bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential role of probiotic bacteria in the treatment and prevention of localised candidosis
Authors: Mailänder‐Sánchez Daniela , Wagener Jeanette , Schaller Martin
Published: June 2011

The extensive use of immunosuppressive therapies in recent years has increased the number of patients prone to or actually suffering from localised candidosis. As Candida species gain increasing resistance towards common antifungal drugs, new strategies are needed to prevent and treat infections caused by these pathogens. Probiotic bacteria have been in vogue in the past two decades. More and more dairy products containing such organisms offer promising potential beneficial effects on human health and well‐being. Because of the ability of probiotic bacteria to inhibit the growth of pathogens and to modulate human immune responses, these bacteria could provide new possibilities in antifungal therapy. We summarise the recent findings concerning the usefulness of probiotic treatment in localised candidosis, as well as discussing possible risks of probiotic treatment and highlighting the molecular mechanisms that are believed to contribute to probiotic effects.
Phenotype and differentiation of bone marrow‐derived smooth muscle progenitor cells
Authors: Liu Yi , Liu Manling , Niu Wen , Luo Ying , Zhang Bo , Li Zhichao
Published: June 2011

1. Smooth muscle progenitor cells (SPC) are undifferentiated vascular smooth muscle cells implicated in many hyperplastic diseases of the blood vessels. However, few in vitro studies have investigated the characteristics of SPC.

2. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant plasmid with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and a rat SM22α promoter, which was exclusively promoted in a smooth muscle cell lineage. Constructs were then transferred into adherent mononuclear cells derived from rat bone marrow. After 3 days, GFP‐positive cells, which should be SPC, were isolated by flow cytometry.

3. Flow cytometric analysis and dual immunofluorescent staining showed that the GFP‐positive cells expressed both α‐smooth muscle actin (a specific marker for smooth muscle) and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (abundant on precursor cells), but not calmodulin or CD31. After stimulation of SPC with 50 ng/mL platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB, CXCR4 levels decreased and calmodulin protein content increased, as determined by western blot analysis.

4. On the basis of these results, we conclude that SPC have dual characteristics of both precursor and smooth muscle cells, and might well differentiate into smooth muscle‐like cells under certain conditions.
The oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes: cytochrome c nitrite reductase mediates the stress response to nitrite, nitric oxide, hydroxylamine and hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Kern Melanie , Volz Jennifer , Simon Jörg
Published: June 2011

Microorganisms employ diverse mechanisms to withstand physiological stress conditions exerted by reactive or toxic oxygen and nitrogen species such as hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, superoxide anions, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide or NO‐generating compounds. This study identified components of the oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network of Wolinella succinogenes, an exceptional Epsilonproteobacterium that lacks both catalase and haemoglobins. Various gene deletion–insertion mutants were constructed, grown by either fumarate respiration or respiratory nitrate ammonification and subjected to disc diffusion, growth and viability assays under stress conditions. It was demonstrated that mainly two periplasmic multihaem c‐type cytochromes, namely cytochrome c peroxidase and cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA), mediated resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Two AhpC‐type peroxiredoxin isoenzymes were shown to be involved in protection against different organic hydroperoxides. The phenotypes of two superoxide dismutase mutants lacking either SodB or SodB2 implied that both isoenzymes play important roles in oxygen and superoxide stress defence although they are predicted to reside in the cytoplasm and periplasm respectively. NrfA and a cytoplasmic flavodiiron protein (Fdp) were identified as key components of nitric oxide detoxification. In addition, NrfA (but not the hybrid cluster protein Hcp) was found to mediate resistance to hydroxylamine stress. The results indicate the presence of a robust oxidative and nitrosative stress defence network and identify NrfA as a multifunctional cytochrome c involved in both anaerobic respiration and stress protection.
Phylogeny of the highly divergent zoanthid family Microzoanthidae (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) from the Pacific
Authors: Fujii Takuma , Reimer James Davis
Published: June 2011

Fujii, T. & Reimer, J. D. (2011). Phylogeny of the highly divergent zoanthid family Microzoanthidae (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) from the Pacific. —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 418–431.

In this study, one new family, one new genus and two new species of zoanthids from rubble zones spanning the temperate, subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean are described. Two new species are described, Microzoanthus occultus sp. n. and Microzoanthus kagerou sp. n., both belonging to the new genus Microzoanthus and new family Microzoanthidae, and they can be clearly distinguished both morphologically and genetically from each other and other zoanthids by their very small size, reduced or absent stolon, habitat usually on the bottom side of rubble zone rocks, and divergent and distinct DNA (cytochrome oxidase subunit I, mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA, internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA) sequences. The phylogenetic analyses clearly show Microzoanthidae fam. n. to be genetically far different from all other hexacorallians at the order level, but the macrocnemic arrangement of mesenteries and other morphological characters (colonial specimens with narrow stolons, two rows of tentacles sand encrustation) clearly place these specimens within the order Zoantharia. This study demonstrates how it is highly likely the existence of many marine invertebrate taxa remains overlooked, and that widely distributed groups such as Microzoanthidae fam. n. remain to be discovered.
Molecular and morphological phylogeny of Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)
Authors: Klopfstein Seraina , Quicke Donald L. J. , Kropf Christian , Frick Holger
Published: June 2011

Klopfstein, S., Quicke, D. L. J., Kropf, C. & Frick, H. (2011) Molecular and morphological phylogeny of Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 379–402.

Parasitoid wasps are among the most species rich and at the same time most understudied of all metazoan taxa. To understand their diversification and test hypotheses about their evolution, we need robust phylogenetic hypotheses. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of the subfamily Diplazontinae using four genes and 66 morphological characters both in separate analyses and in a total evidence approach. The resulting phylogeny is highly resolved, with most clades supported by multiple independent data partitions. It contains three highly supported genus groups, for which we suggest morphological and behavioural synapomorphies. The placement of some of the genera, especially Xestopelta Dasch, is unexpected, but also supported by morphology. Most of the genera are retrieved as monophyletic, with the exception of the morphologically diverse genus Syrphoctonus Förster. We split this genus into three genera, including Fossatyloides gen. n., to restore the phylogeny–classification link. Conflict between the morphological and the molecular topology was mostly resolved in favour of the molecular partition in the total evidence approach. We discuss reasons for this finding, and suggest strategies for future taxon and character sampling in Diplazontinae.
Association of a polymorphism of BTN2A1 with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese individuals
Authors: Hiramatsu M. , Oguri M. , Kato K. , Yoshida T. , Fujimaki T. , Horibe H. , Yokoi K. , Watanabe S. , Satoh K. , Aoyagi Y. , Tanaka M. , Yoshida H. , Shinkai S. , Nozawa Y. , Murohara T. , Yamada Y.
Published: June 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1381–1387 (2011)

Aims  We previously showed that the C→T polymorphism (rs6929846) of BTN2A1 was significantly associated with myocardial infarction in Japanese individuals by a genome‐wide association study. Given that diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for myocardial infarction, the association of rs6929846 of BTN2A1 with myocardial infarction might be attributable, at least in part, to its effect on susceptibility to diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of rs6929846 of BTN2A1 to Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods  A total of 8650 Japanese individuals from two independent subject panels were examined: Panel A comprised 1141 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and 3161 control subjects and panel B comprised 1664 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and 2684 control subjects.

Results  The chi‐square test revealed that rs6929846 of BTN2A1 was significantly related to the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in subject panel A (P = 0.0002) and subject panel B (P = 0.006). Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and smoking status revealed that rs6929846 was significantly associated with Type 2 diabetes (P = 0.0006; odds ratio 1.25) in all individuals, with the T allele representing a risk factor for this condition. Multiple regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex and body mass index revealed that rs6929846 was significantly (P = 0.04) related to blood glycosylated haemoglobin content in control subjects.

Conclusions  BTN2A1 may be a susceptibility gene for Type 2 diabetes in Japanese individuals.
The trait and host plant ecology of aphids and their distribution and abundance in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bell James R. , Taylor Mark S. , Shortall Chris R. , Welham Sue J. , Harrington Richard
Published: June 2011

Aim We characterized the annual populations of 170 aphid species by their log abundance, site occupancy and site continuity (i.e. the persistence of species in time) and used this information to make predictions about groups of species that displayed characteristic patterns. By doing so, we aimed to identify commonalities in functional traits (host‐alternation; mode of reproduction; life‐cycle plasticity; median body size) and host plant geographic range sizes that may indicate why some species are common and others not.

Location The population dynamics of winged aphids at 27 locations in the United Kingdom were studied.

Methods The annual numbers of aphids were studied using a dataset comprising over 11 million individuals across 509 site‐years. Traits and host plants were analysed using linear mixed effects models and nonlinear regression models.

Results Linear mixed effects models showed that the fixed effects of host alternation and winter host plant area of occupancy were important in predicting log abundance, site occupancy and site continuity. Life‐cycle plasticity was also a significant effect, although not for log abundance. Relationships between site continuity, site occupancy and log abundance were strongly nonlinear. Site continuity always lagged site occupancy, indicating that species were less likely to retain previously occupied sites when abundances were low.

Main conclusions Aphid traits are a better paradigm than taxonomic relatedness in explaining macroecological patterns. Host alternation induces an annual flux of migrants that engenders higher annual log abundances, consistent with the theory that species with high local densities tend to confer a much wider distribution than those with low densities. The abundance of aphids is monotonically related to the geographic range size of their winter host, suggestive of a strong bottom‐up effect (i.e. resource controlled). The areas of occupancy (AOO) of winter host plants constrain aphids to low abundances because a greater proportion of hosts are trees and shrubs which tend to have smaller AOO than herbs and grasses, the common summer host types.
The effects of plantation practice on soil properties based on the comparison between natural and planted forests: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Liao Chengzhang , Luo Yiqi , Fang Changming , Chen Jiakuan , Li Bo
Published: June 2011

Aim  The effects of planted forests on soils are of great concern in the context of the increasing demands for timber production and atmospheric CO2 sequestration. However, the effects of plantations on soil properties have not well been quantified. We determined the effects of plantation practice on soil properties based on a comparison between natural forests and plantations.

Locations  All the continents except for Antarctica.

Methods  The meta‐analysis approach was used to examine the differences in 14 soil variables in the mineral layer, including pH, bulk density, C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Al concentrations, C/N ratio, cation exchangeable capacity, base saturation, and moisture between plantations and their adjacent natural forests from 73 published studies.

Results  Plantations did not differ from natural forests in soil pH or soil Na and Al concentrations. Soil bulk density below plantations increased by 12.5%, and soil C and N concentrations decreased by 36.0% and 26.5%, respectively, relative to natural forests. The other eight variables were 8.4–30.6% lower in plantations than in natural forests. The general patterns also held true for planted trees from the genus Pinus and for study regions in China. The patterns for soil bulk density and C and N concentrations were not different between the two groups in relation to various factors: stand age (< 25 years versus ≥ 25 years), leaf form (broadleaved versus coniferous) and leaf seasonality (deciduous versus evergreen), tree species origin (native versus exotic), land‐use history (afforestation versus reforestation) and site preparation for plantations (burnt versus un‐burnt treatment), and biogeographic zone (tropical versus temperate).

Main conclusions  Our results suggest that the level of soil fertility in plantations is unlikely to restore to the level in natural forests, implying that the replacement of natural forests by plantations may be a practice best avoided to maintain the ecosystem sustainability.
The potential impacts of ocean acidification: scaling from physiology to fisheries*
Authors: Le Quesne Will J F , Pinnegar John K
Published: June 2011

Views expressed on the potential impact of ocean acidification range from wholesale degradation of marine ecosystems through to no discernable impact with minimal consequences. Constraining this range of predictions is necessary for the development of informed policy and management. The direct biological impacts of acidification occur at the molecular and cellular level; however, it is the expression of these effects at the population and ecosystem level that is of societal concern. Here, we consider the potential impact of ocean acidification on fisheries with particular emphasis on approaches to scaling from physiological responses to population‐ and ecosystem‐level processes. In some instances, impacts of ocean acidification may lead to changes in the relative species composition at a given trophic level without affecting the overall productivity, whilst in other instances, ocean acidification may lead to a reduction in productivity at a given tropic level. Because of the scale at which ecological processes operate, modelling studies are required. Here, ocean acidification is situated within ongoing research into the ecological dynamics of perturbed systems, for which many models have already been developed. Whilst few existing models currently explicitly represent physiological processes sensitive to ocean acidification, some examples of how ocean acidification effects may be emulated within existing models are discussed. Answering the question of how acidification may impact fisheries requires the integration of knowledge across disciplines; this contribution aims to facilitate the inclusion of higher trophic level ecology into this ongoing debate and discussion.
Impact of Jin‐Shang teachings on Chinese people's trust
Authors: Zhang Yalan , Zhang Yinlong
Published: June 2011

Three studies are reported that explore the impact of Jin‐Shang teachings (a specialized Confucius teaching of trust on business practices) on mainland Chinese people's trust. In Study 1, we primed Confucius and Jin‐Shang teachings on trust, and compared their effects on trusting tendency to a control prime. We found that these teachings made mainland Chinese participants score higher on three different trusting scales. In Study 2, we found that the Jin‐Shang prime made mainland Chinese participants invest more money in a trust game than those in the control prime. In Study 3, we compared the Jin‐Shang prime to Protestant teachings and contemporary writings on reciprocity, and found that only the Jin‐Shang prime induced a significantly higher trusting tendency from Chinese participants than the control condition.
Emotional labor and burnout among female teachers: Work–family conflict as mediator
Authors: Noor Noraini M. , Zainuddin Masyitah
Published: June 2011

With the increasing number of women in the workforce, there is a need to understand how the interrelationship between emotions and the demands of work and family influence their well‐being. This study examined how emotional labor [surface acting (SA) and deep acting] and work–family conflict contribute to explaining variance in burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization). In a sample of 102 married, female Malay teachers, with at least one child living at home, results showed that SA was positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The results also showed that work–family conflict mediated the relationship between emotional labor and burnout. However, no moderation effect of work–family on the SA–burnout relationship was found. The results are discussed with respect to the general literature on the stress–strain relation and work–family conflict.
Comparing Lives: Rush Rhees on Humans and Animals
Authors: Pianalto Matthew
Published: June 2011

In several posthumously published writings about the differences between humans and animals, Rush Rhees criticises the view that human lives are more important than (or superior to) animal lives. Rhees' views may seem to be in sympathy with more recent critiques of “speciesism.” However, the most commonly discussed anti‐speciesist moral frameworks – which take the capacity of sentience as the criterion of moral considerability – are inadequate. Rhees' remark that both humans and animals can be loved points towards a different way of accounting for the moral considerability of humans and animals that avoid the problems of the capacity‐based approaches.
Diversity and the Imagined Community: Immigrant Diversity and Conceptions of National Identity
Authors: Wright Matthew
Published: June 2011

As immigrant diversity increases across most developed democracies, there is an increasing concern that perceived threats to mainstream interests (both cultural and economic) will produce an ethnocentric response. This study approaches the question using survey measures that explicitly tap respondents' normative conception of membership in the national community. Based on cross‐sectional and over‐time analysis of the ISSP's “National Identity Module,” it shows that more immigrant‐exclusive definitions of the national ingroup are linked to both contextual and individual measures of cultural threat. Perceived economic threat at the individual level is also powerfully linked to this outcome, but contextual measures of economic prosperity are not. This finding lends weight to the argument that increasing levels of immigrant diversity are a threat to an inclusive sense of national identity that includes both natives and immigrants.
THE SUPERIORITY OF MONETARY OVER BARTER EXCHANGE: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Rötheli Tobias F.
Published: June 2011

William Stanley Jevons suggested that monetary exchange is socially superior to barter exchange because agents' optimization is simplified by the use of money. We experimentally study how subjects perform under monetary and barter exchange and find that a majority of subjects achieve a higher utility level in the monetized economy. The individual choices are statistically analyzed in order to track important elements of suboptimal decision making like the tendency to under‐ or over‐react to price signals. Our laboratory findings indicate that, at a minimum, government may have a role in promoting a common unit of account.
SLIP SLIDING AWAY: FURTHER UNION DECLINE IN GERMANY AND BRITAIN
Authors: Addison John T. , Bryson Alex , Teixeira Paulino , Pahnke André
Published: June 2011

This paper presents the first comparative analysis of the decline in collective bargaining in two European countries where that decline has been among the most pronounced. Using establishment‐level data and a common model, we present decompositions of changes in collective bargaining in the private sector in Germany and Britain over the period 1998–2004. In both countries, within‐effects dominate compositional changes as the source of the recent decline in unionism. Overall, the decline in collective bargaining is more pronounced in Britain than in Germany, thus continuing a trend apparent since the 1980s. Although establishment characteristics differ markedly across the two countries, assuming counterfactual values of these characteristics makes little difference to unionization levels. Expressed differently, the German dummy looms large.
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE OPENNESS
Authors: Kim Dong‐Hyeon , Lin Shu‐Chin , Suen Yu‐Bo
Published: June 2011

This paper empirically investigates the interaction between financial development and trade openness through simultaneous‐equation systems. The identification and estimation of the systems rely on the methodology of identification through heteroskedasticity proposed by Rigobon (2003). Using a panel consisting of 70 countries over the period 1960–2007, we find a two‐way causal relationship between financial development and trade openness. A better‐developed financial sector induces higher openness to trade, while higher openness in goods market stymies financial development. And such findings hold well for low‐income, high‐inflation, or low‐governance countries.
A Transition-Oriented Approach to Optimal Matching
Authors: Biemann Torsten
Published: June 2011

Optimal matching (OM) is a method that assesses sequence similarity. It was originally developed to study protein and DNA sequences and was later transferred to the social sciences where it was applied accordingly. However, there is an ongoing debate on the adequacy of its use in the social sciences, as a superficial transfer might not respond to the significant differences between typical sequences in biological and social settings. In this paper, I elaborate on these differences and introduce a distinction between two sequence types—namely, common ancestors and unfolding processes. While the first sequence type is typically found in biological settings (e.g., DNA sequences), the latter applies to most sequences studied in the social sciences (e.g., careers). Based on this distinction, I present a new way of coding sequences as an extension to conventional OM analyses and demonstrate its usefulness in simulated and empirical examples. The paper concludes with a discussion of this new approach and its integration into previous extensions of OM.
Social Capital as Collective Narratives and Post-Disaster Community Recovery
Authors: Chamlee-Wright Emily , Storr Virgil Henry
Published: June 2011

This paper examines how social capital aids in post-disaster community recovery and redevelopment. While previous studies on social capital and post-disaster recovery have tended to focus on social networks as a source of necessary assistance, the primary focus of this study is on how social capital in the form of collective narratives affects post-disaster recovery. We argue that collective narratives can shape the recovery strategies that individuals adopt. To illustrate this we examine the post-Katrina recovery efforts in St. Bernard Parish, an area devastated by flooding and significant environmental damage. In particular, we focus on the shared narrative that dominated qualitative interview data collected in St. Bernard, namely, its shared identity as a close-knit, family-oriented community comprised of hard workers. This narrative led community members to adopt a strategy that emphasized self-reliance.
New tools for an old trade: a socio‐technical appraisal of how electronic decision support is used by primary care practitioners
Authors: Peiris David , Usherwood Tim , Weeramanthri Tarun , Cass Alan , Patel Anushka
Published: June 2011

This article explores Australian general practitioners’ (GPs) views on a novel electronic decision support (EDS) tool being developed for cardiovascular disease management. We use Timmermans and Berg’s technology‐in‐practice approach to examine how technologies influence and are influenced by the social networks in which they are placed. In all, 21 general practitioners who piloted the tool were interviewed. The tool occupied an ill‐defined middle ground in a dialectical relationship between GPs’ routine care and factors promoting best practice. Drawing on Lipsky’s concept of ‘street‐level bureaucrats’, the tool’s ability to process workloads expeditiously was of greatest appeal to GPs. This feature of the tool gave it the potential to alter the structure, process and content of healthcare encounters. The credibility of EDS tools appears to be mediated by fluid notions of best practice, based on an expert scrutiny of the evidence, synthesis via authoritative guidelines and dissemination through trusted and often informal networks. Balanced against this is the importance of ‘soft’ forms of knowledge such as intuition and timing in everyday decision‐making. This resonates with Aristotle’s theory of phronesis (practical wisdom) and may render EDS tools inconsequential if they merely process biomedical data. While EDS tools show promise in improving health practitioner performance, the socio‐technical dimensions of their implementation warrant careful consideration.
Intuition in Management Research: A Historical Review
Authors: Akinci Cinla , Sadler‐Smith Eugene
Published: June 2011

In this historical review we chart the progress of intuition research over the past eight decades. We highlight the distinction between intuition research in management and intuition research in base disciplines and related fields, and offer a critical commentary on the ways in which the dynamic between these two historical threads has affected progress in the study of intuition in organizations. We conclude by identifying several promising new directions for intuition research, and offer a number of recommendations to intuition researchers in management which may help in taking this topic forward in ways that do not recapitulate previous errors, diversions or digressions.
Exploring the Metropolitan Trap: The Case of Montreal
Authors: TOMÀS MARIONA
Published: June 2011

This article analyses the normative dimension of metropolitan governance in the case of Montreal. According to the main schools of thought (the reform school, the public choice school, new regionalism and the rescaling approach), there is an ideal scale at which to achieve specific goals such as equality, efficiency, democracy and economic competitiveness. These ideologically oriented conceptions of metropolitan governance are assumed by actors and used as symbolic resources to build their own strategies, i.e. to support or contest institutional reforms — what we call the metropolitan trap. The case of Montreal, which underwent two successive institutional reforms between 2000 and 2006, provides empirical evidence for this idea. Our analysis reveals that the Government of Quebec and local elected councils of Greater Montreal are trapped by these normative conceptions, especially the old regionalisms. However, scalar strategies do not compete equally, as the institutional context legitimates specific approaches to metropolitan governance.

Cet article analyse la dimension normative de la gouvernance métropolitaine dans le cas de Montréal. Les principales écoles théoriques (de la réforme, des choix publics, du nouveau régionalisme et du redimensionnement) estiment qu'il existe un échelon idéal pour la réussite d'objectifs particuliers, tels que l'égalité, l'efficacité, la démocratie et la compétitivitééconomique. Orientées idéologiquement, ces conceptions de la gouvernance métropolitaine servent de ressources symboliques aux acteurs qui les adoptent afin de bâtir leurs propres stratégies, pour ou contre les réformes institutionnelles, d'où ce qui est appelé ici le ‘piège métropolitain’. À cet égard, Montréal, qui a connu deux réformes institutionnelles successives entre 2000 et 2006, apporte des éléments empiriques. L'analyse révèle que le gouvernement du Québec et les conseils d'élus locaux qui administrent le Grand Montréal sont piégés par ces conceptions normatives, notamment par les anciens régionalismes. Par ailleurs, les stratégies d'échelle ne rivalisent pas sur un pied d'égalité puisque le contexte institutionnel ne légitime que certaines approches de gouvernance métropolitaine.
Comparative axial morphology in pinnipeds and its correlation with aquatic locomotory behaviour
Authors: Pierce S. E. , Clack J. A. , Hutchinson J. R.
Published: June 2011

Regional variation in the axial skeleton of pinnipeds (seals and walruses) and its correlation with aquatic locomotory behaviour is examined using vertebral functional profiles. The results demonstrate clear morpho‐functional differences in the thoracolumbar region of modern pinnipeds (Phocidae, Otariidae, Odobenus) that can be strongly linked to swimming style. Phocid seals have a rigid thoracic region attached to a highly flexible lumbar region with long muscular lever arms providing the necessary mobility and leverage to perform pelvic oscillations. Conversely, otariid seals have extremely flexible inter‐vertebral joints along the length of the column which should enhance manoeuvrability and turning performance. They also have greater muscular leverage in the anterior thoracic region to support pectoral oscillations. Odobenus (walrus) shows vertebral characteristics most similar to phocids, but with some otariid qualities, consistent with an intermediate or mixed form of aquatic locomotion, with pelvic oscillation dominating over pectoral oscillation. Comparison of the vertebral functional profiles in the fossil taxon Allodesmus kernensis with those of modern pinniped clades reveals that this extinct pinniped may also have used a combination of pectoral and pelvic oscillatory movements during swimming, but in a manner opposite to that of Odobenus, with pectoral oscillatory movements dominating. This study raises questions about the evolution and diversification of pinniped locomotory behaviours, but also provides the necessary framework to begin to examine axial mechanics and locomotory stages in other fossil pinnipedimorphs and their relatives in more detail.
First‐trimester ductus venosus screening for cardiac defects: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Papatheodorou SI , Evangelou E , Makrydimas G , Ioannidis JPA
Published: June 2011

Please cite this paper as: Papatheodorou S, Evangelou E, Makrydimas G, Ioannidis J. First‐trimester ductus venosus screening for cardiac defects: a meta‐analysis. BJOG 2011;118:1438–1445.

Background  Heart defects are the most common congenital abnormalities.

Objective  We aimed to evaluate in a meta‐analysis the screening performance of abnormal ductus venosus (DV) Doppler waveform for detection of congenital heart disease (CHD) in chromosomally normal fetuses.

Search strategy  Studies were retrieved from a search of MEDLINE, ISI, SCOPUS and EMBASE (from 1999 to March 2011) using the keywords ‘ductus venosus’, ‘DV’, ‘chromosomal abnormalities’, ‘congenital heart disease’ and ‘nuchal translucency’.

Selection criteria  We considered all studies that examined the diagnostic performance of DV in the first trimester for CHD in chromosomally normal fetuses. We included studies that were limited to fetuses with increased nuchal translucency (NT), normal NT, and studies that examined fetuses regardless of NT status.

Data collection and analysis  Seven studies (n = 50 354) regardless of the NT status, nine studies (n = 2908) with increased NT and seven studies (n = 47 610) with normal NT were included in the meta‐analysis. We drew hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves using the parameters of the fitted models.

Main results  In populations including participants regardless of NT status, the summary sensitivity and specificity of DV for detecting CHD were 50 and 93%, respectively. In participants with increased NT, the summary sensitivity and specificity were 83 and 80%, and in those with normal NT, they were 19 and 96%, respectively.

Authors’ conclusions  The estimated performance of DV assessment for detection of CHD in chromosomally normal fetuses can be considered in evaluating the potential use and limitations of this screening test.
Defining dropout from youth psychotherapy: how definitions shape the prevalence and predictors of attrition
Authors: Warnick Erin M. , Gonzalez Araceli , Robin Weersing V. , Scahill Lawrence , Woolston Joseph
Published: June 2011

Background and Aims:  Attrition is a long‐standing problem in mental health centres serving youth. However, attempts to understand attrition have not consistently identified the same risk factors. The way in which attrition was defined across studies may have had a significant impact on findings. This study examines three definitions of attrition across a large sample of children and adolescents receiving outpatient mental health services, and considers the different relationships observed between the identified predictors and each definition.

Method:  This study examined data collected concurrently from 1098 families who received services at an urban outpatient mental health clinic (OMHC). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between identified predictor variables and attrition, using three distinct definitions of attrition based on clinician judgment, missed last appointment, and specified dose. The results of each regression analysis were qualitatively compared to assess the impact on findings observed when applying different definitions of attrition.

Results:  As anticipated, observed predictors of attrition varied by definition. Ethnicity predicted attrition across all definitions. Residing in a single‐caregiver household predicted attrition across two of the three definitions, while living with a non‐biological family, receiving state‐funded, low‐income insurance support, having low parent‐reported youth functioning, routine intakes (as compared to urgent intakes), and longer wait predicted attrition within only one definition.

Conclusions:  Rates and factors associated with attrition may vary substantially depending on how treatment attrition is defined. In the evaluation of attrition in youth mental health settings, the definition used should be clearly stated and should reflect the research question posed.
Interest groups in the media: Bias and diversity over time
Authors: BINDERKRANTZ ANNE SKORKJÆR
Published: June 2011

A prominent presence in the news media is important for interest groups. This article investigates the development in the diversity of interest group media attention over time. The analysis draws on a dataset of 19,000 group appearances in the Danish news media in the period 1984–2003. It demonstrates how diversity has risen continually over time, leading to a media agenda less dominated by labour and business and more by public interest groups and sectional groups. This development is related to the increasing political importance of the news media and the decline in group integration in public decision‐making processes. The article also shows how the development of group appearances is closely related to changes in media attention towards different policy areas.
The effect of K201 on isolated working rabbit heart mechanical function during pharmacologically induced Ca2+ overload
Authors: Kelly A , Elliott EB , Matsuda R , Kaneko N , Smith GL , Loughrey CM
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Reduced cardiac contractility has been associated with disrupted myocardial Ca2+ signalling. The 1,4 benzothiazepine K201 (JTV‐519) acts on several Ca2+ handling proteins and improves cardiac contractility in vivo in a variety of animal models of myocardial dysfunction. However, it is unclear whether this improvement depends on the systemic effects of K201 or if K201 reverses the effects of Ca2+ dysregulation, regardless of the cause.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The effect of K201 on cardiac mechanical function was assessed in isolated working hearts from adult rabbits, using a ventricular pressure‐volume catheter. In separate experiments, the effect of K201 was investigated in hearts following pharmacologically induced Ca2+ overload using elevated extracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]o) and β‐adrenoceptor stimulation.

KEY RESULTS

K201 induced a concentration‐dependent decline in systolic function (peak pressure, dP/dtmax and preload recruitable stroke work), lusitropy (reduced dP/dtmin and increased end diastolic pressure) and stroke volume, independent of decreased heart rate. In separate experiments, mechanical function in hearts exposed to 4.5 mmol·L−1[Ca2+]o and 150 nmol·L−1 isoprenaline declined until cessation of aortic flow (in 6 out of 11 hearts). However, all hearts perfused with the addition of 1 µmol·L−1 K201 maintained aortic flow and demonstrated significantly improved peak systolic pressures, dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

K201 significantly improved mechanical function of the heart during Ca2+ overload. This suggests that K201 can limit the detrimental effects of elevated intracellular Ca2+ and exert beneficial effects on cardiac contractile function, independent of systemic effects previously observed in vivo.
The role of P2X7 purinergic receptors in inflammatory and nociceptive changes accompanying cyclophosphamide‐induced haemorrhagic cystitis in mice
Authors: Martins JP , Silva RBM , Coutinho‐Silva R , Takiya CM , Battastini AMO , Morrone FB , Campos MM
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ATP is released in response to cellular damage, and P2X7 receptors have an essential role in the onset and maintenance of pathological changes. Haemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a well‐known adverse effect of therapy with cyclophosphamide used for the treatment of many solid tumours and autoimmune conditions. Here we have evaluated the role of P2X7 receptors in a model of HC induced by cyclophosphamide.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Effects of pharmacological antagonism or genetic deletion of P2X7 receptor on cyclophosphamide‐induced HC in mice was assessed by nociceptive and inflammatory measures. In addition, the presence of immunoreactive P2X7 receptors was assessed by immunohistochemistry.

KEY RESULTS Pretreatment with the selective P2X7 receptor antagonist A‐438079 or genetic ablation of P2X7 receptors reduced nociceptive behaviour scores in the HC model. The same strategies decreased both oedema and haemorrhage indices, on macroscopic or histological evaluation. Treatment with A‐438079 decreased the staining for c‐Fos in the lumbar spinal cord and brain cortical areas. Treatment with A‐438079 also prevented the increase of urinary bladder myeloperoxidase activity and macrophage migration induced by cyclophosphamide and reduced the tissue levels of IL‐1β and TNF‐α. Finally, P2X7 receptors were markedly up‐regulated in the bladders of mice with cyclophosphamide‐induced HC.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS P2X7 receptors were significantly involved in a model of HC induced by cyclophosphamide. Pharmacological inhibition of these receptors might represent a new therapeutic option for this pathological condition.
GLP‐1R and amylin agonism in metabolic disease: complementary mechanisms and future opportunities
Authors: Roth Jonathan D , Erickson Mary R , Chen Steve , Parkes David G
Published: June 2011

The discoveries of the incretin hormone glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and the β‐cell hormone amylin have translated into hormone‐based therapies for diabetes. Both classes of molecules also exhibit weight‐lowering effects and have been investigated for their anti‐obesity potential. In the present review, we explore the mechanisms underlying the physiological and pharmacological actions of GLP‐1 and amylin agonism. Despite their similarities (e.g. both molecular classes slow gastric emptying, decrease glucagon and inhibit food intake), there are important distinctions between the central and/or peripheral pathways that mediate their effects on glycaemia and energy balance. We suggest that understanding the similarities and differences between these molecules holds important implications for the development of novel, combination‐based therapies, which are increasingly the norm for diabetes/metabolic disease. Finally, the future of GLP‐1‐ and amylin agonist‐based therapeutics is discussed.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Secretin Family (Class B) G Protein‐Coupled Receptors. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.166.issue‐1
Cost effectiveness of screening immigrants for hepatitis B
Authors: Wong William W. L. , Woo Gloria , Jenny Heathcote E. , Krahn Murray
Published: June 2011

Background:The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection among the immigrants of North America ranges from 2 to 15%, among whom 40% develop advanced liver disease. Screening for hepatitis B surface antigen is not recommended for immigrants.

Aims:The objective of this study is to estimate the health and economic effects of screening strategies for CHB among immigrants.

Methods:We used the Markov model to examine the cost‐effectiveness of three screening strategies: (i) ‘No screening’; (ii) ‘Screen and Treat’ and (iii) ‘Screen, Treat and Vaccinate’ for 20–65 years old individuals who were born abroad but are currently living in Canada. Model data were obtained from the published literature. We measured predicted hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related deaths, costs (2008 Canadian Dollars), quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs), and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Results:Our results show that screening all immigrants will prevent 59 HBV‐related deaths per 10 000 persons screened over the lifetime of the cohort. Screening was associated with an increase in quality‐adjusted life expectancy (0.024 QALYs) and cost ($1665) per person with an ICER of $69 209/QALY gained compared with ‘No screening’. The ‘Screen, Treat and Vaccinate’ costs an additional $81, generates an additional 0.000022 QALYs per person, with an ICER of $3 648 123/QALY compared with the ‘Screen and Treat’. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the ‘Screen and Treat’ is likely to be moderately cost‐effective.

Conclusion:We show that a selective hepatitis B screening programme targeted at all immigrants in Canada is likely to be moderately cost‐effective. Identification of silent CHB infection with the offer of treatment when appropriate can extend the lives of immigrants at reasonable cost.
Nursing documentation prior to emergency admissions to the intensive care unit
Authors: Jonsson Thorsteinn , Jonsdottir Helga , Möller Alma D , Baldursdottir Lovísa
Published: June 2011

Background: Early identification of prodromal signs of acute deterioration of patients is essential in high quality care. Rigorous monitoring of patients is facilitated by risk assessment tools, e.g. the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS).

Aims and objectives: The purpose of the study was to estimate the accuracy of nursing documentation according to parameters that comprise MEWS in patients prior to emergency admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: The research design was retrospective and descriptive. Data was collected from medical records of in‐patients who presented as emergency admission to two ICUs at a university hospital between 1 October and 31 December 2006.

Results: Data was collected from 65 patients' records over the 3‐month period. Most admissions occurred between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Respiratory failure was the primary reason for admission, followed by septic shock. Respiratory rate was documented for 14% of patients (n = 9) prior to ICU admission, which was the least documented observation. Urine output and fluid balance were documented for 40% of the patients, level of consciousness in 48% of patients (n = 31), temperature for 69% (n = 45) and oxygen saturation for 80% of the patients (n = 53).

Discussion: Respiratory failure was the primary cause of emergency admission of in‐patients to the ICUs with respiratory rate the least documented vital sign. Nursing documentation according to the MEWS was insufficient.

Conclusions/Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses need to be alerted to the necessity of documenting early signs of deterioration of patients, particularly the respiratory rate. With better monitoring and documentation of physiological parameters, emergency admission to the ICU might be avoided.
Climate variability in West Greenland during the past 1500 years: evidence from a high‐resolution marine palynological record from Disko Bay
Authors: RIBEIRO SOFIA , MOROS MATTHIAS , ELLEGAARD MARIANNE , KUIJPERS ANTOON
Published: June 2011

Ribeiro, S., Moros, M., Ellegaard, M. & Kuijpers, A. 2012 (January): Climate variability in West Greenland during the past 1500 years: evidence from a high‐resolution marine palynological record from Disko Bay. Boreas, Vol. 41, pp. 68–83. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2011.00216.x. ISSN 0300‐9483.

Here we document late‐Holocene climate variability in West Greenland as inferred from a marine sediment record from the outer Disko Bay. Organic‐walled dinoflagellate cysts and other palynomorphs were used to reconstruct environmental changes in the area through the last c. 1500 years at 30–40 years resolution. Sea ice cover and primary productivity were identified as the two main factors driving dinoflagellate cyst community changes through time. Our data provide evidence for an opposite climate trend in West Greenland relative to the NE Atlantic region from c. AD 500 to 1050. For the same period, sea‐surface temperatures in Disko Bay are out‐of‐phase with Greenland ice‐core reconstructed temperatures and marine proxy data from South and East Greenland. This is probably governed by an NAO‐type pattern, which results in warmer sea‐surface conditions with less extensive sea ice in the area for the later part of the Dark Ages cold period (c. AD 500 to 750) and cooler conditions with extensive sea ice inferred for the first part of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) (c. AD 750 to 1050). After c. AD 1050, the marine climate in Disko Bay becomes in‐phase with trends described for the NE Atlantic, reflected in the warmer interval for the remainder of the MCA (c. AD 1050–1250), followed by cooling towards the onset of the Little Ice Age at c. AD 1400. The inferred scenario of climate deterioration and extensive sea ice is concomitant with the collapse of the Norse Western Settlement in Greenland at c. AD 1350.