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PubMed2000

The Use of Cluster Analysis in Distinguishing Farmland Prone to Residential Development: A Case Study of Sterling, Massachusetts.

/ Residential development of farmland is one of the primary driving forces of land degradation in both rural and urban fringe areas throughout the world. The loss of prime agricultural land is of great concern to planning offices and organizations seeking to preserve open space. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of clusteranalysis as a possible tool for the identification of farms prone to residential development. Eighty-four farms in Sterling, Massachusetts, were separated into two groups by k-means nonhierarchical cluster analysis using farm size, slope, and distance to the nearest city center and highway as surrogates of farmland conversion. Discriminant analysis showed that the two groups derived from the cluster analysis were 98.8% accurate (P < 0.0000). Results from the statistical analysis may serve as a starting point for the identification of individual farms prone to residential development. To explain the driving forces of farmland conversion to residential uses, interviews should be conducted with farmers, landowners, and land buyers. The use of multivariate statistical techniques to identify farms in jeopardy of residential development, in conjunction with qualitative assessments that explain the probability of development of individual farms, may prove a useful strategy to understand and predict farmland conversion.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides and their phenolic conversion products in soil by microwave assisted solvent extraction and subsequent analysis of extracts by on-line solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography.

A multiresidue method for the determination of phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides and their phenolic conversion products in soil was developed. The method was based on microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) of soil samples by an aqueous methanolic mixture and subsequent analysis of extracts by automated solid-phase extraction followed by on-line high-performance liquid chromatography and diode array detection. MASE parameters (extraction temperature and time, composition of the extraction mixture and extraction volume) were optimized with respect to analyte recoveries. The method was validated with two types of soils containing 1.5 and 3.5% organic matter, respectively, both types containing fresh and aged residues of sought analytes. Under the selected analytical conditions when soils with fresh residues were analyzed all target analytes were recovered above 80% from the soil containing 1.5% organic matter, while limits of identification at the level of 20-40 ng/g were achieved. From the soil containing 3.5% organic matter the least polar phenolic analytes exhibited slightly reduced recoveries, while identification limits of 30-50 ng/g were achieved. Samples with aged residues exhibited reduced recoveries for some analytes, the reduction amounting up to 6-12% within 1 month of aging period depending on soil organic matter.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed2005

Conversion-dependent shrinkage stress and strain in dental resins and composites.

The placement of dental composites is complicated by the contraction that accompanies polymerization of these materials. The resulting shrinkage stress that develops during cure of a bonded restoration can induce defects within the composite, the tooth or at the interface resulting in compromised clinical performance and/or esthetics. In light of the substantial efforts devoted to understanding and attempting to control shrinkage stress and strain in dental composite restoratives, this paper offers a perspective on the conversion dependent development of shrinkage and stress. The relationships between polymer property development and the physical evolution of the network structures associated with dental polymers as well as the interrelated kinetics of the photopolymerization reaction process are examined here. Some of the methods used to assess conversion in dental resins and composites are considered. In particular, newly introduced techniques that allow real time analysis of conversion by near-infrared spectroscopy to be coupled directly to simultaneous dynamic measurements of either shrinkage stress or strain are described. The results are compared with reports from the dental materials literature as well as complementary studies in other related fields of polymer science. The complex, nonlinear correlation between conversion, shrinkage and stress are highlighted. A brief review of some of the materials-based approaches designed to minimize polymerization shrinkage and stress is also provided.

Composite Resins↗
PubMed1995

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Cause of conversions in 1,300 patients and analysis of risk factors.

In 1,300 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) 56 patients (4.3%) required conversion to open cholecystectomy (OC); 41 (73%) of the conversions were elective, whereas 15 (27%) were enforced. The causes of the 56 conversions are described and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis of 23 parameters identified the following data as associated with a higher risk for conversion: pain or rigidity in the right upper abdomen (P < 0.01), thickening of the gallbladder wall on preoperative ultrasound (P < 0.05), intraoperatively found dense adhesions to the gallbladder or in Calot's triangle (P < 0.001), and intraoperatively found acute inflammation of the gallbladder (P < 0.01). Clinical findings of an acute cholecystitis associated with intraoperative dense scarring in Calot's triangle were the best factors predicting conversion from LC to OC. As a result of the study we preoperatively select our patients for either LC or OC, and a difficult case is performed by a more experienced surgeon to keep conversion rate and complications low.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Structural conversions of crystallins under senile cataract, dehydration and UV-irradiation studied by X-ray diffraction.

By means of X-ray diffraction analysis, structural conversions of crystallins in human lens were detected in senile cataract and upon artificial dehydration of lens tissue. In senile cataract certain characteristics of the native three-dimensional structure of gamma- and beta-crystallins are completely lost, whereas during dehydration of lens tissue a small but significant contraction of these protein molecules takes place. Upon artificial UV-irradiation of bovine crystallins destructive changes are observed, which are very similar to those in cataract.

Cataract↗
PubMed2002

mdm2-p53 Interaction: lack of correlation with the response to 5-fluorouracil in advanced colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relevance of mdm2 and p53 primary tumour expression to the clinical outcome of a consecutive series of advanced colorectal cancer patients treated with a 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. METHODS: The expression of p53 and mdm2 was analyzed by an immunohistochemical assay in 80 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded primary tumour samples and related to the clinical response to 5-fluorouracil therapy and to the prognosis of the patients. In a subgroup of 46 tumours, the apoptotic index (AI) as determined by the Tunel technique was also assessed. RESULTS: Nuclear immunostaining of p53 and mdm2 was present in 42 and 30% of the cases, respectively. No correlation was demonstrated between p53 and mdm2 expression (rs = -0.01; p > 0.05). With regard to the clinical outcome, no statistical association was demonstrated among p53 and mdm2 expression, AI, probability of clinical response to treatment, time to progression, or overall survival. The subgroup of patients with a p53-negative/mdm2-positive tumour showed a worse response rate (15%); however, mdm2-positive/AI-negative tumours showed a 0% (0/7) probability of a clinical response as compared with 30% (9/30) of the remaining tumour patient subgroups; this also translated in a significantly worse overall survival probability (p = 0.01 by log rank). CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of mdm2 expression does not add significant clinical information in colorectal cancers with a different p53 status. Conversely, further analysis of AI seems to give data of a promising prognostic-predictive value.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Safety margins: lessons from the Low Energy Endotak Trial (LEET).

The Low Energy Endotak Trial (LEET) was designed as a prospective, randomized, multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety in nonthoracotomy cardioverter-defibrillator therapy with lower defibrillation energies compared to the conventional programming with devices set at maximum output. Between December 1993 and January 1996, 172 consecutive patients, undergoing implantation of a biphasic cardioverter-defibrillator with a single endocardial defibrillation lead system, were screened for study enrollment in 4 European study centers. Study inclusion criteria were defined as documented ventricular fibrillation, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or fast, hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia, unresponsive to antitachycardia pacing and an augmented defibrillation threshold (DFT+) < or = 15 Joules (J). Patients presenting slow, pace-terminable ventricular tachycardias were excluded. Patients were randomized into 2 study arms: (1) test group patients: the first-shock energy of the implanted devices was programmed at 2 X DFT+, the second to fifth shocks at maximum output (34 J); (2) control group patients: all shocks were programmed at 34 J. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) conversion tests (first shock energy DFT+; second shock 2 X DFT+) were performed in test group patients intraoperatively, during predischarge test, and after 12 months follow-up. In the control group patients, the arrhythmia conversion tests were performed with maximum device output (34 J). Spontaneous tachyarrhythmia episodes were classified by stored intracardiac electrogram analysis, and conversion rates were compared between the 2 study groups. Of the 172 screened patients, 162 (94%) met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean DFT+ was 9.6 +/- 3.2 J in the test group and 10.0 +/- 3.5 J in the control group. The success rate for the test group for a repeated arrhythmia conversion test at DFT + was 84.4% (157 of 186 induced VF episodes); the cumulative success rate for the first and the second shocks was 99.5% (185 of 186 induced episodes). In the control group, the first-shock conversion rate at 34 J was 98.8% (158 of 160 induced episodes). During a mean follow-up of 10 +/- 7 months, the first-shock conversion rate for spontaneous arrhythmia episodes was 98.5% (65 of 66 episodes) in the test group patients and 92% (69 of 75 episodes) in control group patients (p>0.05). Analyzing the pooled data of spontaneous and induced arrhythmia episodes, there were no differences regarding the first shock conversion rate between the 2 groups (test group: 98.4%; control group: 96.6%, p>0.05). The overall mortality was 3%, equally distributed in both groups. The preliminary results of this study suggest that over a 1-year period, the "2 X DFT+" safety margin was equally effective as the margin provided by a 34-J device for conversion of induced and spontaneous tachyarrhythmia episodes.

Defibrillators, Implantable↗
PubMed1999

A predictive thermodynamic model for the bioreduction of acetophenone to phenethyl alcohol using resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Equilibrium conversions were observed in the range of 60.2-76.0% with different initial compositions of reaction media for the bioreduction of acetophenone using resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aqueous solutions at 30 degrees C. The reduction of acetophenone in the cells under anaerobic conditions is considered to be coupled with the oxidation of ethanol to acetate in the cytoplasm. A biphasic thermodynamic model is proposed which includes a nonuniform distribution of reagents across the cell membrane, a transmembrane pH gradient, ideal and nonideal solution models, and a basic reaction stoichiometry (ACP + (1/2) EtOH + (1/2)H2O <--> PEA + (1/2)Ac- + (1/2)H+). The intracellular activity coefficients were based on the Lewis-Randall rule for acetophenone, phenethyl alcohol, and H2O and Henry's law for ethanol, acetate anion, and H+. The overall standard Gibbs free energy was estimated to be -0.11 kcal/mol at a pH 7, 25 degrees C, and 1 atm. The intracellular thermodynamic activity coefficients of acetophenone and phenethyl alcohol were predicted to be 471.2 and 866.4, respectively, using the measured initial distribution coefficients and calculated extracellular activity coefficients. The model reflected a zero Gibbs free energy change at calculated conversions within 4% of the measured equilibrium conversions. The analysis verified the effect of the concentration ratio of the substrate acetophenone to the co-substrate ethanol on the conversion efficiency and suggested that the intracellular pH and the pH gradient across the cell transmembrane significantly affect the predicted equilibrium conversion. The intracellular pH of resting, viable cells of Bakers' yeast at the bioconversion conditions was determined experimentally to be 5.77.

Acetophenones↗
PubMed1989

[A revolution forever occulted].

In the history of the analytic movement, the application for the recognition of the S.F.P by the I.P.A. served to reveal the ideological, political and institutional imperialism inherent in Lacanism, and doubtless present in a latent state within Freudianism: the training analysis, the necessity of which has been accepted without argument since Freud, has always been led in the aim of providing an "end product" having received "the most appropriate conformation" (die geeignetste Ausbildung), and thus in an aim that is extrinsic to the process of analysis itself. Conversely, the modified habilitation procedures adopted by the A.P.F. in 1971 were guided by the idea that the "extraterritoriality" of analysis should be preserved, thus avoiding the presence of unanalysable material: the "order book" through which the institution placed its order for well "conformed" analysts with training analysts. For Freud's discovery is actually eclipsed if one accepts the idea that analysis can be "the most appropriate" (die Geeignetste) "conformation" (Ausbildung) serving to satisfy an aim that is in fact of a professional, ideological or institutional nature, and if one forgets that it is, on the contrary, a "formation" (Bildung) that is "the most proper" (die Eigenste), enabling everyone to make his own this discovery of the unconscious. The notion of training analysis no longer has any meaning within the A.P.F. This manner of operating conflicts with the commonly accepted Freudian line. It is all the more surprising to find that this fact remains unknown to the analytic movement as a whole, and the author questions himself on the reasons for this form of repression.

Education↗
PubMed1996

Sputum smear conversion during directly observed treatment for tuberculosis.

SETTING: Treatment program for tuberculosis in a refugee camp in Thailand. OBJECTIVES: To determine the cumulative frequency of conversion of sputum smears examined by direct microscopy by month of treatment and to identify factors predicting failure to convert. METHODS: Analysis of conversion based on three sputum smear examinations (performed monthly) in a cohort of patients with sputum smear-positive tuberculosis treated with a directly observed daily regimen containing rifampicin throughout. Nested case-control study of patients failing to convert definitively within four months compared to controls who did convert. RESULTS: Sputum conversion after the 2-month intensive phase was 75.0%, with a range from 61.7% to 90.9% in patients with initially strongly- and weakly-positive smears, respectively. The strongest predictor identified for no definitive conversion within four months of treatment was a positive sputum smear result at the end of the 2-month intensive phase (adjusted relative odds 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.5-11.4). Of those patients who did not convert, positive smears were an isolated phenomenon in 15, repeatedly in four who definitely converted with a prolongation of treatment, and persistently positive in two requiring a re-treatment regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Definitive sputum smear conversion is judged to be slower if a strict program of sputum smear examination is undertaken than under routine program conditions, but positive results late in the course are commonly an isolated phenomenon and possibly of little significance. Sputum smear results at two months strongly predict bacteriologic results beyond three months of treatment, and thus identify cases who might benefit from a prolongation of the intensive phase.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1991

Vitamin D independence of small calcium-binding proteins in nonclassical target tissues.

The presence and regulation of Ca-binding proteins (CaBPs) were investigated in newly identified 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] target tissues. 45Ca(2+)-blot analysis of proteins in normal rats yielded a 45Ca2+ band comigrating with authentic calmodulin. Additionally, a parvalbumin-like band (mol mass = 15.4 +/- 0.3 kDa) was prominent in prostate, and a strong unidentified 45Ca2+ band was always evident in the testis (mol mass = 23.5 +/- 0.7 kDa). Lung, bladder, and especially prostate demonstrated 45Ca2+ bands comigrating with the intestinal vitamin D-related CaBP (CaBP-D9K; mol mass = 10.9 +/- 0.5 kDa). Most tissues (including testis, heart, and lung) exhibited low levels of a 45Ca2+ band comigrating with the renal CaBP-D28K (mol mass = 28.3 +/- 0.4 kDa). Importantly, 45Ca2+ binding to all detectable CaBPs was unchanged in these four tissues in vitamin D-deficient rats, despite substantial downregulation of the intestinal CaBP-D9K and renal CaBP-D28K. Neither immunoblot analysis (rabbit anti-rat renal CaBP-D28K) nor Northern analysis (rat brain CaBP-D28K cDNA) provided evidence for coidentity of the 28-kDa 45Ca2+ band with the CaBP-D28K. Conversely, immunoblot analysis of lung, but not prostate, cytosol provided evidence for specific immunocross-reactivity to rabbit anti-rat intestinal CaBP-D9K. Immunoblot analysis of the 9-kDa CaBP in lung further confirmed its vitamin D independence. In conclusion, the vitamin D independence of the CaBPs in these putative new 1,25(OH)2D3 targets suggests the absence of an obligatory relationship between 1,25(OH)2D3 effects and CaBP induction therein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Successful conversion of patients with hypercholesterolemia from a brand name to a generic cholesterol-lowering drug.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a simvastatin-to-lovastatin therapeutic conversion program. STUDY DESIGN: Observational database study of a therapeutic conversion in members of the Northern and Southern California regions of Kaiser Permanente, using a pretest/posttest design. METHODS: All patients actively converted from simvastatin to lovastatin between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2003, were identified for inclusion in the analysis. The conversion from simvastatin to lovastatin was based on an equipotent dose ratio of 1 mg of simvastatin to 2 mg of lovastatin. Electronic prescription record and laboratory data were collected for converted patients beginning 365 days before changing therapy through June 30, 2003. The primary effectiveness end point was a comparison of the preconversion and postconversion low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Safety end points included an analysis of preconversion and postconversion alanine aminotransferase (ALT) tests and creatine kinase values. RESULTS: A total of 33,318 converted patients met criteria for inclusion in the analysis. The mean LDL-C was lowered from 110.9 to 108.4 mg/dL (P < .001) following the conversion to lovastatin. The percentage of patients with serum ALT levels greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) was similar before (0.7%) and after (0.6%) conversion from simvastatin to lovastatin. Creatine kinase elevations greater then 10 times the ULN occurred at similar rates before and after the conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, patients had an improvement in their lipid profile without evidence of hepatic or muscle enzyme elevations. Appropriately selected patients can be safely and effectively converted from simvastatin to lovastatin.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Modified expression of a carrot small heat shock protein gene, hsp17. 7, results in increased or decreased thermotolerancedouble dagger

We have determined that one small heat shock protein gene, encoding Hsp17.7, plays an important role in the ability of carrot cells and plants to survive thermal stress. Transgenic cells and regenerated plants were generated in which the carrot Hsp17.7 gene was either constitutively expressed (denoted CaS lines) or expressed as a heat inducible antisense RNA (denoted AH lines). Thermotolerance measurements demonstrated that CaS lines were more thermotolerant than vector controls and AH antisense lines were less thermo- tolerant than vector controls. RNA analysis demonstrated that Hsp17. 7 mRNA was detectable, but not abundant, prior to heat shock in CaS cells, but not in vector control cells. Conversely, RNA analysis of antisense cells showed that, after heat shock, the amounts of mRNA for Hsp17.7 was moderately less abundant in AH cells than in vector controls. Analysis of protein synthesis in CaS cells did not indicate substantial synthesis or accumulation of Hsp17.7, or any small Hsp, at 23 degrees C. However, in the most thermotolerant line, protein synthesis was maintained at a higher rate than in other cell lines at a more extreme heat shock (42 degrees C). In contrast, antisense AH cells showed reduced synthesis of many Hsp, large and small. These results suggest that the Hsp17.7 gene plays a critical, although as yet not understood, role in thermotolerance in carrot. This represents the first demonstration of the ability to both increase and decrease thermotolerance by the manipulation of expression of a single gene.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Identification and characterization of purine nucleoside transporters from Crithidia fasciculata.

To initiate a molecular dissection into the mechanism by which purine transport is up-regulated in Crithidia, genes encoding nucleoside transporters from Crithidia fasciculata were cloned and functionally characterized. Sequence analysis revealed CfNT1 and CfNT2 to be members of the equilibrative nucleoside transporter family, and the genes isolated encompassed polypeptides of 497 and 502 amino acids, respectively, each with 11 predicted membrane-spanning domains. Heterologous expression of CfNT1 cRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes or CfNT2 in nucleoside transport-deficient Leishmania donovani demonstrated that CfNT1 is a novel high affinity adenosine transporter that also recognizes inosine, hypoxanthine, and pyrimidine nucleosides, while CfNT2 is a high affinity permease specific for inosine and guanosine. Southern blot analysis revealed that CfNT2 is present as a single copy within the C. fasciculata genome. Starvation of parasites for purines increased CfNT2 transport activity by an order of magnitude, although Northern blot analysis indicated CfNT2 transcript levels increased by <2-fold. These data imply that this metabolic adaptation can mainly be ascribed to post-transcriptional events. Conversely, Southern analysis of CfNT1 suggests that it is a member of a highly homologous multi-copy gene family, indicating that adenosine transport by C. fasciculata is more complex than previously thought.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1989

Conversational characteristics of children with semantic-pragmatic disorder. I: Exchange structure, turntaking, repairs and cohesion.

Conversational samples were obtained from 57 children aged from 8 to 12 years with specific language impairment, and 67 control children aged from 4 to 12 years. Fourteen of the language-impaired children fitted the clinical description of semantic-pragmatic disorder. It was found that exchange structure, turntaking, conversational repair and use of cohesive devices could be assessed with adequate inter-rater and test-retest reliability. Children with semantic-pragmatic disorder produced more initiations than other children. Some of these children also violated turntaking rules by interrupting the conversational partner to an unusual degree. Use of cohesion was normal for children with semantic-pragmatic disorder, but limited in other language-impaired children. Analysis of conversations may be more useful than conventional language tests for identifying linguistic abnormalities in children with semantic-pragmatic disorder.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluating the use of TalksBac, a predictive communication device for nonfluent adults with aphasia.

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a computer-based communication system called 'TalksBac' with four nonfluent adults with aphasia. Despite the increased availability of computer-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, their use with adults with aphasia is limited as few devices have been designed for this population. The TalksBac system was designed specifically for nonfluent adults with aphasia and was used by four nonfluent aphasic individuals for a period of 9 months. The TalksBac system is word-based and exploits the ability of some nonfluent individuals with aphasia to recognize familiar words and short sentences. The system consists of two programs. Personal sentences and stories are entered into the TalksBac database by use of a 'carer program'. The 'user program' assists the nonfluent aphasic user to retrieve these prestored conversational items by offering probable items based on previous use of the system. The database has a hierarchical structure, but the links to individual items adapt automatically to reflect usage by individual users over time. Four nonfluent adults with aphasia were selected to participate in the study. Each subject was assessed by use of a battery of tests to provide pre-intervention data about their comprehension, expression and communication skills. Subjects and their carers were trained to use the TalksBac system and were involved in developing personalized databases. They were supported in use of the personalized systems for an intervention period of 9 months. At the end of this period, subjects' communication skills wre reassessed by use of a battery of tests. Clients' conversational abilities with and without the TalksBac system were also compared to see if use of TalksBac did augment their conversation and allow the aphasic partner to participate more fully within conversations. This was done by analysing videotaped conversations between subjects and non-aphasic partners. Results from the formal assessments indicated that there was little change in the underlying comprehension and expressive abilities of the subjects. An analysis of videotaped conversations showed that 1 subject was unable to carry out conversations using TalksBac independently, so the data for this subject was not included in the results of the analysis of conversations. Results from the video analysis for the remaining three subjects indicated that when using the TalksBac system, the conversational abilities of two subjects improved. The conversational abilities of the other subject were not enhanced by using the system as he had developed his own nonverbal strategies which he found to be more effective. This study has shown that TalksBac has the potential to augment the communication abilities of nonfluent adults with aphasia, who have not been able to develop their own compensatory strategies. Work continues to improve the efficiency of the software and to develop techniques to facilitate the carers' ability to generate conversational information for the system.

Aged↗