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At least 1,243 records · Page 69Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Calmodulin and Munc13 form a Ca2+ sensor/effector complex that controls short-term synaptic plasticity.

The efficacy of synaptic transmission between neurons can be altered transiently during neuronal network activity. This phenomenon of short-term plasticity is a key determinant of network properties; is involved in many physiological processes such as motor control, sound localization, or sensory adaptation; and is critically dependent on cytosolic [Ca2+]. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and the identity of the Ca2+ sensor/effector complexes involved are unclear. We now identify a conserved calmodulin binding site in UNC-13/Munc13s, which are essential regulators of synaptic vesicle priming and synaptic efficacy. Ca2+ sensor/effector complexes consisting of calmodulin and Munc13s regulate synaptic vesicle priming and synaptic efficacy in response to a residual [Ca2+] signal and thus shape short-term plasticity characteristics during periods of sustained synaptic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Heavy metal pollution disturbs immune response in wild ant populations.

Concern about the effects of environmental contaminants on immune function in both humans and wildlife is growing and practically nothing is known about this impact on terrestrial invertebrates, even though they are known to easily accumulate pollutants. We studied the effect of industrial heavy metal contamination on immune defense of a free-living wood ant (Formica aquilonia). To find out whether ants show an adapted immune function in a polluted environment, we compared encapsulation responses between local and translocated colonies. Local colonies showed higher heavy metal levels than the translocated ones but the encapsulation response was similar between the two groups, indicating that the immune system of local ants has not adapted to high contamination level. The encapsulation response was elevated in moderate whereas suppressed in high heavy metal levels suggesting higher risk for infections in heavily polluted areas.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Spatial patterns of malaria in the Amazon: implications for surveillance and targeted interventions.

A measure of local spatial association, G(i)*(d), is applied to test for the presence of malaria clusters in a colonization area in the Brazilian Amazon. Clusters of high and low malaria rates at different moments in time are identified. They suggest unambiguous spatial patterns of transmission, most likely linked to the social and natural habitat. Results imply that a comprehensive identification of the determinants of malaria transmission requires a spatial framework of analysis, and that control strategies must be spatially targeted and guided by a surveillance system that constantly learns the specificities of local transmission and adapts interventions to them.

Brazil↗
PubMed2006

Public healthcare in Mozambique: strategic issues in the ICT development during managerial changes and public reforms.

It has been predicted that major introduction of information communication technology (ICT) for health care organisations (HCO) over the next 10 years will be used to achieve the universal coverage and improve the quality of health care delivered to people. Which is the best strategy on ICT transfer, adoption and adaptation for the local Mozambican HCO? This paper argues that a sociotechnical approach of ICT development can help policy makers and health managers to address the technology transfer in a better and more appropriate way to their social context and to the public health reforms in progress. The urgency of health care demands (e.g. AIDS epidemic) and the institutional changes implemented by the Government and the local Ministry of Health (MOH), open a dynamic process of re-organisation inside the health institutions in the next years. This process needs to be monitored and initiatives planned, which places pressure on the evolution of health information system (HIS). The increase in the use of ICT can be an ally for health managers. The emergence of the open source software (OSS) and the recent ICT market trends towards networking may also enable local HCO to better face and solve the long process of health care standardisation, which usually prepares and accompanies any introduction of ICT. On the other side, the "big bang" introduction of electronic packages, devices and software applications may be an obstacle framing and anchoring local HCO to external settings, "modern" and universal models. Thus, a uniform step-by-step implementation of hospital-based health information system is desirable.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Associations with Minspeak icons.

UNLABELLED: Although the Minspeak approach is used on communication devices worldwide, little research has been conducted on its applicability within specific cultural contexts. The impact that users' familiarity of symbols and associations can have on learnability necessitates more systematic research. This study was an investigation into the associations which young South African adults from a tertiary education institution make with selected Minspeak icons, used in Unity software. Associations with the 12 core icons of the UniChat program were elicited from 480 able-bodied tertiary education students, using a cueing questionnaire. Each participant completed one questionnaire on one icon, so that 40 response questionnaires were obtained per icon. The responses from the questionnaires were pruned and computerised. Two analyses were done from these data: Firstly, the percentage of common associations per icon was calculated, and secondly, the elicited associations were compared to the current Unity vocabulary on a word and conceptual level. The results indicate that some of the icons and their encoded vocabulary items might be used successfully in the South African context, while others need to be adapted to be locally relevant. The results emphasize that iconic encoding systems based on commercially available graphic representational systems cannot merely be imported to South Africa due to the multicultural and multilingual nature of the context. LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of this activity (1) the participant will be able to understand different types of associational responses based on icons used in Minspeak; (2) the participant will be able to understand the cultural relevance of some aspects of the Unity application programme; and (3) the participant will be able to identify different strategies that can be used to describe the cultural relevance o of the Unity application programme.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Resolving fiber crossing using advanced fast marching tractography based on diffusion tensor imaging.

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor tractography is a powerful tool for the non-invasive depiction of the white matter architecture in the human brain. However, due to limitations in the underlying tensor model, the technique is often unable to reconstruct correct trajectories in heterogeneous fiber arrangements, such as axonal crossings. A novel tractography method based on fast marching (FM) is proposed which is capable of resolving fiber crossings and also permits trajectories to branch. It detects heterogeneous fiber arrangements by incorporating information from the entire diffusion tensor. The FM speed function is adapted to the local tensor characteristics, allowing in particular to maintain the front evolution direction in crossing situations. In addition, the FM's discretization error is reduced by increasing the number of considered possible front evolution directions. The performance of the technique is demonstrated in artificial data and in the healthy human brain. Comparisons with standard FM tractography and conventional line propagation algorithms show that, in the presence of interfering structures, the proposed method is more accurate in reconstructing trajectories. The in vivo results illustrate that the elucidated major white matter pathways are consistent with known anatomy and that multiple crossings and tract branching are handled correctly.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2005

To be or not to be (inflamed)--is that the question in anti-inflammatory drug therapy of neurodegenerative disorders?

A sustained inflammatory reaction is present in acute (e.g. stroke) and chronic (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis) neurodegenerative disorders. Inflammation, which is fostered by both residential glial cells and blood-circulating cells that infiltrate the diseased brain, probably starts as a time- and site-specific defense mechanism that could later evolve into a destructive and uncontrolled reaction. In this article, we review the crucial dichotomy of brain inflammation, where failure to resolve an acute beneficial response could lead to a vicious and anarchic state of chronic activation. The possible use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the management of neurodegenerative diseases is discussed in light of recent data demonstrating a neuroprotective role of local innate and adaptive immune responses. Novel therapeutic approaches must rely on potentiation of endogenous anti-inflammatory pathways, identification of early markers of neuronal deterioration and a combination treatment involving immune modulation and anti-inflammatory therapies.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

[Paramedical staff knowledge and practice related to the blood transfusion safety].

Blood transfusion is a complex activity, involving many actors. It is a high risk activity which couldn't be controlled without the use of specific methods. Health care workers beliefs and organisational factors are two major issues for the blood transfusion safety. Our study objectives were to describe the paramedical staff's knowledge and practice regarding blood transfusion safety and to identify factors that are related to them. We carried out a cross sectional study. The information was gathered by using a questionnaire. The latter was developed by foreign teams and adapted to the local context. Two outcome measures were used: the knowledge and practice score and the proportion of true answers. The study showed that only 15% of the interviewed persons have had a score less than 30 (scale range from 0 to 100), i.e. only 15% have had appropriate knowledge and practice with no negative consequences for the patient safety. 13.8% of the study population provided right answers related to the biologic exams required before red cells transfusion and 34% for the abnormal reaction circumstances. These results underscores the importance of strategies improving the quality and the safety of blood transfusion, i.e. the continuous medical education, implementing a blood transfusion information system and the use of transfusion practice guidelines.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Association between Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm infections among schoolchildren in Côte d'Ivoire.

Infections with Schistosoma mansoni and hookworms are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and the burden of disease associated with both parasites is enormous. Although there is a large overlap in their geographic distribution, little is known about the association between S. mansoni and hookworm infections and the underlying mechanisms. We explored this association among 325 schoolchildren from Côte d'Ivoire, by screening multiple stool specimens over consecutive days. We found a highly significant positive association between S. mansoni and hookworm infections with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.31-3.85; P=0.003). Increasing infection intensity of S. mansoni was significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of concomitant hookworm infections (chi(2)=20.72; P<0.001). Egg counts in stool specimens derived from a single day did not consistently reveal the positive association between the two parasites, which underlines the importance of repeated stool examinations. Several self-reported water contact patterns were significantly associated either with S. mansoni, hookworm or concomitant infections. Our findings are of considerable importance for tailoring effective health education messages that are readily adapted to the local epidemiological setting. Complemented with other control interventions, these measures might significantly reduce the burden caused by S. mansoni and hookworm infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Stochastic versus deterministic variability in simple neuronal circuits: II. Hippocampal slice.

Long time series of Schaffer collateral to CA1 pyramidal cell presynaptic volleys (stratum radiatum) and population spikes (stratum pyramidale) were evoked (driven) in rat hippocampal slices. From the driven CA1 region in normal [K+] perfusate, both population spike amplitude and an input-output function consisting of population spike amplitude divided by the presynaptic volley amplitude were analyzed. Raising [K+] in the perfusion medium to 8.5 mM, slices were induced to spontaneously burst fire in CA3 and long time series of inter-burst intervals were recorded. Three tests for determinism were applied to these series: a discrete adaptation of a local flow approach, a local dispersion approach, and nonlinear prediction. Surrogate data were generated to serve as mathematical and statistical controls. All of the population spike (6/6) and input-output (6/6) time series from the normal [K+] driven circuitry were stochastic by all three methods. Although most of the time series (5/6) from the autonomously bursting high [K+] state failed to demonstrate evidence of determinism, one (1/6) of these time series did demonstrate significant determinism. This single instance of predictability could not be accounted for by the linear correlation in these data.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1996

Self-organized segmentation of time series: separating growth hormone secretion in acromegaly from normal controls.

The pulsatile pattern of growth hormone (GH) secretion was assessed by sampling blood every 10 min over 24 h in healthy subjects (n = 10) under normal food intake and under fasting conditions (n = 6) and in patients with a GH-producing tumor (acromegaly, n = 6), before and after treatment with the somatostatin analog octreotide. Using autocorrelation, we found no consistent separation in the temporal dynamics of GH secretion in healthy controls and acromegalic patients. Time series prediction based on a single neural network has recently been demonstrated to separate the secretory dynamics of parathyroid hormone in healthy controls from osteoporotic patients. To better distinguish the differences in GH dynamics in healthy subjects and patients, we tested time series predictions based on a single neural network and a more refined system of multiple neural networks acting in parallel (adaptive mixtures of local experts). Both approaches significantly separated GH dynamics under the various conditions. By performing a self-organized segmentation of the alternating phases of secretory bursts and quiescence of GH, we significantly improved the performance of the multiple network system over that of the single network. It thus may represent a potential tool for characterizing alterations of the dynamic regulation associated with diseased states.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1996

Conventional treatment of biliary atresia: long-term results.

From 1968 to 1983, 271 patients were treated for biliary atresia by a group of surgeons from the same pediatric surgical unit, in Paris, using procedures adapted to the local anatomy and all derived from the Kasai technique. Eighty children have survived more than 10 years since the surgery, without the need for liver transplantation during the 10-year period. However, three children died subsequently from complications of the liver disease. Thirteen others later underwent liver transplantation, which accounted for three additional deaths. Thus, of the 64 patients left for study, 38 had a good result with respect to serum bilirubin level, but 18 of them still have symptoms of portal hypertension. Among another group of 14 patients with serum bilirubin levels between 18 and 36 mumol/L, 11 are leading a near-normal life. The mean follow-up period for this study is 14 years; the oldest patient is aged 24 years. One patient, already the mother of a normal son, is awaiting her second baby; she was treated by portocholecystostomy at 2 months of age. As a rule, liver transplantation should not be considered an alternative to the Kasai operation as initial treatment of biliary atresia. It may be the only form of treatment for survivors without jaundice, if survival becomes compromised by complications owing to portal hypertension or pulmonary shunts.

Biliary Atresia↗
PubMed2001

Effect of sampling frequency on shoreline microbiology assessments.

More than 80,000 shoreline bacteriological samples are collected annually in southern California to protect beachgoer health, but sampling frequency varies from daily to monthly among sampling sites. To assess the effectiveness of various sampling frequencies, we used five years of data from 24 Los Angeles area sites that have been monitored daily to simulate five alternative sampling strategies: five weekdays, five days per week including a weekend day, three days per week, weekly, and monthly. For each of these sampling strategies, we included in the simulation the local custom of adaptive sampling, in which a site is resampled the following day if bacterial concentrations exceed the State of California's beach water quality standards. We found that sampling five times per week resulted in observing about 80% of the events in which State standards were exceeded. This frequency dropped to 55%, 25%, and 5% for three times per week, weekly, and monthly sampling, respectively. Adaptive sampling was ineffective because nearly 70% of the water quality exceedences were single-day events, even at the most frequently contaminated sites. This high frequency of single-day events is of concern because the public is typically notified about water quality conditions 24-48 h after samples are collected, meaning that most warnings are out-of-date when they are issued.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1998

Occurrence of okadaic acid-producing Prorocentrum lima on the Sanriku coast, northern Japan.

Prorocentrum lima was found to be distributed on the surface of the algae, Sargassum confusum and Carpopeltis flabellata collected at the Sanriku coast, northern Japan. Chemical analysis of cultured cells revealed that Sanriku strains of P. lima produce okadaic acid, a toxin responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. The Sanriku strain grew well in T1 medium at 15 degrees C at which tropical strains do not grow, indicating that it is a local strain which adapts to cooler environments.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed1983

Hibernoma: distinctive light and electron microscopic features and relationship to brown adipose tissue.

Four hibernomas and samples of developing human brown and white adipose tissue were observed. Distinctive features of hibernomas were 1) lobules of closely apposed large polygonal cells and capillaries; 2) three principal cell types (granular eosinophilic, multivacuolated, and univacuolated) varying in prominence from case to case; 3) investment of each tumor cell by basal lamina; 4) an inverse relationship between lipid droplet size and the number of mitochondria per unit of cytoplasm; 5) pleomorphic mitochondria with dense matrixes or large, round mitochondria with transverse lamellar cristae; 6) undulating plasmalemmal invaginations; 7) micropinocytotic vesicles; 8) periodic short plasmalemmal densities; and 9) a conspicuous lack of cytoplasmic membrane systems. The frequent association of micropinocytotic vesicles and undulating plasmalemmal invaginations in proximity to capillaries strongly suggests that the invaginations represent a localized cell membrane adaptation for efficient endocytosis. In human fetal brown adipose tissue, which is first recognizable in fetuses of 21 weeks' gestational age, the most characteristic cell was the polygonal multivacuolated cell. Univacuolated cells were present in brown adipose tissue of older fetuses, and in infants and adults entire lobules containing univacuolated cells coexisted with lobules of multivacuolated cells and granular eosinophilic cells. The ultrastructure of human brown adipose tissue resembled that of hibernomas and was similar to previously described features of this tissue in animals. Developing white adipose tissue differed from brown adipose tissue by its loose plexiform arrangement of capillaries and spindle-shaped cells in less circumscribed lobules and by the absence of polygonal multivacuolated cells. The authors did not identify centripetal lobular maturation in white adipose tissue, but peripheral growth "caps" were a common finding in maturing brown adipose tissue. They consider brown adipose tissue to be a special form of adipose tissue, the variable cytologic composition of which is reflected in the histologic spectrum of hibernomas.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1985

Community people-pet programs that work.

Excellent models exist for people-pet programs in institutions and in the community. Veterinarians should assess the needs of their local communities and adapt a model program to fit these needs.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1981

Changes of lateral soft tissue profile after surgical correction of mandibular prognathism.

The lateral soft tissue profile was recorded in 10 patients with slight to moderate degrees of mandibular prognathism, preoperatively, and 6 weeks after subcondylar sliding osteotomy had been performed. The recording method was mechanical. Only small and insignificant profile changes were found in the submandibular and occlusal plane regions as well as in the ramus region. The only significant change of profile was found in the mandibular body region, probably as a result of firm connection between soft tissue and underlying distally moved bone. The lack of significant profile change in the osteotomy region was in accordance with subjective observations and was probably due to local remodelling and adaptation processes. The facial width was thus found to be unaltered 6 weeks postoperatively.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Planning of empirical antibiotic therapy for women with pelvic inflammatory diseases: a geographical area-specific study.

OBJECTIVE: Elaboration of an empiric antibiotic regimen for women with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) for a geographical area in eastern Hungary. STUDY DESIGN: Pathogens were identified by culturing or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from 2215 patients with suspected PID between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2001. Empiric guidelines for PID treatment were based on susceptibility testing of the recovered bacteria, patient acceptance and cost-effectiveness of drugs and recommendations of earlier studies. RESULTS: Chlamydia trachomatis was detected in 11%, Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 2%, Streptococcus spp. in 17%, Enterococcus spp. 9%, genital mycoplasmas in 25%, all obligate anaerobic pathogens in 30% of the patients. All antibiotics chosen for our regimen were effective in vitro against one or more recovered pathogens at least in 80%; this regimen produced 98% clinical cure rate in mild cases of PID. CONCLUSION: Early detection and prompt empirical antimicrobial therapy adapted to the local microflora and its resistance pattern can lead to good clinical results.

Adolescent↗