bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of cutaneous warming systems on temperature control: meta‐analysis
Authors: Galvão Cristina Maria , Liang Yuanyuan , Clark Alexander M.
Published: April 2010

galvão c.m., liang y. & clark a.m. (2010) Effectiveness of cutaneous warming systems on temperature control: meta‐analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(6), 1196–1206.

Title.  Effectiveness of cutaneous warming systems on temperature control: meta‐analysis.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a meta‐analysis to identify the effectiveness of different types of cutaneous warming systems in temperature control for patients undergoing elective surgery.

Background.  Hypothermia is a common and serious complication of surgery. Different cutaneous warming systems are used to prevent hypothermia during surgery but there have been no previous meta‐analyses of the effectiveness of different warming systems in controlling temperature.

Data sources.  We conducted a search of the CINAHL (2000 to April 2009), Medline (2000 to April 2009), Embase (2000 to April 2009) and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (2000 to April 2009) databases for randomized controlled trials published in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The primary outcome measure of interest was core body temperature.

Methods.  A systematic review incorporating meta‐analysis was carried out.

Results.  From 329 papers, 23 trials compared warming systems. Forced‐air warming systems had a strong tendency towards superior temperature control over passive insulation via cotton blankets (mean difference: 0·29°C; 95% confidence interval: −0·02 to 0·59, three trials 292 patients) and radiant warming systems (mean difference: 0·16°C; 95% confidence interval: −0·01 to 0·33, three trials, 161 patients). However, circulating water garments tended to be more effective than forced‐air warming systems (mean difference: −0·73°C; 95% confidence interval: −1·51 to 0·05, I2 = 97%; four trials, 198 patients). Pooled results approached statistical significance and indicated clinically meaningful differences in temperature control.

Conclusion.  Current evidence suggests that circulating water garments offer better temperature control than forced‐air warming systems, and both are more effective than passive warming devices.
Forage quantity, quality and depletion as scale‐dependent mechanisms driving habitat selection of a large browsing herbivore
Authors: Van Beest Floris M. , Mysterud Atle , Loe Leif E. , Milner Jos M.
Published: April 2010

1. Mechanisms that affect the spatial distribution of animals are typically scale‐dependent and may involve forage distribution. Forage quality and quantity are often inversely correlated and a much discussed trade‐off is whether or not to select for high‐quality forage at the expense of forage abundance. This discussion has rarely involved scale‐dependence or been applied to Northern browsing herbivores. At small spatial scales, browsers are assumed to select for the best quality forage. But, as high‐quality forage resources are often scarce and may become depleted, coarse‐scale habitat selection is assumed to be driven by forage availability.

2. To evaluate if moose selection for forage quantity and quality is scale‐dependent we modelled summer and winter habitat selection of 32 GPS‐marked female moose (Alces alces) at two spatial scales (landscape‐scale vs. within‐home range‐scale). We used mixed‐effects resource selection functions (RSFs) and landscape‐scale forage availability models of six tree species of varying quality for moose. We considered silver birch (Betula pendula), downy birch (Betula pubescens.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) as low quality browse species and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), aspen (Populus tremula), willow (Salix spp.) as high‐quality species.

3. As expected, the overall selection patterns for available browse biomass and quality varied across spatiotemporal scales. At the landscape‐scale, moose selected for habitat with high available browse biomass of low quality species while at the within‐home range‐scale moose selected for sites with the highest quality browse species available. Furthermore, selection patterns during summer remained fairly stable, while during winter, selection at the within‐home range‐scale switched from sites with high quality to sites with lower quality browse species which suggests depletion of high‐quality species. Consistent with expectations from seasonal resource depletion, site fidelity (bimonthly home range overlap) was much lower in winter than in summer.

4. Coarse‐scale habitat selection by moose as a function of forage variability revealed a scale‐dependent trade‐off between available browse quantity and browse quality. Moreover, resource depletion changed the winter selection criteria of free‐ranging moose and we demonstrate how the behavioural response to such a dynamic process can be inferred from RSFs.
Prerequisites for implementing cardiovascular absolute risk assessment in general practice: a qualitative study of Australian general practitioners' and patients' views
Authors: Wan Qing , Harris Mark F. , Zwar Nicholas , Vagholkar Sanjyot , Campbell Terry
Published: April 2010

Background  Although recommended in clinical practice guidelines, cardiovascular absolute risk (CVAR) assessment is still used infrequently in Australian general practice. One reason is the lack of an implementation strategy. Given the lack of published reports on the implementation of CVAR worldwide, the aim of this study was to explore the views of general practitioners (GPs) and patients on prerequisites for successfully implementing CVAR assessment in general practice.

Methods  Multiple data involving GPs and patients were collected using focus groups (FGs) in three divisions of General Practice in Sydney between 2005 and 2006. Both GPs' and patients' opinions were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results  Twenty‐two GPs participated in three GP FGs and 26 patients in three patient FGs. Many GPs thought that an initial cardiovascular risk screening could start from 40 years old while some patients thought it should start even younger. Targeting patients with known risk factors was supported by most GPs although some also stressed the importance of reaching those of unknown risk. For new patients or patients presenting for other problems, another visit for CVAR risk assessment and discussion was preferred by most GPs. A strong GP–patient relationship, common ground on priorities between GPs and their patients, patient awareness of cardiovascular risk and motivation were seen as important by both GPs and patients to the implementation of CVAR assessment.

Conclusions  Addressing the appropriate selection of patients and time for implementing CVAR assessment requires a consideration of multiple factors. GPs see it as a process that may need to be staged over more than one consultation and requiring appropriate strategies.
The treatment effect of exercise programmes for chronic low back pain
Authors: Smith Caroline , Grimmer‐Somers Karen
Published: April 2010

Rationale  This paper summarizes evidence of long‐term effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise therapy for chronic low back pain (LBP).

Methods  A literature search was undertaken for experimental studies (2001–2007), which reported any post‐intervention (follow‐up) outcomes. Studies were critically appraised using the PEDro instrument. Comparative statistics were calculated, relative to the type of follow‐up outcome data.

Results  Fifteen moderate quality trials were included [mean PEDro score 7.7, SD 1.3 (range 5–10)]. Nine trials reported pain scales, and six reported LBP reoccurrence. Trials which reported on pain scales at 6‐month follow‐up found significant differences in favour of exercise [standardized mean differences −0.57, 95%CI −0.75 to −0.39 (555 participants)]. At 12‐month follow‐up, a small pain scale benefit from exercise persisted [standardized mean differences −0.25, 95%CI −0.44 to 0.06 (434 participants)]. There was unconvincing evidence of exercise effectiveness on pain scales after this time. Three of the four trials which reported dichotomous outcomes at 6‐month follow‐up demonstrated large clinical benefits of exercise (relative risk reduction of reoccurrence 45–246%, absolute risk reduction of reoccurrence 36–42 for every 100 patients; and number needed to treat approximating 3, to prevent one patient suffering a LBP recurrence). The effect of exercise on LBP reoccurrence was variably reported beyond 6 months.

Conclusion  Exercise programmes are effective for chronic LBP up to 6 months after treatment cessation, evidenced by pain score reduction and reoccurrence rates. The way in which follow‐up data are reported assists clinical interpretation of research findings.
Socio‐economic drivers of overnutrition in China
Authors: Shankar B.
Published: April 2010

Background:  Overnutrition has emerged as a major problem in China. Measuring the associations of socio‐economic variables with energy intake and its fat density is important, particularly at the upper tail ‘overnutrition’ areas of their distributions. The present study aimed to estimate such associations, with an emphasis on overnutrition areas.

Methods:  The study used data on individuals aged 20–45 years from the 2006 China Health and Nutrition Survey (n = 3407). Quantile regression methods were employed to determine associations with key drivers at various parts of the conditional distributions of energy intake and its fat density.

Results:  Household income was found to have little association with energy intake, and only a poor one with fat density of intake (a 1000 Yuan increase in household income was associated with a 0.1–0.3% point increase in fat density across the distribution). Although women had lower energy intakes than men, their energy intake was more fat dense at 1.5% points on average. Urban residents not only had lower energy intakes than rural residents (a 300 kJ difference at the lower tail, rising to a 600 kJ difference at the upper tail), but also more fat‐dense intakes (a 2.7% point difference on average).

Conclusions:  The small income relationships estimated indicate that dietary excess may no longer only be a problem of the rich in China. A lower energy intake but higher fat density of intake associated with men compared to women and rural compared to urban residents indicates a need for flexible nutrition policy targeting.
Neurokinin B Signalling in Human Puberty
Authors: Topaloglu A. K. , Kotan L. D. , Yuksel B.
Published: April 2010

Recent identification ofTAC3orTACR3(encoding neurokinin B and its receptor, NK3R, respectively) mutations as the causes of normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism has provided compelling evidence for the involvement of neurokinin B (NKB) signalling in puberty. A surge of subsequent studies pointing towards an understanding of the exact mechanism through which NKB signalling exerts its effects in puberty led to a postulated sketch of the GnRH pulse generator, in which kisspeptin, NKB and dynorphin work in concert to elicit pulsatile gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone release in the median eminence.
Neural Systems Mediating Seasonal Breeding in the Ewe
Authors: Goodman R. L. , Jansen H. T. , Billings H. J. , Coolen L. M. , Lehman M. N.
Published: April 2010

Seasonal reproduction in ewes is caused by a dramatic increase in response to oestradiol (E2) negative feedback during the nonbreeding (anoestrous) season. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that A15 dopaminergic neurones in the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) play a key role in these seasonal changes. These A15 neurones are stimulated by E2 and inhibit gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion in anoestrus, but not the breeding season. Because A15 neurones do not contain oestrogen receptors‐α (ERα), it is likely that E2‐responsive afferents stimulate their activity when circulating E2 levels increase during anoestrus. Retrograde tract tracing studies identified a limited set of ERα‐containing afferents primarily found in four areas [ventromedial preoptic area, RCh, ventromedial and arcuate (ARC) nuclei]. Pharmacological and anatomical data are consistent with GABA‐ and glutamate‐containing afferents controlling A15 activity in anoestrus, with E2 inhibiting GABA and stimulating glutamate release at this time of year. Tract tracing demonstrated that A15 efferents project posteriorly to the median eminence and the ARC, suggesting possible direct actions on GnRH terminals or indirect actions via kisspeptin neurones in the ARC to inhibit GnRH in anoestrus. Identification of this neural circuitry sets the stage for the development of specific hypotheses for morphological or transmitter/receptor expression changes that would account for seasonal breeding in ewes.
Vital status of pre‐ART and ART patients defaulting from care in rural Malawi
Authors: McGuire Megan , Munyenyembe Tamika , Szumilin Elisabeth , Heinzelmann Annette , Le Paih Mickael , Bouithy Nenette , Pujades‐Rodríguez Mar
Published: April 2010

Objectives  To ascertain the outcome of pre‐Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and ART patients defaulting from care and investigate reasons for defaulting.

Methods  Patients defaulting from HIV care in Chiradzulu between July 2004 and September 2007 were traced at last known home address. Deaths and moves were recorded, and patients found alive were interviewed. Defaulting was defined as missed last appointment by more than 1 month among patients of unknown vital status.

Results  A total of 1637 individuals were traced (54%–88% of eligible), 981 pre‐ART and 656 ART patients. Of 694 pre‐ART patients found, 49% had died (51% of adults and 38% of children), a median of 47 days after defaulting, and 14% had moved away. Of 451 ART patients found, 54% had died (54% of adults and 50% of children), a median of 52 days after defaulting, and 20% had moved away. Overall, 221 patients were interviewed (90% of those found alive), 42% had worked outside the district in the previous year; 49% of pre‐ART and 19% of ART patients had not disclosed their HIV status to other household members. Main reasons for defaulting were stigma (43%), care dissatisfaction (34%), improved health (28%) and for ART discontinuation, poor understanding of disease or treatment (56%) and drug side effects (42%).

Conclusion  This study in a rural African HIV programme reveals the dynamics related to health service access and use, and it provides information to correct programme mortality estimates for adults and children.
Early active follow‐up of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who are lost to follow‐up: the ‘Back‐to‐Care’ project in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Tweya Hannock , Gareta Dickman , Chagwera Fredrick , Ben‐Smith Anne , Mwenyemasi Justin , Chiputula Fred , Boxshall Matthew , Weigel Ralf , Jahn Andreas , Hosseinipour Mina , Phiri Sam
Published: April 2010

Objectives  To determine the proportion of patients returning to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and factors associated with their return in a resource‐limited setting.

Methods  Between September 2006 and March 2009, at two ART‐providing facilities in Lilongwe, Malawi, we identified patients who had missed clinic appointments by more than 3 weeks and therefore would have run out of antiretroviral drugs. We traced these individuals, documented reasons for missed appointments and, where appropriate, arranged another ART clinic appointment.

Results  Between April 2006 and March 2009, 2653 patients on ART had missed 3098 scheduled appointments. We successfully traced 85%, of whom 30% had died. Of the 1580 patients found alive, 25% had transferred to another ART clinic, 21% had collected drugs from other sources, 11% had treatment gaps; 40% had stopped taking drugs, 1% had not started taking drugs despite collecting them and 2% refused to be interviewed. Of the 1158 LTFU patients who had not died, transferred out or declined to be interviewed, 89% promised to return to their ART clinic and 74% actually did. The probability of returning to the clinic was significantly associated with being women, aged over 39 at ART initiation and having either treatment gaps or uninterrupted therapy. The B2C project reduced the proportion of patients finally classified as LTFU by 59%.

Conclusion  Early active follow‐up of LTFU patients resulted in marked improvement in known patient outcomes and improved retention in the treatment programme.
Patient‐reported barriers and drivers of adherence to antiretrovirals in sub‐Saharan Africa: a meta‐ethnography
Authors: Merten Sonja , Kenter Elise , McKenzie Oran , Musheke Maurice , Ntalasha Harriet , Martin‐Hilber Adriane
Published: April 2010

This meta‐ethnography aims at providing a synthesis and an interpretation of the findings of recent social science research on the questions of retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). The literature reviewed comprises ethnographic studies of the barriers to adherence to ART in various cultural settings. The results show that the quality of services, treatment‐related costs, as well as the need to maintain social support networks – which can be negatively affected by HIV‐related stigma – are important barriers to adherence. In addition, they show how African concepts of personhood are incompatible with the way services are conceived and delivered, targeting the individual. In SSA, individuals must balance physical health with social integrity, which is sometimes achieved by referring to traditional medicine. The ability of local concepts of illness to address social relations in addition to health, together with a historically grounded distrust in Western medicine, explains why traditional medicine is still widely used as an alternative to ART.
REVIEW: Cognitive effects of nicotine: genetic moderators
Authors: Herman Aryeh I. , Sofuoglu Mehmet
Published: April 2010

Cigarette smoking is the main preventable cause of death in developed countries, and the development of more effective treatments is necessary. Cumulating evidence suggests that cognitive enhancement may contribute to the addictive actions of nicotine. Several studies have demonstrated that nicotine enhances cognitive performance in both smokers and non‐smokers. Genetic studies support the role of both dopamine (DA) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) associated with nicotine‐induced cognitive enhancement. Based on knockout mice studies, β2 nAChRs are thought to be essential in mediating the cognitive effects of nicotine. α7nAChRs are associated with attentional and sensory filtering response, especially in schizophrenic individuals. Genetic variation in D2 type DA receptors and the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase enzyme appears to moderate cognitive deficits induced by smoking abstinence. Serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) gene variation also moderates nicotine‐induced improvement in spatial working memory. Less is known about the contribution of genetic variation in DA transporter and D4 type DA receptor genetic variation on the cognitive effects of nicotine. Future research will provide a clearer understanding of the mechanism underlying the cognitive‐enhancing actions of nicotine.
Comparison of Starch Levels Reduced by High Temperature During Ripening in Japonica Rice Lines Near‐Isogenic for the Wx Locus
Authors: Inukai T. , Hirayama Y.
Published: April 2010

One problem caused by high temperature during ripening in Japonica rice cultivars is a reduction in the amount of starch in the endosperm. To better understand this deleterious effect, we compared the accumulation of the two components of starch, amylose and amylopectin in grains ripened at high (32/28 °C) and low (22/18 °C) day/night temperatures in a set of lines of Japonica cultivar Taichung 65 (T65Wxb) that are near‐isogenic for the Wx locus, which encodes granule‐bound starch synthase I. In T65Wxb ripened at high temperature, the amount of starch per grain decreased. However, amylose per grain significantly decreased while amylopectin per grain significantly increased. On the other hand, the amount of amylopectin in T65wx, the amylose‐free line, did not differ significantly at the high and low temperatures. These data indicated that high temperatures during ripening did not directly affect amylopectin accumulation in T65Wxb and that the reduction in starch in T65Wxb from the high temperatures was caused by a decrease only of amylose. The results for T65Wxa and T65Wxop were also consistent with this conclusion. As a result of the decrease in amylose, the outer region of starch granules from T65Wxb ripened at the high temperatures also had less I2KI staining. Because this fact might suggest that a portion of amylose was synthesized inside the developing granules after amylopectin synthesis in rice, the effect of amylose deposition in increasing of the density of starch granules is also discussed.
Changes in the Aerobic Vaginal Bacterial Mucous Load after Treatment with Intravaginal Sponges in Anoestrous Ewes: Effect of Medroxiprogesterone Acetate and Antibiotic Treatment Use
Authors: Gatti M , Zunino P , Ungerfeld R
Published: April 2010

Content

Intravaginal sponges (IS) impregnated with progestagens are widely used for oestrous synchronization in ewes. As progestogens depress the immuno response, the first aim was to determine whether medroxiprogesterone acetate (MAP) content affects the vaginal bacteria number (VBN) in IS‐treated anoestrous ewes. The second aim was to compare the effectiveness of different antibiotic treatments to control the VBN increase caused by IS. In both experiments, IS were inserted during 14 days in anoestrous ewes. In the first, 11 ewes received commercial sponges (50 mg MAP), and 10 ewes received placebo sponges. For the second experiment, IS were inserted in three groups (n = 12/group), containing oxytetracycline im (20 mg/kg); injected into the sponge (0.02 mg), or control (no antibiotic). At sponge withdrawal, all ewes received 300 UI eCG. Mucous samples were collected from the vagina before sponge insertion, at sponge withdrawal, 24, 48 and 72 h later, and the VBN (colony‐forming units per ml; CFU/ml) was counted after 48‐h incubation. Medroxiprogesterone content did not affect VBN (log CFU/ml: 4.3 ± 0.2 vs 4.4 ± 0.2 with and without MAP, respectively). Bacterial number increased from 3.5 ± 0.2 at sponge insertion to 6.9 ± 0.1 at sponge withdrawal (p < 0.0001) and decreased the following day to 4.3 ± 0.2 (p < 0.0001). In the second experiment, VBN increased at sponge withdrawal (p < 0.0001) in all groups and decreased the following day (p < 0.0001). The CFU/ml at sponge withdrawal was lower in ewes treated with antibiotics (p < 0.0001), being even lower when local rather than systemic antibiotic was administered (log CFU/ml: 3.3 ± 1.8 vs 7.2 ± 1.8). The day of oestrous VBN was similar for all treatments and similar to that observed before sponge insertion. We concluded that MAP does not influence the increase in VBN, as the main effect is provoked by the sponge device itself, and local antibiotic treatment resulted in a lower bacterial growth than systemic treatments.
New insights into hereditary angio‐oedema: Molecular diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Nagy Nikoletta , Grattan Clive E , McGrath John A
Published: April 2010

Hereditary angio‐oedema (HAE) is a rare but potentially life‐threatening condition. Three types are now recognized. Types I and II HAE involve mutations in the C1NH (SERPING1) gene, encoding the C1 inhibitor protein, whereas type III HAE involves mutations in the F12 gene, encoding coagulation factor XII (Hageman factor). They share a common final pathway leading to increased bradykinin formation. HAE must be distinguished from acquired angio‐oedema with C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor‐induced angio‐oedema and the much more common histaminergic angio‐oedema, occurring with or without weals. Understanding the pathogenesis of HAE is leading to the introduction of new therapies that target the bradykinin receptor or inhibit kallikrein activity, innovations that will hopefully reduce morbidity and mortality in this group of severe genetic disease.
Study of alpha‐lipoic acid penetration in the human aqueous after topical administration
Authors: Cagini Carlo , Leontiadis Arianna , Ricci Maria A , Bartolini Anna , Dragoni Annalisa , Pellegrino Roberto M
Published: April 2010

Abstract

Purpose:  To determine the concentration of alpha‐lipoic acid in the aqueous and investigate if its topical instillation can increase quantities.

Methods:  A total of 70 patients selected to undergo cataract surgery were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 was used as a control group; for the patients in Group 2, a single instillation of alpha‐lipoic acid eye drops (1%) was administered. Immediately before surgery, an aliquot of 40–120 µL of aqueous was aspirated. The individual aspirations were combined to constitute pools representing time intervals with respect to administration. The levels of alpha‐lipoic acid in the aqueous were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Results:  Pool 0 was created by combining the samples of aqueous obtained from the patients in Group 1, the control group; and the level of alpha‐lipoic acid was 27.5 + 2.6 ng/mL. In the other pools, the time interval between the administration of the eye drops and sampling was, respectively, 23 min, 53 min, 72 min, 93 min and 114 min; and the level of alpha‐lipoic acid was 33.0 + 10.8 ng/mL, 52.0 + 2.5 ng/mL, 86.7 + 2.5 ng/mL, 91.2 + 2.5 ng/mL and 80.3 + 2.5 ng/mL.

Conclusion:  Our study demonstrates the presence of alpha‐lipoic acid in the aqueous and indicates that its concentration increases after it is administered in the form of eye drops, reaching maximum values after around 93 min. The concentrations that are achieved in the anterior chamber allow us to theorize the possibility of exploiting the antioxidant properties of alpha‐lipoic acid.
Damage analysis of laminated composites using a new coupled micro‐meso approach
Authors: FARROKHABADI A. , HOSSEINI‐TOUDESHKY H. , MOHAMMADI B.
Published: April 2010

In this study, the simplicity and strong physical meaning of micromechanics approach and capability of mesomechanics approach for damage analysis of structures with complex loadings are employed to develop a new micro‐meso approach. For this purpose, a new micromechanics model is developed to predict the matrix cracking initiation and evolution in laminated composites. These damage initiation and evolution are replaced with the damage criteria and flow rule in the continuum damage approach, respectively. The results of this procedure are used in the FEM damage analyses of laminated composites to predict constitutive response of layered composites. It is shown that, the predicted stress distribution and strain energy in a lamina unit cell are in good agreement with the finite element results. Furthermore, it is shown that the predicted stress–strain behaviours are in good agreement with the available experimental results for various laminates with different lay‐ups.
Reliability study of fracture mechanics based non‐probabilistic interval analysis model
Authors: QIU Z. , WANG J.
Published: April 2010

In this paper, we advanced a new interval reliability analysis model for fracture reliability analysis. Based on the non‐probabilistic stress intensity factor interference model and the ratio of the volume of the safe region to the total volume of the region associated with the variation of the standardized interval variables is suggested as the measure of structural non‐probabilistic reliability. We use this theory to calculate the reliability of structure based on fracture criterion. This model needs less uncertain information, so it has less limitation for analysing an uncertain structure or system. Examples of practical application are given to explain the simplicity and practicability of this model by comparing the interval reliability analysis model with probabilistic reliability analysis model.
Sensitivity analysis of creep crack growth prediction using the statistical distribution of uniaxial data
Authors: YATOMI M. , NIKBIN K. M.
Published: April 2010

Due to the variables and unknowns in both material properties and predictive models in creep crack growth (CCG) rates, it is difficult to predict failure of a component precisely. A failure strain constraint based transient and steady state CCG model (called NSW) modified using probabilistic techniques, has been employed to predict CCG using uniaxial data as basic material property. In this paper the influence of scatter in the creep uniaxial properties, the parameter C* and creep crack initiation and growth rate have been examined using probabilistic methods. Using uniaxial and CCG properties of C‐Mn steel at 360 °C, a method is developed which takes into account the scatter of the data and its sensitivity to the correlating parameters employed. It is shown that for an improved prediction method in components containing cracks the NSW crack growth model employed would benefit from a probabilistic analysis. This should be performed by considering the experimental scatter in failure strain, the creep stress index and in estimating the C* parameter.
Influence of within‐field position and adjoining habitat on carabid beetle assemblages in winter wheat
Authors: Anjum‐Zubair M. , Schmidt‐Entling Martin H. , Querner Pascal , Frank Thomas
Published: April 2010

The influence of within‐field position and adjoining habitat on carabid beetles was studied in 20 winter wheat fields in ten different Swiss agricultural landscapes. In each landscape, two winter wheat fields (one with adjoining sown wildflower area and one with adjoining grassy margin) were investigated.

Carabid beetles were caught in pitfall traps 3 and 30 m from the edge in each of the 20 wheat fields. Significantly more individuals were found in the centres (30‐m position) than at the edges (3‐m position). Conversely, species richness was significantly higher at the field edges than in the centres.

Of the ten most abundant species,Poecilus cupreus,Agonum muelleriandPterostichus melanariuswere significantly more abundant in the field centres than at the edges.Harpalus rufipeswas significantly more abundant in the fields adjoining sown wildflower areas than in the fields adjoining grassy margins.

In conclusion, the response of carabid beetles to within‐field position and adjoining habitats was species specific. This needs to be taken into account in habitat management for biodiversity conservation and pest control.
Effect of shock wave number on renal oxidative stress and inflammation
Authors: Clark Daniel L. , Connors Bret A. , Evan Andrew P. , Handa Rajash K. , Gao Sujuan
Published: April 2010

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Oxidative stress and inflammation are tissue‐ and cell‐level components of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL)‐induced acute renal injury, which we recently showed to be localized principally to the medulla within the focal zone of the lithotripter. This study reports that the magnitude of the oxidative stress and inflammation observed in the medulla after SWL is dependent on the number of shock waves delivered to the kidney, indicating that this is a sensitive measure of renal injury caused by shock waves.

OBJECTIVE To determine if the magnitude of the acute injury response to shock‐wave lithotripsy (SWL) depends on the number of SWs delivered to the kidney, as SWL causes acute renal oxidative stress and inflammation which are most severe in the portion of the kidney within the focal zone of the lithotripter.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Pigs (7–8 weeks old) received 500, 1000 or 2000 SWs at 24 kV from a lithotripter to the lower pole calyx of one kidney. At 4 h after treatment the kidneys were removed, and samples of cortex and medulla were frozen for analysis of the cytokine, interleukin‐6, and for the stress response protein, heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1). Urine samples taken before and after treatment were analysed for the inflammatory cytokine, tumour necrosis factor‐α. For comparison, we included previously published cytokine data from pigs exposed to sham treatment.

RESULTS Treatment with either 1000 or 2000 SWs caused a significant induction of HO‐1 in the renal medulla within the focal zone of the lithotripter (F2, 1000 SWs, P < 0.05; 2000 SWs, P < 0.001). Interleukin‐6 was also significantly elevated in the renal medulla of the pigs that received either 1000 or 2000 SWs (P < 0.05 and <0.001, respectively). Linear dose–response modelling showed a significant correlation between the HO‐1 and interleukin‐6 responses with SW dose (P < 0.001). Urinary excretion of tumour necrosis factor‐α from the lithotripsy‐treated kidney increased only for pigs that received 2000 SWs (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION The magnitude of renal oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the medulla increased with the number of SWs. However, it is not known if the HO‐1 response is beneficial or deleterious; determining that will inform us whether SWL‐induced renal injury can be assessed by quantifying markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.
Capitalism, Unfree Labor and Colonial Doxa: The Master and Servant Act from Britain to Hong Kong, 1823–1932
Authors: CHOI WAI KIT
Published: April 2010

The Master and Servant Act was a law that allowed the use of penal sanction against workers for breach of contract in nineteenth century Britain. For scholars who believe that wage laborers under capitalism are free from “extra‐economic” coercion, this law was an anomaly. One explanation suggests technological backwardness during the early stages of capitalism as the cause. In this paper I will challenge this account and offer an alternative explanation. As the British Empire expanded, the same law was enacted in many British colonies. If it was the process of capitalist production that rendered the Master and Servant Act necessary, this explanation should also apply to the British colonies. By focusing on Hong Kong, I show that this was not the case. Instead, I show that the use of judiciary coercion could be explained by Bourdieu's notions of doxa, habitus and field.
Building an image of Villages‐in‐the‐City: A Clarification of China's Distinct Urban Spaces
Authors: CHUNG HIM
Published: April 2010

Villages‐in‐the‐city (chengzhongcun) as distinct urban spaces in Chinese cities have attracted a lot of scholarly attention, and the term has been variously interpreted. The term ‘urban village’ was initially borrowed and applied to describe this urban phenomenon. While the term in a Western context refers to a planned neighbourhood that features good urban planning and design, the question posed in this essay is: are villages‐in‐the‐city the Chinese equivalent of urban villages? Furthermore, within China, villages‐in‐the‐city are always regarded as migrant enclaves, no different from Zhejiang village or Xinjiang village in Beijing. Are they the same kind of settlement? A primary aim of this essay is to reassert the differences between villages‐in‐the‐city and urban villages that have developed in the United Kingdom. A secondary objective is to explore the variations between villages‐in‐the‐city and Zhejiang village. Through investigating the variations between these urban morphologies, this study attempts to fill gaps in the current literature and hence clarify the misconceptions and confusion about Chinese villages‐in‐the‐city.

De nombreuses études ont été consacrées aux ‘villages dans la ville’ (chengzhongcun) en tant qu'espaces urbains différenciés au sein des grandes villes chinoises, et le terme a été interprété de manière variée. À l'origine, on a emprunté et appliqué l'expression ‘village urbain’ pour décrire ce phénomène; dans un contexte occidental, celle‐ci décrit un quartier aménagé, caractérisé par un urbanisme et une conception de bon niveau. Ce texte pose donc la question suivante: les villages dans la ville sont‐ils les équivalents chinois des villages urbains? De plus, en Chine, les villages dans la ville sont toujours considérés comme des enclaves pour migrants, tels les ‘villages’ de Zhejiang et de Xinjiang à Beijing. S'agit‐il du même type d'implantation? La première finalité de ce travail est de rétablir les différences entre les villages dans la ville et les villages urbains qui se sont développés au Royaume‐Uni. Un second objectif sera d'examiner les divergences entre les villages dans la ville et le village de Zhejiang. En analysant les divergences entre ces morphologies urbaines, l'étude s'efforce de compléter la littérature actuelle et, ce faisant, de clarifier les idées fausses et les confusions à propos des ‘villages dans la ville’ en Chine.
Allergic characteristics of urban schoolchildren with atopic eczema in Ghana
Authors: Hogewoning AA , Larbi IA , Addo HA , Amoah AS , Boakye D , Hartgers F , Yazdanbakhsh M , Van Ree R , Bouwes Bavinck JN , Lavrijsen APM
Published: April 2010

Background  Atopic eczema is an increasing clinical problem in Africa.

Objective  To determine allergic characteristics and to identify possible risk factors for eczema among schoolchildren in an urbanized area in Ghana.

Patients and methods  Schoolchildren aged 3–16 years with eczema were recruited. For each patient, one to three age‐ and sex‐matched controls were selected. All children completed a questionnaire and were skin prick tested with a panel of allergens. Blood was drawn to determine the total and allergen‐specific IgE. Conditional logistic regression models with the matching factors included in the model were used to calculate the odds ratios and to adjust for possible confounders.

Results  A total of 52 children with eczema (27 boys and 25 girls) and 99 controls were included. Levels of total IgE were found to be 9.1 (1.1; 78.4) times more often elevated in children with eczema. This association was mainly driven by elevated IgE levels against cockroach antigen. Children with eczema were found to have 2.0 (0.87; 4.7) times more often positive skin prick tests (SPT), but this association diminished to 1.2 (0.40; 3.6) after adjustment for total IgE levels. Frequent washing with soap was identified as a risk factor for the development of eczema among these children.

Conclusion  Schoolchildren with eczema in Ghana were characterized by elevated IgE levels especially against cockroach antigen. The association between eczema and positive SPT was much weaker suggesting immune hyporesponsiveness of the skin. After adjustment for IgE level, SPT were less suitable to distinguish children with and without eczema.
Analysis of plasma d‐dimer concentration in patients with delayed pressure urticaria
Authors: Kasperska‐Zając A , Jasinska T
Published: April 2010

Background  Activation of fibrinolysis system has been observed in spontaneous urticaria.

Aim  To investigate the haemostatic activation in DPU, expressed by plasma d‐dimer concentration, the index of active fibrinolysis.

Methods  Plasma d‐dimer concentrations were measured in eight patients with pure DPU of varying severity as well as in 30 healthy subjects.

Results  The analysis of individual results indicated that three patients of the eight show d‐dimer concentration higher than the upper limit of the normal range. All the patients had severe DPU and manifested extensive lesions. The remaining five milder cases showed values within the normal range.

Conclusions  Our analysis revealed that DPU patients may differ in their haemostatic activation state depending on severity of the disease. In severe DPU cases hyperfibrinolysis may occur, manifested by elevated plasma d‐dimer concentration, probably as a consequence of the systemic inflammatory response.
Ranging behavior and habitat selection of terrestrial insectivorous birds in north‐east Tanzania: implications for corridor design in the Eastern Arc Mountains
Authors: Newmark W. D. , Mkongewa V. J. , Sobek A. D.
Published: April 2010

Understanding the ranging behavior and habitat selection of understory tropical birds is important for corridor design and enhancing functional connectivity in fragmented tropical landscapes. Here we report on the ranging behavior and habitat selection of three terrestrial insectivorous bird species, the spot‐throat Modulatrix stictigula, Usambara thrush Turdus roehli and orange ground thrush Zoothera gurneyi, in the East (EUM) and West (WUM) Usambara Mountains in north‐east Tanzania. Based on 5945 locations and 3676 bird radio‐tracking hours conducted between 2001 and 2008 at four study sites in the EUM and WUM, we determined that the 95% kernel home range and 50% kernel core range for the spot‐throat, Usambara thrush, and orange ground thrush are similar yet large (aggregate mean home range=10.3±1.1 ha; aggregate mean core range 1.5±0.4 ha); that these species are adverse to crossing non‐forested openings – no bird was recorded over the course of the study to cross a non‐forested opening >15 m; and that the most extinction‐prone species in our study system, the spot‐throat and Usambara thrush, preferentially used slightly disturbed and primary forest, respectively. These results indicate that maintaining continuous forest cover and minimizing forest disturbance in corridors in the Eastern Arc Mountains is important for enhancing their habitat suitability for these species.
Pharmacists’ online information literacy: an assessment of their use of Internet‐based medicines information
Authors: Peterson‐Clark Geraldine , Aslani Parisa , Williams Kylie Anne
Published: April 2010

Introduction:  Pharmacists need effective skills in accessing and using Internet‐based medicines information (IBMI) for themselves and their consumers. However, there is limited information regarding how pharmacists use the Internet.

Objectives:  To develop and use a research instrument to measure pharmacists’ Internet knowledge, search skills, evaluation of and opinions about using IBMI.

Methods:  A structured questionnaire examining general Internet knowledge, ability to search for and select pertinent IBMI, evaluation of IBMI, opinions about using IBMI and current Internet use was developed. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to analyse IBMI evaluation.

Results:  208 pharmacists responded (response rate 20.6%). There was a large variation in pharmacists’ scores. Mean scores were low for General Internet Knowledge (mean 7.91 ± 3.62; scale 0–16), Search and Selection of IBMI (4.98 ± 2.91; 0–10) and Opinions on IBMI (44.51 ± 9.61; 0–80). Four factors [Professionalism of website (4 items; factor loading 0.62–0.87; Cronbach’s α 0.84), Disclosure (5; 0.37–0.79; 0.73), Appropriateness of content (5; 0.32–0.50; 0.65), Standard of information (6; 0.31–0.48; 0.58)] were extracted from the evaluation scale, explaining 36.89% of the total variance.

Conclusions:  A tool was developed to evaluate pharmacists’ skills and opinions in using IBMI. A wide range of skills and opinions highlighted the need for training in online information literacy.
Plasma membrane sphingomyelin hydrolysis increases hippocampal neuron excitability by sphingosine‐1‐phosphate mediated mechanisms
Authors: Norman Eric , Cutler Roy G. , Flannery Richard , Wang Yue , Mattson Mark P.
Published: April 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 430–439.

Proteins that control the excitability of neurons, including voltage‐dependent ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors, reside in a membrane lipid environment that includes sphingomyelin, but the influence of the metabolism of this lipid on excitability is unknown. Sphingomyelin in the plasma membrane can be cleaved by neutral sphingomyelinases (nSMase) to generate ceramides and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) which have been shown to play a variety of roles in cellular signaling processes. We found that application of nSMase to hippocampal slices results in a selective enhancement in the population spike amplitude, resulting in fEPSP‐PS potentiation of the CA3‐CA1 schaeffer collateral synapse. Single cell recordings showed that nSMase activity increases action potential frequency in CA1 neurons in a reversible manner. Additional current clamp recordings showed that nSMase reduces the slow after‐hyperpolarization after a burst of action potentials. Mass spectrometry‐based measurements demonstrated that nSMase activity induces a rapid increase in the levels of ceramides and S1P in cells in hippocampal slices. The ability of nSMase to increase CA1 neuron excitability was blocked by an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase, the enzyme that converts ceramide to S1P. Moreover, direct intracellular application of S1P to CA1 neurons increased action potential firing. Our findings suggest roles for sphingomyelin metabolism and S1P in the positive regulation of the excitability of hippocampal neurons.
Plumbagin promotes the generation of astrocytes from rat spinal cord neural progenitors via activation of the transcription factor Stat3
Authors: Luo Yongquan , Mughal Mohamed R. , Ouyang Tae‐Gen Son Xin , Jiang Haiyang , Luo Weiming , Yu Qian‐Sheng , Greig Nigel H. , Mattson Mark P.
Published: April 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1337–1349.

Plumbagin (5‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐1,4 naphthoquinone) is a naturally occurring low molecular weight lipophilic phytochemical derived from roots of plants of the Plumbago genus. Plumbagin has been reported to have several clinically relevant biological activities in non‐neural cells, including anti‐atherosclerotic, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, antitumor, and bactericidal effects. In a recent screen of a panel of botanical pesticides, we identified plumbagin as having neuroprotective activity. In this study, we determined if plumbagin could modify the developmental fate of rat E14.5 embryonic neural progenitor cells (NPC). Plumbagin exhibited no cytotoxicity when applied to cultured NPC at concentrations below 1 μM. At a concentration of 0.1 μM, plumbagin significantly enhanced the proliferation of NPC as indicated by a 17% increase in the percentage of cells incorporating bromo‐deoxyuridine. Plumbagin at a concentration of 0.1 pM (but not 0.1 μM), stimulated the production of astrocytes as indicated by increased GFAP expression. Plumbagin selectively induced the proliferation and differentiation of glial progenitor cells without affecting the proliferation or differentiation of neuron‐restricted progenitors. Plumbagin (0.1 pM) rapidly activated the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) in NPC, and a Stat3 inhibitor peptide prevented both plumbagin‐induced astrocyte formation and proliferation. These findings demonstrate the ability of a low molecular weight naturally occurring phytochemical to control the fate of glial progenitor cells by a mechanism involving the Stat3 signaling pathway.