Late Early Triassic climate change: Insights from carbonate carbon isotopes, sedimentary evolution and ammonoid paleobiogeography

The late Early Triassic sedimentary-facies evolution and carbonate carbon-isotope marine record (delta(13)C(carb)) of ammonoid-rich, outer platform settings show striking similarities between the South ChinaBlock (SCB) and the widely distant Northern Indian Margin (NIM). The studied sections are located within the Triassic Tethys Himalayan belt (Losar section, Himachal Pradesh, India) and the Nanpanjiang Basin in the South China Block (Jinya section, Guangxi Province), respectively. Carbon isotopes from the studied sections confirm the previously observed carbon cycle perturbations at a time of major paleoceanographic changes in the wake of the end-Permian biotic crisis. This study documents the coincidence between a sharp increase in the carbon isotope composition and the worldwide ammonoid evolutionary turnover (extinction followed by a radiation) occurring around the Smithian-Spathian boundary. Based on recent modeling studies on ammonoid paleobiogeography and taxonomic diversity, we demonstrate that the late Early Triassic (Smithian and Spathian) was a time of a major climate change. More precisely, the end Smithian climate can be characterized by a warm and equable climate underlined by a flat, pole-to-equator, sea surface temperature (SST) gradient, while the steep Spathian SST gradient suggests latitudinally differentiated climatic conditions. Moreover, sedimentary evidence suggests a transition from a humid and hot climate during the Smithian to a dryer climate from the Spathian onwards. By analogy with comparable carbon isotope perturbations in the Late Devonian, Jurassic and Cretaceous we propose that high atmospheric CO(2) levels could have been responsible for the observed carbon cycle disturbance at the Smithian-Spathian boundary. We suggest that the end Smithian ammonoid extinction has been essentially caused by a warm and equable climate related to an increased CO(2) flux possibly originating from a short eruptive event of the Siberian igneous province. This increase in atmospheric CO(2) concentrations could have additionally reduced the marine calcium carbonate oversaturation and weakened the calcification potential of marine organisms, including ammonoids, in late Smithian oceans. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of the short version of the informal caregiver burden assessment questionnaire

OBJETIVE to create a reduced version of the QASCI, which is structurally equivalent to the long one and meets the criteria of reliability and validity. METHOD Through secondary data from previous studies, the participants were divided into two samples, one for the development of reduced version and the second for study of the factorial validity. Participants responded to QASCI, the SF 36, the ADHS and demographic questions. RESULTS A reduced version of 14 items showed adequate psychometric properties of validity and internal consistency, adapted to a heptadimensional structure that assesses positive and negative aspects of care. CONCLUSION Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit with the advocated theoretical model.

A non-randomized direct comparison of cognitive-behavioral short- and long-term treatment for binge eating disorder

Background: To compare treatment outcomes of a cognitive-behavioral long-term (CBT-L) and short-term (CBT-S) treatment for binge eating disorder (BED) in a non-randomized comparison and to identify moderators of treatment outcome. Methods: 76 female patients with BED participated in the study: 40 in CBT-L and 36 in CBT-S. Outcome values were compared at the end of the active treatment phase (16 sessions for CBT-L, 8 sessions for CBT-S) and at 12-month follow-up. Results: Both treatments produced significant reductions in binge eating. At the end of active treatment, but not at the end of follow-up, effects of primary outcomes (e.g. remission from binge eating, EDE shape concern) were better for CBT-L than for CBT-S. Dropout rates were significantly higher in CBT-L (35%) than in CBT-S (14%). Moderator analyses revealed that treatment efficacy for rapid responders and individuals exhibiting high scores on the mixed dietary negative affect subtype differed between the CBT-L and CBT-S with respect to objective binges, restraint eating and eating concern. Conclusion: Findings suggest that CBT in general represents an effective treatment for BED, but that subgroups of patients might profit more from a prolonged treatment. Short, lessintensive CBT treatments could nevertheless be a viable option in the treatment of BED.

The Importance of Using Games to Teach English in the 3rd Cycle

The title of this thesis is “The importance of using games to teach English in the 3rd Cycle”. I choose this topic because I think that games are important in the process of learning and because in my opinion not only students but people in general are more motivated to learn when they are having fun or when they are doing something that is interesting. Some authors argue that games stimulate learners to practise, to activate and extend their English vocabulary, and that most students feel more motivated to learn and learn more easily when they are having fun. Games make demands on learners’ intelligence and imagination and calls for active participation. That is exactly what 3rd Cycle students and teachers need in order to have success in their studies and work respectively. The 3rd Cycle students have covered the majority of the grammar and functions contents of the English curriculum in the previous Cycles (the 1st and 2nd Cycle) and in the 3rd Cycle the students need most of their time to put into practice what they have learned before. Games are an effective method to put in practice what they have learned before and also through games they have several contexts and different situations to explore in order to show their knowledge or their vocabulary. The 3rd Cycle students need methods that motivate them to learn and to participate in class and since they already study a specific language function. If the teacher uses an enjoyable method like games students will not get bored and they will be more motivate to participate in class.

A Multi-Center Phase II Study (SAKK 36/06) of Single Agent Everolimus (RAD001) In Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Introduction: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) accounts for 6% of all B-cell lymphomas and remains incurable for most patients. Those who relapse after first line therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have a dismal prognosis with short response duration after salvage therapy. On a molecular level, MCL is characterised by the translocation t[11;14] leading to Cyclin D1 overexpression. Cyclin D1 is downstream of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase and can be effectively blocked by mTOR inhibitors such as temsirolimus. We set out to define the single agent activity of the orally available mTOR inhibitor everolimus (RAD001) in a prospective, multi-centre trial in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL (NCT00516412). The study was performed in collaboration with the EU-MCL network. Methods: Eligible patients with histologically/cytologically confirmed relapsed (not more than 3 prior lines of systemic treatment) or refractory MCL received everolimus 10 mg orally daily on day 1 - 28 of each cycle (4 weeks) for 6 cycles or until disease progression. The primary endpoint was the best objective response with adverse reactions, time to progression (TTP), time to treatment failure, response duration and molecular response as secondary endpoints. A response rate of ≤ 10% was considered uninteresting and, conversely, promising if ≥ 30%. The required sample size was 35 pts using the Simon's optimal two-stage design with 90% power and 5% significance. Results: A total of 36 patients with 35 evaluable patients from 19 centers were enrolled between August 2007 and January 2010. The median age was 69.4 years (range 40.1 to 84.9 years), with 22 males and 13 females. Thirty patients presented with relapsed and 5 with refractory MCL with a median of two prior therapies. Treatment was generally well tolerated with anemia (11%), thrombocytopenia (11%), neutropenia (8%), diarrhea (3%) and fatigue (3%) being the most frequent complications of CTC grade III or higher. Eighteen patients received 6 or more cycles of everolimus treatment. The objective response rate was 20% (95% CI: 8-37%) with 2 CR, 5 PR, 17 SD, and 11 PD. At a median follow-up of 6 months, TTP was 5.45 months (95% CI: 2.8-8.2 months) for the entire population and 10.6 months for the 18 patients receiving 6 or more cycles of treatment. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that single agent everolimus 10 mg once daily orally is well tolerated. The null hypothesis of inactivity could be rejected indicating a moderate anti-lymphoma activity in relapsed/refractory MCL. Further studies of either everolimus in combination with chemotherapy or as single agent for maintenance treatment are warranted in MCL.

Lyfe-cycle effects on household expenditures: A latent-variable approach

Using data from the Spanish household budget survey, we investigate life-cycle effects on several product expenditures. A latent-variable model approach is adopted to evaluate the impact of income on expenditures, controlling for the number of members in the family. Two latent factors underlying repeated measures of monetary and non-monetary income are used as explanatory variables in the expenditure regression equations, thus avoiding possible bias associated to the measurement error in income. The proposed methodology also takes care of the case in which product expenditures exhibit a pattern of infrequent purchases. Multiple-group analysis is used to assess the variation of key parameters of the model across various household life-cycle typologies. The analysis discloses significant life-cycle effects on the mean levels of expenditures; it also detects significant life-cycle effects on the way expenditures are affected by income and family size. Asymptotic robust methods are used to account for possible non-normality of the data.

Biologia de Neotrioza tavaresi Crawford, 1925 (Hemiptera, Psyllidae), galhador da folha do araçazeiro (Psidium cattleianum)

Biology of the leaf gall inducer Neotrioza tavaresi Crawford, 1925 (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) on strawberry guava tree (Psidium cattleianum). A field study was conducted in Curitiba region, State of Paraná, southern Brazil, to describe the life cycle of Neotrioza tavaresi Crawford, 1925, a leaf galling insect in strawberry guava trees (Psidium cattleianum). Three cycles were observed (1997, 1998, 1999) during regular field trips and the insects were observed in Piraquara municipality, where 15 samples with 50 infested leaves were sampled in the 1997-98 cycle. Galls were dissected for detailed studies. Neotrioza tavaresi has a univoltine cycle in which adult individuals were found inside the galls from August onwards. The sexually mature insects with sex ratio 1, emerged from the galls after their dehiscence caused by feeding of the adult insects on the gall walls. Adult emergence started in early October and ended by early December, with its peak in November. Copulation took place as soon as adults exit the gall and egg laying started the next day. Females had more than 100 ovarioles containing 218.7±44.7 (n=50) fully formed eggs. This indicated the short sexual adult life-span (aprox. 5-7 days) of the species, also characterized by a concentrated oviposition. Adult individuals fed and laid their eggs on younger shoots of the plant. The bottoms of the yellowish eggs were inserted into the leaf tissue, mainly on its adaxial edge (78.1%). The nymphs hatched and, as they fed on the adaxial side of expanding leaves, modified the cell growth pattern and the round-shape galls developed on the adaxial side with one insect inside. The gall wall showed distinct layers, with the inner one suppliyng the food to the insects, and the outer layer supplying gall protection. Nymphs went through five instars and the exuviae remained stuck on a ball of wax inside the gall. All parasitoids found were Hymenoptera belonging to Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae (1 sp), Pteromalidae (2 spp) and Encyrtidae (3 spp). The findings suggest that leaf gall inducer and parasitoids insects and plant life cycles are closely connected and both leaf sprouting and gall opening seem to be triggered by the same environmental and plant conditions. The high abundance of shoots may favor insect performance as adult individuals can easily find an ideal place for feeding, copulating and laying eggs.