valve surgery were analyzed. Results: From 915 patients undergoing at least aortic or mitral valve surgery, the majority had concomitant cardiac proce-dures mostly coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); only 340 patients had isolated aortic (n=204) or mitral (n=136) valve surgery. In-hospital surgical mortality for mitral regurgitation (n=119), aortic stenosis (n=151), aortic insufficiency (n=53) and mitral stenosis (n=17) was 2.5% (replacement 3.4%; repair 1.6%), 3.9%, 5.6% and 5.8%, respectively (p=NS). Median LOS for aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, and mitral stenosis was 7, 8, 9 (replacement 11.5; repair 7) and 11 days, respectively (p<0.05 for group). In-hospital surgical mortality for single valve surgery plus CABG was 10.2% (p<0.005 compared to single valve surgery). Conclusions: Aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation are the most common valvular lesions requiring surgery today. Surgery for isolated aortic or mitral valve disease has low in-hospital mortality with modest LOS. Concomitant CABG with valve surgery increases mortality substantially. Hospital analysis is needed to monitor quality and stimulate improvement among Institutions. PMID:24339838

Chemistry, microscopy and smell: bloodstains and nineteenth-century legal medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertomeu-Sánchez, José Ramón

2015-01-01

This paper analyses the development of three methods for detecting bloodstains during the first half of the nineteenth-century in France. After dealing with the main problems in detecting bloodstains, the paper describes the chemical tests introduced in the mid-1820s. Then the first uses of the microscope in the detection of bloodstains around 1827 are discussed. The most controversial method is then examined, the smell test introduced by Jean-Pierre Barruel in 1829, and the debates which took place in French academies and learned societies during ensuing years are surveyed. Moving to the courtrooms a review is conducted of how the different methods were employed in criminal trials. By reviewing these cases, the main arguments against Barruel's test during the 1830s are explored as well as the changes making possible the return of the microscope to legal medicine around 1840. By reconstructing the history of these three methods, the paper reveals how the senses of smell and vision (colours and microscopic images) were employed in order to produce convincing evidence in both academies and courts. The paper questions two linear master narratives that are organized in terms of progress and decline: the development of forensic science as a result of continued technological progress; and the supposed decline of smell in the history of the senses, particularly in the realm of chemistry and medicine.

Cholera in the Portuguese Region of Alto Minho in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Epidemic Outbreaks, Treatment and Behaviours

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Alexandra Esteves

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of our work is to analyse the impact of cholera outbreaks that took place in Alto Minho, a region in the North of Portugal, in a century in which, due to several developments, distances became shorter and people from different parts of the globe became closer, and thus explaining the spreading of a disease that manifests itself quickly and evolves rapidly. We also intend to evaluate the effect of the measures undertaken by administrative and sanitary authorities and to verify the alterations in the daily life of the affected communities as far as economic activities, organization, cleanness and hygiene in the public venue are concerned, emphasizing on the temporary suspension of the relations with the neighbouring region of Galiza equally affected by numerous cholera outbreaks.

Role of Diet and Nutritional Supplements in Parkinson’s Disease Progression

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Laurie K. Mischley

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The goal of this study is to describe modifiable lifestyle variables associated with reduced rate of Parkinson’s disease (PD progression. Methods. The patient-reported outcomes in PD (PRO-PD were used as the primary outcome measure, and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ was used to assess dietary intake. In this cross-sectional analysis, regression analysis was performed on baseline data to identify the nutritional and pharmacological interventions associated with the rate of PD progression. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, and years since diagnosis. Results. 1053 individuals with self-reported idiopathic PD were available for analysis. Foods associated with the reduced rate of PD progression included fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, nonfried fish, olive oil, wine, coconut oil, fresh herbs, and spices (P<0.05. Foods associated with more rapid PD progression include canned fruits and vegetables, diet and nondiet soda, fried foods, beef, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese (P<0.05. Nutritional supplements coenzyme Q10 and fish oil were associated with reduced PD progression (P=0.026 and P=0.019, resp., and iron supplementation was associated with faster progression (P=0.022. Discussion. These are the first data to provide evidence that targeted nutrition is associated with the rate of PD progression.

Government’s Fear of Newspapers in Russia and France in the Second Half of the 19th Century

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Valery F. Blokhin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to one of the measures of administrative influence on the publishers of periodicals in the form of a ban on the retail sale of newspapers and magazines in the imperial Russia and France. The author argues that this policy was introduced in Russia due to adoption of foreign experience of direct and indirect censorship, especially the French experience. So, the article seeks to access the difference between the original approach of the French empire and the Russian version of the policy. Also the article bridges the gap between the current Russian historiography and the existing archive materials with help of discourse analysis and comparative method. First, the author reviews the literature on Russian and French censorship in the second half of XIX century. This allows us to describe the original policy motives of leadership in France in area of media coverage and censorship. Second, the author presents some comparative parallels in the particular area of study of censorship and its institutional basis. Using official documents, data on discussions of the alleged measures and the reasons for their introduction, author shows features of approaches of the Russian Ministry of internal Affairs and a member of his censorship Departmen t to highligh t the key issues of social development, to enhance the effectiveness of state censorship policy. The article gives the significant boost towards new approaches in research of indirect censorship in Russia and France as well as the role models for such a policy. Also the article allows us to reconsider the diffusionist paradigm with regard to state's policy experience circulation between European empires and their reaction to the emergence of modern media.

[Lessons from Guam ALS/PDC study].

Science.gov (United States)

Asao, Hirano

2007-11-01

An extraordinarily high incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism-dementia complex (PDC) affecting the native population was discovered on the island of Guam a half century ago. Guam ALS is identical to classic ALS clinically and pathologically while PDC is marked by progressive parkinsonism and dementia. The unusual histological finding in these fetal neurodegenerative diseases is the presence of numerous neurofibrillary tangles in a selective topographic distribution unassociated with senile plaques. There have been remarkable advances in field of age-associated neurodegenerative disease after our initial study of Guam cases. Four noteworthy topics are presented in this communication. 1) Clinically, the coexistence of parkinsonism and dementia was frequently recognized in Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. Some other new disease entities characterized by coexistence of parkinsonism and dementia have been reported. These include progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. 2) Neuropathologically, abundant neurofibrillary tangles unassociated with senile plaques were demonstrated in many diseases such as aftermath of boxing and tangle-only dementia. Furthermore, tau-positive structures were recognized not only in neurons but in glial cells in certain diseases. Tauopathy is one of the current hot research subjects. 3) Familial aggregation of Guam ALS patients provoked investigation of familial ALS elsewhere. Familial motor neuron disease with SOD1 mutation is the target of worldwide intense investigation at the present time. SOD1 gene mutation is, however, not found in Guam ALS. 4) The most striking findings of the Guam study is the gradual decline in the incidence of ALS on Guam during a quarter century and virtual disappearance of new patients. This may be linked to a remarkable change in environment and life style of the Chamorro population. The etiology of ALS is still unknown and

The Other Half Speaks: Reminiscences of Coal Town Women, 1900-1950, Athens County, Ohio.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Helen, Ed.; Good, Roger, Ed.

These materials are intended to accompany a videotape, that incorporates stories from 15 women who lived in the coal producing towns of Athens County, Ohio during the first half of the 20th century. Discussion questions, a list of resource volunteers, and background information on mining and Athens County coal towns are included. (DB)

TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC AS WELL AS COOPERATIVE EDUCATION IN THE WESTERN TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE (THE SECOND HALF OF XIX – THE BEGINNING OF THE XX CENTURY: STATE, PECULIARITIES, GALICIAN LEADERS, EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, THEORETICAL METHODOLOGY

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Mykhailo Holubka

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In the article, the transformation processes of the development of financial and economic as well as cooperative education in the Western territories of Ukraine in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century, its state, peculiarities, scientific results of Galician figures, educational associations, historical and economic aspects were covered. The methodology and the general essence of the financial and economic as well as cooperative education, the high importance of its quality were found out. The significance of financial and economic as well as cooperative education for realizing the opportunities for the self-understanding of a human as an economically active member of the nation was identified. The purpose of this study is to find out the personal and the peculiarities of the financial and economic as well as cooperative education in the Western territories of Ukraine in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century with the transformation on the processes that take place under the modern conditions of the development of the national education system. Methodology. The features and the transformation processes which defined environment conditions for financial and economic as well as cooperative education in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century on the territory of Western Ukraine were identified. Special attention is paid at the identification of financial and economic as well as cooperative education with business culture that includes the need to consider the public interest. A very important role of activation of the cooperative movement in the Ukraine Western territories that were not independent was admitted. The institutional framework of the development of the financial and economic as well as cooperative education of the population that has proved a key role in these processes and various institutions of self-education partnerships was analyzed. The broad functionality

Azañón's disease. A 19th century epidemic of neurolathyrism in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Giménez-Roldán, S; Spencer, P S

2016-12-01

The cultivation and consumption of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus) in Spain probably dates back centuries, especially during times of famine when the neurotoxic potential of this legume was expressed in the form of a spastic paraparesis known as neurolathyrism. Little known outside the country, the epidemic of neurolathyrism in the years following the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) came to affect more than a thousand people. In late 1872, during the Six Years Revolutionary Term, young Alejandro San Martín Satrústegui (1847-1908), then editor of the popular weekly El Siglo Médico, travelled to Azañón, a remote village in the province of Guadalajara, to clarify a so-far unknown disease. We analysed the original article published in 1873 by San Martin, as well as communications sent by El Siglo Médico readers reporting similar cases in many other Castilian provinces. San Martín's neurological findings in seven personally examined cases were astonishingly accurate; he concluded the subjects' neurological deficits resulted from injury to the lateral columns in the lower portion of the spinal cord. Description of the clinical findings provided both by San Martín, and by the readers of El Siglo Médico, leave no doubt as to the diagnosis of neurolathyrism. However, none suspected the patient's staple food was the determinant cause of the disease. San Martín proposed the eponym Azañón's disease for lack of a better name the same year (1873) in which Cantani in Italy introduced the term lathyrism. The epidemic of neurolathyrism that affected many Castilian towns represents one of the best-documented in Europe during the last third of the 19th century. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Disease Progression in a Patient with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

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Ping-Huei Tseng

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH is a severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. The prevalence and clinical significance of NAFLD/NASH have been increasingly recognized in Western countries but much less known in Asian countries, including Taiwan. Here, we report the case of a 43-year-old man who had abnormal liver tests for 18 years. Retrospective evaluation of his initial clinical, laboratory and histologic findings indicated that the hepatic disorder was compatible with the diagnosis of NASH. Although his liver biochemical tests improved after taking lipid-lowering agents, a liver biopsy 17 years later demonstrated histologic progression of intralobular necroinflammation and perivenular fibrosis. These facts suggest that NASH, albeit mild and slowly progressive, indeed exists in Taiwan. After the control of chronic hepatitis B and C and westernization of the lifestyle in Taiwan, an increasing burden of NAFLD/NASH is anticipated and active prophylactic measures should be implemented.

Philanthropic networks for children at risk in nineteenth-century Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekker, Jeroen J. H.

In the first half of nineteenth-century Europe, the founding fathers of the philanthropic network developed a specific network for the care of children at risk. This network eventually resulted in institutionalized solutions for the care of these children. In this article, three topics are looked

CSF neurofilament light chain and phosphorylated tau 181 predict disease progression in PSP.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, Julio C; Bang, Jee; Lobach, Iryna V; Tsai, Richard M; Rabinovici, Gil D; Miller, Bruce L; Boxer, Adam L

2018-01-23

To determine the ability of CSF biomarkers to predict disease progression in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). We compared the ability of baseline CSF β-amyloid 1-42 , tau, phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentrations, measured by INNO-BIA AlzBio3 or ELISA, to predict 52-week changes in clinical (PSP Rating Scale [PSPRS] and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living [SEADL]), neuropsychological, and regional brain volumes on MRI using linear mixed effects models controlled for age, sex, and baseline disease severity, and Fisher F density curves to compare effect sizes in 50 patients with PSP. Similar analyses were done using plasma NfL measured by single molecule arrays in 141 patients. Higher CSF NfL concentration predicted more rapid decline (biomarker × time interaction) over 52 weeks in PSPRS ( p = 0.004, false discovery rate-corrected) and SEADL ( p = 0.008), whereas lower baseline CSF p-tau predicted faster decline on PSPRS ( p = 0.004). Higher CSF tau concentrations predicted faster decline by SEADL ( p = 0.004). The CSF NfL/p-tau ratio was superior for predicting change in PSPRS, compared to p-tau ( p = 0.003) or NfL ( p = 0.001) alone. Higher NfL concentrations in CSF or blood were associated with greater superior cerebellar peduncle atrophy (fixed effect, p ≤ 0.029 and 0.008, respectively). Both CSF p-tau and NfL correlate with disease severity and rate of disease progression in PSP. The inverse correlation of p-tau with disease severity suggests a potentially different mechanism of tau pathology in PSP as compared to Alzheimer disease. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Cysteine 138 mutation in HIV-1 Nef from patients with delayed disease progression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tolstrup, Martin; Laursen, Alex Lund; Gerstoft, J.

2006-01-01

.0139). The phylogeny of isolates was investigated and the variants harbouring the cysteine 138 mutation clustered independently. CONCLUSION: The present study describes a viral genetic polymorphism related to AIDS disease progression. The polymorphism (cysteine 138) has previously been reported to confer decreased......-1 isolates from patients in a long-term non-progressor (LTNP) cohort and a slow-progressor (SP) cohort (n = 11) was analysed and compared with isolates from a control patient group of progressors (n = 18). Most of the patients with delayed disease progression had extensive medical records, providing...... an insight into the LTNP disease profile and allowing for the stratification of patients based on their CD4 cell decline. RESULTS: In sequences from nine patients, most of the functional domains of HIV-1 Nef appeared intact, and no major deletions were observed to possibly account for an effect...

Celebrating Two Centuries since the Invention of the Stethoscope. René Théophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781-1826).

Science.gov (United States)

Tomos, Ioannis; Karakatsani, Anna; Manali, Effrosyni D; Papiris, Spyros A

2016-10-01

René Théophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781-1826), a French physician, is considered one of the pioneers of respiratory medicine. His contribution to the invention of the stethoscope and to the development of clinical auscultation played a key role in the progress of the diagnosis of chest diseases. Almost two centuries after his invention of the stethoscope, his achievements continue to be widely appreciated and used by modern physicians in current pulmonology.

View of God as benevolent and forgiving or punishing and judgmental predicts HIV disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ironson, Gail; Stuetzle, Rick; Ironson, Dale; Balbin, Elizabeth; Kremer, Heidemarie; George, Annie; Schneiderman, Neil; Fletcher, Mary Ann

2011-12-01

This study assessed the predictive relationship between View of God beliefs and change in CD4-cell and Viral Load (VL) in HIV positive people over an extended period. A diverse sample of HIVseropositive participants (N = 101) undergoing comprehensive psychological assessment and blood draws over the course of 4 years completed the View of God Inventory with subscales measuring Positive View (benevolent/forgiving) and Negative View of God (harsh/judgmental/punishing). Adjusting for initial disease status, age, gender, ethnicity, education, and antiretroviral medication (at every 6-month visit), a Positive View of God predicted significantly slower disease-progression (better preservation of CD4-cells, better control of VL), whereas a Negative View of God predicted faster disease-progression over 4 years. Effect sizes were greater than those previously demonstrated for psychosocial variables known to predict HIV-disease-progression, such as depression and coping. Results remained significant even after adjusting for church attendance and psychosocial variables (health behaviors, mood, and coping). These results provide good initial evidence that spiritual beliefs may predict health outcomes.

Looking back on a half century of repeat magnetic measurements in France

Science.gov (United States)

Alexandrescu, Mioara Mandea; Gilder, Stuart; Courtillot, Vincent; Le Mouël, Jean Louis; Gilbert, Daniel

Birds do it. Bees do it. And with the discovery of lodestone over 2200 years ago, humans too could incorporate the Earth's magnetic field into their daily lives. Some of the oldest applications for tracking the magnetic field were in land and sea navigation. Magnetic field measurements quickly became an important economic factor in world trade, with documented use dating from the 11th century in China.The measurements are important in other applications as well. For example, rapid field variations are generated by solar activity and its interaction with the terrestrial environment. Large magnetic storms can disrupt satellite operation, communication systems, power transmission networks, and so forth [Campbell, 1997].Geomagnetism also provides a unique opportunity to explore the Earth's outer core, which is mostly liquid (molten) iron, where the field is generated. Field measurements can also yield valuable insights into the location of mineral deposits and aid in applications in the petroleum industry.

Progression and prognostic indicators of bronchial disease in children with sickle cell disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Sophia N; Nussbaum, Eliezer; Yoonessi, Leila; Morphew, Tricia; Randhawa, Inderpal

2014-06-01

The pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality (MacLean et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 178:1055-1059, 2008; Klings et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:1264-1269, 2006; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2009). Despite this recognition, predictive markers of lung dysfunction progression remain elusive (Klings et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:1264-1269, 2006; Platt et al. N Engl J Med 330:1639-1644, 1994; Caboot et al. Curr Opin Pediatr 20:279-287, 2008; Field et al. Am J Hematol 83:574-576, 2008; Shirlo et al. Peadiatr Respir Review 12:78-82, 2011). This study was designed describe the longitudinal progression and identify specific markers that influence bronchial disease in SCD. A retrospective, chart review of 89 patients with SCD was conducted. All patients underwent spirometry in conjunction with body plethysmography as part of routine care. Eleven lung function variables were assessed, five of which were selected to establish patterns of normal, obstructive, restrictive, or mixed obstructive-restrictive physiology (Klings et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:1264-1269, 2006; Field et al. Am J Hematol 83:574-576, 2008). In the unadjusted model, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% of predicted trended downward with age, while total lung capacity (TLC)% of predicted showed a bimodal distribution and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity corrected for hemoglobin (DLCOcor)% of predicted remained stable. Adjusting for acute chest syndrome (ACS) episodes, medication status, and growth velocity (GV), the final model demonstrated that the downward trend between FEV1% of predicted with age was further influenced by the latter two factors. Initial decline in FEV1% of predicted is associated with worsening pulmonary dysfunction over time. Independent of ACS episodes, the factors most influential on the progression of FEV1% predicted include the introduction of medications as well as the

Endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction in patients with progressive chronic kidney disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krenning, Guido; Dankers, Patricia Y. W.; Drouven, Johannes W.; Waanders, Femke; Franssen, Casper F. M.; van Luyn, Marja J. A.; Harmsen, Martin C.; Popa, Eliane R.

Krenning G, Dankers PY, Drouven JW, Waanders F, Franssen CF, van Luyn MJ, Harmsen MC, Popa ER. Endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction in patients with progressive chronic kidney disease. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 296: F1314-F1322, 2009. First published April 1, 2009; doi:

Effect of Sex Hormones on Progression of Diabetic Renal Disease in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of Sex Hormones on Progression of Diabetic Renal Disease in Experimental Model of Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats. ... into five groups 8 rats each, normal control, diabetic, gonadectomized diabetic, 17 beta estradiol is given to female and testosterone propionate to male diabetic and gonadectomized diabetic.

Herpes zoster, immunological deterioration and disease progression in HIV-1 infection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenstra, J.; Krol, A.; van Praag, R. M.; Frissen, P. H.; Schellekens, P. T.; Lange, J. M.; Coutinho, R. A.; van der Meer, J. T.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of herpes zoster, the relationship between herpes zoster and immunological markers, and the prognostic value of herpes zoster for progression of HIV disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 966 homosexual participants in The Amsterdam Cohort Study were studied.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: recent advances in clinical management [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Zhiguo Mao

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The first clinical descriptions of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD go back at least 500 years to the late 16th century. Advances in understanding disease presentation and pathophysiology have mirrored the progress of clinical medicine in anatomy, pathology, physiology, cell biology, and genetics. The identification of PKD1 and PKD2, the major genes mutated in ADPKD, has stimulated major advances, which in turn have led to the first approved drug for this disorder and a fresh reassessment of patient management in the 21st century. In this commentary, we consider how clinical management is likely to change in the coming decade.

The Experiments on Electrical Anesthesia in Italy in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century. A Dispute Between a Fearless Surgeon Patriot and a Positivist Researcher.

Science.gov (United States)

Cascella, Marco

2015-10-01

Electric anesthesia is the anesthesia, usually general anesthesia, produced by the application of an electrical current. This fascinating issue of the anesthesia history was made possible thanks to the pioneering experiments on electrotherapy and electrophysiology performed by two researchers: the neurologist Guillaume Duchenne (1806-1875) and the biologist Stéphane Leduc (1853-1939). The aim of this study is the review of the dispute between two Italian scientists on the effectiveness of electric anesthesia in the second half of the 19th century. One of the two contenders was Rodolfo Rodolfi (1827-1896), an Italian surgeon and patriot who took part in the First Italian War of Independence of 1848, whereas the other protagonist of the dispute was the positivist Plinio Schivardi (1833-1908), a pupil of Duchenne who brought to Italy his knowledge of electrotherapy, collecting these experiences in the Theoretical Practical Manual of Electrotherapy, the first book on the subject written in Italian. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

/sup 131/I albumin study of patients carrying progressive systemic sclerosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cossermelli, W; Carvalho, N; Papaleo Netto, M [Sao Paulo Univ. (Brazil). Centro de Medicina Nuclear

1974-05-01

/sup 131/I albumin metabolic changes were studied in 14 female patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. A statistical study of the gathered data disclosed increased distribution and turnover half-life and diminished turnover rate of radioactive substance. Since T/2 of turnover and turnover rate are the result produced by the albumin synthesis and degradation, they are probably lowered during active disease causing hypoalbuminemia. The aminoacids also are probably absorbed by other protein like the gammaglobuline synthesis.

Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Is it the Result or Cause of Disease Progression?

Science.gov (United States)

Adusumalli, Srinath; Mazurek, Jeremy A

2017-12-01

The purpose of this review is to define pulmonary hypertension in the setting of left heart disease (PH-LHD), discuss its epidemiology and pathophysiology, and highlight the cause and effect relationship it has with disease progression in the setting of cardiomyopathy. Both pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure are becoming increasingly common. As such, PH-LHD is now the most common form of PH. The pathophysiology of the condition relates to backward transmission of elevated left ventricular filling pressures into the pulmonary circulation and, ultimately, right ventricular (RV) strain/dysfunction. It is evident that these pathophysiologic processes are both the effect and cause of left heart disease progression. In this review, we describe the complex relationship between disease progression in left ventricular cardiomyopathy and PH-LHD. Clinicians and researchers should take note of the importance of PH-LHD and RV dysfunction to appropriately risk stratify patients and develop therapies for the condition.

Serbian schools and teaching of Serbian language in Greece in the 20th century

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Blagojević Gordana

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The topic of this work is Serbian schools and the teaching of Serbian language in Greece in the 20th century. During the first half of the 20th century the existence of Serbian people in Turkey (later in Greece was acknowledged through school and church. Thanks to the Serbian schools, Serbs as an invisible minority became a visible one. In the second half of the 20th century there is primarily a teaching of Serbian language as a foreign language. During this period, Serbian was accepted primarily by Greeks at courses and private classes. At the beginning of the nineties in the 20th century because of the war in the territory of Yugoslavia, a large number of refugees went to Greece. Teaching of Serbian as a native language was organized only ten years later (at the beginning of 21st century. In some places, the schools are located in consular sections and have the assistance of the country of origin (Thessalonica, Katerini while in Hani (Crete immigrants organized them-selves without the assistance from the country of origin. By studying Serbian schools and the teaching of Serbian language, this work considers relation towards language as a symbol of ethnic identity - at the individual level, at the level of receiving country and at the level of country of origin.

Slovenian facsimile in the19th and in the first half of the 20th century:pre-modern facsimile

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Mihael Glavan

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Printers on Slovenian territory did not attempt to print facsimiles until the beginning of the 20th century and neither did they publish anything relevant in this expert field. The development of Slovenian facsimile nevertheless started (outside Slovenia almost a whole century earlier. Its course is outlined against European parallels, providing achievements in the pre-modern era (18129-1959. The analysis focuses on earlier Slovenian facsimiles which have not been well known or had been especially scientifically unexplored. A surprisingly high expert level, both in terms of technology and editing, is revealed by our first facsimiles of the 19th century which were mostly initiated by Jernej Kopitar. In this period medieval materials give way to modern ones (Prešeren’s Poezije, which prevail afterwards. According to the fundamental criteria, upon which the definition of a modern facsimile is based, 12 units have been identified as facsimiles, 4 of them recognised as complete facsimiles meeting all the required criteria of that period.

Portuguese tin-glazed earthenware from the 17th century. Part 1: Pigments and glazes characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira Ferreira, L. F.; Casimiro, T. M.; Colomban, Ph.

2013-03-01

Two sherds representative of the Portuguese faience production of the first and second halves of the 17th century were studied carefully with the use of non-invasive spectroscopies, namely: Ground State Diffuse Reflectance Absorption (GSDR), micro-Raman, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Laser Induced Luminescence (LIL) and Proton Induced X-ray (PIXE). These results were compared with the ones obtained for a Chinese Ming porcelain, Wanli period (16th/beginning of the 17th centuries), which served as an influence for the initial Lisbon's faience production. By combining information of the different non-destructive spectroscopic techniques used in this work, it was possible to conclude that: Co3O4 (Co II and Co III) can be found in the silicate matrix and is the blue pigment in the "Especieiro" sample (1st half of the 17th C.). Cobalt olivine silicate (Co2SiO4, Co II only) was clearly identified as the blue pigment in "Aranhões" sample (2nd half of the17th C.) - 824 cm-1 band in the micro-Raman-spectrum. Cobalt aluminate (CoAl2O4, Co II only) is the blue pigment in the Wanli plate - 203 and 512 cm-1 bands in the micro-Raman spectrum. The blue pigment in the 1st half 17th century of Lisbon's production was obtained by addition of a cobalt ore in low concentrations, which gives no specific Raman signature, because of complete dissolution in the glass. However, in most cases of the 2nd half 17th century, the Raman signature was quite evident, from a cobalt silicate. These findings point to the use of higher temperature kilns in the second case.

Naturalism about health and disease: adding nuance for progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingma, Elselijn

2014-12-01

The literature on health and diseases is usually presented as an opposition between naturalism and normativism. This article argues that such a picture is too simplistic: there is not one opposition between naturalism and normativism, but many. I distinguish four different domains where naturalist and normativist claims can be contrasted: (1) ordinary usage, (2) conceptually clean versions of "health" and "disease," (3) the operationalization of dysfunction, and (4) the justification for that operationalization. In the process I present new arguments in response to Schwartz (2007) and Hausman (2012) and expose a link between the arguments made by Schwartz (2007) and Kingma (2010). Distinguishing naturalist claims at these four domains will allow us to make progress by (1) providing more nuanced, intermediate positions about a possible role for values in health and disease; and (2) assisting in the addressing of relativistic worries about the value-ladenness of health and disease. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Development of the nuclear technology in Latvia in the second half of 20 century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavars, V.; Tomsons, E.

2004-01-01

In the second part of 20th century Latvia that was at that time a part of the Soviet Union, one of the nuclear power world powers, participated in the development of nuclear technology. Already in the 60ies the local specialists created an original nuclear equipment highly recognized by specialists from different countries. The most important of them was critical assembly (zero power nuclear reactor) - RKS, large-scale gamma rays source - RK-LM, special control devices for space-rocket nuclear reactors and a renovated research nuclear reactor IRT-M with thermo power of 5MW, etc.(authors)

The spiritual proceedings of the Yakutsk diocese in the second half of XIX – early XX centuries, as a factor of inter-civilization interaction

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Inna I. Yurganova

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article examines, on the basis of the first introduced in the scientific revolution of historical sources, the judicial work of the Yakut diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in the second half of XIX – early XX centuries, as an element of integration of the Orthodox Empire in the suburbs of the Russian statehood, as the Yakut spiritual Consistory, whose terms of reference included the investigation and judicial practice in respect of spiritual and secular persons, acted as one of the elements of the state apparatus. It is defined that the Orthodox population of the region was informed on the rights, showed the number of marriages and divorces, found the most characteristic of the Yakut diocese charge of the parish clergy, consisting in the wedding of a minor, due to the family law traditions of the Yakuts. Identified exceptions to the general rules made at the national legislative level, regarding the application marriage law, taking into account to the specifics of residence in the Far North: the remoteness of the diocese, the significance of its territory, climatic conditions, the difficulties of transportation and the conclusion has been made that the government, recognizing the difficulties of the Ministry, supported Yakut clergy. It is obvious that in connection with the conduct of spiritual justice, the customary law of the Yakuts began to be replaced by Christian Orthodox morals and to the early twentieth century in the area formed the ethno-religious understanding of the family legislation, when at obligatory Church the sanctification of marriage, kept the concept of it as a property transaction and, in general, the local population perceived the laws and customs of Orthodoxy not only through the Christian rituals, but also through the spiritual court , which regulates family and marital relationships.

Meningeal involvement in Behcet's disease: MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guma, A.; Aguilera, C.; Pons, L.; Acebes, J.; Arruga, J.

1998-01-01

Behcet's disease is a multisystem disease that involves the central nervous system up to half of cases. Presentation with neurologic symptoms occurs in 5 % of cases and cerebral venous thrombosis is one of its major manifestations. A feature not previously reported is progressive meningeal thickening with involvement of both optic nerves. We report a patient with cerebral venous thrombosis, meningeal thickening and contrast enhancement on MRI. This patient had two other unusual features: positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and later development of central diabetes insipidus. (orig.)

Measuring progress from nationally determined contributions to mid-century strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Iyer, Gokul; Ledna, Catherine; Clarke, Leon; Edmonds, James; McJeon, Haewon; Kyle, Page; Williams, James H.

2017-12-01

The Paris Agreement requires countries to articulate near-term emissions reduction strategies through to 2025 or 2030 by communicating nationally determined contributions (NDCs), as well as encouraging the formulation of long-term low-emission development strategies (Article 4.19)1. In response, many countries have either submitted or are preparing mid-century strategies2. Most NDCs set high-level near-term goals—such as limits on emissions or emissions intensity3—which do not provide information about the extent to which they lay the foundations of technology, infrastructure and institutions for deeper reductions in the future, which is a key question for decision makers. Here, using a state-level model of the US embedded within a global integrated assessment model4,5, we demonstrate that although the US NDC lies on a straight-line emissions pathway towards its mid-century strategy, the resulting energy system transitions involve nonlinear transformations. The rates of capacity additions and capital investments in electricity generation beyond 2025 are more than three times the rates during the next decade. Our results demonstrate the need for global stocktaking exercises to evaluate the NDCs using metrics broader than emissions to better illuminate their effectiveness in addressing the Paris Agreement's long-term goals6,7.

Superconducting accelerator magnet technology in the 21st century: A new paradigm on the horizon?

Science.gov (United States)

Gourlay, S. A.

2018-06-01

Superconducting magnets for accelerators were first suggested in the mid-60's and have since become one of the major components of modern particle colliders. Technological progress has been slow but steady for the last half-century, based primarily on Nb-Ti superconductor. That technology has reached its peak with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Despite the superior electromagnetic properties of Nb3Sn and adoption by early magnet pioneers, it is just now coming into use in accelerators though it has not yet reliably achieved fields close to the theoretical limit. The discovery of the High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) in the late '80's created tremendous excitement, but these materials, with tantalizing performance at high fields and temperatures, have not yet been successfully developed into accelerator magnet configurations. Thanks to relatively recent developments in both Bi-2212 and REBCO, and a more focused international effort on magnet development, the situation has changed dramatically. Early optimism has been replaced with a reality that could create a new paradigm in superconducting magnet technology. Using selected examples of magnet technology from the previous century to define the context, this paper will describe the possible innovations using HTS materials as the basis for a new paradigm.

Kant’s turn in the account of feeling: Critical response to the XVIII century sentimentalism

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Cvejić Igor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rationalism marked the first half of XVIII century German philosophy. Yet, in the second half of the century a new tendency - which based its orientation towards aesthetics on immediate feeling - emerged and ultimately paved the way to German romanticism. This paper aims to show the main features of Kant’s response to this new tendency. However, this response must be understood in terms of Kant’s transcendental philosophy and his tripartite division of irreducible faculties of the mind. I will argue that the development of Kant’s position was based on his account of the Feeling as a separate faculty of the mind, and the principle of purposiveness as an apriori principle for this faculty.

English-language Historiography of “Stalin’s Terror” (Disputes of the Second Half of the ХХ Century

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Vyacheslav I. Menkovsky

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the process and the results of scholary disputes, concerning “Stalin’s terror” of 1930s in English-language historiography of the second half of the ХХ century, determines methodological aspects of different approaches to the estimation of political repressions dimension in the Soviet Union. As the Soviet statistics was secured, English and American authors used a number of sources: estimations by former Soviet officers and prisoners, settled in Europe; evidences by foreigners, who visited the Soviet Union and Polish prisoners of Soviet camps; data, concerning the number of newspapers, received by the camps; the released figures, regarding some labour camps. Number of people, who had no part in the election for the Soviets was considered, as well.In 1980s the debates, regarding the dimension of forced labour employment in Stalin-era Soviet Union, the number of victims came to English and American historiography attention again. It was related to the emergence of new estimation procedures, publication of some new demographic data in Soviet press, wider application of the models, used by other social sciences in Sovietology.Brand new, open-ended evaluation possibilities appeared only after the Soviet and Russian secret files were partially opened up at the turn of 1980-1990s. Soviet «glasnost» enabled to introduce archive historical data, regarding Stalin-era repressive policy for scientific use. English and American historians made extensive use of Soviet and Russian publications, reassessed some stereotypes, deeply rooted in Europe. But data, related to the excessive decline of Soviet population in 1926-1939 varies in occidental scientific literature from 5 to 20 million people. Thus, it may be concluded that the scientific assessment of Soviet repressive policy is incomplete.

Valvular heart disease is changing – a challenge for Africa

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David A. Tibbutt, DM, FRCP

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The pattern of valvular heart disease is changing in Western populations. There are implications for Africa as healthcare improves and people live longer. Over the last half century in Western countries there has been a change in the incidence of valvular heart disease from a rheumatic cause to one of degeneration. Until the age of 64 years all moderate to severe valve disease affects less than 2%. In the group aged 64 – 75 years the proportion increases to 4 - 8% and after age 75 years it rises to 12 - 13%. Mitral incompetence (regurgitation and aortic stenosis contribute to the majority of cases. Mitral stenosis is much more common in patients who have had rheumatic heart disease. As the population ages the healthcare burden of valvular heart disease will become greater.

Previously Unidentified Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in HIV/AIDS Cases Associate with Clinical Parameters and Disease Progression

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Vladimir V. Anokhin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The genetic background of an individual plays an important role in the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Identifying previously unknown or uncharacterized single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs that associate with disease progression may reveal important therapeutic targets and provide a greater understanding of disease pathogenesis. In the present study, we employed ultra-high multiplex PCR on an Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing platform to sequence 23 innate immune genes from 94 individuals with HIV/AIDS. This data was used to identify potential associations of SNPs with clinical parameters and disease progression. SNPs that associated with an increased viral load were identified in the genes for the interleukin 15 receptor (IL15RA, toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7, tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5, and two killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR2DL1 and KIR2DL3. Additionally, SNPs that associated with progression from HIV infection to AIDS were identified in two 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase genes (OAS2 and OAS3. In contrast, other SNPs identified in OAS2 and OAS3 genes, as well as in the TRIM5 and KIR2DS4 genes, were associated with a slower progression of disease. Taken together, our data demonstrates the utility of ultra-high multiplex PCR in identifying polymorphisms of potential clinical significance and further,identifies SNPs that may play a role in HIV pathogenesis.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection is not associated with disease progression of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Junhyeon; Lee, Sang Soo; Choi, Yun Suk; Jeon, Yejoo; Chung, Jung Wha; Baeg, Joo Yeong; Si, Won Keun; Jang, Eun Sun; Kim, Jin-Wook; Jeong, Sook-Hyang

2016-11-14

To clarify the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) and the association between OBI and liver disease progression, defined as development of liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), worsening of Child-Pugh class, or mortality in cases of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This prospective cohort study enrolled 174 patients with chronic HCV infection (chronic hepatitis, n = 83; cirrhosis, n = 47; HCC, n = 44), and evaluated disease progression during a mean follow-up of 38.7 mo. OBI was defined as HBV DNA positivity in 2 or more different viral genomic regions by nested polymerase chain reaction using 4 sets of primers in the S, C, P and X open reading frame of the HBV genome. The overall OBI prevalence in chronic HCV patients at enrollment was 18.4%, with 16.9%, 25.5% and 13.6% in the chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and HCC groups, respectively ( P = 0.845). During follow-up, 52 patients showed disease progression, which was independently associated with aspartate aminotransferase > 40 IU/L, Child-Pugh score and sustained virologic response (SVR), but not with OBI positivity. In 136 patients who were not in the SVR state during the study period, OBI positivity was associated with neither disease progression, nor HCC development. The prevalence of OBI in chronic HCV patients was 18.4%, and OBI was not associated with disease progression in South Koreans.

The global energy context -- chances and challenges for the 21st century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, G.

2002-01-01

Energy is the driving force towards economic and social development. Global demand for energy will keep growing for many years to come due to ongoing, although reduced population growth, and due to the needs of up to 2000 million people who are still without access to commercial energy. To meet this growing demand for energy, all options have to be kept open, with fossil fuels, nuclear and hydro dominating the energy mix for the next decades, and 'new' renewables coming in only slowly. Considering the resulting strain on the environment, and looking at existing disparities in energy supply, the next few decades will not be free of tensions. A turning point may appear in the mid 21st century with world population coming to a halt, distinctly improved energy efficiency in the Developing World, and with new technologies available. Thus, mainly challenges will determine the first half of the century, whereas chances are on hand for the second half of the century - if we act now. The single most important instrument to meet these challenges and to take advantage of the chances is a concentrated move towards energy efficiency and innovation, supported by market reform and appropriate regulation. (author)

Estimating Half-Lives for Pesticide Dissipation from Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fantke, Peter; Gillespie, Brenda W.; Juraske, Ronnie

2014-01-01

Pesticide risk and impact assessment models critically rely on and are sensitive to information describing dissipation from plants. Despite recent progress, experimental data are not available for all relevant pesticide−plant combinations, and currently no model predicting plant dissipation...... accounts for the influence of substance properties, plant characteristics, temperature, and study conditions. In this study, we propose models to estimate half-lives for pesticide dissipation from plants and provide recommendations for how to use our results. On the basis of fitting experimental...... under field conditions. Half-lives range from 0.2 days for pyrethrins to 31 days for dalapon. Parameter estimates are provided to correct for specific plant species, temperatures, and study conditions. Finally, we propose a predictive regression model for pesticides without available measured...

[Musical long-term memory throughout the progression of Alzheimer disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Groussard, Mathilde; Mauger, Caroline; Platel, Hervé

2013-03-01

In Alzheimer patients with a solid musical background, isolated case-reports have reported the maintenance of remarkable musical abilities despite clear difficulties in their verbal memory and linguistic functions. These reports have encouraged a number of scientists to undertake more systematic studies which would allow a rigorous approach to the analysis of musical memory in Alzheimer patients with no formal musical background. Although restricted in number, the latest data are controversial regarding preserved musical capacities in Alzheimer patients. Our current review of the literature addresses this topic and advances the hypothesis that the processes of musical memory are function of illness progression. In the earlier stages, the majority of evaluations concerned musical episodic memory and suggested a dysfunction of this memory whereas in the moderate and severe stages, musical semantic memory and implicit learning are the majority of investigations and seemed more resistant to Alzheimer disease. In summary, our current review bring to understand the memory circuits involved and highlight the necessity to adapted the investigational tools employed to conform with the severity of the signs and symptoms of progressive Alzheimer disease in order to demonstrate the preserved musical capacities.

Effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on proteinuria and progression of chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Currie, G. (Gemma); Taylor, A.H.M. (Alison H. M.); Fujita, T. (Toshiro); Ohtsu, H. (Hiroshi); Lindhardt, M. (Morten); K. Rossing; Boesby, L. (Lene); Edwards, N.C. (Nicola C.); Ferro, C.J. (Charles J.); J. Townend (Jonathan); A.H. van den Meiracker (Anton); Saklayen, M.G. (Mohammad G.); Oveisi, S. (Sonia); Jardine, A.G. (Alan G.); C. Delles (Christian); Preiss, D.J. (David J.); Mark, P.B. (Patrick B.)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: Hypertension and proteinuria are critically involved in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Despite treatment with renin angiotensin system inhibition, kidney function declines in many patients. Aldosterone excess is a risk factor for progression of kidney disease.

The rise and fall of pink disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dally, A

1997-08-01

This paper explores the social and medical history and context of pink disease (acrodynia), a serious disease of infants and young children that baffled the medical world during the first half of the twentieth century until it was shown to be caused by mercury poisoning. In the English-speaking world the commonest source of the mercury was teething powders, which were widely available and advertised with increasing sophistication. Efforts to control them (such as the BMJ's campaign against 'Secret Remedies') were as yet unsuccessful. The article discusses the social conditions that influenced the existence and recognition of pink disease, the delay in finding its cause, the way in which it was explained as a virus infection or nutritional deficiency and why it seldom occurred outside the teething period. It discusses both professional and lay attitudes to health and diseases during the early twentieth century and provides a model of how the disease developed in a specific social setting and how the medical profession attempted to deal with it within the limitations of contemporary professional thought. The resistance to the evidence of mercury poisoning is typical of resistance to new medical knowledge and declined only when the opponents and sceptics grew old and disappeared from the scene. Meanwhile, the cause having been identified and accepted, pink disease disappeared, but its consequences emerged much later, in an unexpected quarter, as a cause of male infertility.

Endothelin-A receptor blockade slows the progression of renal injury in experimental renovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelsen, Silvia; Hall, John E; Chade, Alejandro R

2011-07-01

Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent renal vasoconstrictor with mitogenic properties, is upregulated by ischemia and has been shown to induce renal injury via the ET-A receptor. The potential role of ET-A blockade in chronic renovascular disease (RVD) has not, to our knowledge, been previously reported. We hypothesized that chronic ET-A receptor blockade would preserve renal hemodynamics and slow the progression of injury of the stenotic kidney in experimental RVD. Renal artery stenosis, a major cause of chronic RVD, was induced in 14 pigs and observed for 6 wk. In half of the pigs, chronic ET-A blockade was initiated (RVD+ET-A, 0.75 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) at the onset of RVD. Single-kidney renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and perfusion were quantified in vivo after 6 wk using multidetector computer tomography. Renal microvascular density was quantified ex vivo using three-dimensional microcomputer tomography, and growth factors, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis were determined in renal tissue. The degree of stenosis and increase in blood pressure were similar in RVD and RVD+ET-A pigs. Renal hemodynamics, function, and microvascular density were decreased in the stenotic kidney but preserved by ET-A blockade, accompanied by increased renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and downstream mediators such as phosphorilated-Akt, angiopoietins, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. ET-A blockade also reduced renal apoptosis, inflammation, and glomerulosclerosis. This study shows that ET-A blockade slows the progression of renal injury in experimental RVD and preserves renal hemodynamics, function, and microvascular density in the stenotic kidney. These results support a role for ET-1/ET-A as a potential therapeutic target in chronic RVD.

Heart disease and the stress hypothesis in the mid-twentieth century: a historical review

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Heather L. Rogers

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the 1920s, heart disease (a noncommunicable disease, was the new leading cause of death in the USA. Simultaneously, experimental progress in the study of stress provided scientific justification for a new type of risk factor. The objective of the present work is to examine the history of heart disease as a public health problem and the contribution of advancements in scientific knowledge about stress in the 1930s–1960s supporting the hypothesis of stress as one cause of disease. Results In the process of studying heart disease risk factors in the 1950s, medical practitioners became responsible for the early detection of risk factors in order to “catch” chronic disease in its earliest stage. Coronary heart disease specifically was a disease of white, middle class, professional males, and “stress” was hypothesized as one reason why this population was particularly vulnerable. Walter Cannon and Hans Selye provided experimental evidence that stress might cause physical disease. In the 1930s, Cannon described how the body seeks to maintain homeostasis. When the body’s systemic equilibrium is challenged by something dangerous in the environment or an insult directly to the body, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS and adrenals are stimulated. In the 1940s and 1950s, Selye discovered that a universal triad of stress effects (hypertrophy of the adrenal glands, involution of the thymus and lymphoid tissue, and ulceration in the gastrointestinal tract was seen repeatedly after any noxious or aversive event (i.e., noise, shock, etc.. The stress responses occurred in a certain pattern, known as the general adaptation syndrome or GAS. Autopsy from Selye’s laboratory animals showed that, in addition to the general pathological effects of GAS, arteries were thickened and hardened, just as would be seen in human victims of heart and circulatory disorders. Conclusions Since then, large scale, prospective epidemiological

The utility of cerebral blood flow imaging in patients with the unique syndrome of progressive dementia with motor neuron disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, T.; Hoshi, H.; Jinnouchi, S.; Nagamachi, S.; Watanabe, K.; Mituyama, Y.

1990-01-01

Two patients presenting with progressive dementia coupled with motor neuron disease underwent brain SPECT using N-isopropyl-p iodine-123-iodoamphetamine [( 123 I]IMP). The characteristic clinical features of progressive dementia and motor neuron disease were noted. IMP SPECT also revealed reduced uptake in the bilateral frontal and temporal regions, with no reduction of uptake in the parietal, parietal-occipital regions. We conclude that IMP SPECT has potential for the evaluation of progressive dementia with motor neuron disease

White matter disease correlates with lexical retrieval deficits in primary progressive aphasia

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John P. Powers

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To relate fractional anisotropy changes associated with the semantic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia to measures of lexical retrieval.Methods: We collected neuropsychological testing, volumetric MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging on semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (n=11 and logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (n=13 patients diagnosed using published criteria. We also acquired neuroimaging data on a group of demographically comparable healthy seniors (n=34. Fractional anisotropy was calculated and analyzed using a white matter tract-specific analysis approach. This approach utilizes anatomically guided data reduction to increase sensitivity and localizes results within canonically defined tracts. We used non-parametric, cluster-based statistical analysis to relate language performance to fractional anisotropy and determine regions of reduced fractional anisotropy in patients. Results: We found widespread fractional anisotropy reductions in white matter for both variants of primary progressive aphasia. Fractional anisotropy was related to both confrontation naming and category naming fluency performance in left uncinate fasciculus and corpus callosum in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and left superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia. Conclusions: Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia are associated with distinct disruptions of a large-scale network implicated in lexical retrieval, and the white matter disease in each phenotype may contribute to language impairments including lexical retrieval.

Repeat interventions as a long-term treatment strategy in the management of progressive coronary artery disease.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K.G. Lehmann (Kenneth); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); M.J.B.M. van den Brand (Marcel); P.J. de Feyter (Pim); A.C.P. Maas (Arthur); R.T. van Domburg (Ron)

1996-01-01

textabstractObjectives. This study investigates whether repeat coronary interventions, applied over an extended time period, can successfully curtail the progression of ischemic symptoms and angiographic lumen narrowing. Background. Coronary artery disease is a chronic and generally progressive

Progressive white-matter disease with primary cerebellar involvement: a separate entity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yalcinkaya, C. [Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Arslanoglu, I. [Division of Endocrinology, Department of Paediatrics, Goeztepe Hospital, Istanbul (Turkey); Islak, C. [Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Aydin, A. [Division of Metabolic Disease, Department of Paediatrics, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Boltshauser, E. [Division of Paediatric Neurology, University Children' s Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zuerich (Switzerland)

2002-09-01

Although its metabolic basis has not yet been clarified, we report a progressive white-matter disease in a Turkish girl, starting in the cerebellum and spreading to supratentorial white matter. The onset was at the age of 2.5 years with diabetes insipidus, followed by ataxia and pyramidal signs resulting in loss of walking. Aqueduct stenosis was first recognised at the age of 8 years. To our knowledge, this MRI and clinical pattern does not correspond to a recognised, well-defined white-matter disease and may indicate a separate entity. (orig.)

Progressive white-matter disease with primary cerebellar involvement: a separate entity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yalcinkaya, C.; Arslanoglu, I.; Islak, C.; Aydin, A.; Boltshauser, E.

2002-01-01

Although its metabolic basis has not yet been clarified, we report a progressive white-matter disease in a Turkish girl, starting in the cerebellum and spreading to supratentorial white matter. The onset was at the age of 2.5 years with diabetes insipidus, followed by ataxia and pyramidal signs resulting in loss of walking. Aqueduct stenosis was first recognised at the age of 8 years. To our knowledge, this MRI and clinical pattern does not correspond to a recognised, well-defined white-matter disease and may indicate a separate entity. (orig.)

Gender differences in HIV progression to AIDS and death in industrialized countries: slower disease progression following HIV seroconversion in women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jarrin, Inmaculada; Geskus, Ronald; Bhaskaran, Krishnan; Prins, Maria; Perez-Hoyos, Santiago; Muga, Roberto; Hernández-Aguado, Ildefonso; Meyer, Laurence; Porter, Kholoud; del Amo, Julia; Bucher, Heiner; Chêne, Geneviève; Pillay, Deenan; Rosinska, Magda; Sabin, Caroline; Touloumi, Giota; Walker, Sarah; Babiker, Abdel; Darbyshire, Janet; de Luca, Andrea; Fisher, Martin; Goujard, Cécile; Kaldor, John; Kelleher, Tony; Gelgor, Linda; Ramacciotti, Tim; Cooper, David; Smith, Don; Gill, John; Jørgensen, Louise Bruun; Nielsen, Claus; Pedersen, Court; Lutsar, Irja; Dabis, Francois; Thiebaut, Rodolphe; Masquelier, Bernard; Costagliola, Dominique; Vanhems, Philippe; Boufassa, Faroudy; Hamouda, Osamah; Kucherer, Claudia; Pantazis, Nikos; Hatzakis, Angelos; Paraskevis, Dimitrios; Karafoulidou, Anastasia; Rezza, Giovanni; Dorrucci, Maria; Longo, Benedetta; Balotta, Claudia; Coutinho, Roel

2008-01-01

To evaluate sex differences in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression before (pre-1997) and after (1997-2006) introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the authors used data from a collaboration of 23 HIV seroconverter cohort studies from Europe, Australia, and Canada

Half-and-Half Palatoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hyun Ho; Kang, In Sook; Rhie, Jong Won

2014-08-01

A 14-month-old child was diagnosed with a Veau Class II cleft palate. Von Langenbeck palatoplasty was performed for the right palate, and V-Y pushback palatoplasty was performed for the left palate. The child did not have a special problem during the surgery, and the authors were able to elongate the cleft by 10 mm. Contrary to preoperative concerns regarding the hybrid use of palatoplasties, the uvula and midline incisions remained balanced in the middle. The authors named this combination method "half-and-half palatoplasty" and plan to conduct a long-term follow up study as a potential solution that minimizes the complications of palatoplasty.

Sound Objects and Sound Products: Standardizing a New Culture of Listening in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Hui

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this chapter I develop the psychological underpinnings of environmental music towards an understanding of how the goals of cognitive and behavioral psycholo-gists contributed to a new kind of listening at the beginning of the twentieth century. I begin with an examination of nineteenth-century concerns about both the physical and psychological effects of music and fraught debate among experi-mental psychologists of the role of musical expertise in the laboratory. These con-cerns were, I argue, rooted in the assumption of a direct, corporeal connection between the generation and reception of music, usually bound within a single, individual body. In the twentieth century, new technology liberated the listener from a temporally- and geographically-bound experience of music. The Tone Tests, Re-Creation Recitals, and Mood Change “parties” of Thomas Edison and the psychologist Walter Bingham show that recording technology allowed for a normalization and standardization of listening not previously possible in the music halls and laboratories of the nineteenth century. Rather paradoxically, since it also made music more accessible to the individual listener, recorded music, mobilized by industrial psychologists and record companies alike, created a new sound experience actively designed for the lowest common denominator of mass listen-ing. It also contributed to the cultivation of a new practice of mass listening. The new mass listening practice presents broader questions about the definition of music and its functional role – If the function of music is to be ignored, is it still music?

Research progress in role of iron overload in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

OpenAIRE

LI Guangming

2013-01-01

Iron overload is an important research focus in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The relationship between iron overload and NAFLD is summarized from the assessment method for iron overload, relationship between iron load and hemochromatosis gene mutations, incidence of iron load in NAFLD, and relationship between iron load and progression of NAFLD; the action mechanism of iron overload in the progression of NAFLD is reviewed from the causes of iron overload, relationship between iro...

Incisor malalignment and the risk of periodontal disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsulaiman, Ahmed A; Kaye, Elizabeth; Jones, Judith; Cabral, Howard; Leone, Cataldo; Will, Leslie; Garcia, Raul

2018-04-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between incisor crowding, irregularity, and periodontal disease progression in the anterior teeth. Data collected over 35 years from men enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study included information concerning pocket depth and alveolar bone loss. Plaster casts of the maxillary (n = 400) and mandibular (n = 408) arches were available for baseline measurements. Periodontal disease in the anterior teeth was defined as per arch sum of pathologic pocket depth and sum of teeth with any alveolar bone loss in the anterior sextants. Incisor malalignment status was defined by the anterior tooth size-arch length discrepancy index and Little's Irregularity Index. Adjusted mixed effects linear models computed the beta (β) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the amounts of change in periodontal disease outcomes by the level of malalignment. In the anterior maxillary arch, crowding and spacing were significantly associated with an increased per-arch sum of pathologic pocket depth (β, 0.70 mm; 95% CI, 0.20-1.21, and β, 0.49 mm; 95% CI, 0.06-0.91, respectively). In the anterior mandibular arch, incisor crowding and irregularity were significantly associated with an increased per-arch sum of pathologic pocket depth (mild crowding: β, 0.47 mm; 95% CI, 0.01-0.93; severe irregularity: β, 0.94 mm; 95% CI, 0.50-1.38), and the sum number of teeth with alveolar bone loss (mild and moderate-to-severe crowding: β, 0.45 teeth; 95% CI, 0.08-0.82; and β, 0.45 teeth; 95% CI, 0.13-0.83, respectively; moderate irregularity: β, 0.34 teeth; 95% CI, 0.06-0.62). Certain incisor malalignment traits (ie, maxillary incisor crowding, maxillary incisor spacing, mandibular incisor mild crowding, mandibular incisor moderate-to-severe crowding, mandibular incisor moderate irregularity, and mandibular incisor severe irregularity) are associated with significant periodontal disease progression

Treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Winslow, Bradford T; Onysko, Mary K; Stob, Christian M; Hazlewood, Kathleen A

2011-06-15

Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting nearly one-half [corrected] of Americans older than 85 years. It is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Amyloid plaque accumulation, neurofibrillary tau tangles, and depletion of acetylcholine are among the pathologic manifestations of Alzheimer disease. Although there are no proven modalities for preventing Alzheimer disease, hypertension treatment, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, physical activity, and cognitive engagement demonstrate modest potential. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are first-line medications for the treatment of Alzheimer disease, and are associated with mild improvements in cognitive function, behavior, and activities of daily living; however, the clinical relevance of these effects is unclear. The most common adverse effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion, and cardiac arrhythmias. Short-term use of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist memantine can modestly improve measures of cognition, behavior, and activities of daily living in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease. Memantine can also be used in combination with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Memantine is generally well tolerated, but whether its benefits produce clinically meaningful improvement is controversial. Although N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can slow the progression of Alzheimer disease, no pharmacologic agents can reverse the progression. Atypical antipsychotics can improve some behavioral symptoms, but have been associated with increased mortality rates in older patients with dementia. There is conflicting evidence about the benefit of selegiline, testosterone, and ginkgo for the treatment of Alzheimer disease. There is no evidence supporting the beneficial effects of vitamin E, estrogen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy.

Progress of the relationship between serum uric acid and neurodegenerative diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang FU

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Serum uric acid (sUA, a natural antioxidant in human body, has been found to be related to the occurrence and development of various neurodegenerative diseases in recent years, including Parkinson's disease (PD, multiple system atrophy (MSA, Alzheimer's disease (AD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. Increasing of sUA level has been found to reduce the incidence of PD and ALS, but the relationship between sUA and AD, MSA remains largely unknown. The in vitro studies and animal experiments revealed that sUA can enhance the antioxidant capacity of neurons and delay neurodegeneration and apoptosis. This paper mainly reviews the progress in epidemiological and basic studies of the relationship between sUA and neurodegenerative diseases in recent years, and aims to provide a reference for future novel prevention and treatment strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.010

Retrospective analysis of factors affecting the progression of Chronic Renal Failure in Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, E.R.; Tashkandi, Muhammed A.; Nahrir, S.; Maulana, A.

2006-01-01

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the commonest congenital cystic renal disease. Factors such as hypertension, urinary tract infection, hematuria and proteinuria may effect the progression to chronic renal failure in ADPKD patients. Therapeutic interventions, such as the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or diet modification, may impact the natural progression of the disease. We aim in this study to review a registry of ADPKD patients in order to compare the slow and fast progressors and identify possible predictors of progression and interventions that slow the progression of this disease. Sheffield Kidney Institute (SKI), one of the largest kidney institutes in Northern Europe, has registered a large number of ADPKD patients since 1981. SKI's computer network contains a wide range of information on these patients. We selected 94 adult polycystic patients from the SKI for retrospective analysis of factors affecting progression to chronic renal failure. Patients who doubled their s. creatinine in 3 6 months were considered fast progressors (FP), while those who doubled their s. creatinine in > 36 months were regarded as slow progressors (SP). There 70 patients in the FP group and 24 patients in the SP group. A third group of 137 patients consisted of non-progressors (NP) who ha d stable s. creatinine levels during the same period. We found that the incidence of hypertension, UTI, macroscopic and microscopic hematuria, and overt proteinuria in the FP group was higher than in SP and NP groups. Modification of some factors, such as hypertension and UTI, may decrease the rate of the deterioration of renal function. (author)

21st Century Skills: The Challenges Ahead

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Rotherham, Andrew J.; Willingham, Daniel

2009-01-01

The skills that students need for the 21st century are not really new, assert Rotherham and Willingham. Critical thinking, problem solving, information literacy, and global awareness have been important to human progress throughout history, at least among the elites in different societies. What is new is the extent to which individual and…

Studies of 21st-Century Precipitation Trends Over West Africa

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Druyan, Leonard M.

2010-01-01

West Africa includes a semi-arid zone between the Sahara Desert and the humid Gulf of Guinea coast, approximately between 10 N and 20 N, which is irrigated by summer monsoon rains. This article refers to the region as the Sahel. Rain-fed agriculture is the primary sustenance for Sahel populations, and severe droughts (in the 1970s and 1980s), therefore, have devastating negative societal impacts. The future frequency of Sahel droughts and the evolution of its hydrological balance are therefore of great interest. The article reviews 10 recent research studies that attempt to discover how climate changes will affect the hydrology of the Sahel throughout the 21st century. All 10 studies rely on atmosphere ocean global climate model (AOGCM) simulations based on a range of greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. Many of the simulations are contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change archives for Assessment Reports #3 and #4. Two of the studies use AOGCM data to drive regional climate models. Seven studies make projections for the first half of the 21st century and eight studies make projections for the second half. Some studies make projections of wetter conditions and some predict more frequent droughts, and each describes the atmospheric processes associated with its prediction. Only one study projects more frequent droughts before 2050, and that is only for continent-wide degradation in vegetation cover. The challenge to correctly simulate Sahel rainfall decadal trends is particularly daunting because multiple physical mechanisms compete to drive the trend upwards or downwards. A variety of model deficiencies, regarding the simulation of one or more of these physical processes, taints models climate change projections. Consequently, no consensus emerges regarding the impact of anticipated greenhouse gas forcing on the hydrology of the Sahel in the second half of the 21st century.

Radiographic progression with nonrising PSA in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: post hoc analysis of PREVAIL.

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Bryce, A H; Alumkal, J J; Armstrong, A; Higano, C S; Iversen, P; Sternberg, C N; Rathkopf, D; Loriot, Y; de Bono, J; Tombal, B; Abhyankar, S; Lin, P; Krivoshik, A; Phung, D; Beer, T M

2017-06-01

Advanced prostate cancer is a phenotypically diverse disease that evolves through multiple clinical courses. PSA level is the most widely used parameter for disease monitoring, but it has well-recognized limitations. Unlike in clinical trials, in practice, clinicians may rely on PSA monitoring alone to determine disease status on therapy. This approach has not been adequately tested. Chemotherapy-naive asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic men (n=872) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who were treated with the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide in the PREVAIL study were analyzed post hoc for rising versus nonrising PSA (empirically defined as >1.05 vs ⩽1.05 times the PSA level from 3 months earlier) at the time of radiographic progression. Clinical characteristics and disease outcomes were compared between the rising and nonrising PSA groups. Of 265 PREVAIL patients with radiographic progression and evaluable PSA levels on the enzalutamide arm, nearly one-quarter had a nonrising PSA. Median progression-free survival in this cohort was 8.3 months versus 11.1 months in the rising PSA cohort (hazard ratio 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.23); overall survival was similar between the two groups, although less than half of patients in either group were still at risk at 24 months. Baseline clinical characteristics of the two groups were similar. Non-rising PSA at radiographic progression is a common phenomenon in mCRPC patients treated with enzalutamide. As restaging in advanced prostate cancer patients is often guided by increases in PSA levels, our results demonstrate that disease progression on enzalutamide can occur without rising PSA levels. Therefore, a disease monitoring strategy that includes imaging not entirely reliant on serial serum PSA measurement may more accurately identify disease progression.

[Medical and pharmaceutical association in Spain in the second half of the 19th century].

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Arroyo Medina, P

1997-01-01

It was happened a increase of the medical and pharmaceutical association, in the middle of XIX Century. This policy was not new, but now it has an different significance. The new sanitary corporation will be developed around a bourgeoisie. Dea: the professional attitude of its members. And its aim will be articulate the affairs of these class. They become one off the elements of the Liberal State. They are identified with theirs internal aims, that speak about the professional and scientific problems of these class.

Early 20th century conceptualization of health promotion.

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Madsen, Wendy

2017-12-01

This historical analysis of the term 'health promotion' during the early 20th century in North American journal articles revealed concepts that strongly resonate with those of the 21st century. However, the lineage between these two time periods is not clear, and indeed, this paper supports contentions health promotion has a disrupted history. This paper traces the conceptualizations of health promotion during the 1920s, attempts to operationalize health promotion in the 1930s resulting in a narrowing of the concept to one of health education, and the disappearance of the term from the 1940s. In doing so, it argues a number of factors influenced the changing conceptualization and utilization of health promotion during the first half of the 20th century, many of which continue to present times, including issues around what health promotion is and what it means, ongoing tensions between individual and collective actions, tensions between specific and general causes of health and ill health, and between expert and societal contributions. The paper concludes the lack of clarity around these issues contributed to health promotion disappearing in the mid-20th century and thus resolution of these would be worthwhile for the continuation and development of health promotion as a discipline into the 21st century. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Predictors of high healthcare resource utilization and liver disease progression among patients with chronic hepatitis C.

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LaMori, Joyce; Tandon, Neeta; Laliberté, François; Germain, Guillaume; Pilon, Dominic; Lefebvre, Patrick; Prabhakar, Avinash

2016-01-01

Since hepatitis C virus therapy is typically prioritized for patients with more advanced disease, predicting which patients will progress could help direct scarce resources to those likely to benefit most. This study aims to identify demographics and clinical characteristics associated with high healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and liver disease progression among CHC patients. Using health insurance claims (January 2001-March 2013), adult patients with ≥2 CHC claims (ICD-9-CM: 070.44 or 070.54), and ≥6 months of continuous insurance coverage before and ≥36 months after the first CHC diagnosis were included. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus were excluded. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of being in the 20% of patients with the highest HRU. Factors predicting liver disease progression were also identified. In the study population (n = 4898), liver disease severity and both CHC- and non-CHC-related comorbidities and conditions were strong predictors of high healthcare costs, with odds ratios (ORs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) for ≥2 CHC-related and ≥2 non-CHC-related comorbidities/conditions of 2.78 (2.48-3.12) and 2.19 (1.76-2.72), respectively. CHC- and non-CHC-related comorbidities and conditions were also strong predictors of liver disease progression with ORs (95% CI) for ≥2 CHC-related and ≥2 non-CHC-related comorbidities and conditions of 2.18 (1.83-2.60) and 1.50 (1.14-1.97), respectively. Potential inaccuracies in claims data, information or classification bias, and findings based on a privately insured population. This study suggests that CHC patients with high healthcare resource utilization have a high level of comorbidity at baseline and also that non-CHC comorbidities and conditions are strong predictors of high HRU. Non-cirrhotic CHC patients with one or more comorbidities are at high risk of progressing to cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease.

The early steps of chloroform anaesthesia in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

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Ulman, Yesim Isil

2005-04-01

The aim of this study was to research the pioneering steps for the employment of chloroform in Turkey in comparison with the developments in the West i.e. in the United States and in Europe. The development of anaesthesiology in the West started in the first half of the 19th century. As an anaesthetic substance, ether was first employed in a medical operation by R. Liston in December 1846. But taking into consideration of its bronchially irritant effect, British gynaecologist Dr. J.Y. Simpson preferred to utilize chloroform in obstetrical operations in 1847. The paper aims at shedding light on the earlier steps for modern anaesthesiology in Turkey in that sense. The survey used evaluation of archival documents, first hand-original sources such as the annual medical reports of the Medical School, books, official journals, and newspapers of the time, and also secondary sources concerned with the subject. In view of the findings of the survey, chloroform, as an anaesthetic material, began to be administered surgically in Turkey much earlier than it was already known. It was experienced and used in operations at the surgical clinic of the Imperial School of Medicine at the Capital city, Istanbul in 1848. The Crimean War (1853-1855) induced to the prevalent surgical use of chloroform in Istanbul on the soldiers back from the front. In other words, it was evidenced that surgeons started to make use of this anaesthetic substance in the Ottoman Empire, shortly after it was put into medical practice in Europe. This study deals with that phenomenal progress of chloroform anaesthesia in the medical history in Turkey during the second half of the 19th century.

The expression of emotions in 20th century books.

Science.gov (United States)

Acerbi, Alberto; Lampos, Vasileios; Garnett, Philip; Bentley, R Alexander

2013-01-01

We report here trends in the usage of "mood" words, that is, words carrying emotional content, in 20th century English language books, using the data set provided by Google that includes word frequencies in roughly 4% of all books published up to the year 2008. We find evidence for distinct historical periods of positive and negative moods, underlain by a general decrease in the use of emotion-related words through time. Finally, we show that, in books, American English has become decidedly more "emotional" than British English in the last half-century, as a part of a more general increase of the stylistic divergence between the two variants of English language.

Surface and thickness variations of Brenva Glacier tongue (Mont Blanc, Italian Alps) in the second half of the 20th century by historical maps and aerial photogrammetry comparisons

Science.gov (United States)

D Agata, C.; Zanutta, A.; Muzzu Martis, D.; Mancini, F.; Smiraglia, C.

2003-04-01

a digital surface model with a degree of accuracy varing among the glacier and the surrounding area. Comparison with available cartography may be performed if digital ortophoto is being generated from the photogrammetric processing in a well defined reference system. Accuracy in volumetric changes estimations is nevertheless of fundamental importance being derived from the comparison of different metodologies with related single accuracies. By using GIS sofware the maps and ortophotos were managed after digitalisation; Digital Elevation Models were produced and their comparison allowed: 1) to quantify surface and volume variations 2) to elaborate thematic maps about ice thickness and debris areal distribution variations 4) to elaborate topographic longitudinal and transverse profiles to underline glacier changes The preliminary results about volumetric and thickness variations obtained from maps are the following: a) 1959-1971: the glacier tongue increased in volume of about 15 millions mc of ice that correspond to an increase in thickness of about 20 m of ice with maximum values of about 40-50 m. b)1971-1983: the glacier tongue increased in volume of about 18 millions mc of ice that is to say a mean increase in thickness of a little more than 20 m of ice. In the same time the glacier advanced of about 200 m (Italian Glaciological Committee data), probably this advancing phase was related to the ablation reduction caused by the emispheric climate cooling occurred during the second half of the 20th century. It influenced the mass balance trend of a large number of glaciers in the North Emisphere between the 70s and the 80s of the 20 th century c)1983-1991: for this period a negative volumetric variation of about 8 millions mc of ice was calculated equal to a thickness decreasing of about 10 m of ice. The managing of orthopotos by GIS software to obtain DEMs is in progress and its results will confirm or add arguments to discuss them. The final results will allow to

Disease impact in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia: more than meets the eye

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, B.W.; Fermont, J.; Delnooz, C.C.S.; Kalkman, J.S.; Bleijenberg, G.; Engelen, B.G.M. van

2011-01-01

We determined the extent of disease impact in 28 patients with genetically confirmed chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) and compared the outcomes to those of matched myotonic dystrophy type I patients. CPEO patients reported a high frequency of severe fatigue (67.9%), pain (96.2%),

The 21st Century as Whose Century?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Scott

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Macro-analysis and East-West encounter are shown through consideration of objective yet subjective constructed concepts for the international system and international economy in the 21st century. Three paradigms are considered, namely the 21st century as the ‘Pacific Century’, as ‘China’s Century’ and as the ‘Asian Century’. Overlaps are shown between these three paradigms, as also developments in time, and gradually shift in geographical location. The ‘Pacific Century’, and its associated Rimspeak, was the paradigm emerging in the late 1970s, knitting together America’s West Coast and the Japanese economy. By the late 1980s this was already shifting to talk of the 21st century likely to be an ‘Asian Century’ model, mark-1, based on the Pacific Asia dynamism shown by the ‘Asian Tigers’ and Japan. However, the Asian financial crash of 1997-8, and the economic downturn in Japan, meant that such an ‘Asian Century’ seemed premature as the 21st century arrived. Instead, it was China’s economic growth that seemed most evident, and with it the concept of the 21st century as ‘China’s Century’. However, in turn that has already been modified during the first decade of the century by India’s arrival as a rapidly growing economy. Consequently the 21st century as ‘China’s Century’ and as ‘India’s Century’ has been combined into talk of an ‘Asian Century’, mark-2.