bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Harvest-induced disruptive selection increases variance in fitness-related traits
Authors: Edeline Eric , Le Rouzic Arnaud , Winfield Ian J. , Fletcher Janice M. , James J. Ben , Stenseth Nils Chr. , Vøllestad L. Asbjørn
Published: September 2009

The form of Darwinian selection has important ecological and management implications. Negative effects of harvesting are often ascribed to size truncation (i.e. strictly directional selection against large individuals) and resultant decrease in trait variability, which depresses capacity to buffer environmental change, hinders evolutionary rebound and ultimately impairs population recovery. However, the exact form of harvest-induced selection is generally unknown and the effects of harvest on trait variability remain unexplored. Here we use unique data from the Windermere (UK) long-term ecological experiment to show in a top predator (pike,
Esox lucius
) that the fishery does not induce size truncation but disruptive (diversifying) selection, and does not decrease but rather increases variability in pike somatic growth rate and size at age. This result is supported by complementary modelling approaches removing the effects of catch selectivity, selection prior to the catch and environmental variation. Therefore, fishing most likely increased genetic variability for somatic growth in pike and presumably favoured an observed rapid evolutionary rebound after fishery relaxation. Inference about the mechanisms through which harvesting negatively affects population numbers and recovery should systematically be based on a measure of the exact form of selection. From a management perspective, disruptive harvesting necessitates combining a preservation of large individuals with moderate exploitation rates, and thus provides a comprehensive tool for sustainable exploitation of natural resources.
Father–offspring phenotypic correlations suggest intralocus sexual conflict for a fitness-linked trait in a wild sexually dimorphic mammal
Authors: Mainguy Julien , Côté Steeve D. , Festa-Bianchet Marco , Coltman David W.
Published: September 2009

In sexually dimorphic and polygynous mammals, sexual selection often favours large males with well-developed weaponry, as these secondary sexual characters confer advantages in intrasexual competition and are often preferred by females. Little is known, however, about the effects of sexually selected paternal traits on offspring phenotype in wild mammals, especially when considering that shared phenotypic traits and selection can also differ greatly between genders. Here, we conducted molecular parentage analyses in a long-term study population of mountain goats (
Oreamnos americanus
), an ungulate exhibiting high sexual dimorphism in mass, to first assess the determinants of yearly reproductive success (YRS) in males. We then examined the effects of paternal characteristics on offspring mass at 1 year of age. Paternity was highly skewed, with 9 per cent of 57 males siring 51 per cent of 96 offspring assigned over 12 years. Male YRS increased with age until apparent reproductive senescence at 9 years, but mass was a stronger determinant of siring success than age, horn length or social rank. Mass of sons increased with paternal mass, but the mass of daughters was negatively related to that of their father, a finding consistent with recent theory on intralocus sexual conflict. Because early differences in mass persisted to early adulthood, sex-specific effects of paternal mass can have important fitness consequences, as adult mass is positively linked with reproduction in both sexes. Divergent father–offspring phenotypic correlations may partly explain the maintenance of sexual dimorphism in mountain goats and the large variance observed for this homologous trait within each gender in polygynous mammals.
Tumor‐host histopathologic variables, stromal myofibroblasts and risk score, are significantly associated with recurrent disease in tongue cancer
Authors: Vered Marilena , Dobriyan Alex , Dayan Dan , Yahalom Ran , Talmi Yoav P. , Bedrin Lev , Barshack Iris , Taicher Shlomo
Published: September 2009

Margin status, a major prognostic parameter in oral cancer, was analyzed vis‐à‐vis the histopathologic parameters of risk scores and stromal myofibroblasts. Specimens of tongue carcinoma (n = 50) were submitted to a risk score assignment consisting of the worst pattern of invasion, lymphocytic infiltration, and perineural invasion. Frequency of stromal myofibroblasts (alpha‐smooth muscle actin stain) was assessed. A triple immunostaining assay with E‐cadherin, Ki‐67 and alpha‐smooth muscle actin was used to identify carcinoma cells undergoing epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Margins were considered ‘clean’ if the tumor was ≥5 mm away from them. Patients ≤60 years were considered as ‘young’. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with univariate and Cox multivariate regression model with stepwise forward selection, and Fisher’s exact tests were used. Abundant myofibroblasts were found in 27 (54%) cases. Carcinoma cells devoid of E‐cadherin but amalgamated with the stromal myofibroblasts were identified in 18 (36%) cases. Local recurrence and overall survival were negatively influenced by abundance of stromal myofibroblasts (P = 0.004 and P = 0.008, respectively). High‐risk scores (P = 0.011), positive margins, and ‘young’ age (P = 0.027, each) had an unfavorable impact on recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that only abundance of stromal myofibroblasts had an independent adverse effect on local recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 4.369; P = 0.014; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.356–14.074). It seems that abundant stromal myofibroblasts (camouflaging some malignant cells) and high‐risk scores have an unfavorable impact on the risk of recurrence in particular in ‘young’ patients. Therefore, the treatment concept should be adjusted accordingly and target concomitantly the epithelial malignancy and its allied stroma. (Cancer Sci 2009)
Potential efficacy of the oral histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat in a phase I trial in follicular and mantle cell lymphoma
Authors: Watanabe Takashi , Kato Harumi , Kobayashi Yukio , Yamasaki Satoshi , Morita‐Hoshi Yuriko , Yokoyama Hiroki , Morishima Yasuo , Ricker Justin L. , Otsuki Tetsuya , Miyagi‐Maesima Akiko , Matsuno Yoshihiro , Tobinai Kensei
Published: September 2009

Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA, Zolinza) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor with clinical activity in cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). A phase I trial of oral vorinostat was conducted in Japanese patients with malignant lymphoma. Vorinostat 100 or 200 mg was administered twice daily for 14 consecutive days followed by a 1‐week rest interval. Of 10 patients enrolled, four had follicular lymphoma (FL), two mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), two diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, and two CTCL (median age, 60 years; median number of prior regimens, 3). Vorinostat was well tolerated up to 200 mg with only one of six patients developing a dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT; Grade 3 anorexia/hypokalemia). Common Grade 3 events were reversible neutropenia (30%), thrombocytopenia, and hypermagnesemia (20% each). The median number of treatment cycles was five (range, 1–36); two patients were continuing treatment. The overall response rate was 40%, with two complete responses/unconfirmed (CRu) and one partial response among FL patients and one CRu among MCL patients. One FL patient maintained CRu for 18.0 months. The median time to achieve CRu among the three patients was 8 months. These data suggest that further investigations of vorinostat in non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, focusing on FL and MCL, are warranted. (Cancer Sci 2009)
Quantitative trait loci with effects on feed efficiency traits in Hereford × composite double backcross populations
Authors: Márquez G. C. , Enns R. M. , Grosz M. D. , Alexander L. J. , MacNeil M. D.
Published: September 2009

Two half‐sib families of backcross progeny were produced by mating F1 Line 1 Hereford (L1) × composite gene combination (CGC) bulls with L1 and CGC cows. Feed intake and periodic weights were measured for 218 backcross progeny. These progenies were genotyped using 232 microsatellite markers that spanned the 29 BTA. Progeny from L1 and CGC females was analysed separately using composite interval mapping to find quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting daily dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI). Results from both backcrosses were pooled to find additional QTL. In the backcross to L1, QTL were detected for RFI and DMI on BTA11, FCR on BTA16, and ADG on BTA9. In the backcross to CGC, QTL were detected for RFI on BTA10, FCR on BTA12 and 16 and ADG on BTA15 and 17. After pooling, QTL were detected for RFI on BTA 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13 and 16; for FCR on BTA 9, 12, 16, 17 and 21; for ADG on BTA 9, 14, 15, 17; and for DMI on BTA 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 20 and 23.
Evidence for a novel mechanism for gene amplification in multiple myeloma: 1q12 pericentromeric heterochromatin mediates breakage‐fusion‐bridge cycles of a 1q12∼23 amplicon
Authors: Sawyer Jeffrey R. , Tian Erming , Thomas Edward , Koller Mark , Stangeby Colin , Sammartino Gael , Goosen Linda , Swanson Charles , Binz Regina L. , Barlogie Bart , Shaughnessy John
Published: September 2009

Gene amplification is defined as a copy number (CN) increase in a restricted region of a chromosome arm, and is a mechanism for acquired drug resistance and oncogene activation. In multiple myeloma (MM), high CNs of genes in a 1q12∼23 amplicon have been associated with disease progression and poor prognosis. To investigate the mechanisms for gene amplification in this region in MM, we performed a comprehensive metaphase analysis combining G‐banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and spectral karyotyping in 67 patients with gain of 1q. In six patients (9%), evidence for at least one breakage‐fusion‐bridge (BFB) cycle was found. In three patients (4%), extended ladders of 1q12∼23 amplicons were identified. Several key structures that are predicted intermediates in BFB cycles were observed, including: equal‐spaced organization of amplicons, inverted repeat organization of amplicons along the same chromosome arm, and deletion of sequences distal to the amplified region. The 1q12 pericentromeric heterochromatin region served as both a recurrent breakpoint as well as a fusion point for sister chromatids, and ultimately bracketed both the proximal and distal boundaries of the amplicon. Our findings provide evidence for a novel BFB mechanism involving 1q12 pericentromeric breakage in the amplification of a large number of genes within a 1q12∼23 amplicon.
Immediate protein dietary effects on movement and the generalised immunocompetence of migrating Mormon crickets Anabrus simplex (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)
Authors: SRYGLEY ROBERT B. , LORCH PATRICK D. , SIMPSON STEPHEN J. , SWORD GREGORY A.
Published: September 2009

1. Mormon crickets form large migratory bands that march over rangeland in the western United States seeking salt and protein. Immune defence is particularly relevant to survival in migratory bands, but little is known about the role of nutrition in insect immunocompetence. We hypothesised that immune defences are compromised in these migratory bands due to nutrient limitations.

2. In a migratory band in Utah, we investigated whether access to a protein relative to a carbohydrate diet would immediately reduce migratory activity, as had been shown for Mormon crickets in a previous study in Idaho, and whether the protein diet would enhance immune defence responses.

3. Radio‐tracking Mormon crickets in the field, we found that locomotor activity was significantly and positively associated with body mass. Body mass‐adjusted locomotor activity declined marginally following access to a protein diet, whereas spontaneous phenoloxidase (PO) activity was enhanced by the same diet. The encapsulation response and lysozyme‐like activity were directly proportional to body mass, but unaffected by the dietary treatments in the short term. Within 6 h of feeding on protein or carbohydrates, Mormon crickets exhibited measurable effects on the immune system.

4. We conclude that nutrition impacts immune function in migrating insects in the field. Spontaneous PO activity may be limited by dietary deficiency in a protein‐seeking band of Mormon crickets.
The effects of epibenthic communities on reef fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: REDMAN R. A. , SZEDLMAYER S. T.
Published: September 2009

Abstract  Reef fishes were compared between artificial reefs with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) epibenthic communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Artificial reefs were built in June 2003; half were coated with copper‐based paint to prevent epibenthic community development. Reefs were surveyed by SCUBA divers to estimate fish abundance in the autumn and winter 2003 and spring 2004. Total fish abundance and abundance of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (Poey), and gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus Gmelin, were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher on reefs with epibenthic communities. In the spring 2004, the abundance of belted sandfish, Serranus subligarius (Cope), the size of red snapper and community measures of diversity and evenness were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) greater on unpainted reefs. These significant differences provide evidence that reef fishes were positively affected by the presence of epibenthic organisms that probably provided increased food resources.
Testing in situ avoidance reaction of vendace, Coregonus albula, in relation to continuous artificial light from stationary vertical split‐beam echosounding
Authors: SCHMIDT M. B. , BALK H. , GASSNER H.
Published: September 2009

Abstract  The in situ avoidance reaction of vendace, Coregonus albula L., in relation to continuous artificial light in terms of a scaring device was tested by split‐beam echosounding. The tests were carried out in the mesotrophic Bigge Reservoir (Germany) in November 2007 and 2008 using a Simrad EK 60 echosounder (120 kHz). An underwater lamp with light turned on and off was lowered to 30 m water depth at four sampling sites. No reaction of vendace was observed for the sampled references (light off), but strong avoidance behaviour by swimming mainly downwards was observed when the light was turned on. The light avoidance reaction was confirmed by the volume backscattering strength (Sv) and calculated fish densities (fish ha−1). The mean fish densities for the samples carried out with light turned on were lower (268 fish ha−1, ±409 SD, n = 32) than for the references with light turned off (5028 fish ha−1, ±2317 SD, n = 56). The related median values (33 and 3726 fish ha−1, respectively, n = 88) differed significantly (Mann–Whitney test, P = <0.001). In conclusion, artificial light has great potential to scare pelagic vendace from areas near the bottom outlets of reservoirs to prevent entrainment losses.
Composition and location of simulated lake‐shore redds influence incubation success in kokanee, Oncorhynchus nerka
Authors: FINCEL M. J. , CHIPPS S. R. , BENNETT D. H.
Published: September 2009

Abstract  Methods for improving spawning habitat for lakeshore spawning kokanee, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), were explored by quantifying incubation success of embryos exposed to three substrate treatments in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, USA. Substrate treatments included no modification that used existing gravels in the lake (EXISTING), a cleaned substrate treatment where existing gravels were sifted in the water column to remove silt (CLEANED) and the addition of new, silt‐free gravel (ADDED). Incubation success was evaluated using Whitlock–Vibert incubation boxes buried within each substrate treatment that contained recently fertilised embryos. Upon retrieval, live and dead sac fry and eyed eggs were enumerated to determine incubation success (sac fry and eyed eggs × 100/number of fertilised embryos). Incubation success varied significantly among locations and redd treatments. In general, incubation success among ADDED redds (0.0–13.0%) was significantly lower than that for EXISTING (1.4–61.0%) and CLEANED (0.4–62.5%) redds. Adding new gravel to spawning areas changed the morphometry of the gravel‐water interface and probably exposed embryos to disturbance from wave action and reduced embryo survival. Moreover, efforts to improve spawning habitat for lakeshore spawning kokanee should consider water depth and location (e.g. protected shorelines) as important variables. Adding clean gravel to existing spawning areas may provide little benefit if water depth or lake‐bottom morphometry are altered.
Seismic interferometry, intrinsic losses and Q‐estimation*
Authors: Draganov Deyan , Ghose Ranajit , Ruigrok Elmer , Thorbecke Jan , Wapenaar Kees
Published: September 2009

Seismic interferometry is the process of generating new seismic traces from the cross‐correlation, convolution or deconvolution of existing traces. One of the starting assumptions for deriving the representations for seismic interferometry by cross‐correlation is that there is no intrinsic loss in the medium where the recordings are performed. In practice, this condition is not always met. Here, we investigate the effect of intrinsic losses in the medium on the results retrieved from seismic interferometry by cross‐correlation. First, we show results from a laboratory experiment in a homogeneous sand chamber with strong losses. Then, using numerical modelling results, we show that in the case of a lossy medium ghost reflections will appear in the cross‐correlation result when internal multiple scattering occurs. We also show that if a loss compensation is applied to the traces to be correlated, these ghosts in the retrieved result can be weakened, can disappear, or can reverse their polarity. This compensation process can be used to estimate the quality factor in the medium.
Climate change and cattle nutritional stress
Authors: CRAINE JOSEPH M. , ELMORE ANDREW J. , OLSON K. C. , TOLLESON DOUG
Published: September 2009

Owing to the complex interactions among climate, plants, cattle grazing, and land management practices, the impacts of climate change on cattle have been hard to predict. Predicting future grassland ecosystem functioning relies on understanding how changes in climate alter the quantity of forage produced, but also forage quality. Plant protein, which is a function of plant nitrogen concentrations, and digestible energy limit the performance of herbivores when in short supply; moreover, deficiencies can be expensive to mitigate. To better understand how changes in temperature and precipitation would affect forage protein and energy availability, we analyzed over 21 000 measurements of cattle fecal chemistry acquired over 14 years in the continental US. Our analysis of patterns in forage quality among ecologically defined regions revealed that increasing temperature and declining precipitation decreased dietary crude protein and digestible organic matter for regions with continental climates. Within regions, quality also declined with increased temperature; however, the effects of precipitation were mixed. Any future increases in precipitation would be unlikely to compensate for the declines in forage quality that accompany projected temperature increases. As a result, cattle are likely to experience greater nutritional stress in the future. If these geographic patterns hold as a proxy for future climates, agriculture will require increased supplemental feeds or the consequence will be a decrease in livestock growth.
Net biome production of the Amazon Basin in the 21st century
Authors: POULTER BENJAMIN , ARAGÃO LUIZ , HEYDER URSULA , GUMPENBERGER MARLIES , HEINKE JENS , LANGERWISCH FANNY , RAMMIG ANJA , THONICKE KIRSTEN , CRAMER WOLFGANG
Published: September 2009

Global change includes multiple stressors to natural ecosystems ranging from direct climate and land‐use impacts to indirect degradation processes resulting from fire. Humid tropical forests are vulnerable to projected climate change and possible synergistic interactions with deforestation and fire, which may initiate a positive feedback to rising atmospheric CO2. Here, we present results from a multifactorial impact analysis that combined an ensemble of climate change models with feedbacks from deforestation and accidental fires to quantify changes in Amazon Basin carbon cycling. Using the LPJmL Dynamic Global Vegetation Model, we modelled spatio‐temporal changes in net biome production (NBP); the difference between carbon fluxes from fire, deforestation, soil respiration and net primary production. By 2050, deforestation and fire (with no CO2 increase or climate change) resulted in carbon losses of 7.4–20.3 Pg C with the range of uncertainty depending on socio‐economic storyline. During the same time period, interactions between climate and land use either compensated for carbon losses due to wetter climate and CO2 fertilization or exacerbated carbon losses from drought‐induced forest mortality (−20.1 to +4.3 Pg C). By the end of the 21st century, depending on climate projection and the rate of deforestation (including its interaction with fire), carbon stocks either increased (+12.6 Pg C) or decreased (−40.6 Pg C). The synergistic effect of deforestation and fire with climate change contributed up to 26–36 Pg C of the overall decrease in carbon stocks. Agreement between climate projections (n=9), not accounting for deforestation and fire, in 2050 and 2098 was relatively low for the directional change in basin‐wide NBP (19–37%) and aboveground live biomass (13–24%). The largest uncertainty resulted from climate projections, followed by implementation of ecosystem dynamics and deforestation. Our analysis partitions the drivers of tropical ecosystem change and is relevant for guiding mitigation and adaptation policy related to global change.
Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide exchanges in an age‐sequence of temperate pine forests
Authors: PEICHL MATTHIAS , ARAIN M. ALTAF , ULLAH SAMI , MOORE TIM R.
Published: September 2009

We investigated soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) exchanges in an age‐sequence (4, 17, 32, 67 years old) of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) forests in southern Ontario, Canada, for the period of mid‐April to mid‐December in 2006 and 2007. For both CH4 and N2O, we observed uptake and emission ranging from −160 to 245 μg CH4 m−2 h−1 and −52 to 21 μg N2O m−2 h−1, respectively (negative values indicate uptake). Mean fluxes from mid‐April to mid‐December across the 4, 17, 32, 67 years old stands were similar for CO2 fluxes (259, 246, 220, and 250 mg CO2 m−2 h−1, respectively), without pattern for N2O fluxes (−3.7, 1.5, −2.2, and −7.6 μg N2O m−2 h−1, respectively), whereas the uptake rates of CH4 increased with stand age (6.4, −7.9, −10.8, and −23.3 μg CH4 m−2 h−1, respectively). For the same period, the combined contribution of CH4 and N2O exchanges to the global warming potential (GWP) calculated from net ecosystem exchange of CO2 and aggregated soil exchanges of CH4 and N2O was on average 4%, <1%, <1%, and 2% for the 4, 17, 32, 67 years old stand, respectively. Soil CO2 fluxes correlated positively with soil temperature but had no relationship with soil moisture. We found no control of soil temperature or soil moisture on CH4 and N2O fluxes, but CH4 emission was observed following summer rainfall events. LFH layer removal reduced CO2 emissions by 43%, increased CH4 uptake during dry and warm soil conditions by more than twofold, but did not affect N2O flux. We suggest that significant alternating sink and source potentials for both CH4 and N2O may occur in N‐ and soil water‐limited forest ecosystems, which constitute a large portion of forest cover in temperate areas.
Negotiation of parental care when the stakes are high: experimental handicapping of one partner during incubation leads to short‐term generosity
Authors: Wiebe Karen L.
Published: September 2009

1. Most game theoretical models of biparental care predict that a reduction in care by one partner should not be fully compensated by increased work of its mate but this may not be true for incubating birds because a reduction in care could cause the entire brood to fail.

2. I performed the first handicapping experiment of both males and females during incubation, by placing small lead weights on the tails of male and female northern flickers Colaptes auratus, a woodpecker in which males do most of the incubation.

3. Females responded to the acute stressor (handling and handicapping) by tending to abandon more readily than males and staying away from the nest longer in the first incubation bout. Among pairs that persisted, both males and females compensated fully for a handicapped partner, keeping the eggs covered nearly 100% of the time.

4. Partners did not retaliate by forcing their handicapped mate to sit on the eggs with a long incubation bout length subsequent to having a long bout length themselves. Instead, during the 24 h immediately after handicapping, males behaved generously by relieving handicapped females early.

5. Such generosity was probably not energetically sustainable as these male partners took on less incubation in the 72 h following handicapping compared to female partners of handicapped males. Males and females are probably generous in the short‐term because of the high cost of nest failure during incubation but maintaining increased work loads in the longer term is probably limited by body condition and abandonment thresholds consistent with game theory models.
Hope as a psychological resilience factor in mothers and fathers of children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Lloyd T. J. , Hastings R.
Published: September 2009

Background  Positive psychology is an area gaining credence within the field of intellectual disability (ID). Hope is one facet of positive psychology that is relatively unstudied in parents of children with ID. In the present study, we explore hope and its relationships with parental well‐being in parents of school‐aged children with ID.

Method  A total of 138 mothers and 58 fathers of children with ID took part in a questionnaire‐based study. Parents reported on their feelings of hope and positive affect, other dimensions of psychological well‐being (anxiety, depression and stress), and on their child's behaviour. For this study, hope was measured as a goal driven behaviour comprising two components: agency (the perception that one can reach his/her goals) and pathways (the perception that one can find alternative routes to reach these goals should the need arise).

Results  For mothers, regression analyses revealed that lower levels of hope (agency and pathways) and more child behaviour problems predicted maternal depression. Positive affect was predicted by less problematic child behaviour and by higher levels of hope agency. For fathers, anxiety and depression were predicted by low hope agency and positive affect was predicted by high hope agency. Hope pathways was not a significant predictor of paternal well‐being. Hope agency and pathways interacted in the prediction of maternal depression such that mothers reporting high levels of both hope dimensions reported the lowest levels of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions  Hope is a construct that merits further investigation within families research, and is potentially a factor that could be utilised in intervention to help increase familial well‐being.
The effect of an intervention aimed at reducing errors when administering medication through enteral feeding tubes in an institution for individuals with intellectual disability
Authors: Idzinga J. C. , De Jong A. L. , Van Den Bemt P. M. L. A.
Published: September 2009

Background  Previous studies, both in hospitals and in institutions for clients with an intellectual disability (ID), have shown that medication errors at the administration stage are frequent, especially when medication has to be administered through an enteral feeding tube. In hospitals a specially designed intervention programme has proven to be effective in reducing these feeding tube‐related medication errors, but the effect of such a programme within an institution for clients with an ID is unknown. Therefore, a study was designed to measure the influence of such an intervention programme on the number of medication administration errors in clients with an ID who also have enteral feeding tubes.

Methods  A before‐after study design with disguised observation to document administration errors was used. The study was conducted from February to June 2008 within an institution for individuals with an ID in the Western part of The Netherlands. Included were clients with enteral feeding tubes. The intervention consisted of advice on medication administration through enteral feeding tubes by the pharmacist, a training programme and introduction of a ‘medication through tube’ box containing proper materials for crushing and suspending tablets. The outcome measure was the frequency of medication administration errors, comparing the pre‐intervention period with the post‐intervention period.

Results  A total of 245 medication administrations in six clients (by 23 nurse attendants) have been observed in the pre‐intervention measurement period and 229 medication administrations in five clients (by 20 nurse attendants) have been observed in the post‐intervention period. Before the intervention, 158 (64.5%) medication administration errors were observed, and after the intervention, this decreased to 69 (30.1%). Of all potential confounders and effect modifiers, only ‘medication dispensed in automated dispensing system (“robot”) packaging’ contributed to the multivariate model; effect modification was shown for this determinant. Multilevel analysis using this multivariate model resulted in an odds ratio of 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.13–0.71) for the error percentage in the post‐intervention period compared with the pre‐intervention period.

Conclusions  The intervention was found to be effective in an institution for clients with an ID. However, additional efforts are needed to reduce the proportion of administration errors which is still high after the intervention.
Histological evaluation of alveolar ridge augmentation using injectable calcium phosphate bone cement in dogs
Authors: SATO I. , AKIZUKI T. , ODA S. , TSUCHIOKA H. , HAYASHI C. , TAKASAKI A. A. , MIZUTANI K. , KAWAKATSU N. , KINOSHITA A. , ISHIKAWA I. , IZUMI Y.
Published: September 2009

Summary  Alveolar ridge augmentation is an important procedure to restore tooth loss. Several types of graft materials have been used for augmenting the alveolar ridge. An injectable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) has been applied to periodontal bone defects and has shown favourable results. Thus, this CPC may work as an effective graft material for alveolar ridge augmentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the CPC for large‐scaled (about 7 × 8 × 6 mm) ridge augmentation in dogs. Alveolar ridge defects were created bilaterally in the maxilla of six beagle dogs. The CPC was applied to one of the bilateral maxillary defects. The untreated defect on the contralateral side served as control. The animals were sacrificed at 6 months after surgery and decalcified histological specimens of the alveolar ridge were prepared histometrically and evaluated under a light microscope. Newly formed and reconstructed alveolar ridges covering the CPC were observed in all experimental sites. In the control sites, only slight newly bone formation was observed. Histomorphometrical analysis indicated that the CPC grafted group exhibited significantly (P = 0·0001) increased area and height in new bone formation compared with those of the control group. The results indicate that the CPC appears to be an effective material for alveolar ridge augmentation and may act as a space maintainer to conduct new bone formation.
Pharmacokinetics of the injectable formulation of methadone hydrochloride administered orally in horses
Authors: LINARDI R. L. , STOKES A. M. , BARKER S. A. , SHORT C. , HOSGOOD G. , NATALINI C. C.
Published: September 2009

Methadone hydrochloride is a synthetic μ‐opioid receptor agonist with potent analgesic properties. Oral methadone has been successfully used in human medicine and may overcome some limitations of other analgesics in equine species for producing analgesia with minimal adverse effects. However, there are no studies describing the pharmacokinetics (PK) of oral opioids in horses. The aim of this study was to describe the PK of orally administered methadone (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) and physical effects in 12 healthy adult horses. Serum methadone concentrations were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at predetermined time points for 24 h, and PK parameters were estimated using a noncompartmental model. Physical effects were observed and recorded by experienced clinicians. No drug toxicity, behavioural or adverse effects were observed in the horses. The disposition of methadone followed first order elimination and a biphasic serum profile with rapid absorption and elimination phases. The PK profile of methadone was characterized by high clearance (Cl/F), small volume of distribution (Vd/F) and short elimination half‐life (t1/2). The mean of the estimatedt1/2(SD) for each dose (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) was 2.2 (35.6), 1.3 (46.1) and 1.5 (40.8), and the mean for the estimatedCmax(SD) was 33.9 (6.7), 127.9 (36.0) and 193.5 (65.8) respectively.
Immune Responses in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Tumor Lysate
Authors: Soleimani A. , Berntsen A. , Svane I. M. , Pedersen A. E.
Published: September 2009

Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have a limited life expectancy but still a subset of these patients develop immune and clinical responses after immunotherapy including dendritic cell (DC) vaccination. In a recently published phase I/II trials, fourteen HLA‐A2 negative patients with progressive mRCC were vaccinated with autologous DC pulsed with allogeneic tumour lysate. Low‐dose IL‐2 administered subcutaneously was given concomitantly. In this study, we analysed lysate specific proliferation of PBMCs from these patients together with the TH1/TH2 balance of the responding T cells. Also, serum concentrations of IL‐10, IL‐12, IL‐15, IL‐17 and IL‐18 from these patients and additional thirteen HLA‐A2 positive mRCC patients treated with autologous DC pulsed with survivin and telomerase peptides were analysed during vaccination to identify systemic immune responses and potential response biomarkers. In HLA‐A2 negative mRCC patients a spontaneous predominance of TH1 secreting tumour lysate specific T cells was observed prior to vaccination in patients attaining stable disease (SD) during treatment whereas patients with continued progressive disease (PD) had a mixed TH1/TH2 response. The TH1/TH2 balance was unchanged during vaccination also when tumour lysate specific T cell responses increased. An increase in IL‐12, IL‐17 and IL‐18 serum concentrations was observed during vaccination but no difference between patients with SD and PD was observed. IL‐10 or IL‐15 was not measurable in serum.
Effects of secular variation in seawater Mg/Ca ratio (calcite–aragonite seas) on CaCO3 sediment production by the calcareous algae Halimeda, Penicillus and Udotea– evidence from recent experiments and the geological record
Authors: Ries Justin Baker
Published: September 2009

Independent lines of geological evidence suggest that fluctuations in the Mg/Ca ratio of seawater between 1.0 and 5.2 have caused the oceans to alternate between favouring the precipitation of the aragonite and high‐Mg calcite polymorphs of calcium carbonate (mMg/Ca > 2; aragonite seas) and the low‐Mg calcite polymorph (mMg/Ca < 2; calcite seas) throughout Phanerozoic time. The rise of aragonite‐secreting bryopsidalean algae as major producers of carbonate sediments in middle Palaeogene time, a role that they maintained through to the present, has been attributed to a transition from calcite‐to‐aragonite seas in early Cenozoic time. Recent experiments on the modern, carbonate‐sediment‐producing bryopsidales Halimeda, Penicillus and Udotea reveal that their rates of calcification, linear extension and primary production decline when reared in experimental calcite seawaters (mMg/Ca < 2). These normally aragonite‐secreting algae also began producing at least one‐quarter of their CaCO3 as calcite under calcite sea conditions, indicating that their biomineralogical control can be partially overridden by ambient seawater chemistry. The observation that primary production and linear extension declined along with calcification in the mineralogically unfavourable seawater suggests that photosynthesis within these algae is enhanced by calcification via liberation of CO2 and/or H+. Thus, the reduced fitness of these algae associated with their low rates of calcification in calcite seas may have been exacerbated by concomitant reductions in tissue mass and algal height.
Dexmedetomidine blunts acute hyperdynamic responses to electroconvulsive therapy without altering seizure duration
Authors: BEGEC Z. , TOPRAK H. I. , DEMIRBILEK S. , ERDIL F. , ONAL D. , ERSOY M. O.
Published: September 2009

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on the acute hyperdynamic response, duration of seizure activity and recovery times in patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Methods: Fourteen patients underwent a total of 84 ECT sessions as a crossover design. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg IV over a period of 10 min) or saline (control). Anaesthesia was induced with propofol 1 mg/kg, and then succinylcholine 0.5 mg/kg IV was administered. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were recorded during the study period.

Results: HR in the dexmedetomidine group was lower than that in the control group at 5 and 10 min after the start of study drug infusion, and at 1, 3 and 10 min after the seizure ended (P<0.05). Peak HR was lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). The mean arterial pressure (MAP) values in the dexmedetomidine group were lower at 0, 1, 3 and 10 min after the seizure ended compared with the control group (P<0.05). Both motor and electroencephalography (EEG) seizure duration in the control group (35.65 ± 14.89 and 49.07 ± 9.94 s, respectively) were similar to that in the dexmedetomidine group (33.30 ± 12.01 and 45.15 ± 17.79 s, respectively) (P>0.05). Time to spontaneous breathing, eye opening and obeying commands were not different between the groups.

Conclusion: A dexmedetomidine dose of 1 μg/kg IV administered over 10 min before the induction of anaesthesia with propofol may be useful in preventing the acute hyperdynamic responses to ECT without altering the duration of seizure activity and recovery time.
Reduced blood pressure lability during emergence from anaesthesia in rats: a pilot study using clonidine
Authors: CIVIDJIAN A. , RENTERO N. , QUINTIN L.
Published: September 2009

Background: In the post‐operative setting, pressure lability is increased in hypertensive patients. α‐2 agonists were shown qualitatively to reduce this lability qualitatively. Here, upon immobilization combined with emergence from anesthesia in rats and clonidine administration, pressure lability was quantitatively assessed and related to baroreflex sensitivity.

Methods: After local anesthesia of all incisions and surgical wounds and myorelaxation with metocurine, rats had halothane withdrawn for 60 min. Rats received (a) saline (n=8), (b) clonidine 30 μg/kg i.v (n=8) simultaneous to halothane discontinuation and (c) halothane readministration (n=8) 20 min after halothane discontinuation. Pressure lability was quantitatively assessed using occurrence/amplitude of peaks in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiac baroreflex slope.

Results: Clonidine was associated with partial blunting of hypertension, reduced standard deviation of SBP, reduced number and amplitude of peaks in systolic pressure. Clonidine was also associated with increased slope of the cardiac baroreflex upon early intervals of emergence, but not at later intervals.

Conclusion: Clonidine reduces pressure lability upon immobilization stress combined to emergence from anesthesia, via parasympathetic activation and possibly sympathetic inhibition during early emergence as opposed to sympathetic inhibition during late emergence.
Bronchoscopic suctioning may cause lung collapse: a lung model and clinical evaluation
Authors: LINDGREN S. , ODENSTEDT H. , ERLANDSSON K. , GRIVANS C. , LUNDIN S. , STENQVIST O.
Published: September 2009

Objective: To assess lung volume changes during and after bronchoscopic suctioning during volume or pressure‐controlled ventilation (VCV or PCV).

Design: Bench test and patient study.

Participants: Ventilator‐treated acute lung injury (ALI) patients.

Setting: University research laboratory and general adult intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Interventions: Bronchoscopic suctioning with a 12 or 16 Fr bronchoscope during VCV or PCV.

Measurements and results: Suction flow at vacuum levels of −20 to −80 kPa was measured with a Timeter™ instrument. In a water‐filled lung model, airway pressure, functional residual capacity (FRC) and tidal volume were measured during bronchoscopic suctioning. In 13 ICU patients, a 16 Fr bronchoscope was inserted into the left or the right main bronchus during VCV or PCV and suctioning was performed. Ventilation was monitored with electric impedance tomography (EIT) and FRC with a modified N2 washout/in technique. Airway pressure was measured via a pressure line in the endotracheal tube. Suction flow through the 16 Fr bronchoscope was 5 l/min at a vacuum level of −20 kPa and 17 l/min at −80 kPa. Derecruitment was pronounced during suctioning and FRC decreased with −479±472 ml, P<0.001.

Conclusions: Suction flow through the bronchoscope at the vacuum levels commonly used is well above minute ventilation in most ALI patients. The ventilator was unable to deliver enough volume in either VCV or PCV to maintain FRC and tracheal pressure decreased below atmospheric pressure.
Burst suppression during propofol anaesthesia recorded from scalp and subthalamic electrodes: report of three cases
Authors: SONKAJÄRVI E. , PUUMALA P. , EROLA T. , BAER G. A. , KARVONEN E. , SUOMINEN K. , JÄNTTI V.
Published: September 2009

Background:Measurement of slow EEG activity and burst suppression are the main tasks in monitoring the effects of anaesthestics with EEG, which is often done with commercial univariate indexes such as BIS. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of burst suppression EEG during propofol anaesthesia using scalp electrodes and depth electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus. Specifically, we describe the electrical fields of the three EEG patterns we have previously described: the sharp wave, the burst and the spindle.

Methods:We recorded the EEG of three Parkinson patients during propofol anaesthesia from the scalp electrodes and the depth electrode implanted in the subthalamic nucleus for treating parkinsonism.

Results:(1) The slow waves of bursts recorded from all surface electrodes on scalp or neck with depth electrode reference are positive and have the highest amplitude in frontal electrodes, suggesting synchronous generation in the whole cerebral cortex. (2) The sharp wave and spindles have the highest amplitude at vertex. They are opposite in polarity in vertex and depth electrodes when referred to the neck electrode, suggesting generation in the sensorimotor cortex.

Conclusions:Recording simultaneously EEG from the depth and scalp electrodes shows that bursts and their slow wave oscillations are synchronous in the whole cortex while spindles and sharp waves are produced by the sensorimotor cortex. The amplitude of slow waves recorded with surface electrodes is equal to the difference of the wave at two electrodes and therefore only a small part of that generated by the cortex.
Intraoperative anisocoria in a child during renal transplantation
Authors: REMPF C. , HELMKE K. , GOTTSCHALK A. , FAROKHZAD F. , BURMEISTER M. A.
Published: September 2009

Anisocoria during anaesthesia may indicate a serious neurological condition. Assessment by physical examination and diagnostic imaging is limited during surgery and anaesthesia. We report a case of a boy undergoing renal transplantation, who suffered from anisocoria during general anaesthesia. A transcranial sonography was performed, showing no intracranial pathology. However, retinal hypoperfusion detected with orbital doppler sonography was a plausible explanation for anisocoria.
Epidural puncture can be confirmed by the Queckenstedt‐test procedure in patients with cervical spinal canal stenosis
Authors: YOKOYAMA T. , USHIDA T. , YAMASAKI F. , INOUE S. , SLUKA K. A.
Published: September 2009

Background: The loss‐of‐resistance test is the most popular method for identifying the epidural space, but it cannot confirm epidural puncture. Therefore, we developed a new method to confirm epidural puncture by assessing indirect changes in epidural pressure using the Queckenstedt‐test procedure, which increases subarachnoid pressure by compressing the internal jugular veins. Because this new method depends on the dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid, blockade of cerebrospinal fluid flow, as with severe spinal stenosis, is predicted to reduce changes in epidural pressure. Thus, in this study, we examined the effect of spinal stenosis on the Queckenstedt‐test procedure.

Methods: Epidural puncture using the loss‐of‐resistance test was utilized to insert an electrode in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery. Epidural pressure was monitored during bilateral compression of the internal jugular veins to confirm epidural puncture. The insertion of the electrode into the epidural space was confirmed by observation of muscle twitch evoked by electric stimulation.

Results: In 60 patients, epidural puncture was performed with the loss‐of‐resistance test; a second trial was required in 13 patients. Increased epidural pressure was observed in 57/73 trials. When increased epidural pressure was observed, epidural puncture was always successful. The sensitivity and specificity of this method was 92.0% and 100%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 66.7%, respectively.

Conclusion: An increase in epidural pressure during bilateral compression of the internal jugular veins could offer a reliable method for confirming epidural puncture in combination with the loss‐of‐resistance test, even if patients have potential spinal canal narrowing.