Relationships between the bivalve Macoma balthica and bacteria in intertidal sediments: Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy

The extensive intertidal flats of the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, support some of the highest population densities of Macoma balthica ever recorded. Densities of Macoma are positively correlated with density of bacteria in the sediment; correlations with tidal elevation and organic carbon content of the sediment are not significant. Macoma density appears to be related to the amount of fine material present in the sediment. Although Macoma feeds on the bacteria within the sediment, it must supplement its diet by suspension-feeding during high tide in order to acquire sufficient protein

Influence of anatomical site and topical formulation on skin penetration of sunscreens

Sunscreen products are widely used to protect the skin from sun-related damage. Previous studies have shown that some sunscreen chemicals are absorbed across the skin to the systemic circulation. The current study shows that absorption into the skin of sunscreen chemicals applied to the face is up to four times greater than that of the same product applied to the back. This has implications for the way sunscreen products are formulated and may allow the use of less potent products on the face compared with the rest of the body. The effect of formulation vehicles on the release and skin penetration of the common sunscreen agent benzophenone-3 (common name oxybenzone) was also assessed. Penetration of benzophenone-3 across excised human epidermis and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) membrane was measured using in vitro Franz-type diffusion cells. Penetration and epidermal retention was measured following application of infinite and finite (epidermis only) doses of benzophenone-3 in five vehicles: liquid paraffin, coconut oil, 50:50 ethanol:coconut oil, aqueous cream BP, and oily cream BP. Highest benzophenone-3 skin retention was observed for the ethanol:coconut oil combination. Maximal and minimal benzophenone-3 fluxes were observed from liquid paraffin and coconut oil, respectively. The alcohol-based vehicle exhibited low benzophenone-3 release from the vehicle but high skin penetration and retention

Effect of collecting duct histology on renal cell cancer outcome.

PURPOSE: Collecting duct renal cell carcinoma is a rare entity. Recent surgical series of the condition showed conflicting results. We used an American population based data set to compare the survival experience of patients with collecting duct vs clear cell renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases of collecting duct and clear cell renal cell carcinoma were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program (2001 to 2005). Demographic and pathological characteristics at diagnosis were compared. Differences in disease specific survival were compared with univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 160 collecting duct renal cell carcinoma cases were present in the database from 2001 to 2005. In that time 33,252 clear cell renal cell carcinoma cases were diagnosed. Collecting duct renal cell carcinoma was more common in black than in white patients (23% vs 9%, p <0.001). Collecting duct renal cell carcinoma was more commonly T3+ than T2/T1 (33% vs 18%, p <0.001) and metastatic than regional/local (28% vs 17%, p = 0.001). Nephrectomy rates were similar (84% and 78%, p = 0.06). The 3-year disease specific survival rate was 58% and 79% for collecting duct and clear cell renal cell carcinoma, respectively. On multivariate analysis there was an increased mortality risk in patients with collecting duct vs clear cell renal cell carcinoma (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.72-3.39, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma those with collecting duct renal cell carcinoma have higher stage and are more often black. Even after adjusting for demographic, surgical and pathological factors disease specific survival is significantly worse in patients with collecting duct rather than clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Further research into the biology of this rare tumor is required to explain these results

Ecological and Social Factors Constrain Spatial and Temporal Opportunities for Mating in a Migratory Songbird

Many studies of sexual selection assume that individuals have equal mating opportunities and that differences in mating success result from variation in sexual traits. However, the inability of sexual traits to explain variation in male mating success suggests that other factors moderate the strength of sexual selection. Extrapair paternity is common in vertebrates and can contribute to variation in mating success and thus serves as a model for understanding the operation of sexual selection. We developed a spatially explicit, multifactor model of all possible female-male pairings to test the hypothesis that ecological (food availability) and social (breeding density, breeding distance, and the social mate's nest stage) factors influence an individual's opportunity for extrapair paternity in a socially monogamous bird, the black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens. A male's probability of siring extrapair young decreased with increasing distance to females, breeding density, and food availability. Males on food-poor territories were more likely to sire extrapair young, and these offspring were produced farther from the male's territory relative to males on food-abundant territories. Moreover, males sired extrapair young mostly during their social mates' incubation stage, especially males on food-abundant territories. This study demonstrates how ecological and social conditions constrain the spatial and temporal opportunities for extrapair paternity that affect variation in mating success and the strength of sexual selection in socially monogamous species

Extended versus standard lymph node dissection for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in patients undergoing radical cystectomy

We acknowledge the support received from the author of the in-cluded study, Jürgen E. Gschwend who provided information onthe method of blinding. We are very grateful to Annemarie Uhlig, Guillaume Ploussard,Wassim Kassouf, Caroline Raw and Martin Burton for havingserved as peer reviewers. We thank Cochrane Urology, ManagingEditor Robert Lane and Cochrane Fast-Track Service, ManagingEditor Helen Wakeford, for the support we received.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Meeting of the Citi Corporate Audit and Risk Management Committee

Individuals attending this meeting include CitiGroup\u27s senior management team and members of its Board of Directors. Also, present internal legal counsel and additional counsel from KMPG LLP

The influence of rear turn signal characteristics on crash risk

The relationship between the relative risk of a rear-end collision involving a turn, merge, or lane change maneuver and the characteristics of the rear turn-signal configuration was examined using rear-end collision crash data pooled from seven States. To perform the analysis, a detailed database of rear signal characteristics was developed for the vehicles most frequently involved in crashes among five of the States. The signal lamp characteristics were combined with other factors contained in the crash record in a stepwise logistic regression that modeled the odds of a rear-end collision while performing a turn- signal-related maneuver as a function of all of these factors. Two contrast groups were used as the denominator of the odds ratio in separate analyses. The first contrast group was comprised of the striking vehicles involved in turn-signal-related rear-end collisions. The second contrast group was comprised of rear-struck vehicles not engaged in turn-signal relevant maneuvers. The first analysis suggests that there is an association between amber turn signals and a reduction of between 3 and 28 percent in the odds of being the struck (versus striking) vehicle in a turn-signal- relevant maneuver. The second analysis found no association between turn signal color and the odds of being struck in a turn-signal-relevant maneuver. The differences in the two analyses are discussed in terms of how well the respective contrast groups are insulated from potential effects of turn signal configurations. Additional analyses substituted vehicle series name with body style as a predictor in the model, and examined turn signal characteristics in vehicles that have been produced with both amber and red turn signals at different times. Although the analysis suggests that there may be a safety benefit associated with amber turn signals, it is unclear that turn signal color itself is completely responsible for the benefit. Further investigation of factors confounded with lamp color seems warranted before drawing a strong conclusion that turn signal color, by itself, is responsible for the observed differences.National Highway Transportation Safety Administrationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64479/1/102444.pd

Quantity, composition, and source of sediment collected in sediment traps along the fringing coral reef off Molokai, Hawaii

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 (2006): 1034-1047, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.01.008.Sediment traps were used to evaluate the frequency, cause, and relative intensity of sediment mobility/resuspension along the fringing coral reef off southern Molokai (February 2000–May 2002). Two storms with high rainfall, floods, and exceptionally high waves resulted in sediment collection rates > 1000 times higher than during non-storm periods, primarily because of sediment resuspension by waves. Based on quantity and composition of trapped sediment, floods recharged the reef flat with land-derived sediment, but had a low potential for burying coral on the fore reef when accompanied by high waves. The trapped sediments have low concentrations of anthropogenic metals. The magnetic properties of trapped sediment may provide information about the sources of land-derived sediment reaching the fore reef. The high trapping rate and low sediment cover indicate that coral surfaces on the fore reef are exposed to transient resuspended sediment, and that the traps do not measure net sediment accumulation on the reef surface