bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Critical Habitat Designation on Housing Supply: An Analysis of California Housing Construction Activity*
Authors: Zabel Jeffrey E. , Paterson Robert W.
Published: January 2006

Abstract.  Under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required to designate critical habitat (CH) for listed species. Designation could result in modification to or delay of residential development projects within habitat boundaries, generating concern over potential housing market impacts. This paper draws upon a large data set of municipal‐level (FIPS) building permit issuances and critical habitat designations (CHDs) in California over a 13‐year period to identify changes in the spatial and temporal pattern of development activity associated with CHD. We find that the proposal of the median‐sized CH results in a 23.5 percent decrease in the supply of housing permits in the short run and a 37.0 percent decrease in the long run. The results indicate the proposal of CH acts as a signal that all development in that FIPS will be more costly. We also find that the impact varies across the two periods in which CH is designated and by the number of years relative to when CH was first proposed.
Langerhans cell histiocytosis associated with myelodysplastic syndrome in adults
Authors: Billings Steven D. , Hans Christine P. , Schapiro Brian L. , Martin Robert W. , Fivenson David , Fruland Joseph E. , Moores William B. , Cotton Jenny
Published: January 2006

Background:  Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of bone marrow disorders associated with dyplasia of myeloid elements that may have cutaneous manifestations including infections, vasculitis, Sweet's syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum diutinum, and leukemia cutis. These cutaneous manifestations are attributed to the underlying bone marrow defect. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is primarily a pediatric disease, and rarely LCH has been described in association with pediatric MDS. We are aware of only a single case report of LCH associated with MDS in an adult.

Methods:  We report two new cases of LCH in elderly patients with underlying MDS. The specimens were examined by routine microscopy as well as immunohistochemical stains for S100 protein and CD1a.

Results:  Both patients were elderly men with established diagnoses of MDS. One presented with a solitary pruritic papule while the other had a 2‐year history of erythematous papules involving the trunk and extremities. Histologic examination revealed intraepidermal and dermal collections of mononuclear cells with reniform nuclei. The cells were strongly positive for S100 and CD1a, confirming their identity as Langerhans cells.

Conclusion:  Cutaneous LCH may be associated with underlying MDS in adults and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cutaneous eruptions in patients with MDS.
Defective β1‐integrins expression in arsenical keratosis and arsenic‐treated cultured human keratinocytes
Authors: Lee Chih‐Hung , Chen Jau‐Shiuh , Sun Yu‐Lan , Liao Wei‐Ting , Zheng Ya‐Wen , Chai Chih‐Zin , Chen Gwo‐Shing , Yu Hsin‐Su
Published: January 2006

Background:  β1‐integrins, which localize to the basolateral surface of basal keratinocytes, are important in the differentiation control and proliferation of the epidermis. Many cutaneous diseases with perturbed differentiation, including arsenical keratosis, show altered patterns of integrin distribution and expression. Arsenic may induce arsenical keratosis through the differentiation and apoptosis aberration by integrins. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of integrin and arsenic in the pathogenesis of arsenical keratosis.

Methods:  Twenty‐five specimens obtained from 25 patients with arsenical keratosis disease were studied. Immunohistochemistry staining to β1, α2β1, or α3β1 integrins was performed in arsenical keratosis and clinically normal perilesional skin. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of integrin β1 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in arsenic‐treated cultured keratinocytes.

Results:  A decreased expression of β1, α2β1, or α3β1 integrins was demonstrated in arsenical keratosis and clinical normal perilesional skin in a large proportion of arsenical keratosis cases studied. The expressions of integrin β1 and FAK were both decreased in arsenic‐treated keratinocytes.

Conclusions:  Our results suggest that arsenic induces abnormal differentiation in arsenical keratosis via the effects of integrin expression in keratinocytes.
Intraoral lesions associated with sebaceous nevus syndrome
Authors: Warnke P. H. , Schimmelpenning G. W. , Happle R. , Springer I. N. G. , Hauschild A. , Wiltfang J. , Acil Y. , Sherry E. , Proksch E. , Luettges J. , Russo P. A. J.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  The sebaceous nevus syndrome describes the rare association of a sebaceous nevus with systemic features such as mental retardation, seizures and colobomas (among others). It is thought to be a cutaneous mosaic inherited as a paradominant trait. Three cases are provided illustrating the intraoral manifestations of the syndrome. The first histological comparison of contiguous mucosal and cutaneous lesions is provided. We also describe the possible association of SFM syndrome with a benign fibrous histiocytic lesion of the mandible. This and other mandibular tumors associated with the sebaceous nevus syndrome may have significant implications for patients. Awareness of the potential presence or development of significant intraoral lesions in association with the sebaceous nevus syndrome is important for those involved in the care of patients with this syndrome.
Implication of MT1‐MMP in the maturation steps of benign melanocytic nevi
Authors: Pérez L. J. , Peñas P. F. , Atienzar M. , García‐Díez A.
Published: January 2006

Background:  Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteins involved in extracellular matrix breakdown and have been implicated in stages of migration and metastasis. MT1‐MMP is an MMP anchored to the cell membrane. During maturation, melanocytic nevi penetrate the extracellular matrix and express MMPs.

Methods:  We studied 10 junctional, 10 compound, and 10 intradermal nevi diagnosed by clinical and histological studies and by performing immunohistochemical study to assess MT1‐MMP activity.

Results:  We found evidence of MT1‐MMP expression in melanocytic nevus cells, particularly around the entire border of cell nests. Expression was more intense in junctional nevi and gradually decreased with acquisition of intradermal component and became nonexistent in nevi in the deep dermis.

Conclusions:  MT1‐MMP is expressed in the membrane of nevus cells, with expression greater in nest cells in contact with the extracellular matrix. The intensity of expression correlated inversely with the maturation phase of the nevus, being very high in junctional nevi and low in intradermal nevi.
Core competencies in dermatopathology
Authors: Hinshaw Molly A. , Stratman Erik J.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  Medical education has traditionally focused on imparting medical knowledge, delivering quality patient care, and teaching research methodology. Various measures of success, including standardized testing, have been developed to assess the achievement of those goals. These measures then served as documentation of the effectiveness of individual training programs. However, in 1999, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) changed the way we measure the success of medical education. They developed six core competencies for medical education and assigned the task of enforcing them to the individual Residency Review Committees. By July 2006, all accredited programs, including dermatopathology fellowships, must use measurable, competency‐based objectives, and assess achievement of those objectives. Programs should also be documenting ways they are improving the evaluation process. They must be in full compliance with implementation, measurement, and assessment of the six core competencies for accreditation. The next phase required by the ACGME involves developing curriculum based on competencies as well as using resident, fellow, or graduate competency performance to assess success in preparing trainees for the practice of medicine. This manuscript discusses measurable objectives to address the core competencies for dermatopathology fellowship training as well as dermatopathology rotations in dermatology and pathology residency training.
Expression of stromal cell markers in distinct compartments of human skin cancers
Authors: Huber Margit A. , Kraut Norbert , Schweifer Norbert , Dolznig Helmut , Peter Ralf U. , Schubert Roland D. , Scharffetter‐Kochanek Karin , Pehamberger Hubert , Garin‐Chesa Pilar
Published: January 2006

Background:  The importance of changes in the supporting tumor stroma for cancer initiation and progression is well established. The characteristics of an activated tumor stroma, however, are not completely understood. In an effort to better characterize the desmoplastic response to human skin tumors, we evaluated the expression pattern of three stromal cell markers, fibroblast‐activation protein (FAP), endoglyx‐1, and endosialin, in a series of melanocytic and epithelial skin tumors.

Methods:  Immunohistochemistry using antibodies against FAP, endoglyx‐1, and endosialin was carried out in skin samples obtained from 43 patients. Furthermore, microarray data from an independent set of human skin cancers were analyzed.

Results:  FAP‐positive fibroblasts were detected in all tumor tissues tested, including cases of melanocytic nevi, melanoma metastases, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. In cutaneous melanoma metastases, we identified different compartments within the stromal response on the basis of the regions of FAP expression. Endoglyx‐1 expression was confined to normal and tumor blood vessel endothelium including ‘hot spots’ of neoangiogenesis within the cutaneous melanoma metastases. Endosialin was selectively induced in subsets of small‐ and medium‐sized tumor blood vessels in melanoma metastases and squamous cell carcinomas.

Conclusions:  These data describe novel aspects of stromal marker expression in distinct compartments of human skin tumors and may point to potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at the tumor stroma.
On Track Multi‐Agency Projects in Schools and Communities: A Special Relationship
Authors: Bryan Hazel , Austin Brian , Hailes Jean , Parsons Carl , Stow William
Published: January 2006

Social inclusion, multi‐agency projects in education in the United Kingdom increasingly seek to work with participation from children, families and communities and through partnerships with other agencies. In this paper, the complexities of such developments are examined. The paper looks at the wider context of preventative and social inclusion projects and highlights the ways in which schools tend to be the dominant locus of communication, delivery and control in the early stages of project implementation. Schools are seen to be valuable conduits into the community, to have the potential to begin capacity‐building with isolated individuals and to forge informal networks. This presents significant challenges to project and school managers, working towards genuinely empowering multi‐agency preventative work and support. A ‘special relationship’ embracing schools, projects and community appears the most productive way forward for such projects. Copyright © 2006 National Children's Bureau.
From Famine to Feast. A Review of the Foster Care Research Literature
Authors: Sellick Clive
Published: January 2006

Foster care has become the principal placement of choice for children and young people in public care in the United Kingdom (UK). This has been accompanied by a significant growth in its research scrutiny connected to a busy policy agenda, especially since 1997. With its increased usage, fostering has encountered both difficulties and developments. Children often have emotional and behavioural problems which strain their foster families to their limits and risk placement breakdown. Public sector foster carers continue to be in short supply and keeping them engaged in fostering remains a challenge. Major developments have occurred in response to these difficulties. The use of relatives as kinship carers has increased substantially and the non‐governmental or independent fostering sector has grown rapidly. Until comparatively recently, the knowledge base of foster care in Britain was limited, but the past decade has seen that change and now a substantial body of research knowledge is available in the UK. Copyright © 2006 National Children's Bureau.
The inhibitory effects of oxytocin on distal colonic contractile activity in rabbits are enhanced by ovarian steroids
Authors: Xie D. , Chen L. , Liu C. , Liu K.
Published: January 2006

Aims:  To study the effects of oxytocin on isolated rabbit distal colon and the regulation of ovarian steroids by its action.

Methods:  Muscle strips parallel to either the circular or the longitudinal fibres were excised and suspended in tissue chambers containing 5 mL Krebs solution (37 °C) and bubbled continuously with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. The effects of oxytocin on isometric spontaneous contractile responses were recorded. The effects of atosiban, tetrodotoxin, Mg2+, progesterone and oestradiol on the oxytocin‐induced response were also examined.

Results:  Oxytocin (1, 10 and 100 nmol L−1) dose dependently decreased the area under the contraction curve of distal colonic smooth muscle strips. The oxytocin receptor antagonist atosiban blocked the oxytocin (10 nmol L−1)‐caused responses in a dose‐dependent manner. Tetrodotoxin (10 μmol L−1) had no effect on the oxytocin‐induced response. Mg2+‐free Krebs solution attenuated the oxytocin‐induced response, but oestradiol (0.1 μmol L−1) or progesterone (0.1 μmol L−1) increased the oxytocin‐induced response.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that oxytocin inhibits the contractile motility of the distal colon, which is regulated by Mg2+ and ovarian steroids.
Population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modelling of the antimalarial chemotherapy chlorproguanil/dapsone
Authors: Simpson Julie A. , Hughes Dyfrig , Manyando Christine , Bojang Kalifa , Aarons Leon , Winstanley Peter , Edwards Geoffrey , Watkins William A. , Ward Steve
Published: January 2006

Aims

To determine the population pharmacokinetics of chlorproguanil, dapsone and the active metabolite of chlorproguanil, chlorcycloguanil; and to estimate the duration of parasitocidal activity for chlorpoguanil/dapsone against Plasmodium falciparum isolates of varying sensitivity.

Methods

Rich and sparse pharmacokinetic data were collected prospectively from: healthy volunteers (n = 48) and adults (n = 65) and children (n = 68) suffering from P. falciparum malaria. All subjects received 2.0 mg kg−1 of chlorproguanil and 2.5 mg kg−1 of dapsone.

Results

The population pharmacokinetic parameter estimates for chlorproguanil were ka = 00.09 h−1 (intersubject variability was 44%), CL/F = 51.53 l h−1 (57%), CLD/F = 54.67 l h−1, V1/F = 234.40 l (50%) and V2/F = 1612.75 l; for dapsone were ka = 00.93 h−1, CL/F = 1.99 l h−1 (72%) and V/F = 76.96 l (48%); and for chlorcycloguanil were CLm/Fm = 3.72 l h−1 kg−1 (67%) and Vm/Fm = 12.76 l kg−1 (64%). For dapsone, CL/F and V/F were both significantly positively correlated with body weight. For a 10‐kg child, the mean duration of parasitocidal activity for chlorproguanil/dapsone against the three most susceptible P. falciparum strains was 4.5 days [5th and 95th percentiles 2.4, 7.3] for W282; 5.9 days (3.6, 9.7) for ItG2F6; and 6.1 days (3.7, 10.1) for K39. For an isolate with the ile‐164‐leu mutation, V1/S, activity ranged from 0.8 days (0.0, 3.3) for a 10‐kg child to 1.8 days (0.0, 4.0) for a 60‐kg adult.

Conclusions

Plasmodium falciparum malaria has no effect on the pharmacokinetic parameters for chlorproguanil, dapsone or chlorcycloguanil. Chlorproguanil/dapsone will probably prove to be ineffective against parasite strains with the mutation ile‐164‐leu, were these to become prevalent in Africa.
The concept of nursing*
Authors: Henderson Virginia
Published: January 2006

The author contends that with the acceptance of health care as a universal human right has come a variety of national, provincial, state, and local systems for providing health care. An international network of rapid communications makes peoples everywhere aware of the variety of systems and the fact that some systems other than their own show better results, as measured by, for example, the infant mortality rate, or the incidence of venereal disease. Traditional roles for doctors, nurses, health educators, social workers and others are in question.

To meet the needs of the people, health educators, physicians, social workers, nurses and all other categories of health personnel must constantly evaluate their roles and be ready to modify them for the common good and modify the programmes that prepare them for their work. While the roles of doctors, nurses and others are, necessarily, in these rapidly changing times, in a fluid state, some health workers must provide a 24‐hour service that helps human beings with their essential daily activities when they lack the strength, knowledge, or will, to carry them out unaided and to work towards the development of a healthy independence. This intimite and essential service is, in the author's opinion, the universal element in the concept of nursing.

The most successful preparation of nurses will, the author argues, always include whatever gives them the broadest possible understanding of humanity and the world in which they live. It will also provide an opportunity to see expert nursing care given and to have the satisfaction of seeing the care they themselves give, hasten a person's recovery, help a person cope with a handicap, or die in peace when death is inevitable.
Attitudes of nursing staff in general medical wards towards activation of stroke patients
Authors: Hamrin Elisabeth
Published: January 2006

The attitudes and motivation of the nursing staff towards activation of stroke patients were studied. Staff members from two experimental wards received an educational programme on stroke. Concurrently the patients on their wards received an individually adapted nursing programme with emphasis on activation. The attitudes of the nursing staff on these wards and on two identical control wards in the same hospital were examined at 3‐month intervals with the help of a 24‐item questionnaire. There was a significant change in attitudes, judged on a scale constructed from 14 items, among the staff of the experimental wards during a 6‐month period. There were also positive changes in individual items such as attitudes to long‐term care. Fewer changes were noted among the untrained auxiliaries than among the trained staff. The high rate of turnover, especially among the untrained staff, led to certain difficulties in the collection and interpretation of data. In conclusion, the educational programme and also perhaps, the other activities of the experimental wards seemed to have affected the attitudes of the staff to some extent in a positive direction.
Evaluating handwashing technique
Authors: Larson Elaine , Lusk Ed
Published: January 2006

Though standards for handwashing have been defined, little effort has been made to assess the quality of handwashing in clinical settings. This paper describes tests of reliability and validity of tools to evaluate two aspects of handwashing — appropriateness and technique. Based on these tests, methods to evaluate handwashing are recommended.
Being old does not always mean being sick: perspectives on conditions of health as perceived by British and American elderly
Authors: Van Maanen Hanneke M. Th.
Published: January 2006

The process of ageing is frequently described in terms of decline and deterioration. Limited attention is paid to the gains in later life. Studies among self‐defined healthy American‐born elderly and ill‐healthy British‐born older persons, indicated that the perception of health was determined by many dimensions other than the absence of disease and illness. The older the person, the more emphasis was placed on health as a state of mind, even in situations of a gradually failing body. It was evident that these respondents, among them the ill‐healthy elderly, challenged the current beliefs of health and illness as perceived by health providers.
Beyond empathy: expanding expressions of caring
Authors: Morse Janice M. , Bottorff Joan , Anderson Gwen , O'Brien Beverley , Solberg Shirley
Published: January 2006

In this paper, a model describing nurses’ responses to patients who are suffering is presented. The nurse's level of engagement with the patient is affected by whether the caregiver is focused on him‐/herself or on the sufferer (i.e. embodied with the patient) and whether the caregiver is responding reflexively or with a learned response. Four types of communication patterns are identified: engaged responses (first‐level) are used in a connected relationship; when the nurse responses reflexively and is focused on him‐/herself, the response is reflected; when the caregiver is patient‐focused, a learned response is labelled a professional response; and a self‐focused, learned response is labelled detached. Examples of each type of response are provided.
Establishing rigour in qualitative research: the decision trail
Authors: Koch Tina
Published: January 2006

The aim of this paper is to show the way in which the decision trail of a qualitative research process can be maintained. It is argued that the trustworthiness (rigour) of a study may be established if the reader is able to audit the events, influences and actions of the researcher. The actual study containing the recording of this decision trail aimed to express the concerns of older patients who were admitted to the acute care sector. The study took place in two care of the elderly wards in a 1000‐bed National Health Service hospital in the UK, in 1991. Eventually, 14 patients were interviewed, each on several occasions, and their concerns are expressed in themes, namely: routine geriatric style of care, depersonalization, care deprivation and geriatric segregation. I describe the preparations that were undertaken before patient interviews could commence. The literature recording the process of the interviewer's experience as data in qualitative research is scarce. I show the researcher's participation in making the data as part of an existential phenomenological research process. Existential phenomenology relies on recording influences while generating data such as significant literature, media reports, my value position and journal data.
Is the professional code still the cornerstone of clinical nursing practice?*
Authors: Esterhuizen Philip
Published: January 2006

Although codes of practice for those concerned with the health care of others have always been inherent in the structure of societies, they have been institutionalized within the nursing discipline since the end of the last century. Up until the early 1970s they promulgated subservience to the medical discipline. As a result of the processes of emancipation and professionalization, the philosophy of the nurse has come to contain concepts of autonomy, accountability and patient‐advocacy, based on a personal and individualized care system. Research in recent years has shown that nurses are making morally sound and ethically acceptable choices based on their own decision‐making abilities, whilst having little or no active knowledge of the existing professional codes. Based on the literature, the author discusses ethical codes in relation to their perception by nurses in the clinical situation. The influence of the code in the areas of moral decision‐making, administration and management, and education are likewise discussed and the conclusion is reached that codes remain the cornerstone of nursing practice.
Protective steering: a grounded theory study of the processes by which midwives facilitate informed choices during pregnancy
Authors: Levy Valerie
Published: January 2006

Helping women to make informed choices during pregnancy is an important and complex part of a midwife's role that does not appear as yet to have been investigated in depth. The purpose of this study was to use a grounded theory approach to investigate the processes involved when midwives engage in facilitating the making of informed choices for women in the United Kingdom. Interactions between midwives and pregnant women were observed and recorded and focused interviews were conducted with the midwives. Data were analysed according to the grounded theory method. The core category was identified as protective steering, whereby midwives were concerned to protect the women in their care, as well as themselves, when choices were made. Substantive categories were orienting, protective gatekeeping and raising awareness.
Music improves sleep quality in older adults
Authors: Lai Hui‐Ling , Good Marion
Published: January 2006

Aim. The aim of this paper is to report an investigation of the effects of soft music on sleep quality in older community‐dwelling men and women in Taiwan.

Background. Sleep is a complex rhythmic state that may be affected by the ageing process. Few studies have focused on the effects of music, a non‐pharmacological method of improving the quality of sleep in older adults.

Method. A randomized controlled trial was used with a two‐group repeated measures design.

Sixty people aged 60–83 years with difficulty in sleeping were recruited through community leaders and screened using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Those reporting depression, cognitive impairment, medical or environmental problems that might interfere with sleep; and those who used sleeping medications, meditation, or caffeine at bedtime were excluded. Participants listened to their choice among six 45‐minute sedative music tapes at bedtime for 3 weeks. There were five types of Western and one of Chinese music. Sleep quality was measured with the PSQI before the study and at three weekly post‐tests. Groups were comparable on demographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, physical activity, bedtime routine, herbal tea use, napping, pain, and pretest overall sleep quality.

Results. Music resulted in significantly better sleep quality in the experimental group, as well as significantly better components of sleep quality: better perceived sleep quality, longer sleep duration, greater sleep efficiency, shorter sleep latency, less sleep disturbance and less daytime dysfunction (P = 0·04–0·001). Sleep improved weekly, indicating a cumulative dose effect.

Conclusion. The findings provide evidence for the use of soothing music as an empirically‐based intervention for sleep in older people.
Social class inequalities in childhood mortality and morbidity in an English population
Authors: Petrou Stavros , Kupek Emil , Hockley Christine , Goldacre Michael
Published: January 2006

The objective of this study was to examine the association between social class of the head of household at the time of birth and mortality and morbidity during the first 10 years of life in a cohort of all 117 212 children born to women who both lived, and delivered in hospital, in Oxfordshire or West Berkshire during the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1988. Logistic regression was used to estimate social class gradients, with odds ratios (OR), for mortality during the early neonatal period, late neonatal period, post‐neonatal period, post‐infancy period and throughout the first 10 years of life. Logistic regression was also used to estimate social class gradients, with ORs, for hospital admission rates for 16 broad groups of diseases during years 0–3, 4–6, 7–10 and throughout the first 10 years of life. Poisson regression was used to estimate social class gradients, with effect sizes, for overall hospital admission rates during years 0–3, 4–6, 7–10 and throughout the first 10 years of life.

The study revealed a significant social class gradient in mortality during the first 10 years of life (adjusted OR for each decrement in social class category 1.08; [95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.14]). The study also revealed a significant adjusted social class gradient in hospital admission rates for 14 of the 16 groups of diseases during the first 10 years of life. For the majority of these, the social class gradients had attenuated somewhat by the later childhood years. However, the social class gradient persisted throughout the first 10 years of life for diseases of the respiratory system (1.07 [1.05, 1.08]), diseases of the digestive system (1.06 [1.04, 1.09]), and injury and poisoning (1.07 [1.06, 1.09]). In addition, a significant adjusted social class gradient was found in overall hospital admission rates for each age group studied. This study suggests that there are significant social class inequalities in a wide range of adverse child health outcomes.
Measuring corticotropin‐releasing hormone in pregnant women – comparing blood collection protocols for epidemiological studies
Authors: Strong Emily F. , Kleinman Ken P. , Gillman Matthew W. , Clark Irena , Emanuel Rodica L. , Majzoub Joseph A. , Rich‐Edwards Janet W.
Published: January 2006

We describe a pilot study to determine the effect of delays in blood sample processing under simulated field conditions on measurement of corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) levels in pregnant women. CRH, a peptide secreted by the placenta into the maternal blood, is of interest in epidemiological studies of gestational duration. Many investigators suspected that CRH might break down quickly after collection, and believed the optimal treatment of blood samples for CRH must include immediate processing under chilled conditions and quick freezing of plasma. Epidemiological studies often have logistical constraints that make such rapid processing unfeasible. To examine how delays in the processing of blood samples might affect the level of measured CRH, we collected whole blood samples from 33 pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic in Boston. We compared CRH levels measured following three different processing delays with the levels of samples that were processed immediately after blood collection, the ‘gold standard’. The delayed strategies involved placing the freshly collected whole blood in a cooler or refrigerator for up to 22 h prior to processing. Correlation coefficients comparing delayed with gold standard processing exceeded 0.96. These results suggest that CRH may be measured in blood samples that were spun and frozen up to 22 h after blood collection.
Changes in dietary intake from the first to the second trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Rifas‐Shiman Sheryl L. , Rich‐Edwards Janet W. , Willett Walter C. , Kleinman Ken P. , Oken Emily , Gillman Matthew W.
Published: January 2006

Maternal diet may influence outcomes of pregnancy and childhood. Diet in the first trimester may be more important to development and differentiation of various organs, whereas diet later in pregnancy may be important for overall fetal growth as well as for brain development. To our knowledge, no studies have examined individual‐level changes in food and nutrient intake from the 1st to 2nd trimester of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to examine changes in dietary intake from the 1st to 2nd trimester of pregnancy. As part of the ongoing US prospective cohort study, Project Viva, we studied 1543 women who completed food‐frequency questionnaires that assessed dietary intakes during the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy. For both foods and energy‐adjusted nutrients, we examined changes in dietary intake from 1st to 2nd trimester.

Reported mean energy intake was similar for the 1st (2046 kcal) and 2nd (2137 kcal) trimesters. Foods and energy‐adjusted nutrients from foods whose overall mean intakes increased more than 5% from 1st to 2nd trimester were skim or 1% dairy foods (22%), whole‐fat dairy foods (15%), red and processed meat (11%), saturated fat (6%) and vitamin D (7%). Intake of caffeinated beverages (−30%) and alcoholic beverages (−88%) decreased more than 5%. Because mean multivitamin intake increased by 35% from the 1st to 2nd trimester, total micronutrient intake increased appreciably more than micronutrient intake from foods only. Correlations across trimesters ranged from 0.32 for vitamin B12 to 0.68 for fruit and vegetables.

In conclusion, for many outcomes of pregnancy and childhood, the incremental information obtained from assessing complete diet in both early and late pregnancy may not outweigh the burden to participants and investigators. However, investigators should assess caffeine, alcohol, and vitamin and supplement use in both the 1st and 2nd trimester, and consider doing so for foods and nutrients for which trimester‐specific hypotheses are well substantiated.
Reproducibility of assays for steroid hormones, prolactin and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 in umbilical cord blood
Authors: Baik Inkyung , Liu Qin , Sturgeon Susan , Stanek Edward J. , Okulicz William , Hsieh Chung‐Cheng
Published: January 2006

We assessed the reproducibility of measurements of plasma hormone and binding protein levels in umbilical cord blood collected from 30 male and female babies. They were delivered as singleton births from full‐term pregnancies (gestational age ≥ 37 weeks) in a cord blood donation programme. We assayed three plasma replicates from each cord blood sample at two points in time. Plasma oestradiol, unconjugated oestriol, testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, sex‐hormone binding globulin (SHBG), insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), and IGF binding protein‐3 (IGFBP‐3) levels were measured in duplicates in the same batch (batch 1). In addition, another set of assays was conducted for each cord blood 1 year apart in a different batch (batch 2). Means and standard deviations for each hormone and binding protein were similar in replicates assayed in batch 1 and 2. Pearson's correlation coefficients were 0.9 or higher in duplicates assayed in batch 1. The correlation coefficients were between 0.77 and 0.96 for between‐batch assays. Intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICC) were higher than 0.9 for assay of SHBG [95% CI 0.92, 1.0] and progesterone [95% CI 0.87, 0.97] and between 0.8 and 0.9 for assay of oestradiol, unconjugated oestriol, prolactin, IGF‐1, and IGFBP‐3. The lowest ICC value was found for testosterone (ICC = 0.74; [95% CI 0.56, 1.0]). These data indicate a high reproducibility of cord blood hormone measurements; minimal differences were observed between the calibrated and the original regression coefficients for the association of hormones/binding proteins with percent of CD34+ cells in mononuclear cells.
Methodological challenges in studying labour progression in contemporary practice
Authors: Vahratian Anjel , Troendle James F. , Siega‐Riz Anna Maria , Zhang Jun
Published: January 2006

In the 1950s, Emanuel Friedman described the first comprehensive method of evaluating labour in clinical practice. In this landmark work, Friedman described the relationship between the duration of labour and cervical dilation as a sigmoid curve and outlined a tool for following labour progression and for identifying abnormal labour. His definitions of labour protraction and arrest continue to be applied in contemporary obstetric practice, although there have been considerable changes since in the clinical management of labour and delivery. This paper provides an overview of Friedman's work, addresses various methodological challenges in studying labour progression, and describes the utility of more advanced statistical methods for studying labour progression, such as survival analysis, compared with other approaches. Additional research that utilises and refines such methods will provide greater insight into labour progression and may assist in updating the diagnostic criteria for labour protraction and arrest disorders in contemporary obstetric practice. Moreover, such detailed information could have important clinical implications towards reducing the rate of primary caesarean delivery in the United States.
Phylogenetic systematics and evolution of Agnotecous in New Caledonia (Orthoptera: Grylloidea, Eneopteridae)
Authors: Desutter‐Grandcolas Laure , Robillard Tony
Published: January 2006

Abstract.  Within a framework for historical analysis of Eneopterinae biogeography the New Caledonian endemic cricket genus Agnotecous Saussure, 1878 is revised: the eight already known species are diagnosed and six new species described, A. azurensis Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n., A. chopardi Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n., A. clarus Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n., A. doensis Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n., A. meridionalis Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n. and A. occidentalis Desutter‐Grandcolas sp.n. Four species groups are characterized by male genitalic structures. Identification keys are provided for both males and females. A cladistic analysis was performed using fifty‐eight morphological characters. The two resultant topologies, which differ only in topology of three apical species, support the monophyly of Agnotecous and that of the four species groups. Preliminary hypotheses of Eneopterinae historical biogeography are derived from phylogenetic and distributional data.
Phylogeny and reclassification of species groups in Aquarius Schellenberg, Limnoporus Stål and Gerris Fabricius (Insecta: Hemiptera‐Heteroptera, Gerridae)
Authors: Damgaard J. , Cognato A. I.
Published: January 2006

Abstract.  We investigated phylogenetic relationships of water striders (Hemiptera‐Heteroptera: Gerridae) from the three principal Holarctic genera, Aquarius Schellenberg, Limnoporus Stål and Gerris Fabricius with parsimony analyses of sixty‐six morphological characters and DNA sequences from mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I + II; large mitochondrial ribosomal subunit) and nuclear (elongation factor 1‐alpha) genes. The taxon sampling included all species of Aquarius and Limnoporus, and a dense, near complete, sample of Gerris species with representatives from all subgenera and species groups, and Gigantometra gigas (China) was selected as an outgroup species. A simultaneous analysis of all data sets gave eight equally parsimonious trees, and a strict consensus tree left only a few relationships within Gerris unresolved. While Limnoporus and Gerris each were resolved as monophyletic entities, Aquarius was found to be polyphyletic, because the Nearctic Aquarius remigis‐group, comprising A. remigis (Say), A. amplus (Drake and Harris), A. nyctalis (Drake and Hottes) and A. remigoides Gallant and Fairbairn, was placed as sister group to Gerris, while the Andean Aquarius chilensis (Berg) was sister group to all three genera. Remaining species of Aquarius comprised a sister group to the Gerris + the A. remigis‐group clade. Based on our phylogenetic reconstruction we discuss relationships within and among the three genera, reassess and diagnose species groups, and discuss zoogeographical relationships among all taxa.
Systematics and evolution of the cutworm moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): evidence from two protein‐coding nuclear genes
Authors: Mitchell Andrew , Mitter Charles , Regier Jerome C.
Published: January 2006

Abstract. A broad molecular systematic survey of Noctuidae was undertaken to test recent hypotheses on the problematic definitions and relationships of the subfamilies, with special emphasis on the ‘trifines.’ An initial hypothesis of noctuid classification to the subtribal level was synthesized from recent reviews, and then sampled as broadly as possible. Concatenated sequences for the nuclear geneselongation factor‐1α(EF‐1α;1200 bp) anddopa decarboxylase(DDC;700–1100 bp) were analysed for a total of 146 exemplar species, twice that of a previous study. Trees were estimated using likelihood, distance, and both equally weighted and ‘six‐parameter’ parsimony. Of the 144 possible nodes, bootstrap support (BP) was ≥ 50% for ∼80, and ≥ 80% for ∼60. There was very strong support (BP ≥ 90%) for an ‘L.A.Q.’ clade encompassing nearly all quadrifine noctuids plus Arctiidae and Lymantriidae, decisively rendering Noctuidae paraphyletic. We present a new classification for Noctuoidea in which Noctuidaesensu strictois restricted to trifines; most quadrifine subfamilies are raised to full families. Within the ‘L.A.Q.’ clade, Aganainae and Herminiinae were strongly grouped, but other relationships were weakly supported, probably due to limited taxon sampling. Nolidae and Euteliinae + Stictopterinae are generally grouped with the ‘L.A.Q.’ clade, but with weak support. All analyses favour the broadest definitions proposed for the trifine clade (our Noctuidaesensu stricto) although support is not strong, except that the exemplar of Eustrotiinae: Eublemmini is placed securely in the ‘L.A.Q.’ clade. Numerous recent proposals for dismantling and recombining the ‘Hampsonian’ traditional trifine subfamilies are strongly supported, most notably a broadly defined ‘true cutworm’ clade (Noctuinaes.l.), encompassing the greater part of the traditional subfamilies Amphipyrinae, Cuculliinae, Hadeninae and Noctuinaes.s.(BP ≥ 95%). Within this clade there is strong support for Apameinis.s.+ Xyleninis.l.and for Noctuinaes.s.and divisions thereof, but little support for monophyly or subdivision of Hadeninae. Noctuinaes.l.invariably are allied with Heliothinae, scattered remnants of the traditional Amphipyrinae, and several smaller groups in a broader ‘pest clade’, albeit with weak support. Relationships among the remaining ‘lower’ trifines are not strongly resolved. Mapping of a preliminary synopsis of species diversities, host use patterns and latitudinal distributions on the phylogeny suggests that the diversification of trifines may have been promoted, to a degree unique among Macrolepidoptera, by the Tertiary expansion of seasonal, open habitats and their associated herbaceous floras.
Plastid marker‐gene excision by transiently expressed CRE recombinase
Authors: Lutz Kerry A. , Bosacchi Massimo H. , Maliga Pal
Published: January 2006

We report plastid marker‐gene excision with a transiently expressed CRE, site‐specific recombinase. This is a novel protocol that enables rapid removal of marker genes from the approximately 10 000 plastid genome copies without transformation of the plant nucleus. Plastid marker excision was tested in tobacco plants transformed with a prototype polycistronic plastid vector, pPRV110L, designed to express multiple genes organized in an operon. The pMHB10 and pMHB11 constructs described here are dicistronic and encode genes for herbicide (bar) and spectinomycin (aadA) resistance. In vector pMHB11, expression of herbicide resistance is dependent on conversion of an ACG codon to an AUG translation initiation codon by mRNA editing, a safety feature that prevents translation of the mRNA in prokaryotes and in the plant nucleus. In the vectors, the marker gene (aadA) is flanked by 34‐bp loxP sites for excision by CRE. Marker excision by a transiently expressed CRE involves introduction of CRE in transplastomic leaves by agro‐infiltration, followed by plant regeneration. In tobacco transformed with vectors pMHB10 and pMHB11, Southern analysis and PCR identified approximately 10% of the regenerated plants as marker‐free.
Light‐dependent hypersensitive response and resistance signaling against Turnip Crinkle Virus in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chandra‐Shekara A. C. , Gupte Manisha , Navarre Duroy , Raina Surabhi , Raina Ramesh , Klessig Daniel , Kachroo Pradeep
Published: January 2006

Resistance to Turnip Crinkle Virus (TCV) in Arabidopsis ecotype Dijon (Di)‐17 is conferred by the resistance gene HRT and a recessive locus rrt. In Di‐17, TCV elicits a hypersensitive response (HR), which is accompanied by increased expression of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes and high levels of salicylic acid (SA). We have previously shown that HRT‐mediated resistance to TCV is dependent on SA‐mediated signal transduction and that increased levels of SA confer enhanced resistance to TCV via upregulation of the HRT gene. Here we show that HRT‐mediated HR and resistance are dependent on light. A dark treatment immediately following TCV inoculation suppressed HR, resistance and activation of the majority of the TCV‐induced genes. However, the absence of light did not affect either TCV‐induced elevated levels of free SA or the expression of HRT. Interestingly, in the dark, transgenic plants overexpressing HRT showed susceptibility, but overexpression of HRT coupled with high levels of endogenous SA resulted in pronounced resistance. Consistent with these results is the finding that exogenous application of SA prior to TCV inoculation partially overcame the requirement for light. Light was also required for N gene‐mediated HR and resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, suggesting that it is an important factor which may be generally required during defense signaling.
Islands of co‐expressed neighbouring genes in Arabidopsis thaliana suggest higher‐order chromosome domains
Authors: Zhan Shuhua , Horrocks Julie , Lukens Lewis N.
Published: January 2006

Biochemical and cytogenetic experiments have led to the hypothesis that eukaryotic chromatin is organized into a series of distinct domains that are functionally independent. Two expectations of this hypothesis are: (i) adjacent genes are more frequently co‐expressed than is expected by chance; and (ii) co‐expressed neighbouring genes are often functionally related. Here we report that over 10% of Arabidopsis thaliana genes are within large, co‐expressed chromosomal regions. Two per cent (497/22 520) of genes are highly co‐expressed (r > 0.7), about five times the number expected by chance. These genes fall into 226 groups distributed across the genome, and each group typically contains two to three genes. Among the highly co‐expressed groups, 40% (91/226) have genes with high amino acid sequence similarity. Nonetheless, duplicate genes alone do not explain the observed levels of co‐expression. Co‐expressed, non‐homologous genes are transcribed in parallel, share functions, and lie close together more frequently than expected. Our results show that the A. thaliana genome contains domains of gene expression. Small domains have highly co‐expressed genes that often share functional and sequence similarity and are probably co‐regulated by nearby regulatory sequences. Genes within large, significantly correlated groups are typically co‐regulated at a low level, suggesting the presence of large chromosomal domains.
Rice plants take up iron as an Fe3+‐phytosiderophore and as Fe2+
Authors: Ishimaru Yasuhiro , Suzuki Motofumi , Tsukamoto Takashi , Suzuki Kazumasa , Nakazono Mikio , Kobayashi Takanori , Wada Yasuaki , Watanabe Satoshi , Matsuhashi Shinpei , Takahashi Michiko , Nakanishi Hiromi , Mori Satoshi , Nishizawa Naoko K.
Published: January 2006

Only graminaceous monocots possess the Strategy II iron (Fe)‐uptake system in which Fe is absorbed by roots as an Fe3+‐phytosiderophore. In spite of being a Strategy II plant, however, rice (Oryza sativa) contains the previously identified Fe2+ transporter OsIRT1. In this study, we isolated the OsIRT2 gene from rice, which is highly homologous to OsIRT1. Real‐time PCR analysis revealed that OsIRT1 and OsIRT2 are expressed predominantly in roots, and these transporters are induced by low‐Fe conditions. When expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells, OsIRT2 cDNA reversed the growth defects of a yeast Fe‐uptake mutant. This was similar to the effect of OsIRT1 cDNA. OsIRT1– and OsIRT2–green fluorescent protein fusion proteins localized to the plasma membrane when transiently expressed in onion (Allium cepa L.) epidermal cells. OsIRT1 promoter–GUS analysis revealed that OsIRT1 is expressed in the epidermis and exodermis of the elongating zone and in the inner layer of the cortex of the mature zone of Fe‐deficient roots. OsIRT1 expression was also detected in the ccompanion cells. Analysis using the positron‐emitting tracer imaging system showed that rice plants are able to take up both an Fe3+‐phytosiderophore and Fe2+. This result indicates that, in addition to absorbing an Fe3+‐phytosiderophore, rice possesses a novel Fe‐uptake system that directly absorbs the Fe2+, a strategy that is advantageous for growth in submerged conditions.