The “maternal effect” on epilepsy risk: Analysis of familial epilepsies and reassessment of prior evidence

Objective: Previous studies have observed that epilepsy risk is higher among offspring of affected women thanoffspring of affected men. We tested whether this “maternal effect” was present in familial epilepsies, which areenriched for genetic factors that contribute to epilepsy risk.Methods: We assessed evidence of a maternal effect in a cohort of families containing ≥3 persons with epilepsyusing three methods: (1) “downward-looking” analysis, comparing the rate of epilepsy in offspring of affectedwomen versus men; (2) “upward-looking” analysis, comparing the rate of the epilepsy among mothers versusfathers of affected individuals; (3) lineage analysis, comparing the the proportion of affected individuals withfamily history of epilepsy on the maternal versus paternal side.Results: Downward-looking analysis revealed no difference in epilepsy rates among offspring of affectedmothers versus fathers (prevalence ratio 1.0, 95% CI 0.8, 1.2). Upward-looking analysis revealed more affectedmothers than affected fathers; this effect was similar for affected and unaffected sibships (odds ratio 0.8, 95%CI 0.5, 1.2) and was explained by a combination of differential fertility and participation rates. Lineage analysisrevealed no significant difference in the likelihood of maternal versus paternal family history of epilepsy.Interpretation: We found no evidence of a maternal effect on epilepsy risk in this familial epilepsy cohort.Confounding sex imbalances can create the appearance of a maternal effect in upward-looking analyses andmay have impacted prior studies. We discuss possible explanations for the lack of evidence, in familialepilepsies, of the maternal effect observed in population-based studie

In-fiber production of polymeric particles for biosensing and encapsulation

Polymeric micro- and nanoparticles are becoming a mainstay in biomedicine, medical diagnostics, and therapeutics, where they are used in implementing sensing mechanisms, as imaging contrast agents, and in drug delivery. Current approaches to the fabrication of such particles are typically finely tuned to specific monomer or polymer species, size ranges, and structures. We present a general scalable methodology for fabricating uniformly sized spherical polymeric particles from a wide range of polymers produced with complex internal architectures and continuously tunable diameters extending from the millimeter scale down to 50 nm. Controllable access to such a wide range of sizes enables broad applications in cancer treatment, immunology, and vaccines. Our approach harnesses thermally induced, predictable fluid instabilities in composite core/cladding polymer fibers drawn from a macroscopic scaled-up model called a preform. Through a stack-and-draw process, we produce fibers containing a multiplicity of identical cylindrical cores made of the polymers of choice embedded in a polymer cladding. The instability leads to the breakup of the initially intact cores, independent of the polymer chemistry, into necklaces of spherical particles held in isolation within the cladding matrix along the entire fiber length. We demonstrate here surface functionalization of the extracted particles for biodetection through specific protein-protein interactions, volumetric encapsulation of a biomaterial in spherical polymeric shells, and the combination of both surface and volumetric functionalities in the same particle. These particles used in distinct modalities may be produced from the desired biocompatible polymer by changing only the geometry of the macroscopic preform from which the fiber is drawn

A multi-country level analysis of the environmental attitudes and behaviours among young consumers

Environmental issues have become more prominent internationally and are increasingly featured in discussion by governments, business and academics. This paper presents the results of a study which examines the concerns for environmental issues and purchase behaviours of a sample of 1173 young consumers in England, Germany, Portugal and Spain; countries which represent different realities in terms of economic development, social context and cultural issues. An analysis of the differences between the respondents from the four countries regarding concepts such as man-nature orientation, generativity, environmental concern, consumer perceived effectiveness, conservation behaviour and environmentally-friendly buying behaviour is presented. The results obtained confirm the existence of significant differences between countries for almost all variables. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Green consumer segmentation: managerial and environmental implications from the perspective of business strategies and practices

With the new millennium, environmental concern entered a new phase, with stricter governmental regulations and incentives. Currently, within environmental issues, there is a broader challenge to commitment with economic and social goals. This is motivating companies and organizations to participate in transformation processes with the aim of minimizing the negative impacts of their activities. Within this context, new business philosophies, emerged empowering organizations to consider sustainability issues that have come to be viewed as an innovative and differentiating factor, providing competitive advantages (Fraj-Andres, MartinezSalinas, & Matute-Vallejo. Journal of Business Ethics, 88,263-286, 2009; Leipziger. The corporate responsibility code book. Greenleaf Publishing Limited, 2016; Leipziger. The corporate responsibility code book. Greenleaf Publishing Limited, 2016). Therefore, organizations have begun incorporating these concerns in their processes, adopting green management policies, and including green marketing strategies in order to remain competitive (Straughan & Roberts. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16(6), 558-575, 1999; Rivera-Camino. European Journal of Marketing, 41, 1328-1358, 2007). From the marketing perspective, the importance of understanding green consumer behaviour in order to develop better segmentation and targeting strategies is highlighted. Green consumers are changing significantly. Consumers, although with some reluctance, are moving to greener products. The Mintel organization reported that the number of consumers buying green has tripled in recent years. Furthermore, it found that the number of consumers that never bought green products have decreased. These results show that widespread environmental awareness had an important role in purchasing behaviour, with more consumers considering the environmental impact of their buying decisions and looking for a greener alternative to their conventional purchasing options. The existing literature suggests that previous research regarding the green consumer profile has different perspectives. The first group of researchers attempted to characterize green consumer profile using sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, education, income and occupation. In tum, the second group of researchers used psychographic variables instead of sociodemographic ones (Mainieri, Barnett, Valdero, Unipan, & Oskamp. Journal of Social Psychology, 137(2), 189-204, 1997). This chapter aims to better explore the importance of green consumer segmentation and its implications from a management point of view. More specifically, the aim is to analyze which variables better characterize green consumers (sociodemographic and psychographic). At the end, a theoretical framework is proposed to enable and support organizations to better understand green consumer profile. It also enables managers and marketers to target and develop better marketing strategies for these segments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developing a National Alfalfa Information System

Using state-of-the-art telecommunication technologies, this project is developing a comprehensive knowledge resource for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.); the National Alfalfa Information System (NAIS). This project will serve as an improved model for Extension educational programs. Alfalfa is the most important forage crop in the USA and grown worldwide for feeding millions of livestock and in many cropping systems. As a legume, it is important in sustaining the environment and the productivity of agriculture. Information needs are present in every state and internationally. The NAIS is being developed through national and international cooperation, putting the best science-based alfalfa information and expertise at the fingertips of producers, consultants, extension workers, instructors, researchers, and users. Collaboratively developed materials will reduce duplication of effort. To make the knowledge easy-to-use, educational design, communication, and information science professionals are working with alfalfa experts in creating a WWW system and Web-aware CD-ROM. To ensure content quality, peer-review by members of multiple professional societies is included. A significant result will be around-the-clock availability of up-to-date, easy-to-use, and peerreviewed information. Shared workload and the peer-review process can influence faculty morale, efficiency, and effectiveness, an adjunct to maximizing the utilization of alfalfa worldwide by making the best information readily available

The role of genetic factors in predisposition to squamous cell cancer of the head and neck

© 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Migralepsy, hemicrania epileptica, post-ictal headache and “ictal epileptic headache”: a proposal for terminology and classification revision

Despite the fact that migraine and epilepsy are among the commoner brain diseases and that comorbidity of these conditions is well known, only few reports of migralepsy and hemicrania epileptica (HE) have been published according to the current ICHD-II criteria. Particularly, ICHD-II describes “migraine-triggered seizure” (i.e., migralepsy) among complications of migraine at “1.5.5” (as a rare event in which a seizure happens during migrainous aura), while hemicrania epileptica (coded at “7.6.1”) and post-ictal headache (coded at “7.6.2”) are described among headaches attributed to epileptic seizure. However, to date neither the International Headache Society nor the International League against Epilepsy mention that headache/migraine may be the sole ictal epileptic manifestation. Based on the current knowledge, migralepsy is highly unlikely to exist as such. We, therefore, propose to delete this term until clear evidence its existence is provided. Moreover, we herein propose a revision of terminology and classification criteria to properly represent the migraine/headache relationships. We suggest the term “ictal epileptic headache” in cases in which headache/migraine is the sole ictal epileptic manifestation

Headache in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for primary headaches in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Headache was classified in 75 patients with JME using a questionnaire, and its prevalence was correlated with the literature on the general population and clinical data. Headache was present in 47 patients. Thirty-one had migraine [20 migraine without aura (MO), 11 migraine with aura (MA)]. Fourteen patients with migraine had tension-type headache (TTH) in addition. Sixteen had only TTH. Comparison with the general population revealed a significantly higher prevalence of migraine (RR 4.4), MO (3.6), MA (7.3) and TTH (3.4) in JME. Risk factors for migraine and MO were female gender and for MA family history of migraine in first-degree relatives. Migraine and MA were associated with fairly controlled generalized tonic clonic seizures, MO with absences. Together with its strong genetic background, JME appears to be an attractive homogenous subtype of epilepsy for genetic research on migraine

О перспективе извлечения йода из продукта утилизации окислителя ракетного топлива

Crop models are essential tools for assessing the threat of climate change to local and global food production. Present models used to predict wheat grain yield are highly uncertain when simulating how crops respond to temperature. Here we systematically tested 30 different wheat crop models of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project against field experiments in which growing season mean temperatures ranged from 15 degrees C to 32 degrees C, including experiments with artificial heating. Many models simulated yields well, but were less accurate at higher temperatures. The model ensemble median was consistently more accurate in simulating the crop temperature response than any single model, regardless of the input information used. Extrapolating the model ensemble temperature response indicates that warming is already slowing yield gains at a majority of wheat-growing locations. Global wheat production is estimated to fall by 6% for each degree C of further temperature increase and become more variable over space and time