Slab segmentation controls the interplate slip motion in the SW Hellenic subduction: New insight from the 2008Mw 6.8 Methoni interplate earthquake

We present an integrated approach of the seismic structure and activity along the offshore SW Hellenic subduction from combined observations of marine and land seismic stations. Our imaging of the slab top topography from teleseismic receiver function analysis at ocean bottom seismometers supports a trenchward continuation of the along-dip slab faults beneath the Peloponnesus. We further show that their morphostructural control accounts for the backstepping of the thrust contact of the Mediterranean Ridge accretionary wedge over the upper plate. Local seismic activity offshore SW Peloponnesus constrained by ocean bottom seismometer observations reveals a correlation with specific features of the forearc: the Matapan Troughs. We study the Mw6.8 14.02.2008 interplate earthquake offshore SW Peloponnesus and show that its nucleation, rupture zone, and aftershocks sequence are confined to one slab panel between two adjacent along-dip faults and are thus controlled by not only the offshore slab top segmentation but also the upper plate sea-bottom morphology

Economic impact of childhood/adolescent ADHD in a European setting:the Netherlands as a reference case

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder in children/adolescents. This study reviews available European-based studies of ADHD-related costs and applies the findings to the Netherlands to estimate annual national costs for children/adolescents from a societal perspective. A systematic literature search was conducted for primary studies in Europe, published January 1, 1990 through April 23, 2013. Per-person cost estimates were converted to 2012 Euros and used to estimate annual national ADHD-related costs based on the Dutch 2011 census, ADHD prevalence rates, family composition, and employment rates. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The average total ADHD-related costs ranged from a,not sign9,860 to a,not sign14,483 per patient and annual national costs were between a,not sign1,041 and a,not sign1,529 million (M). The largest cost category was education (a,not sign648 M), representing 62 and 42 % of the low- and high-value overall national estimates, respectively. By comparison, ADHD patient healthcare costs ranged between a,not sign84 M (8 %) and a,not sign377 M (25 %), and social services costs were a,not sign4.3 M (0.3-0.4 %). While the majority of the costs were incurred by ADHD patients themselves, a,not sign161 M (11-15 %) was healthcare costs to family members that were attributable to having an ADHD child/adolescent. In addition, productivity losses of family members were a,not sign143-a,not sign339 M (14-22 %). Despite uncertainties because of the small number of studies identified and the wide range in the national cost estimates, our results suggest that ADHD imposes a significant economic burden on multiple public sectors in Europe. The limited number of European-based studies examining the economic burden of ADHD highlights the need for more research in this area

Modeling screening, prevention, and delaying of Alzheimer's disease: an early-stage decision analytic model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alzheimer's Disease (AD) affects a growing proportion of the population each year. Novel therapies on the horizon may slow the progress of AD symptoms and avoid cases altogether. Initiating treatment for the underlying pathology of AD would ideally be based on biomarker screening tools identifying pre-symptomatic individuals. Early-stage modeling provides estimates of potential outcomes and informs policy development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A time-to-event (TTE) simulation provided estimates of screening asymptomatic patients in the general population age ≥55 and treatment impact on the number of patients reaching AD. Patients were followed from AD screen until all-cause death. Baseline sensitivity and specificity were 0.87 and 0.78, with treatment on positive screen. Treatment slowed progression by 50%. Events were scheduled using literature-based age-dependent incidences of AD and death.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The base case results indicated increased AD free years (AD-FYs) through delays in onset and a reduction of 20 AD cases per 1000 screened individuals. Patients completely avoiding AD accounted for 61% of the incremental AD-FYs gained. Total years of treatment per 1000 screened patients was 2,611. The number-needed-to-screen was 51 and the number-needed-to-treat was 12 to avoid one case of AD. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that duration of screening sensitivity and rescreen interval impact AD-FYs the most. A two-way sensitivity analysis found that for a test with an extended duration of sensitivity (15 years) the number of AD cases avoided was 6,000-7,000 cases for a test with higher sensitivity and specificity (0.90,0.90).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study yielded valuable parameter range estimates at an early stage in the study of screening for AD. Analysis identified duration of screening sensitivity as a key variable that may be unavailable from clinical trials.</p

Merging Mouse Transcriptome Analyses with Parkinson's Disease Linkage Studies

The hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD OMIM #168600) is the degeneration of the nigral dopaminergic system affecting approximately 1% of the human population older than 65. In pursuit of genetic factors contributing to PD, linkage and association studies identified several susceptibility genes. The majority of these genes are expressed by the dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. We, therefore, propose expression by these neurons as a selection criterion, to narrow down, in a rational manner, the number of candidate genes in orphan PD loci, where no mutation has been associated thus far. We determined the corresponding human chromosome locations of 1435 murine cDNA fragments obtained from murine expression analyses of nigral dopaminergic neurons and combined these data with human linkage studies. These fragments represent 19 genes within orphan OMIM PD loci. We used the same approach for independent association studies and determined the genes in neighborhood to the peaks with the highest LOD score value. Our approach did not make any assumptions about disease mechanisms, but it, nevertheless, revealed α-synuclein, NR4A2 (Nurr1), and the tau genes, which had previously been associated to PD. Furthermore, our transcriptome analysis identified several classes of candidate genes for PD mutations and may also provide insight into the molecular pathways active in nigral dopaminergic neurons

Morphology and dynamics of inflated subaqueous basaltic lava flows

International audienceDuring eruptions onto low slopes, basaltic Pahoehoe lava can form thin lobes that progressively coalesce and inflate to many times their original thickness, due to a steady injection of magma beneath brittle and viscoelastic layers of cooled lava that develop sufficient strength to retain the flow. Inflated lava flows forming tumuli and pressure ridges have been reported in different kinds of environments, such as at contemporary subaerial Hawaiian-type volcanoes in Hawaii, La Réunion and Iceland, in continental environments (states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington), and in the deep sea at Juan de Fuca Ridge, the Galapagos spreading center, and at the East Pacific Rise (this study). These lava have all undergone inflation processes, yet they display highly contrasting morphologies that correlate with their depositional environment, the most striking difference being the presence of water. Lava that have inflated in subaerial environments display inflation structures with morphologies that significantly differ from subaqueous lava emplaced in the deep sea, lakes, and rivers. Their height is 2-3 times smaller and their length being 10-15 times shorter. Based on heat diffusion equation, we demonstrate that more efficient cooling of a lava flow in water leads to the rapid development of thicker (by 25%) cooled layer at the flow surface, which has greater yield strength to counteract its internal hydrostatic pressure than in subaerial environments, thus limiting lava breakouts to form new lobes, hence promoting inflation. Buoyancy also increases the ability of a lava to inflate by 60%. Together, these differences can account for the observed variations in the thickness and extent of subaerial and subaqueous inflated lava flows

Lack of efficacy of blueberry in nutritional prevention of azoxymethane-initiated cancers of rat small intestine and colon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blueberries may lower relative risk for cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Previous work indicated an inhibitory effect of consumed blueberry (BB) on formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in colons of male Fisher F344 rats (inbred strain). However, effects of BB on colon tumors and in both genders are unknown.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined efficacy of BB in inhibition of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon ACF and intestine tumors in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (outbred strain). Pregnant rats were fed a diet with or without 10% BB powder; progeny were weaned to the same diet as their dam and received AOM as young adults.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Male and female rats on control diet had similar numbers of ACF at 6 weeks after AOM administration. BB increased (<it>P </it>< 0.05) ACF numbers within the distal colon of female but not male rats. There was a significant (<it>P </it>< 0.05) diet by gender interaction with respect to total colon ACF number. Colon and duodenum tumor incidences were less in females than males at 17 weeks after AOM. BB tended (0.1 > <it>P </it>> 0.05) to reduce overall gastrointestinal tract tumor incidence in males, however, tumor incidence in females was unaffected (<it>P </it>> 0.1) by BB. There was a tendency (0.1 > <it>P </it>> 0.05) for fewer adenocarcinomas (relative to total of adenomatous polyps plus adenocarcinomas) in colons of female than male tumor-bearing rats; in small intestine, this gender difference was significant (<it>P </it>< 0.05). BB favored (<it>P </it>< 0.05) fewer adenocarcinomas and more adenomatous polyps (as a proportion of total tumor number) in female rat small intestine.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results did not indicate robust cancer-preventive effects of BB. Blueberry influenced ACF occurrence in distal colon and tumor progression in duodenum, in gender-specific fashion. Data indicate the potential for slowing tumor progression (adenomatous polyp to adenocarcinoma) by BB.</p