Palaeoenvironmental signatures revealed from rare earth element (REE) compositions of vertebrate microremains of the Vesiku Bone Bed (Homerian, Wenlock), Saaremaa Island, Estonia

The Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences is an open access journal and applies the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY to all its papers (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The attached file is the published version of the article

Rare earth elements (REEs) in vertebrate microremains from the upper Pridoli Ohesaare beds of Saaremaa Island, Estonia: geochemical clues to palaeoenvironment c

This is an open access article, available to all readers online, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The attached file is the published version of the article

An Instanton Picture O.P.E. <A^2> Condensate?

Gluon two- and three-point Green Functions computed in Landau gauge from the lattice show the existence of power corrections to the purely perturbative expressions, that can be explained through an Operator Product Expansion as the influence of a non gauge invariant mass dimension two condensate. The relationship of this condensate with topological properties of QCD, namely instantons, will be studied, giving a first estimate of the contribution of instantons to this condensate based in the direct lattice measure, after a cooling process, of the instanton liquid properties.Comment: Lattice2002(topology) contribution, 3 pages, 2 figure

The programming of sequences of saccades

Saccadic eye movements move the high-resolution fovea to point at regions of interest. Saccades can only be generated serially (i.e., one at a time). However, what remains unclear is the extent to which saccades are programmed in parallel (i.e., a series of such moments can be planned together) and how far ahead such planning occurs. In the current experiment, we investigate this issue with a saccade contingent preview paradigm. Participants were asked to execute saccadic eye movements in response to seven small circles presented on a screen. The extent to which participants were given prior information about target locations was varied on a trial-by-trial basis: participants were aware of the location of the next target only, the next three, five, or all seven targets. The addition of new targets to the display was made during the saccade to the next target in the sequence. The overall time taken to complete the sequence was decreased as more targets were available up to all seven targets. This was a result of a reduction in the number of saccades being executed and a reduction in their saccade latencies. Surprisingly, these results suggest that, when faced with a demand to saccade to a large number of target locations, saccade preparation about all target locations is carried out in paralle

The Influence of Physiological Status on age Prediction of Anopheles Arabiensis Using Near Infra-red spectroscopy

Determining the age of malaria vectors is essential for evaluating the impact of interventions that reduce the survival of wild mosquito populations and for estimating changes in vectorial capacity. Near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) is a simple and non-destructive method that has been used to determine the age and species of Anopheles gambiae s.l. by analyzing differences in absorption spectra. The spectra are affected by biochemical changes that occur during the life of a mosquito and could be influenced by senescence and also the life history of the mosquito, i.e., mating, blood feeding and egg-laying events. To better understand these changes, we evaluated the influence of mosquito physiological status on NIR energy absorption spectra. Mosquitoes were kept in individual cups to permit record keeping of each individual insect’s life history. Mosquitoes of the same chronological age, but at different physiological stages, were scanned and compared using cross-validations. We observed a slight trend within some physiological stages that suggest older insects tend to be predicted as being physiologically more mature. It was advantageous to include mosquitoes of different chronological ages and physiological stages in calibrations, as it increases the robustness of the model resulting in better age predictions. Progression through different physiological statuses of An. arabiensis influences the chronological age prediction by the NIRS. Entomologists that wish to use NIR technology to predict the age of field-caught An. gambiae s.l from their study area should use a calibration developed from their field strain using mosquitoes of diverse chronological ages and physiological stages to increase the robustness and accuracy of the predictions.\u

Neuromuscular Blockade with Rocuronium Bromide Increases the Tolerance of Acute Normovolemic Anemia in Anesthetized Pigs

Background: The patient's individual anemia tolerance is pivotal when blood transfusions become necessary, but are not feasible for some reason. To date, the effects of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) on anemia tolerance have not been investigated. Methods: 14 anesthetized and mechanically ventilated pigs were randomly assigned to the Roc group (3.78 mg/kg rocuronium bromide followed by continuous infusion of 1 mg/kg/min, n = 7) or to the Sal group (administration of the corresponding volume of normal saline, n = 7). Subsequently, acute normovolemic anemia was induced by simultaneous exchange of whole blood for a 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution (130/0.4) until a sudden decrease of total body O-2 consumption (VO2) indicated a critical limitation of O-2 transport capacity. The Hb concentration quantified at this time point (Hb(crit)) was the primary end-point of the protocol. Secondary endpoints were parameters of hemodynamics, O-2 transport and tissue oxygenation. Results: Hb(crit) was significantly lower in the Roc group (2.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.2 +/- 0.7 g/dl) reflecting increased anemia tolerance. NMB with rocuronium bromide reduced skeletal muscular VO2 and total body O-2 extraction rate. As the cardiac index increased simultaneously, total body VO2 only decreased marginally in the Roc group (change of VO2 relative to baseline -1.7 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.2 +/- 1.9% in the Sal group, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Deep NMB with rocuronium bromide increases the tolerance of acute normovolemic anemia. The underlying mechanism most likely involves a reduction of skeletal muscular VO2. During acellular treatment of an acute blood loss, NMB might play an adjuvant role in situations where profound stages of normovolemic anemia have to be tolerated (e.g. bridging an unexpected blood loss until blood products become available for transfusion). Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Caracterizacion de las muertes por siniestros en motocicleta en Ibagu?, 2008 -2012

50 P?ginasRecurso Electr?nicoLos accidentes de tr?nsito son un problema de salud mundial y han sido catalogados como un problema de salud p?blica por la OMS19. Producen una gran morbimortalidad, p?rdidas econ?micas y sociales de grandes magnitudes. Es por ello que se le ha dado gran importancia a los estudios epidemiol?gicos para tratar de establecer y aclarar los diferentes factores que intervienen en la producci?n de estos, con el fin de poder crear estrategias y programas para prevenirlos. Objetivo: caracterizar las muertes por lesiones de tr?nsito en motocicleta de Ibagu? entre los a?os 2008-2012. M?todos: estudio descriptivo, longitudinal, retrospectivo, basado en fallecimientos por lesiones de tr?nsito en motocicleta, ocurridos entre el primero de enero de 2008 y treinta y uno de diciembre de 2012. Resultados: Durante los 5 a?os, las muertes en los hombres fue mucho m?s alta que en las mujeres (en promedio 80,8% vs 19,2%). Del total la poblaci?n estudiada, el mayor porcentaje de las muertes se encontr? entre los 20 y 39 a?os de edad; los d?as s?bados y domingos tienen el mayor porcentaje de muertes por siniestros en moto en la ciudad de Ibagu?; el trauma craneoencef?lico severo fue la causa directa de muerte que se present? en m?s ocasiones y el tipo de actor vial que muri? con m?s alto porcentaje fue el conductor.ABSTRACT Traffic accidents are a global health problem and have been classified as an epidemic by the WHO. They produce a high morbidity and mortality and social and economic losses of great magnitude. That is why it has been given great importance to epidemiological studies to try to establish and clarify the different factors involved in the production of these, in order to develop strategies and programs to prevent them. Objective: To characterize mortality from traffic injuries in motorcycle in Ibagu? 2008-2012. Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective study based on deaths from traffic injuries in motorcycle, occurred between Jan. 2008 and Dec. 31, 2012. Results:During the 5 years, mortality in men was much higher than in women (on average 80,8% vs 19,3%). Of the total study population, the highest percentage was found between 20 and 39, Saturdays and Sundays have the highest percentage of deaths by motorcycle accidents in the city of Ibague, severe head trauma was the direct cause of death was present in most cases and the type of actor who died vial with highest percentage was the driver.INTRODUCCION 10 1. PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA 12 2. JUSTIFICACI?N 13 2.1 PREGUNTA DE INVESTIGACION 13 3. OBJETIVOS 14 3.1 OBJETIVO GENERAL 14 3.2 OBJETIVOS ESPEC?FICOS 14 4. MARCO TE?RICO 15 5. CONTEXTO 22 6. METODOLOG?A 24 6.1 TIPO DE ESTUDIO 24 6.2 POBLACI?N 24 6.3 DESCRIPCI?N DE LAS VARIABLES 24 6.4 T?CNICA DE RECOLECCI?N DE LA INFORMACI?N 25 6.5 CONTROL DE SESGOS 25 6.6 T?CNICAS DE PROCESAMIENTO Y AN?LISIS DE LOS DATOS 25 7. ASPECTOS ETICOS 26 8. RESULTADOS 27 6 P?g. 9. DISCUSION 40 10. CONCLUSIONES 42 RECOMENDACIONES 43 REFERENCIAS 44 ANEXO 4

A 3-portal approach for arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis

We present a 3-portal approach for arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis with the patient in the prone position. The prone position allows the use of the two standard posterior portals and it allows for accurate control of hindfoot alignment during surgery. Furthermore, the introduction of talocalcaneal lag screws is easy with the patient in this position. In addition to the standard posterior portals, an accessory third portal is created at the level of the sinus tarsi for introduction of a large diameter blunt trocar to open up the subtalar joint. Due to the curved geometry of the posterior subtalar joint, removal of the anterior articular cartilage is impossible by means of the posterior portals only. An advantage of the 3-portal approach is that ring curettes can be introduced through the accessory sinus tarsi portal to remove the articular cartilage of the anterior part of the posterior talocalcaneal joint. Arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis in patients with a talocalcaneal coalition presents a technical challenge as the subtalar joint space is limited. The 3-portal technique was successfully used in three subsequent patients with a talocalcaneal coalition; bony union of the subtalar arthrodesis occurred at 6 weeks following surgery. With the 3-portal technique, a safe and time-efficient arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis can be performed even in cases with limited subtalar joint space such as in symptomatic talocalcaneal coalition

Targeting homeostatic mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum stress to increase susceptibility of cancer cells to fenretinide-induced apoptosis: the role of stress proteins ERdj5 and ERp57

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) malfunction, leading to ER stress, can be a consequence of genome instability and hypoxic tissue environments. Cancer cells survive by acquiring or enhancing survival mechanisms to counter the effects of ER stress and these homeostatic responses may be new therapeutic targets. Understanding the links between ER stress and apoptosis may be approached using drugs specifically to target ER stress responses in cancer cells. The retinoid analogue fenretinide [N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide] is a new cancer preventive and chemotherapeutic drug, that induces apoptosis of some cancer cell types via oxidative stress, accompanied by induction of an ER stress-related transcription factor, GADD153. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that fenretinide induces ER stress in neuroectodermal tumour cells, and to elucidate the role of ER stress responses in fenretinide-induced apoptosis. The ER stress genes ERdj5, ERp57, GRP78, calreticulin and calnexin were induced in neuroectodermal tumour cells by fenretinide. In contrast to the apoptosis-inducing chemotherapeutic drugs vincristine and temozolomide, fenretinide induced the phosphorylation of eIF2α, expression of ATF4 and splicing of XBP-1 mRNA, events that define ER stress. In these respects, fenretinide displayed properties similar to the ER stress inducer thapsigargin. ER stress responses were inhibited by antioxidant treatment. Knockdown of ERp57 or ERdj5 by RNA interference in these cells increased the apoptotic response to fenretinide. These data suggest that downregulating homeostatic ER stress responses may enhance apoptosis induced by oxidative stress-inducing drugs acting through the ER stress pathway. Therefore, ER-resident proteins such as ERdj5 and ERp57 may represent novel chemotherapeutic targets