bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BIDDING TO GIVE: AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF AUCTIONS FOR CHARITY*
Authors: Schram Arthur J.H.C. , Onderstal Sander
Published: April 2009

We experimentally compare three mechanisms used to raise money for charities: first‐price winner‐pay auctions, first‐price all‐pay auctions, and lotteries. We stay close to the characteristics of most charity auctions by using an environment with incomplete information and independent private values. Our results support theoretical predictions by showing that the all‐pay format raises substantially higher revenue than the other mechanisms.
COMPETITIVE GROWTH IN A LIFE‐CYCLE MODEL: EXISTENCE AND DYNAMICS*
Authors: D'Albis Hippolyte , Augeraud‐véron Emmanuelle
Published: April 2009

The dynamic behavior of the capital growth rate is analyzed using an overlapping‐generations model with continuous trading. Assuming a technology satisfying constant social returns to capital, the equilibrium growth rate is piecewise‐defined by functional differential equations with both delayed and advanced terms. The main result concerns the existence of a solution expressed as a series of exponentials, which is shown to crucially depend on the initial wealth distribution among cohorts. Upon existence, the dynamics of the capital growth rate has a saddle‐point trajectory that converges to a unique steady state. Along the transition path, the growth rate exhibits exponentially decreasing oscillations.
AN EQUILIBRIUM SEARCH MODEL WHEN FIRMS OBSERVE WORKERS' EMPLOYMENT STATUS*
Authors: Carrillo‐Tudela Carlos
Published: April 2009

This article considers an equilibrium search model, where firms post wages using information on workers' employment status. Earnings differentials between workers of different employment statuses are driven by firms' ability to discriminate workers' reservation wages. I study how these wage policies depend on firms' and workers' characteristics, and how these policies affect the wage distribution. The model delivers new predictions for the amount of wage dispersion that can be generated with search models and provides a better representation of the left tail of the wage distribution in the presence of a legal minimum wage than standard equilibrium search models.
AVOIDING THE INFLATION TAX*
Authors: Ennis Huberto M.
Published: April 2009

I study the effects of inflation on the purchasing behavior of buyers in the Lagos–Wright monetary economy. The standard framework fails to capture the long‐standing intuition that when inflation increases, agents try to spend their money holdings speedily. I propose a simple, realistic extension in which buyers can rebalance their money holdings only sporadically (i.e., not every period). I show that, in such a case, higher inflation can induce buyers to spend their money faster by frontloading their consumption and searching more intensively for transactions. These trade distortions have, traditionally, been associated with the economic costs of inflation.
SIMULATED MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION BASED ON FIRST‐ORDER CONDITIONS*
Authors: Keane Michael P.
Published: April 2009

I describe a strategy for structural estimation that uses simulated maximum likelihood (SML) to estimate the structural parameters appearing in a model's first‐order conditions (FOCs). Generalized method of moments (GMM) is often the preferred method for estimation of FOCs, as it avoids distributional assumptions on stochastic terms, provided all structural errors enter the FOCs additively, giving a single composite additive error. But SML has advantages over GMM in models where multiple structural errors enter the FOCs nonadditively. I develop new simulation algorithms required to implement SML based on FOCs, and I illustrate the method using a model of U.S. multinational corporations.
Contraception and Women with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: McCarthy Michelle
Published: April 2009

Background  Contraception is widely prescribed to women with intellectual disabilities, yet little is known about what the women think and feel about this. One of the aims of the study was to explore what women understood and to what extent they were able to exercise choice and control.

Method  Twenty‐three women with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities in South East England were interviewed about their current and past use of contraception, their knowledge of contraception more broadly, the process of being prescribed contraception and sources of information and support.

Results  Knowledge of how contraception works was very limited and approximately half the women also lacked basic knowledge about reproduction. Few women attended medical appointments alone and none had been given any accessible information about contraception.

Conclusions  There is a role for increased education, support and advocacy for women with intellectual disabilities when they are prescribed contraception. This would help to ensure women are prescribed methods which are best for them as individuals and to help maximize their participation in the process.
Starting a New Job: The Social and Emotional Experience of People with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Jahoda Andrew , Banks Pauline , Dagnan Dave , Kemp Jeremy , Kerr Wendy , Williams Victoria
Published: April 2009

Background Employment is viewed by policy makers as both a human right and as a means of changing the marginalized status of people with intellectual disabilities, with important social and emotional benefits. However, there has been little longitudinal research examining the experience of people with intellectual disabilities in the workplace.

Methods Thirty‐five individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities participated in this study. They were recruited from supported employment agencies in Scotland. A longitudinal approach was adopted, with the participants being interviewed around the time of starting their jobs, and again 9–12 months later.

Results The content analyses of the semi‐structured interviews indicated that the participants perceived continuing benefits from entering mainstream employment, including more purposeful lives and increased social status. However, over the follow‐up period the participants reported few social opportunities that extended beyond the workplace, and an anxiety about their competence to meet employers’ demands remained a concern for some.

Conclusions The discussion addresses the importance of understanding work in relation to the participants’ wider lives, along with the longer‐term role for supported employment agencies to help people achieve their social and emotional goals in a vocational context.
Adhesion molecules in endometrial epithelium: tissue integrity and embryo implantation
Authors: Singh Harmeet , Aplin John D.
Published: April 2009

Cell adhesion in endometrial epithelium is regulated to maintain the continuity and protectiveness of the luminal covering cell layer while permitting interstitial implantation of the embryo during a restricted period of about 4 days. Many apparently normal embryos fail to implant, and epithelial‐embryo adhesion remains a poorly understood phenomenon. After menstruation, epithelial regeneration occurs by epiboly from the basal residues of glands, an activity that requires migration on extracellular matrix as well as cell–cell cohesion. Here we review current knowledge of adhesion molecules in the epithelium.
Estrogen and tamoxifen reverse manganese‐induced glutamate transporter impairment in astrocytes
Authors: Lee Eun‐Sook Y. , Sidoryk Marta , Jiang Haiyan , Yin Zhaobao , Aschner Michael
Published: April 2009

Chronic exposure to manganese (Mn) can cause manganism, a neurodegenerative disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease. The toxicity of Mn includes impairment of astrocytic glutamate transporters. 17β‐Estradiol (E2) has been shown to be neuroprotective in various neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and some selective estrogen receptor modulators, including tamoxifen (TX), also possess neuroprotective properties. We have tested our hypothesis that E2 and TX reverse Mn‐induced glutamate transporter impairment in astrocytes. The results established that E2 and TX increased glutamate transporter function and reversed Mn‐induced glutamate uptake inhibition, primarily via the up‐regulation of glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST). E2 and TX also increased astrocytic GLAST mRNA levels and attenuated the Mn‐induced inhibition of GLAST mRNA expression. In addition, E2 and TX effectively increased the expression of transforming growth factor β1, a potential modulator of the stimulatory effects of E2/TX on glutamate transporter function. This effect was mediated by the activation of MAPK/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways. These novel findings suggest, for the first time, that E2 and TX enhance astrocytic glutamate transporter expression via increased transforming growth factor β1 expression. Furthermore, the present study is the first to show that both E2 and TX effectively reverse Mn‐induced glutamate transport inhibition by restoring its expression and activity, thus offering a potential therapeutic modality in neurodegenerative disorders characterized by altered glutamate homeostasis.
Protein kinase C regulation of neuronal zinc signaling mediates survival during preconditioning
Authors: Aras Mandar A. , Hara Hirokazu , Hartnett Karen A. , Kandler Karl , Aizenman Elias
Published: April 2009

Sub‐lethal activation of cell death processes initiate pro‐survival signaling cascades. As intracellular Zn2+liberation mediates neuronal death pathways, we tested whether a sub‐lethal increase in free Zn2+could also trigger neuroprotection. Neuronal free Zn2+transiently increased following preconditioning, and was both necessary and sufficient for conferring excitotoxic tolerance. Lethal exposure to NMDA led to a delayed increase in Zn2+that contributed significantly to excitotoxicity in non‐preconditioned neurons, but not in tolerant neurons, unless preconditioning‐induced free Zn2+was chelated. Thus, preconditioning may trigger the expression of Zn2+‐regulating processes, which, in turn, prevent subsequent Zn2+‐mediated toxicity. Indeed, preconditioning increased Zn2+‐regulated gene expression in neurons. Examination of the molecular signaling mechanism leading to this early Zn2+signal revealed a critical role for protein kinase C (PKC) activity, suggesting that PKC may act directly on the intracellular source of Zn2+. We identified a conserved PKC phosphorylation site at serine‐32 (S32) of metallothionein (MT) that was important in modulating Zn2+‐regulated gene expression and conferring excitotoxic tolerance. Importantly, we observed increased PKC‐induced serine phosphorylation in immunopurified MT1, but not in mutant MT1(S32A). These results indicate that neuronal Zn2+serves as an important, highly regulated signaling component responsible for the initiation of a neuroprotective pathway.
Distinct modulation of voltage‐gated and ligand‐gated Ca2+ currents by PPAR‐γ agonists in cultured hippocampal neurons
Authors: Pancani Tristano , Phelps Jeremiah T. , Searcy James L. , Kilgore Michael W. , Chen Kuey‐Chu , Porter Nada M. , Thibault Olivier
Published: April 2009

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and is especially prevalent in the elderly. Because aging is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), anti‐diabetic agents (thiazolidinediones‐TZDs) are being studied for the treatment of cognitive decline associated with AD. These agents normalize insulin sensitivity in the periphery and can improve cognition and verbal memory in AD patients. Based on evidence that Ca2+ dysregulation is a pathogenic factor of brain aging/AD, we tested the hypothesis that TZDs could impact Ca2+ signaling/homeostasis in neurons. We assessed the effects of pioglitazone and rosiglitazone (TZDs) on two major sources of Ca2+ influx in primary hippocampal cultured neurons, voltage‐gated Ca2+ channel (VGCC) and the NMDA receptor (NMDAR). VGCC‐ and NMDAR‐mediated Ca2+ currents were recorded using patch‐clamp techniques, and Ca2+ intracellular levels were monitored with Ca2+ imaging techniques. Rosiglitazone, but not pioglitazone reduced VGCC currents. In contrast, NMDAR‐mediated currents were significantly reduced by pioglitazone but not rosiglitazone. These results show that TZDs modulate Ca2+‐dependent pathways in the brain and have different inhibitory profiles on two major Ca2+ sources, potentially conferring neuroprotection to an area of the brain that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging and/or AD.
Mental Health of Children in Palestinian Kindergartens: Resilience and Vulnerability
Authors: Massad Salwa , Javier Nieto F. , Palta Mari , Smith Maureen , Clark Roseanne , Thabet Abdel‐Aziz
Published: April 2009

Background:  Exposure to adversity does not necessarily lead to the development of psychopathology in all affected children. This study examined the factors associated with resilience and vulnerability in mental health in the Gaza Strip in 2007.

Methods:  Children selected from a random sample of kindergartens (3‐6 years old, N = 350) were assessed for growth and their mothers administered an interview including a psychometric test battery.

Results:  Factors associated with resilience were maternal rated good health, higher maternal level of education, and less child exposure to traumatic events. Factors associated with vulnerability were poor maternal mental health, and male gender.

Conclusions:  Our findings highlight the importance of maternal health and education in affecting children’s mental health.
The prevalence and related risk factors of anxiety and depression symptoms among Chinese pregnant women in Shanghai
Authors: QIAO Yong‐Xia , WANG Jing , LI Jue , ABLAT Alimujiang
Published: April 2009

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression of the pregnant women during the prenatal period, and provide information for further epidemiological study.

Methods: With ethics committee approval, a total of 527 recruited pregnant women from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji University Medical School were selected at four hospitals that affiliated to the University. By applying a self‐designed questionnaire for hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale, we evaluated anxious and depressive symptoms in these women.

Results: The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression in these Chinese pregnant women during prenatal period were 6.8% and 4.8%, respectively, whereas the co‐prevalence rate of both anxiety and depression was 3.4%, and anxiety and/or depression 15.0%. The relationship between the prevalence rate of anxiety/depression and the age distribution was proven negatively correlated (χ2 = 1.478, P = 0.016) by the trend chi‐squared test. Among all three groups, the prevalence rate of anxiety and depression was highest in the group of below 20 years old, lowest in the group of over 30 years old, and in‐between in the group of 20 to 30 years old. Logistic regression analysis showed that lower age was a risk factor (odds ratio (OR) = 10.094, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.418~71.838). Meanwhile, poor educational background (OR = 1.929, 95%CI: 1.101~3.379) was a relevant risk factor as well.

Conclusions: We suggest that introduction of psychological health instruction programs for pregnant women, especially the younger ones, should be strengthened. Besides, the essential intervention measures may be applied if necessary.
Use of Bakri balloon in post‐partum haemorrhage: A series of 15 cases
Authors: VITTHALA Srisailesh , TSOUMPOU Ioanna , ANJUM Zulqarnain K. , AZIZ Nagi A.
Published: April 2009

Background: Post‐partum haemorrhage (PPH) is a major complication of delivery. Hysterectomy is commonly performed when medical treatment of PPH fails. We assessed the effectiveness of Bakri balloon tamponade, a non‐surgical technique in the management of PPH.

Aim(s): Our objective is to report our experience in the use of Bakri balloon in treating PPH.

Method: A retrospective study of 15 patients who underwent Bakri balloon insertion after unsuccessful medical management of PPH.

Results: Fifteen cases of PPH were managed with Bakri balloon insertion. It was effective in all cases of PPH after vaginal delivery and in four cases of caesarean section; the overall effectiveness was 80%.

Conclusion: Insertion of Bakri balloon is a simple alternative procedure in the management of PPH. It should be consider before any further surgical intervention including hysterectomy. Junior doctors and midwives can effectively apply it. It can be used during transfer or while waiting for a surgical procedure to reduce blood loss.
The effect of single or multiple courses of antenatal corticosteroid therapy on neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in singleton versus twin pregnancies
Authors: CHOI Suk‐Joo , SONG Seung Eun , SEO Eun Sung , OH Soo‐young , KIM Jong‐Hwa , ROH Cheong‐Rae
Published: April 2009

Background: Antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) treatment is widely used for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. However, the efficacy and safety of ACS treatment remains controversial in twin pregnancies.

Aims: To investigate the effect of ACS therapy, single or multiple courses, on the incidence of neonatal RDS in singleton and twin pregnancies.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of 450 singleton and 117 twin pregnancies delivered at 24–34 weeks of gestation due to preterm labour or preterm premature rupture of membranes. The subjects were categorised into four groups according to ACS exposure: 0, 1, 2 and ≥ 3 courses.

Results: Overall, RDS occurred more frequently in twins compared to singletons (41.0% vs 25.3%, P < 0.001). In singleton pregnancy, the incidence of RDS was significantly lower in the ACS user groups than in the non‐user group, with the lowest incidence in the multiple course groups. An increase in the number of courses of ACS was associated with a reduction in the incidence of RDS (odds ratio 0.349, 95% confidence interval 0.226, 0.537, P < 0.001) independent of confounding variables. In twin pregnancies, however, the incidence of RDS was not significantly different in comparisons among the four groups.

Conclusion: Multiple courses of ACS were associated with a significantly decreased risk of RDS in singleton pregnancies. However, the current standard dose or interval for ACS administration in singleton pregnancy, as either a single or multiple courses, did not reduce RDS in twins.
A survey of New Zealand RANZCOG Fellows on their use of the levonorgestrel intrauterine device in adolescents
Authors: PATERSON Helen , MILLER Dawn , DEVENISH Celia
Published: April 2009

Background: The levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG‐IUD) is an established treatment for adult women. Although it is being used in adolescents, there is little published research in this age group to date. Recent reviews and editorials have challenged the long‐held views that intrauterine devices should not be used in young women.

Aims: This study aimed to identify the patterns of use, including indications and contraindications of the LNG‐IUD in adolescents by RANZCOG Fellows practising in New Zealand.

Methods: A postal survey of New Zealand RANZCOG Fellows on their use of the LNG‐IUD in females aged 10–19 years.

Results: There was a 72% response rate. Half of the respondents had inserted the LNG‐IUD in adolescents. Non‐inserters identified a significantly greater number of contraindications than inserters (χ2, P < 0.0001). Over half of those respondents who had inserted a device in an adolescent did so fewer than three times per year. Intellectual disability and endometriosis, both unlicensed indications, were the two most commonly identified circumstances for insertion by respondents.

Conclusions: Patterns of insertion of the LNG‐IUD in adolescents by RANZCOG Fellows in New Zealand differ and there was equipoise over its use. Further research is required to establish the efficacy, safety and acceptability of the LNG‐IUD in adolescents.
MotherSafe: Review of three years of counselling by an Australian teratology Information Service
Authors: LIM Joy Marie , SULLIVAN Elizabeth , KENNEDY Debra
Published: April 2009

Background: MotherSafe was established in January 2000 at the Royal Hospital for Women as Australia's first ‘purpose‐built’ Teratogen Information Service and since then has received over 75 000 calls regarding exposures during pregnancy and lactation.

Aim: To describe the patterns of use of MotherSafe over a three‐year period.

Methods: Retrospective descriptive epidemiological study using data from the database established at MotherSafe. Records from all the calls logged at MotherSafe between January 2005 and December 2007 were analysed to determine total number of calls, demographic characteristics of callers, including age, caller category and postcode, reason for call, source of referral and type of exposure.

Results: A total of 47 138 calls were recorded to the MotherSafe service from January 2005 to December 2007. The majority of calls were regarding exposures in pregnancy (55%) and breast‐feeding (38%). Average age of patients was 32.3 years. Of the calls made, 81.9% (38 485 of 46 968) were by consumers (the pregnant or lactating woman herself or a relative). The most common primary exposure categories were: over‐the‐counter medications (11.3%), psychotropic medication (9.0%), herbal or vitamin products (8.2%), antibiotics (7.0%), gastrointestinal medications (6.8%) and topical products (6.6%). Forty per cent of callers enquired about multiple exposures.

Conclusions: The utilisation of MotherSafe by consumers and general practitioners continues to increase, reflecting the strong demand for a teratogen counselling service that provides high‐quality, evidence‐based information on exposures during pregnancy and lactation.
Outcomes for subsequent pregnancy in women who have undergone misoprostol mid‐trimester termination of pregnancy
Authors: MIRMILSTEIN Vadim , ROWLANDS Shelley , KING James F.
Published: April 2009

In Australia, the most common method of mid‐trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) is by medical induction with the prostaglandin E 1 analog misoprostol. This study was undertaken to compare the pregnancy outcomes of women who had undergone a misoprostol mid‐trimester TOP in their last pregnancy with those of a similar cohort of women without a history of misoprostol TOP. This study suggests a possibility that medical mid‐trimester TOP with misoprostol increases the risk of preterm or very preterm delivery in a subsequent pregnancy but larger studies are needed to confirm or dismiss this.
Gynaecological surgery from art and craft to science?
Authors: JOHNSON Neil Philip
Published: April 2009

Randomised controlled trials are applied more readily to medical than surgical interventions. There are even more barriers to randomised trials of surgical interventions than to other randomised trials. These include reluctance among surgeons to undertake trials (owing to concern over expressing equipoise, surgical training and surgical learning curve issues, restrictions of funding and time for research, even financial conflict of interest), reluctance of patients to participate in surgical trials owing to fears over ‘experimental surgery’, failure of randomised trials to detect rare surgical complications and the almost universal failure of those conducting surgical trials to examine important long‐term outcomes. Rapid advances in surgical fields mean that new surgical techniques are rapidly superseded and clinical questions surrounding new techniques may linger only until the next new technique becomes available. Nonetheless randomised controlled trials remain the cornerstone of evaluating the effectiveness of surgical interventions. Genuine progress has been made in this field. However, large multicentre collaborative randomised trials that have been prospectively defined in trial registries will be required in the future to answer the important clinical questions regarding gynaecological surgical interventions.
Assessment of the effect of psychosocial support during childbirth in Ibadan, south‐west Nigeria: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: MORHASON‐BELLO Imran O. , ADEDOKUN Babatunde O. , OJENGBEDE Oladosu A. , OLAYEMI Oladapo , OLADOKUN Adesina , FABAMWO Adetokunbo O.
Published: April 2009

Objective: To assess the effect of psychosocial support on labour outcomes.

Methodology: A randomised control trial conducted at the University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria, from November 2006 to 30 March 2007. Women with anticipated vaginal delivery were recruited and randomised at the antenatal clinic. The experimental group had companionship in addition to routine care throughout labour until two hours after delivery, while the controls had only routine care. The primary outcome measure was caesarean section rate. Others included duration of active phase, pain score, time of breast‐feeding initiation and description of labour experience. Multivariable analyses were used to adjust for potential confounders. The level of statistical significance was set at 5%.

Results: Of the 632 recruited, 585 were eventually studied: 293 and 292 were in experimental and control groups, respectively. Husbands constituted about two‐thirds of the companions. Women in the control group were about five times more likely to deliver by caesarean section (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98–12.05), had significantly longer duration of active phase (P < 0.001), higher pain scores (P = 0.011) and longer interval between delivery and initiation of breast‐feeding (P < 0.001). However, those in experimental group had a more satisfying labour experience (odds ratio 3.3 95% CI 2.15–5.04).

Conclusion: Women with companionship had better labour outcomes compared to those without. It is desirable to adopt this practice in our health‐care settings as an alternative strategy to provide comparable quality services to would‐be mothers in labour.
Role of a second stage partogram in predicting the outcome of normal labour
Authors: BASU Jayati K. , BUCHMANN Eckhart J. , BASU Debashis
Published: April 2009

Background: Management of the second stage of labour is dictated by arbitrary time limits rather than true measures of progress. No partogram is available for second stage of labour.

Objectives: To evaluate a partogram designed for use for the second stage of labour.

Methods: This prospective cross‐sectional analytical study included low‐risk pregnant women with singleton fetuses with vertex presentations at term. From onset of the second stage, vaginal examinations were performed every 30 min until delivery. A scoring system developed by Sizer et al. was used based on station and position of fetal head. Scores were plotted on a second stage partogram and used to predict labour outcomes, such as duration of second stage and mode of delivery.

Results: Of 79 women examined, 73 had spontaneous vaginal delivery. Of the remaining six, four required oxytocin infusion and other two required vacuum extraction. The median durations of the second stage of labour for primigravidas (n = 34) and multigravidas (n = 45) were 35 and 25 min, respectively. The median Sizer's partogram score at the onset of second stage was 4. Multiple regression analysis showed that the partogram score (r2 = 0.27) and gravidity (r2 = 0.10) were independent predictors of duration of the second stage. There was a significant association between second stage progress plotted to the right of the partogram line and non‐spontaneous delivery (P = 0.01).

Conclusion: The second stage partogram score at onset can predict the duration of second stage. Poor progress plotted on the partogram is associated with non‐spontaneous delivery.
Interactions of Arctic and Atlantic water‐masses and associated environmental changes during the last millennium, Hornsund (SW Svalbard)
Authors: MAJEWSKI WOJCIECH , SZCZUCIŃSKI WITOLD , ZAJĄCZKOWSKI MAREK
Published: April 2009

The fjords of southwestern Spitsbergen (European Arctic) are a climatically sensitive area neighbouring the mixing zone of warm northward‐flowing Atlantic water‐masses and cold Arctic Water. Owing to reasonably high accumulation rates, these settings are especially suitable for providing high‐resolution sedimentary records of regional hydrological and environmental changes. A sediment core spanning the last millennium was retrieved from the outer Hornsund fjord basin, 14C dated and analysed for sediment grain size, ice‐rafted debris (IRD), the distribution of benthic foraminifera and their oxygen and carbon stable isotope composition. The record of sub‐centennial resolution reveals three distinctive periods: the Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age (∼AD 1600–1900) and 20th‐century warming. The marine record obtained is well correlated with regional high‐resolution ice‐core records as well as with atmospheric palaeotemperature reconstructions and sea‐ice data. The colder periods stay in phase with the greater influence of less saline, cold Arctic Water indicated by subtle changes in benthic foraminifera assemblages and the δ18O signal, which is dominated by changes in salinity. The IRD record clearly indicates that tidewater glaciers were present in SW Spitsbergen throughout the last millennium, and most actively from the late 16th century until the end of the 19th century.
One Hundred Questions of Importance to the Conservation of Global Biological Diversity
Authors: SUTHERLAND W. J. , ADAMS W. M. , ARONSON R. B. , AVELING R. , BLACKBURN T. M. , BROAD S. , CEBALLOS G. , CÔTÉ I. M. , COWLING R. M. , DA FONSECA G. A. B. , DINERSTEIN E. , FERRARO P. J. , FLEISHMAN E. , GASCON C. , HUNTER Jr. M. , HUTTON J. , KAREIVA P. , KURIA A. , MACDONALD D. W. , MACKINNON K. , MADGWICK F. J. , MASCIA M. B. , MCNEELY J. , MILNER‐GULLAND E. J. , MOON S. , MORLEY C. G. , NELSON S. , OSBORN D. , PAI M. , PARSONS E. C. M. , PECK L. S. , POSSINGHAM H. , PRIOR S. V. , PULLIN A. S. , RANDS M. R. W. , RANGANATHAN J. , REDFORD K. H. , RODRIGUEZ J. P. , SEYMOUR F. , SOBEL J. , SODHI N. S. , STOTT A. , VANCE‐BORLAND K. , WATKINSON A. R.
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  We identified 100 scientific questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on conservation practice and policy. Representatives from 21 international organizations, regional sections and working groups of the Society for Conservation Biology, and 12 academics, from all continents except Antarctica, compiled 2291 questions of relevance to conservation of biological diversity worldwide. The questions were gathered from 761 individuals through workshops, email requests, and discussions. Voting by email to short‐list questions, followed by a 2‐day workshop, was used to derive the final list of 100 questions. Most of the final questions were derived through a process of modification and combination as the workshop progressed. The questions are divided into 12 sections: ecosystem functions and services, climate change, technological change, protected areas, ecosystem management and restoration, terrestrial ecosystems, marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, species management, organizational systems and processes, societal context and change, and impacts of conservation interventions. We anticipate that these questions will help identify new directions for researchers and assist funders in directing funds.
Simple standing test predicts and water ingestion prevents vasovagal reaction in the high‐risk blood donors
Authors: Ando Shin‐ichi , Kawamura Natsumi , Matsumoto Mari , Dan Emi , Takeshita Akira , Murakami Kazuko , Kashiwagi Seizaburo , Kiyokawa Hiroyuki
Published: April 2009

BACKGROUND:One of the serious complications of blood donation is vasovagal reaction (VVR) with syncope. This study was performed to determine if the measurement of hemodynamic responses to standing before blood collection (BC) was useful to identify the high‐risk donors for VVR and also examined the effect of 300 mL of water ingestion in the prevention of VVR.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) during 5 minutes of standing were examined before and after BC in 93 donors. Because HR increase of 6 of 7 donors who developed syncopal VVR during standing after BC was 15 beats per minute (bpm) or greater, those with HR increase of 15 bpm or greater were determined as high‐risk donors (n = 31). In another group (n = 117), 45 donors were identified as high risk based on the HR response before BC (≥15 bpm). The effect of 300 mL of water ingestion 15 minutes before BC on hemodynamic responses to standing and the rate of VVR after BC were analyzed.

RESULTS:Water ingestion given to the high‐risk donors of the second group reduced HR increase with standing before BC (−6.6 ± 13.6 bpm, p < 0.02 vs. HR increase before water ingestion) and significantly suppressed VVR rate (2 of 45 donors with high risk, 4.4%, p < 0.04 vs. the first group; 6 of 31 high‐risk donors, 19.4%).

CONCLUSION:HR response to standing before BC may detect the high‐risk donors for VVR. For the high‐risk donors, 300 mL of water ingestion may be a simple and effective way of prevention against syncopal VVR.
Calcium‐sensing receptor gene polymorphisms and cardiac valvular calcification in patients with chronic renal failure: A pilot study
Authors: TURKMEN Funda , OZDEMİR Ali , SEVİNC Can , EREN Pιnar Ata , DEMİRAL Serdar
Published: April 2009

Cardiac valvular calcification (VC) is a frequent finding in chronic hemodialysis patients. In addition to demographic and metabolic factors, genetic susceptibility may also influence the occurrence and severity of these abnormalities and account for interindividual variability among patients. In this report, we studied the relation of calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) gene polymorphisms to the development of VC in chronic hemodialysis patients. A total of 41 chronic hemodialysis patients (26 male, mean age 47.23 ± 11.36 years vs. 15 females, mean age 48.13 ± 14.66 years) undergoing treatment for more than 1 year were evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography. In patients with and without VC, CaSR gene polymorphisms (A990G, C1011G) were investigated by PCR, using allele‐specific primers. In randomly chosen subjects, PCR analysis was verified by DNA sequencing. Cardiac valve calcification was detected in 21 patients (51.2%). Five of these patients (12.2%) had mitral valve calcification, 4 (9.75%) had aortic valve calcification, and 12 (29.27%) had both. In patients with VC, the frequency of the A/G genotype was slightly higher than those with no VC with a borderline P value (42.9% vs. 15%, χ2=3.840, P=0.050). The frequency of the C/C genotype was similar in patients with and without VC (90.5% vs. 85%, P>0.05). The results of this study are not enough to prove the role of CaSR gene polymorphisms in the development of VC. There is a need for large‐scale studies on this topic.
Rate of creatinine equilibration in whole blood
Authors: SCHNEDITZ Daniel , YANG Yichien , CHRISTOPOULOS Georgios , KELLNER Josef
Published: April 2009

The classic assumption that a large fraction of blood creatinine remains sequestered within erythrocytes when blood is dialyzed has been challenged by recent observations where approximately 60% of erythrocyte water appeared accessible to diffusive creatinine transport during a dialyzer transit. This discrepancy provided the motivation to revisit and reanalyze the equilibration of creatinine across the erythrocyte membrane in a series of in vitro studies with normal human blood under erythrocyte loading and unloading conditions at 37 °C. The time course of plasma creatinine concentrations measured by a kinetic picric acid assay was analyzed using a 2‐compartment model. In 7 experiments, the equilibration constant was 0.052 ± 0.013/min, corresponding to a mean half‐life of 13.8 ± 2.8 minutes, and comparable for erythrocyte loading and unloading. With these values and with mean dialyzer transit times in the range of 20 seconds the fraction of erythrocyte water accessible to diffusive clearance is in the range of 2%. These results are comparable to what has been measured with radiolabeled markers almost half a century ago. Therefore, when dialyzer outlet concentrations are sampled without equilibration the effective diffusion volume flow rate for creatinine is close to plasma water flow and does not include sizeable fractions of erythrocyte water flow.
Causes and consequences of inflammation on anemia management in hemodialysis patients
Authors: CHAWLA Lakhmir S. , KRISHNAN Mahesh
Published: April 2009

Inflammation is common among hemodialysis patients, and evidence is accumulating to suggest that inflammation is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Several factors have been suggested as potential causes of inflammation, including infections and the atherosclerosis process, as well as etiologies directly related to kidney disease such as reduced renal function and dialysis. Among several inflammatory biomarkers investigated, serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) is the most widely used. In hemodialysis patients, raised CRP levels have been shown to be predictive of cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. Elevated CRP levels may correlate with comorbidities and intercurrent events, all of which may impact the response to erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) and lead to higher ESA doses. Most dialysis facilities do not routinely measure CRP, despite recommendations by the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative. Regular measurement of CRP levels may help providers to understand change in ESA dosing and identify patients at risk for cardiovascular events. This review explores the inter‐relationships between inflammation, CRP levels, and anemia management in patients receiving hemodialysis.
Interdialytic weight gain and ultrafiltration rate in hemodialysis: Lessons about fluid adherence from a national registry of clinical practice
Authors: LINDBERG Magnus , PRÜTZ Karl‐Göran , LINDBERG Per , WIKSTRÖM Björn
Published: April 2009

Excessive interdialytic weight gain (IWG) and ultrafiltration rates (UFR) above 10 mL/h/kg body weight imply higher morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of high fluid consumers, describe UFR patterns, and describe patient characteristics associated with IWG and UFR. The Swedish Dialysis DataBase and The Swedish Renal Registry of Active Treatment of Uremia were used as data sources. Data were analyzed from patients aged ≥18 on regular treatment with hemodialysis (HD) and registered during 2002 to 2006. Interdialytic weight gain and dialytic UFR were examined in annual cohorts and the records were based on 9693 HD sessions in 4498 patients. Differences in proportions were analyzed with the chi‐square test and differences in means were tested using the ANOVA or the t test. About 30% of the patients had IWG that exceed 3.5% of dry body weight and 5% had IWG ≥5.7%. The volume removed during HD was >10 mL/h/kg for 15% to 23% of the patients, and this rate increased during the first dialytic year. Patient characteristics associated with fluid overload were younger age, lower body mass index, longer dialytic vintage, and high blood pressure. By studying IWG and dialytic UFR as quality indicators, it is shown that there is a potential for continuing improvement in the care of patients in HD settings, i.e., to enhanced adherence to fluid restriction or alternatively to extend the frequency of dialysis for all patients, e.g., by providing daily treatment.
Cool dialysate reduces asymptomatic intradialytic hypotension and increases baroreflex variability
Authors: CHESTERTON Lindsay J. , SELBY Nicholas M. , BURTON James O. , McINTYRE Chris W.
Published: April 2009

Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and can be ameliorated by cool temperature HD. The baroreflex arc is under autonomic control and is essential in the short‐term regulation of blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to investigate if the baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) response to HD differed between standard and cool‐temperature dialysate. Ten patients (mean age 67±2 years) prone to IDH were recruited into a randomized, crossover study to compare BRS variation at dialysate temperatures of 37 °C (HD37) and 35 °C (HD35). Each patient underwent continuous beat‐to‐beat BP monitoring during a dialysis session of HD37 and HD35. During HD37 2 patients developed symptomatic IDH, as opposed to 1 with HD35. However, asymptomatic IDH occurred with a frequency of 0.4 episodes per session with HD35 and 6.2 episodes per session during HD37 (odds ratio15.5; 95%CI 5.6–14.2). Although absolute BRS measurements did not differ between the 2 modalities, BRS variability increased during HD35. Our study has demonstrated that in IDH‐prone patients, cool HD resulted in a reduction in heart rate and a greater reduction in cardiac output and stroke volume. Mean arterial pressure was maintained through a significantly greater increase in total peripheral resistance. Furthermore, although absolute BRS values during HD were not significantly altered by a reduction in dialysate temperature, there was a greater percentage increase in BRS values during cool HD. Understanding the varied causes of, and categorizing impaired hemodynamic responses to HD will enable further individualization of HD prescriptions according to patient need.
Low cholesterol along with inflammation predicts morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients
Authors: TSIRPANLIS George , BOUFIDOU Fotini , ZOGA Margarita , TRIANTAFYLLIS George , FATOUROU Alexandra , STAMATELOU Kyriaki , BLETA Aliki , PETRIHOU Christiana , CHATZIPANAGIOTOU Stylianos , NICOLAOU Chrysoula
Published: April 2009

Low and not high cholesterol seems to predict high mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The confirmation of this reverse epidemiology as well as its possible interconnection with the increased inflammatory activity observed in this population is being explored in the present study. A group of 136 HD patients was prospectively studied for 2 years, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as all‐cause mortality and morbidity were recorded. Baseline lipid profile, inflammatory status, and patients' characteristics were studied as potential survival and hospitalization predictors. During the 24‐month follow‐up, 21 deaths (52.4% due to CVD) and 38 hospitalizations (55.3% due to CVD) were recorded. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, decreased interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and decreased total serum cholesterol (TChol) were the only independent predictors of CVD mortality while C‐reactive protein and decreased TChol predicted all‐cause mortality. Interleukin‐10 at baseline was 11.29 ± 21.49 vs. 5.51 ± 4.57 pg/mL (P<0.018) and TChol 167.37 ± 47.84 vs.122.04 ± 26.48 mg/dL (P<0.000) in survivors vs. nonsurvivors from CVD, while C‐reactive protein at baseline was 9.37 ± 11.54 vs. 23.15 ± 18.76 mg/L (P<0.000) and TChol 169.26 ± 46.42 vs. 133.26 ± 46.33 mg/dL (P<0.003) in survivors vs. nonsurvivors from any cause of death. Using the same method of statistical analysis, IL‐6 and decreased soluble gp130 (sgp130)—an antagonist of IL‐6 action—were found to be the only independent prognostic factors for hospitalization due to CVD while decreased soluble gp130 remained the sole predictor of hospitalization due to any cause. In conclusion, reverse epidemiology regarding cholesterol is confirmed in the present study. Furthermore, inflammatory activity also predicts, independently of or in conjunction with low‐cholesterol, CVD and all‐cause morbidity and mortality in HD patients.
Ketoconazole Inhibits the Growth and Development of Ichthyophonus sp. (Mesomycetozoa) In Vitro
Authors: HONTORIA FRANCISCO , GONZÁLEZ Ma ANGELES , SITJÀ‐BOBADILLA ARIADNA , PALENZUELA OSWALDO , ALVAREZ‐PELLITERO PILAR
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT. We determined the in vitro effect of the azol‐derivative antifungal ketoconazole (KZ) on the morphology, growth, and development of teleost fish parasite Ichthyophonus sp. The KZ was delivered to culture medium using liposomes (L) or a lipid emulsion (E) at five different doses (i.e. 5, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/ml) for both L and E formulations. Controls consisted of Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (MEM‐10) alone (C‐MEM) or containing amounts of L or E equivalent to those used in the KZ100 and KZ400 treatments (i.e. 100L, 400L, 100E, and 400E, respectively). Morphological alterations, such as a decrease in the number of dividing spores and nuclei, and condensation or even destruction of the cytoplasm, were observed using light and electron microscopy in the MEM‐cultured organisms receiving KZ formulations, especially with KZ400L preparations, at both 7‐ and 14‐d postinoculation. The KZ treatments also demonstrated a statistically significant inhibition of Ichthyophonus growth in MEM. These treatments also had an inhibitory effect on subsequent Ichthyophonus germination in Earle's fish saline agar (EFSA) medium, which was more evident for L formulations when the organism was treated for 7 d and for E formulations at 14 d. Our results endorse the potential use of KZ for the treatment for ichthyophonosis and provide support to proceed to in vivo assays.
Growth Phase and Elemental Stoichiometry of Bacterial Prey Influences Ciliate Grazing Selectivity
Authors: GRUBER DAVID F. , TUORTO STEVEN , TAGHON GARY L.
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT. Protozoa are known to selectively graze bacteria and can differentiate prey based on size and viability, but less is known about the effects of prey cellular composition on predator selectivity. We measured the effect of growth phase and elemental stoichiometry of Escherichia coli on grazing by two ciliates, Euplotes vannus and Cyclidium glaucoma. Bacterial cells of a single strain were transformed with green and red fluorescent protein and harvested from culture at differing growth stages. Cells in exponential growth phase had low carbon:phosphorus (39) and nitrogen:phosphorus (9) ratios, while cells from stationary phase had high carbon:phosphorus of 104 and nitrogen:phosphorus of 26. When offered an equal mixture of both types of bacteria, Cyclidium grazed stationary phase, high carbon:phosphorus, high nitrogen:phosphorus cells to 22% of initial abundance within 135 min, while Euplotes reduced these cells to 33%. Neither ciliate species decreased the abundance of the exponential phase cells, lower carbon:phosphorus and nitrogen:phosphorus, relative to control treatments. Because protozoa have higher nitrogen:phosphorus and carbon:phosphorus ratios than their prokaryotic prey, this study raises the possibility that it may be advantageous for protozoa to preferentially consume more slowly growing bacteria.