Short-term effects of an organochloride pesticide (endosulfan) on amphibian tadpoles

Poster (2010)

Short-term memory and the left intraparietal sulcus: Focus of attention? Further evidence from a face short-term memory paradigm

in NeuroImage (2007), 35(1), 353-367

This study explored the validity of an attentional account for the involvement of the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) in visual STM tasks. This account considers that during STM tasks, the IPS acts as an ... [more ▼]

This study explored the validity of an attentional account for the involvement of the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) in visual STM tasks. This account considers that during STM tasks, the IPS acts as an attentional modulator, maintaining activation in long-term memory networks that underlie the initial perception and processing of the specific information to be retained. In a recognition STM paradigm, we presented sequences of unfamiliar faces and instructed the participants to remember different types of information: either the identity of the faces or their order of presentation. We hypothesized that, if the left IPS acts as an attentional modulator, it should be active in both conditions, but connected to different neural networks specialized in serial order or face identity processing. Our results showed that the left IPS was activated during both order and identity encoding conditions, but for different reasons. During order encoding, the left IPS showed functional connectivity with order processing areas in the right IPS, bilateral premotor and cerebellar cortices, reproducing earlier results obtained in a verbal STM experiment. During identity encoding, the left IPS showed preferential functional connectivity with right temporal, inferior parietal and medial frontal areas involved in detailed face processing. These results not only support an attentional account of left IPS involvement in visual STM, but given their similarity with previous results obtained for a verbal STM task, they further highlight the importance of the left IPS as an attentional modulator in a variety of STM tasks. [less ▲]

Short-term optical variability of HD 153919 = 4U1700-37

in Acta Astronomica (1979), 29(4), 481-503

Photometric observations of HD 153919 are presented, which indicate optical cyclic variations with an amplitude of up to 0.02 mag, and a strong dependence of the amplitude on the orbital plane. From power ... [more ▼]

Photometric observations of HD 153919 are presented, which indicate optical cyclic variations with an amplitude of up to 0.02 mag, and a strong dependence of the amplitude on the orbital plane. From power spectrum analysis, a value of 99.9 min from the observations of van Paradijs et al. (1978) has been determined for the characteristic period. In addition, evidence suggests a secular decrease of the period with a rate of decrease of -0.03 per year. [less ▲]

Short-term post-dispersal fate of seeds primarily dispersed by tamarins

Conference (2009, February 25)

Short-Term Risk Stratification at Admission Based on Simple Clinical Data in Acute Myocardial Infarction

in American Journal of Cardiology (1988), 61(4), 216-9

Simple clinical data, available in all coronary care units, were recorded in 1,013 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In order to identify the patients at highest and lowest risk ... [more ▼]

Simple clinical data, available in all coronary care units, were recorded in 1,013 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In order to identify the patients at highest and lowest risk of mortality during hospital stay, a prognostic index was established from a stepwise logistic discriminant analysis of 10 clinical variables obtained at admission in a consecutive series of 477 patients hospitalized in 1 of 2 coronary care units admitting new patients on alternate days and treating them similarly. This prognostic index was applied to a comparison group of 536 consecutive patients admitted to the other coronary care unit. In the experimental group, 57 of the 477 patients (12%) died during hospital stay; 60 of the 536 patients (11%) died in the comparison group. As individual variables, age, previous history of AMI, anterior site and left ventricular function on admission were associated with increased mortality. Three variables were selected from the stepwise logistic discriminant analysis of the experimental group: age; site (anterior = 1, other = 0); and grade of left ventricular function (0 to 4). Prognostic index = 5.9019 - 0.8961 function - 0.5708 location - 0.0369 age. This index was validated in the comparison group. Patients were allocated into different classes with increasing index values associated with decreasing risk. Three subgroups of patients were identified: high risk of hospital mortality (index less than or equal to 1; mortality: 51%), intermediate risk (index 1 to 3; mortality: 18%) and low risk (index greater than 3; mortality: 4%). The use of this simple prognostic index may improve clinical management and selection of patients for intervention trials. [less ▲]

Short-term temperature impact on soil heterotrophic respiration in limed agricultural soil samples

in Biogeochemistry (2013), 112(1-3), 441-455

This study sought to investigate the hourly and daily timescale responses of soil CO2 fluxes to temperature in a limed agricultural soil. Observations from different incubation experiments were compared ... [more ▼]

This study sought to investigate the hourly and daily timescale responses of soil CO2 fluxes to temperature in a limed agricultural soil. Observations from different incubation experiments were compared with the results of a model combining biotic (heterotrophic respiration) and abiotic (carbonate weathering) components. Several samples were pre-incubated for 8-9 days at three temperatures (5, 15 and 25°C) and then submitted to short-term temperature cycles (where the temperature was increased from 5 to 35°C in 10°C stages, with each stage being 3 h long). During the temperature cycles (hourly timescale), the soil CO2 fluxes increased significantly with temperature under all pre-incubation temperature treatments. A hysteresis effect and negative fluxes during cooling phases were also systematically observed. At a given hourly timescale temperature, there was a negative relationship of the CO2 fluxes with the pre-incubation temperature. Using the combined model allowed the experimental results to be clearly described, including the negative fluxes and the hysteresis effect, showing the potentially large contribution of abiotic fluxes to total fluxes in limed soils, after short-term temperature changes. The fairly good agreement between the measured and simulated flux results also suggested that the biotic flux temperature sensitivity was probably unaffected by timescale (hourly or daily) or pre-incubation temperature. The negative relationship of the CO2 fluxes with the pre-incubation temperature probably derived from very labile soil carbon depletion, as shown in the simulations. This was not, however, confirmed by soil carbon measurements, which leaves open the possibility of adaptation within the microbial community. [less ▲]

Short-term temperature impacts on soil respiration.

Poster (2009, June)

Despite considerable recent work on soil heterotrophic respiration, a mechanistic understanding of this process is still missing. Temperature is one of the most important driving factors. It can influence ... [more ▼]

Despite considerable recent work on soil heterotrophic respiration, a mechanistic understanding of this process is still missing. Temperature is one of the most important driving factors. It can influence the mechanism through multiple ways, whose importance may vary with time. An incubation experiment is set up to study short-term temperature influences on soil microbial respiration and its evolution through time. Soil samples are taken in spring from the surface layer (0-25cm) of a bare agricultural loamy soil situated in Lonzée in Belgium (Hesbaye region) and are homogenized before being placed into incubators at three different temperatures, namely 5, 15 and 25°C. Temperature is regulated by Peltier systems that warm up or cool down a sand bath containing jars with soil samples. Once a week, incubation temperatures are increased and decreased by 5°C-steps, starting from each incubator temperature, to achieve a one-day temperature cycle between 5 and 35°C. CO2 flux measurements are performed at each temperature step by a closed dynamic chamber system, after the temperature has stabilized in the samples. Microbial biomass (C and N) is determined four times during the temperature cycle by the fumigation-extraction technique and soil labile carbon is measured at the beginning of each cycle by the hot-water extraction method. Moisture levels in soil samples are regularly checked and adjusted to keep optimal soil moisture content. Between CO2 flux measurements, jars are left open to ensure that anaerobic conditions do not occur. Further investigations could include an assessment of the importance of substrate availability and depletion on microbial activity, and a model development related to the results provided by this experiment. [less ▲]

Short-term variations of the partial pressure of CO2 in surface waters of the Galician upwelling system

in Progress in Oceanography (2001), 50(2-4), 283-302

The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and dissolved oxygen saturation level (%O2) were monitored continuously during a cruise in August 1998, which sampled surface waters off the Galician coast. Data are ... [more ▼]

The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and dissolved oxygen saturation level (%O2) were monitored continuously during a cruise in August 1998, which sampled surface waters off the Galician coast. Data are presented from two Lagrangian experiments carried out in an upwelling on the continental shelf and in the core of an offshore filament. The data show that daily variations in surface pCO2 and oxygen (%O2) were controlled by the diurnal cycle of primary production/respiration, temperature variations and air–sea exchange. Data obtained during various cross-shelf and cross-filament transects are also discussed and give an insight into the processes controlling large scale variations of pCO2 and %O2 in the Galician upwelling system. These data suggest that upwelling filaments are an important feature of the inorganic carbon cycle of upwelling systems. However more field data in the various eastern boundary current systems worldwide are needed. [less ▲]

Shortened first-line high-dose chemotherapy for patients with poor-prognosis aggressive lymphoma

in Journal of Clinical Oncology (2002), 20(10), 2472-2479

Purpose: Randomized trial LNH93-3 was conducted on patients who had poor-prognosis aggressive lymphoma and were younger than 60 years with two to three factors of the age-adjusted International Prognostic ... [more ▼]

Purpose: Randomized trial LNH93-3 was conducted on patients who had poor-prognosis aggressive lymphoma and were younger than 60 years with two to three factors of the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index to evaluate the benefit of early high-dose therapy (HDT) with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Patients and Methods: Patients were randomized between doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisone (ACVBP) chemotherapy followed by sequential consolidation and an experimental shortened treatment consisting of three cycles with escalated doses of cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisone and collection of peripheral-blood stem cells. On day 60, HDT was administered with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan followed by ASCT. Results: Eligible patients (n = 370) with aggressive lymphoma were analyzed. For ACVBP (181 patients) and HDT (189 patients), respective complete remission rates were 64% and 63%. With a median follow-up of 60 months, 5-year overall survival and event-free survival for ACVBP and HDT were 60% +/- 8% and 46% +/- 8% (P = .007) and 52 +/- 8% and 39 8% (P = .01), respectively. Survival was independently affected by age greater than 40 years (P = .0003), T-cell phenotype (P = .009), bone marrow involvement (P = .003), and HDT treatment group (P = .04). Conclusion: Early HDT with ASCT in high-risk patients was inferior to the ACVBP chemotherapy regimen. These results indicate that the received dose-intensity before HDT was too low when compared with ACVBP and HDT and was given too early. (C) 2002 by American Society of Clinical Oncology. [less ▲]

Shortsea shipping from hinterland ports by sea-river going vessels: study of the influence of a free cabotage policy.

Conference (1994, June)