bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic and antigenic characterization of Jos virus
Authors: Bussetti Ana Valeria , Palacios Gustavo , Travassos da Rosa Amelia , Savji Nazir , Jain Komal , Guzman Hilda , Hutchison Stephen , Popov Vsevolod L. , Tesh Robert B. , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: October 2011

Jos virus (JOSV), originally isolated in Jos, Nigeria in 1967, has remained unclassified despite cultivation in tissue culture, development of animal models of infection and implementation of seroprevalence surveys for infection. Here, we report genetic, ultrastructural and serological evidence that JOSV is an orthomyxovirus distinct from but phylogenetically related to viruses of the genus Thogotovirus.
Results of drug hypersensitivity evaluations in a large group of children and adults
Authors: Rubio M. , Bousquet P.‐J. , Gomes E. , Romano A. , Demoly P.
Published: October 2011

Background

ProvenIgEorT‐cell mediated drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) seem less common in children compared with adults. However, this has never been proved by data.

Objective

To determine and compare provenDHRprevalence in children and adults.

Methods

Using theDAHD(DrugAllergy andHypersensitivityDatabase) cohort, children with provenDHRs were compared with adults. The internationalEAACI‐ENDArecommendations were followed. Patients were divided into four groups: index reaction and test during childhood (C/C), index reaction at childhood and test at adulthood (C/A), index reactions at childhood and adulthood and test at adulthood (CA/A), index reaction and test at adulthood (A/A).

Results

A total of 3275 patients (67.9% female), comprising a total of 4370 patient‐episodes, were evaluated (74.5% belonged to theA/Agroup). Prevalence of positive tests was 15.2% (95%CI, 14.1–16.2) for all tested classes, 10.6% (8.3–13.0) forC/C, 10.6% (7.5–13.6) forC/A, 22.1% (12.8–31.3) forCA/Aand 16.5% (15.2–17.8) forA/A. The prevalence was lower in groupC/Ccompared with groupsA/A(P < 0.0001) andCA/A(P = 0.003). It was also lower in groupC/Acompared with the two latter groups (respectivelyP = 0.003 andP = 0.005). Significant differences were found for maculopapular exanthemas only, and not for urticaria/angiœdema and anaphylaxis. The difference was mainly observed with β‐lactams and not forNSAIDs.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Suspicions of DHRs are less likely to be confirmed in children.
An update on vitamin D and human immunity
Authors: Hewison Martin
Published: October 2011

In the last 5 years, there has been a remarkable change in our understanding of the health benefits of vitamin D. The classical actions of vitamin D as a determinant of mineral metabolism and rachitic bone disease have been expanded to include a broader role in skeletal homoeostasis and prevalent bone disorders such as osteoporosis. However, it is the nonskeletal function of vitamin D that has attracted most attention. Although pluripotent responses to vitamin D have been recognized for many years, our new perspective on nonclassical vitamin D function stems from two more recent concepts. The first is that impaired, vitamin D status is common to many populations across the globe. This has prompted studies to explore the health impact of suboptimal circulating levels of vitamin D, with association studies linking vitamin D ‘insufficiency’ to several chronic health problems including autoimmune and cardiovascular disease, hypertension and common cancers. In support of a broader role for vitamin D in human health, studies in vitro and using animal models have highlighted immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of vitamin D that appear to depend on localized activation of vitamin D. The conclusion from these reports is that many nonclassical actions of vitamin D are independent of conventional vitamin D endocrinology and are therefore more sensitive to variations in vitamin D status. The current review summarizes these developments, with specific reference to the newly identified effects of vitamin D on the immune system, but also highlights the challenges in translating these observations to clinical practice.
Evaluation of population decline and fishing sustainability of the endangered Australian freshwater fish Macquaria australasica
Authors: HUNT T. L. , DOUGLAS J. W. , ALLEN M. S. , GWINN D. C. , TONKIN Z. , LYON J. , PICKWORTH A.
Published: October 2011

Abstract  Macquarie perch, Macquaria australasica Cuvier, is an endangered Australian freshwater fish that has historically supported popular recreational fisheries, but since the 1980s, it has experienced a decline in both distribution and abundance. This study investigated whether a marked decline in the population size of Macquarie perch has occurred at Lake Dartmouth between the mid‐1980s and 2000 and the likelihood of the current legal minimum length (LML) of 350 mm TL protecting the population from recruitment overfishing. Recreational angler survey data showed strong evidence for a temporal population decline. Sampling of the population and construction of a simulation model indicated that the current LML would protect the population from recruitment overfishing. This study highlights the value of specifically investigating suspected threats to endangered fish populations to allow the instigation of effective fisheries management.
Effects of human‐mediated pollinator impoverishment on floral traits and mating patterns in a short‐lived herb: an experimental approach
Authors: Brys Rein , Jacquemyn Hans
Published: October 2011

1. Human‐induced impoverishment of pollinator faunas may affect plant–pollinator interactions and limit pollen availability. Under these conditions, chronic outcross pollen limitation is expected to select for floral characters that maintain seed production, including autonomous selfing.

2. In this study, the impact of anthropogenic disturbances of the pollinator environment of the short‐lived Centaurium erythraea on mating patterns was investigated. First floral traits and the capacity for autonomous selfing were compared between two contrasting pollinator environments. In addition, transplantation experiments were combined with hand‐pollination and emasculation treatments to assess the extent of pollen limitation and the contribution of autonomous selfing to total seed production in these pollinator environments.

3. Under severe pollinator impoverishment, C. erythraea produced fewer and smaller flowers that showed no herkogamy and strongly reduced P/O ratios. The capacity for autonomous selfing was 36·1% higher in these pollinator‐limited environments than in more natural, pollinator‐rich environments, where plants developed more, larger and markedly herkogamous flowers.

4. When assigned to the pollinator‐rich environments, plants from pollinator‐limited populations showed significantly higher outcross pollen limitation compared with the original plants. In contrast, plants from pollinator‐rich environments assigned to pollinator‐poor populations did not experience higher pollinator‐mediated seed production and showed lower total seed production than plants originally occurring in these pollinator‐limited environments.

5. These results demonstrate that human‐induced pollen limitation selects for selfing as a means of reproductive assurance, whereas in the pollinator‐rich environments, traits that support outcrossing are favoured.
Transcriptome profiles link environmental variation and physiological response of Mytilus californianus between Pacific tides
Authors: Place Sean P. , Menge Bruce A. , Hofmann Gretchen E.
Published: October 2011

1. The marine intertidal zone is characterized by large variation in temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and the supply of nutrients and food on seasonal and daily time scales. These oceanic fluctuations drive ecological processes such as recruitment, competition and consumer–prey interactions largely via physiological mechanisms. Thus, to understand coastal ecosystem dynamics and responses to climate change, it is crucial to understand these mechanisms.

2. Here we utilize transcriptome analysis of the physiological response of the mussel Mytilus californianus at different spatial scales to gain insight into these mechanisms. We used mussels inhabiting different vertical locations within Strawberry Hill on Cape Perpetua, OR and Boiler Bay on Cape Foulweather, OR to study inter‐ and intra‐site variation of gene expression.

3. The results highlight two distinct gene expression signatures related to the cycling of metabolic activity and perturbations to cellular homeostasis. Intermediate spatial scales show a strong influence of oceanographical differences in food and stress environments between sites separated by c. 65 km.

4. Together, these new insights into environmental control of gene expression may allow understanding of important physiological drivers within and across populations.
Stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: challenges for anticoagulation
Authors: Sinnaeve P. R. , Brueckmann M. , Clemens A. , Oldgren J. , Eikelboom J. , Healey J. S.
Published: October 2011

Sinnaeve PR, Brueckmann M, Clemens A, Oldgren J, Eikelboom J, Healey JS (University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Global Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany; Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; and Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada). Stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: challenges for anticoagulation (Review). J Intern Med 2012; 271: 15–24.

Abstract.  Elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), who constitute almost half of all AF patients, are at increased risk of stroke. Anticoagulant therapies, especially vitamin K antagonists (VKA), reduce the risk of stroke in all patients including the elderly but are frequently under‐used in older patients. Failure to initiate VKA in elderly AF patients is related to a number of factors, including the limitations of current therapies and the increased risk for major haemorrhage associated with advanced age and anticoagulation therapy. Of particular concern is the risk of intracranial haemorrhages (ICH), which is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Novel oral anticoagulant agents that are easier to use and might offer similar or better levels of stroke prevention with a similar or reduced risk of bleeding should increase the use of antithrombotic therapy in the management of elderly AF patients. Amongst these new agents, the recently approved direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran provides effective stroke prevention with a significant reduction of ICH, and enables clinicians to tailor the dose according to age and haemorrhagic risk.
Novel controlled attenuation parameter for noninvasive assessment of steatosis using Fibroscan®: validation in chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Sasso M. , Tengher‐Barna I. , Ziol M. , Miette V. , Fournier C. , Sandrin L. , Poupon R. , Cardoso A.‐C. , Marcellin P. , Douvin C. , de Ledinghen V. , Trinchet J.‐C. , Beaugrand M.
Published: October 2011

Summary.  A novel controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) has been developed for Fibroscan® to assess liver steatosis, simultaneously with liver stiffness measurement (LSM). We assessed CAP diagnostic accuracy in a large cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus. A total of 615 patients with CHC, who underwent both Fibroscan® and liver biopsy, were analysed. Fibrosis was graded using METAVIR score. Steatosis was categorized by visual assessment as S0: steatosis in <10% of hepatocytes, S1: 11–33%, S2: 34–66% and S3: 67–100%. Performances of CAP and liver stiffness were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and cross‐validated using the bootstrap method. The Obuchowski measure was used to assess overall accuracy of CAP and to differentiate between steatosis grades. In multivariate analysis, CAP was related to steatosis (P < 10−15) independently of fibrosis stage (which was related to LSM). The areas under ROC curves using CAP to detect steatosis were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.75–0.84) for S ≥ S1, 0.86 (0.81–0.92) for S ≥ S2 and 0.88 (0.73–1) S = S3. CAP exhibited a good ability to differentiate steatosis grades (Obuchowski measure = 0.92). Performance of LSM for fibrosis assessment confirmed results from previous studies. CAP is a novel tool to assess the degree of steatosis and both fibrosis and steatosis can be evaluated noninvasively during the same procedure using Fibroscan®, in patients with CHC.
Association of human immune response to Aedes aegypti salivary proteins with dengue disease severity
Authors: MACHAIN‐WILLIAMS C. , MAMMEN JR M. P. , ZEIDNER N. S. , BEATY B. J. , PRENNI J. E. , NISALAK A. , BLAIR C. D.
Published: October 2011

Dengue viruses (DENV; family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) are transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and can cause dengue fever (DF), a relatively benign disease, or more severe dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). Arthropod saliva contains proteins delivered into the bite wound that can modulate the host haemostatic and immune responses to facilitate the intake of a blood meal. The potential effects on DENV infection of previous exposure to Ae. aegypti salivary proteins have not been investigated. We collected Ae. aegypti saliva, concentrated the proteins and fractionated them by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). By the use of immunoblots, we analysed reactivity with the mosquito salivary proteins (MSP) of sera from 96 Thai children diagnosed with secondary DENV infections leading either to DF or DHF, or with no DENV infection, and found that different proportions of each patient group had serum antibodies reactive to specific Ae. aegypti salivary proteins. Our results suggest that prior exposure to MSP might play a role in the outcome of DENV infection in humans.
The effect of intravenous alcohol on the neural correlates of risky decision making in healthy social drinkers
Authors: Gilman Jodi M. , Smith Ashley R. , Ramchandani Vijay A. , Momenan Reza , Hommer Daniel W.
Published: October 2011

Alcohol is thought to contribute to an increase in risk‐taking behavior, but the neural correlates underlying this effect are not well understood. In this study, participants were given intravenous alcohol or placebo while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and playing a risk‐taking game. The game allowed us to examine the neural response to choosing a safe or risky option, anticipating outcome and receiving feedback. We found that alcohol increased risk‐taking behavior, particularly among participants who experienced more stimulating effects of alcohol. fMRI scans demonstrated that alcohol increased activation in the striatum to risky compared with safe choices and dampened the neural response to notification of both winning and losing throughout the caudate, thalamus and insula. This study suggests that alcohol may increase risk‐taking behavior by both activating brain regions involved in reward when a decision is made, and dampening the response to negative and positive feedback.
Drug specificity in extended access cocaine and heroin self‐administration
Authors: Lenoir Magalie , Guillem Karyn , Koob George F. , Ahmed Serge H.
Published: October 2011

Increased drug availability can precipitate a rapid escalation of drug consumption in both vulnerable humans and laboratory animals. Drug intake escalation is observed across a broad spectrum of drugs of abuse, including stimulants, opiates, ethanol and phencyclidine. Whether and to what extent the processes underlying escalated levels of drug intake vary across different substances is poorly understood. The present study sought to address this question in rats self‐administering both cocaine and heroin—two addictive drugs with both common and different neurobiological effects. In experiment 1, we determined how cocaine intake is initially related to heroin intake in non‐escalated rats with a limited access to both drugs. In experiment 2, two groups of rats were initially allowed to self‐administer either cocaine or heroin for 1 hour per day and then after behavioral stabilization, for 6 hours per day to precipitate drug intake escalation. In each group, dose‐injection functions for cocaine and heroin self‐administration were generated. In experiment 1, regardless of the dose, rats with a high intake of one drug did not necessarily have a high intake of the alternate drug. In experiment 2, escalated levels of heroin or cocaine self‐administration did not generalize to the other drug. This outcome was confirmed in a third drug substitution experiment following different access lengths to cocaine self‐administration (i.e. 1, 4 and 8 hours). The processes underlying spontaneous and escalated drug overconsumption appear thus to vary across different drugs of abuse. More research should be devoted in the future to these differences.
A limited role for ghrelin in heroin self‐administration and food deprivation‐induced reinstatement of heroin seeking in rats
Authors: Maric Tia , Sedki Firas , Ronfard Benedicte , Chafetz Danielle , Shalev Uri
Published: October 2011

Food deprivation (FD) or restriction augments the locomotor activating and reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. It has been proposed that these effects might be mediated by FD‐induced increase in plasma levels of ghrelin, a 28‐amino acid orexigenic peptide demonstrated to functionally interact with the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. However, a role for ghrelin has been demonstrated only with psychostimulant drugs and alcohol associated behaviors. We therefore examined the role of ghrelin in ongoing heroin self‐administration and FD‐induced reinstatement of extinguished heroin seeking. As expected, infusions of ghrelin [0.0, 1.5 and 3.0 µg/rat, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.)] produced increases in breakpoints on a progressive ratio schedule of heroin reinforcement. In contrast, central administration of a ghrelin receptor antagonist, [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 (0.0, or 20.0 µg/rat, i.c.v.) had no effect on ongoing heroin self‐administration under a fixed‐ratio 1 schedule, or on FD‐induced reinstatement of heroin seeking. These results suggest that signals mediated through ghrelin receptors play a limited role in FD‐induced augmentation of heroin reinforcement and reinstatement of extinguished heroin seeking.
Effects of high electrolyte contents in the diet and using floor heating on development and severity of foot pad dermatitis in young turkeys
Authors: Abd El‐Wahab A. , Visscher C. F. , Beineke A. , Beyerbach M. , Kamphues J.
Published: October 2011

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a very common disease affecting poultry and is mostly caused by bad litter condition. This study aimed to test the effects of poultry diets with normal levels of electrolytes compared with a surplus level of electrolytes with and without using floor heating. Eighty two‐week‐old ♀ turkey poults were reared over 3 weeks on wood shavings, divided randomly into four groups. Two groups were fed normal levels of electrolytes (1.60 g Na; 7.80 g K/kg diet), and the other two groups were fed surplus levels of electrolytes (3.10; 15.3 g/kg diet). In each dietary treatment, half of the birds were exposed to floor heating. Half of the birds in each group were exposed for 4 h/day to wet litter (35% water) in adjacent separate boxes. External assessment of foot pads was performed weekly. High dietary electrolytes increased the severity of FPD significantly (3.65 ± 1.03). Floor heating is likely to be highly effective in significantly reducing the severity of FPD (2.36 ± 0.588). Despite forced water intake, the litter became drier when floor heating was in use. Combining low Na and K levels with a floor heating system reduced the scores of FPD by approximately 60%, compared with high electrolyte levels without floor heating. Therefore, both dietary electrolyte levels and floor heating markedly affected FPD via litter moisture.
Influence of high‐altitude grazing on bone metabolism of growing sheep
Authors: Liesegang A. , Hüttenmoser D. , Risteli J. , Leiber F. , Kreuzer M. , Wanner M.
Published: October 2011

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of high alpine grazing, associated with varying pasture grass qualities and more pronounced exercise on typically steep slopes, on bone metabolism by improving bone density and enhancing bone turnover in growing sheep. Twenty‐four 5‐month‐old sheep were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was kept at high altitude (HA; 2000–2200 m a.s.l.) for 3 months, and the other group (C; control) remained in the lowlands (400 m a.s.l.). Both groups were kept in grazing pastures with access to good‐quality swards. Before the start of the experiment, blood samples were taken, the sheep were weighed, and the left metatarsus of each animal was analysed by quantitative computer tomography. After 1 month, blood samples were taken and body weight was measured, followed by biweekly sampling. Finally, the animals were slaughtered, and the bones were collected for analysis of various bone parameters. Body weight development did not differ between the groups. Concentrations of 25‐OH‐Vitamin D, carboxy‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and activities of bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase were always higher in the HA group than in the C group, except on the last two sampling dates. Bone mineral content and density increased in both groups during the experiment, but more intensively in the HA group. In addition, the cortical thickness of the HA group increased. The present study demonstrates an increase in bone turnover and mineral content of the bones of the growing sheep grazing in high alpine pastures. The factors associated with HA grazing, therefore, clearly seem to improve bone composition.
Blending critical realist and emancipatory practice development methodologies: making critical realism work in nursing research
Authors: Parlour Randal , McCormack Brendan
Published: October 2011

PARLOUR R and MCCORMACK B. Nursing Inquiry 2012; 19: 308–321  Blending critical realist and emancipatory practice development methodologies: making critical realism work in nursing research

This paper examines the efficacy of facilitation as a practice development intervention in changing practice within an Older Person setting and in implementing evidence into practice. It outlines the influences exerted by the critical realist paradigm in guiding emancipatory practice development activities and, in particular, how the former may be employed within an emancipatory practice development study to elucidate and increase understanding pertinent to causation and outcomes. The methodology is based upon an emancipatory practice development approach set within a realistic evaluation framework. This allows for systematic analysis of the social and contextual elements that influence the explication of outcomes associated with facilitation. The study is concentrated upon five practice development cycles, within which a sequence of iterative processes is integrated. The authors assert that combining critical realist and emancipatory processes offers a robust and practical method for translating evidence and implementing changes in practice, as the former affirms or falsifies the influence that emancipatory processes exert on attaining culture shift, and enabling transformation towards effective clinical practice. A new framework for practice development is proposed that establishes methodological coherency between emancipatory practice development and realistic evaluation. This augments the existing theoretical bases for both these approaches by contributing new theoretical and methodological understandings of causation.
Increased natural killer T‐like cells are a major source of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and granzymes in lung transplant recipients
Authors: HODGE GREG , HODGE SANDRA , LI‐LIEW CHIEN , REYNOLDS PAUL N. , HOLMES MARK
Published: October 2011

Background and objective:  Natural killer T (NKT)‐like cells are a small but significant population of T lymphocytes; however, their role in lung transplant and the effect of current immunosuppressive agents on their function is largely unknown. We have previously shown lung transplant rejection was associated with an increase in peripheral blood T cell γ‐interferon (IFN‐γ), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and granzyme B. NKT‐like cells are a source of these pro‐inflammatory mediators and as such may be involved in lung transplant pathology.

Methods:  We analysed NKT‐like cell numbers and cytokine and granzyme profiles in peripheral blood from a group of stable lung transplant patients and control subjects using multiparameter flow cytometry.

Results:  There was a significant increase in NKT‐like cells in transplant patients compared with control subjects (6.8 ± 4.9 vs 0.8 ± 0.2% lymphocytes respectively). There was an increase in the numbers of NKT‐like cells producing IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐2 IL‐17, granzyme and perforin in transplant patients compared with controls. Immunosuppressant drugs were less effective at inhibiting IFN‐γ and TNF‐α production by T and NKT‐like cells than NK cells in vitro.

Conclusions:  Current therapeutics is inadequate at suppressing NKT‐like cell numbers and their production of pro‐inflammatory mediators known to be associated with graft rejection. Alternative therapies that specifically target NKT‐like cells may improve patient morbidity.
Prescription of antibiotics for adults hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumonia in Korea in 2004: A population‐based descriptive study
Authors: YOON YOUNG KYUNG , KIM EUN JU , CHUN BYUNG CHUL , EOM JOONG SIK , PARK DAE WON , SOHN JANG WOOK , KIM MIN JA
Published: October 2011

Background and objective:  Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) is generally considered to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. There is much controversy regarding the optimal choice of antibiotics for patients with CAP. The aim of this study was to identify the antibiotics prescribed for adults hospitalized with CAP in Korea during a calendar year.

Methods:  This population‐based, descriptive epidemiological study was performed using data from nationwide health insurance claims from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004. The study population was adults (≥18 years old), who had been hospitalized with CAP as determined by discharge diagnosis, and who had been treated with antibiotics for ≥3 days. The exclusion criteria were tuberculosis, underlying malignancies and potential nosocomial pneumonia, based on the department providing care, or surgery reports during the admission.

Results:  Of the 5592 adults hospitalized with CAP, data for 3662 (65.5%) patients was eligible for inclusion in the analysis. This included data for 1899 (51.9%) males, and 2045 (55.8%) patients ≥65 years of age. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobial regimen was β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors and fluoroquinolones in combination (31.0%), followed by β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus macrolides (30.2%), monotherapy (17.0%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus aminoglycosides (12.9%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus clindamycin (4.9%), and cephalosporins plus fluoroquinolones (2.5%). Monotherapy included, in decreasing order of use, cephalosporins (6.0%), fluoroquinolones (3.5%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors (2.3%) and macrolides (2.2%).

Conclusions:  In this study, patterns of antimicrobial prescription for patients hospitalized with CAP were assessed for the first time in Korea. There was divergence from the 2009 Korean guidelines for the treatment of CAP, reinforcing the need for assessment of physicians' adherence to the guidelines.
Rediscovery of the Desert Sand‐skipper Croitana aestiva Edwards (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae): morphology, life history and behaviour
Authors: Palmer Christopher M , Braby Michael F
Published: October 2011

Croitana aestiva Edwards is one of Australia's most poorly known butterflies. Previously it was known from a total of eight specimens collected in 1966 and 1972 in the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs in central Australia. The species was not positively recorded for the next 35 years; however, in February 2007 a population was rediscovered during targeted surveys. Subsequent biological studies were conducted from 2007 to 2010. A reappraisal of adult morphology show that four character states are unique to C. aestiva. Eggs are creamy‐white and subcircular, with 21–29 longitudinal ribs. First‐instar larvae are creamy‐white, with a dark head capsule and prothoracic plate. Fourth‐ and fifth‐instar larvae have a dark green medial band, a pale lateral band on each side of the body, and a distinct, highly setose, brown anal plate. The pupae are mainly orange‐brown, darkening anteriorly, with a highly sculptured pupal cap. The larval food plant is the grass Neurachne tenuifolia (Poaceae), which is also endemic to central Australia. Shelters for all larvae and the pupa are among the leaf sheaths and stems near the base of the tussock. Adults are opportunistic feeders on a wide variety of nectar‐producing plants, and are active throughout the day. Males use patrolling and perching behaviour to locate receptive females at a range of encounter sites, including the larval food plant and hilltops. Oviposition occurs during late morning, and eggs are laid on the upper surface of blades of the food plant. Comparison of the immature stages of C. aestiva with its congeners indicates many similarities in general morphology, but there are pronounced behavioural differences such as upward‐orientated shelters.
Renal parenchymal volume increases after contralateral nephrectomy: Assessment using three‐dimensional ultrasonography
Authors: Funahashi Yasuhito , Hattori Ryohei , Yamamoto Tokunori , Aoki Shigeyuki , Majima Tsuyoshi , Gotoh Momokazu
Published: October 2011

We investigated the relationship between changes in renal parenchymal volume (RPV) and renal function after a unilateral nephrectomy. In all 46 consecutive patients undergoing unilateral nephrectomy were included. Three‐dimensional ultrasonography was performed before surgery (n = 46) and at 4.3 ± 1.9 h (n = 46), 2 days (n = 39), and 7 days (n = 43) after surgery to determine RPV. The mean RPV of the remaining kidney was 104.7 mL before surgery, 116.1 mL (+13.2%) at 4.3 h, 122.7 mL (+18.2%) at 2 days, and 117.6 mL (+13.3%) at 7 days after surgery. Sequential volume measurements during surgery (n = 5) revealed that the transection of the renal artery was followed by an increase in RPV on the contralateral side at 60−90 min. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that RPV was positively associated with the single‐kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and body surface area in both the preoperative and postoperative states. An increase in the single‐kidney GFR was not seen at 2 years in patients with an RPV increase of <5% at 1 week (102.9 ± 8.4%, P = 0.322), but was still significant in the other patients (115.5 ± 21.0%, P < 0.001). These findings suggest that kidney volume may increase due to enlargement of the vascular bed caused by increased renal blood flow during the acute phase. Thereafter, histological hypertrophic responses may replace the hemodynamic changes in the chronic phase.
Laparoscopic transvesical removal of erosive mesh after transobturator tape procedure
Authors: Yoshizawa Tsuyoshi , Yamaguchi Kenya , Obinata Daisuke , Sato Katsuhiko , Mochida Junichi , Takahashi Satoru
Published: October 2011

We have experienced two cases of intravesical transobturator tape (TOT) tape successfully removed by laparoscopic transvesical procedure. Patient 1 was a 67‐year‐old woman complaining of irritative symptoms of the urinary bladder. In another hospital she had undergone anterior corporrhaphy and a TOT procedure to treat a cystocele and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) 17 months before the initial consultation. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi at the 4 to 5 O'clock position of the bladder neck. After filling the bladder with carbon dioxide, three 5‐mm ports were placed in lower abdomen directly into the bladder. The tape extruding from the bladder muscle layer was completely excised, and extirpated with the adherent calculi. The bladder mucosa and muscle layer were continuously sutured using 4‐0 Vicryl (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ, USA). The port entry sites were closed under direct vision using 4‐0 Vicryl. SUI recurred 15 months later and a second TOT surgery was performed. Neither SUI nor mesh extrusion have been observed during the 18 months following the second TOT. Patient 2 was a 74‐year‐old woman. She consulted our hospital for the removal of an intravesically extruded tape and adherent calculi. She had undergone a vaginal hysterectomy and TOT surgery for uterine prolapse and SUI at another hospital 3 years before her visit. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi on the right bladder wall. We performed an endoscopic transvesical extirpation of the intravesical foreign bodies in a same manner described below. There has been no recurrent SUI or mesh erosion during the 18‐month follow up.
Bird community composition across an Andean tree‐line ecotone
Authors: LLOYD HUW , SEVILLANO RÍOS STEVEN , MARSDEN STUART J. , VALDÉS‐VELÁSQUEZ ARMANDO
Published: October 2011

Few studies have found strong evidence to suggest that ecotones promote species richness and diversity. In this study we examine the responses of a high‐Andean bird community to changes in vegetation and topographical characteristics across an Andean tree‐line ecotone and adjacent cloud forest andpunagrassland vegetation in southern Peru. Over a 6‐month period, birds and vegetation were surveyed using a 100 m fixed‐width Distance Sampling point count method. Vegetation analyses revealed that the tree‐line ecotone represented a distinctive high‐Andean vegetation community that was easily differentiated from the adjacent cloud forest andpunagrassland based on changes in tree‐size characteristics and vegetation cover. Bird community composition was strongly seasonal and influenced by a pool of bird species from a wider elevational gradient. There were also clear differences in bird community measures between tree‐line vegetation, cloud forest andpunagrassland with species turnover (β‐diversity) most pronounced at the tree‐line. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the majority of the 81 bird species were associated with tree‐line vegetation. Categorizing patterns of relative abundance of the 42 most common species revealed that the tree‐line ecotone was composed primarily of cloud forest specialists and habitat generalists, with very few species from thepunagrassland. Only two species,Thlypopsis ruficepsandAnairetes parulus, both widespread Andean species more typical of montane woodland vegetation edges, were categorized as ecotone specialists. However, our findings were influenced by significant differences in species detectability between all three vegetation communities. Our study highlights the importance of examining ecotones at an appropriate spatial and temporal scale. Selecting a suitable distance between sampling points based on the detection probabilities of the target bird species is essential to obtain an unbiased picture of how ecotones influence avian richness and diversity.
Latitudinal mismatches between the components of mammal–flea interaction networks
Authors: Guilhaumon François , Krasnov Boris R. , Poulin Robert , Shenbrot Georgy I. , Mouillot David
Published: October 2011

Aim  The large‐scale description of ecosystem complexity, including the structure of interaction networks, has been largely overlooked although it is known to underpin species co‐occurrences and their robustness to climatic or anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we investigated whether the various components of mammal–flea interaction networks (richness of fleas, richness of mammals and the richness of mammal–flea associations) are spatially congruent and follow the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG).

Location  Sixteen regions, world‐wide.

Methods  We first took into account the effect of area on diversity by determining the position of regions with respect to species–area relationships. We then investigated the spatial congruence between the regional richness of each component of mammal–flea interaction networks as well as their latitudinal gradients. We further investigated patterns for flea–host associations by testing for relationships between mammal–flea interaction richness and (1) flea niche breadth and (2) host carrying capacity.

Results  We report divergent LDGs for the different components of mammal–flea interaction networks: our data agree with a canonical LDG for mammals, but reveal that the diversity of fleas and mammal–flea associations do not follow such a classical gradient. Our results suggest that host carrying capacity is more likely than flea niche breadth to modulate the number of links in host–parasite interaction networks.

Main conclusions  The complex interplay between geographic variation in host diversity and both host and parasite traits can lead to unexpected spatial patterns such as the invalidation of expected parasites and links in host–parasite web LDGs. Beyond our focus on host–parasite interactions, our study is among the first in the emerging field of interaction network macroecology and paves the way for other components of ecological networks to be investigated across space and time.
A baseline assessment of emergency planning and preparedness in Italian universities
Authors: Marincioni Fausto , Fraboni Rita
Published: October 2011

Besides offering teaching and research services, schools and universities also must provide for the safety and security of their employees, students, and visitors. This paper describes emergency preparedness in a sample of Italian universities. In particular it examines risk perception within a specific professional category (university safety and security officers) in a specific cultural context (Italy). In addition, it discusses the transposition and implementation in a European Union (EU) member state of EU Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989, on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers. The findings highlight heterogeneous and fragmented emergency management models within the Italian university system, underlining the need for a stricter framework of standardised safety protocols and emergency management guidelines. The study also points out that enhancing emergency planning and preparedness in Italian universities entails increasing safety leadership, employee engagement and individual responsibility for safety and security; essentially, it necessitates improving the culture of risk prevention.
Personality and Turnout: Results from the Finnish Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Mattila Mikko , Wass Hanna , Söderlund Peter , Fredriksson Sami , Fadjukoff Päivi , Kokko Katja
Published: October 2011

Scholars in the field of electoral participation have for long been aware that turnout is strongly connected to sociopsychological variables such as religiosity, party identification, political interest and sense of political efficacy. The impact of personality characteristics has remained largely unexplored until recently. Based on the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS, original N = 369), this article analyses the links between individuals' personality traits and their propensity to vote at ages 36, 42 and 50. The personality traits are measured by using the five‐factor model of personality consisting of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. The results show both extraversion and agreeableness to be positively associated with electoral participation, but the findings are not consistent at all ages. Finally, the analysis suggests that the effect of extraversion varies depending on the level of education. Whereas well‐educated people are more prone to be habitual voters regardless of their level of extraversion, among less‐educated respondents it has a more sizeable effect.
Absent Role of the State: Analysis of Social Support to Older People with Disabilities in Rural China
Authors: Fisher Karen R. , Shang Xiaoyuan , Li Zhengang
Published: October 2011

China is experiencing rapid population ageing and already has 44 million older people with disabilities aged over 59 years. Yet social support of these older people with disabilities is undeveloped and not well researched. This article contributes by using a disability rights framework (right to life and protection, economic security and social support) to analyze local cases in rural China. It finds that, although the family is still the main provider of economic and care support to rural older people with disabilities, the absence of a state role in welfare provision has negative impacts on the well‐being of older and younger generations in rural families.
Balancing Efficiency and Legitimacy: Institutional Changes and Rural Health Organization in China
Authors: Pei Xiaomei , Bloom Gerald
Published: October 2011

The aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of the institutional arrangements within which China's rural health facilities are embedded and of the contribution of policy to the creation of these arrangements. Information collected through field observations and in‐depth interviews with the managers, staff and patients of a township health centre indicates that with the gradual evolution of markets, encouraged by state policies, health care in rural China took on more of the characteristics of a commodity. In order to adapt to this change, the health centre and its employees are adjusting their behavioural norms and reconstructing an institutional network within which daily activities of simultaneously fulfilling public health responsibilities and pursuing economic gain are legitimized. This article focuses on the interwoven relationship between politics and markets at the micro level and examines the negotiations between stakeholders in constructing new institutional arrangements. It also describes how health sector managers are creating regulations to influence the performance of their facility. The article argues that while government policies play a crucial role in shaping the direction of development, institutional arrangements strongly influence the attempts by rural health organizations to implement them. It concludes that it is critical to take institutional factors into account in analyzing China's rural health‐care reforms.
Demographic Transition, Developmentalism and Social Security in China
Authors: Ye Lin
Published: October 2011

This article studies the current demographic transition in China and its implications on the country's social welfare reform, particularly its Old Age Social Security (OASS) development. The developmental approach is analyzed to examine how developmentalism affects China's social welfare reform. Reviewing the historical development of the OASS system after the 1980s, this article discusses the major issues and concerns under the current system and the challenges it faces for future development. Further studies are called upon to address these issues in order to build a financially sound and socially equitable welfare system in China.
Combination of transcranial sonography, olfactory testing, and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy as a diagnostic indicator for Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Izawa M. O. , Miwa H. , Kajimoto Y. , Kondo T.
Published: October 2011

Background:  Appropriate diagnostic biomarkers are useful for improving speed and accuracy of a diagnosis. Substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity visualized by transcranial sonography (TCS), olfactory dysfunction, and the reduced uptake of 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in myocardial scintigraphy have been suggested as potential biomarkers for the identification of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Objectives:  To evaluate the diagnostic potential of these tests and to determine whether combining them increases their diagnostic power.

Methods:  Subjects were 44 patients with clinically diagnosed PD and 36 healthy controls. TCS of the SN, the odor stick identification test for Japanese (OSIT‐J), and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy were conducted.

Results:  Eleven patients with PD (25%) and four controls (11%) were excluded because of an insufficient acoustic temporal bone window in the TCS. Thus, 33 patients with PD and 32 healthy controls were finally included. The diagnostic sensitivity of TCS, OSIT‐J, and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy was 78.8%, 84.8%, and 60.6%, respectively. The specificity of TCS and OSIT‐J was 93.8% and 78.1%, respectively. The combination of TCS of the SN and OSIT‐J substantially increased the sensitivity to a sufficient level for discriminating patients with PD from controls.

Conclusion:  TCS of the SN and olfactory testing play complementary roles in increasing diagnostic power in PD. As both tests are easy to perform, noninvasive, and inexpensive, the combination of TCS of the SN and olfactory testing may contribute to early and accurate diagnosis of PD.
Phylogeography, genetic diversity and population structure of common bottlenose dolphins in the Wider Caribbean inferred from analyses of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences and microsatellite loci: conservation and management implications
Authors: Caballero S. , Islas‐Villanueva V. , Tezanos‐Pinto G. , Duchene S. , Delgado‐Estrella A. , Sanchez‐Okrucky R. , Mignucci‐Giannoni A. A.
Published: October 2011

This study presents the first comprehensive genetic analyses of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) based on mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci in the Wider Caribbean. Live captures of bottlenose dolphins have been occurring since the turn of the 20th century in Wider Caribbean waters where little is known about their population structure and genetic diversity. In this study, blood or tissue samples were obtained from stranded or captive dolphins from nine geographic regions. One hundred fifty‐eight sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region and nine microsatellite loci were analyzed and compared with previously published sequences. This study revealed the presence of ‘inshore’ ecotype and ‘worldwide distributed form’ haplotypes of bottlenose dolphins in Wider Caribbean waters. At the mitochondrial level, genetic differentiation between these two groups was significant (FST = 0.805, P < 0.001). Analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences at a wider geographic level revealed three genetically differentiated (FST = 0.254, ΦST = 0.590, P < 0.001) population units: Puerto Rico, Cuba/Colombia/Bahamas/Mexico, and Honduras. There was evidence of low female‐mediated gene flow among these population units (Nmf = 1.46). Microsatellite analyses identified four somewhat different population units: Honduras/Colombia/Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico. The presence of ‘worldwide distributed form’ and ‘inshore’ ecotype haplotypes in particular population units, may be causing differences in the population structure pattern showed by each molecular marker. Decreased observed heterozygosity and three loci out of the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were found in the Honduras/Colombia/Puerto Rico population unit suggesting a Wahlund effect. The genetic differentiation and divergence between the two forms identified in this study must be taken into consideration for captive programs that aim to reproduce bottlenose dolphins from this region. Although genetic diversity at the mitochondrial and microsatellite level in these dolphins seems to be relatively high, additional demographic and abundance data must be obtained before more captures are allowed.