bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Limestone Treatment of Whetstone Brook, Massachusetts. II. Changes in the Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)and Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)Fishery
Authors: Simmons Kenneth R. , Cieslewicz Paul G. , Zajicek Kirsten
Published: April 2006

Density, age structure, and growth rates of wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)and brown trout (Salmo trutta)in Whetstone Brook in northcentral Massachusetts were monitored for 4 years before and 3 years during limestone treatment to mitigate acidic conditions. The population density of brook trout increased significantly during treatment. Liming did not have any significant effects on the growth rates of brook trout or brown trout. Actual survival rates of brook trout and brown trout were not calculated due to the low density of both species, but more older individuals of both species were captured during the treatment period. Fulton condition factors (an index of fish condition) increased significantly for both brook trout and brown trout during treatment. Seven‐day in situ bioassays of brown trout and rainbow trout demonstrated that liming improved the chemical environment for fish in Whetstone Brook. During a pretreatment bioassay in 1987, 100% rainbow trout mortality was observed at both the control and treatment stations in Whetstone Brook. Brown trout mortality was 67% in the control station and 70% in the treatment station. The pH during the 1987 bioassay averaged 4.90 in the control station and 4.99 in the treated station. During a bioassay conducted in 1990 after treatment began, rainbow trout mortality was 100% in the control station and 0% in the treatment station. Brown trout mortality was 17% in the control station and 0% in the treatment station. The pH during the 1990 bioassay averaged 5.23 in the control station and 6.60 in the treatment station. Analysis of total aluminum in the gills of fish from the 1990 bioassay revealed higher levels in fish from the control station than in those from the treatment station.
Fish‐Community Response To Protective Liming in Thrush Lake, Minnesota
Authors: Popp Walter , Eiler Paul , Hirsch Jodene
Published: April 2006

A protective limestone treatment was applied to an acid‐sensitive lake in northeastern Minnesota as part of the Acid Precipitation Mitigation Program. This 6–year study evaluated the impact of that treatment on lakes in the upper Midwest that experience episodes of acid stress but have not lost basic species integrity and community structure. Several changes in the fish community can be directly or indirectly attributed to the addition of 4.6 tonnes of calcium carbonate early in the third year of the study. An almost 30–fold increase in the population of Pimephales promelas(fathead minnow) a year after liming, based on mark‐recapture estimates from trap netting and snorkeling, was attributed to a pH increase and a three‐fold increase in the calcium concentration of the epilimnion. After the initial increase, the abundance of fathead minnows declined in subsequent years, as did the elevated pH and calcium concentrations. The Salvelimis fontinalis(brook trout) population also increased in the lake following application of limestone, but this was due in part to closing the lake to fishing. An increase in survival of stocked brook trout to age 1+ and an increase in growth of older brook trout after liming were attributed to the increased forage that the fathead minnows provided. Fathead minnows may have also reduced predation pressure on young brook trout by older brook trout. This study demonstrated that liming of a slightly acidic lake did not adversely affect the integrity of the fish community, and in fact may have increased the abundance and biomass of the forage fish community and indirectly increased the survival, abundance, and growth of brook trout.
Effects of Bauxite Mine Restoration Operations on Topsoil Seed Reserves in the Jarrah Forest of Western Australia
Authors: Koch J. M. , Ward S. C. , Grant C. D. , Ainsworth G. L.
Published: April 2006

We studied the effects of soil handling operations during bauxite mining and restoration on the numbers and depth distribution of seed stored in the surface soil of the jarrah forest. Germinable seed stores were determined in four sites of undisturbed forest, these same sites after clearing and burning of forest residues, in the soil immediately following the construction of topsoil stockpiles, in the respread topsoil and then after deep ripping of the respread topsoil. Average density of germinable seed at four sites prior to disturbance was 352 m−2. After clearing and burning, the seed store had decreased to a mean 74% of the original forest soil seed store density. When the top‐soil was stockpiled prior to respreading, the seed content was further reduced to 31% in freshly constructed stockpiles and had declined to 13% after 10 months in the stockpiles. After ripping of the respread topsoil the seed content was 16% of the original forest seed store density. In one site where the topsoil was directly stripped and respread with no period of stockpiling but with a period of fallow, the seed store was 32% after respreading and then increased to 53% of the original forest store after ripping. This increase may have been caused by an underestimate of the reserves due to insufficient heating of the samples to break dormancy in fire‐requiring species. In the forest topsoils seed was concentrated in the upper few centimeters of the soil profile, whereas after the mining and restoration operations seed was evenly distributed throughout the returned soil profile to a depth of 20 cm. Small‐seeded annual species, which were common in the forest seed store, were more sensitive to the soil handing operations and declined to very low numbers, whereas hard‐seeded plant species such as Acacia spp. were less affected by the soil handling operations. Implications for bauxite mine revegetation operations include the recommendation that direct return of topsoil should be carried out wherever possible with a minimum delay between clearing, stripping, respreading, and ripping.
Rehabilitation of Semiarid Landscapes in Australia. I. Restoring Productive Soil Patches
Authors: Tongway D. J. , Ludwig J. A.
Published: April 2006

A rehabilitation procedure designed to reestablish resource control processes in a degraded Acacia aneura woodland was successful in improving soil nitrogen and carbon content, exchange properties, and water infiltration rates. Soil respiration rates and soil fauna populations increased, and soil temperatures were moderated. The procedure comprised laying piles of branches in patches on the contour of bare, gently sloping landscapes, with the expectation that soil, water, and litter would accumulate in these branch piles, thus improving the soil habitat and its productive potential. The procedure was derived from landscape function analysis, indicating that surface water flow was the principal means of resource transfer in these landscapes. Under degradation such overland flow results in a loss of resources. This rehabilitation procedure reversed loss processes, resulting in gains in the productive potential of soils within patches. This procedure was successful despite grazing pressure being maintained throughout the experiment.
Monitoring Wetland Habitat Restoration in Southern California Using Airborne Multi spectral Video Data
Authors: Phinn S. R. , Stow D.A. , Zedler J.B.
Published: April 2006

Remote sensing provides a complementary approach to field sampling to assess whether restored wetland areas provide suitable habitat for the Light‐footed Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris levipes). Habitat requirements for the clapper rail are specified by the composition of vegetation species and their spatial extent in its nesting home range. A major salt marsh construction project has been completed at the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (“the refuge”), San Diego County. In this paper we describe the application of image classification techniques to high‐spatial‐resolution digital video imagery (0.8‐m pixels) to delimit patches of different marsh vegetation at the refuge. Using maps of vegetation types derived from multi spectral imagery, we estimated the area occupied by each vegetation type in potential clapper rail home ranges. Preliminary field‐checking results indicate that this approach is an accurate, noninvasive and cost‐efficient means of providing ecological information for restoration monitoring in southern California's remnant wetlands.
CLADOPHORA PYGMAEA REINKE IN NORTH AMERICA12
Authors: Wilce Robert T.
Published: April 2006

Cladophora pygmaea is described from Quick's Hole, Elizabeth Islands, southern Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the alga was known previously from several northern European localities. The morphology and ecology of the Massachusetts plants are given and compared with those of European populations of this species.
STIMULATORY PROPERTIES OF FILTRATE FROM THE GREEN ALGA HORMOTILA BLENNISTA. I. DESCRIPTION1,2
Authors: Monahan Thomas J. , Trainor Francis R.
Published: April 2006

A laboratory phenomenon involving autostimulation of growth by filtrates of the green alga Hormotila blennista is described, and stimulation attributed primarily to the secretion of organic metabolites. Filtrates obtained from actively growing cultures 1 through 4 weeks old showed maximum growth rate stimulation values in excess of 100%. Stimulatory properties of filtrate were heat labile, were not closely controlled by the starting pH within the limits normally encountered in culture, and did not result from depletion of essential nutrients. Concomitant with growth rate stimulation, filtrates characteristically extended the lag phase of culture growth. H. blennista filtrate can support bacterial growth and selectively stimulate or inhibit 2 planktonic green algae. It was suggested that extracellular organic products secreted by H. blennista during active growth could be of survival value to the organism, and could also play regulatory roles among other microorganisms in nature.
THE TOCOPHEROL, VITAMIN K, AND RELATED ISOPRENOID QUINONE COMPOSITION OF A UNICELLULAR RED ALGA (PORPHYRIDIUM CRUENTUM)1
Authors: Antia N. J. , Desai I. D. , Romilly M. J.
Published: April 2006

The total lipids of axenically cultivated cells of Porphyridium cruentum were extracted with aqueous methanol‐chloroform mixture and fractionated into neutral and polar lipids by silicic acid column chromatography. Thin‐layer and reversed‐phase paper chromatographic analyses of the neutral lipid fractions revealed the occurrence of plastoquinones (PQ) A and C, vitamin K1 (K), ubiquinone‐10 (Q10), α‐tocopherol (α‐T), and α‐tocopherolquinone (α‐TQ) in the photoautotrophically cultured alga, and the same quinones but no tocopherol in the alga grown photoheterotrophically on glycerol. The plastoquinone A and vitamin K1 were isolated, identified, and estimated by spectroscopic methods. The results indicated the following decreasing order of concentrations: autotrophic culture, PQ A > K > Q10 > PQ C, α‐TQ, α‐T; heterotrophic culture, PQ A > Q10 > K > PQ C, α‐TQ. Except for the absence of plastoquinone B, the overall quinonoid composition was in general agreement with those previously reported for multicellular members of Rhodophyta, but the concentration level in total lipid was markedly lower.
EFFECTS OF ACETATE ON THE GROWTH AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF GOLENKINIA1
Authors: Ellis Richard J.
Published: April 2006

Growth and chlorophyll synthesis by the green alga Golenkinia cease after approximately 60‐hr incubation in 0.01 M sodium acetate. These effects are immediately preceded by a rapid rise of the pH of the medium to 8.6–8.8 due to acetate uptake. The pH kinetics are due to a gradual loss of the phosphate buffer, not to the induction or activation of acetate assimilatory enzymes. However, neither high pH nor sodium acetate alone is sufficient to inhibit cell division and bleach the algae; both must be present. Additional experiments support the hypothesis that acetate alters the cells so that they become sensitive to high concentrations of OH− ions.
BIOCHEMICAL TAXONOMY OF MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON BY ELECTROPHORESIS OF ENZYMES. II. LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY IN CLONAL CULTURES OF THE CENTRIC DIATOMS SKELETONEMA COSTATUM AND THALASSIOSIRA PSEUDONANA1, 2
Authors: Murphy Lynda S.
Published: April 2006

An electrophoretic survey of 12 new isolates of Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle & Heimdal and 25 new isolates of Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve revealed several heterozygote genotypes at malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) loci. The new clones were maintained in culture for 6 mo and then reasayed at these two loci. All MDH heterozygotes and halj of the PHI heterozygotes had become homozygous. This resulted in a collection of clones that are largely homozygous but that are samples of polymorphic species. The physlogical implications of this loss of heterozygosity in clonal cultures has not been analyzed. Hawever, any change in a clone that is the result of culturing conditions reduces the usefulness of that clone as a laboratory test organism for ecological correlations.
SIGNIFICANCE OF BACTERIAL‐ANABAENA (CYANOPHYCEAE) ASSOCIATIONS WITH RESPECT TO N2 FIXATION IN FRESHWATER1, 2
Authors: Paerl Hans W. , Kellar Penelope E.
Published: April 2006

The functional aspects of specific associations between bluegreen algae and bacteria were investigated using both naturally occurring and cultured species of Anabaena. In take waters where bacteria were associated with Anabaena heterocysls, the bacteria exhibited a chemotactic response to a variety of amino acids and glucose. Earlier autoradiographic evidence that bacteria associated with heterocysts incorporate identical substrates indicates that associated bacteria probably benefit by utilizing algal excretion products. In return, the bacteria stimulate algal N2fixation. The most likely mechanism explaining such stimulation appeared to be bacterial oxygen removal in microzones (< 3 μm diam) bordering heterocysts during periods of high ambient oxygen concentrations. In the presence of bacteria, Anabaena rapidly overcame nitrogenase‐ inhibiting concentrations of oxygen. Axenic cullures had more extensive nitrogenase inhibition, and took longer to recover in response to oxygenation. Algal‐bacterial mutualism aids Anabaena in maintaining concurrent optimal N2 fixation and high photosynthetic rates in highly oxygenated surface waters.
DISTRIBUTION OF BLUEGREEN ALGAE IN A MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST SALT MARSH1
Authors: Sage William W. , Sullivan Michatl J.
Published: April 2006

Edaphic bluegreen algal communities were sampled from five menotypic angiosperm zones in Grvelline Bay Marsh near Ocean Spring. Mississippi. Samples and environmental data were taken on a quarterly basis from October 1976 to June 1977 beneath the following marsh angiosperms: Distichlis spicata (L.) Green, Scirpus olneyi gray, SPartina patens (Aiton) Muhl., Sp. alterniflora Loisel., andJuncus roemerianusScheele. Communities in all five zones were dominated by Schizothrix calcicola (Ag.) Gom. (sensu Drauet) throughout the study, while the subdominant bluegreens varied according to season. The number of individuals in all zones was greatest in the summer and lowest in the winter. An examination of the structure of the five edaphic communities indicated a single, nearly homogeneous community exists over the entire surface of the marsh shaded by a angiosperm canopy. Light intensity appears to be the major factor affecting the distribution of bluegreen algae in this salt marsh.
COPPER TOXICITY TO SKELETONEMA COSTATUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)1,2
Authors: Morel N. M. L. , Rueter J. C. , Morel F. M. M.
Published: April 2006

Copper toxicity to Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve has been studied in batch cultures of chemically defined culture media. The alga is relatively insensitive to cupric ion activity, demonstrating no effect on growth up to (Cu2+) = 10−8.5 M. Cultures inoculated from stationary phase stocks exhibit a prolongation of the lag phase with increasing copper concentrations near and above the point of precipitation of the copper. The toxicity of copper is a function of the silicic acid concentration in the medium. This effect is observed in a range of Si(OH)4 concentrations (10−5 M to 10−4 M) above known values for the saturation of silicon uptake kinetics, thus suggesting an influence of copper on silicate metabolism.
PHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ONALARIA ESCULENTA(LAMINARIALES, PHAEOPHYCEAE). III. EXUDATION BY THE BLADE1,2,3
Authors: Buggeln Richard G.
Published: April 2006

Comparison of exudation rate of medullary conducting cells in the midrib ofAlaria esculenta(L.) Grev. showed lowest rates for the blade meristem and highest rates in the non‐growing region, 300–500 mm from the meristem. Holding plants under continuous darkness or severing the wings from the midrib reduced exudation rate by 26 and 37%, respectively. Osmotic pressure of exudate in sink (meristem) and source (non‐growing region, up to 500 mm from the meristem) were similar (34.6–36.1 · 102kpa). Pressure flow mechanism of translocation is evaluated inAlaria.
VIRUS‐LIKE PARTICLES INHYDRURUS(CHRYSOPHYCEAE)1,2
Authors: Hoffman Larry R.
Published: April 2006

Virus‐like particles (VLPs) have been found in cells of the colonial, chrysophycean algaHydrurus foetidus(Vill.) Trev. The infected cells, probably zoospores, were discovered in material fixed directly in the field. The VLPs appear either hexagonal or pentagonal when sectioned and are therefore presumed to be icosahedra, They are 50–60 nm diam. and demonstrate distinct trilaminar coals. The VLPs were observed in the cytoplasm, but not in the chloroplast or nucleus.
STUDIES OF CARBON AND NITROGEN METABOLISM BY THREE MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES IN NITRATE‐LIMITED CONTINUOUS CULTURE1,2
Authors: Laws Edward A. , Wong Diana C. L.
Published: April 2006

Characteristics of carbon production, excretion and dark respiration, and nitrate uptake kinetics were studied using continuous culture techniques forThalassiosira alleniiTakano, Monorhrysis lutheri Droop and Dunaliella tertiolcctaButcher. FurT. allenii.the ratio of dark C loss to daytime net C production varied between 0.1 and 0.2 over a growth rate range from ca. 0.005 to 0.06 h‐1. ForM. lutheriandD. tertiolecta.this same ratio varied belween 0.2 and 0.3 between growth rates of ca. 0.005 and 0.025 h‐1, but declined at higher growth rates when the dark nitrate uptake capacity of the cells was exceeded by the pumping rate. Carbon excretion rates averaged less than 1.5% of daytime net C production rates. Productivity indices showed little correlation with growth rate, due to the significant poisitive correlation between chla:C ratios and growth rate. Chlorophylla:C ratios forT. alleniiwere less than 0.01 al growth rates less than 0.03 h‐1, and appoached zero at zero growth rate. Dark nitrate maximum uptake rates forM. lutheri, D. tertiolectaandT. alleniiaveraged 23, 64 and 120%, respectively, of light nitrate maximum uptake rates. Excretion of nitrite was observed during most nitrate uptake experiments. This excretion reduced net uptake of nitrate spikes in the dark forM. lutheriandD. tertiolectaby 79 and 23%, respectively.
KINETIC ANALYSIS OF INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF CADMIUM AND NITRATE ON GROWTH OF THALASSIOSIRA FLUVIATIUS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)1,2
Authors: Li William K. W.
Published: April 2006

The effect of cadmium on growth rates of Thalassiosira fluviatilis Hustedt and Isochrysis galbana Parke at non‐limiting nutrient concentrations is described by the lerusalimskii equation. At limiting nitrate concentrations, the effect of Cd on growth rate of T fluviatilis is described by analogy to the general equation of enzyme inhibition in which the reaction involves a single intermediate. When cells are stressed by Cd, not only is the maximum growth rate reduced, but the half‐saturation growth parameter is increased. The value of log (k1/k2) can be used to describe the type and degree of interaction between a nutrient and an inhibitor, k, and k2ate the inhibitor concentrations resulting in 50% growth inhibition as nutrient concentration approaches zero and an infinitely large value respectively. Results show that for T fluviatilis, the degree of inhibition by Cd is more severe at low than at high NO3‐levels but the difference in seventy diminishes at Cd concentration increases.
SALINITY EFFECTS ON GROWTH AND TOXIN CONTENT OF GONYAULAX EXCAVATA. A MARINE DINOFLAGELLATE CAUSING PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING1
Authors: While Alan W.
Published: April 2006

The optimum salinity for growth of Gonyaulax excavata (Braarud) Balech from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, is 30.5%o, and it grows well over a range of 20–40%o.It tolerates salinities of 11–43%o. Growth rates at 24 and 20%o are only ca. 10 and 20% less, respectively, than the maximum, 036 divisions/day. It is considered unlikely that salinity fluctuations in the coastal areas where this organism occurs significantly influence its growth rate. The paralytic toxin content in G. excavata increases with increasing salinity, up to 37%o. Therefore, the degree of toxicity of the organism in nature may be influenced by this environmental factor.
Receipt of Exercise Counseling by Older Women
Authors: Schonberg Mara A. , Marcantonio Edward R. , Wee Christina C.
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVES: To compare the national prevalence of reported receipt of clinician exercise counseling across four age groups of women (50–64, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85) and to determine whether age or health are barriers to reported receipt of exercise counseling.

DESIGN: 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

SETTING: United States.

PARTICIPANTS: Six thousand three hundred eighty‐five women aged 50 and older who responded to the 2000 NHIS, representing an estimated 34.5 million noninstitutionalized women nationally.

MEASUREMENTS: Exercise counseling, disease burden, functional dependency, and physical inactivity were assessed by questionnaire.

RESULTS: Of the 6,385 women, 52.2% were aged 50 to 64, 24.8% were aged 65 to 74, 18.0% were age 75 to 84, and 5.1% were aged 85 and older. Overall, 28.3% reported that a clinician had recommended that they begin or continue to perform any type of exercise or physical activity during the previous year: 31.4% of women aged 50 to 64, 29.2% of women aged 65 to 74, 21.6% of women aged 75 to 84, and 14.4% of women aged 85 and older. Women aged 75 to 84 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6–1.0) and women aged 85 and older (AOR=0.6, 95% CI=0.4–0.9) were substantially less likely to report clinician counseling about exercise, before and after adjustment. Further adjustment for illness burden and functional dependency did not attenuate the effect of receipt of exercise counseling.

CONCLUSION: Reported receipt of exercise counseling by older women is low nationally. Despite known benefits of late‐life exercise, women aged 75 and older are less likely to report receiving exercise counseling from their clinicians than women aged 50 to 64. Interventions should be aimed at increasing clinician counseling about exercise, especially to older women.
Use of Antibiotics in Elderly Patients with Exacerbated COPD: The OLD‐Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Study
Authors: Incalzi Raffaele Antonelli , Corsonello Andrea , Pedone Claudio , Masotti Giulio , Rengo Franco , Grassi Vittorio , Bellia Vincenzo
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVES: To verify how frequently geriatric patients hospitalized for exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) had not been given antibiotics at home and to identify the relationship between the patient's condition and the prescribing practice.

DESIGN: Observational study.

SETTING: General medicine acute care wards.

PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifty‐nine elderly patients admitted to the hospital because of exacerbated COPD.

MEASUREMENTS: Indices of severity of COPD exacerbation, such as age, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, number of exacerbations in the previous year, and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale score were considered in the analyses.

RESULTS: Ninety (19.6%) patients had an antibiotic prescribed before admission. The prescription was not associated with older age and was weakly associated with greater comorbidity. Having more than four exacerbations (odds ratio (OR)=2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.27–3.66) and a SGRQ symptoms subscore greater than 70 (OR=1.61, 95% CI=1.0–2.68) were independent correlates of the use of antibiotics before admission, although 67% of patients reporting more than four exacerbations in the previous year and 73.1% of patients with a SGRQ symptoms subscore greater than 70 had not been given any antibiotic prescription at home.

CONCLUSION: The majority of older patients hospitalized for exacerbated COPD had not been given antibiotics at home, although they had at least one index of exacerbation severity.
In‐line filtration of autologous whole blood
Authors: Karger Ralf , Schmidt Jan , Weber Christian , Weiler‐Lorentz Arnulf , Frietsch Thomas , Kretschmer Volker
Published: April 2006

BACKGROUND:  Experimental data suggest that autologous white blood cells (WBCs) might exert an immunomodulatory effect. Leukodepletion of autologous blood is considered to prevent this unwanted side effect of autologous transfusion. In some cases, however, prolonged filtration or filtration failures occur. Because such autologous units cannot simply be discarded, the interest was in the storage variables of autologous whole blood (AWB) units after prolonged filtration.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  AWB of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery was leukodepleted before storage or left unmodified. Filtration times, volume, WBC count, hemoglobin level, hemolysis, potassium, and ATP were determined in all units with filtration times of more than 60 minutes that had not been transfused by the time of expiry and in representative samples of units that had been filtered normally or that had not been filtered.

RESULTS:  In AWB filtration, the rate of prolonged filtrations or filter blockades is three to four times higher than in allogeneic whole‐blood filtration. Filtration or prolonged filtration leads to a mean loss of red blood cell (RBC) mass of 7.3 or 18.2 percent, respectively. Even in units with filtration times of more than 3 hours, storage variables were not significantly different from normally filtered or unfiltered units. Filtration times showed a high intraindividual correlation.

CONCLUSION:  Leukodepletion of AWB results in a diminished preoperative deposit of RBCs that is pronounced in units with prolonged filtration. The quality of the latter suggests that it is not justified to discard AWB units with prolonged filtration times. Prolonged filtrations are related to patient characteristics that have yet to be defined.
Efficacy and Safety of Ibutilide for the Conversion of Monomorphic Atrial Tachycardia
Authors: EIDHER ULRIKE , FREIHOFF FRITZ , KALTENBRUNNER WILHELM , STEINBACH KONRAD
Published: April 2006

Background: Ibutilide is a class III antiarrhythmic drug, frequently used for conversion of atrial fibrillation and flutter. We studied the efficacy of ibutilide for acute conversion of monomorphic atrial tachycardia (monoAT) in a prospective, open label study in the intensive care unit of a cardiological clinic.

Methods: We examined 49 episodes of monoAT in 38 patients (19 men/19 women). Thirty‐three patients (87%) suffered from structural heart disease. Twenty‐three episodes occurred while on antiarrhythmic therapy with class I or III drugs. Patients with prolonged QT interval (except for patients with pretreatment with class III drugs), hypokalemia, left ventricular failure, and recent myocardial infarction were excluded. All patients received one or two doses of 1 mg ibutilide fumarate under continuous rhythm monitoring.

Results: Conversion to sinus rhythm occurred in 19 episodes (38.8%), in 6 episodes (12.2%) after the first dose. Conversion rate was significantly higher in patients with a short history of symptoms (66.6% vs 28.6%; P < 0.05), of documented arrhythmia (0.13 (0/5.7) vs 2.6 (0.38/23.5) months, median (interquartile range); P < 0.03), higher atrial rate (272 ± 49 vs 207 ± 36 beats/min (means ± SD); P < 0.004), or without preexisting antiarrhythmic therapy (53.8% vs 21.7%; P < 0.02). No differences in conversion rates were found regarding gender, age, body mass index, left ventricular function, left atrial diameter, or underlying disease. In three episodes torsade de pointes occurred after ibutilide (6.1%), requiring defibrillation in two cases (4.1%).

Conclusions: Ibutilide can be used for conversion of monoAT with a similar efficacy as for atrial fibrillation, but with a considerably lower efficacy compared to typical atrial flutter.
Early Left Ventricular Lead Dislodgement Related to Hyperpnea Respiration
Authors: CHAN JOSEPH Y.S. , FUNG JEFFERY W.H. , YU CHEUK‐MAN
Published: April 2006

Left ventricular lead dislodgement remained a problem for cardiac resynchronization therapy and is one of the major causes of repeated procedures. We report a 30‐year‐old lady with possible left ventricular lead dislodgement related to hyperpnea respiration.
Guided tissue regeneration/deproteinized bovine bone mineral or papilla preservation flaps alone for treatment of intrabony defects. II: radiographic predictors and outcomes
Authors: Liñares Antonio , Cortellini Pierpaolo , Lang Niklaus P. , Suvan Jean , Tonetti Maurizio S. ,   on behalf of the European Research Group on Periodontology (ErgoPerio)
Published: April 2006

Objectives: This study reports the secondary analysis of a randomized‐controlled clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy of deproteinized bovine mineral and a collagen membrane in the treatment of intrabony defects. The specific aims of this report are (1) to analyse the radiographic bone changes 1 year after therapy and (2) to assess the association between radiographic defect angle and treatment outcomes.

Materials and Methods: Baseline and 12‐month radiographs were collected from 120 patients with advanced chronic periodontitis from 10 centres in seven countries as part of a multi‐centre clinical trial. All patients had at least one intrabony defect 3 mm in depth. The treatment consisted of simplified or modified papilla preservation flaps to access the defect. After debridement of the area, a deproteinized bovine mineral and a collagen membrane were applied in the test subjects, and omitted in the controls. Main outcome measures were radiographic bone fill and defect resolution 1 year after surgery.

Results: One hundred and twenty pairs of radiographs were obtained, of which 110 pairs were measurable (57 tests and 53 controls). One year after treatment, radiographic resolution of the intrabony component was significantly higher in the test group (3.2±1.7 mm) when compared with the controls (1.7±1.9 mm). Multivariate analysis indicated that the treatment and the baseline radiographic depth of the intrabony defect significantly influenced the radiographic bone fill of the intrabony defect 1 year following treatment. The percentage of resolution of the defect was influenced by the treatment provided and the baseline plaque score. The baseline radiographic defect angle did not show a significant impact on the clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Conclusions: Regenerative periodontal surgery with a deproteinized bovine bone mineral and a collagen membrane offered additional benefits in terms of radiographic resolution of the intrabony defect and predictability of outcomes with respect to papilla preservation flaps alone.
Ibuprofen arginine for pain control during scaling and root planing: a randomized, triple‐blind trial
Authors: Ettlin Dominik A. , Ettlin Andreas , Bless Kathrin , Puhan Milo , Bernasconi Corrado , Tillmann Hans‐Christian , Palla Sandro , Gallo Luigi M.
Published: April 2006

Objectives: The aim of this controlled clinical trial was to investigate the analgesic efficacy and tolerability of ibuprofen arginine in patients with mild‐to‐moderate periodontitis during and after non‐surgical periodontal treatment.

Methods: This randomized, triple‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group trial assessed the analgesic efficacy of ibuprofen arginine (Spedifen®) in patients undergoing routine periodontal scaling and root planing. 64 patients with chronic periodontitis received either 800 mg ibuprofen arginine or placebo 30 min. before treatment. Numeric pain and electronic visual analogue scales ranging from 0 to 100 were used.

Results: The average pain levels during treatment were lower following ibuprofen arginine (quartiles: 0.5, 4.5, 11) compared with placebo (4, 16, 26), corresponding to a percentage reduction in median pain of 72% (p=0.023). The median maximum pain was 28 (inter‐quartile range 10–50) following placebo and 10 (4–31) following ibuprofen arginine (p=0.065).

Conclusions: In patients with mild‐to‐moderate chronic periodontitis, ibuprofen arginine was safe and superior to placebo for alleviating pain during non‐surgical periodontal treatment. Its painless administration and rapid onset of action make it well suitable for pain management in a general dental office.
Ideal versus actual levels of decision‐making in South Australian aged care resident committees
Authors: Wilson Leah , Kirby Neil
Published: April 2006

Objective:  To investigate the level and types of decision‐making residents have in lo‐level residential aged care facility (RACF) resident committees and whether this is in line with the level and types desired by the residents.

Method:  Fifteen South Australian low‐level RACFs participated in the study, with a total of 107 resident committee members completing questionnaires.

Results:  Residents wanted to participate significantly more in decision‐making than they currently were, particularly in the areas of deciding on new activities, planning menus and making policies on safety hazards.

Conclusion:  The existence of resident committees did not ensure that residents participated in decision‐making to the extent that they wished. Resident committees would benefit from regular evaluation to determine whether residents are provided with opportunities to participate in decision‐making in areas that are important to them and to the levels they desire.
Ultrastructural Changes of the Gemifloxacin on Achilles Tendon in Immature Rats: Comparison with those of Ciproxacin and Ofloxacin
Authors: Bae Chun‐Sik , Oh Dong‐Min , Bae Jin‐Gyu , Kim Jong‐Choon , Kim Sung‐Ho , Kim Su‐Gwan , Jeong Moon‐Jin , Kim Youn‐Shin , Lim Sung‐Chul
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Gemifloxacin is a synthetic fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent that exhibits potent activity against most Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive organisms, and has a comparatively low chondrotoxic potential in immature animals. This study examined the effects of gemifloxacin on the Achilles tendons in immature Sprague‐Dawley rats treated by oral intubation once daily for 5 consecutive days from postnatal week 4 onward at doses of 0 (vehicle), and 600 mg/kg body weight. Ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin were used for comparison. The Achilles tendon specimens were examined by electron microscopy. In comparison with the vehicle‐treated controls, there were ultrastructural changes in all samples from the gemifloxacin‐, ofloxacin‐, and ciprofloxacin‐treated rats. Degenerative changes were observed in the tenocytes, and the cells that detached from the extracellular matrix were recognizable. The degree of degenerative changes and the number of degenerated cells in the Achilles tendon were significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group. Moreover, among the quinolone‐treated groups, these findings were most significant in the ofloxacin‐treated group, and least significant in the gemifloxacin‐treated group. It is unclear what these findings mean with respect to the possible risk in juvenile patients treated with gemifloxacin or other quinolones. However, these results show that gemifloxacin causes less changes in the connective tissue structures.
Veratridine‐Induced Wet Dog Shake Behaviour and Apoptosis in Rat Hippocampus
Authors: Otoom Sameer A. , Handu Shailendra S. , Wazir Javed F. , James Henry , Sharma Paras R. , Hasan Zuheir A. , Sequeira Reginald P.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: We have previously evaluated veratridine as an in vitro model of seizure using conventional electrophysiological recordings in rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurones. The aim of this investigation is to further characterize this convulsant as an in vivo model of seizure. Veratridine was administered intraperitoneally to male Fisher rats in a dose range of 100–400 μg/kg. Within 5 min. after the injections, the animals entered a quiescent period which was followed 10–15 min. later by facial automatism (washing), grooming, masticatory jaw movement and profuse salivation. This phenomenon was followed by the development of wet dog shake and forelimb clonus. The time (mean±S.E.M.) for the onset of induction of these shakes for all tested doses was 31.65±2.85 min. and the number of shakes (mean±S.E.M.) 30 min. after the onset was 17.2±2.85. The onset and number of wet dog shakes induced by veratridine was dose‐dependent. No rat death was recorded until 2 weeks after the experiments. Histopathological studies of animals 2 weeks after veratridine administration showed evidence of apoptosis in the hippocampus. Our results indicate that veratridine produced a behavioural pattern of a limbic seizure which mimics temporal lobe epilepsy in man. Based on our previous findings in vitro and of this investigation in vivo, veratridine can be used as an experimental tool to evaluate potential antiepileptic drugs effective against this type of limbic behaviour.
Ginsenoside Rh2 Enhances Antitumour Activity and Decreases Genotoxic Effect of Cyclophosphamide
Authors: Wang Zhenhua , Zheng Qiusheng , Liu Ke , Li Gang , Zheng Rongliang
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Ginsenoside Rh2, a panoxadiol saponins, possesses various antitumour properties. Cyclophosphamide, an alkylating agent, has been shown to possess various genotoxic and carcinogenic effects, however, it is still used extensively as an antitumour agent and immunosuppressant in the clinic. Previous reports reveal that cyclophosphamide is involved in some secondary neoplasmas. In this study, the antitumour activity and genotoxic effect of oral intake of ginsenoside Rh2 combined with intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide was investigated. Meanwhile, C57BL/6 mice bearing B16 melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma cells were respectively used to estimate the antitumour activity in vivo. The clastogenic activity in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes was assayed by frequency of micronucleus. The DNA damage in peripheral white blood cells was assayed by single cell gel electrophoresis as well. The results indicated that oral administration of Rh2 (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight) alone has no obvious antitumour activity and genotoxic effect in mice, while Rh2 synergistically enhanced the antitumour activity of cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg body weight) in a dose‐dependent manner. Rh2 decreased the micronucleus formation in polychromatic erythrocytes and DNA strand breaks in white blood cells in a dose‐dependent way. Our results suggest that ginsenoside Rh2 is able to enhance the antitumour activity and decrease the genotoxic effect of cyclophosphamide.
Effect of Anandamide on Cytosolic Ca2+ Levels and Proliferation in Canine Renal Tubular Cells
Authors: Yeh Jeng‐Hsien , Cheng He‐Hsiung , Huang Chun‐Jen , Chung Hsiao‐Min , Chiu Hui‐Fen , Yang Yu‐Lin , Yeh Mei‐Yin , Chen Wei‐Chuan , Kao Cheng‐Hsing , Chou Chiang‐Ting , Jan Chung‐Ren
Published: April 2006

Abstract: The effect of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide on cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and proliferation is largely unknown. This study examined whether anandamide altered Ca2+ levels and caused Ca2+‐dependent cell death in Madin‐Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. [Ca2+]i and cell death were measured using the fluorescent dyes fura‐2 and WST‐1 respectively. Anandamide at concentrations above 5 μM increased [Ca2+]i in a concentration‐dependent manner. The Ca2+ signal was reduced by 78% by removing extracellular Ca2+. The anandamide‐induced Ca2+ influx was insensitive to L‐type Ca2+ channel blockers and the cannabinoid receptor antagonist AM 251, but was inhibited differently by aristolochic acid, WIN 55,212‐2 (a cannabinoid receptor agonist), phorbol ester, GF 109203X and forskolin. After pretreatment with thapsigargin (an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump inhibitor), anandamide‐induced Ca2+ release was inhibited. Inhibition of phospholipase C with U73122 did not change anandamide‐induced Ca2+ release. At concentrations of 100 μM and 200 μM, anandamide killed 50% and 95% cells, respectively. The cytotoxic effect of 100 μM anandamide was completely reversed by pre‐chelating cytosolic Ca2+ with BAPTA. Collectively, in MDCK cells, anandamide induced [Ca2+]i rises by causing Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum and Ca2+ influx from extracellular space. Furthermore, anandamide can cause Ca2+‐dependent cytotoxicity in a concentration‐dependent manner.
Immune Function Tests for Hazard Identification: A Paradigm Shift in Drug Development
Authors: Gore Elizabeth R.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Routine immune function testing in preclinical drug development was established as a regulatory requirement in June of 2000 under the Committee of Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) Note for Guidance on Repeated Dose Toxicity (CPMP/SWP/1042/99). The purpose of the more stringent approach to immunotoxicology testing was to better identify unintended immunosuppression; however, the requirement was met with much discussion and debate. At the center of the discussion was an attempt to reconcile opposing regulatory directives from agencies outside of Europe that adhere to a more selective, weight‐of‐evidence approach to functional evaluations. Uncertainty over the predictive value of the recommended immune function tests relative to conventional toxicology parameters prompted an investigation by the International Committee on Harmonization (ICH). The results of a preliminary, industry‐wide survey indicated that only a low percentage of pharmaceuticals adversely affect immune function without alterations to standard toxicology parameters. Expected ICH guidelines will ultimately determine to what extent and for what purpose immune function tests will be conducted. In the meantime, optimization of the recommended immune function tests is ongoing. The T‐cell dependent antibody response (TDAR) by either conventional Sheep Red Blood Cell (SRBC) plaque assay or by the modified ELISA method using either SRBC or keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as antigen is being extensively evaluated to determine best practices and procedures for preclinical immunotoxicity evaluations. This review addresses some aspects of the debate concerning the appropriateness of immune function tests for hazard identification, along with recommendations for optimizing TDAR methodology to ensure adequate sensitivity and predictability in risk assessments for immunotoxicity.
In vivo delivery of heat shock protein 70 accelerates wound healing by up‐regulating macrophage‐mediated phagocytosis
Authors: Kovalchin, PhD Joseph T. , Wang, MD, PhD Ruibo , Wagh, MD Mihir S. , Azoulay, BS Jason , Sanders, MD Melinda , Chandawarkar Rajiv Y.
Published: April 2006

Injury causes tissue breakdown, which releases large quantities of intracellular contents into the extracellular space. Some of these materials are well‐established activators of the immune system and include heat shock proteins (HSPs), uric acid, nucleotides, High Mobility Group Box‐1 protein (HMGB‐1), and DNA. Here, we show that in vivo delivery of HSPs into BALB/cJ mice with full‐thickness wounds accelerates the rate of wound closure by 60% as compared with control‐treated mice. The onset is rapid and the effect is sustained, dose dependent, and protein specific. Adoptive transfer of RAW264 macrophages pretreated with HSP70 into naïve recipients with a wound transfers the HSP‐mediated effect on the rate of wound closure. Further, we demonstrate that part of the mechanism by which HSP70 accelerates wound closure is through the stimulation of macrophage‐mediated phagocytosis of wound debris. Disabling the HSP70‐mediated enhancement of phagocytosis abrogates the HSP‐mediated acceleration of the healing process. These findings create two opportunities: one, therapeutic, wherein HSP70 could be used in the clinical management of wounds; and two, pathophysiologic, to decode signals by which the host defenses recognize and respond to injury.
Effect of extracts from the Chinese and European mole cricket on wound epithelialization and neovascularization: in vivo studies in the hairless mouse ear wound model
Authors: Zimmer Markus M. , Frank Johannes , Barker John H. , Becker Hans
Published: April 2006

Until the end of World War II, oily extracts from the European mole cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Linné, were used for treating nonhealing wounds and burns. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from the Chinese mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana Beauvois, have been used to treat boils, abscesses, and ulcers successfully for over two centuries and are still being used today. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to measure the effect mole cricket extracts have on wound epithelialization and neovascularization, and second, to identify the active compounds in the Chinese and German mole cricket extracts. For the first aim, the hairless mouse ear wound model was used. The findings showed that wounds treated with the mole cricket extracts epithelialized significantly faster than control wounds 12.7±0.9 and 13.2±1.4 days vs. 16.3±2.2 days (mean±SD, p<0.05), respectively. While the rate of wound neovascularization was significantly increased in the first 3 days postwounding from that point on, the rate in treated wounds was the same as in controls. To identify the active compounds in the mole cricket extracts, the extracts were fractionated and tested in a foreskin basal keratinocyte cell culture assay. In this assay, the migration of keratinocytes is similar to skin cell migration or reepithelialization in a healing wound. Using this method, we found the active compound in the mole cricket extracts to be linoleic acid methyl ester. All other fatty acid structures that were isolated were found to be inactive.
Effect of platelet‐rich plasma on migration and proliferation of SaOS‐2 osteoblasts: role of platelet‐derived growth factor and transforming growth factor‐β
Authors: Celotti Fabio , Colciago A. , Negri‐Cesi P. , Pravettoni A. , Zaninetti R. , Sacchi M.C.
Published: April 2006

Platelet‐enriched plasma (PRP) is used in therapy as a source of growth factors in bone fracture and wound healing; however, few data exist on its role in the different aspects of the healing process. The effect of PRP and of the two main growth factors present in this preparation (platelet‐derived growth factor [PDGF] and transforming growth factor‐β [TGF‐β]) was evaluated in vitro using the human osteoblastic cell line SaOS‐2, which was shown by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction to express both PDGF‐α and ‐β receptors. Batroxobine‐activated PRP was added in different concentrations to SaOS‐2 cells to assess cell migration (by a microchemotaxis assay) and cell proliferation (by [3H]‐thymidine incorporation into the DNA). Immunoneutralization with anti‐PDGF‐β or anti‐TGF‐β antibodies allowed the assessment of the specific role of these growth factors. The overall results obtained indicate that PRP dose‐dependently stimulates both chemotaxis and cell proliferation. PDGF and TGF‐β appear to exert distinct effects on the two parameters, the former involved in stimulating cell migration and the latter in inhibiting cell proliferation. It is concluded that the different growth factors present in activated PRP can specifically contribute to the main processes of tissue regeneration.