bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Impedance Cardiographic Measurements using Band and Spot Electrodes
Authors: Sherwood Andrew , Royal Sharon A. , Hutcheson J. Stanford , Turner J. Rick
Published: September 2010

The comprehensive assessment of cardiac function using impedance cardiography has led to increasingly widespread use of the technique in psychophysiology. Disposable adhesive band electrodes have been the most widely used electrode type, but spot electrode configurations present attractive alternatives in terms of convenience and subject comfort. The present study was designed to evaluate whether one such spot electrode configuration yielded the same information as the more standard band electrodes for cardiac output and systolic time interval measurement. Male and female healthy adult subjects (N=20) were tested. Comparisons between spot and band electrodes were made for the absolute magnitude of cardiac output and systolic time intervals, as well as for responses to the highly reproducible effects of bicycle exercise. Consistent with previous findings, systolic time interval measurements were unaffected by electrode type. However, for cardiac output measurements, differences between spot and band electrode measurements were found. Under resting conditions, the absolute magnitudes of cardiac output values measured using spot electrodes were smaller than for band electrodes. Subtle, yet significant differences were also found for cardiac output responses to exercise, with spot electrodes indicating greater increases in cardiac output than band electrodes. At the same time, anticipated gender differences found for cardiac output at rest and in response to exercise were unaffected by electrode type. Overall, these findings suggest that when comparing the results of studies that have utilized different impedance electrode types, it would be prudent to remain alert to the possibility of confounding influences.
Regulation of ryanodine receptors by dopamine D1receptors during methamphetamine‐induced place conditioning
Authors: Kurokawa Kazuhiro , Mizuno Koji , Shibasaki Masahiro , Ohkuma Seitaro
Published: September 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)115, 1206–1214.

Little is known about ryanodine receptors (RyRs) related to the methamphetamine (METH)‐induced place preference. The present study was designed to ascertain whether RyRs could play a role in the development of METH‐induced place preference in the mouse. The METH‐induced place preference was dose‐dependently suppressed by dantrolene, a RyRs receptor antagonist. The levels of RyRs 1 and 2 in the frontal cortex and RyRs 1 in the limbic forebrain were significantly increased in METH‐conditioned mice. This up‐regulation of RyRs were not inhibited by nifedipine. Both the dopamine D1receptor antagonist SCH23390 and the dopamine D2receptor antagonist sulpiride inhibited the development of METH‐induced place conditioning. In contrast, the increases of RyRs 1 and 2 in the frontal cortex and of RyRs 1 in the limbic forebrain were completely abolished by SCH23390, whereas sulpiride had no effect. These findings indicate that up‐regulation of RyRs is regulated through the activation of dopamine D1receptors in the METH‐conditioning.
Inactivation of presenilins causes pre‐synaptic impairment prior to post‐synaptic dysfunction
Authors: Zhang Dawei , Zhang Chen , Ho Angela , Kirkwood Alfredo , Südhof Thomas C. , Shen Jie
Published: September 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1215–1221.

Synaptic dysfunction is widely thought to be a pathogenic precursor to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the extent of synaptic loss provides the best correlate for the severity of dementia in AD patients. Presenilins 1 and 2 are the major causative genes of early‐onset familial AD. Conditional inactivation of presenilins in the adult cerebral cortex results in synaptic dysfunction and memory impairment, followed by age‐dependent neurodegeneration. To characterize further the consequence of presenilin inactivation in the synapse, we evaluated the temporal development of pre‐synaptic and post‐synaptic deficits in the Schaeffer‐collateral pathway of presenilin conditional double knockout (PS cDKO) mice prior to onset of neurodegeneration. Following presenilin inactivation at 4 weeks, synaptic facilitation and probability of neurotransmitter release are impaired in PS cDKO mice at 5 weeks of age, whereas post‐synaptic NMDA receptor (NMDAR)‐mediated responses are normal at 5 weeks but impaired at 6 weeks of age. Long‐term potentiation induced by theta burst stimulation is also reduced in PS cDKO mice at 6 weeks of age. These results show that loss of presenilins results in pre‐synaptic deficits in short‐term plasticity and probability of neurotransmitter release prior to post‐synaptic NMDAR dysfunction, raising the possibility that presenilins may regulate post‐synaptic NMDAR function in part via a trans‐synaptic mechanism.
Macrophage inhibitory cytokine‐1 (MIC‐1/GDF15): a new marker of all‐cause mortality
Authors: Wiklund Fredrik E. , Bennet Anna M. , Magnusson Patrik K. E. , Eriksson Ulrika K. , Lindmark Fredrik , Wu Liyun , Yaghoutyfam Nasreen , Marquis Christopher P. , Stattin Pär , Pedersen Nancy L. , Adami Hans‐Olov , Grönberg Henrik , Breit Samuel N. , Brown David A.
Published: September 2010

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine‐1 (MIC‐1/GDF15) is a member of the TGF‐b superfamily, previously studied in cancer and inflammation. In addition to regulating body weight, MIC‐1/GDF15 may be used to predict mortality and/or disease course in cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic renal and heart failure, as well as pulmonary embolism. These data suggested that MIC‐1/GDF15 may be a marker of all‐cause mortality. To determine whether serum MIC‐1/GDF15 estimation is a predictor of all‐cause mortality, we examined a cohort of 876 male subjects aged 35–80 years, selected from the Swedish Population Registry, and followed them for overall mortality. Serum MIC‐1/GDF15 levels were determined for all subjects from samples taken at study entry. A second (independent) cohort of 324 same‐sex twins (69% female) from the Swedish Twin Registry was similarly examined. All the twins had telomere length measured and 183 had serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL‐6) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) available. Patients were followed for up to 14 years and had cause‐specific and all‐cause mortality determined. Serum MIC‐1/GDF15 levels predicted mortality in the all‐male cohort with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of death of 3.38 (95%CI 1.38–8.26). This finding was validated in the twin cohort. Serum MIC‐1/GDF15 remained an independent predictor of mortality when further adjusted for telomere length, IL‐6 and CRP. Additionally, serum MIC‐1/GDF15 levels were directly correlated with survival time independently of genetic background. Serum MIC‐1/GDF15 is a novel predictor of all‐cause mortality.
SCFFbx2‐E3‐ligase‐mediated degradation of BACE1 attenuates Alzheimer’s disease amyloidosis and improves synaptic function
Authors: Gong Bing , Chen Fei , Pan Yong , Arrieta‐Cruz Isabel , Yoshida Yukiko , Haroutunian Vahram , Pasinetti Giulio M.
Published: September 2010

BACE1 (β‐secretase) plays a central role in the β‐amyloidogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The ubiquitin–proteasome system, a major intracellular protein quality control system, has been implicated recently in BACE1 metabolism. We report that the SCFFbx2‐E3 ligase is involved in the binding and ubiquitination of BACE1 via its Trp 280 residue of F‐box‐associated domain. Physiologically, we found that Fbx2 was expressed in various intracellular organelles in brain neurons and that BACE1 is colocalized with Fbx2 and the amyloid precursor protein (APP), mainly at the early endosome and endoplasmic reticulum. The former are believed to be the major intracellular compartments where the APP is cleaved by BACE1 and β‐amyloid is produced. Importantly, we found that overexpression of Fbx2 in the primary cortical and hippocampal neurons derived from Tg2576 transgenic mice significantly promoted BACE1 degradation and reduced β‐amyloid production. In the search for specific endogenous modulators of Fbx2 expression, we found that PPARγ coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α) was capable of promoting the degradation of BACE1 through a mechanism involving Fbx2 gene expression. Interestingly, we found that the expression of both Fbx2 and PGC‐1α was significantly decreased in the brains of aging Tg2576 mice. Our in vivo studies using a mouse model of AD revealed that exogenous adenoviral Fbx2 expression in the brain significantly decreased BACE1 protein levels and activity, coincidentally reducing β‐amyloid levels and rescuing synaptic deficits. Our study is the first to suggest that promoting Fbx2 in the brain may represent a novel strategy for the treatment of AD.
An overview of potentially life‐threatening poisonous plants in dogs and cats
Authors: Milewski Lynn M. , Khan Safdar A.
Published: September 2010

Objectives:This article discusses the toxicity of the most common poisonous plants known to cause life‐threatening systemic effects or death in dogs and cats as reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC).

Data sources:The article presents an overview of geographic distribution, toxic principle, clinical signs, clinical chemistry alterations, and treatment of intoxication as reported in the literature and based upon data retrieved from the APCC between January 2001 and December 2003.

Summary:Most plant exposures in dogs or cats result in mild to moderate signs of vomiting and diarrhea while liver, kidney, central nervous system, or cardiovascular effects are rare. Some garden or household plants can cause serious systemic effects or death when a small amount of plant material has been ingested. Based on APCC records, the most frequently reported poisonous plants causing serious systemic effects include Lily (LiliumandHemerocallisspp.), Azalea (Rhododendronspp.), Oleander (Nerium oleander), Sago palm (Cycasspp.), Castor bean (Ricinus communis), Kalanchoe (Kalanchoespp.), and Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale).

Conclusion:Despite the variety of toxins present in the plants listed above, early clinical signs of toxicosis in dogs and cats can be nonspecific and can include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, salivation, or diarrhea. Cardiac arrhythmias may be present with oleander, azalea, or kalanchoe ingestion. Evidence of liver or kidney damage (Cycas, Lilium, Hemerocallisspp.,Ricinus communis) may occur 1–2 days after the exposure. Treatment consists of early decontamination and supportive care and may vary according to the type of plant involved and clinical signs present.
A hemoglobin‐based oxygen carrier solution for the treatment of parasite‐induced anemia in a Barbados sheep
Authors: Langdon Fielding C.
Published: September 2010

Objective:To report the use of a hemoglobin‐based oxygen carrier (HBOC) solution in the treatment of parasite‐induced anemia in a Barbados sheep and to review the literature related to this disease.

Case summary:A 3‐month old Barbados sheep was found recumbent, anorexic, and pale. History, laboratory work, and physical examination findings were consistent with inadequate tissue oxygenation because of severe anemia from gastrointestinal parasites. The sheep was treated with 10 mL/kg of an HBOC solution and showed immediate improvement in clinical and laboratory data. The sheep was discharged and had a complete recovery.

New information provided:The use of HBOC solutions in sheep has been previously confined to acute hemorrhage in a research setting. This report describes the effects of HBOC administration in an anemic animal displaying signs of inadequate oxygen delivery.
Successful use of short‐term mechanical ventilation to manage respiratory failure secondary to profound hypokalemia in a cat with hyperaldosteronism
Authors: Hammond Tara N. , Holm Jennifer L.
Published: September 2010

Objective –To report successful management of respiratory failure due to severe hypokalemia in a cat with hyperaldosteronism, including short‐term mechanical ventilation strategies and aspects of medical and surgical treatment.

Case Summary –A cat presented with bilateral pelvic limb weakness that rapidly progressed to tetraparesis and respiratory muscle failure. Point‐of‐care testing revealed severe hypokalemia (1.9 mmol/L) and mild azotemia. Initial management included endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, and aggressive potassium supplementation. Spironolactone was started due to a high index of suspicion for hyperaldosteronism. A right adrenal mass visualized during abdominal ultrasonographic examination and a serum aldosterone level greater than 3329 pmol/L confirmed the diagnosis. The cat made a full recovery following surgical removal of a right adrenal adenoma.

New or Unique Information Provided –We report successful management of respiratory failure in a cat with hyperaldosteronism using short‐term mechanical ventilation. Respiratory failure due to severe hypokalemia should be considered a complication of hyperaldosteronism in cats and may require mechanical ventilation. However, full recovery is possible.
Canine leishmaniasis with nephrotic syndrome and aortic and caudal vena cava thromboembolism
Authors: Félix Nuno , Mouro Sofia , Vilela Cristina L. , Peleteiro Maria C. , Ferreira António J.A. , Niza Maria Manuela R.E.
Published: September 2010

Objective –To describe a case of leishmaniasis associated with nephrotic syndrome and aortic and caudal vena cava thrombosis in a dog.

Case Summary –A 3‐year‐old male Boxer was referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon, with vomiting, polyuria, polydipsia, lethargy, anorexia, and weight loss. On admission, the dog was thin, quiet, and dehydrated. Initial laboratory abnormalities were compatible with a diagnosis of leishmaniasis (confirmed by serology and bone marrow aspirate), and nephrotic syndrome. Three days later, the animal developed lumbar pain, paraparesis, and absent femoral pulses. Coagulation tests showed a marked reduction in antithrombin (AT) and a mild increase in serum fibrinogen concentration. A diagnosis of thromboembolism was made. In spite of treatment aimed at controlling the primary condition and decreasing further thrombus formation, necrosis developed in the distal right pelvic limb and the nail beds of the left pelvic limb. Against medical advice, medication was stopped and, 15 days later, the dog returned to the hospital, showing extensive necrosis of both pelvic limb extremities. Euthanasia was performed at the owner's request. Necropsy showed a thrombus localized at the distal aorta and extending into the right iliac artery, and an additional thrombus extending from both femoral veins onto the caudal vena cava.

New or Unique Information Provided –Thromboembolic disease is rare in dogs with leishmaniasis with nephrotic syndrome. This case suggests that a marked decrease in AT and a mild increase in serum fibrinogen may elicit a hypercoagulable state in these patients.
Preliminary validation of a point‐of‐care ethylene glycol test for cats
Authors: Acierno Mark J. , Serra Verna F. , Johnson Meghan E. , Mitchell Mark A.
Published: September 2010

Objective –To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a newly available, semi‐quantitative, cage‐side test for the detection of ethylene glycol (EG) toxicosis in cats.

Design –Prospective, laboratory study.

Setting –University teaching hospital.

Animals –This study utilized samples from 57 cats, whose blood had been anticoagulated with EDTA and submitted to the hospital's laboratory for a complete blood count. Samples were centrifuged, and the plasma separated, aliquoted, and immediately frozen at −30 °C.

Interventions –Samples were randomly divided into 2 primary groups (Group 1: no EG added, Group 2: EG added). Twenty microliters of plasma from each of the Group 1 samples was applied directly to the test strip. Plasma samples from Group 2 had EG added at different concentrations to achieve approximate final concentrations of 20, 60, or 80 mg/dL. These samples were then applied to the test strip.

Measurements –Two readers who were blinded to the sample preparation procedure and isolated from each other were asked to categorically interpret the colorimetric reaction on the randomly presented test strips.

Main Results –The agreement of the 2 reviewers at the 3 different levels of EG concentrations (20, 60, 80 mg/dL) were 0.7, 0.7, and 0.5, respectively. Thus, the readers demonstrated substantial agreement while reading the 2 lower concentrations, while at 80 mg/dL the level of agreement was moderate. Overall, the sensitivity of the assay increased as the concentration of EG increased (reviewer 1: 67%, 67%, 86%; reviewer 2: 56%, 89%, 100%), while the specificity of the assay decreased with increasing concentrations of EG (reviewer 1: 77%, 45%, 50%; reviewer 2: 77%, 53%, 25%).

Conclusions:Because of the likelihood for false negatives and false positives, results from this test must be viewed in light of clinical data and should not be relied upon as a lone diagnostic test.
Supraventricular tachycardia in dogs: 65 cases (1990–2007)
Authors: Finster Sharon T. , DeFrancesco Teresa C. , Atkins Clarke E. , Hansen Bernie D. , Keene Bruce W.
Published: September 2010

Objective –To characterize the signalment, clinical findings, and prognosis of dogs with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

Design –Retrospective study.

Setting –North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Animals, Intervention, and Measurements –Case selection included all patients at the veterinary teaching hospital with SVT during years 1990–2007. Medical records from dogs with at least 1 recorded episode of SVT were extracted. The signalment, history, electrocardiographic, radiographic, and echocardiographic findings, therapy, and response to therapy were reviewed and summarized. Follow‐up was conducted to determine the date and cause of death. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves were constructed and analyzed. The relationships between patient characteristics and responses to therapy and prognosis were evaluated.

Main Results –Sixty‐five records documented a diagnosis of SVT. Sixty‐two percent were males. Labrador Retrievers and Boxers were overrepresented compared with the general hospital population. Median age at presentation was 9 years (range 0.5–15.5 y). The median heart rate during SVT was 270/minute (range 187–375/min). The most common presenting complaint was syncope (30%), 23% were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Most dogs had structural heart disease (65%). Median survival was 472 days (<1–2007 d). Identification of sustained SVT (>30 s) did not affect survival (P=0.50), nor did the presence of congestive heart failure (P=0.70).

Conclusions –The majority of dogs with SVT had structural heart disease or a severe concurrent illness at the time of SVT diagnosis. SVT, though often a persistent and occasionally sustained arrhythmia, does not appear to be a primary factor in mortality.
Cardiopulmonary arrest and resuscitation following an extradural injection in a normovolemic dog
Authors: Mosing Martina , Iff Isabelle K. , Nemetz Wolfgang
Published: September 2010

Objective
–
To describe general anesthesia and successful resuscitation of a dog developing asystole and apnea during extradural injection of local anesthetic and an opioid.

Case Summary
–
A Beagle with a ruptured cranial cruciate was premedicated with acepromazine and methadone. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and, after endotracheal intubation, maintained using isoflurane in oxygen. During extradural injection of a mixture of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and morphine the dog developed apnea and asystole. Cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation was started promptly and the dog was successfully resuscitated.

New Information Provided
–
Asystole and apnea are possible serious side effects of extradural anesthesia in dogs. With adequate monitoring and early detection successful resuscitation is possible.
Visual Arts Declarative Knowledge: Tensions in Theory, Resolutions in Practice
Authors: Exley Beryl
Published: September 2010

This article focuses on the contribution literacy, linguistic, curriculum and pedagogic theories make to realising declarative knowledge outcomes for middle years visual arts students in one multi‐age Australian classroom. Understandings of literacy as visual arts content and process, as artic‐ulated in the Queensland School Curriculum Council Years 1 to 10 Syllabus, are analysed in terms of the above‐mentioned theories. This analysis reveals four significant tensions: an absence of linguistic knowledge for the construction of declarative knowledge written texts; the assumption that the subject English provides the skills base for the production of visual arts declarative knowledge written texts; slippage between the proposed curriculum orientation and teaching position for achieving high quality declarative knowledge outcomes; and a lack of specificity for the form of metaphor to be used in visual arts education. The article presents classroom data from one middle years teacher who takes up multiple curriculum orientations and teaching positions to facilitate high quality declarative knowledge outcomes. He commences the lesson by drawing on the students' life worlds, and then moves into the role of expert so as to provide arts‐specific content and linguistic instruction before the students complete their written descriptions. The findings contribute to the worldwide debates surrounding teaching and learning practices for developing visual arts declarative knowledge outcomes by reissuing the call for syllabus planners to make the links between a content area and its literacy demands explicit and for teachers to reclaim spaces for subject‐specific literacy instruction.
Carnival in the Curriculum
Authors: Herne Steve , Burgess‐Macey Celia , Rogers Maggie
Published: September 2010

This article focuses on a carnival in the curriculum project designed to revitalise the arts in the experience of students in Higher Education preparing to become primary school teachers. It argues the relevance of a combined arts or trans‐disciplinary artform in the remit of a visual arts education journal and explores carnival as a complex, inclusive, multifaceted and multidimensional cultural practice with deep historical and social roots. It locates carnival within theory and the debate about the arts in schools in the UK from the early 1980s. Drawing on the analysis of interviews with students and teachers in carnival project schools, issues and themes such as student involvement, creativity, artists in schools, and cross‐curricular learning are explored, concluding that carnival in the curriculum provides an opportunity for agency within the regulated official curriculum.
Old World Teaching Meets the New Digital Cultural Creatives
Authors: Delacruz Elizabeth
Published: September 2010

This article sets forth a conceptual, philosophical and social agenda for art and design education in the twenty‐first century, considering how a set of beliefs articulated within US art education discourse interfaces with conceptualisations about emerging global digital media and technologies. Discussion highlights selected writings in the USA primarily, writings about art education technology orientations; and then describes the professional experiences and insights of the writer as she embraced, implemented and made sense of technology in terms of her own multicultural educational orientation in a US university. Based on these insights, this writer proposes that technology pedagogy is not actually about digital technologies per se, but about what we intend to do with new technologies in the twenty‐first century. Old notions of art as an embodiment of things that matter and a testament to the human condition are now connected to contemporary ideas about citizenship, caring and public engagement. In this trajectory, citizenship education is then posed as central to a future vision of art education in the digitally connected classroom. Caveats and limitations of the educational and transformative power of new global electronic media being set forth in this article are also noted, including paradoxical self‐contradictions within the orientation itself.
Artful Language: Academic Writing for the Art Student
Authors: Apps Linda , Mamchur Carolyn
Published: September 2010

The task of writing about the process of making and contextualising art can be overwhelming for some graduate students. While the challenge may be due in part to limited time and attention to the practice of writing, in a practice‐based arts thesis there is a deeper issue: how the visual and written components are attended to in a manner that neither is subjugated and both are fully realised. Helping students to revision art and writing as similar creative processes that can be structured around a framework designed to address both processes can override the conception that writing and art are polarising forces.

This article describes one such framework that was found to be effective from both the perspective of the professor and the student in fleshing out the heart of both artistic processes and finding an integrating structure that moves a thesis to fruition.
Colouring in the Blanks: Memory Drawings of the 1990 Kuwait Invasion
Authors: Pepin‐Wakefield Yvonne
Published: September 2010

This study used drawing tasks to examine the similarities and differences between females and males who shared a collective traumatic event in early childhood. Could these childhood memories be recorded, measured, and compared for gender differences in drawings by young adults who had shared a similar experience as children? Exploration of this question drove this qualitative research project to examine drawings by young Kuwaiti men and women, who were residents in Kuwait during the 1990 Saddam‐Hussein‐led Iraqi invasion of their country. Visual results from this study show colour, image and symbol (CIS) patterns, and differences in gender images in drawings which represent a select population's response to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Concrete Geometry: Playing with Blocks
Authors: Luescher Andreas
Published: September 2010

This article describes a design/build exercise conducted in an Architectural Materials and Methods class to achieve three interrelated objectives: (1) to apply physically the semester's theoretical focus on the constituent process and languages of architecture investigations, (2) to capitalise on the physical and aesthetic properties of concrete masonry to explore fabrication and detailing in the design process, and (3) to examine preconceptions about solo work and team work in architectural education and practice.

What makes this project unique among other design/build projects is its emphasis on Concrete Masonry Units (known as CMU in the USA) and their visual, tactile and functional properties. The junior and senior students were allowed three building elements: an 8′ cube of space, an unlimited number of concrete blocks, and the visual ecology of a site. The structural vocabulary that Frank Lloyd Wright developed consisted of a three‐dimensional field of lines through which the solid elements of the building were located, enabling the voids to be integral to the whole and equally meaningful. Using these elements, students were asked to design/build temporary structures in a field next to the airport hangar on campus. The pedagogical objective was to adopt Wright's creative spirit, as opposed to quoting his architectural language.
Destination, Imagination and the Fires Within: Design Thinking in a Middle School Classroom
Authors: Carroll Maureen , Goldman Shelley , Britos Leticia , Koh Jaime , Royalty Adam , Hornstein Michael
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the Taking Design Thinking to Schools Research Project was to extend the knowledge base that contributes to an improved understanding of the role of design thinking in K‐12 classrooms. The ethnographic qualitative study focused on the implementation of an interdisciplinary design curriculum by a team of university instructors in a public charter school. Three questions framed the study. How did students express their understanding of design thinking classroom activities? How did affective elements impact design thinking in the classroom environment? How is design thinking connected to academic standards and content learning in the classroom?
I Like Cities; Do You Like Letters? Introducing Urban Typography in Art Education
Authors: Huerta Ricard
Published: September 2010

This article proposes a study of the letters and graphics found in the city, while at the same time opening up unusual spaces linked to the cultural arena and visual geographies for the creation of learning spaces in art education, introducing urban typography for training teachers. The letters in urban spaces can help us reinterpret the patrimonial fabric of cities. With the help of typography, visual arts educators have a powerful graphic resource with which to articulate the complex communicative network of streets. We suggest walking as an aesthetic practice; strolling around the city as a very cultural means to motivate our students. We have at our disposal in our cities a genuine museum woven together with the threads of the alphabet.
Dismantling the Built Drawing: Working with Mood in Architectural Design
Authors: Teal Randall
Published: September 2010

From the late Middle Ages onward an emphasis on the rational and the technical aspects of design and design drawing gained hold of architectural practice. In this transformation, the phenomenon of mood has been frequently overlooked or seen as something to be added on to a design; yet the fundamental grounding of mood, as described in Martin Heidegger's philosophy, is anything but secondary to our experience of the world. In fact, other facilities such as embodied experience, tactile and spatial awareness, and temporal perception all spring from the basic encounter with mood. In this article I describe how a lack of attunement to, and limited ability with, the various manifestations of mood perpetuates a disconnection between the architectural drawing and real buildings. I argue that as long as educational frameworks relegate the emotional and experiential to the place of a supplement, then our design processes will continue to unconsciously promote environments of thinness and superficiality.
Development of a new risk assessment scale for predicting pressure ulcers in an intensive care unit
Authors: Suriadi  , Sanada Hiromi , Sugama Junko , Thigpen Brian , Subuh Muhammad
Published: September 2010

Aims and objectives:  The study aimed to evaluate the predictive validity and accuracy of a new pressure ulcer risk assessment scale in two Indonesia intensive care units (ICUs).

Background:  Several risk assessment scales have been designed to identify patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers in ICU. However, the relative weight of each variable that contributes to pressure ulcer development in these scales is not described to enable designing of a risk assessment scale. Currently, the risk factors contributing to pressure ulcer development include interface pressure, body temperature and cigarette smoking.

Design:  A prospective cohort study was conducted in two ICUs in Pontianak, Indonesia.

Methods:  A total of 253 patients were recruited to the study from both hospitals. Data collection included new risk assessment scale [i.e. the Suriadi and Sanada (S.S.) scale] scoring, demographic, pressure ulcer severity scores (based on the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel) and skin condition measures. Using the S.S. scale, trained data collectors scored patients once and assessed the body temperature daily until patients were discharged. Additionally, daily data were also collected in relation to the patient‘s skin condition and stage of pressure ulcer.

Results:  Out of the 253 patients, 72 (28·4%) developed pressure ulcers. In ICU A, the incidence was 27%; pressure ulcers developed into stage I (41·7%), stage II (45·8%), stage III (10·4%) and stage IV (2·1%). In ICU B, the incidence was 31·6%; the development of pressure ulcers was 48% in stage I and 52% in stage II. Using the predictive validity test, the S.S. scale balanced sensitivity (81%) and specificity (83%) at a cut‐off score of 4. The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve was 0·888 (confidence interval: 0·84–0·93).

Conclusion:  The S.S. scale was found to be a valid risk assessment tool to identify the patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers in Indonesia ICU.
Workplace stressors, coping, demographics and job satisfaction in Chinese intensive care nurses
Authors: Li Jie , Lambert Vickie Ann
Published: September 2010

Background:  Prior research has suggested that certain workplace stressors, coping strategies and demographic characteristics are related to job satisfaction in nurses. Most of the research in this area has been conducted within western culture countries, with little research being carried out in Asian culture countries, especially China. It remains unclear if the findings of the research conducted in western culture countries are applicable to Chinese nurses, especially intensive care nurses.

Aims and objectives:  Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine, in Chinese intensive care nurses, the most often occurring workplace stressor; the most frequently used coping strategy; and the relationships among workplace stressors, coping strategies, demographic characteristics and job satisfaction.

Design:  The study design was a survey using four self‐report questionnaires.

Methods:  One hundred and two intensive care nurses, from four hospitals located in two major cities in central China, were administered four self‐report questionnaires.

Results:  Findings suggested that the most frequently cited workplace stressor was workload, while the most commonly used coping strategy was planning. Two hundred and twelve significant positive and negative correlations were found among the various workplace stressors, coping strategies, demographic characteristics and the different factors comprising job satisfaction.

Conclusions:  These findings identify factors that need to be considered when addressing workplace stress, coping strategies and demographic characteristics as they relate to job satisfaction in Chinese intensive care nurses.

Relevance to clinical practice:  It is important for both hospital and nursing administrators to address factors contributing to job satisfaction, so that retention of qualified ICU nurses, within the workforce, will be facilitated.
Perception of night‐time sleep by surgical patients in an intensive care unit
Authors: Nicolás Ana , Aizpitarte Eva , Iruarrizaga Angélica , Vázquez Mónica , Margall Angeles , Asiain Carmen
Published: September 2010

Background:  The night‐time sleep of patients hospitalized in intensive care is a very important feature within the health or disease process, as it has a direct repercussion on their adequate recovery.

Aims and objectives:  (1) To describe how surgical patients perceive their sleep in the intensive care unit; (2) to compare the subjective perception of patients with the nursing records and analyse these for the degree of agreement.

Design:  Descriptive research.

Methods:  One hundred and four surgical patients were recruited to the study. Patients completed the Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, a five‐item visual analogue scale, to subjectively measure their perceived level of sleep (range 0–100 mm). The observation of patient sleep by nurses, demographic data, nursing care during the night and use of specific pharmacological treatments were also collected from the nursing records.

Results:  The total mean score of sleep on the first post‐operative night was 51·42 mm, 28% of patients had a good sleep, 46% a regular sleep and 26% a bad sleep. The sleep profile of these patients has been characterized by the patients having a light sleep, with frequent awakening and generally little difficulty to go back to sleep after the awakenings. The agreement between the nurses’ perceptions of patients’ sleep and the patients’ perception of their sleep was tested by means of one‐factor analysis of variance (p < 0·05) with a variation coefficient of 36·88%, which indicates that relative agreement was obtained. From analysing every nurse‐patient perception, we obtained 44% of total agreement and 56% of disagreement. When discrepancy was found, the nurse generally overestimated the patients’ perception.

Conclusions:  Surgical patients’ perceptions of their sleep in the ICU suggest that this is inadequate. Nurses’ perceptions of patients’ sleep partially coincides with the latter’s perception, but we have also found that the former frequently overestimate patients’ sleep.
Critical care nurses’ workload estimates for managing patients during induced hypothermia
Authors: Olson DaiWai M , Kelly Amy P , Washam Nicole C , Thoyre Suzanne M
Published: September 2010

Introduction:  The purpose of this study was to provide an initial foundation for exploring how induced hypothermia impacts nursing workload in an intensive care unit setting.

Methods:  This descriptive study used a questionnaire to obtain input from critical care nurses.

Results:  The results represent 107 returned surveys from 120 surveys distributed to seven different critical care units. Nurses estimate a mean time of 9·27 min (95% CI = 5·63–12·92 min) per shift for each intervention. Nurses indicate that they typically consider employing over 10 interventions to reduce temperature or induce hypothermia (95% CI = 9·67–10·81).

Conclusions:  Nurses are open to using a variety of different interventions to manage temperature in critically ill patients. The time required to complete any one intervention varies significantly, but the combination of interventions most certainly has a significant impact on the workload for bedside nurses.
Using a high‐flow respiratory system (Vapotherm®) within a high dependency setting
Authors: Price Ann M , Plowright Catherine , Makowski Arystarch , Misztal Beata
Published: September 2010

Background:  Vapotherm 2000i® is a non‐invasive high‐flow respiratory support system used mainly in the treatment of type 1 respiratory failure. It uses a mixture of oxygen and air to deliver a set concentration via nasal cannula (or tracheostomy mask). The advantage of this system is the high humidity achieved using the integral heated water system. The system has been used in neonatal practice as a replacement for conventional continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) but there is little published research within the adult setting about its use.

Aim:  This study discusses the indications for the use of this non‐invasive high‐flow respiratory support system, the system set up, the benefits and complications of the system.

Audit design:  An audit of 72 patients was undertaken within the Surgical High Dependency Unit that collected data on the types of patient receiving the therapy, its effectiveness and patient experience.

Audit findings:  The audit demonstrated reduced respiratory rate and improvement in oxygenation for treated patients.

Conclusion:  A non‐invasive high‐flow respiratory support system can be effective at improving oxygenation in hypoxic patients. Patients were generally satisfied with the system and the system seems suitable for use in an adult surgical high dependency setting.
Self‐extubation risk assessment tool: predictive validity in a real‐life setting
Authors: Moons Philip , Boriau Marion , Ferdinande Patrick
Published: September 2010

Aim:  To evaluate the predictive validity of the self‐extubation risk assessment tool (SERAT) in intensive care patients.

Background:  Unplanned extubation is an important complication in intensive care units (ICUs). Physicians and nurses working in the ICU would benefit by having access to a tool that could reliably identify patients at risk for unplanned extubation. The SERAT is a risk stratification scheme developed to identify patients at risk for deliberate self‐extubation.

Design:  A prospective, diagnostic study.

Methods:  Over a 3‐month period, 256 patients who were admitted in one of five ICUs in four hospitals in Flanders (Belgium) were studied. The Glasgow Coma Scale and the Bloomsbury Sedation Score were completed by nurses at the start of each shift, i.e. three times per day. Independent nurse researchers collected data on planned or unplanned extubation and placed the data in the SERAT classification scheme.

Results:  Five self‐extubations and three accidental extubations occurred during the 3‐month study period, yielding an incidence of 4·47% that corresponded to 0·56 unplanned extubations per 100 ventilation days. Using the highest accuracy model, we determined that the SERAT had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 90%, negative predictive value of 100%, positive predictive value of 1·2% and accuracy of 90%.

Conclusions:  Although the SERAT can correctly identify patients at risk for deliberate self‐extubation, its use also produces a high number of false‐positive identifications. Further research is necessary to evaluate how the false‐positive rate can be reduced, and subsequently, the predictive validity of the SERAT can be improved.

Relevance to clinical practice:  Because of the high number of false positives, the use of the SERAT in clinical practice to date is not advocated. The positive predictive value has to be improved to avoid the implementation of intensive interventions in patients who are not at risk.
Commentary: Bouza C et al. (2007). Unplanned extubation in orally intubated medical patients in the ICU: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Egerod Ingrid
Published: September 2010

Background:  Unplanned endotracheal extubation (UE) is recognized as the most common airway adverse event in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Objectives:  We examined the incidence, circumstances, and outcome of UE in orally intubated medical patients in the ICU.

Methods:  We performed a 12‐month prospective cohort study in a tertiary‐care medical ICU.

Results:  A total of 344 consecutive adults who were orally intubated and mechanically ventilated for 3710 days were included. The overall incidence density of UE was 0·92 of 100 days of ventilation. Eight episodes (24%) occurred in patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) and not in the weaning process versus 26 episodes (76%) in patients scheduled for weaning. UE was reported as intentional in 71% of cases and as accidental in 29% of cases. In 59% of UE cases, patients were without caregivers at the bedside when the episode took place, and 46% of cases occurred during the night shift. Reintubation was required in 41% of patients and was strongly associated with the accidental nature of the episode [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 4.3 (1.9–9.6)]. Compared with patients without UE, patients with UE had a lower mortality rate [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 0·21 (0·6–0·8)] but longer days on MV (11.5 versus 5, P _ 0·09) and ICU stay (13.5 versus 6, P _ 0·08).

Conclusions:  This study does not confirm the highest rates of UE previously reported in orally intubated medical patients in the ICU or the association with mortality in this scenario. However, UE increased the need for MV and ICU care. We found a moderate to high prevalence of potentially modifiable risk factors for UE, suggesting unsatisfactory ICU practices.

Abstract reprinted from Heart & Lung, volume 36, Bouza C et al., ‘Unplanned extubation in orally intubated medical patients in the ICU: a prospective cohort study.’, pages 270–276. ©2007, reproduced with permission from Elsevier Limited.
Nucleation and growth of myrmekite during ductile shear deformation in metagranites
Authors: MENEGON L. , PENNACCHIONI G. , STÜNITZ H.
Published: September 2010

Myrmekite is extensively developed along strain gradients of continuous, lower amphibolite facies shear zones in metagranites of the Gran Paradiso unit (Western Alps). To evaluate the role of stress, strain energy and fluid phase in the formation of myrmekite, we studied a sample suite consisting of weakly deformed porphyric granites (WDGs), foliated granites (FGs) representative of intermediate strains, and mylonitic granites (MGs). In the protolith, most K‐feldspar is microcline with different sets of perthite lamellae and fractures. In the WDGs, abundant quartz‐oligoclase myrmekite developed inside K‐feldspar only along preexisting perthite lamellae and fractures oriented at a high angle to the incremental shortening direction. In the WDGs, stress played a direct role in the nucleation of myrmekites along interfaces already characterized by high stored elastic strain because of lattice mismatch between K‐feldspar and albite. In the FGs and MGs, K‐feldspar was progressively dismembered along the growing network of microshear zones exploiting the fine‐grained recrystallized myrmekite and perthite aggregates. This was accompanied by a more pervasive fluid influx into the reaction surfaces, and myrmekite occurs more or less pervasively along all the differently oriented internal perthites and fractures independently of the kinematic framework of the shear zone. In the MGs, myrmekite forms complete rims along the outer boundary of the small K‐feldspar porphyroclasts, which are almost completely free of internal reaction interfaces. Therefore, we infer that the role of fluid in the nucleation of myrmekite became increasingly important as deformation progressed and outweighed that of stress. Mass balance calculations indicate that, in Al–Si‐conservative conditions, myrmekite growth was associated with a volume loss of 8.5%. This resulted in microporosity within myrmekite that enhanced the diffusion of chemical components to the reaction sites and hence the further development of myrmekite.
SHRIMP U‐Pb zircon dating from Sulu‐Dabie dolomitic marble, eastern China: constraints on prograde, ultrahigh‐pressure and retrograde metamorphic ages
Authors: LIU F. L. , GERDES A. , LIOU J.G. , XUE H. M. , LIANG F. H.
Published: September 2010

Laser Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence (CL) images show that zircon from Sulu‐Dabie dolomitic marbles is characterized by distinctive domains of inherited (detrital), prograde, ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) and retrograde metamorphic growths. The inherited zircon domains are dark‐luminescent in CL images and contain mineral inclusions of Qtz + Cal + Ap. The prograde metamorphic domains are white‐luminescent in CL images and preserve a quartz eclogite facies assemblage of Qtz + Dol + Grt + Omp + Phe + Ap, formed at 542–693 °C and 1.8–2.1 GPa. In contrast, the UHP metamorphic domains are grey‐luminescent in CL images, retain the UHP assemblage of Coe + Grt + Omp + Arg + Mgs + Ap, and record UHP conditions of 739–866 °C and >5.5 GPa. The outermost retrograde rims have dark‐luminescent CL images, and contain low‐Pminerals such as calcite, related to the regional amphibolite facies retrogression. Laser ablation ICP‐MS trace‐element data show striking difference between the inherited cores of mostly magmatic origin and zircon domains grown in response to prograde, UHP and retrograde metamorphism. SHRIMP U‐Pb dating on these zoned zircon identified four discrete206Pb/238U age groups: 1823–503 Ma is recorded in the inherited (detrital) zircon derived from various Proterozoic protoliths, the prograde domains record the quartz eclogite facies metamorphism at 254–239 Ma, the UHP growth domains occurred at 238–230 Ma, and the late amphibolite facies retrogressive overprint in the outermost rims was restricted to 218–206 Ma. Thus, Proterozoic continental materials of the Yangtze craton were subducted to 55–60 km depth during the Early Triassic and recrystallized at quartz eclogite facies conditions. Then these metamorphic rocks were further subducted to depths of 165–175 km in the Middle Triassic and experienced UHP metamorphism, and finally these UHP metamorphic rocks were exhumed to mid‐crustal levels (about 30 km) in the Late Triassic and overprinted by regional amphibolite facies metamorphism. The subduction and exhumation rates deduced from the SHRIMP data and metamorphicP–Tconditions are 9–10 km Myr−1and 6.4 km Myr−1, respectively, and these rapid subduction–exhumation rates may explain the obtainedP–T–tpath. Such a fast exhumation suggests that Sulu‐Dabie UHP rocks that returned towards crustal depths were driven by buoyant forces, caused as a consequence of slab breakoff at mantle depth.