Coronary MR imaging: lumen and wall.

Coronary MR imaging is a promising noninvasive technique for the combined assessment of coronary artery anatomy and function. Anomalous coronary arteries and aneurysms can reliably be assessed in clinical practice using coronary MR imaging and the presence of significant left main or proximal multivessel coronary artery disease detected. Technical challenges that need to be addressed are further improvements in motion suppression and abbreviated scanning times aimed at improving spatial resolution and patient comfort. The development of new and specific contrast agents, high-field MR imaging with improved spatial resolution, and continued progress in MR imaging methods development will undoubtedly lead to further progress toward the noninvasive and comprehensive assessment of coronary atherosclerotic disease.

Sedimentology, geochemistry and mineralogy of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) : sediment records from Egypt, India and Spain

A gradual increase in Earth's surface temperatures marking the transition from the late Paleocene to early Eocene (55.8±0.2Ma), represents an extraordinary warming event known as Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Both marine and continental sedimentary records during this period reveal evidences for the massive injection of isotopically light carbon. The carbon dioxide injection from multiple potential sources may have triggered the global warming. The importance of the PETM studies is due to the fact that the PETM bears some striking resemblances to the human-caused climate change unfolding today. Most notably, the culprit behind it was a massive injection of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and oceans, comparable in volume to what our persistent burning of fossil fuels could deliver in coming centuries. The exact knowledge of what went on during the PETM could help us to foresee the future climate change. The response of the oceanic and continental environments to the PETM is different. Many factors might control the response of the environments to the PETM such as paleogeography, paleotopography, paleoenvironment, and paleodepth. To better understand the mechanisms triggering PETM events, two different environments were studied: 1) shallow marine to inner shelf environment (Wadi Nukhul, Sinai; and the Dababiya GSSP, Luxor, Egypt), and 2) terrestrial environments (northwestern India lignite mines) representing wetland, and fluvial environments (Esplugafreda, Spain) both highlighting the climatic changes observed in continental conditions. In the marine realm, the PETM is characterized by negative ö13Ccar and ô13Corg excursions and shifts in Ô15N to ~0%o values above the P/E boundary and persisting along the interval suggesting a bloom and high production of atmospheric N2-fixers. Decrease in carbonate contents could be due to dissolution and/or dilution by increasing detrital input. High Ti, K and Zr and decreased Si contents at the P/E boundary indicate high weathering index (CIA), which coincides with significant kaolinite input and suggests intense chemical weathering under humid conditions at the beginning of the PETM. Two anoxic intervals are observed along the PETM. The lower one may be linked to methane released from the continental shelf with no change in the redox proxies, where the upper anoxic to euxinic conditions are revealed by increasing U, Mo, V, Fe and the presence of small size pyrite framboids (2-5fim). Productivity sensitive elements (Cu, Ni, and Cd) show their maximum concentrated within the upper anoxic interval suggesting high productivity in surface water. The obtained data highlight that intense weathering and subsequent nutrient inputs are crucial parameters in the chain of the PETM events, triggering productivity during the recovery phase. In the terrestrial environments, the establishment of wetland conditions and consequence continental climatic shift towards more humid conditions led to migration of modern mammals northward following the extension of the tropical belts. Relative ages of this mammal event based on bio-chemo- and paleomagnetic stratigraphy support a migration path originating from Asia into Europe and North America, followed by later migration from Asia into India and suggests a barrier to migration that is likely linked to the timing of the India-Asia collision. In contrast, at Esplugafereda, northeastern Spain, the terrestrial environment reacted differently. Two significant S13C shifts with the lower one linked to the PETM and the upper corresponding to the Early Eocene Thermal Maximum (ETM2); 180/160 paleothermometry performed on two different soil carbonate nodule reveal a temperature increase of around 8°C during the PETM. The prominent increase in kaolinite content within the PETM is linked to increased runoff and/or weathering of adjacent and coeval soils. These results demonstrate that the PETM coincides globally with extreme climatic fluctuations and that terrestrial environments are very likely to record such climatic changes. - La transition Paléocène-Eocène (55,8±0,2 Ma) est marquée par un réchauffement extraordinaire communément appelé « Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum » (PETM). Les données géochimiques caractérisant les sédiments marins et continentaux de cette période indiquent que ce réchauffement a été déclenché par une augmentation massive de CO2 lié à la déstabilisation des hydrates de méthane stockés le long des marges océaniques. L'étude des événements PETM constitue donc un bon analogue avec le réchauffement actuel. Le volume de CO2 émis durant le PETM est comparable avec le CO2 lié à l'activité actuelle humaine. La compréhension des causes du réchauffement du PETM peut être cruciale pour prévoir et évaluer les conséquences du réchauffement anthropogénique, en particulier les répercussions d'un tel réchauffement sur les domaines continentaux et océaniques. De nombreux facteurs entrent en ligne de compte dans le cas du PETM, tels que la paléogéographie, la paléotopographie et les paléoenvironnement. Pour mieux comprendre les réponses environnementales aux événements du PETM, 2 types d'environnements ont été choisis : (1) le domaine marin ouvert mais relativement peu profond (Wadi Nukhul. Sinai, Dababiya, Luxor, Egypte), (2) le milieu continental marécageux humide (mines de lignite, Inde) et fluviatile, semi-aride (Esplugafreda, Pyrénées espagnoles). Dans le domaine marin, le PETM est caractérisé par des excursions négatives du ô13Ccar et ô13Corg et un shift persistant des valeurs de 815N à ~ 0 %o indiquant une forte activité des organismes (bactéries) fixant l'azote. La diminution des carbonates observée durant le PETM peut-être due à des phénomènes de dissolution ou une augmentation des apports terrigènes. Des taux élevés en Ti, K et Zr et une diminution des montants de Si, reflétés par des valeurs des indices d'altération (CIA) qui coïncident avec une augmentation significative des apports de kaolinite impliquent une altération chimique accrue, du fait de conditions plus humides au début du PETM. Deux événements anoxiques globaux ont été mis en évidence durant le PETM. Le premier, situé dans la partie inférieur du PETM, serait lié à la libération des hydrates de méthane stockés le long des talus continentaux et ne correspond pas à des variations significatives des éléments sensibles aux changements de conditions redox. Le second est caractérisé par une augmentation des éléments U, Mo, V et Fe et la présence de petit framboids de pyrite dont la taille varie entre 2 et 5pm. Le second épisode anoxique est caractérisé par une forte augmentation des éléments sensibles aux changements de la productivité (Cu, Ni et Co), indiquant une augmentation de la productivité dans les eaux de surface. Les données obtenues mettent en évidence le rôle crucial joué par l'altération et les apports en nutriments qui en découlent. Ces paramètres sont cruciaux pour la succession des événements qui ont conduit au PETM, et plus particulièrement l'augmentation de la productivité dans la phase de récupération. Durant le PETM, le milieu continental est caractérisé par l'établissement de conditions humides qui ont facilité voir provoqué la migration des mammifères modernes qui ont suivi le déplacement de ces ceintures climatiques. L'âge de cette migration est basé sur des arguments chimiostratigraphiques (isotopes stables), biostratigraphiques et paléomagnétiques. Les données bibliographiques ainsi que celles que nous avons récoltées en Inde, montrent que les mammifères modernes ont d'abord migré depuis l'Asie vers l'Europe, puis dans le continent Nord américain. Ces derniers ne sont arrivés en Inde que plus tardivement, suggérant que le temps de leur migration est lié à la collision Inde-Asie. Dans le Nord-Est de l'Espagne (Esplugafreda), la réponse du milieu continental aux événements PETM est assez différente. Comme en Inde, deux excursions signicatives en ô13C ont été observées. La première correspond au PETM et la seconde est corrélée avec l'optimum thermique de l'Eocène précoce (ETM2). Les isotopes stables de l'oxygène mesurés 2 différents types de nodules calcaires provenant de paléosols suggère une augmentation de 10°C pendant le PETM. Une augmentation simultanée des taux de kaolinite indique une intensification de l'altération chimique et/ou de l'érosion de sols adjacents. Ces résultats démontrent que le PETM coïncide globalement avec des variations climatiques extrêmes qui sont très aisément reconnaissables dans les dépôts continentaux.

The Immature Stages of Protodasyapha (Protodasyapha) hirtuosa (Philippi) and their Comparison with the Immature Stages of other Pangoniini (Diptera: Tabanidae: Pangoniinae)

The terrestrial immature stages of the Chilean horse fly, Protodasyapha (Protodasyapha) hirtuosa (Philippi), are described. P.(P.) hirtuosa resembles Ectenopsis vulpecula Macquart and Caenoprosopon trichocera (Bigot) from Australia, and Esenbeckia delta Hine from North America, in both the larval and pupal stages. Some characters that are shared between these species are unique and provide evidence of their monophyletic origin. Larvae of P. hirtuosa were found 3-5 below of the soil surface and associated with larvae of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera.

La llengua de l'enemic com a llengua pròpia: cultures translatives del paisatge indígena nord-americà

This research paper seeks to bring into view the present-day situation of Native-American narrative in English. It is divided into four chapters. The first deals with the emergence of what we might call a Native-American narrative style and its evolution from 1900 up until its particularly forceful expression in 1968 with the appearance of N. Scott Momaday’s novel House Made of Dawn. To trace this evolution, we follow the chronology set forth by Paula Gunn Allen in her anthology Voice of the Turtle: American Indian Literature 1900-1970. In the second chapter we hear various voices from contemporary Native-American literary production as we follow Simon J. Ortiz’s anthology Speaking for the Generations: Native Writers on Writing. Noteworthy among these are Leslie Marmon Silko and Gloria Bird, alongside new voices such as those of Esther G. Belin and Daniel David Moses, and closing with Guatemalan-Mayan Victor D. Montejo, exiled in the United States. These writers’ contributions gravitate around two fundamental notions: the interdependence between human beings and the surrounding landscape, and the struggle for survival, which of necessity involves the deconstruction of the (post-)colonial subject. The third chapter deals with an anthology of short stories and poems by present-day Native-American women writers, edited by Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird and entitled Reinventing the Enemy’s Language: Contemporary Native Women’s Writings of North America. It too exemplifies personal and cultural reaffirmation on a landscape rich in ancestral elements, but also where one’s own voice takes shape in the language which, historically, is that of the enemy. In the final chapter we see how translation studies provide a critical perspective and fruitful reflection on the literary production of Native-American translative cultures, where a wide range of writers struggle to bring about the affirmative deconstruction of the colonialised subject. Thus there comes a turnaround in the function of the “enemy’s language,” giving rise also to the question of cultural incommensurability.

Impacte de la variabilitat climàtica ràpida de l'últim període glacial sobre la vegetació del sud-est de Nord Amèrica

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada a UMR-CNRS - Géologie et Océanographie, França, entre 2007 i 2009. Els canvis climàtics ràpids de l’últim període glacial (cicles Dansgaard/Oeschger i Heinrich Stadials-HS), han estat documentats en testimonis marins, de gel i dipòsits continentals, generalment de l’hemisferi nord. Mentre que la majoria dels estudis paleoclimàtics i paleoceanogràfics de l’Atlàntic Nord sobre l’últim període glacial s’han centrat en la part nord i est, les latituds mitjanes de la part occidental han estat menys estudiades. Particularment, els canvis de la vegetació de l’est de Nord Amèrica durant l’últim glacial es coneixen molt poc degut a la manca de seqüències pol.líniques llargues en aquesta regió. Només dues seqüències de pol.len del llac Tulane (Florida) mostren canvis de la vegetació significatius i interessants durant l’últim glacial, que suggereixen HS càlids i humits, que contrasta amb el que s’observa a l’altre costat de l’Atlàntic Nord. El treball realitzat al UMR-CNRS 5805 EPOC, Université Bordeaux 1, EPHE, des del 23 d’abril 2007 al 22 d’abril 2009, gràcies a la beca Beatriu de Pinós, implica una reconstrucció a alta resolució dels canvis de la vegetació a partir de l’anàlisi d’un testimoni marí, localitzat a l’oest de l’Atlàntic Nord subtropical (MD99-2203, 34º58’N, 75º12’W), durant l’Estadi Isotòpic Marí 3 (MIS 3). Les dades pal.linològiques del testimoni mostren una alternança entre Picea i Quercus. En general, les associacions pol.líniques indiquen que les variacions de la vegetació segueixen un patró bosc boreal/temperat durant l’últim glacial. El model d’edat preliminar basat en edats radiomètriques suggereix un augment del bosc temperat acompanyat d’una reducció del boreal entre el H4 i el H3. La comparació amb registres pol.línics marins d’alta resolució de la regió est subtropical, a latituds similars, mostren, per primer cop, que els canvis en les formacions forestals associats als canvis climàtics ràpids de l’últim glacial van ser menys intensos al sud-est de Nord Amèrica que a la Península Ibèrica.

Helminth parasites in six species of shorebirds (Charadrii) from the Coast of Belize

Thirteen species of helminth parasites were recovered from six species of charadriid shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) from Belize: the ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres, the snowy plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, the semipalmated plover, C. semipalmatus, the killdeer, C. vociferus, the white-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis, and the black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola. Cestode species were predominant (N = 8), followed by trematode species (N = 3) and acanthocephala (N = 2). The trematode, Paramaritremopsis solielangi infected four of the six species of hosts. The cestodes, Nadejdolepis litoralis and N. paranitidulans infected three and two host species respectively. Helminth parasite species were contagious (clumped) and not evenly distributed among hosts. Twelve of the 13 species were generalists. The one specialist Microphallus kinsellae was recovered from one C. fuscicollis. Three of the four types of feeding guilds were present and in approximately the same number. All but M. kinsellae have been reported from other species of hosts, mostly from Eurasia and North America.

Imaging of Anorectal Malformations: Finding the Way out of the Labyrinth

Purpose/Aim: To review the embryological basis of a wide spectrum of anorectal malformations (ARM), to provide anatomical schemas showing the possiblelocations of fistulas in boys and girls and to present the typical imaging findings of these complex anomalies using various imaging methods with emphasis on3T-MRI.Content Organization: 1. Embryology. 2. Imaging techniques. 3. Normal 3T-MRI pelvic anatomy. 4. Ano-rectal malformations in boys: - Classification -Anatomic schemas of location of fistulas. - Imaging studies. 5. Ano-rectal malformations in girls: - Classification - Anatomic schemas of location of fistulas. -Imaging studies. 6. Imaging of Currarino syndrome. 7. Imaging of Vacterl syndrome.Summary: ARM are a group of complex anatomical alterations characterized by an abnormal separation of genitourinary system from hindgut. The major teachingpoints of this pictorial essay are to show: - The normal anatomy of the pelvis floor and the sphincter muscle complex in 3T-MRI. - Anatomic schemas of thedifferent types of ARM in boys and girls. - Imaging findings of a wide spectrum of ARM using a multimodality approach. including colostogramm, voidingcystourethrogramm and MRI of the pelvis.

Terrestrial mammal feces: a morphometric summary and description

The study of feces of terrestrial mammals brings out biological and ecological data such as the species presence, diet, behaviour, territory, parasitic fauna, and home-range use, which can be applied for conservation projects and support paleoecological research that use coprolites as the main source of study. Although the new biotechnological techniques allow more accurate data, the diagnosis based on morphometric analyses permits the primary identification of the taxonomic group origin to support the best choice of subsequent analyses. We present the compilation list of fecal shape and measurements available in the literature published in North America, Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe, and new data from Brazil. Shape and diameters are the best characteristics for taxonomic identification. Feces were assembled in 9 groups that reflect the Order, sometimes the Family, and even their common origin.

Personality factors and alcohol use: a mediator analysis of drinking motives.

Current evidence on the association between personality factors, drinking motives, and alcohol use comes exclusively from North America. The present study, however, is based on a sample of 2090 Swiss college students (mean age 23.5, SD = 2,9) and investigates by means of structural equation modeling whether drinking motives mediate the association between personality factors and alcohol use. The results revealed that extraversion was positively related to drinking for enhancement motives; conscientiousness was negatively related to both enhancement and coping motives; and neuroticism was positively related to drinking for coping motives. The association between extraversion and alcohol use was mediated by enhancement motives, while the negative association between conscientiousness and alcohol use was partially mediated by both enhancement and coping motives. This concurs with the findings of North American studies. However, in contrast to these findings, our study finds that coping motives attenuate the "protective" effect of neuroticism with regard to alcohol use. Taken together, the study indicates that alcohol use serves specific purposes depending on particular personality traits. The finding that personality-related effects are partially mediated by motives increases the likelihood that motive-based preventive efforts will help reduce alcohol use among young adults who display particular personality traits.

Fine-scale spatial genetic structure and gene dispersal in Silene latifolia.

Plants are sessile organisms, often characterized by limited dispersal. Seeds and pollen are the critical stages for gene flow. Here we investigate spatial genetic structure, gene dispersal and the relative contribution of pollen vs seed in the movement of genes in a stable metapopulation of the white campion Silene latifolia within its native range. This short-lived perennial plant is dioecious, has gravity-dispersed seeds and moth-mediated pollination. Direct measures of pollen dispersal suggested that large populations receive more pollen than small isolated populations and that most gene flow occurs within tens of meters. However, these studies were performed in the newly colonized range (North America) where the specialist pollinator is absent. In the native range (Europe), gene dispersal could fall on a different spatial scale. We genotyped 258 individuals from large and small (15) subpopulations along a 60 km, elongated metapopulation in Europe using six highly variable microsatellite markers, two X-linked and four autosomal. We found substantial genetic differentiation among subpopulations (global F(ST)=0.11) and a general pattern of isolation by distance over the whole sampled area. Spatial autocorrelation revealed high relatedness among neighboring individuals over hundreds of meters. Estimates of gene dispersal revealed gene flow at the scale of tens of meters (5-30 m), similar to the newly colonized range. Contrary to expectations, estimates of dispersal based on X and autosomal markers showed very similar ranges, suggesting similar levels of pollen and seed dispersal. This may be explained by stochastic events of extensive seed dispersal in this area and limited pollen dispersal.

National, regional, and global trends in fasting plasma glucose and diabetes prevalence since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 370 country-years and 2·7 million participants.

BACKGROUND: Data for trends in glycaemia and diabetes prevalence are needed to understand the effects of diet and lifestyle within populations, assess the performance of interventions, and plan health services. No consistent and comparable global analysis of trends has been done. We estimated trends and their uncertainties in mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and diabetes prevalence for adults aged 25 years and older in 199 countries and territories. METHODS: We obtained data from health examination surveys and epidemiological studies (370 country-years and 2·7 million participants). We converted systematically between different glycaemic metrics. For each sex, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate mean FPG and its uncertainty by age, country, and year, accounting for whether a study was nationally, subnationally, or community representative. FINDINGS: In 2008, global age-standardised mean FPG was 5·50 mmol/L (95% uncertainty interval 5·37-5·63) for men and 5·42 mmol/L (5·29-5·54) for women, having risen by 0·07 mmol/L and 0·09 mmol/L per decade, respectively. Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence was 9·8% (8·6-11·2) in men and 9·2% (8·0-10·5) in women in 2008, up from 8·3% (6·5-10·4) and 7·5% (5·8-9·6) in 1980. The number of people with diabetes increased from 153 (127-182) million in 1980, to 347 (314-382) million in 2008. We recorded almost no change in mean FPG in east and southeast Asia and central and eastern Europe. Oceania had the largest rise, and the highest mean FPG (6·09 mmol/L, 5·73-6·49 for men; 6·08 mmol/L, 5·72-6·46 for women) and diabetes prevalence (15·5%, 11·6-20·1 for men; and 15·9%, 12·1-20·5 for women) in 2008. Mean FPG and diabetes prevalence in 2008 were also high in south Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and central Asia, north Africa, and the Middle East. Mean FPG in 2008 was lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, east and southeast Asia, and high-income Asia-Pacific. In high-income subregions, western Europe had the smallest rise, 0·07 mmol/L per decade for men and 0·03 mmol/L per decade for women; North America had the largest rise, 0·18 mmol/L per decade for men and 0·14 mmol/L per decade for women. INTERPRETATION: Glycaemia and diabetes are rising globally, driven both by population growth and ageing and by increasing age-specific prevalences. Effective preventive interventions are needed, and health systems should prepare to detect and manage diabetes and its sequelae. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO.

Malaria prevention in travelers.

A common approach to malaria prevention is to follow the "A, B, C, D" rule: Awareness of risk, Bite avoidance, Compliance with chemoprophylaxis, and prompt Diagnosis in case of fever. The risk of acquiring malaria depends on the length and intensity of exposure; the risk of developing severe disease is primarily determined by the health status of the traveler. These parameters need to be assessed before recommending chemoprophylaxis and/or stand-by emergency treatment. This review discusses the different strategies and drug options available for the prevention of malaria during and post travel.