bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Afterword
Authors: Jenkins Alice
Published: January 2010

This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. This book describes a very particular moment in the history of British scientific culture. The interactions of literature and science in the 1820s, 30s, and 40s were made excitable, urgent, and energetic by the sense that control was being lost. By some time around 1860, even the attempt to cope had been given up. On the whole literature and science settled into considering one another as definitively different systems of knowledge, with no individual expected to master both. To follow the themes of this book into British literary and scientific culture beyond the mid-1850s would require a different method of reading and argument.
Rights, Democracy, and Law
Authors: Loughlin Martin
Published: January 2010

This chapter discusses the main issues of debate which surround the question of whether or not it is desirable to seek to protect fundamental rights in constitutional documents. The potential juristic significance of this exercise, an exercise in what might be called the positivisation of natural rights, is examined. The chapter also assesses whether the institutional protection of designated rights can lead to more effective, enlightened, and responsive modes of governing. The democratic justification for the legal order is underpinned by the principle of popular sovereignty whereby a body of free and equal citizens comes together, generally through a representative assembly, to enact rules to promote the general welfare. This democratic form of accountability of governors to citizens ensures that the laws reflect the will of the people. This chapter also considers the reconciliation of rights and democracy, the foundations of rights claims and democracy claims, liberalism and republicanism, nature of the legal order, and architectonic principles and local politics.
Contested Constitutionalism:Human Rights and Deliberative Democracy in Northern Ireland
Authors: Harvey Colin J.
Published: January 2010

The Good Friday Agreement concluded in 1998 contains an impressive committment to the protection of human rights. It is often argued that better forms of legal protection would have reduced, but not necessarily eradicated, the problems of Northern Ireland. The debate which has emerged in Northern Ireland reflects many of the pressing issues in modern legal scholarship, in particular the relationship between processes of transition, human rights protection, and political democracy. This chapter explores the context of the rights debate in Northern Ireland and the new structures which have been created in the wake of the Agreement, and looks at the role of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. This chapter examines the structures which have been erected to make the right to participate meaningful in the constitutional context of Northern Ireland. The argument is that human rights discourse functions as an important tool in the struggle to achieve the goals of deliberative democracy.
The Rise of the To−Dative in Middle English
Authors: McFadden Thomas
Published: January 2010

This chapter keys the rise of to-datives to the loss of dative case and views it as a continuation of the older direct-indirect object order, where the indirect case was marked for a dative case. It adopts Harley's (1999) adaptation of Larson's VP-shell analysis and treats a wide range of data from the Penn–Helsinki Parsed Corpus of Middle English. It shows that the to-dative first emerged in early Middle English as the morphological case system collapsed in most dialects. The chapter offers a careful analysis of various movement operations, arguing for a single base order for to-datives. This permits the argument that what is constant is the fact the indirect objects at all stages received oblique case; what changed is that oblique was once realized by overt case-marking but came later to be realized as a PP.
The Constitutionalization of the World Trade Organization
Authors: Cass Deborah Z.
Published: January 2010

This is a book about the constitutionalization of the World Trade Organization, and the contemporary development of institutional forms and democratic ideas associated with constitutionalism within the world trading system. It is about constitutionalization enthusiasts who promote institutions, management techniques, rights discourse, and quasi-judicial power to construct a constitution for the WTO. It is about constitutional sceptics, who fear the effect the phenomenon of constitutionalization is having on the autonomy of states; the capacity of the WTO to consider non-economic and non-free-trade goals; and democratic processes at the WTO and within the nation-state. The aim of the study is to disentangle debates about the various meanings of the term ‘constitution’ when it is used to apply to the World Trade Organization, and to reflect upon the significance of those meanings for more general international law conceptions of constitutions. It argues that the WTO is not and should not be described as a constitution either by the standards of any received account of that term, or by the lights of any of the current WTO models. Under these definitions, serious issues of legitimacy, democracy, and community are at stake. The WTO would lack a proper political structure to balance the work of its judicial bodies; it may curtail the ability of states to decide matters of national economic interest; it lacks authorization by a coherent political community; and it risks an emphasis upon economic goals and pure free trade over other, equally important, social values. Instead, the book argues that what is needed is a constitutionalized WTO which considers the economic development needs of states and takes account of the skewed playing field of international trade and its effect on the economic prospects of developing countries. In short, trading democracy, legitimacy, and community, and not trading constitutionalization, are the biggest challenges facing the WTO.
Rationale and design of the multicentre randomized trial investigating the efficacy and safety of pulsed infusions of levosimendan in outpatients with advanced heart failure (LevoRep study)
Authors: Altenberger Johann , Parissis John T. , Ulmer Hanno , Poelzl Gerhard ,   on behalf of the LevoRep Investigators
Published: January 2010

Aims

Advanced chronic heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome with high morbidity and mortality that often requires inotropic support for the alleviation of symptoms and congestion. There are no definite evidence‐based data on the safety and efficacy of intermittent infusions of inotropic agents in this severe clinical condition. The purpose of the LevoRep study is to clarify whether pulsed infusions of the new inotropic agent levosimendan administered in an outpatient setting can safely improve exercise capacity, quality‐of–life (QoL), and outcome in advanced CHF patients.

Methods

The LevoRep study is a prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, two‐armed, parallel‐group, multicentre trial. The study is designed to investigate the effects of pulsed infusions of levosimendan (6 h administration at 0.2 µg/kg/min every 2 weeks) on the composite endpoint (primary endpoint) comprising changes in functional capacity and QoL (20% or greater improvement in the 6 min walk test and 15% or higher score on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire) at the end of the 24 week study period. In addition, short‐term (8 weeks from randomization) and long‐term (24 weeks from randomization) event‐free survival (secondary endpoint) will be assessed. The LevoRep study aims to include 120 outpatients with advanced CHF.

Conclusion

LevoRep is the first prospective randomized trial to assess the effects of pulsed infusions of an inotrope on hard endpoints as well as on the safety in patients with advanced CHF on an outpatient basis. The results are expected to promote the development of evidence‐based recommendations for the ambulatory management of patients with end‐stage heart failure.
Rationale and design of the β‐blocker in heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (β‐PRESERVE) study
Authors: Zhou Jingmin , Shi Haiming , Zhang Jian , Lu Yongxin , Fu Michael , Ge Junbo ,   for the β‐PRESERVE Study Investigators
Published: January 2010

Aims

Chronic heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF) is not only common, but also carries a high risk of substantial morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have been conducted in this population and no proven treatment is available. Although β‐blockers are evidence‐based first‐line therapy in systolic heart failure, they have not been well studied in HFNEF.

Methods

This study is a multicentre, prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded endpoint (PROBE) trial. A total of 1200 patients will be randomized to either β‐blocker (metoprolol succinate) or control (n = 600 per group). The primary endpoint is a composite of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death. The secondary endpoints include cardiovascular death, heart failure mortality or hospitalization, all‐cause mortality, change in New York Heart Association class, change in left ventricular ejection fraction, increase in NT‐proBNP (by ≥50% of the value at randomization), β‐blocker tolerance, and premature termination of β‐blocker therapy due to adverse events. The follow‐up period is a minimum of 2 years.

Conclusion

This study will provide important evidence, for the first time to our knowledge, of the long‐term efficacy of β‐blocker therapy in the management of HFNEF.
Measurement of breathlessness in clinical trials in patients with chronic heart failure: the need for a standardized approach: a systematic review
Authors: Johnson Miriam J. , Oxberry Stephen G. , Cleland John G.F. , Clark Andrew L.
Published: January 2010

Aims

Chronic breathlessness is a major symptom for patients with compensated chronic heart failure (CHF) and its impact is different to the breathlessness resulting from pulmonary oedema. This systematic review aims to establish which tools have been used for research into the subjective severity of breathlessness in patients with compensated CHF and to discuss recommendations for the future.

Methods and results

Medline (1950–2008), Embase (1980–2008), Cinahl (1982–2008), and Cochrane databases were searched for clinical studies in patients with compensated CHF including a subjective measure of breathlessness severity as an outcome measure. A total of 322 studies were found of which 41 were retrieved and 26 studies met the review criteria. Few studies had severity of breathlessness as a primary endpoint. Nineteen used a uni‐dimensional tool including visual analogue, Borg or Likert scales, either alone, or as a subscale of a quality of life measure. Five used the CHF questionnaire. Two papers used the Baseline Dyspnoea Index‐Transitional Dyspnoea Index (BDI‐TDI).

Conclusion

Despite breathlessness being an important and limiting problem for patients with CHF, we found no consensus on which tool should be used for breathlessness severity, little methodological research to develop such a tool, and a lack of focus on breathlessness as a symptom. A consistent approach to studying breathlessness in patients with CHF is needed in order to make headway in managing this key patient priority.
The complex network of global cargo ship movements
Authors: Kaluza Pablo , Kölzsch Andrea , Gastner Michael T. , Blasius Bernd
Published: January 2010

Transportation networks play a crucial role in human mobility, the exchange of goods and the spread of invasive species. With 90 per cent of world trade carried by sea, the global network of merchant ships provides one of the most important modes of transportation. Here, we use information about the itineraries of 16 363 cargo ships during the year 2007 to construct a network of links between ports. We show that the network has several features that set it apart from other transportation networks. In particular, most ships can be classified into three categories: bulk dry carriers, container ships and oil tankers. These three categories do not only differ in the ships' physical characteristics, but also in their mobility patterns and networks. Container ships follow regularly repeating paths whereas bulk dry carriers and oil tankers move less predictably between ports. The network of all ship movements possesses a heavy-tailed distribution for the connectivity of ports and for the loads transported on the links with systematic differences between ship types. The data analysed in this paper improve current assumptions based on gravity models of ship movements, an important step towards understanding patterns of global trade and bioinvasion.
A critique of some modern applications of the Carnot heat engine concept: the dissipative heat engine cannot exist
Authors: Makarieva Anastassia M. , Gorshkov Victor G. , Li Bai-Lian , Nobre Antonio Donato
Published: January 2010

In several recent studies, a heat engine operating on the basis of the Carnot cycle is considered, where the mechanical work performed by the engine is dissipated within the engine at the temperature of the warmer isotherm and the resulting heat is added to the engine together with an external heat input. This internal dissipation is supposed to increase the total heat input to the engine and elevate the amount of mechanical work produced by the engine per cycle. Here it is argued that such a dissipative heat engine violates the laws of thermodynamics. The existing physical models employing the dissipative heat engine concept, in particular the heat engine model of hurricane development, need to be revised.
Binaries in star clusters and the origin of the field stellar population
Authors: Goodwin Simon P.
Published: January 2010

Many, possibly most, stars form in binary and higher order multiple systems. Therefore, the properties and frequency of binary systems provide strong clues to the star-formation process, and constraints on star-formation models. However, the majority of stars also form in star clusters in which the birth binary properties and frequency can be altered rapidly by dynamical processing. Thus, we almost never see the birth population, which makes it very difficult to know whether star formation (as traced by binaries, at least) is universal or whether it depends on the environment. In addition, the field population consists of a mixture of systems from different clusters that have all been processed in different ways.
Star clusters as simple stellar populations
Authors: Bruzual A. Gustavo
Published: January 2010

In this paper, I review to what extent we can understand the photometric properties of star clusters, and of low-mass, unresolved galaxies, in terms of population-synthesis models designed to describe ‘simple stellar populations’ (SSPs), i.e. groups of stars born at the same time, in the same volume of space and from a gas cloud of homogeneous chemical composition. The photometric properties predicted by these models do not readily match the observations of most star clusters, unless we properly take into account the expected variation in the number of stars occupying sparsely populated evolutionary stages, owing to stochastic fluctuations in the stellar initial mass function. In this case, population-synthesis models reproduce remarkably well the full ranges of observed integrated colours and absolute magnitudes of star clusters of various ages and metallicities. The disagreement between the model predictions and observations of cluster colours and magnitudes may indicate problems with or deficiencies in the modelling, and does not necessarily tell us that star clusters do not behave like SSPs. Matching the photometric properties of star clusters using SSP models is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for clusters to be considered SSPs. Composite models, characterized by complex star-formation histories, also match the observed cluster colours.
The physics and modes of star cluster formation: simulations
Authors: Clarke Cathie
Published: January 2010

We review progress in numerical simulations of star cluster formation. These simulations involve the bottom-up assembly of clusters through hierarchical mergers, which produces a fractal stellar distribution at young (approx. 0.5 Myr) ages. The resulting clusters are predicted to be mildly aspherical and highly mass-segregated, except in the immediate aftermath of mergers. The upper initial mass function within individual clusters is generally somewhat flatter than for the aggregate population. Recent work has begun to clarify the factors that control the mean stellar mass in a star-forming cloud and also the efficiency of star formation. The former is sensitive to the thermal properties of the gas while the latter depends both on the magnetic field and the initial degree of gravitational boundedness of the natal cloud. Unmagnetized clouds that are initially bound undergo rapid collapse, which is difficult to reverse by ionization feedback or stellar winds.
The physics and modes of star cluster formation: observations
Authors: Lada Charles J.
Published: January 2010

Stellar clusters are born in cold and dusty molecular clouds and the youngest clusters are embedded to various degrees in a dusty dark molecular material. Such embedded clusters can be considered protocluster systems. The most deeply buried examples are so heavily obscured by dust that they are only visible at infrared wavelengths. These embedded protoclusters constitute the nearest laboratories for a direct astronomical investigation of the physical processes of cluster formation and early evolution. I review the present state of empirical knowledge concerning embedded-cluster systems and discuss the implications for understanding their formation and subsequent evolution to produce bound stellar clusters.
Symbiosis as a source of selectable epigenetic variation: taking the heat for the big guy
Authors: Gilbert Scott F. , McDonald Emily , Boyle Nicole , Buttino Nicholas , Gyi Lin , Mai Mark , Prakash Neelakantan , Robinson James
Published: January 2010

Evolutionary developmental biology is based on the principle that evolution arises from hereditable changes in development. Most of this new work has centred on changes in the regulatory components of the genome. However, recent studies (many of them documented in this volume) have shown that development also includes interactions between the organism and its environment. One area of interest concerns the importance of symbionts for the production of the normal range of phenotypes. Many, if not most, organisms have ‘outsourced’ some of their developmental signals to a set of symbionts that are expected to be acquired during development. Such intimate interactions between species are referred to as codevelopment, the production of a new individual through the coordinated interactions of several genotypically different species. Within the past 2 years, several research programmes have demonstrated that such codevelopmental schemes can be selected. We will focus on symbioses in coral reef cnidarians symbiosis, pea aphids and cactuses, wherein the symbiotic system provides thermotolerance for the composite organism.
Aphid wing dimorphisms: linking environmental and genetic control of trait variation
Authors: Brisson Jennifer A.
Published: January 2010

Both genetic and environmental factors underlie phenotypic variation. While research at the interface of evolutionary and developmental biology has made excellent advances in understanding the contribution of genes to morphology, less well understood is the manner in which environmental cues are incorporated during development to influence the phenotype. Also virtually unexplored is how evolutionary transitions between environmental and genetic control of trait variation are achieved. Here, I review investigations into molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity in the aphid wing dimorphism system. Among aphids, some species alternate between environmentally sensitive (polyphenic) and genetic (polymorphic) control of wing morph determination in their life cycle. Therefore, a traditional molecular genetic approach into understanding the genetically controlled polymorphism may provide a unique avenue into not only understanding the molecular basis of polyphenic variation in this group, but also the opportunity to compare and contrast the mechanistic basis of environmental and genetic control of similar dimorphisms.
Phenotypic plasticity in development and evolution: facts and concepts
Authors: Fusco Giuseppe , Minelli Alessandro
Published: January 2010

This theme issue pursues an exploration of the potential of taking into account the environmental sensitivity of development to explaining the evolution of metazoan life cycles, with special focus on complex life cycles and the role of developmental plasticity. The evolution of switches between alternative phenotypes as a response to different environmental cues and the evolution of the control of the temporal expression of alternative phenotypes within an organism's life cycle are here treated together as different dimensions of the complex relationships between genotype and phenotype, fostering the emergence of a more general and comprehensive picture of phenotypic evolution through a quite diverse sample of case studies. This introductory article reviews fundamental facts and concepts about phenotypic plasticity, adopting the most authoritative terminology in use in the current literature. The main topics are types and components of phenotypic variation, the evolution of organismal traits through plasticity, the origin and evolution of phenotypic plasticity and its adaptive value.
The RAD23 Family Provides an Essential Connection between the 26S Proteasome and Ubiquitylated Proteins inArabidopsis
Authors: Farmer Lisa M. , Book Adam J. , Lee Kwang-Hee , Lin Ya-Ling , Fu Hongyong , Vierstra Richard D.
Published: January 2010

The ubiquitin (Ub)/26S proteasome system (UPS) directs the turnover of numerous regulatory proteins, thereby exerting control over many aspects of plant growth, development, and survival. The UPS is directed in part by a group of Ub-like/Ub-associated (UBL/UBA) proteins that help shuttle ubiquitylated proteins to the 26S proteasome for breakdown. Here, we describe the collection of UBL/UBA proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana, including four isoforms that comprise the RADIATION SENSITIVE23 (RAD23) family. The nuclear-enriched RAD23 proteins bind Ub conjugates, especially those linked internally through Lys-48, via their UBA domains, and associate with the 26S proteasome Ub receptor RPN10 via their N-terminal UBL domains. Whereas homozygous mutants individually affecting the four RAD23 genes are without phenotypic consequences (rad23a, rad23c, and rad23d) or induce mild phyllotaxy and sterility defects (rad23b), higher-order mutant combinations generate severely dwarfed plants, with the quadruple mutant displaying reproductive lethality. Both the synergistic effects of a rad23b-1 rpn10-1 combination and the response of rad23b plants to mitomycin C suggest that RAD23b regulates cell division. Taken together, RAD23 proteins appear to play an essential role in the cell cycle, morphology, and fertility of plants through their delivery of UPS substrates to the 26S proteasome.
An investigation of the properties of large crystals of the zeolites dodecasil-3C and ferrierite by high-temperature birefringence microscopy and X-ray diffraction
Authors: Lethbridge Zoe A. D. , Keeble Dean S. , Walker David , Thomas Pamela A. , Walton Richard I.
Published: January 2010

Optical birefringence has been measured as a function of temperature for two types of siliceous zeolite crystals that contain organic template molecules. The specimens were prepared using modified solvothermal synthesis to produce large (∼1 mm dimension) crystals. In the case of the clathrasil dodecasil-3C the material undergoes a first-order phase transition at ∼433 K that is reversible after heating to 873 K and cooling to room temperature. Comparison with powder X-ray diffraction data from a bulk sample shows that this is a ferroelastic tetragonal (I\overline 42d) to cubic (Fd\overline 3m) transition, which is supported by the functional form of temperature variation of the birefringence. There is apparently no loss of the organic template involved in this transition. For the zeolite ferrierite, the plate-like crystals show a pronounced domain-like structure, which, although not due to twinning, shows a distinctive optical birefringence change on heating, suggesting that variable concentrations of organic template might be present in different domain-like regions. In this material there is no evidence for a change in crystal symmetry up to 873 K (Pnnm), despite apparent loss of some organic template from the material which, in turn, gives rise to strain birefringence at the edges parallel to the [010] direction.
Foxo3a expression and acetylation regulate cancer cell growth and sensitivity to cisplatin
Authors: Shiota Masaki , Yokomizo Akira , Kashiwagi Eiji , Tada Yasuhiro , Inokuchi Junichi , Tatsugami Katsunori , Kuroiwa Kentaro , Uchiumi Takeshi , Seki Narihito , Naito Seiji
Published: January 2010

Many advanced cancers receive cisplatin‐based chemotherapy. However, cisplatin resistance is a major obstacle for cancer chemotherapy. Foxo3a is a member of the Foxo transcription factor family, which modulates the expression of genes involved in DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and other cellular processes. In this study, we found that cisplatin‐resistant cells were more sensitive to the anticancer agent mithramycin than their parental cells, and had a decreased level of Foxo3a expression. Foxo3a knockdown increased cell proliferation and resistance to cisplatin. On the other hand, mithramycin stimulated Foxo3a expression through reactive oxygen species production and sensitized cells to cisplatin, which was abolished by Foxo3a knockdown, while the acetylation status of Foxo3a was decreased in response to cisplatin treatment and was lower in cisplatin‐resistant cells. Knockdown of Foxo3a‐associated acetyltransferase p300 promoted cancer‐cell growth and cisplatin resistance. In addition, non‐acetylation‐mimicking Foxo3a overexpression decreased cancer cell growth and sensitized cells to cisplatin less than wild‐type Foxo3a overexpression. The current work may contribute to the evaluation of the therapeutic potential of inducing the Foxo3a pathway and acetylating the Foxo3a transcription factor, and lead to the reevaluation of cancer treatments based on mithramycin.

(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1177–1185)
Review article: the modern management of autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: YEOMAN A. D. , LONGHI M. S. , HENEGHAN M. A.
Published: January 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 771–787

Background  The management of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) continues to be refined. However, several issues remain unresolved, primarily as a consequence of the low incidence of the disease. This factor has contributed both to a lack of understanding of and a paucity of large scale clinical trials involving therapeutic agents.

Aim  To summarize the latest evidence regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and long‐term management of AIH with a focus on clinical aspects of the disease.

Method  We searched PUBMED for articles pertaining to AIH, its pathogenesis, treatment and clinical outcomes, combined with the authors’ own knowledge of the literature.

Results  Standard therapy (corticosteroids and azathioprine) is effective in more than 80% of patients which renders study of novel agents difficult. Budesonide appears to show equivalence to prednisolone. Available, but limited, data suggest that mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus and ciclosporin are all variably effective second line agents. Patients with AIH and cirrhosis are at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and require screening. Patients with end stage liver disease represent excellent candidates for liver transplantation.

Conclusions  Despite ongoing limitations in the understanding of pathogenesis and difficulties in evaluating novel therapies, the management of AIH continues to evolve slowly. Multi‐centre collaboration is necessary to obtain sufficient patient numbers to undertake good quality therapeutic studies.
Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest – implementation in UK intensive care units*
Authors: Binks A. C. , Murphy R. E. , Prout R. E. , Bhayani S. , Griffiths C. A. , Mitchell T. , Padkin A. , Nolan J. P.
Published: January 2010

A telephone survey was carried out to determine how many United Kingdom intensive care units were using therapeutic hypothermia as part of their management of unconscious patients admitted after cardiac arrest. All 247 intensive care units listed in the 2008 Directory of Critical Care Services were contacted to determine how many units were using hypothermia as part of their post‐cardiac arrest management and how it was implemented. We obtained information from 243 (98.4%) of the intensive care units. At the time of the study, 208 (85.6%) were using hypothermia as part of post‐cardiac arrest management. There has been a steady increase annually in the number of units performing therapeutic cooling from 2003 to date, with the majority of units starting in 2007 or 2008. The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines, which recommend the use of therapeutic hypothermia for comatose patients following successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest, have taken at least 4–5 years to achieve widespread implementation in the United Kingdom.
Environmental assessment of boreal rivers using fish data – a contribution to the Water Framework Directive
Authors: VEHANEN T. , SUTELA T. , KORHONEN H.
Published: January 2010

Abstract  A fish‐based assessment method was developed to estimate the ecological status of boreal rivers. Electric fishing data were collected from 902 rapids, together with information on the land use, channel modification and water chemistry. Discriminant function analysis was used to select fish variables that most correctly classified the undisturbed reference sites and human impacted sites into exact classes. The relationship between the level of human alteration and fish metrics was examined. Five metrics were selected for the index: the number of fish species, proportion of sensitive species, proportion of tolerant species, density of cyprinid individuals and the density of age‐0+ salmonids. The value for each metric (between 0 and 1) was calculated according to a point estimate for classical probability. The index is used to estimate the ecological classification of rivers according to the EU Water Framework Directive.
Influence of streambed sediment clogging on microbial processes in the hyporheic zone
Authors: NOGARO GERALDINE , DATRY THIBAULT , MERMILLOD‐BLONDIN FLORIAN , DESCLOUX STEPHANE , MONTUELLE BERNARD
Published: January 2010

1. The hyporheic zone plays a key role in hydrological exchange and biogeochemical processes in streambed sediments. The clogging of sediments caused by the deposition of particles in the bed of streams and rivers can decrease sediment permeability and hence greatly affect hyporheic microbial processes.

2. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of sediment clogging on hyporheic microbial processes in three French rivers (the Usses, Drôme and Isère). In each river, microbial abundance and activity were studied at three depths (10, 30 and 50 cm) in the sediment at one unclogged (high porosity) and one clogged site (low porosity).

3. The results showed that the sediment clogging had inconsistent effects on microbial processes in the three rivers. Increases (Usses) or decreases (Drôme and Isère) in both aerobic and anaerobic processes were detected at the clogged sites compared to unclogged sites. These results suggest that microbial changes because of the sediment clogging are mainly mediated by the residence time of water within the hyporheic sediments.

4. A single model predicting the effect of clogging on hyporheic microbial processes cannot be applied generally to all rivers because the degree of clogging creates heterogeneous effects on flow rates between surface and interstitial waters. As a consequence, the influence of heterogeneous clogging on surface water–hyporheic exchanges needs to be evaluated by water tracing and hydraulic modelling to determine the links between microbial processes and hydraulic heterogeneity induced by clogging in hyporheic sediments.
Patient resources in the therapeutic education of haemophiliacs in France: their skills and roles as defined by consensus of a working group
Authors: WINTZ L. , SANNIÉ T. , AYÇAGUER S. , GUEROIS C. , BERNHARD J. ‐P. , VALLUET D. , BOREL‐DERLON A. , GUILLON P. , FONDANESCHE C. , LAMBERT T. , MEUNIER S. , ALLIAUME N. , GAGNAYRE R.
Published: January 2010

Summary.  The activities of ‘expert patients’ or ‘patient tutors’, who help educate their peers, are gaining recognition in the health care system. This study investigates the role played by such patients in therapeutic education programmes organized by caregivers to validate the role of patients in implementing the therapeutic education of haemophilic patients and to define the skills required for such activities. This study employs the consensus methodology recommended by France’s National Authority for Health. The working group includes seven caregivers from Hemophiliac Treatment Centers (HTCs) and three patients from the French Association of Hemophiliacs (FAH). The role of patients in haemophilia education is recognized. Patients participating in the education of their peers are referred to as ‘patient resources’. A patient resource should be an adult, a volunteer and live in the same region as his peers. Candidates are chosen by the FAH and the HTCs to serve based on their motivation to facilitate the education of other patients as well as on their psychological and pedagogical aptitudes. A patient resource participates in the conception and administration of therapeutic education programmes. He also mediates between the caregivers and the patients. He ensures that the patients understand the material and are able to apply their knowledge in daily life. His activities are governed by professional ethics. Seven categories of skills were defined, permitting the group to determine precisely which skills are required to function as a patient resource. Supervision of the patients is planned to reinforce reflexive practices in the patients. Evolution of the health care system has led patients to become involved in therapeutic education. This phenomenon calls for a framework to be developed and an evaluation of its eventual effects.
Identification of an E‐box DNA binding protein, activated protein 4, and its function in regulating the expression of the gene encoding diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis‐activating neuropeptide in Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Hu C‐H. , Hong B. , Xu W‐H.
Published: January 2010

Activated protein 4 (AP‐4), an E‐box DNA‐binding protein, was cloned from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Har). The expression of Har‐AP‐4 mRNA and the protein that it encodes are significantly higher in nondiapause pupae than in diapause pupae. In vitro‐translated Har‐AP‐4 can bind specifically to the E‐box motif on the promoter of the diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis‐activating neuropeptide (DH‐PBAN). Har‐AP‐4, fused with the green fluorescent protein (GFP), is localized to the nucleus, and overexpression of Har‐AP‐4 can significantly activate the promoter of the DH‐PBAN gene that is involved in nondiapause pupal development in H. armigera. These results suggest that Har‐AP‐4, which binds to the promoter of DH‐PBAN, may play a role in regulating pupal development in H. armigera.
Androgen‐responsive and ‐unresponsive prostate cancer cell lines respond differently to stimuli inducing neuroendocrine differentiation
Authors: Marchiani S. , Tamburrino L. , Nesi G. , Paglierani M. , Gelmini S. , Orlando C. , Maggi M. , Forti G. , Baldi E.
Published: January 2010

The treatment of advanced prostate cancer (CaP) with androgen deprivation therapy inevitably renders the tumours castration resistant and incurable. Under these conditions, neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of CaP cells occurs and neuropeptides released by neuroendocrine cells facilitate tumour progression. Pharmacological strategies aiming to prevent or delay NED during androgen ablation could, therefore, increase the effectiveness of the therapy. Mechanisms and pathways inducing NED in CaP are poorly understood and data are often discordant. In the present study, we used several CaP cell lines (androgen‐responsive: LNCaP, PC3‐AR, 22RV1 and ‐irresponsive: DU145 and PC3) to evaluate NED after androgen deprivation or treatment with epidermal growth factor (EGF). NED was determined by neuron‐specific enolase and chromogranin A expression and by the occurrence of morphological changes in the cells. Androgen‐deprivation conditions induced NED in LNCaP and PC3‐AR, but not in 22Rv1, PC3 and DU145 cells. LNCaP and PC3‐AR cells also became resistant to thapsigargin‐induced apoptosis. In all the AR‐positive cell lines, androgen deprivation caused a decrease in androgen receptor expression indicating that it is downregulated irrespective of NED induction. Treatment with EGF induced NED in DU145 cells and the EGF receptor inhibitor gefinitib prevented the process. On the contrary, no effect of EGF was demonstrated in LNCaP or 22Rv1 cells. CaP cell lines did not respond univocally to treatments inducing NED, suggesting that studies on this topic should be performed in a wide spectrum of cell models which can be more indicative of the tumour variability in vivo.
Braden Scale: evaluation of clinical usefulness in an intensive care unit
Authors: Cho InSook , Noh Maengseok
Published: January 2010

cho i. & noh m. (2010) Braden Scale: evaluation of clinical usefulness in an intensive care unit. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(2), 293–302.

Title.  Braden Scale: evaluation of clinical usefulness in an intensive care unit.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine the usability and utility of the Braden in intensive care units.

Background.  An understanding of the clinical usage of the Braden Scale is valuable when considering the incidence of pressure ulcers in a critical‐care setting.

Methods.  A retrospective analysis of 21,115 hospital‐days of 715 inpatients in an intensive‐care unit in 2006 in South Korea was applied to data extracted electronically from an electronic medical record system in October 2007.

Results.  Of the 715 patients, 42 (5·9%) developed a pressure ulcer, corresponding to an incidence density of 198 ulcers per 1000 hospital‐days. The usage rate of the Braden Scale was 11·26%, and an analysis of its utility, based on a receiver operating characteristic analysis with the cutoff set at 13, gave sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values of 75·9%, 47·3%, 18·1% and 92·8% respectively. There were weak correlations between the scores and nursing interventions except for the category of position changes. The variety of nursing interventions was also limited.

Conclusion.  Our data suggest that the Braden Scale has a very low usage rate and a low‐to‐moderate positive predictive performance. Our quantification of the relationship between Braden Scale score and nursing interventions indicates the need for a more comprehensive and fundamental approach to the use of this scale.
The meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among the Hong Kong Chinese terminally ill
Authors: Mok Esther , Wong Frances , Wong Daniel
Published: January 2010

mok e., wong f. & wong d. (2010) The meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among the Hong Kong Chinese terminally ill. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(2), 360–370.

Title.  The meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among the Hong Kong Chinese terminally ill.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore the phenomenon of spirituality and spiritual care among terminally ill Chinese patients.

Background.  Meeting a patient’s spiritual needs is a fundamental part of holistic nursing care. In the Western literature, spirituality is related to connectedness, faith, and hope. Contemporary scholars in the West suggest that spirituality is a broader term than religion.

Method.  Phenomenological interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 15 terminally ill Chinese patients in 2007.

Findings.  Participants found the term spirituality an abstract concept and described it as a unique personal belief which gives strength and relates to meaning of life. Spirituality is integrated with the body and mind and is a multidimensional concept. The acceptance of death as a process in life and ‘letting go’ leads to serenity and peace of mind. Other important themes include how the meaning of life is derived through relationships and connectedness, self‐reflection of responsibilities, and obligations fulfilled. Inner spiritual well‐being is attained from having faith and knowing possibilities in life and after death. Participants did not expect nurses to provide spiritual care, but when quality interpersonal care was given it gave them strength and spiritually supportive.

Conclusion.  If healthcare professionals can provide a compassionate and loving environment that facilitates acceptance and hope, the spiritual life of patients is enhanced. For dying individuals to experience love and for them to be understood as valuable even when no longer economically productive are both experiences of healing.
Complex decisions: theorizing women’s infant feeding decisions in the first 6 weeks after birth
Authors: Sheehan Athena , Schmied Virginia , Barclay Lesley
Published: January 2010

sheehan a., schmied v. & barclay l. (2010)  Complex decisions: theorizing women’s infant feeding decisions in the first 6 weeks after birth. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(2), 371–380.

Title.  Complex decisions: theorizing women’s infant feeding decisions in the first 6 weeks after birth.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a grounded theory study of woman’s infant feeding experiences and decisions in the first 6 weeks after birth.

Background.  Breastfeeding is considered the optimum method of infant feeding. Studies have identified numerous factors associated with infant feeding decisions. What remains unexplored are the mechanisms by which socio‐demographic, biomedical and psychosocial factors influence infant feeding decisions. Research highlights the need for further investigation of the experiences and decision‐making processes of both breastfeeding and formula‐feeding women.

Method.  A constructionist grounded theory approach to data collection and analysis was used. Data for this study were collected and analysed between 2003 and 2004. Further data, collected in a previous study in 2000, were theoretically sampled and analysed in 2005. In‐depth interviews with 37 women from various socio‐demographic areas in New South Wales, Australia provided data.

Findings.  The core category was ‘deconstructing best’. ‘Deconstructing best’ was the infant feeding decision‐making process in the first 6 weeks after birth. The process of ‘deconstructing best’ involved seven phases: planning, expecting, realizing, questioning, getting on with it, defending and qualifying. Four main categories –‘it’s really best to breastfeed’, ‘it’s the unknown’, ‘it’s not the only thing going on’, and ‘everybody’s best is different’– comprised the context within which deconstructing best occurred.

Conclusion.  Woman’s infant feeding decisions cannot be viewed in isolation from other post‐natal experiences and needs. Infant feeding decisions will only be understood and appropriately supported when they are seen in relation to the circumstances of a woman’s life, her immediate sociocultural context and individual experience.
The garlic component, allicin, prevents disease caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)
Authors: Nya E J , Dawood Z , Austin B
Published: January 2010

Allicin was fed at 0 (= control), 0.5 and 1.0 mL of Allimed® liquid 100 g−1 of feed for 14 days to rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), fingerlings before infection with Aeromonas hydrophila with a resultant reduction in mortalities from 80% in the controls to 8% [relative percentage survival (RPS) = 90%] and 0% (RPS = 100%) among the treated fish. Allicin was strongly antibacterial compared to the control, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of >400 μL mL−1 of Allimed® liquid. Use of allicin led to a lower number of white blood cells (132.0 ± 0.4 × 103) compared to 175.0 ± 0.1 × 103 in the controls, but elicited increased phagocytic activity, i.e. a phagocytic value of 39.2% compared to 13.6% in the controls, and serum lysozyme activity, which showed significant (P > 0.05) differences compared to the control at 15 and 30 min after the first reading at 0 min of incubation.
Assessment of Congo red as a fluorescence marker for the exoskeleton of small crustaceans and the cuticle of polychaetes
Authors: MICHELS J. , BÜNTZOW M.
Published: January 2010

In this study, the potential of the common dye Congo red as a fluorescence marker for chitin in the exoskeleton of small crustaceans and collagen in the polychaete cuticle was tested. The Congo red staining turned out to be rather efficient and yielded intensively fluorescing structures, which made a very detailed visualization by confocal laser scanning microscopy possible. The excellent results are comparable to those described for the utilization of other efficient fluorescence dyes and intense autofluorescence. The application of Congo red is easy, the fluorescence of this dye is very stable, and the excitation maximum of the structures stained with Congo red is in a range, which is covered by the lasers of most of the confocal laser scanning microscopes. These advantageous properties make the fluorescence staining by Congo red a method of choice for the detailed visualization of the external morphology of small crustaceans and polychaetes.
Dilemmas in Human and Rat Pregnancy: Proposed Mechanisms Relating to Arterial Vasodilation
Authors: Schrier R. W. , Ohara M.
Published: January 2010

There are several mysteries about the normal physiology of pregnancy (1). Renal sodium and water reabsorption occurs despite an increase in total blood volume. Moreover, the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) is also stimulated in normal pregnancy, even though an increase in total blood volume normally suppresses the RAAS and increases sodium excretion in the nonpregnant state. Water retention also occurs and leads to hypoosmolality in normal pregnancy, even though total blood volume is expanded. On rare occasions, an extreme polyuria occurs in pregnancy that is unresponsive to arginine vasopressin (AVP). The receptors whereby AVP and oxytocin stimulate the principal cell of the collecting duct, vascular smooth muscle, glomerular mesangial and endometrial cells are in need of clarification. The present study proposes potential mechanisms relating to systemic arterial vasodilation to explain some of the apparent dilemmas of pregnancy.