bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunoblotting using multiple antigens is essential to demonstrate the true risk of Helicobacter pylori infection for gastric cancer
Authors: MITCHELL H. , ENGLISH D. R. , ELLIOTT F. , GENGOS M. , BARRETT J. H. , GILES G. G. , FORMAN D.
Published: September 2008

Background  Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection, using IgG antibodies, may significantly underestimate the association with gastric cancer.

Aim  To compare associations between H. pylori and cardia (CGC) and noncardia gastric cancer (NCGC) using ELISA and immunoblotting and determine the effect of atrophic gastritis on detection.

Methods  Nested case–control study within the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Helicobacter pylori antibodies were detected in subjects with CGC (n = 18), NCGC (n = 34) and controls (n = 69 and 134 respectively) using ELISA (pylori DTect) and immunoblot (Helicoblot 2.1). Pepsinogen I levels were measured using ELISA.

Results  Using ELISA, H. pylori‐positivity in the CGC group was 33% vs. 35% in controls [odds ratio (OR = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.3–2.7)], while that in the NCGC group was 79% vs. 63% in controls [OR = 2.3 (95% CI: 0.9–5.8)]. Based on immunoblotting, H. pylori‐positivity in the CGC group was 44% vs. 39% in their controls [OR = 1.2 (95% CI: 0.4–3.4)], while that in the NCGC group was 94% vs. 63% in controls [OR = 10.6 (95% CI: 2.4–47.4)]. Pepsinogen I levels in the NCGC cases and controls showed the lowest median level (4 ng/mL) to be in subjects negative by ELISA but positive by immunoblotting.

Conclusion  Immunoblotting improves the accuracy of H. pylori studies involving gastric cancer.
Clinical trial: randomized controlled study of zidovudine and lamivudine for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis stabilized on ursodiol
Authors: MASON A. L. , LINDOR K. D. , BACON B. R. , VINCENT C. , NEUBERGER J. M. , WASILENKO S. T.
Published: September 2008

Background  A human betaretrovirus has been characterized from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Uncontrolled studies using combination anti‐retroviral therapy have reported significant biochemical and histological improvement.

Aim  To conduct a double‐blind, randomized controlled trial as a proof of principal to link infection with PBC.

Methods  Fifty‐nine patients with an alkaline phosphatase level >1.5 upper limits of normal stabilized on ursodeoxycholic acid therapy were randomized to either 300 mg zidovudine and 150 mg lamivudine b.d. or placebo for 6 months.

Results  None of the patients normalized alkaline phosphatase and no significant differences were observed in normalizing serum aminotransferase levels. Significant differences were observed in the anti‐viral vs. placebo arms with improvements in serial alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.04), alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.03) and aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.04) levels as well as clinical score (P < 0.02). After 6 months, 25% of patients in the placebo arm and 4% in the anti‐viral arm had evidence of virus in serum.

Conclusions  The study endpoints for normalizing hepatic biochemistry were too stringent to show efficacy for zidovudine and lamivudine therapy despite the demonstrable impact on clinical and biochemical improvement. Accordingly, more potent anti‐viral regimens will be required to confirm the efficacy of anti‐viral therapy in PBC patients with human betaretrovirus infection.
Review article: the psychoneuroimmunology of irritable bowel syndrome – an exploration of interactions between psychological, neurological and immunological observations
Authors: AREBI N. , GURMANY S. , BULLAS D. , HOBSON A. , STAGG A. , KAMM M.
Published: September 2008

Background  The pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is founded on interactive mechanisms. Disentangling these processes is a prerequisite for the development of effective drug therapy.

Aim  To identify the interaction between the various factors implicated in IBS.

Methods  Articles pertaining to IBS pathogenesis focusing on psychoneuroimmunology were identified using following search terms: IBS, animal models, microbiota, probiotics, immunology, visceral hypersensitivity, imaging, psychology and visceral pain.

Results  Cerebral imaging using MRI and proton emission tomography scanning has revealed differential regional cerebral activation, whereas stimuli induced activation has been captured by both MRI and cortical evoked potentials. At the peripheral neurological level, the concept of visceral hypersensitivity has been challenged as perhaps representing psychological traits with symptom over‐reporting or hyper‐vigilance. Gut mucosal immunology is thought to be relevant with immunological changes reflected as peripheral blood cytokine level changes. Molecular technology advances suggest a role for microbiota by activating the gut immunological system. These interactions have been examined in IBS animal models.

Conclusions  Translation of animal model findings to humans is needed to link the various psychological, neurological and immunological changes noted in IBS. This analysis may identify patient sub‐groups, which will ultimately be critical for drug testing to be focused accordingly.
Antipsychotic drugs and short‐term mortality after peptic ulcer perforation: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: CHRISTIANSEN C. , CHRISTENSEN S. , RIIS A. , THOMSEN R. W. , JOHNSEN S. P. , TONNESEN E. , SORENSEN H. T.
Published: September 2008

Background  Peptic ulcer perforation is a serious surgical emergency with a substantial short‐term mortality, but the influence of antipsychotic drug use on the prognosis remains unknown.

Aim  To examine the association between antipsychotic drug use and 30‐day mortality following peptic ulcer perforation.

Methods  This cohort study comprised 2033 patients with a first‐time hospitalization with peptic ulcer perforation, in Northern Denmark, between 1991 and 2004. Data on preadmission use of antipsychotics and other medications, psychiatric disease, other comorbidities and mortality were obtained through population‐based medical databases. We used Cox regression analyses to compute adjusted mortality rate ratios (MRRs).

Results  One hundred and sixteen (5.7%) patients with peptic ulcer perforation were current users of antipsychotic drugs at the time of hospital admission and 205 (10.1%) were former users. The overall 30‐day mortality was 27%. Among current users of antipsychotics 30‐day mortality was 39%. The adjusted 30‐day MRR for current users of antipsychotic drugs compared with non‐users was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.2–2.3). Former use was not a predictor of mortality. The increase in mortality was equal in users of conventional and atypical antipsychotics.

Conclusion  Use of antipsychotic drugs is associated with substantially increased mortality following peptic ulcer perforation.
Systematic review: persistence and severity in gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease
Authors: ARMSTRONG D.
Published: September 2008

Background  Management strategies for gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are often inconsistent with the proposition that it is a persistent or chronic disease.

Aim  To determine the persistence of reflux symptoms and complications associated with GERD.

Methods  Systematic searches of Medline and EMBASE.

Results  In longitudinal studies, 65% (95% CI 54–75%) of patients with complicated GERD and 70% (95% CI 57–83%) of patients with ‘defined’ GERD had persistent disease at follow‐up, whereas 34% (95% CI 27–40%) with infrequent or mild reflux symptoms at baseline had persistent symptoms. Clinical trials of maintenance treatment for at least 6 months after healing of oesophagitis reported mean relapse rates of 75% (95% CI 68–82%) in patients taking placebo and 28% (95% CI 21–35%) in those taking proton pump inhibitors. Retrospective studies reported that 34–41% of individuals with GERD recalled experiencing their symptoms for >10 years. The prevalence of GERD is high (10–20%), whereas the incidence is low (4.5–19.6 cases per 1000 person‐years), suggesting that GERD is likely to persist for at least 18 years.

Conclusions  Individuals with GERD have persistent reflux symptoms that merit management as a chronic disease; infrequent reflux symptoms are less likely to be chronic and may respond to different management strategies.
A multinational survey of prevalence and patterns of laxative use among adults with self‐defined constipation
Authors: WALD A. , SCARPIGNATO C. , MUELLER‐LISSNER S. , KAMM M. A. , HINKEL U. , HELFRICH I. , SCHUIJT C. , MANDEL K. G.
Published: September 2008

Background  While numerous studies report prevalence of constipation, use of laxatives is poorly understood.

Aim  To conduct a survey in seven countries evaluating prevalence of constipation and laxative use in its treatment.

Methods  Thirteen thousand eight hundred seventy‐nine adults [approximately 2000 each from US, UK, Germany (GE), France (FR), Italy (IT), Brazil (BR) and South Korea (SK)] completed questionnaires assessing occurrence, frequency, duration and laxative use for treating constipation.

Results  Overall, 12.3% of adults had constipation [range: 5% (GE) to 18% (US)] in the prior year. A greater percent of women from all countries and elderly from all except SK and BR reported constipation; odds ratios for constipation among women and elderly were 2.43 (95% CI: 2.18–2.71) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.25–1.73) vs. men and young subjects. Among those with constipation, 16% (SK) to 40% (US) used laxatives. Laxative use was generally associated with increasing age, symptom frequency and lower income and education. A similar percentage of men and women with constipation reported using laxatives; a greater percentage of women used laxatives for a longer time.

Conclusions  Prevalence of self‐defined constipation and laxative use varies among countries. Prevalence is generally related to gender and age, whereas laxative use is related to age, but not to gender.
Meta‐analysis: high‐dose proton pump inhibitors vs. standard dose in triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication
Authors: VILLORIA A. , GARCIA P. , CALVET X. , GISBERT J. P. , VERGARA M.
Published: September 2008

Background  The evidence on whether high‐dose proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increase cure rates of Helicobacter pylori treatment has not been previously assessed.

Aim  To evaluate the evidence on the usefulness of high‐dose PPI in standard triple therapy by performing a systematic review and a meta‐analysis.

Methods  A systematic search was performed in multiple databases and in the abstracts submitted to the Digestive Diseases Week, the European Helicobacter Study Group congress and the United European Gastroenterology Week. Randomized trials comparing a standard dose of a PPI with high‐dose PPI both twice a day in triple therapy combining a PPI plus clarithromycin and either amoxicillin or metronidazole were selected. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all comparisons were calculated using Review Manager.

Results  Six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All used triple therapy for 7 days. A mean intention‐to‐treat cure rate of 82% was achieved with high‐dose PPI and one of 74% with standard dose (RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01–1.17). Subgroup analysis showed that the maximum increase was observed when the PPI compared were omeprazole 20 mg or pantoprazole 40 mg vs. esomeprazole 40 mg.

Conclusion  High‐dose PPI seems more effective than standard‐dose for curing H. pylori infection in 7‐day triple therapy.
Clinical trial: the incidence and early mortality after peptic ulcer perforation, and the use of low‐dose aspirin and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs
Authors: TAHA A. S. , ANGERSON W. J. , PRASAD R. , MCCLOSKEY C. , GILMOUR D. , MORRAN C. G.
Published: September 2008

Background  It is not clear whether the incidence or early mortality related to peptic ulcer perforation has changed.

Aim  To evaluate the incidence and mortality related to peptic ulcer perforation while considering the intake of low‐dose aspirin and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Methods  We recorded the numbers and details of all patients presenting in our region of Scotland with perforation between 1997 and 2006 including demography, drug usage and 30‐day mortality.

Results  In subjects aged >65 years, the annual incidence of perforation was 32.7 per 105 of the age‐specific population, of whom 10.7 per 105 were taking low‐dose aspirin and 12.0 taking NSAIDs. These were all significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the corresponding incidence in subjects aged ≤65 years (6.6 per 105 overall, 1.1 taking aspirin and 2.5 taking NSAIDs). There was an increasing trend with time in the number of patients taking NSAIDs (χ2 = 4.57, P = 0.03). Using univariate analysis, 30‐day mortality was associated with aspirin [odds ratio, 2.32 (95% C.I., 1.20–4.47), P = 0.01] but not with NSAIDs. The strongest predictors of mortality were increasing age and comorbidity.

Conclusions  Perforation remains common in elderly patients including users of NSAIDs and aspirin. Early mortality is also noted in association with increasing age and comorbidity, but not independently with drug intake.
A new concept in colonic drug targeting: a combined pH‐responsive and bacterially‐triggered drug delivery technology
Authors: IBEKWE V. C. , KHELA M. K. , EVANS D. F. , BASIT A. W.
Published: September 2008

Background Current approaches to colonic drug delivery exploit one of two main physiological characteristics: the pH change or increase in bacterial numbers along the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we describe a new concept in targeted delivery, which combines these triggers to improve colonic delivery.

Aim To assess thein‐vivotargeting performance of a novel colonic delivery coating comprising a mixture of pH‐responsive enteric polymer (Eudragit S) and biodegradable polysaccharide (resistant starch) in a single layer matrix film.

Methods Tablets (radio‐labelled) were film‐coated with the dual‐mechanism coating and administered in a three‐way crossover study to eight healthy volunteers (i) without food, (ii) with breakfast or (iii) 30 min before breakfast. The site of intestinal disintegration was assessed using gamma scintigraphy.

Results The coated tablets were able to resist breakdown in the stomach and small intestine. Consistent disintegration of the dosage form was seen at the ileocaecal junction / large intestine. The site of disintegration remained unaffected by feeding.

Conclusions The dual‐mechanism (pH/bacterial) coating provides colon‐specificity. Each trigger mechanism has the capacity to act as a failsafe, ensuring appropriate targeting in the gastrointestinal tract. This platform technology has potential for systemic applications or the treatment of local disorders of the large intestine, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
The role of inherited extensional fault segmentation and linkage in contractional orogenesis: a reconstruction of Lower Cretaceous inverted rift basins in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia
Authors: Mora Andrés , Gaona Tatiana , Kley Jonas , Montoya Diana , Parra Mauricio , Quiroz Luis Ignacio , Reyes German , Strecker Manfred R.
Published: September 2008

Lower Cretaceous early syn‐rift facies along the eastern flank of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, their provenance, and structural context, reveal the complex interactions between Cretaceous extension, spatio‐temporal trends in associated sedimentation, and subsequent inversion of the Cretaceous Guatiquía paleo‐rift. South of 4°30′N lat, early syn‐rift alluvial sequences in former extensional footwall areas were contemporaneous with fan‐delta deposits in shallow marine environments in adjacent hanging‐wall areas. In general, footwall erosion was more pronounced in the southern part of the paleorift. In contrast, early syn‐rift sequences in former footwall areas in the northern rift sectors mainly comprise shallow marine supratidal sabkha to intertidal strata, whereas hanging‐wall units display rapid transitions to open‐sea shales. In comparison with the southern paleo‐rift sector, fan‐delta deposits in the north are scarce, and provenance suggests negligible footwall erosion. The southern graben segment had longer, and less numerous normal faults, whereas the northern graben segment was characterized by shorter, rectilinear faults. To the east, the graben system was bounded by major basin‐margin faults with protracted activity and greater throw as compared with intrabasinal faults to the west. Intrabasinal structures grew through segment linkage and probably interacted kinematically with basin‐margin faults. Basin‐margin faults constitute a coherent fault system that was conditioned by pre‐existing basement fabrics. Structural mapping, analysis of present‐day topography, and balanced cross sections indicate that positive inversion of extensional structures was focused along basin‐bounding faults, whereas intrabasinal faults remained unaffected and were passively transported by motion along the basin‐bounding faults. Thus, zones of maximum subsidence in extension accommodated maximum elevation in contraction, and former topographic highs remained as elevated areas. This documents the role of basin‐bounding faults as multiphased, long‐lived features conditioned by basement discontinuities. Inversion of basin‐bounding faults was more efficient in the southern than in the northern graben segment, possibly documenting the inheritance and pivotal role of fault‐displacement gradients. Our observations highlight similarities between inversion features in orogenic belts and intra‐plate basins, emphasizing the importance of the observed phenomena as predictive tools in the spatiotemporal analysis of inversion histories in orogens, as well as in hydrocarbon and mineral deposits exploration.
Plio‐Quaternary sediment budget between thrust belt erosion and foreland deposition in the central Andes, southern Bolivia
Authors: Barnes J. B. , Heins W. A.
Published: September 2008

Estimates of the physical boundary conditions on sediment source and sink regions and the flux between them provide insights into the evolution of topography and associated sedimentary basins. We present a regional‐scale, Plio‐Quaternary to recent sediment budget analysis of the Grande, Parapeti and Pilcomayo drainages of the central Andean fold‐thrust belt and related deposits in the Chaco foreland of southern Bolivia (18–23°S). We constrain source‐sink dimensions, fluxes and their errors with topographic maps, satellite imagery, a hydrologically conditioned digital elevation model, reconstructions of the San Juan del Oro (SJDO) erosion surface, foreland sediment isopachs and estimated denudation rates. Modern drainages range from 7453 to 86 798 km2 for a total source area of 153 632 km2. Palaeo‐drainage areas range from 9336 to 52 620 km2 and total 100 706 km2, suggesting basin source area growth of ∼50% since ∼10 Ma. About 2.4–3.1 × 104 km3 were excavated from below the SJDO surface since ∼3 Ma. The modern foredeep is 132 080 km2 with fluvial megafan areas and volumes ranging from 6142 to 22 511 km2 and from 1511 to 3332 km3, respectively. Since Emborozú Formation deposition beginning 2.1 ± 0.2 Ma, the foreland has a fill of ∼6.4 × 104 km3. The volume and rate of deposition require that at least ∼40–60% of additional sediment be supplied beyond that incised from below the SJDO. The data also place a lower limit of ≥0.2 mm year−1 (perhaps ≥0.4 mm year−1) on the time‐ and space‐averaged source area denudation rate since ∼2–3 Ma. These rates are within the median range measured for the Neogene, but are up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than some observations, as well as analytic solutions for basin topography and stratigraphy using a two‐dimensional mathematical model of foreland basin evolution. Source‐to‐sink sediment budget analyses and associated interpretations must explicitly and quantitatively reconcile all available area, volume and rate observations because of their inherent imprecision and the potential for magnification when they are convolved.
Universality and variability in basin outlet spacing: implications for the two‐dimensional form of drainage basins
Authors: Walcott Rachel C. , Summerfield Michael A.
Published: September 2008

It has been observed that the distance between the outlets of transverse basins in orogens is typically half of the distance between the main divide and the range front irrespective of mountain range size or erosional controls. Although it has been suggested that this relationship is the inherent expression of Hack's law, and/or possibly a function of range widening, there are cases of notable deviations from the typical half‐width average spacing. Moreover, it has not been demonstrated that this general relationship is also true for basins in morphologically similar nonorogenic settings, or for those that do not extend to the main drainage divide. These issues are explored by investigating the relationship between basin outlet spacing and the 2‐dimensional geometric properties of drainage basins (basin length, main valley length and basin area) in order to assess whether the basin outlet spacing‐range width ratio is a universal characteristic of fluvial systems. We examined basins spanning two orders of magnitude in area along the southern flank of the Himalayas and the coastal zone of southeast Africa. We found that the spacing between basin outlets (Los) for major transverse basins that drain the main divide (range‐scale basins) is approximately half of the basin length (Lb) for all basins, irrespective of size, in southeast Africa. In the Himalayas, while this ratio was observed for eastern Himalayan basins (a region where the maximum elevations coincided with the main drainage divide), it was only observed in basins shorter than ∼30 km in the western and central Himalayas. Our analysis indicates that basin outlet spacing is consistent with Hack's law, apparently because the increase in basin width (represented by outlet spacing) with basin area occurs at a rate similar to the increase in main stream length (Lv) with basin area. It is suggested that most river systems tend towards an approximately diamond‐shaped packing arrangement, and this applies both to the nonorogenic setting of southeast Africa as well as most orogenic settings. However, in the western Himalayas shortening associated with localised rock uplift appears to have occurred at length scales smaller than most the basins examined. As a result rivers in basins longer than ∼30 km have been unable to erode in a direction normal to the range front at a sufficiently high rate to sustain this form and have been forced into an alternative, and possibly unstable, packing arrangement.
Phase II multicenter study of oblimersen sodium, a Bcl‐2 antisense oligonucleotide, in combination with rituximab in patients with recurrent B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Pro Barbara , Leber Brian , Smith Mitchell , Fayad Luis , Romaguera Jorge , Hagemeister Fredrick , Rodriguez Alma , McLaughlin Peter , Samaniego Felipe , Zwiebel James , Lopez Adriana , Kwak Larry , Younes Anas
Published: September 2008

Oblimersen sodium plus rituximab was evaluated in relapsed/refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients. Oblimersen was administered as a continuous intravenous infusion at a daily dose of 3 mg/kg/d for 7 d on alternate weeks for 3 weeks. Rituximab was given at a weekly dose of 375 mg/m2 for six doses. Patients with stable disease or objective response were allowed to receive a second course of treatment. The overall response rate (ORR) was 42% with 10 complete responses (CR) and eight partial responses (PR). Twelve (28%) patients achieved a minimal response or stable disease. Among the 20 patients with follicular lymphoma the ORR was 60% (eight CR, four PR). Three of the responders were refractory to prior treatment with rituximab, and two of the responses occurred in patients who had failed an autologous stem cell transplant. Median duration of response was 12 months. Most toxicities were low grade and reversible. In conclusion, oblimersen sodium can be safely combined with rituximab. The combination appears to be most beneficial in patients with indolent NHL and warrants further investigation in a large randomized trial.
The regulation of OLFM4 expression in myeloid precursor cells relies on NF‐κB transcription factor
Authors: Chin Kyung L. , Aerbajinai Wulin , Zhu Jiangqiong , Drew LaShawn , Chen Ling , Liu Wenli , Rodgers Griffin P.
Published: September 2008

The human olfactomedin 4 gene (OLFM4, also known as hGC‐1, GW112) is thought to be a useful marker for early myeloid development. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF)‐stimulated OLFM4 expression, we characterized the promoter region of OLFM4. The 35‐bp region (−101 to −66) of the proximal promoter regulated reporter gene expression, and mutation of the nuclear factor (NF)‐κB binding site within the promoter abolished the binding of the transcription factor and the ability to regulate OLFM4 expression. G‐CSF increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in human CD34+ cells, which was abrogated by inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) or NADPH oxidase. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) induced by G‐CSF inhibited by the antioxidant N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC), ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059, or U0126. However, phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 was only partially inhibited by NAC, but not by PD98059 or U0126. Inhibition of the ERK pathway remarkably decreased OLFM4 expression and this inhibition required NF‐κB transcription factor. Inhibition of ROS or the ERK pathway remarkably decreased G‐CSF‐induced OLFM4 expression. Our results suggest that G‐CSF‐induced expression of OLFM4 is regulated by the transcription factor NF‐κB, and that this induction is mediated by the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway through PI3K‐driven ROS production.
The presence of α‐thalassaemia trait blunts the response to hydroxycarbamide in patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Vasavda Nisha , Badiger Sheela , Rees David , Height Sue , Howard Jo , Thein Swee Lay
Published: September 2008

Hydroxycarbamide (HC), although a key drug therapy in sickle cell disease (SCD), does not result in a clinical response in all patients. Increases in fetal haemoglobin (HbF) and mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes are standard clinical measures of HC efficacy in SCD. Genetic studies have determined that the majority of HbF regulation occurs outside the β‐globin locus. Approximately 30% of SCD patients have co‐inherited α‐thalassaemia resulting in hypochromic and microcytic erythrocytes. We provide data from 30 SCD patients (10 with α‐thalassaemia) demonstrating that co‐existing α‐thalassaemia significantly affects several standard measures of HC efficacy in SCD.
An improved force‐restore method for soil temperature prediction
Authors: Gao Z. , Horton R. , Wang L. , Liu H. , Wen J.
Published: September 2008

The force‐restore method originally developed to enable soil temperature predictions assumes that soil is uniform with depth (i.e. the vertical gradient of thermal diffusivity is zero in soil) and that thermal conduction is the only heat transfer mechanism necessary for prediction of soil temperature. These assumptions hamper the applicability of the force‐restore method to many natural soil conditions. The main objective of this study is to revise the force‐restore method by extending it to include the possibility of soil heterogeneity with depth (i.e. non‐zero vertical gradient of thermal diffusivity in soil) and to include the possible occurrence of convective heat transfer as well as conductive heat transfer in soil. Soil temperatures calculated by the current and the revised force‐restore methods for a shallow soil layer were compared with measured soil temperatures at a bare soil site in the China Loess Plateau from 22 to 26 July 2005. Results showed that the revised method improved on the current force‐restore method, which overestimated either the diurnal amplitude or the phase shift for the shallow soil layer. These results indicate that the revised force‐restore method is more applicable than the current force‐restore method for predicting soil temperatures in naturally occurring non‐uniform soil. The revised force‐restore method has potential application within many land‐atmosphere numerical models.
Can we predict the provenance of a soil sample for forensic purposes by reference to a spatial database?
Authors: Lark R. M. , Rawlins B. G.
Published: September 2008

In forensic soil science it is sometimes necessary to address a question of the form: ‘what is the most likely place of origin of this soil material’, where the possible provenances are in a large area. This ‘intelligence’ problem may be distinguished from the ‘evidence’ problem where we need to evaluate the grounds for believing that some soil material is derived from one site rather than another. There is interest in the use of soil databases to solve intelligence problems. This paper proposes a geostatistical method to tackle the intelligence problem. Given data on a sample of unknown provenance, and a database with the same information from known sites, it is possible to define a likelihood function, the argument of which is location in space, which is the likelihood that the sample is from that location. In this paper, we show how an approximation to this likelihood can be computed, using a principal component transformation of the data and disjunctive kriging. The proposed likelihood function is tested using a geochemical database on the soil of the Humber Trent region of north‐east England. This shows that the function is a useful way to make a statistical prediction of the provenance of a soil sample. The region can be stratified according to the value of the likelihood function. A validation data set showed that if we defined a stratum with the top 4.5% of values of the likelihood function, then there was a 50% probablity that it included the true provenance of the sample, and there is a 90% probability of finding the true provenance of the sample in a stratum with the top 30% of values of the likelihood function. Note also that the spatial likelihood function could be integrated with other sources of information on the likely provenance of the sample by means of Baye’s law. We conclude that this approach has value for forensic problems. The main difficulty is how to define the geostatistical support of the forensic specimen, and the reliability of analytical data on relatively small forensic samples, but this is a generic problem for forensic geoscience.
Cation exchange in forest soils: the need for a new perspective
Authors: Ross D. S. , Matschonat G. , Skyllberg U.
Published: September 2008

The long‐term sustainability of forest soils may be affected by the retention of exchangeable nutrient cations such as Ca2+and the availability of potentially toxic cations such as Al3+. Many of our current concepts of cation exchange and base cation saturation are largely unchanged since the beginnings of soil chemistry over a century ago. Many of the same methods are still in use even though they were developed in a period when exchangeable aluminium (Al) and variable charge were not generally recognized. These concepts and methods are not easily applicable to acid, highly organic forest soils. The source of charge in these soils is primarily derived from organic matter (OM) but the retention of cations, especially Al species, cannot be described by simple exchange phenomena. In this review, we trace the development of modern cation exchange definitions and procedures, and focus on how these are challenged by recent research on the behaviour of acid forest soils. Although the effective cation exchange capacity (CECe) in an individual forest soil sample can be easily shown to vary with the addition of strong base or acid, it is difficult to find a pH effect in a population of different acid forest soil samples. In the very acidic pH range below ca 4.5, soils will generally have smaller concentrations of adsorbed Al3+. This can be ascribed to a reduced availability of weatherable Al‐containing minerals and a large amount of weak, organic acidity. Base cation saturation calculations in this pH range do not provide a useful metric and, in fact, pH is modelled better if Al3+is considered to be a base cation. Measurement of exchangeable Al3+with a neutral salt represents an ill‐defined but repeatable portion of organically complexed Al, affected by the pH of the extractant. Cation exchange in these soils can be modelled if assumptions are made as to the proportion of individual cations that are non‐specifically bound by soil OM. Future research should recognize these challenges and focus on redefining our concepts of cation retention in these important soils.
Overexpression of TNF‐α and TNFRII in invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast: clinicopathological correlations
Authors: Cui L F , Guo X J , Wei J , Liu F F , Fan Y , Lang R G , Gu F , Zhang X M , Fu L
Published: September 2008

Aims:  Angiogenesis is essential for tumour growth and metastasis and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α is a potent angiogenic factor. Invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast (IMPC), a rare subtype of breast cancer, possesses a lymphotropic nature with a high incidence of lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. The aim was to evaluate the role of TNF‐α and its receptor TNFRII in the vascular development and metastasis of IMPC.

Methods and results:  One hundred cases of IMPC and 97 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (IDC) were studied in parallel by immunohistochemistry for TNF‐α and TNFRII, and microvessel density (MVD) of the tumours was measured. The results showed that the expression of TNF‐α and TNFRII and the MVD were higher in IMPC than in IDC (P < 0.05). In IMPC, MVD was significantly increased in those with lymph node metastasis compared with those without nodal metastasis (P = 0.001). TNF‐α expression showed a significant positive correlation with the rate of proliferation, histological grade, lymph node metastasis and MVD (P < 0.05), whereas expression of TNFRII was correlated with TNF‐α expression and the proliferation of tumour cells in IMPC (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Expression of TNF‐α and TNFRII might play an important role in the angiogenesis, tumour cell proliferation and metastasis of IMPC. These markers could represent new targets for therapeutic intervention, i.e. blocking of TNF‐α and its signal transduction could be a promising tool for treatment.
Prognostic factors in lymph node metastases of prostatic cancer patients: the size of the metastases but not extranodal extension independently predicts survival
Authors: Fleischmann A , Schobinger S , Markwalder R , Schumacher M , Burkhard F , Thalmann G N , Studer U E
Published: September 2008

Aims:  To analyse tumour characteristics and the prognostic significance of prostatic cancers with extranodal extension of lymph node metastases (ENE) in 102 node‐positive, hormone treatment‐naive patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and extended lymphadenectomy.

Methods and results:  The median number of nodes examined per patient was 21 (range 9–68), and the median follow‐up time was 92 months (range 12–191). ENE was observed in 71 patients (70%). They had significantly more, larger and less differentiated nodal metastases, paralleled by significantly larger primary tumours at more advanced stages and with higher Gleason scores than patients without ENE. ENE defined a subgroup with significantly decreased biochemical recurrence‐free (P = 0.038) and overall survival (P = 0.037). In multivariate analyses the diameter of the largest metastasis and Gleason score of the primary tumour were independent predictors of survival.

Conclusions:  ENE in prostatic cancer is an indicator lesion for advanced/aggressive tumours with poor outcome. However, the strong correlation with larger metastases suggests that ENE may result from their size, which was the only independent risk factor in the metastasizing component. Consequently, histopathological reports should specify the true indicator of poor survival in the lymphadenectomy specimens, which is the size of the largest metastasis in each patient.
Nitric oxide produces HLA‐G nitration and induces metalloprotease‐dependent shedding creating a tolerogenic milieu
Authors: Díaz‐Lagares Angel , Alegre Estibaliz , LeMaoult Joel , Carosella Edgardo D. , González Álvaro
Published: September 2008

Human leucocyte antigen G (HLA‐G) is a tolerogenic molecule that protects the fetus from maternal immune attack, may favour tumoral immunoescape and is up‐regulated in viral and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this work was to discover if nitric oxide (NO) could affect HLA‐G expression or function because NO is an important modulator of innate and adaptive immunity. For this purpose HLA‐G expression and function were analysed following treatment with a NO donor or a peroxynitrite donor in various cell lines expressing HLA‐G either spontaneously or upon transfection. Results showed NO‐dependent nitration of both cellular and soluble HLA‐G protein, but not all HLA‐G moieties underwent nitration. Endogenous biosynthesis of NO by both U‐937‐HLA‐G1 and M8‐HLA‐G5 stable transfectants also caused HLA‐G nitration. The NO decreased total HLA‐G cellular protein content and expression on the cell surface, while increasing HLA‐G shedding into the culture medium. This effect was post‐transcriptional and the result of metalloprotease activity. By contrast, NO pretreatment did not affect HLA‐G capability to suppress NK cytotoxicity and lymphocyte proliferation. Our studies show that NO regulates the availability of HLA‐G molecules without modifying their biological activities.
Application of a model of social information processing to nursing theory: how nurses respond to patients
Authors: Sheldon Lisa Kennedy , Ellington Lee
Published: September 2008

Title.  Application of a model of social information processing to nursing theory: how nurses respond to patients.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to assess the applicability of a theoretical model of social information processing in expanding a nursing theory addressing how nurses respond to patients.

Background.  Nursing communication affects patient outcomes such as anxiety, adherence to treatments and satisfaction with care. Orlando’s theory of nursing process describes nurses’ reactions to patients’ behaviour as generating a perception, thought and feeling in the nurse and then action by the nurse. A model of social information processing describes the sequential steps in the cognitive processes used to respond to social cues and may be useful in describing the nursing process.

Methods.  Cognitive interviews were conducted in 2006 with a convenience sample of 5 nurses in the United States of America. The data were interpreted using the Crick and Dodge model of social information processing.

Findings.  Themes arising from cognitive interviews validated concepts of the nursing theory and the constructs of the model of social information processing. The interviews revealed that the support of peers was an additional construct involved in the development of communication skills, creation of a database and enhancement of self‐efficacy.

Conclusion.  Models of social information processing enhance understanding of the process of how nurses respond to patients and further develop nursing theories further. In combination, the theories are useful in developing research into nurse–patient communication. Future research based on the expansion of nursing theory may identify effective and culturally appropriate nurse response patterns to specific patient interactions with implications for nursing care and patient outcomes.
Experiences of self‐care in patients with colorectal cancer: a longitudinal study
Authors: Kidd Lisa , Kearney Nora , O’Carroll Ronan , Hubbard Gill
Published: September 2008

Title. Experiences of self‐care in patients with colorectal cancer: a longitudinal study.

Aim. This paper is a report of a study to explore patients’ experiences of self‐care during a 6‐month course of chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer.

Background. A greater degree of patient involvement in self‐care is increasingly being encouraged, however, little is known about patients’ experiences of being actively involved in their self‐care.

Methods. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 11 patients at the beginning and end of their treatment for colorectal cancer in a Scottish cancer centre between March 2005 and June 2006. The ways in which participants were actively involved in managing the impact of undergoing chemotherapy treatment and their understandings of the meaning of self‐care were explored.

Findings. Patients carried out self‐care in order to preserve their self‐identity and maintain a sense of normality. Self‐care activities intended to manage both the physical and emotional impact of undergoing treatment included the use of medications and nutritional supplements and reducing food intake, information‐seeking and ‐sharing experiences with fellow patients and rationalizing the purpose and effects of their chemotherapy treatment.

Conclusion. Nurses have an important role to play in ensuring that patients’ perspectives and priorities for self‐care, in particular what they do, why they do it and what it means to them, and that they are listened to, in order to help them achieve their desired level of involvement in self‐care. Interventions to promote self‐care should focus on helping people to preserve their self‐identity, as well as managing the emotional toll and physical side effects associated with cancer treatment.
Simulation in interprofessional education for patient‐centred collaborative care
Authors: Baker Cynthia , Pulling Cheryl , McGraw Robert , Dagnone Jeffrey Damon , Hopkins‐Rosseel Diana , Medves Jennifer
Published: September 2008

Title.  Simulation in interprofessional education for patient‐centred collaborative care.

Aim.  This paper is a report of preliminary evaluations of an interprofessional education through simulation project by focusing on learner and teacher reactions to the pilot modules.

Background.  Approaches to interprofessional education vary widely. Studies indicate, however, that active, experiential learning facilitate it. Patient simulators require learners to incorporate knowing, being and doing in action. A theoretically based competency framework was developed to guide interprofessional education using simulation. The framework includes a typology of shared, complementary and profession‐specific competencies. Each competency type is associated with an intraprofessional, multiprofessional, or interprofessional teaching modality and with the professional composition of learner groups.

Method.  The project is guided by an action research approach in which ongoing evaluation generates knowledge to modify and further develop it. Preliminary evaluations of the first pilot module, cardiac resuscitation rounds, among 101 nursing students, 42 medical students and 70 junior medical residents were conducted in 2005–2007 using a questionnaire with rating scales and open‐ended questions. Another 20 medical students, 7 junior residents and 45 nursing students completed a questionnaire based on the Interdisciplinary Education Perception scale.

Findings.  Simulation‐based learning provided students with interprofessional activities they saw as relevant for their future as practitioners. They embraced both the interprofessional and simulation components enthusiastically. Attitudinal scores and responses were consistently positive among both medical and nursing students.

Conclusion.  Interprofessional education through simulation offers a promising approach to preparing future healthcare professionals for the collaborative models of healthcare delivery being developed internationally.
Inconsistent use of the critical incident technique in nursing research
Authors: Bradbury‐Jones Caroline , Tranter Siobhan
Published: September 2008

Title.  Inconsistent use of the critical incident technique in nursing research.

Aim.  This paper is a critique of the use of critical incident technique in nursing and a demonstration of how its development has resulted in inconsistency and confusion.

Background.  Critical incident technique is used globally by nurse researchers to explore a plethora of nursing issues. Its main strengths are flexibility and adaptability, but its popularity has resulted in ambiguity and confusion.

Data sources.  A search of the CINAHL database for the period 1956–2007 was performed using the search terms critical incident technique and nursing. Together with hand searching, this produced a total of 59 papers. The papers were analysed according to country of origin, research topic, sample size, data collection method, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data analysis and terminology. We then categorized the results of this analysis depending on similarities and differences in the papers.

Discussion.  We focus on two areas: methodology and terminology. From a methodological perspective critical incident technique has become inconsistent and in relation to terminology, the diverse language associated with the technique has created confusion. Moreover, issues of rigour may be compromised as a result of this inconsistency. A great deal of inconsistency has been created by nurse researchers’ attempts to advance critical incident technique. This has led to confusion, which is not helpful for advancing nursing knowledge.

Conclusion.  While embracing the continued development of critical incident technique, we advocate a standardized approach to its use. Unless nurse researchers are alert to the methodological and terminological inconsistencies in use of the critical incident technique, it risks becoming an interminable quagmire through which navigation will be impossible.
Maternal sensitivity: a concept analysis
Authors: Shin Hyunjeong , Park Young‐Joo , Ryu Hosihn , Seomun Gyeong‐Ae
Published: September 2008

Title.  Maternal sensitivity: a concept analysis.

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to report a concept analysis of maternal sensitivity.

Background.  Maternal sensitivity is a broad concept encompassing a variety of interrelated affective and behavioural caregiving attributes. It is used interchangeably with the terms maternal responsiveness or maternal competency, with no consistency of use. There is a need to clarify the concept of maternal sensitivity for research and practice.

Data sources.  A search was performed on the CINAHL and Ovid MEDLINE databases using ‘maternal sensitivity’, ‘maternal responsiveness’ and ‘sensitive mothering’ as key words. The searches yielded 54 records for the years 1981–2007. Rodgers’ method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to analyse the material.

Findings.  Four critical attributes of maternal sensitivity were identified: (a) dynamic process involving maternal abilities; (b) reciprocal give‐and‐take with the infant; (c) contingency on the infant’s behaviour and (d) quality of maternal behaviours. Maternal identity and infant’s needs and cues are antecedents for these attributes. The consequences are infant’s comfort, mother–infant attachment and infant development. In addition, three positive affecting factors (social support, maternal–foetal attachment and high self‐esteem) and three negative affecting factors (maternal depression, maternal stress and maternal anxiety) were identified.

Conclusion.  A clear understanding of the concept of maternal sensitivity could be useful for developing ways to enhance maternal sensitivity and to maximize the developmental potential of infants. Knowledge of the attributes of maternal sensitivity identified in this concept analysis may be helpful for constructing measuring items or dimensions.