bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental and fishing effects on the abundance, size and sex ratio of the blue‐throated wrasse, Notolabrus tetricus, on South Australian coastal reefs
Authors: SHEPHERD S. A. , BROOK J. B. , XIAO Y.
Published: December 2009

Abstract  The blue‐throated wrasse, Notolabrus tetricus (Richardson), is a site‐attached protogynous hermaphroditic species, with a small home range of 1000–2000 m2, and the most abundant fish on inshore coastal reefs of South Australia. Long‐term studies over 18–24 years were conducted at an island reserve site and a fished mainland reference site. At the reserve site the retention rate of fish (reduced by mortality + emigration) was directly correlated with female mean size; the female:male sex ratio ranged from 10 to 20:1, consistent with an induction‐inhibition model of sex‐change. At the fished reference site, female mean size declined under intense fishing, and the sex ratio became strongly skewed towards females. Additional spatial surveys over >2000 km of coast showed that: (1) juvenile and adult abundance was variously determined by habitat features, such as substratum‐type, depth, bottom relief, wave exposure and algal canopy cover, and by geographical factors, such as distance off‐shore and within gulfs; and (2) that female mean size and the sex ratio were strongly influenced by recreational fishing, and to a small extent by bottom relief and other factors. The results suggest that female mean size and the sex ratio together can be used as an indicator of recreational fishing intensity at local scales. As populations of sequential hermaphroditic species are sensitive to size‐selective harvesting, management measures should aim to prevent sperm limitation, reproductive failure and skewed sex ratios in this species.
Infra‐red thermometry of alpine landscapes challenges climatic warming projections
Authors: SCHERRER DANIEL , KÖRNER CHRISTIAN
Published: December 2009

Rough mountain terrain offers climatic conditions (niches) to plants and animals poorly represented by conventional climate station data. However, the extent to which actual temperatures deviate from those of the freely circulating atmosphere had never been assessed at a landscape level. Here, we quantify thermal life conditions across topographically rich mountain terrain by using a combination of thermal (IR) imagery of surface temperature with data from a large number of miniature data loggers buried at 3 cm soil depth. The data obtained from six alpine (Alps) and arctic‐alpine slopes (Norway, Sweden, Svalbard) evidence persistent root zone temperatures of 2–4 K above air temperature during summer. Surface temperatures show strong positive (2–9 K) and negative (3–8 K) deviations from air temperature on bright days and clear nights, respectively. As to be expected, south oriented slopes are warmer than west and north slopes but microclimatic variation on clear sky days was strong within all slopes, with 8.4±2.5 K (mean±SD) surface temperature differences persisting over several hours per day along horizontal (i.e., equal elevation) transects. Life conditions of alpine organisms are thus strongly decoupled from conditions in the free atmosphere and cannot reliably be inferred from climate station data in both, temperate and arctic latitudes. Microtopography can mimic temperature differences of large elevational (or latitudinal) gradients over very short horizontal distances. This is important in the context of climate change because it shows that species do not necessarily need to climb several hundred meters in elevation to escape the warmth. Quite often, few meters of horizontal shift will do. For plants unable to, or too slow to adapt to a warmer climate, thermal microhabitat mosaics offer both refuge habitats as well as stepping stones as atmospheric temperatures rise.
Polymorphisms in genes involved in autoimmune disease and the risk of FVIII inhibitor development in Italian patients with haemophilia A
Authors: BAFUNNO V. , SANTACROCE R. , CHETTA M. , D’ANDREA G. , PISANELLI D. , SESSA F. , TROTTA T. , TAGARIELLO G. , PEYVANDI F. , MARGAGLIONE M.
Published: December 2009

Summary.  One of the most severe and important complication in the treatment of patients with haemophilia A is the formation of neutralizing antibodies (FVIII inhibitors) that inhibit the clotting activity of substituted FVIII. Both genetic and environmental factors influence the susceptibility of patients to develop inhibitors. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether polymorphisms in different genes involved in the regulation of the immune system may confer susceptibility to inhibitor development in patients with HA. We analysed the distribution of polymorphisms in the CTLA4, PTPN22, IL10, TNFα, FOXP3 and IRF5 genes that have been reported to be associated with a number of autoimmune disease. In addition, we evaluated the distribution of IL10 haplotypes in haemophilic patients and healthy controls to assess whether specific polymorphisms in IL10 gene were associated to the risk of inhibitor development. We focused on a cohort of Italian unrelated haemophilic patients with and without a history of inhibitors. Genotyping was carried out with standard methods including RFLP, real time PCR and direct DNA sequencing. Our data show that, considering single nucleotide variations, genotype frequencies in patients with inhibitors were not significantly different from those observed in patients without inhibitors, suggesting a lack of association between these polymorphisms and the development of inhibitors. Moreover, no relationship was found between specific combinations of IL10 alleles and the antibody production. Previous contradictory association studies may depend on the different genetic background of the population examined. Further studies may contribute to a clearer understanding of this process.
Weak associations between human leucocyte antigen genotype and acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Björkbacka H. , Lavant E. H. , Fredrikson G. N. , Melander O. , Berglund G. , Carlson J. A. , Nilsson J.
Published: December 2009

Abstract.  Björkbacka H, Lavant EH, Fredrikson GN, Melander O, Berglund G, Carlson JA, Nilsson J (Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö; and Lund University, Lund University Hospital, Lund; Sweden). Weak associations between human leucocyte antigen genotype and acute myocardial infarction. J Intern Med 2010; 268:50–58.

Objectives.  Human leucocyte antigens (HLAs) are polymorphic molecules involved in antigen presentation. Associations between HLA type and autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, are well established but the potential association of genetic variation affecting antigen presentation with cardiovascular disease has not been systematically investigated in large cohorts. The importance of such studies is stressed by recent experimental findings of an involvement of autoimmunity in the atherosclerotic disease process.

Results.  An SSP‐PCR method was used for HLA genotyping to determine associations of HLA‐DRB1, ‐DQA1 and ‐DQB1 with cardiovascular disease in a population‐based cohort of 1188 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients and 1191 matched healthy controls. The HLA‐DRB1*0101 allele, as well as the HLA‐DRB1*0101‐DQA1*01‐DQB1*05 haplotype, was found to be associated with increased risk for AMI (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.00–1.54 for both). In contrast, the DRB1*07 and DQA*02 alleles (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.95 for both), as well as the DRB1*07‐DQA*02‐DQB*02 haplotype, conferred protection (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.63–0.98). An HLA risk score taking each individual’s both haplotypes into account was higher amongst cases (2.43 ± 0.92 vs. 2.29 ± 0.95, P = 0.001). The association between HLA risk score and AMI was independent of other cardiovascular risk factors assessed.

Conclusions.  This study demonstrates that the associations between HLA‐DRB1 and DQA1 loci and cardiovascular disease exists but that they are considerably weaker than those previously reported for other diseases with an established autoimmune aetiology such as type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Epidemiology of dark leaf spot caused by Alternaria brassicicola and A. brassicae in organic seed production of cauliflower
Authors: Köhl J. , Van Tongeren C. A. M. , Groenenboom‐de Haas B. H. , Van Hoof R. A. , Driessen R. , Van Der Heijden L.
Published: December 2009

In organic seed production of Brassica vegetables, infections by Alternaria brassicicola and A. brassicae can cause severe losses of yield and seed quality. Four field experiments with or without artificial inoculation with A. brassicicola were conducted in organically managed seed‐production crops of cauliflower cv. Opaal RZ in 2005 and 2006 in the Netherlands. The development of A. brassicicola and A. brassicae on pod tissues and developing seeds was followed and seed quality was assessed. Alternaria brassicicola was externally present on 1·2% of the seeds 14 days after flowering and observed internally within 4 weeks after flowering. In both seasons, seed colonization by the pathogen increased slowly until maturation but sharply increased during maturation. A similar pattern was found for the colonization of pod tissues by A. brassicicola as quantified by TaqMan‐PCR. The incidence of A. brassicicola on mature seeds reached 70–90%. Internal colonization was found for 62–80% of the seeds. External and internal seed colonization by A. brassicae was much lower, with incidences below 3%. The quality of harvested seeds was generally low, with less than 80% of seeds able to germinate. Seed quality was not affected by warm water treatments. It was concluded that A. brassicicola and A. brassicae have the potential to infect pods and seeds soon after flowering. For the production of high quality seeds, producers must prevent such early infections. Therefore, new control measures are needed for use in organic cropping systems.
Cutaneous infiltrates and peripheral blood immune responses in dogs with immunomodulatory‐responsive lymphocytic–plasmacytic pododermatitis
Authors: Breathnach Rory M. , Fanning Shay , Mulcahy Grace , Bassett Hugh F. , Strobl Eric , Jones Boyd R.
Published: December 2009

This study characterizes T‐ and B‐lymphocyte responses in the peripheral blood and lesional skin of dogs with immunomodulatory‐responsive lymphocytic–plasmacytic pododermatitis (ImR‐LPP), a term previously proposed to denote a subpopulation of dogs with idiopathic pododermatitis. T‐cell (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+) and B‐cell (CD21+) counts were significantly increased in both the epidermis and dermis of lesional ImR‐LPP skin compared with that in pedal skin from healthy controls. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD21+ cells were commonly observed in perivascular sites in the superficial dermis, periadnexally, beneath the dermal–epidermal (DE) junction and in the epidermis of lesional ImR‐LPP skin. The CD8+/CD3+ T‐cell ratio in peripheral blood was significantly increased in the ImR‐LPP group (0.42 versus 0.35 in controls). Serum IgA, IgG and IgM concentrations were all significantly elevated in affected dogs. Lymphocyte stimulation indices in ImR‐LPP dogs were comparable with control levels except for a lower response to ionomycin (6.0 versus 11.1). Dogs with ImR‐LPP had a higher incidence and mean (semi‐quantitative) score for IgA, IgG and IgM deposits in the epidermis, and a significantly increased incidence of dermal IgA+, IgG+ and IgM+ mononuclear inflammatory cells. The results indicate that upregulated T‐ and B‐lymphocyte responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of the skin lesions observed in dogs with ImR‐LPP.
Preservation of the donor pancreas for whole pancreas and islet transplantation
Authors: Ridgway Dan , Manas Derek , Shaw James , White Steve
Published: December 2009

Ridgway D, Manas D, Shaw J, White S. Preservation of the donor pancreas for whole pancreas and islet transplantation. Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 1–19. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract: Whole pancreas and islet cell transplantation are both reliant upon the procurement and preservation of a high quality donor pancreas for a successful outcome. In the climate of a reducing donor pool it is imperative that donor optimization, meticulous surgical retrieval and evidence based methods of preservation are practiced to ensure optimal graft quality. Moreover expanded criteria donors and novel methods of pancreas preservation have the potential to expand the number of usable grafts and increase the availability of these transplant modalities to suitable patients with diabetes. This article provides a review of the current literature surrounding donor management, surgical technique and the various technologies of organ preservation applicable to the donor pancreas.
Regional cerebral blood flow responses to hyperventilation during sevoflurane anaesthesia studied with PET
Authors: SCHLÜNZEN L. , VAFAEE M. S. , JUUL N. , COLD G. E.
Published: December 2009

Background: Arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) is an important factor controlling cerebral blood flow (CBF) in neurosurgical patients. It is still unclear whether the hypocapnia‐induced decrease in CBF is a general effect on the brain or rather linked to specific brain regions. We evaluated the effects of hyperventilation on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in healthy volunteers during sevoflurane anaesthesia measured with positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: Eight human volunteers were anaesthetized with sevoflurane 1 MAC, while exposed to hyperventilation. During 1 MAC sevoflurane at normocapnia and 1 MAC sevoflurane at hypocapnia, one H215O scan was performed. Statistical parametric maps and conventional regions of interest analysis were used for estimating rCBF differences.

Results: Cardiovascular parameters were maintained constant over time. During hyperventilation, the mean PaCO2 was decreased from 5.5 ± 0.7 to 3.8 ± 0.9 kPa. Total CBF decreased during the hypocapnic state by 44%. PET revealed wide variations in CBF between regions. The greatest values of vascular responses during hypocapnia were observed in the thalamus, medial occipitotemporal gyrus, cerebellum, precuneus, putamen and insula regions. The lowest values were observed in the superior parietal lobe, middle and inferior frontal gyrus, middle and inferior temporal gyrus and precentral gyrus. No increases in rCBF were observed.

Conclusions: This study reports highly localized and specific changes in rCBF during hyperventilation in sevoflurane anaesthesia, with the most pronounced decreases in the sub cortical grey matter. Such regional heterogeneity of the cerebral vascular response should be considered in the assessment of cerebral perfusion reserve during hypocapnia.
Predictive ability of propofol effect–site concentrations during fast and slow infusion rates
Authors: SEPÚLVEDA P. O. , CORTÍNEZ L. I. , RECART A. , MUÑOZ H. R.
Published: December 2009

Background: The performance of propofol effect–site pharmacokinetic models during target‐controlled infusion (TCI) might be affected by propofol administration rate. This study compares the predictive ability of three effect–site pharmacokinetic models during fast and slow infusion rates, utilizing the cerebral state index (CSI) as a monitor of consciousness.

Methods: Sixteen healthy volunteers, 21–45 years of age, were randomly assigned to receive either a bolus dose of propofol 1.8 mg/kg at a rate of 1200 ml/h or an infusion of 12 mg/kg/h until 3–5 min after loss of consciousness (LOC). After spontaneous recovery of the CSI, the bolus was administered to patients who had first received the infusion and vice versa. The study was completed after spontaneous recovery of CSI following the second dose scheme. LOC was assessed and recorded when it occurred. Adequacies of model predictions during both administration schemes were assessed by comparing the effect–site concentrations estimated at the time of LOC during the bolus dose and during the infusion scheme.

Results: LOC occurred 0.97 ± 0.29 min after the bolus dose and 6.77 ± 3.82 min after beginning the infusion scheme (P<0.05). The Ce estimated with Schnider (ke0=0.45/min), Marsh (ke0=1.21/min) and Marsh (ke0=0.26/min) at LOC were 4.40 ± 1.45, 3.55 ± 0.64 and 1.28 ± 0.44 μg/ml during the bolus dose and 2.81 ± 0.61, 2.50 ± 0.39 and 1.72 ± 0.41 μg/ml, during the infusion scheme (P<0.05). The CSI values observed at LOC were 70 ± 4 during the bolus dose and 71 ± 2 during the infusion scheme (NS).

Conclusion: Speed of infusion, within the ranges allowed by TCI pumps, significantly affects the accuracy of Ce predictions. The CSI monitor was shown to be a useful tool to predict LOC in both rapid and slow infusion schemes.
The Use of Ratings and Direct Behavioural Observation to Measure Temperament Traits in Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)
Authors: Fox Rebecca A. , Millam James R.
Published: December 2009

Consistent individual variation in behaviour (often referred to as ‘temperament’ or ‘personality’) has increasingly been shown to be relevant to understanding patterns of behaviour that may influence survival and reproductive success. Although observer ratings on expert‐nominated behavioural descriptors have been successfully used to identify and measure temperament traits in non‐human primates and other species, some researchers argue that these measurements may be contaminated by observer bias both in the nomination of descriptors and in ratings of individual animals by the observers. Instead, it has been suggested that a better means of measuring temperament relies on a bottom‐up approach based on direct, quantitative measurements of a species’ behavioural repertoire. In this study, we compare the utility of a trait‐nomination‐and‐ratings approach and an approach using direct behavioural observation for identifying and describing the patterning of temperament traits a captive population of cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). Our data show that the nomination‐based and the behavioural repertoire‐based approaches yield very similar pictures of the patterning of temperament traits in cockatiels, although trait scales generated using the nomination‐and‐ratings approach have higher internal consistency. Additionally, trait scores on both the behavioural repertoire‐based trait scales and the nomination/ratings‐based trait scales show reasonable power to predict observed behaviour, consistent with findings in both humans and non‐human animals. The nomination/ratings approach seems to be more powerful in predicting birds’ behaviour towards novel objects. While further validation is certainly needed, the present results suggest that both methods may have some utility for describing temperament in cockatiels.
Adult Responses to Larval Population Size in the Almond Moth, Cadra cautella
Authors: McNamara Kathryn B. , Elgar Mark A. , Jones Therésa M.
Published: December 2009

Juvenile population size may affect the potential for future mating opportunities and therefore potentially sperm competition; this may favour ontogenetic adjustments in sperm production. Theory predicts that males should optimize their ejaculatory investment in accordance with the risk of sperm competition. Evidence for these theories is typically revealed in males of highly polyandrous species. Whether such responses to environmental cues exist for females, or are maintained in mildly polyandrous species in which most females do not re‐mate, is unknown. Male lepidopterans produce normal, fertilizing sperm (eupyrene) and non‐fertilizing (apyrene) sperm. Apyrene sperm are associated with reduced female receptivity, suggesting a role in sperm competition. We tested the effect of juvenile population size on life‐history parameters and reproductive investment in the mildly polyandrous almond moth, Cadra cautella, a species in which current male ejaculate traits suggest previous selection for paternity protection consistent with a sperm‐competitive environment. Larvae were reared at high (H) or low population sizes (L). We recorded larval development time, adult longevity and male gametic investment. Our results show a response by adults to signals in the juvenile environment. H males transferred more apyrene, but not eupyrene sperm. We also examined potential trade‐offs between somatic characters and reproductive behaviours. Larval duration was longer for H individuals, females and heavier individuals. Further, H females and L males lived longer than L females. Our data are consistent with the theory that males should adjust their reproductive investment in accordance with sperm competition risk.
Chemical Mediation of Prey Recognition by Spider‐Hunting Wasps
Authors: Uma Divya B. , Weiss Martha R.
Published: December 2009

Predator–prey interactions are important in maintaining the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. Both predators and prey use cues from a range of sensory modalities to detect and assess one another; identification of these cues is necessary to understand how selection operates to shape predator–prey interactions. Mud‐dauber wasps (Sphecidae) provision their larval nests with paralyzed spiders, and different genera of wasps specialize on particular spider taxa.Sceliphron caementarium(Drury 1773) wasps preferentially capture spiders that build two‐dimensional (2D) webs, rather than those that construct three‐dimensional (3D) webs, but the basis of this preference is not clear. Wasps may choose spiders based on an assessment of their web architecture, as 3D webs may provide better defenses against wasp predation than do 2D webs. However, because many hymenopterans use chemical cues to locate and recognize prey, it is also possible that mud‐dauber wasps rely on chemical cues associated with the spider and/or the web to assess prey suitability. When we offered foragingS. caementariumwasps 2D and 3D spiders both on and off their webs, we found that in both cases the wasps took 2D spiders and avoided 3D spiders, demonstrating that the web itself is not the impediment. Results of a series of behavioral choice assays involving filter paper discs containing spider cues and chemically manipulated spiders or spider dummies corroborated the importance of spider chemical cues in mediation of prey recognition by mud‐dauber wasps. We also discuss the relative importance of visual and chemical cues for prey recognition by wasps, examine the anti‐predator behaviors of 2D and 3D spiders, and consider the role of wasp predation in spider diversification.
Paternity Loss in Relation to Male Age, Territorial Behaviour and Stress in the Pied Flycatcher
Authors: Moreno Juan , Martínez Juan‐Gabriel , Morales Judith , Lobato Elisa , Merino Santiago , Tomás Gustavo , Vásquez Rodrigo A. , Möstl Erich , Osorno José L.
Published: December 2009

For sexual selection to operate in monogamous species, males of poor quality in some factor like age, ornamentation, condition or aggressiveness, should lose paternity compared with higher quality males. We tested this idea in an Iberian population of pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). Microsatellite analysis of 67 broods revealed moderate levels of extra‐pair paternity (22.4% of broods, 7.5% of young). In a sample of 58 broods for which the caring male was identified, a higher paternity loss was associated with younger males, males that were less aggressive during territorial intrusion tests performed before the commencement of laying, and with males that showed higher levels of corticosterone metabolites in faecal samples collected at the end of the nestling period. Plumage darkness, forehead patch size and condition were not related to paternity loss. Paternity loss is more related to behavioural or physiological traits than to morphological ones in this population.
Boldness and Reproductive Fitness Correlates in the Eastern Mosquitofish,Gambusia holbrooki
Authors: Wilson Alexander D. M. , Godin Jean‐Guy J. , Ward Ashley J. W.
Published: December 2009

Animals are known to exhibit ‘personality’; that is, individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across time and/or situations. One axis of personality of particular importance for behavioural ecology is boldness, which can be defined as the tendency of an individual to take risks. The relationship between individual personality and fitness correlates, particularly those involved in reproduction, remains largely unexplored. In the current study, we used female Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) to ascertain whether certain reproductive traits (e.g. stage of pregnancy, fecundity) are correlated with individual personality in two wild populations in New South Wales, Australia. To quantitatively assess this relationship, we tested individual fish for their level of boldness, as measured by their latency to exit a refuge and tendency to shoal in a novel environment. We also quantified individual differences in general activity and tendency to swim near the water surface and substratum. For both populations taken together, bolder individuals tended to be smaller, relatively less fecund (when taking body size into account), and spent more time near the water surface than near the substratum compared with timid individuals. Individual boldness was not correlated with either general activity or stage of pregnancy. To our knowledge, our study characterizes for the first time a relationship between an individual personality trait (boldness) and a reproductive fitness correlate (fecundity) in fishes.
Identification of New Members of Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris Affecting Tomato Plants in Poland
Authors: Krawczyk Krzysztof , Pospieszny Henryk , Kamasa Joanna
Published: December 2009

Two symptomatic tomato plants exhibiting dwarfing, twisting of shoots and leaves, virescence and phyllody of flowers were collected, respectively, from a greenhouse (Soly07fi) or the field (Soly06gh) in the western region of Poland. Direct and nested polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed using universal phytoplasma primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the PCR products showed that the RFLP profiles of both tested phytoplasma isolates are the same and that they belong to the phytoplasma 16S rRNA I‐C subgroup. The homology between the two strains was 99%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the phytoplasma isolates and other phytoplasma sequences available in the GenBank database indicated that the Polish phytoplasma isolates are most closely related to the phytoplasma 16S rRNA I‐C subgroup.
Single‐incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) in complex colorectal surgery: a technique offering potential and not just cosmesis
Authors: Chambers W. M. , Bicsak M. , Lamparelli M. , Dixon A. R.
Published: December 2009

Aim  Single‐incision (or port) laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has recently emerged as a method to improve morbidity and cosmetic benefit of conventional laparoscopic surgery. The literature contains two reports of SILS right hemicolectomy, and we report our experience of this technique.

Method  Seven consecutive, unselected patients underwent SILS retrocaecal appendicectomy, right hemicolectomy, extended right hemicolectomy, colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis, proctocolectomy, anterior resection and restorative proctocolectomy/ileoanal pouch using a single Triport (Olympus Keymed, Southend, UK), conventional instrumentation and nerve block analgesia. Three had undergone previous surgery, two had cancer and two were immunosuppressed.

Results  Umbilical, right‐ and left‐iliac fossa SILS was feasible using conventional instruments. Operative time ranged between 23 and 195 min (median 48 min). Four patients tolerated normal diet within 6 h (12–16 h for the remainder). Only one patient required postoperative enteral morphine (10 mg × 4). Discharge occurred between 8 and 90 h (median 16 h) of surgery. A secondary haemorrhage from the ileorectal anastomosis was managed conservatively.

Conclusion  SILS colorectal resection is feasible and safe when performed by an experienced laparoscopic surgeon and theatre team. It may have advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery in terms of reduced pain, lower cost, faster recovery and cosmesis.
The role of cell proliferation and crypt fission in adenoma aggressiveness: a comparison of ileoanal pouch and rectal adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis
Authors: Will O. C. C. , Deheragoda M. , Phillips R. K. S. , Clark S. K. , Tomlinson I. P. M.
Published: December 2009

Aim  In patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), ileoanal pouch cancer is rare whereas rectal cancer is common, despite polyp initiation at the two sites being similar at the molecular level. This study investigated whether the disparity in adenoma aggressiveness reflects underlying differences in histogenesis.

Method  Normal mucosal biopsies and 2–3 mm adenomas from patients with FAP were dissected into individual crypts. Crypt area, morphology, fission and mitoses were analysed for crypts from pouch, rectum and supra‐anastomotic ileum. Immunohistochemistry of similar archival samples was performed for lysozyme, β‐catenin and TP53 expression.

Results  The morphology of normal crypts was similar at each site, although crypt area differed. The area of normal pouch crypts was intermediate between rectum and ileum. The area of adenomatous crypts of rectum and pouch was similar, but the latter had increased asymmetrical fission. Crypt mitoses were proportional to area in all tissues, but crypt fission was reduced in adenomatous crypts from the rectum compared with the pouch. Pouch adenomas retained lysozyme expression as seen in normal ileum. Nuclear β‐catenin accumulation was similar, but TP53 expression was increased in rectal adenomas.

Conclusion  Diminutive polyps from rectum and pouch differ in morphology and proliferation. Aggressiveness in rectal polyps is not conferred by increased crypt proliferation, fission, or activation of the Wnt signalling pathway. Increased TP53 expression suggests other molecular mechanisms may be responsible. While crypt mitoses are proportional to crypt area, the threshold for fission may be site specific, indicating that tissue origin may influence histogenesis and thus malignant potential.
Long‐term functional outcome and quality of life after restorative proctocolectomy with ileo‐anal anastomosis for colitis
Authors: Andersson T. , Lunde O. C. , Johnson E. , Moum T. , Nesbakken A.
Published: December 2009

Aim  The study aimed to evaluate long‐term health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional outcome in patients who had undergone restorative proctocolectomy with ileo‐anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis.

Method  A total of 156 patients who underwent IPAA during the period 1984–2003 and who still had an intact pouch were included. The HRQOL score was compared with 4152 individuals from the general Norwegian population using the SF‐36 questionnaire, and function was evaluated using the Wexner Continence Grading Scale.

Results  One hundred and ten (71%) patients answered the questionnaires, 60 (55%) of whom were men. All except five patients had ulcerative colitis. Median (range) age at interview was 47 (19–66) years, and time after surgery was 12 (2–22) years. The IPAA patients scored slightly, but significantly, lower in four of six SF‐36 health domains than the control subjects, adjusted for age and gender. Multiple regression analysis showed frequency of nocturnal defaecation, faecal incontinence and urgency to be independent negative prognostic factors of quality of life. Frequency of defaecation was a median of 7 (3–12) bowel movements during the day and 2 (0–6) at night. The majority had some degree of faecal incontinence, median (range) Wexner score of 8 (0–17), and 40% reported urgency of defaecation necessitating alterations in lifestyle.

Conclusion  Patients with IPAA reported slightly lower HRQOL rates than the general population and had an inferior functional outcome.
Resistance training for obese, type 2 diabetic adults: a review of the evidence
Authors: Hills A. P , Shultz S. P , Soares M. J , Byrne N. M , Hunter G. R , King N. A , Misra A
Published: December 2009

In both developed and developing countries, increased prevalence of obesity has been strongly associated with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the adult population. Previous research has emphasized the importance of physical activity in the prevention and management of obesity and T2DM, and generic exercise guidelines originally developed for the wider population have been adapted for these specific populations. However, the guidelines traditionally focus on aerobic training without due consideration to other exercise modalities. Recent reviews on resistance training in the T2DM population have not compared this modality with others including aerobic training, or considered the implications of resistance training for individuals suffering from both obesity and T2DM. In short, the optimal mix of exercise modalities in the prescription of exercise has not been identified for it benefits to the metabolic, body composition and muscular health markers common in obesity and T2DM. Similarly, the underlying physical, social and psychological barriers to adopting and maintaining exercise, with the potential to undermine the efficacy of exercise interventions, have not been addressed in earlier reviews. Because it is well established that aerobic exercise has profound effects on obesity and T2DM risk, the purpose of this review was to address the importance of resistance training to obese adults with T2DM.
SIM‐NET: A View‐Based Semantic Similarity Model forAd HocNetworks of Geospatial Databases
Authors: Bakillah Mohamed , Bédard Yvan , Mostafavi Mir Abolfazl , Brodeur Jean
Published: December 2009

Semantic similarity is a fundamental notion in GIScience for achieving semantic interoperability among geospatial data. Until now, several semantic similarity models have been proposed; however, few of these models address the issues related to the assessment of semantic similarity in ad hoc networks. Also, several models are based on a definition of concepts where features are independent, an assumption that reduces the richness of the geospatial concept representation. This article presents the conceptual basis for Sim‐Net, a novel semantic similarity model forad hocnetworks based on Description Logics (DL). Sim‐Net is based on the multi‐view paradigm. This paradigm is used to includeinferential knowledgein semantic similarity, that is, the knowledge about implicit dependencies between features of concepts. In Sim‐Net, assessing semantic similarity relies on the notions of Semantic Reference Systems and Formal Concept Analysis (FCA), which are combined to establish a common semantic reference frame for ontologies of thead hocnetwork called the view lattice. The Sim‐Net semantic similarity measure distinguishes concepts that belong to different or similar domains and takes into account the neighbours of a concept in the network. An application example is used to show the positive impact of the properties of Sim‐Net.
A GIS‐based Reconstruction of Little Ice Age Glacier Maximum Extents for South Tyrol, Italy
Authors: Knoll Christoph , Kerschner Hanns , Heller Armin , Rastner Philipp
Published: December 2009

A reconstruction method of historical glacier topographies and possible uses of these results are demonstrated in this article. This reconstruction was accomplished for 310 Alpine glaciers in South Tyrol, Italy. These glaciers are featured with a wealth of different historical (e.g. paintings, photographs and historical maps) and recent data sources (airborne laser scan based digital terrain model and digital orthophotos) that allow the reconstruction of the Little Ice Age maximum extension. These sources are among the best historical and recent documents of glaciers for the mid‐nineteenth century. The results of this reconstruction visualize the ongoing climate change in a comprehensive way. The area changes between the time of the Little Ice Age maximum extent (around the year 1850) and the recent glaciation in 2006 amounts to a loss of 182.4 km2or almost 66%. In the same time, the calculated mean equilibrium line altitude for all South Tyrolean glaciers rose approximately by 160 m.
A GIS‐based Stochastic Approach to Generating Daytime Population Distributions for Vehicle Route Planning
Authors: Lau Kwok Hung
Published: December 2009

This article explores the use of daytime population distributions for vehicle route planning in urban environments when proximity to population is a major consideration. A GIS‐based stochastic geocoding algorithm is proposed to generate daytime population distribution patterns using travel survey data. Metropolitan Melbourne in Australia is used as a test case with data collected from the Victorian Activity and Travel Survey between 1994 and 1999. The advantage of employing daytime population distributions for vehicle route planning is then illustrated taking dangerous goods delivery and mobile billboard advertising as examples. Analysis suggests that the proposed algorithm generates population distribution patterns with finer spatial and temporal details than that obtained using other estimation methods. The algorithm also eliminates the problem of over‐ or under‐estimation of population associated with previous attempts using travel survey data and therefore provides more accurate results.
Evaluating User Experience of Experiential GIS
Authors: Hodza Paddington
Published: December 2009

Evaluating user‐system interaction is important to develop effective and acceptable systems. Traditionally, geospatial systems are evaluated in terms of usability with emphasis on completing application tasks and goals. This focus ignores the non‐functional aspects that separate systems with similar usability and functionality, and complete a user's experience. An alternative and holistic user experience (UX) concept that encompasses functional (e.g. usability, ergonomics, etc.) and non‐functional (e.g. aesthetics, emotions, pleasure, cognitive stimulation, etc.) dimensions was adopted to evaluate an innovative Experiential GIS (EGIS). The EGIS is an immersive geospatial system that disengages the user from the real‐world and renders the user present in 3D geovirtual scenes with real‐time sensorimotor feedback. This system was assessed in a soil mapping application involving four collaborating soil scientists. The scientists had very positive reactions, common viewpoints and occasionally varying perceptions of EGIS and the geovirtual soil mapping technique. They viewed the system as intuitive, enjoyable and capable of improving the speed and quality of soil mapping, and identified the system's strengths as including co‐experiential knowledge construction and a ‘go anywhere’ capability that enabled access to physically inaccessible and trespass prohibited areas. The scientists' views were more varied about the role of EGIS in minimizing soil mapping labor and costs.
Tensions and Paradoxes in Electronic Patient Record Research: A Systematic Literature Review Using the Meta‐narrative Method
Authors: GREENHALGH TRISHA , POTTS HENRY W.W. , WONG GEOFF , BARK PIPPA , SWINGLEHURST DEBORAH
Published: December 2009

Context:The extensive research literature on electronic patient records (EPRs) presents challenges to systematic reviewers because it covers multiple research traditions with different underlying philosophical assumptions and methodological approaches.

Methods:Using the meta‐narrative method and searching beyond the Medline‐indexed literature, this review used “conflicting” findings to address higher‐order questions about how researchers had differently conceptualized and studied the EPR and its implementation.

Findings:Twenty‐four previous systematic reviews and ninety‐four further primary studies were considered. Key tensions in the literature centered on (1) the EPR (“container” or “itinerary”); (2) the EPR user (“information‐processer” or “member of socio‐technical network”); (3) organizational context (“the setting within which the EPR is implemented” or “the EPR‐in‐use”); (4) clinical work (“decision making” or “situated practice”); (5) the process of change (“the logic of determinism” or “the logic of opposition”); (6) implementation success (“objectively defined” or “socially negotiated”); and (7) complexity and scale (“the bigger the better” or “small is beautiful”).

Conclusions:The findings suggest that EPR use will always require human input to recontextualize knowledge; that even though secondary work (audit, research, billing) may be made more efficient by the EPR, primary clinical work may be made less efficient; that paper may offer a unique degree of ecological flexibility; and that smaller EPR systems may sometimes be more efficient and effective than larger ones. We suggest an agenda for further research.
Expensive Cancer Drugs: A Comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom
Authors: FADEN RUTH R. , CHALKIDOU KALIPSO , APPLEBY JOHN , WATERS HUGH R. , LEIDER JONATHON P.
Published: December 2009

Context:This article compares the United Kingdom's and the United States’ experiences with expensive cancer drugs to illustrate the challenges posed by new, extremely costly, medical technologies.

Methods:This article describes British and American coverage, access, and cost‐sharing policies with regard to expensive cancer drugs and then compares the costs of eleven such drugs to British patients, American Medicare beneficiaries, and American patients purchasing the drugs in the retail market. Three questions posed by these comparisons are then examined: First, which system is fairer? In which system are cancer patients better off? Assuming that no system can sustainably provide to everyone at least some expensive cancer drugs for some clinical indications, what challenges does each system face in making these difficult determinations?

Findings:In both the British and American health care systems, not all patients who might benefit from or desire access to expensive cancer drugs have access to them. The popular characterization of the United States, where all cancer drugs are available for all to access as and when needed, and that of the British NHS, where top‐down population rationing poses insurmountable obstacles to British patients’ access, are far from the reality in both countries.

Conclusions:Key elements of the British system are fairer than the American system, and the British system is better structured to deal with difficult decisions about expensive end‐of‐life cancer drugs. Both systems face common ethical, financial, organizational, and priority‐setting challenges in making these decisions.
Translating Medical Effectiveness Research into Policy: Lessons from the California Health Benefits Review Program
Authors: COFFMAN JANET M. , HONG MI‐KYUNG , AUBRY WADE M. , LUFT HAROLD S. , YELIN EDWARD
Published: December 2009

Context: Legislatures and executive branch agencies in the United States and other nations are increasingly using reviews of the medical literature to inform health policy decisions. To clarify these efforts to give policymakers evidence of medical effectiveness, this article discusses the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP). This program, based at the University of California, analyzes the medical effectiveness of health insurance benefit mandate bills for the California legislature, as well as their impact on cost and public health.

Methods: This article is based on the authors’ experience reviewing benefit mandate bills for CHBRP and findings from evaluations of the program. General observations are illustrated with examples from CHBRP's reports. Information about efforts to incorporate evidence into health policymaking in other states and nations was obtained through a review of published literature.

Findings: CHBRP produces reports that California legislators, legislative staff, and other major stakeholders value and use routinely in deliberations about benefit mandate bills. Where available, the program relies on previously published meta‐analyses and systematic reviews to streamline the review of the medical literature. Faculty and staff responsible for the medical effectiveness sections of CHBRP's reports have learned four major lessons over the course of the program's six‐year history: the need to (1) recognize the limitations of the medical literature, (2) anticipate the need to inform legislators about the complexity of evidence, (3) have realistic expectations regarding the impact of medical effectiveness reviews, and (4) understand the consequences of the reactive nature of mandated benefit reviews.

Conclusions: CHBRP has demonstrated that it is possible to produce useful reviews of the medical literature within the tight time constraints of the legislative process. The program's reports have provided state legislators with independent analyses that allow them to move beyond sifting through conflicting information from proponents and opponents to consider difficult policy choices and their implications.
Research and Advice Giving: A Functional View of Evidence‐Informed Policy Advice in a Canadian Ministry of Health
Authors: LOMAS JONATHAN , BROWN ADALSTEINN D.
Published: December 2009

Context: As evidence‐based medicine grows in influence and scope, its applicability to health policy prompts two questions: Can the principles and, more specifically, the tools used to bring research into the clinical world apply to civil servants offering advice to politicians? If not, what approach should the evidence‐oriented health policy organization take to improve the use of research?

Methods: This article reviews evidence‐based medicine and models of research use in policy. Then it reports the results of interviews with civil servants in the Ontario Ministry of Health, which recently adopted a stewardship rather than an operational role, incorporating many evidence‐oriented strategies. The interviews focused on functional roles for research‐based evidence in policy advice.

Findings: The clinical context and tools for evidence‐based medicine can rarely be generalized to policy. Most current models of research use offer lessons to researchers wishing to apply their work to policy but little help for civil servants wishing to become more evidence oriented. The interviews revealed functional roles for research in setting agendas (noting upcoming issues and screening interest groups’ claims), developing new policies (reducing uncertainty, helping speak truth to power, and preventing repetition and duplication), and monitoring or modifying existing policies (continuously improving programs and creating a culture of inquiry). Each area requires different tools to help filter the push of evidence from researchers and set agendas, to facilitate the urgent pull on relevant research by civil servants developing new policy, and to support ongoing linkage and exchange between civil servants and researchers for monitoring and modifying existing policy.

Conclusions: A functional framework for evidence‐informed policy advice is useful for distinguishing the activity from evidence‐based medicine and “auditing” the balance of efforts across the different functional roles of research in policy.
Membrane steroid‐binding protein 1 induced by a diffusible fungal signal is critical for mycorrhization in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Kuhn Hannah , Küster Helge , Requena Natalia
Published: December 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03156.xCommentary p 593