Analysis of factors influencing the ultrasonic fetal weight estimation

Objective: The aim of our study was the evaluation of sonographic fetal weight estimation taking into consideration 9 of the most important factors of influence on the precision of the estimation. Methods: We analyzed 820 singleton pregnancies from 22 to 42 weeks of gestational age. We evaluated 9 different factors that potentially influence the precision of sonographic weight estimation ( time interval between estimation and delivery, experts vs. less experienced investigator, fetal gender, gestational age, fetal weight, maternal BMI, amniotic fluid index, presentation of the fetus, location of the placenta). Finally, we compared the results of the fetal weight estimation of the fetuses with poor scanning conditions to those presenting good scanning conditions. Results: Of the 9 evaluated factors that may influence accuracy of fetal weight estimation, only a short interval between sonographic weight estimation and delivery (0-7 vs. 8-14 days) had a statistically significant impact. Conclusion: Of all known factors of influence, only a time interval of more than 7 days between estimation and delivery had a negative impact on the estimation

Mental rotation task of hands: differential influence number of rotational axes

Various studies on the hand laterality judgment task, using complex sets of stimuli, have shown that the judgments during this task are dependent on bodily constraints. More specific, these studies showed that reaction times are dependent on the participant’s posture or differ for hand pictures rotated away or toward the mid-sagittal plane (i.e., lateral or medial rotation, respectively). These findings point to the use of a cognitive embodied process referred to as motor imagery. We hypothesize that the number of axes of rotation of the displayed stimuli during the task is a critical factor for showing engagement in a mental rotation task, with an increased number of rotational axes leading to a facilitation of motor imagery. To test this hypothesis, we used a hand laterality judgment paradigm in which we manipulated the difficulty of the task via the manipulation of the number of rotational axes of the shown stimuli. Our results showed increased influence of bodily constraints for increasing number of axes of rotation. More specifically, for the stimulus set containing stimuli rotated over a single axis, no influence of biomechanical constraints was present. The stimulus sets containing stimuli rotated over more than one axes of rotation did induce the use of motor imagery, as a clear influence of bodily constraints on the reaction times was found. These findings extend and refine previous findings on motor imagery as our results show that engagement in motor imagery critically depends on the used number of axes of rotation of the stimulus set

Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms do not affect growth in fetal and early postnatal life. The Generation R Study

Background: Glucocorticoids have an important role in early growth and development. Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms have been identified that contribute to the variability in glucocorticoid sensitivity. We examined whether these glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms are associated with growth in fetal and early postnatal life.Methods: This study was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life onwards. The studied glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms included BclI (rs41423247), TthIIII (rs10052957), GR-9β (rs6198), N363S (rs6195) and R23K (rs6789 and6190). Fetal growth was assessed by ultrasounds in second and third trimester of pregnancy. Anthropometric measurements in early childhood were performed at birth and at the ages of 6, 14 and 24 months postnatally. Analyses focused on weight, length and head circumference. Analyses were based on 2,414 healthy, Caucasian children.Results: Glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms were not associated with fetal weight, birth weight and early postnatal weight. Also, no associations were found with length and head circumference. Neither were these polymorphisms associated with the risks of low birth weight or growth acceleration from birth to 24 months of age.Conclusions: We found in a large population-based cohort no evidence for an effect of known glucocorticoid receptor gene polymorphisms on fetal and early post

Spatial dependency of action simulation

In this study, we investigated the spatial dependency of action simulation. From previous research in the field of single-cell recordings, grasping studies and from crossmodal extinction tasks, it is known that our surrounding space can be divided into a peripersonal space and extrapersonal space. These two spaces are functionally different at both the behavioral and neuronal level. The peripersonal space can be seen as an action space which is limited to the area in which we can grasp objects without moving the object or ourselves. The extrapersonal space is the space beyond the peripersonal space. Objects situated within peripersonal space are mapped onto an egocentric reference frame. This mapping is thought to be accomplished by action simulation. To provide direct evidence of the embodied nature of this simulated motor act, we performed two experiments, in which we used two mental rotation tasks, one with stimuli of hands and one with stimuli of graspable objects. Stimuli were presented in both peri- and extrapersonal space. The results showed increased reaction times for biomechanically difficult to adopt postures compared to more easy to adopt postures for both hand and graspable object stimuli. Importantly, this difference was only present for stimuli presented in peripersonal space but not for the stimuli presented in extrapersonal space. These results extend previous behavioral findings on the functional distinction between peripersonal- and extrapersonal space by providing direct evidence for the spatial dependency of the use of action simulation. Furthermore, these results strengthen the hypothesis that objects situated within the peripersonal space are mapped onto an egocentric reference frame by action simulation

My Hand or Yours? Markedly Different Sensitivity to Egocentric and Allocentric Views in the Hand Laterality Task

In the hand laterality task participants judge the handedness of visually presented stimuli – images of hands shown in a variety of postures and views - and indicate whether they perceive a right or left hand. The task engages kinaesthetic and sensorimotor processes and is considered a standard example of motor imagery. However, in this study we find that while motor imagery holds across egocentric views of the stimuli (where the hands are likely to be one's own), it does not appear to hold across allocentric views (where the hands are likely to be another person's). First, we find that psychophysical sensitivity, d', is clearly demarcated between egocentric and allocentric views, being high for the former and low for the latter. Secondly, using mixed effects methods to analyse the chronometric data, we find high positive correlation between response times across egocentric views, suggesting a common use of motor imagery across these views. Correlations are, however, considerably lower between egocentric and allocentric views, suggesting a switch from motor imagery across these perspectives. We relate these findings to research showing that the extrastriate body area discriminates egocentric (‘self’) and allocentric (‘other’) views of the human body and of body parts, including hands

Exchange of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface below a Sparus aurata marine fish farm in the north-western Mediterranean Sea

Purpose: This study analyzes the effects of aquaculture activities in open seawater in the north-western coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the first of its kind to be based on benthic flux data gathered in situ below fish farms for this particular area. Materials and methods: Samples were collected on four sampling campaigns over a 1-year cycle under a Sparus aurata fish farm facility where benthic fluxes were measured in situ using light and dark benthic chambers. Bottom water and sediment samples were also collected. Data were compared to those for a nearby control station. Results and discussion: Significant differences were found (ANOVA, p < 0. 05) between concentrations of organic matter (OM), total phosphorus and redox potentials in sediments located under the cages and those of the control station. The consumption of dissolved oxygen (DO) by sediment and positive ammonium (NH4 +) fluxes was stimulated by OM content, with correlations of r = -0. 60 (p < 0. 01) and r = 0. 70 (p < 0. 01), respectively. The OM content of sediments was found to be consistently higher under the cages than at the control station, with the highest value (1. 8 ± 0. 7 %) under the cages observed during the early summer; values of DO and NH4 + fluxes were -64 ± 17 and 12. 7 ± 1. 0 mmol m-2 day-1, respectively. PO4 3- fluxes were consistently higher in the fish farm sediments (between 0. 58 and 0. 98 mmol m-2 day-1) than those observed at the control station. Nitrate (NO3 -) fluxes were found to be consistently negative due to denitrification occurring in the sediments and were related to the concentration of NO3 - in bottom waters (r = 0. 92, p < 0. 01). Si fluxes were shown to be associated with water temperature (r = 0. 59, p < 0. 05). Conclusions: The results imply that sediments located below cages accumulate organic matter originating from aquaculture activities, especially during summer months when this activity increases. Sediments undergo biogeochemical changes that mainly affect fluxes of DO, NH4 + and soluble reactive phosphorus, although these do not seem to have a significant impact on the quality of the water column due to the hydrodynamic characteristics of the area. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.We would like to thank the Caja del Mediterraneo for a predoctoral fellowship fund for this research and Antonio Asuncion Acuigroup Maremar manager for the facilities and support in conducting the study. The translation of this paper was funded by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain. We are grateful for the valuable comments of the anonymous reviewers on previous versions of the manuscript.Morata Higón, T.; Sospedra, J.; Falco Giaccaglia, SL.; Rodilla Alama, M. (2012). Exchange of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface below a Sparus aurata marine fish farm in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 12(10):1623-1632. doi:10.1007/s11368-012-0581-2S162316321210APHA, AWWA, and WEF (2005) Standard methods for the examination of water wastewater, 21st edn. American Public Health Association, WashingtonAksu M, Kocatas A (2007) Environmental effects of the three fish farms in Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea-Turkey) on water column and sediment. Rapport du 38e Congrés de la Commission Internationale Pour L’exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée 38, 414Aminot A, Chaussepied M (1983) Manuel des analyses chimiques en milieu marin. Centre National pour l’Explotation des Oceans, BrestArocena R, Conde D (1999) Sedimento. Métodos en ecología de aguas continentales. Universidad de la República, Montevideo, pp 40–52Asociación Empresarial de Productores de Cultivos Marinas (APROMAR) (2010) La Acuicultura Marina de Peces en España, pp. 69Baumgarten MGZ, Rocha JM, Niencheski LFH (1996) Manual de análises em oceanografia química, Rio GrandeBelias C, Dassenakis M, Scoullos M (2007) Study of the N, P and Si fluxes between fish farm sediment and seawater. Results of simulation experiments employing a benthic chamber under various redox conditions. Mar Chem 103:266–275Berelson WM, McManus J, Coale KH, Johnson KS, Burdige D, Kilgore T, Colodner D, Chavez F, Kudela R, Boucher J (2003) A time series of benthic flux measurements from Monterey Bay, CA. Cont Shelf Res 23:457–481Black KD, McDougall N (2002) Hydrography of four Mediterranean marine cage sites. J Appl Ichthyol 18:129–133Borja A, Rodríguez JG, Black K, Bodoy A, Emblow C, Fernandes TF, Forte J, Karakassis I, Muxika I, Nickell TD, Papageorgiou N, Pranovi F, Sevastou K, Tomassetti P, Angel D (2009) Assessing the suitability of a range of benthic indices in the evaluation of environmental impact of fin and shellfish aquaculture located in sites across Europe. Aquaculture 293:231–240Cermelj B, Ogrinc N, Faganeli J (2001) Anoxic mineralization of biogenic debris in near-shore marine sediments (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic). Sci Total Environ 266:143–152Dell’Anno A, Mei ML, Pusceddu A, Danovaro R (2002) Assessing the trophic state and eutrophication of coastal marine systems: a new approach based on the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. Mar Pollut Bull 44:611–622Dosdat A (2001) Environmental impact of aquaculture in the Mediterranean: nutritional and feeding aspects. Environmental impact assessment of Mediterranean aquaculture farms. Cah Options Méditerr CIHEAM-FAO 55:23–36Ferrón S, Ortega T, Forja JM (2009) Benthic fluxes in a tidal salt marsh creek by fish farm activities: Río San Pedro (Bay of Cádiz, SW Spain). Mar Chem 113:50–62Freitas U, Niencheski LFH, Zarzur S, Manzolli RP, Vieira JPP, Rosa LC (2008) Influência de um cultivo de camaraô sobre o metabolismo béntico e a qualidade da agua. Rev Bras Eng Agríc Ambient 12:293–301Hall POJ, Holby O, Kollberg S, Samuelsson MO (1992) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm: IV. Nitrogen. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 89:81–91Hargrave B (2005) Environmental effects of marine finfish aquaculture. The handbook of environmental. chemistry, vol. 5. Part M. Springer, BerlinHargrave BT, Phillips GA, Doucette LI, White MJ, Milligan TG, Wildish DJ, Cranston RE (1997) Assessing benthic impacts of organic enrichment from marine aquaculture. Water Air Soil Pollut 99:641–650Heilskov AC, Holmer M (2001) Effects of benthic fauna on organic matter mineralization in fish-farm sediments: importance of size and abundance. ICES J Mar Sci 58:427–434Herbert RA (1999) Nitrogen cycling in coastal marine ecosystems. FEMS Microbiol Rev 23:563–590Holby O, Hall POJ (1991) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm. 11. Phosphorus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 70:263–272Holby O, Hall POJ (1994) Chemical fluxes and mass balances in a marine fish cage farm. III. Silicon. Aquaculture 120:305–318Jackson C, Preston N, Thompson PJ (2004) Intake and discharge nutrient loads at three intensive shrimp farms. Aquacult Res 35:1053–1061Karakassis I, Tsapakis M, Hatziyanni E (1998) Seasonal variability in sediment profiles beneath fish farm cages in the Mediterranean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 162:243–252Kaymakci A, Aksu M, Egemen O (2010) Impacts of the fish farms on the water column nutrient concentrations and accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments in the eastern Aegean Sea (Turkey). Environ Monit Assess 162:439–451Lorenti M, De Falco G (2004) Measurements and characterization of abiotic variables. In: Gambi MC, Diappiano M (eds) Mediterranean marine benthos: a manual of methods for its sampling and study. Societa Italiana di Biologia Marina, Genova, pp 1–37Maldonado M, Carmona MC, Echeverría Y, Riesgo A (2005) The environmental impact of Mediterranean cage fish farms at semi-exposed locations: does it need a re-assessment? Helgol Mar Res 59:121–135Mantzavrakos E, Kornaros M, Lyberatos G, Kaspiris P (2007) Impacts of a marine fish farm in Argolikos Gulf (Greece) on the water column and the sediment. Desalination 210:110–124Mazzola A, Mirto S, La Rosa T, Fabiano M, Danovaro R (2000) Fish-farming effects on benthic community structure in coastal sediments: analysis of meiofaunal recovery. ICES J Mar Sci 57:1454–1461Molina L, Vergara JM (2005) Impacto ambiental de jaulas flotantes: estado actual de conocimientos y conclusiones prácticas. Bol Inst Esp Oceanogr 21:75–81Morán XAG, Estrada M (2005) Winter pelagic photosynthesis in the NW Mediterranean Deep-Sea. Research I 52:1806–1822Neofitou N, Klaoudatos S (2008) Effect of fish farming on the water column nutrient concentration in a semi-enclosed gulf of the Eastern Mediterranean. Aquac Res 39:482–490Niencheski LF, Jahnke RA (2002) Benthic respiration and inorganic nutrient fluxes in the estuarine región of Patos Lagoon (Brazil). Aquat Geochem 8:135–152Nizzoli D, Bartoli M, Viaroli P (2007) Oxygen and ammonium dynamics during a farming cycle of the bivalve Tapes philippinarum. Hydrobiologia 587:25–36Pergent-Martini C, Boudouresque CF, Pasqualini V, Pergent G (2006) Impact of fish farming facilities on Posidonia oceanica meadows: a review. Mar Ecol 27:310–319Pitta P, Karakassis I, Tsapakis M, Zivanovic S (1999) Natural versus mariculture induced variability in nutrients and plankton in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hydrobiologia 391:181–194Redfield AC, Ketchum BH, Richards FA (1963) The influence of organisms on the composition of seawater. In: Hill MN (ed) The sea, vol 2. Interscience, New YorkRiise JC, Roos N (1997) Benthic metabolism and the effects of bioturbation in a fertilized polyculture fish pond in northeast Thailand. Aquaculture 150:45–62Rodríguez J (1999) Ecología. Ed. Pirámide. pp 411Sakamaki T, Nishimura O, Sudo R (2006) Tidal time-scale variation in nutrient flux across the sediment-water interface of an estuarine tidal flat. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 67:653–663Sarà G, Scilipoti D, Milazzo M, Modica A (2006) Use of stable isotopes to investigate dispersal of waste from fish farms as a function of hydrodynamics. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 313:261–270Shepard FP (1954) Nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay relations. J Sediment Petrol 24:151–158Siokou-Frangou I, Christaki U, Mazzocchi MG, Montresor M, Ribera d’Alcalá M, Vaqué D, Zingone A (2010) Plankton in the open Mediterranean Sea: a review. BG 7:1543–1586Warnken KW, Gill GA, Lehman R, Dellapenna T, Allison MA (2002) The effects of shrimp trawling on sediment oxygen demand and the release of trace metals and nutrients from estuarine sediments. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 57:25–42Yucel-Gier G, Kucuksezgin F, Kocak F (2007) Effects of fish farming on nutrients and benthic community structure in the Eastern Aegean (Turkey). Aquac Res 38:256–26

Body Context and Posture Affect Mental Imagery of Hands

Different visual stimuli have been shown to recruit different mental imagery strategies. However the role of specific visual stimuli properties related to body context and posture in mental imagery is still under debate. Aiming to dissociate the behavioural correlates of mental processing of visual stimuli characterized by different body context, in the present study we investigated whether the mental rotation of stimuli showing either hands as attached to a body (hands-on-body) or not (hands-only), would be based on different mechanisms. We further examined the effects of postural changes on the mental rotation of both stimuli. Thirty healthy volunteers verbally judged the laterality of rotated hands-only and hands-on-body stimuli presented from the dorsum- or the palm-view, while positioning their hands on their knees (front postural condition) or behind their back (back postural condition). Mental rotation of hands-only, but not of hands-on-body, was modulated by the stimulus view and orientation. Additionally, only the hands-only stimuli were mentally rotated at different speeds according to the postural conditions. This indicates that different stimulus-related mechanisms are recruited in mental rotation by changing the bodily context in which a particular body part is presented. The present data suggest that, with respect to hands-only, mental rotation of hands-on-body is less dependent on biomechanical constraints and proprioceptive input. We interpret our results as evidence for preferential processing of visual- rather than kinesthetic-based mechanisms during mental transformation of hands-on-body and hands-only, respectively