bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Refeeding Syndrome’ in a Kuwaiti Child: Clinical Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Al Sharkawy Ibrahim , Ramadan Dina , El-Tantawy Amira
Published: March 2010

Objective: To report a case of refeeding syndrome in a Kuwaiti child, its clinical presentation and management. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A 13-month-old Kuwaiti boy presented with acute severe malnutrition in the form of marasmic kwashiorkor. On admission, blood sugar and serum electrolytes were normal but on the 3rd day he developed typical biochemical features of refeeding syndrome in the form of hyperglycemia, severe hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. The child then received treatment appropriate for refeeding syndrome in the form of lower calorie intake with gradual increase, as well as supplementation of electrolytes, thiamine and vitamins and he eventually made a safe recovery. Conclusion: This case showed that during rehabilitation of a malnourished child, a severe potentially lethal electrolyte disturbance (refeeding syndrome) can occur. Careful monitoring of electrolytes before and during the refeeding phase was needed and helped to detect this syndrome early. We suggest that slow and gradual calorie increase in the ‘at-risk’ patient can help prevent its occurrence.
Studying the Joint Effects of Population Stratification and Sampling in Case-Control Association Studies
Authors: Cheng K.F. , Lee J.Y. , Chen J.H.
Published: March 2010

Population stratification (PS) is referred to the systematic difference in allele frequencies between subpopulations in a population. It could cause a false-positive conclusion in a case-control association study, where the association is due to the structure of the underlying population, not a disease-associated locus. In this paper, we study the joint effects of PS and data sampling when the genetic effect is null. The level of the PS effect depends on the variation of the baseline genotype frequency across subpopulations and matching effectiveness of the sampling. In the case of simple random sampling (SRS), the matching effectiveness equals the inverse of the variation of the disease odds, and thus the PS bias is null under constant disease risk. However, if the latter condition holds but the sampling is not SRS, the bias may still exist. The magnitude of the bias increases as the deviation between the true sampling and SRS increases. We also derive bounds for the bias. If the bounds are approximately known or estimable, we show that this information can be used to compute a conservative p value for the usual association test. We give two real examples to demonstrate the application of the new method.
Glucocorticoids Inhibit Double-Stranded RNA-Induced Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Release from Keratinocytes in an Atopic Cytokine Milieu More Effectively than Tacrolimus
Authors: Le Tuan Anh , Takai Toshiro , Vu Anh Tuan , Kinoshita Hirokazu , Ikeda Shigaku , Ogawa Hideoki , Okumura Ko
Published: March 2010

Background: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), highly expressed by keratinocytes in skin lesions in atopic dermatitis and bronchial epithelial cells in asthma, plays a key role in allergic diseases. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) stimulates keratinocytes to release TSLP in vitro. Objective: To examine the potential of glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors to suppress dsRNA-induced release of TSLP from keratinocytes. Methods: Primary human kerarinocytes were stimulated with dsRNA in the presence of IL-4, IL-13 and TNF-α. TSLP release was measured by ELISA. The effects of glucocorticoids and 2 calcineurin inhibitors, cyclosporin A and FK506/tacrolimus, were analyzed. Results: The glucocorticoids inhibited dsRNA-induced release of TSLP. The inhibitory effect became saturated (50–70% reduction) at concentrations higher than 10–10M. Cyclosporin A inhibited the release of TSLP by 50–60% at 10–5 and 10–4M. FK506 had no effect at 10–5M or less, but almost completely inhibited the release of TSLP at 10–4M. No synergistic effect was obtained with a glucocorticoid plus either of the calcineurin inhibitors. An additive inhibitory effect was obtained with a glucocorticoid plus 10–5M cyclosporin A. Glucocorticoid inhibited dsRNA-induced TSLP transcription in the absence of Th2/TNF cytokines. Conclusions: Glucocorticoids inhibited the dsRNA-induced release of TSLP in the atopic cytokine milieu at much lower concentrations than calcineurin inhibitors, suggesting that they could be effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis when exogenous or endogenous dsRNA is involved in the pathogenesis. In addition, the in vitro system established in this study would be useful for screening of therapeutic reagents which target TSLP expression.
Alterations of Lipid Metabolism in Chronic Nephropathies: Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Lacquaniti Antonio , Bolignano Davide , Donato Valentina , Bono Caterina , Fazio Maria Rosaria , Buemi Michele
Published: March 2010

Nephropathic subjects show an increased tendency to develop cardiovascular diseases, mainly as the consequence of several risk factors including increased oxidative stress, inflammation, physical inactivity, anemia, vascular calcification, and endothelial dysfunction. The alterations in lipid metabolism represent a relatively lesser important cause of genesis and progression of atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, in these patients the atherogenic potential of dyslipidemia may depend more on apolipoproteins than on lipid abnormalities, and may not always be recognized by measurement of plasma lipids alone. The aim of this review was therefore to analyze the main lipid alterations that can occur in nephropathic patients, as well as their causes and their effects on the cardiovascular system. The clinical evidence and recommendations for the use of lipid-regulating drugs in patients with chronic kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome, in patients undergoing hemo- and peritoneal dialysis and in transplanted patients was also reviewed. Moreover, we analyzed the link between dyslipidemia and kidney disease onset and progression and the role of statins in preventing it.
Association of a Genetic Variant in the ALOX5AP with Higher Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Case-Control, Meta-Analysis and Functional Study
Authors: Domingues-Montanari Sophie , Fernández-Cadenas Israel , del Rio-Espinola Alberto , Corbeto Natalia , Krug Tiago , Manso Helena , Gouveia Liliana , Sobral Joao , Mendioroz Maite , Fernández-Morales Jessica , Alvarez-Sabin José , Ribó Marc , Rubiera Marta , Obach Victor , Martí-Fàbregas Joan , Freijo Marimar , Serena Joaquin , Ferro José M. , Vicente Astrid M. , Oliveira Sofia A. , Montaner Joan
Published: March 2010

Background: Variants in the 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (ALOX5AP) and phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) genes have first been associated with ischemic stroke (IS) through whole-genome linkage screens. However, association studies obtained conflicting results. We aimed to investigate the contribution of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes for the first time in a large Iberian population. Methods: A case-control design was used to analyze one SNP in ALOX5AP and five SNPs in PDE4D in a total of 1,092 IS patients and 781 healthy controls of two different subsets from Spain and Portugal. The analysis was adjusted for confounding variables and the results were integrated in a meta-analysis of all case-control studies. In addition, ALOX5AP gene expression levels were determined in controls and IS cases. Results: A first meta-analysis of both subsets showed that the T allele of the SG13S114 SNP in ALOX5AP was a risk factor for IS after Bonferroni correction [OR = 1.22 (1.06–1.40); p = 0.006]. A second meta-analysis of white populations confirmed these results [OR = 1.18 (1.07–1.31); p = 0.001]. ALOX5AP gene expression analysis in a subset of controls and cases revealed that the SG13S114 genotypes modulate mRNA levels of ALOX5AP (p = 0.001) and mRNA levels were higher in IS cases (2.8 ± 2.4%) than in controls (1.4 ± 1.3%; p = 0.003). No association of the variants in PDE4D with IS was observed in our study. Conclusions: The ALOX5AP SG13S114 variant is an independent risk factor for IS in the Iberian population and is associated with ALOX5AP expression levels. The role of this gene in stroke merits further investigation.
Severe Pulmonary Toxicity Associated with Fludarabine and Possible Contribution of Rituximab
Authors: Disel U. , Paydas S. , Yavuz S. , Karakoc E.
Published: March 2010

Fludarabine is a nucleoside analogue used in the treatment of low-grade lymphoproliferative disorders and in conditioning regimens of non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This is a relatively safe drug for clinical use but may cause side effects, some of which may be life-threatening. Here a case of severe pulmonary toxicity associated with fludarabine and a possible contribution of rituximab is presented and the literature reviewed.
Molecular Mechanism of Cell Apoptosis by Paclitaxel and Pirarubicin in a Human Osteosarcoma Cell Line
Authors: Liu Si-Yuan , Song Shu-Xia , Lin Liang , Liu Xing
Published: March 2010

Background: Paclitaxel and pirarubicin exhibit cytotoxic and antitumor activities. However, little is known about the apoptosis-inducing effects of paclitaxel and pirarubicin on human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells. Methods: The effects of paclitaxel and pirarubicin on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were studied in MG-63 cells using flow cytometry. PCNA, Bcl-2, Bax, cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression was assessed by Western blotting. Results: Paclitaxel and pirarubicin caused G2/M and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in MG-63 cells, respectively. Apoptosis of MG-63 cells mediated by paclitaxel was dependent on treatment duration. Interestingly, in cells treated with pirarubicin, apoptosis was related to treatment duration at concentrations of 102–103 nM, whereas the effect of treatment duration was less marked at concentrations >104–105 nM. Furthermore, paclitaxel and pirarubicin suppressed the expression of PCNA, cyclin D1, cyclin E and Bcl-2, and increased Bax expression. Conclusion: These results suggest that the G2/M or G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by paclitaxel and pirarubicin are Bcl-2/Bax dependent, suggesting favorable effects of combination therapy with paclitaxel and pirarubicin in the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Individual Life Expectancy Estimation Using Validated Prognostic Scores for Patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary
Authors: Ferté Charles , Penel Nicolas , Bonneterre Jacques , Adenis Antoine
Published: March 2010

Purpose: To implement 3 published prognostic scores in an independent set of patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP), and compare their performance on individual life expectancy prediction. Patients and Method: The survival of 430 consecutive patients with CUP was measured after they had allocated to their prognostic group (good prognosis vs. poor prognosis) according to each prognostic score. Using a 2 × 2 contingency table, we measured the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy of each score in predicting individual outcome (survival <90 days or >180 days). Results: The median overall survival was 189 days (1–4,801 days). Survival was <90 days in 143/421 cases and >180 days in 208/413 cases. The three PPVs were within the same range for prediction of survival <90 days (from 43 to 49%) as well as for prediction of survival >180 days (from 70 to 80%), and underestimate individual life expectancy of 40–50% of the patients. None of the 3 scores appeared significantly better. Conclusion: The main finding of this retrospective analysis is that the published prognostic scores cannot be used for rational decision making.
Platelet function testing and risk of bleeding complications
Authors: Ferreiro José Luis , Sibbing Dirk , Angiolillo Dominick
Published: March 2010

Antiplatelet therapy has a key role in preventing atherothrombotic events in patients with coronary artery disease, particularly in those undergoing revascularisation procedures. However, this may occur at the expense of an increase risk of bleeding. Therefore, the balance between thrombotic and bleeding events is critical in order to achieve optimal outcomes. Since there is a broad variability in individual response profiles to antiplatelet therapy, these outcomes (thrombosis vs. bleeding) may depend on the level of platelet inhibition achieved in a given subject. Platelet function assays have emerged as a useful tool for its potential to determine patients at a higher risk of ischaemic and bleeding complications. The present manuscript will review the available evidence associating platelet function testing with adverse clinical outcomes, in particular bleeding, and their potential applications in lieu of novel and more potent antithrombotic agents that will be introduced into clinical practice in the near future.
DEFI 2005
Authors: Jost Daniel , Degrange Hervé , Verret Catherine , Hersan Olivier , Banville Isabelle L. , Chapman Fred W. , Lank Paula , Petit Jean Luc , Fuilla Claude , Migliani René , Carpentier Jean Pierre ,   the DEFI 2005 Work Group
Published: March 2010

Background—

Using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that implement the Guidelines 2000 resuscitation protocol constrains administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to <50% of AED connection time. We tested a different AED protocol aimed at increasing the CPR administered to patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Methods and Results—

In a randomized controlled trial, patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation were treated with 1 of 2 AED protocols. In the control protocol, based on Guidelines 2000, sequences of up to 3 stacked countershocks were delivered, with rhythm analyses initially and after the first and second shocks. The study protocol featured 1 minute of CPR before the first shock, shorter CPR interruptions before and after each shock, and no stacked shocks. The primary end point was survival to hospital admission. Of 5107 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients connected to an AED, 1238 required defibrillation, and 845 were included in the final analysis. Study patients (n=421) had shorter preshock pauses (9 versus 19 seconds;
P
<0.001), had shorter postshock pauses (11 versus 33 seconds;
P
<0.001), and received more CPR (61% versus 48%;
P
<0.001) and fewer shocks (2.5 versus 2.9;
P
<0.001) than control patients (n=424). Similar proportions survived to hospital admission (43.2% versus 42.7%;
P
=0.87), survived to hospital discharge (13.3% versus 10.6%;
P
=0.19), achieved return of spontaneous circulation before physician arrival (47.0% versus 48.6%;
P
=0.65), and survived to 1 year (
P
=0.77).

Conclusions—

Following prompts from AEDs programmed with a protocol similar to Guidelines 2005, firefighters shortened pauses in CPR and improved overall hands-on time, but survival to hospital admission of patients with ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrest did not improve.

Clinical Trial Registration—

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00139542.
Ultrasound Assessment of Flow-Mediated Dilation
Authors: Harris Ryan A. , Nishiyama Steven K. , Wray D. Walter , Richardson Russell S.
Published: March 2010

Developed in 1992, the flow-mediated dilation test is now the most commonly used noninvasive assessment of vascular endothelial function in humans. Since its inception, scientists have refined their understanding of the physiology, analysis, and interpretation of this measurement. Recently, a significant growth of knowledge has added to our understanding and implementation of this clinically relevant research methodology. Therefore, this tutorial provides timely insight into recent advances and practical information related to the ultrasonic assessment of vascular endothelial function in humans.
Effects of Anterior Cingulate Microstimulation on Pro- and Antisaccades in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Phillips Jessica M. , Johnston Kevin , Everling Stefan
Published: March 2010

Numerous studies have established a role for the ACC in cognitive control. Current theories are at odds as to whether ACC itself directly engages or alternatively recruits other frontal cortical areas that implement control. The antisaccade task, in which subjects are required to make a saccade to the location opposite a suddenly appearing visual stimulus, is a simple oculomotor paradigm that has been used extensively to investigate flexible oculomotor control. Here, we tested a causal role of the dorsal ACC in cognitive control by applying electrical microstimulation during a preparatory period while monkeys performed alternating blocks of pro- and antisaccade trials. Microstimulation induced significant changes in saccadic RTs (SRTs) in both tasks. On prosaccade trials, SRTs were increased for saccades contralateral to and decreased for saccades ipsilateral to the stimulated hemisphere. In contrast, SRTs were decreased for both ipsi- and contralaterally directed antisaccades. These data show that microstimulation administered during response preparation facilitated the performance of antisaccades and are suggestive of a direct role of ACC in the implementation of cognitive control.
What Iconic Gesture Fragments Reveal about Gesture–Speech Integration: When Synchrony Is Lost, Memory Can Help
Authors: Obermeier Christian , Holle Henning , Gunter Thomas C.
Published: March 2010

The present series of experiments explores several issues related to gesture–speech integration and synchrony during sentence processing. To be able to more precisely manipulate gesture–speech synchrony, we used gesture fragments instead of complete gestures, thereby avoiding the usual long temporal overlap of gestures with their coexpressive speech. In a pretest, the minimal duration of an iconic gesture fragment needed to disambiguate a homonym (i.e., disambiguation point) was therefore identified. In three subsequent ERP experiments, we then investigated whether the gesture information available at the disambiguation point has immediate as well as delayed consequences on the processing of a temporarily ambiguous spoken sentence, and whether these gesture–speech integration processes are susceptible to temporal synchrony. Experiment 1, which used asynchronous stimuli as well as an explicit task, showed clear N400 effects at the homonym as well as at the target word presented further downstream, suggesting that asynchrony does not prevent integration under explicit task conditions. No such effects were found when asynchronous stimuli were presented using a more shallow task (Experiment 2). Finally, when gesture fragment and homonym were synchronous, similar results as in Experiment 1 were found, even under shallow task conditions (Experiment 3). We conclude that when iconic gesture fragments and speech are in synchrony, their interaction is more or less automatic. When they are not, more controlled, active memory processes are necessary to be able to combine the gesture fragment and speech context in such a way that the homonym is disambiguated correctly.
The Background of ‘A Common Word’
Authors: Speelman Gé M.
Published: March 2010

This article sketches the contents of the open letter of 138 Muslim Scholars to Christians. In addition it provides a reflection of the common ground the authors construct between the faith of Muslims and Christians. Maybe this common ground lies, more than either Christians and Muslims may be aware, in their joint roots in Judaism. The present article concludes with some reflections on the presupposition that it is fertile to start a dialogue on the basis of a (supposed) common ground.
Do Zoos and Aquariums Promote Attitude Change in Visitors? A Critical Evaluation of the American Zoo and Aquarium Study
Authors: Malamud Randy , Broglio Ron , Marino Lori , Lilienfeld Scott O. , Nobis Nathan
Published: March 2010

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors, although further investigation of this possibility using methodologically sophisticated designs is warranted.
Securing Land Rights through Indigenousness: A Case from the Philippine Cordillera Highlands
Authors: Schippers Titia
Published: March 2010

The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (1997) offers indigenous peoples in the Philippines the opportunity to obtain title to an ‘ancestral domain’. This article discusses how leaders of the Bakun Indigenous Tribes Organization (BITO) in the Cordillera Highlands strategically used the state-sponsored indigenous-peoples discourse and political-administrative structure to acquire land rights for the inhabitants of the municipality of Bakun. Though the inhabitants did not necessarily identify themselves as indigenous, they welcomed land rights as a protection against unwelcome incursions by mining companies and other extractive projects. However, the discourse of indigenous peoples’ rights tends to essentialise the difference between indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Being indigenous has become a politicised identity whose bearers are expected to prefer the ‘traditional’ over the ‘modern’, the ‘collective’ over the ‘individual’. In Bakun, moreover, the discourse of indigenous peoples’ rights eventually became an arena in which a power struggle was played out between BITO and the municipal council, both belonging to the indigenous community.
Lake and Land at Lindu: Imposition, Accommodation and Contestation in the Revaluation of Resources in Upland Central Sulawesi
Authors: Acciaioli Greg
Published: March 2010

This article examines how non-local frameworks and interventions have set the parameters of the local exercise of agency in regard to the use and valuing of resources in the upland valley of Lindu. Exploiting opportunities opened up by contemporary interventions, the indigenous To Lindu have revitalised their local custom (adat) as a community resource management system under the aegis of furthering conservation. This move has elicited various reactions from the migrants who have settled in Lindu in the last five decades. While largely accommodating their practices to customary regulation of fishing in Lake Lindu by the indigenous Lindu adat councils, these migrants have nevertheless continued to contest the imposition of customary restrictions on land ownership and limits on individual cultivation of land. These strategies of imposition of customary regulation by the indigenes and corresponding accommodations and contestations on the part of the migrants are also embedded in divergent definitions of Lindu as a locality, including whether resources should be governed on the model of a commons or open access regimen. The balancing through negotiations of these various valuations of Lindu and its resources — as customary territory, as open access land for development, as an enclave within a national park — will depend not only upon local initiatives, but also upon such external interventions as impending agrarian legislation that may grant national recognition to customary land. However, such external interventions will be complemented by local strategies of imposition, accommodation and contestation in forging new senses of locality.
Generality and Identity in Late Medieval Discussions of the Prior Analytics
Authors: Knuuttila Simo
Published: March 2010

In this article, I shall consider medieval discussions of the principles of Aristotelian syllogistic which were called the dictum de omni et nullo and the expository syllogism. I am particularly interested in how theological questions contributed to the introduction of some influential new medieval ideas, such as the extensional sameness of the subject as the basis of predication, the interpretation of the expository syllogism from this point of view, and the explication of the logical subject of universal and particular syllogistic premises with the phrase ‘Anything/something which is A. . .’. I end with some remarks about the increasing medieval awareness that these developments were beyond Aristotle’s purview.
A Case Study on the Impact of Moisture Variability on Convection Initiation Using Radar Refractivity Retrievals
Authors: Bodine D. , Heinselman P. L. , Cheong B. L. , Palmer R. D. , Michaud D.
Published: March 2010

A case study illustrating the impact of moisture variability on convection initiation in a synoptically active environment without strong moisture gradients is presented. The preconvective environment on 30 April 2007 nearly satisfied the three conditions for convection initiation: moisture, instability, and a low-level lifting mechanism. However, a sounding analysis showed that a low-level inversion layer and high LFC would prevent convection initiation because the convective updraft velocities required to overcome the convective inhibition (CIN) were much higher than updraft velocities typically observed in convergence zones. Radar refractivity retrievals from the Twin Lakes, Oklahoma (KTLX), Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) showed a moisture pool contributing up to a 2°C increase in dewpoint temperature where the initial storm-scale convergence was observed. The analysis of the storm-relative wind field revealed that the developing storm ingested the higher moisture associated with the moisture pool. Sounding analyses showed that the moisture pool reduced or nearly eliminated CIN, lowered the LFC by about 500 m, and increased CAPE by 2.5 times. Thus, these small-scale moisture changes increased the likelihood of convection initiation within the moisture pool by creating a more favorable thermodynamic environment. The results suggest that refractivity data could improve convection initiation forecasts by assessing moisture variability at finer scales than the current observation network.
Can CAPE Maintain Polar Lows?
Authors: Linders Torsten , Saetra Øyvind
Published: March 2010

A unique dataset of atmospheric observations over the Nordic Seas has been analyzed to investigate the role of convective available potential energy (CAPE) for the energetics of polar lows. The observations were made during the flight campaign of the Norwegian International Polar Year (IPY) and The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) in February and March 2008, which specifically targeted polar lows. The data reveal virtually no conditional instability and very limited CAPE. It is suggested that the significance of CAPE values should be assessed by calculating the time scale tCAPE that is necessary for the heat fluxes from the ocean to transfer the corresponding amount of energy. Even the largest CAPE values have a tCAPE of less than 1 h. These CAPE values are associated with unconditional instability. It is concluded that the observed CAPE should be seen as a temporary stage in an energy flux rather than as an energy reservoir. Based on the findings in this investigation, it is proposed that significant reservoirs of CAPE over the marine Arctic atmosphere are impossible since CAPE production will automatically trigger convection and CAPE is consumed as it is produced.
The Impact of Ocean Data Assimilation on Seasonal-to-Interannual Forecasts: A Case Study of the 2006 El Niño Event
Authors: Yang Shu-Chih , Rienecker Michele , Keppenne Christian
Published: March 2010

This study investigates the impact of four different ocean analyses on coupled forecasts of the 2006 El Niño event. Forecasts initialized in June 2006 using ocean analyses from an assimilation that uses flow-dependent background error covariances are compared with those using static error covariances that are not flow dependent. The flow-dependent error covariances reflect the error structures related to the background ENSO instability and are generated by the coupled breeding method.

The ocean analyses used in this study result from the assimilation of temperature and salinity, with the salinity data available from Argo floats. Of the analyses, the one using information from the coupled bred vector (BV) replicates the observed equatorial long wave propagation best and exhibits more warming features leading to the 2006 El Niño event.

The forecasts initialized from the BV-based analysis agree best with the observations in terms of the growth of the warm anomaly through two warming phases. This better performance is related to the impact of the salinity analysis on the state evolution in the equatorial thermocline. The early warming is traced back to salinity differences in the upper ocean of the equatorial central Pacific, while the second warming, corresponding to the mature phase, is associated with the effect of the salinity assimilation on the depth of the thermocline in the western equatorial Pacific. The series of forecast experiments conducted here show that the structure of the salinity in the initial conditions is important to the forecasts of the extension of the warm pool and the evolution of the 2006 El Niño event.
Tropical Cyclone– and Monsoon-Induced Rainfall Variability in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Jau-Ming , Li Tim , Shih Ching-Feng
Published: March 2010

This study investigates the interannual variability of tropical cyclone (TC)- and monsoon-induced rainfall (P) in Taiwan during July–September for the period 1950–2002. To examine the relative effects of TCs and monsoons, local rainfall in Taiwan is separated into two subcomponents: TC rainfall (PTC) and seasonal monsoon rainfall (PSM). The former is induced by TC passage across Taiwan, while the later is caused by large-scale monsoon circulation.

Climatologically, PTC and PSM accounts for 47.5% and 52.5% of total rainfall in Taiwan, respectively, showing a comparable contribution. On an interannual time scale, PTC and PSM anomalies tend to vary inversely. Two dominant rainfall variability types are found in Taiwan: enhanced PTC but suppressed PSM (T+S−) and suppressed PTC but enhanced PSM (T−S+). The T+S− type features a low-level anomalous cyclone and enhanced upward motion southeast of Taiwan. This favorable environmental condition leads to more TC formation in the region. TCs are further steered by mean southeasterly flows toward Taiwan to increase PTC (T+). As Taiwan is located in the western boundary of the anomalous cyclone, anomalous northeasterly water vapor fluxes hinder moisture supplies from the South China Sea into Taiwan, resulting in decreased PSM (S−). The T−S+ type concurs with an anomalous cyclone over Taiwan. Its center enhances upward motion and moisture fluxes from the South China Sea into Taiwan, yielding increased PSM (S+). Meanwhile, weak relative vorticity anomalies occur to the southeast of Taiwan, suppressing TC formation in the region. Mean southerly steering flows tend to drive more TCs toward Japan and the North Pacific, resulting in decreased TC frequency and PTC in Taiwan (T−).

The present approach provides a new perspective for studying and predicting interannual rainfall variability via the separation of rainfall into TC- and monsoon-induced rainfall subcomponents, rather than looking solely at total rainfall. The result shows that there are two ways to significantly increase total rainfall in Taiwan (T+S− and T−S+), but there is only one way to decrease it (T−S−). The composites of circulation anomalies based on two rainfall indexes have more significant and coherent dynamic patterns than those sorted based on the total rainfall index.
Surface Flux Observations on the Southeastern Tropical Pacific Ocean and Attribution of SST Errors in Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Models
Authors: de Szoeke Simon P. , Fairall Christopher W. , Wolfe Daniel E. , Bariteau Ludovic , Zuidema Paquita
Published: March 2010

A new dataset synthesizes in situ and remote sensing observations from research ships deployed to the southeastern tropical Pacific stratocumulus region for 7 years in boreal fall. Surface meteorology, turbulent and radiative fluxes, aerosols, cloud properties, and rawinsonde profiles were measured on nine ship transects along 20°S from 75° to 85°W. Fluxes at the ocean surface are essential to the equilibrium SST. Solar radiation is the only warming net heat flux, with 180–200 W m−2 in boreal fall. The strongest cooling is evaporation (60–100 W m−2), followed by net thermal infrared radiation (30 W m−2) and sensible heat flux (<10 W m−2). The 70 W m−2 imbalance of heating at the surface reflects the seasonal SST tendency and some 30 W m−2 cooling that is mostly due to ocean transport.

Coupled models simulate significant SST errors in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Three different observation-based gridded ocean surface flux products agree with ship and buoy observations, while fluxes simulated by 15 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 [CMIP3; used for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report] general circulation models have relatively large errors. This suggests the gridded observation-based flux datasets are sufficiently accurate for verifying coupled models. Longwave cooling and solar warming are correlated among model simulations, consistent with cloud radiative forcing and low cloud amount differences. In those simulations with excessive solar heating, elevated SST also results in larger evaporation and longwave cooling to compensate for the solar excess. Excessive turbulent heat fluxes (10–90 W m−2 cooling, mostly evaporation) are the largest errors in simulations once the compensation between solar and longwave radiation is taken into account. In addition to excessive solar warming and evaporation, models simulate too little oceanic residual cooling in the southeastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
The Baroclinic Adjustment of Time-Dependent Shear Flows
Authors: Poulin Francis J. , Flierl Glenn R. , Pedlosky Joseph
Published: March 2010

Motivated by the fact that time-dependent currents are ubiquitous in the ocean, this work studies the two-layer Phillips model on the beta plane with baroclinic shear flows that are steady, periodic, or aperiodic in time to understand their nonlinear evolution better. When a linearly unstable basic state is slightly perturbed, the primary wave grows exponentially until nonlinear advection adjusts the growth. Even though for long time scales these nearly two-dimensional motions predominantly cascade energy to large scales, for relatively short times the wave–mean flow and wave–wave interactions cascade energy to smaller horizontal length scales. The authors demonstrate that the manner through which these mechanisms excite the harmonics depends significantly on the characteristics of the basic state. Time-dependent basic states can excite harmonics very rapidly in comparison to steady basic states. Moreover, in all the simulations of aperiodic baroclinic shear flows, the barotropic component of the primary wave continues to grow after the adjustment by the nonlinearities. Furthermore, the authors find that the correction to the zonal mean flow can be much larger when the basic state is aperiodic compared to the periodic or steady limits. Finally, even though time-dependent baroclinic shear on an f plane is linearly stable, the authors show that perturbations can grow algebraically in the linear regime because of the erratic variations in the aperiodic flow. Subsequently, baroclinicity adjusts the growing wave and creates a final state that is more energetic than the nonlinear adjustment of any of the unstable steady baroclinic shears that are considered.
Evidence of Intact Histatins in the in vivo Acquired Enamel Pellicle
Authors: Siqueira W.L. , Margolis H.C. , Helmerhorst E.J. , Mendes F.M. , Oppenheim F.G.
Published: March 2010

Understanding the composition and function of the acquired enamel pellicle (AEP) has been a major goal in oral biology. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that intact histatins are part of the in vivo AEP and that histatins after adsorption to HA have effects on in vitro enamel demineralization. This is the first study demonstrating the presence of intact histatins in vivo in the AEP. The in vitro experiments show that all naturally occurring histatins in the AEP have the potential to provide some level of protection against acid injury.
Opioid Modulation of Oxytocin Release
Authors: Morris Mark S. , Domino Edward F. , Domino Steven E.
Published: March 2010

Analgesia or anesthesia is frequently used for women in labor. A wide range of opioid analgesics with vastly different pharmacokinetics, potencies, and potential side effects can be considered by physicians and midwives for laboring patients requesting pain relief other than a labor epidural. The past 50 years have seen the use of the classic mu opioid agonist morphine and other opioids diminish markedly for several reasons, including availability of epidural anesthetics, side effects, formulary restrictions, and concern for neonatal respiratory depression. Morphine is now primarily used in obstetrics to provide rest and sedation as appropriate for the stressed prodromal stages of a labor without sufficient cervical dilatation. This review discusses the scientific basis for opioid modulation of oxytocin release from the posterior pituitary and the practical implications of this relationship to explain well‐known clinical observations of the effect of morphine on prodromal labor.
Canine H3N8 Influenza Virus Infection in Dogs and Mice
Authors: Castleman W. L. , Powe J. R. , Crawford P. C. , Gibbs E. P. J. , Dubovi E. J. , Donis R. O. , Hanshaw D.
Published: March 2010

An H3N8 influenza virus closely related to equine influenza virus was identified in racing greyhound dogs with respiratory disease in 2004 and subsequently identified in shelter and pet dogs. Pathologic findings in dogs spontaneously infected with canine influenza virus were compared with lesions induced in beagle and mongrel dogs following experimental inoculation with influenza A/canine/Florida/43/2004. BALB/c mice were inoculated with canine influenza virus to assess their suitability as an experimental model for viral pathogenesis studies. All dogs inoculated with virus developed necrotizing and hyperplastic tracheitis and bronchitis with involvement of submucosal glands as well as mild bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Viral antigen was identified in bronchial and tracheal epithelial cells of all dogs and in alveolar macrophages of several dogs. Many dogs that were spontaneously infected with virus also developed bacterial pneumonia, and greyhound dogs with fatal spontaneous infection developed severe pulmonary hemorrhage with hemothorax. Virus-inoculated BALB/c mice developed tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and mild pneumonia in association with viral antigen in airway epithelial cells and in type 2 alveolar epithelial cells. Virus was not detected in extrarespiratory sites in any animals. The results indicate that canine influenza virus infection consistently induces acute tracheitis and bronchitis in dogs. Mice may be a useful model for some pathogenesis studies on canine influenza virus infection.
The relationship between morphoclimatic characteristics and peak flows: A case study of the southern Alborz Basins, Iran
Authors: Mohseni Saravi M. , Abasizadeh M. , Malekian A. , Nazari Samani A.A.
Published: March 2010

Ideally, flood estimation in hydrological studies and applications requires recorded data, but this is missing or insufficient in many cases for a variety of reasons. Approaches to modelling the hydrologic response of ungauged basins may use physical characteristics of watersheds either to directly infer values for the parameters of hydrologic models or to establish regression relationships between watershed structure and model parameters. Most studies, however, are concentrated in humid hydroclimatic zones. In this study, a regional frequency analysis of annual peak maximum series of flood flows from rivers of the arid southern Alborz basins, Iran, was conducted, including identification of suitable regional flood frequency distributions. The peak stream flow for different data periods was estimated based on physiographic as well as climatic parameters. Because of the close relationship between elevation, stream flow regime and hydrological features, the development of a water response model first involved delimiting homogenous hydrological regions by using two-step cluster analysis. Equations were established for each region relating peak flow of different return periods and the basin parameters. The study results also revealed that the regional regression models developed in this study could be applied reasonably well at relatively similar ungauged sites, which is of potential interest in other water-stressed areas of the world, particularly given expected scenarios of population growth, development and climatic change.
Association Between Mechanical Axis of the Leg and Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee
Authors: Jacobi Matthias , Wahl Peter , Bouaicha Samy , Jakob Roland P. , Gautier Emanuel
Published: March 2010

Background: The cause of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is unknown, but mechanical factors seem to play a role.

Purpose: To identify a relationship between localization of OCD and mechanical axis of the leg.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Using bilateral full-leg standing radiographs, we analyzed the position of the mechanical axis of the leg in a group of 93 adolescent and adult patients (103 knees) with OCD of the medial or lateral femoral condyle.

Results: The location of OCD and the position of the mechanical axis in the same knee compartment was significantly correlated for both knees with medial ( P < .001) as well as lateral ( P < .012) compartment OCD. In the medial OCD group, the mean mechanical axis was located in the medial knee compartment (28% medial ± 2.8%; range, 100% medial to 14% lateral) with a statistically insignificant medial shift with respect to the unaffected side. In lateral OCD, the mean mechanical axis was located laterally (13% lateral ± 3.9%; range, 13% medial to 60% lateral) with a significant shift from the medial into the lateral knee compartment when comparing unaffected with affected knees. No significant difference was observed between adolescents with open growth plates compared with adults with closed growth plates ( P > .05).

Conclusion: We found an association between medial condyle OCD and varus axis and between lateral condyle OCD and valgus axis. This evokes higher loading of the affected than of the unaffected knee compartment, and therefore, axial alignment may be a cofactor in OCD of the femoral condyles.
IKDC or KOOS
Authors: Hambly Karen , Griva Konstandina
Published: March 2010

Background: Knee-specific patient-reported outcome measures are frequently used after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction but little is known about whether they measure outcomes important to patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify which instrument, the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) or the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC), captures symptoms and disabilities most important to patients who have undergone initial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Data were collected from 126 participants of an Internet knee forum. A self-reported online questionnaire was developed consisting of demographic and surgical data, the Tegner Activity Scale, and 49 consolidated items from the KOOS and the IKDC. Item importance, frequency, and frequency-importance product were calculated.

Results: Seventy-eight percent of the items from the IKDC were experienced by more than half of the patients, compared with 57% from the KOOS. Items extracted from the Function in Sports/Recreation and Quality of Life KOOS subscales were highly important to this group of patients. For patients 12 months or more after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, 94% of the IKDC items had a frequency-importance product of 1 or less compared with 86% of the KOOS items.

Conclusion: Overall, the IKDC items outperformed the KOOS items on all of the 5 criteria with the exception of the frequency-importance product for patients who were 12 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The KOOS Function in Sports/Recreation and Knee-Related Quality of Life subscales outperformed the IKDC for the total cohort as well as for male and female subgroups. However, differences in individual items were not always evident from either total scale or subscale ratings. Studies should use patient-reported outcomes that reflect patients’ most important concerns and further prospective longitudinal research is required in this area.
Sydenham Chorea and Hashimoto Thyroiditis: An Unusual Association
Authors: Yildiz Ozlem Kayim , Gokcay Ahmet , Gokcay Figen , Karasoy Hatice
Published: March 2010

Sydenham chorea is an immune-mediated neuropsychiatric disorder associated with group A β-hemolytic streptococci infection. The authors present a 12-year-old female patient with Sydenham chorea and Hashimoto thyroiditis. Although Hashimoto thyroiditis has been associated with other autoimmune disorders, the association of Sydenham chorea and Hashimoto thyroiditis has not been previously reported. Immunological processes are suggested to be implicated in the pathogenesis of this association; however, the exact mechanism remains unclear.
How to Support Avian Diversity in an Urban Landscape: A Bibliography
Authors: Urbanová Tereza
Published: March 2010

From increasing urbanization arises the need for research dealing with urban ecosystems and their specificities. Incorporating of wildlife into urban planning is a challenge. This annotated bibliography identifies and describes literature on avian species response to urbanization and provides some general recommendations for supporting avian diversity within the urban landscape. The bibliography was compiled from the current academic literature that relates to this theme.
Measurement, Learning, and Adaptation in Planning and Implementing Voluntary Nonpoint Source Watershed Programs
Authors: Genskow Kenneth D. , Wood Danielle M.
Published: March 2010

This article outlines issues of planning and adaptation for watershed management programs by overlapping three broad bodies of literature: a) social psychology; b) performance management; and c) watershed planning and management. Our specific interest lies within the intersection areas: (ac) individual and socio-economic influences on the adoption of conservation practices; (ab) data utilization by managers; (bc) evaluation and performance measurement of watershed projects; and (abc) learning and adaptation in watershed planning and management. Literature within these intersections suggests several implications: values and individual perceptions are an important basis for environmental decision making; intermediate metrics are needed; metrics can be misleading; data are created but not used; and performance management and evaluation are conflated. More research is needed on adaptive capacity and effectiveness for non-regulatory approaches to environmental management. Research and practice would benefit by recognizing behavior change and environmental change as two discreet areas of learning and adaptation.