Regional integration and specialisation patterns in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse how economic integration in Europe has affected industrial geographical concentration in Spain and explain what the driving forces behind industry location are. Firstly, we construct regional specialisation and geographical concentration indices for Spanish 50 provinces and 30 industrial sectors in 1979, 1986 and 1992. Secondly, we carry out an econometric analysis of the determinants of geographical concentration of industries. Our main conclusion is that there is no evidence of increasing specialisation in Spain between 1979 and 1992 and that the most important determinant of Spain¿s economic geography is scale economies. Furthermore, traditional trade theory has no effects in explaining the pattern of industrial concentration

Patterns of alcohol consumption in the Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean).

Self-reported drinking habits were examined in a random sample of 1067 persons aged 25-64 years in the Seychelles, a country in epidemiological transition where consumption of home-brewed, mostly unregistered beverages has been traditionally high. Alcohol consumption was calculated from respondents reporting at least one drink per week ('regular drinkers'). Among men, 51.1% were regular drinkers and had average intake of 112.1 ml alcohol a day. Among women, 5.9% were regular drinkers and had 49.7 ml alcohol a day. Frequency of drinking, but not amount per drinker, was slightly less in the 25-34-year than older-age categories. Home-brews (mostly palm toddy and fermented sugar cane juice) were consumed by 52% of regular drinkers and accounted for 54% of the total alcohol intake reported by all regular drinkers. Based on the reported consumption by regular drinkers only, the average annual alcohol consumption amounted respectively to 20.7 litres and 1.2 litres per man and woman aged 25-64 years, or, using extrapolation, 13.2 litres and 0.8 litres per man and woman respectively of the total population. These values may underestimate the true figures by half, since reported beer consumption accounted for 53% of beer sales. Socio-economic status was associated strongly and inversely with home-brew consumption, but slightly and positively with consumption of commercially marketed beverages. Alcohol intake was associated with smoking, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and blood pressure, but not with age and body mass index. In conclusion, these data show high alcohol consumption in the Seychelles with an important gender difference, a large proportion of alcohol derived from home-brews, and opposite tendencies for the relationships between socio-economic status and home-made or commercially marketed beverages.

Evidence for segregated and integrative connectivity patterns in the human Basal Ganglia.

Detailed knowledge of the anatomy and connectivity pattern of cortico-basal ganglia circuits is essential to an understanding of abnormal cortical function and pathophysiology associated with a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. We aim to study the spatial extent and topography of human basal ganglia connectivity in vivo. Additionally, we explore at an anatomical level the hypothesis of coexistent segregated and integrative cortico-basal ganglia loops. We use probabilistic tractography on magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging data to segment basal ganglia and thalamus in 30 healthy subjects based on their cortical and subcortical projections. We introduce a novel method to define voxel-based connectivity profiles that allow representation of projections from a source to more than one target region. Using this method, we localize specific relay nuclei within predefined functional circuits. We find strong correlation between tractography-based basal ganglia parcellation and anatomical data from previously reported invasive tracing studies in nonhuman primates. Additionally, we show in vivo the anatomical basis of segregated loops and the extent of their overlap in prefrontal, premotor, and motor networks. Our findings in healthy humans support the notion that probabilistic diffusion tractography can be used to parcellate subcortical gray matter structures on the basis of their connectivity patterns. The coexistence of clearly segregated and also overlapping connections from cortical sites to basal ganglia subregions is a neuroanatomical correlate of both parallel and integrative networks within them. We believe that this method can be used to examine pathophysiological concepts in a number of basal ganglia-related disorders.

What drives invasibility? A multi-model inference test and spatial modelling of alien plant species richness patterns in northern Portugal

Understanding and anticipating biological invasions can focus either on traits that favour species invasiveness or on features of the receiving communities, habitats or landscapes that promote their invasibility. Here, we address invasibility at the regional scale, testing whether some habitats and landscapes are more invasible than others by fitting models that relate alien plant species richness to various environmental predictors. We use a multi-model information-theoretic approach to assess invasibility by modelling spatial and ecological patterns of alien invasion in landscape mosaics and testing competing hypotheses of environmental factors that may control invasibility. Because invasibility may be mediated by particular characteristics of invasiveness, we classified alien species according to their C-S-R plant strategies. We illustrate this approach with a set of 86 alien species in Northern Portugal. We first focus on predictors influencing species richness and expressing invasibility and then evaluate whether distinct plant strategies respond to the same or different groups of environmental predictors. We confirmed climate as a primary determinant of alien invasions and as a primary environmental gradient determining landscape invasibility. The effects of secondary gradients were detected only when the area was sub-sampled according to predictions based on the primary gradient. Then, multiple predictor types influenced patterns of alien species richness, with some types (landscape composition, topography and fire regime) prevailing over others. Alien species richness responded most strongly to extreme land management regimes, suggesting that intermediate disturbance induces biotic resistance by favouring native species richness. Land-use intensification facilitated alien invasion, whereas conservation areas hosted few invaders, highlighting the importance of ecosystem stability in preventing invasions. Plants with different strategies exhibited different responses to environmental gradients, particularly when the variations of the primary gradient were narrowed by sub-sampling. Such differential responses of plant strategies suggest using distinct control and eradication approaches for different areas and alien plant groups.

Seasonal patterns op biomass variation of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande and Potamageton pectinatus L. in a coastal logoon

Coastal lagoons where salinity varies within a wide range during the year are colonized by euryhaline macrophytes which can develop extensive beds. Seasonal changes in biomass of Ruppia cirrhosa and Potamogeton pectinatus were studied in Tancada Lagoon (Ebro Delta, NE Spain) in order to reveal the environmental factors controlling their population development. Ruppia cirrhosa occupy a larger area of the lagoon than Potarnogeton pectinatus. Their maximum above ground biomasses are also different (495 g m-2 and 351 g m-2 ash free dry weight, respectively). Below ground biomass of Ruppia cirrhosa is between 9 and 53 % of the above ground biomass, while it is 3-40 % for Potamogeton pectinatus. Chlorophyll a contents show fluctuations similar to biomass. Low salinity and high turbidity caused by freshwater inflows favour Potamogeton expansion, while Ruppia development is favoured by high salinity and transparent water.

Effects of exercise on the isoelectric patterns of erythropoietin.

OBJECTIVES: Recombinant erythropoietin has a strong impact on aerobic power and is therefore one of the most potent doping agents in endurance sports. The anti-doping control of this synthetic hormone relies on the detection, in the urine, of its isoelectric pattern, which differs from that of the corresponding natural hormone, the latter being typically more acidic than the former. However, a small number of natural urinary patterns, referred to as "atypical patterns," are less acidic than the dominant form. Based on anecdotal evidence, the occurrence of such patterns seems to be related to particular strenuous exercises. This study aimed to demonstrate this relation using a strenuous exercise protocol. DESIGN: Seven athletes took part in a training protocol including a series of supramaximal short-duration exercises. Urine and blood samples were collected throughout the protocols. SETTINGS: World Cycling Center, Aigle, Switzerland, and research laboratories. PARTICIPANTS: Seven top-level athletes (cyclists) were involved in this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Erythropoietin (EPO) isoelectric patterns were obtained by submitting blood and urine samples to isoelectric focusing. Additional protein dosages were performed. RESULTS: Supramaximal short-duration exercises induced the transformation of typical urinary natural EPO patterns into atypical ones. None of the obtained atypical patterns fulfilled the 3 criteria mandatory for reporting an adverse analytical finding. Serum EPO patterns were not affected by the exercises that caused the transformation of urinary patterns. CONCLUSION: An exercise-induced transient renal dysfunction is proposed as a hypothetic explanation for these observations that rely on parallel investigations of proteinuria in the same samples.

Pseudo-two-girdles c-axis fabric patterns in a quartz-feldspar mylonite (Costabona granodiorite, Canigo massif)

An example of the relationship that exist between the preferred crystaliografic orientation of quartz grains and the attitude of the mylonite foliation of quartz-feldspar mylonites is described. These rocks are the result of the inhomogeneous deformation under low-grade metamorphic conditions of a late Hercynian granodiorite, intruded into the gneisses of the slopes of the Canig massif (Eastern Pyrenees). The Costabona mylonites have a quartz c-axis fabric in pseudo-twogirdles symmetrical with respect to the mylonite foliation and perpendicular to the shearband systems which produce an extensional crenulation of the mylonite foliation.

Drinking Patterns and Their Predictive Factors in CONTROL: a 12-Month Prospective Study in a Sample of Alcohol-Dependent Patients Initiating Treatment.

Aims: To describe the drinking patterns and their baseline predictive factors during a 12-month period after an initial evaluation for alcohol treatment. Methods CONTROL is a single-center, prospective, observational study evaluating consecutive alcohol-dependent patients. Using a curve clustering methodology based on a polynomial regression mixture model, we identified three clusters of patients with dominant alcohol use patterns described as mostly abstainers, mostly moderate drinkers and mostly heavy drinkers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify baseline factors (socio-demographic, alcohol dependence consequences and related factors) predictive of belonging to each drinking cluster. ResultsThe sample included 143 alcohol-dependent adults (63.6% males), mean age 44.6 ± 11.8 years. The clustering method identified 47 (32.9%) mostly abstainers, 56 (39.2%) mostly moderate drinkers and 40 (28.0%) mostly heavy drinkers. Multivariate analyses indicated that mild or severe depression at baseline predicted belonging to the mostly moderate drinkers cluster during follow-up (relative risk ratio (RRR) 2.42, CI [1.02-5.73, P = 0.045] P = 0.045), while living alone (RRR 2.78, CI [1.03-7.50], P = 0.044) and reporting more alcohol-related consequences (RRR 1.03, CI [1.01-1.05], P = 0.004) predicted belonging to the mostly heavy drinkers cluster during follow-up. Conclusion In this sample, the drinking patterns of alcohol-dependent patients were predicted by baseline factors, i.e. depression, living alone or alcohol-related consequences and findings that may inform clinicians about the likely drinking patterns of their alcohol-dependent patient over the year following the initial evaluation for alcohol treatment.

Phenological patterns in Mediterranean pastures and scrubs of Catalonia

On the basis of two parallel data sets refering to phenological events in open scrubs and pastures at two sites (Balaguer and Vic), the authors present a comprehensive report of the phenology of these Mediterranean communities. Four main phenophases (vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting and resting) were recorded monthly in 11 communities over 15 months. The results allow comparisons to be drawn between localities and communities, both at community and species levels, and to consider the effects of contemporary climatic data. This yielded useful information on general trends and on the particular responses of each community type to their corresponding constraints.

Genetic Association of Recovery from Eating Disorders: The Role of GABA Receptor SNPs.

Follow-up studies of eating disorders (EDs) suggest outcomes ranging from recovery to chronic illness or death, but predictors of outcome have not been consistently identified. We tested 5151 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in approximately 350 candidate genes for association with recovery from ED in 1878 women. Initial analyses focused on a strictly defined discovery cohort of women who were over age 25 years, carried a lifetime diagnosis of an ED, and for whom data were available regarding the presence (n=361 ongoing symptoms in the past year, ie, 'ill') or absence (n=115 no symptoms in the past year, ie, 'recovered') of ED symptoms. An intronic SNP (rs17536211) in GABRG1 showed the strongest statistical evidence of association (p=4.63 × 10(-6), false discovery rate (FDR)=0.021, odds ratio (OR)=0.46). We replicated these findings in a more liberally defined cohort of women age 25 years or younger (n=464 ill, n=107 recovered; p=0.0336, OR=0.68; combined sample p=4.57 × 10(-6), FDR=0.0049, OR=0.55). Enrichment analyses revealed that GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) SNPs were over-represented among SNPs associated at p<0.05 in both the discovery (Z=3.64, p=0.0003) and combined cohorts (Z=2.07, p=0.0388). In follow-up phenomic association analyses with a third independent cohort (n=154 ED cases, n=677 controls), rs17536211 was associated with trait anxiety (p=0.049), suggesting a possible mechanism through which this variant may influence ED outcome. These findings could provide new insights into the development of more effective interventions for the most treatment-resistant patients.

Nonlinear analysis of human physical activity patterns in health and disease.

The reliable and objective assessment of chronic disease state has been and still is a very significant challenge in clinical medicine. An essential feature of human behavior related to the health status, the functional capacity, and the quality of life is the physical activity during daily life. A common way to assess physical activity is to measure the quantity of body movement. Since human activity is controlled by various factors both extrinsic and intrinsic to the body, quantitative parameters only provide a partial assessment and do not allow for a clear distinction between normal and abnormal activity. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the analysis of human activity pattern based on the definition of different physical activity time series with the appropriate analysis methods. The temporal pattern of postures, movements, and transitions between postures was quantified using fractal analysis and symbolic dynamics statistics. The derived nonlinear metrics were able to discriminate patterns of daily activity generated from healthy and chronic pain states.

Disordered eating behaviors: what about boys?

PURPOSE: To determine the characteristics specific to boys with disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and the general context in which these DEB occur. METHOD: Data were drawn from the SMASH02 database, a survey carried out among post-mandatory school students in Switzerland aged 16-20 years in 2002. Only males (N=3890) were included, and were classified into into one of four groups based on their level of concern about weight/food and on their eating behaviors, as follows: group 1: one concern without behavior (N=862); group 2: more than one concern without behavior (N=361); group 3: at least one behavior (N=798); and a control group (N=1869), according to previously validated items. Groups were compared for personal, family, school, experience of violence, and health-compromising behaviors variables on the bivariate level. All significant variables were included in a multinomial logistic regression using Stata 9 software. RESULTS: About one-half of the boys reported either a concern or unhealthy eating behavior. Compared with the control group, boys from the three groups were more likely to be students and to report a history of sexual abuse, delinquency, depression, and feeling fat. In addition, boys from group 3 were more likely to report a history of dieting, early puberty, peer teasing, having experienced violence, frequent inebriation, and being overweight. CONCLUSION: DEB concern adolescent males more frequently than thought and seem to be integrated in a general dysfunctional context, in which violence is predominant. Adolescent males also need to be screened for DEB. Moreover, prevention programs should target the increasing social and media pressure regarding boys ideal body shape and raise public consciousness about this phenomenon.