Right coronary artery flow velocity and volume assessment with spiral K-space sampled breathhold velocity-encoded MRI at 3 tesla: accuracy and reproducibility.

PURPOSE: To evaluate accuracy and reproducibility of flow velocity and volume measurements in a phantom and in human coronary arteries using breathhold velocity-encoded (VE) MRI with spiral k-space sampling at 3 Tesla. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Flow velocity assessment was performed using VE MRI with spiral k-space sampling. Accuracy of VE MRI was tested in vitro at five constant flow rates. Reproducibility was investigated in 19 healthy subjects (mean age 25.4 +/- 1.2 years, 11 men) by repeated acquisition in the right coronary artery (RCA). RESULTS: MRI-measured flow rates correlated strongly with volumetric collection (Pearson correlation r = 0.99; P < 0.01). Due to limited sample resolution, VE MRI overestimated the flow rate by 47% on average when nonconstricted region-of-interest segmentation was used. Using constricted region-of-interest segmentation with lumen size equal to ground-truth luminal size, less than 13% error in flow rate was found. In vivo RCA flow velocity assessment was successful in 82% of the applied studies. High interscan, intra- and inter-observer agreement was found for almost all indices describing coronary flow velocity. Reproducibility for repeated acquisitions varied by less than 16% for peak velocity values and by less than 24% for flow volumes. CONCLUSION: 3T breathhold VE MRI with spiral k-space sampling enables accurate and reproducible assessment of RCA flow velocity.

Evaluation of the chicken transcriptome by SAGE of B cells and the DT40 cell line

Background: The understanding of whole genome sequences in higher eukaryotes depends to a large degree on the reliable definition of transcription units including exon/intron structures, translated open reading frames (ORFs) and flanking untranslated regions. The best currently available chicken transcript catalog is the Ensembl build based on the mappings of a relatively small number of full length cDNAs and ESTs to the genome as well as genome sequence derived in silico gene predictions.Results: We use Long Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (LongSAGE) in bursal lymphocytes and the DT40 cell line to verify the quality and completeness of the annotated transcripts. 53.6% of the more than 38,000 unique SAGE tags (unitags) match to full length bursal cDNAs, the Ensembl transcript build or the genome sequence. The majority of all matching unitags show single matches to the genome, but no matches to the genome derived Ensembl transcript build. Nevertheless, most of these tags map close to the 3' boundaries of annotated Ensembl transcripts.Conclusions: These results suggests that rather few genes are missing in the current Ensembl chicken transcript build, but that the 3' ends of many transcripts may not have been accurately predicted. The tags with no match in the transcript sequences can now be used to improve gene predictions, pinpoint the genomic location of entirely missed transcripts and optimize the accuracy of gene finder software.

Measurement with Some Theory: a New Approach to Evaluate Business Cycle Models

We propose a method to evaluate cyclical models which does not require knowledge of the DGP and the exact empirical specification of the aggregate decision rules. We derive robust restrictions in a class of models; use some to identify structural shocks and others to evaluate the model or contrast sub-models. The approach has good size and excellent power properties, even in small samples. We show how to examine the validity of a class of models, sort out the relevance of certain frictions, evaluate the importance of an added feature, and indirectly estimate structural parameters.

Association between variants of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) and overweight: a systematic review and an analysis of the CoLaus study.

BACKGROUND: Three non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (Q223R, K109R and K656N) of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) have been tested for association with obesity-related outcomes in multiple studies, showing inconclusive results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of the three LEPR variants with BMI. In addition, we analysed 15 SNPs within the LEPR gene in the CoLaus study, assessing the interaction of the variants with sex. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We searched electronic databases, including population-based studies that investigated the association between LEPR variants Q223R, K109R and K656N and obesity- related phenotypes in healthy, unrelated subjects. We furthermore performed meta-analyses of the genotype and allele frequencies in case-control studies. Results were stratified by SNP and by potential effect modifiers. CoLaus data were analysed by logistic and linear regressions and tested for interaction with sex. The meta-analysis of published data did not show an overall association between any of the tested LEPR variants and overweight. However, the choice of a BMI cut-off value to distinguish cases from controls was crucial to explain heterogeneity in Q223R. Differences in allele frequencies across ethnic groups are compatible with natural selection of derived alleles in Q223R and K109R and of the ancient allele in K656N in Asians. In CoLaus, the rs10128072, rs3790438 and rs3790437 variants showed interaction with sex for their association with overweight, waist circumference and fat mass in linear regressions. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review and analysis of primary data from the CoLaus study did not show an overall association between LEPR SNPs and overweight. Most studies were underpowered to detect small effect sizes. A potential effect modification by sex, population stratification, as well as the role of natural selection should be addressed in future genetic association studies.

Business cycle measurement with some theory

A method to evaluate cyclical models not requiring knowledge of the DGP and the exact specificationof the aggregate decision rules is proposed. We derive robust restrictions in a class of models; use someto identify structural shocks in the data and others to evaluate the class or contrast sub-models. Theapproach has good properties, even in small samples, and when the class of models is misspecified. Themethod is used to sort out the relevance of a certain friction (the presence of rule-of-thumb consumers)in a standard class of models.

Observaciones sobre la utilización y el crecimiento del pectinido Argopecten purpuratus (L) en el área de pesca de Pisco, Perú

El pectinido Argopecten purpuratus es uno de los moluscos comerciales más importantes del área pesquera de Pisco. El esfuerzo de pesca ha crecido violentamente durante la última década con el resultado que en las capturas predominan los individuos jóvenes y pequeños. Con frecuencia no se da cumplimiento al dispositivo legal que limita el desembarque a individuos mayores de 55 mm.. A f in de describir la actual situación del stock de conchas de abanico en el área de Pisco, fue necesario obtener datos de los desembarques de invertebrados. Para lo cual se tomaron algunas muestras al azar que coincidieron con los datos suministrados por el. Laboratorio de Pisco, del Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE). La composición de tamaños en las capturas se obtuvo mediante viajes con los pescadores. Los datos de crecimiento se obtuvieron mediante tres métodos: 1. El ''método de Petersen", 2. Lectura de anillos de crecimiento, y 3. Un experimento de cultivo de 3 meses. Los resultados indican que el Argopecten purpuratus es un pectínido de crecimiento relativamente rápido. Conchas de abanico jóvenes de 40-50 mm. de altura de la concha crecen cerca de 4-5 mm por mes en el verano. Un cálculo basado en los anillos de crecimiento indica que estas conchas de abanico alcanzan la altura de 40-50 mm en un año y la de 75-80 mm en dos. Finalmente, se obtuvo datos de captura por unidad de esfuerzo, de captura por área y de la densidad de la población en las áreas principales de pesca . Se llega a la conclusión que el actual stock de conchas de abanico está sobrepescado. Si se mantiene la misma intensidad de pesca debe esperarse una disminución del rendimiento. Se recomienda por lo tanto que se eleve el tamaño mínimo legal de 55 mm a 70 mm de altura de la concha, Esto debe conducir a un aumento de la biomasa y una mayor fecundidad del stock con el resultado de un aumento del rendimiento después de un periodo preliminar de bajas capturas.

Abundancia masiva y crecimiento de pre-adultos de la concha de abanico peruana (Argopecten purpuratus) en la zona de Pisco bajo condiciones de El niño 1983

Una abundancia masiva de pre-adultos de la concha de abanico se observó en la zona de Pisco a fines de abril de 1983, dando lugar a un considerable aumento de su explotación en los meses siguientes. Para conocer el tiempo que esta especie necesita para reclutarse a la pesquería, el crecimiento de pre-adultos muy pequeños (promedio de 8,2 mm) fue observado en una bandeja de fondo durante las estaciones de otoño e invierno en 1983. Después de 110 días, las conchas alcanzaron el tamaño mínimo permitido (55 mm) indicando un crecimiento muy rápido en comparación a otros pectínidos.

Long-range transport of Saharan dust to northern Europe: The 11-16 October 2001 outbreak observed with EARLINET

The spread of mineral particles over southwestern, western, and central Europeresulting from a strong Saharan dust outbreak in October 2001 was observed at10 stations of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET). For the firsttime, an optically dense desert dust plume over Europe was characterized coherentlywith high vertical resolution on a continental scale. The main layer was located abovethe boundary layer (above 1-km height above sea level (asl)) up to 3–5-km height, andtraces of dust particles reached heights of 7–8 km. The particle optical depth typicallyranged from 0.1 to 0.5 above 1-km height asl at the wavelength of 532 nm, andmaximum values close to 0.8 were found over northern Germany. The lidar observationsare in qualitative agreement with values of optical depth derived from Total OzoneMapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data. Ten-day backward trajectories clearly indicated theSahara as the source region of the particles and revealed that the dust layer observed,e.g., over Belsk, Poland, crossed the EARLINET site Aberystwyth, UK, and southernScandinavia 24–48 hours before. Lidar-derived particle depolarization ratios,backscatter- and extinction-related A ° ngstro¨m exponents, and extinction-to-backscatterratios mainly ranged from 15 to 25%, 0.5 to 0.5, and 40–80 sr, respectively, within thelofted dust plumes. A few atmospheric model calculations are presented showing the dustconcentration over Europe. The simulations were found to be consistent with thenetwork observations.

Caracterização de padrões de chuvas ocorrentes em Santa Maria (RS)

As características da chuva de uma região podem determinar a maior parte dos efeitos danosos da erosão. A variação da intensidade durante a chuva é uma dessas importantes características. Entretanto, pouco se sabe sobre os padrões de chuva ocorrentes no Brasil. Este trabalho teve como objetivos determinar os padrões das chuvas erosivas naturais verificadas em Santa Maria (RS), e estimar o período de retorno das chuvas em três padrões propostos. Pluviogramas diários foram cedidos pela Estação Central Experimental de Silvicultura e Conservação do Solo de Santa Maria, pertencente à Fepagro, compreendendo o período de 1963 a 1989 e 1991 a 1992. As chuvas foram classificadas em padrão avançado, intermediário e atrasado, de acordo com a posição do pico de máxima intensidade e, posteriormente, foi estimado o período de retorno das chuvas para cada padrão. Algumas características de interesse foram calculadas, como a intensidade média dos picos, duração das chuvas e dos picos com intensidade superior a 100 mm h-1. Das 1.193 chuvas erosivas individuais analisadas, os padrões, avançado, interme-diário e atrasado, corresponderam a 551, 295 e 347 chuvas, perfazendo 46,2; 24,7 e 29,1% do total de chuvas, respectivamente. Isso caracteriza o padrão avançado como o padrão de chuvas mais freqüente em Santa Maria. Das 79 chuvas com picos de intensidade superiores a 100 mm h-1, os padrões analisados (avançado, intermediário e atrasado) corresponderam a 45, 18 e 16 chuvas, perfazendo 8,2; 6,1 e 4,6% do total de chuvas, respectivamente. A duração média das chuvas com picos de intensidade superiores a 100 mm h-1 foi de 8 h, e a duração dos picos foi de seis min. e 50 seg. Foram calculados os períodos de retorno de 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 e 100 anos para as durações estudadas e construídas curvas de intensidade, duração e freqüência para os padrões de chuva supracitados.

Perdas de solo e água em entressulcos em um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo submetido a quatro padrões de chuva

A erosão é grandemente afetada pela intensidade da chuva. No entanto, poucas pesquisas no Brasil têm-se dedicado a estudar esse efeito. Este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar as perdas de solo e água em um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico abrúptico, submetido a quatro diferentes padrões de chuva. Os tratamentos foram: aplicação de chuvas simuladas com intensidade variável em diferentes padrões: avançado, intermediário, atrasado e constante. As chuvas tiveram duração de 60 min, com um pico de 120 mm h-1, durante 5 min, para os padrões de intensidade variável, e uma intensidade de 35 mm h-1, para o padrão constante, realizadas sobre solo preparado com uma aração e duas gradagens. As parcelas foram delimitadas por chapas de metal galvanizado, com dimensões de 0,75 m de comprimento no sentido do declive e 0,50 m de largura. Para a aplicação das chuvas, utilizou-se um simulador estacionário de bicos múltiplos, com a variação da intensidade controlada por programa computacional. As taxas máximas de perdas de solo foram, respectivamente, de 37, 49 e 91% maiores na chuva do padrão atrasado do que nas chuvas dos padrões: avançado, intermediário e constante. As taxas máximas de perdas de água foram de 19, 22 e 79% maiores na chuva do padrão atrasado do que nas chuvas dos demais padrões, respectivamente. Observou-se que o padrão atrasado revelou maiores perdas acumuladas de solo. Chuvas com picos de alta intensidade, como as de intensidade variável, ocasionam maiores perdas de solo e água do que as chuvas de intensidade constante. O padrão de chuva avançado causou o menor tempo de início do escoamento, seguido pelo padrão intermediário e pelo atrasado, enquanto este último causou o maior tempo de início de escoamento.