bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myths, Mysteries, and Monsters: When Shaken Babies Make the News
Authors: Hennink-Kaminski Heidi J. , Dougall Elizabeth K.
Published: November 2009

As the predominant cause of infant head injury that often results in death or long-term disability, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is both a criminal act and a public health concern. This article reports the findings of a qualitative content analysis of SBS-related news coverage from 1996 to 2007, exploring how broadcast and print news media categorize, frame, and source stories about SBS. This study reveals that while the legitimacy of SBS is widely acknowledged by child abuse experts in the United States, news reports typically frame SBS as a questionable diagnosis, the perpetrators as monsters, and the act of abuse unpreventable. Further, thematic health coverage appeared least frequently of all story types, reflecting a criminal justice rather than public health approach to reporting about SBS. These findings have several implications for crafting the media campaign strategy for The Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina.
The impact of RFID technology on logistics processes of the fashion industry supply chain
Authors: Bottani Eleonora , Ferretti Gino , Montanari Roberto , Rizzi Antonio
Published: November 2009

This paper aims at quantitatively assessing the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and electronic product code (EPC) system on the main processes of the fashion industry supply chain. A fashion supply chain, composed of a distribution centre (DC) and a retail store (RS), is examined. A questionnaire survey and several site visits were performed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data related to current (AS IS) supply chain processes of each player investigated. Starting from data collected, re-engineered (TO BE) procedures were designed, hypothesising the implementation of RFID technology. Grounding on the gap between AS IS and TO BE scenarios, a detailed investment evaluation was performed in order to assess the profitability of RFID and EPC implementation in the fashion supply chain, both for each player and for different supply chain configurations. Results show that RFID and EPC implementation is profitable under several scenarios examined, and that the profitability of the RFID investment is affected by three main factors, namely: (i) the AS IS processes of DC and RSs; (ii) the supply chain structure, and in particular the number of RSs composing the supply chain and (iii) the turnover increase at RSs, generated by RFID implementation. Outcomes of this study provide useful guidelines for the implementation of RFID and EPC in the fashion industry supply chain.
Performance measurement and analysis for an RFID technology application to commercial products
Authors: Bertolini Massimo
Published: November 2009

In this paper, the performances of radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic product code ™ (EPC) Class1 Gen2 devices applied to commercial products are measured and analysed. In particular, a methodological approach is developed in order to measure the performance of the RFID system under item-level tagging in three different scenarios: (i) static case test, (ii) conveyor case test and (iii) pallet test. The tests assess the performance of RFID systems by means of commercial products, in a real production environment under typical working conditions. The combined influence of different parameters has been investigated. Results show that the RFID technology has reached a satisfactory level of reliability, which allows its infield application.
Positive Deviance A New Strategy for Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance
Authors: Marra Alexandre R. , Guastelli Luciana Reis , de Araújo Carla Manuela Pereira , dos Santos Jorge L. Saraiva , Lamblet Luiz Carlos R. , Silva Moacyr , de Lima Gisele , Cal Ruy Guilherme Rodrigues , Paes Ângela Tavares , Neto Miguel Cendoroglo , Barbosa Luciana , Edmond Michael B. , dos Santos Oscar Fernando Pavão
Published: November 2009

Objective.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a positive deviance strategy for the improvement of hand hygiene compliance in 2 adult step-down units.

Design.

A 9-month, controlled trial comparing the effect of positive deviance on compliance with hand hygiene.

Setting.

Two 20-bed step-down units at a tertiary care private hospital.

Methods.

The first phase of our study was a 3-month baseline period (from April to June 2008) in which hand hygiene episodes were counted by use of electronic handwashing counters. From July to September 2008 (ie, the second phase), a positive deviance strategy was implemented in the east unit; the west unit was the control unit. During the period from October to December 2008 (ie, the third phase), positive deviance was applied in both units.

Results.

During the first phase, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 step-down units in the number of episodes of hand hygiene per 1,000 patient-days or in the incidence density of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) per 1,000 patient-days. During the second phase, there were 62,000 hand hygiene episodes per 1,000 patient-days in the east unit and 33,570 hand hygiene episodes per 1,000 patient-days in the west unit (P < .01). The incidence density of HAIs per 1,000 patient-days was 6.5 in the east unit and 12.7 in the west unit (P = .04). During the third phase, there was no statistically significant difference in hand hygiene episodes per 1,000 patient-days (P = .16) or in incidence density of HAIs per 1,000 patient-days.

Conclusion.

A positive deviance strategy yielded a significant improvement in hand hygiene, which was associated with a decrease in the overall incidence of HAIs.
Fraught Relations in the Letters of Laura Cereta: Marriage, Friendship, and Humanist Epistolarity*
Authors: McCue Gill Amyrose
Published: November 2009

Laura Cereta is unique among Quattrocento female humanists in directly addressing the position of women as wives and as friends in her substantial corpus of erudite Latin epistolary prose. Questioning the ideals that governed intellectual, social, and personal expectations of matrimony, Cereta's letters reflect her self-consciously double status as humanist and spouse. Her fierce critique of marriage as a site of female oppression and complicity implies an alternative that requires of humanists, husbands, and wives a radical rethinking of marriage in terms of friendship, as well as of the very project of humanist epistolarity.
In the Name of the Father: ConceptualizingPater Familiasin the Letters of William the Silent's Children*
Authors: Broomhall Susan , Van Gent Jacqueline
Published: November 2009

For much of their childhood and adult life, the twelve surviving children of William the Silent were separated linguistically and geographically. Many of the children forged important relationships with male primary carers who were not their biological parents. This paper explores the children's correspondence with their biological father William and with paternal figures to understand competing forms of familial authority among William's children. This paper places particular interest on analysis of the gendered negotiation of paternal bonds in the letters of William's sons and daughters, as they established multiple relationships with father figures during their childhood.
The Memory of Ruins: Quevedo'sSilvato “Roma antigua y moderna”
Authors: Casal Rodrigo Cacho
Published: November 2009

Thesilvato “Roma antigua y moderna” by Francisco de Quevedo is a complex rewriting of Joachim Du Bellay'sAntiquitez de Rome. The Spanish author makes an archeological study of his model, identifying the sources, and, through intertextual dialogue with the classical and humanistic descriptions of Rome, creates a symbolic space of memory where different stages of history are represented. In this manner, Quevedo produces a Baroque reading of the Renaissance.
Secure quantum private comparison
Authors: Yang Yu-Guang , Cao Wei-Feng , Wen Qiao-Yan
Published: November 2009

We propose a two-party quantum private comparison protocol using single photons, in which two distrustful parties can compare whether their secrets are equal with the help of a third party (TP). Any information about the values of their respective secrets will not be leaked out even with a compromised TP. Security is also discussed.
Dusty plasma ring model
Authors: Sheridan T E
Published: November 2009

A model of a dusty plasma (Yukawa) ring is presented. We consider n identical particles confined in a two-dimensional (2D) annular potential well and interacting through a Debye (i.e. Yukawa or screened Coulomb) potential. Equilibrium configurations are computed versus n, the Debye shielding parameter and the trap radius. When the particle separation exceeds a critical value the particles form a 1D chain with a ring topology. Below the critical separation the zigzag instability gives a 2D configuration. Computed critical separations are shown to agree well with a theoretical prediction for the zigzag threshold. Normal mode spectra for 1D rings are computed and found to be in excellent agreement with the longitudinal and transverse dispersion relations for unbounded straight chains. When the longitudinal and transverse dispersion relations intersect we observe a resonance due to the finite curvature of the ring.
Galectin-3, a Novel Centrosome-associated Protein, Required for Epithelial Morphogenesis
Authors: Koch Annett , Poirier Francoise , Jacob Ralf , Delacour Delphine
Published: November 2009

Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside–binding protein widely expressed in all epithelia where it is involved in tissue homeostasis and cancer progression. We recently reported unique abnormalities in the identity of membrane domains in galectin-3 null mutant mice, suggesting that galectin-3 may participate in epithelial polarity program. We investigated the potential role of galectin-3 on early events in polarization of epithelial renal cells, using three-dimensional cultures of MDCK cells and also galectin-3 null mutant mouse kidneys. We show that depletion in galectin-3 systematically leads to severe perturbations of microtubular network associated with defects in membrane compartimentation, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the absence of galectin-3 impinges on the morphology of the primary cilium, which is three times longer and unusually shaped. By immunological and biochemical approaches, we could demonstrate that endogenous galectin-3 is normally associated with basal bodies and centrosomes, where it closely interacts with core proteins, such as centrin-2. However, this association transiently occurs during the process of epithelial polarization. Interestingly, galectin-3–depleted cells contain numerous centrosome-like structures, demonstrating an unexpected function of this protein in the formation and/or stability of the centrosomes. Collectively, these data establish galectin-3 as a key determinant in epithelial morphogenesis via its effect on centrosome biology.
Phosphorylation of Serine 11 and Serine 92 as New Positive Regulators of Human Snail1 Function: Potential Involvement of Casein Kinase-2 and the cAMP-activated Kinase Protein Kinase A
Authors: MacPherson Matthew Reid , Molina Patricia , Souchelnytskyi Serhiy , Wernstedt Christer , Martin-Pérez Jorge , Portillo Francisco , Cano Amparo
Published: November 2009

Snail1 is a major factor for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an important event in tumor metastasis and in other pathologies. Snail1 is tightly regulated at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Control of Snail1 protein stability and nuclear export by GSK3β phosphorylation is important for Snail1 functionality. Stabilization mechanisms independent of GSK3β have also been reported, including interaction with LOXL2 or regulation of the COP9 signalosome by inflammatory signals. To get further insights into the role of Snail1 phosphorylation, we have performed an in-depth analysis of in vivo human Snail1 phosphorylation combined with mutational studies. We identify new phosphorylation sites at serines 11, 82, and 92 and confirmed previously suggested phosphorylations at serine 104 and 107. Serines 11 and 92 participate in the control of Snail1 stability and positively regulate Snail1 repressive function and its interaction with mSin3A corepressor. Furthermore, serines 11 and 92 are required for Snail1-mediated EMT and cell viability, respectively. PKA and CK2 have been characterized as the main kinases responsible for in vitro Snail1 phosphorylation at serine 11 and 92, respectively. These results highlight serines 11 and 92 as new players in Snail1 regulation and suggest the participation of CK2 and PKA in the modulation of Snail1 functionality.
RSBP-1 Is a Membrane-targeting Subunit Required by the Gαq-specific But Not the Gαo-specific R7 Regulator of G protein Signaling inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Porter Morwenna Y. , Koelle Michael R.
Published: November 2009

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins inhibit G protein signaling by activating Gα GTPase activity, but the mechanisms that regulate RGS activity are not well understood. The mammalian R7 binding protein (R7BP) can interact with all members of the R7 family of RGS proteins, and palmitoylation of R7BP can target R7 RGS proteins to the plasma membrane in cultured cells. However, whether endogenous R7 RGS proteins in neurons require R7BP or membrane localization for function remains unclear. We have identified and knocked out the only apparent R7BP homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans, RSBP-1. Genetic studies show that loss of RSBP-1 phenocopies loss of the R7 RGS protein EAT-16, but does not disrupt function of the related R7 RGS protein EGL-10. Biochemical analyses find that EAT-16 coimmunoprecipitates with RSBP-1 and is predominantly plasma membrane-associated, whereas EGL-10 does not coimmunoprecipitate with RSBP-1 and is not predominantly membrane-associated. Mutating the conserved membrane-targeting sequence in RSBP-1 disrupts both the membrane association and function of EAT-16, demonstrating that membrane targeting by RSBP-1 is essential for EAT-16 activity. Our analysis of endogenous R7 RGS proteins in C. elegans neurons reveals key differences in the functional requirements for membrane targeting between members of this protein family.
VIBE 2.0: Visual Integration for Bayesian Evaluation
Authors: Beagley Nathaniel , Stratton Kelly G. , Webb-Robertson Bobbie-Jo M.
Published: November 2009

Summary: Data fusion methods are powerful tools for evaluating experiments designed to discover measurable features of directly unobservable systems. We describe an interactive software platform, Visual Integration for Bayesian Evaluation, that ingests or creates Bayesian posterior probability matrices, performs data fusion and allows the user to interactively evaluate the classification power of fusing various combinations of data sources, such as transcriptomic, proteomics, metabolomics, biochemistry and function.

Availability:  http://omics.pnl.gov/software/VIBE.php

Contact:  bj@pnl.gov

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pathway analysis using random forests with bivariate node-split for survival outcomes
Authors: Pang Herbert , Datta Debayan , Zhao Hongyu
Published: November 2009

Motivation: There is great interest in pathway-based methods for genomics data analysis in the research community. Although machine learning methods, such as random forests, have been developed to correlate survival outcomes with a set of genes, no study has assessed the abilities of these methods in incorporating pathway information for analyzing microarray data. In general, genes that are identified without incorporating biological knowledge are more difficult to interpret. Correlating pathway-based gene expression with survival outcomes may lead to biologically more meaningful prognosis biomarkers. Thus, a comprehensive study on how these methods perform in a pathway-based setting is warranted.

Results: In this article, we describe a pathway-based method using random forests to correlate gene expression data with survival outcomes and introduce a novel bivariate node-splitting random survival forests. The proposed method allows researchers to identify important pathways for predicting patient prognosis and time to disease progression, and discover important genes within those pathways. We compared different implementations of random forests with different split criteria and found that bivariate node-splitting random survival forests with log-rank test is among the best. We also performed simulation studies that showed random forests outperforms several other machine learning algorithms and has comparable results with a newly developed component-wise Cox boosting model. Thus, pathway-based survival analysis using machine learning tools represents a promising approach in dissecting pathways and for generating new biological hypothesis from microarray studies.

Availability: R package Pwayrfsurvival is available from URL: http://www.duke.edu/∼hp44/pwayrfsurvival.htm

Contact:  pathwayrf@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Annotation and merging of SBML models with semanticSBML
Authors: Krause Falko , Uhlendorf Jannis , Lubitz Timo , Schulz Marvin , Klipp Edda , Liebermeister Wolfram
Published: November 2009

Summary: Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is the leading exchange format for mathematical models in Systems Biology. Semantic annotations link model elements with external knowledge via unique database identifiers and ontology terms, enabling software to check and process models by their biochemical meaning. Such information is essential for model merging, one of the key steps towards the construction of large kinetic models. SemanticSBML is a tool that helps users to check and edit MIRIAM annotations and SBO terms in SBML models. Using a large collection of biochemical names and database identifiers, it supports modellers in finding the right annotations and in merging existing models. Initially, an element matching is derived from the MIRIAM annotations and conflicting element attributes are categorized and highlighted. Conflicts can then be resolved automatically or manually, allowing the user to control the merging process in detail.

Availability: SemanticSBML comes as a free software written in Python and released under the GPL 3. A Debian package, a source package for other Linux distributions, a Windows installer and an online version of semanticSBML with limited functionality are available at http://www.semanticsbml.org. A preinstalled version can be found on the Linux live DVD SB.OS, available at http://www.sbos.eu.

Contact:  wolfram.liebermeister@biologie.hu-berlin.de

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MADS+: discovery of differential splicing events from Affymetrix exon junction array data
Authors: Shen Shihao , Warzecha Claude C. , Carstens Russ P. , Xing Yi
Published: November 2009

Motivation: The Affymetrix Human Exon Junction Array is a newly designed high-density exon-sensitive microarray for global analysis of alternative splicing. Contrary to the Affymetrix exon 1.0 array, which only contains four probes per exon and no probes for exon–exon junctions, this new junction array averages eight probes per probeset targeting all exons and exon–exon junctions observed in the human mRNA/EST transcripts, representing a significant increase in the probe density for alternative splicing events. Here, we present MADS+, a computational pipeline to detect differential splicing events from the Affymetrix exon junction array data. For each alternative splicing event, MADS+ evaluates the signals of probes targeting competing transcript isoforms to identify exons or splice sites with different levels of transcript inclusion between two sample groups. MADS+ is used routinely in our analysis of Affymetrix exon junction arrays and has a high accuracy in detecting differential splicing events. For example, in a study of the novel epithelial-specific splicing regulator ESRP1, MADS+ detects hundreds of exons whose inclusion levels are dependent on ESRP1, with a RT-PCR validation rate of 88.5% (153 validated out of 173 tested).

Availability: MADS+ scripts, documentations and annotation files are available at http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/Labs/Xing/MADSplus/.

Contact:  yi-xing@uiowa.edu
mimiRNA: a microRNA expression profiler and classification resource designed to identify functional correlations between microRNAs and their targets
Authors: Ritchie William , Flamant Stephane , Rasko John E. J.
Published: November 2009

Motivation: microRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by inhibiting target mRNA genes. Their tissue- and disease-specific expression patterns have immense therapeutic and diagnostic potential. To understand these patterns, a reliable compilation of miRNA and mRNA expression data is required to compare multiple tissue types. Moreover, with the appropriate statistical tools, such a resource could be interrogated to discover functionally related miRNA–mRNA pairs.

Results:We have developed mimiRNA, an online resource that integrates expression data from 1483 samples and permits visualization of the expression of 635 human miRNAs across 188 different tissues or cell types. mimiRNA incorporates a novel sample classification algorithm, ExParser, that groups identical miRNA or mRNA experiments from separate sources. This enables mimiRNA to provide reliable expression profiles and to discover functional relations between miRNAs and mRNAs such as miRNA targets. Additionally, mimiRNA incorporates a decision tree algorithm to discover distinguishing miRNA features between two tissue or cell types. We validate the efficacy of our resource on independent experimental data and through biologically relevant analyses.

Availability:  http://mimirna.centenary.org.au

Contact:  j.rasko@centenary.org.au

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Bridging the gap in heart failure prevention: rationale and design of the Nurse‐led Intervention for Less Chronic Heart Failure (NIL‐CHF) Study
Authors: Carrington Melinda J. , Stewart Simon ,   on behalf of the NIL‐CHF Study Investigators
Published: November 2009

Aims

The primary objective of the Nurse‐led Intervention for Less Chronic Heart Failure (NIL‐CHF) Study is to develop a programme of care that cost‐effectively prevents the development of chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

NIL‐CHF is a randomized controlled trial of a hybrid, home‐ and clinic‐based, nurse‐led multidisciplinary intervention targeting hospitalized patients at risk of developing CHF. A target of 750 patients aged ≥45 years will be exposed to usual post‐discharge care or the NIL‐CHF intervention. The composite primary endpoint is all‐cause mortality or CHF‐related admission during 3–5 years of follow‐up. After 12 months recruitment, ∼300 eligible patients (40% of target) have been randomized. Overall, 73% are male and the mean age is 65 ± 10 years. The most common antecedents for CHF thus far are hypertension (70%, 95% CI, 64–75%), coronary artery disease (51%, 95% CI, 31–41%), and type 2 diabetes (26%, 95% CI, 21–31%), whereas 76% (95% CI, 69–82%) of patients have diastolic dysfunction, 29% (95% CI, 23–36%) left ventricular hypertrophy, 71% (95% CI, 64–78%) mitral valve dysfunction, and 7% (95% CI, 4–12%) have a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45%.

Conclusion

As one of the largest randomized studies of its kind, NIL‐CHF will ultimately provide important insights into the potential to prevent CHF via prolonged and intensive disease management.
Sevoflurane Ameliorates Gas Exchange and Attenuates Lung Damage in Experimental Lipopolysaccharide-induced Lung Injury
Authors: Voigtsberger Stefanie , Lachmann Robert A. , Leutert Anik C. , Schläpfer Martin , Booy Christa , Reyes Livia , Urner Martin , Schild Julia , Schimmer Ralph C. , Beck-Schimmer Beatrice
Published: November 2009

Background

Acute lung injury is a common complication in critically ill patients. Several studies suggest that volatile anesthetics have immunomodulating effects. The aim of the current study was to assess possible postconditioning with sevoflurane in an in vivo model of endotoxin-induced lung injury.

Methods

Rats were anesthetized, tracheotomized, and mechanically ventilated. Lipopolysaccharide (saline as control) was administered intratracheally. Upon injury after 2 h of propofol anesthesia, general anesthesia was continued with either sevoflurane or propofol for 4 h. Arterial blood gases were measured every 2 h. After 6 h of injury, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and lungs were collected. Total cell count, albumin content, concentrations of the cytokines cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and phospholipids were analyzed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Expression of messenger RNA for the two cytokines and for surfactant protein B was determined in lung tissue. Histopathologic examination of the lung was performed.

Results

Significant improvement of the ratio of oxygen tension to inspired oxygen fraction was shown with sevoflurane (mean + or - SD: 243 + or - 94 mmHg [32.4 kPa]) compared with propofol (88 + or - 19 mmHg [11.7 kPa]). Total cell count representing effector cell recruitment as well as albumin content as a measure of lung permeability were significantly decreased in the sevoflurane-lipopolysaccharide group compared with the propofol-lipopolysaccharide group in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Expression of the cytokines protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as messenger RNA in lung tissue was significantly lower in the sevoflurane-lipopolysaccharide group compared with the propofol-lipopolysaccharide group.

Conclusions

Postconditioning with sevoflurane attenuates lung damage and preserves lung function in an in vivo model of acute lung injury.
Differential Role of Pim-1 Kinase in Anesthetic-induced and Ischemic Preconditioning against Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Stumpner Jan , Redel Andreas , Kellermann Anna , Lotz Christopher A. , Blomeyer Christoph A. , Smul Thorsten M. , Kehl Franz , Roewer Norbert , Lange Markus
Published: November 2009

Background

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and anesthetic-induced preconditioning against myocardial infarction are mediated via protein kinase B. Pim-1 kinase acts downstream of protein kinase B and was recently shown to regulate cardiomyocyte survival. The authors tested the hypothesis that IPC and anesthetic-induced preconditioning are mediated by Pim-1 kinase.

Methods

Pentobarbital-anesthetized male C57Black/6 mice were subjected to 45 min of coronary artery occlusion and 3 h of reperfusion. Animals received no intervention, Pim-1 kinase inhibitor II (10 microg/g intraperitoneally), its vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (10 microl/g intraperitoneally), or 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration desflurane alone or in combination with Pim-1 kinase inhibitor II (10 microg/g intraperitoneally). IPC was induced by three cycles of 5 min ischemia-reperfusion each, and animals received IPC either alone or in combination with Pim-1 kinase inhibitor II (10 microg/g intraperitoneally). Infarct size was determined with triphenyltetrazolium chloride, and area at risk was determined with Evans blue (Sigma-Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Germany). Protein expression of Pim-1 kinase, Bad, phospho-Bad, and cytosolic content of cytochrome c were measured using Western immunoblotting.

Results

Infarct size in the control group was 47 + or - 2%. Pim-1 kinase inhibitor II (44 + or - 2%) had no effect on infarct size. Desflurane (17 + or - 3%) and IPC (19 + or - 2%) significantly reduced infarct size compared with control (both P < 0.05 vs. control). Blockade of Pim-1 kinase completely abrogated desflurane-induced preconditioning (43 + or - 3%), whereas IPC (35 + or - 3%) was blocked partially. Desflurane tended to reduce cytosolic content of cytochrome c, which was abrogated by Pim-1 kinase inhibitor II.

Conclusion

These data suggest that Pim-1 kinase mediates at least in part desflurane-induced preconditioning and IPC against myocardial infarction in mice.
Neuroprotection against Spinal Cord Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury Induced by Different Ischemic Postconditioning Methods
Authors: Jiang Xiaojing , Ai Chunyu , Shi Enyi , Nakajima Yoshiki , Ma Hong
Published: November 2009

Background

The authors compared the neuroprotective effects induced by two ischemic postconditioning methods and sought to determine the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in this neuroprotection.

Methods

Spinal cord ischemia was induced in rabbits by occlusion of the infrarenal aorta with a balloon catheter for 25 min. Postconditioning was accomplished by either five cycles of 1-min occlusion and 1-min reperfusion (standard postconditioning) or control of the perfusion pressure between 45 and 55 mmHg at the first 10 min of reperfusion (modified postconditioning). Motor function was assessed with the Tarlov score during a 28-day observation period. Histologic examination of lumbar spinal cords was performed. Expressions of Akt and ERK in the spinal cord were evaluated by Western blot.

Results

Compared with the controls, the two postconditioning methods markedly increased Tarlov scores 1, 3, 7, and 28 days after spinal cord ischemia and number of intact motor neurons in the lumbar spinal cord. No significant difference in Tarlov scores and number of intact motor neurons was detected between the two postconditioning method groups. The two postconditioning methods enhanced the expressions of phospho-Akt and phospho-ERK in spinal cords. The neuroprotective effects and the increases in phospho-Akt and phospho-ERK were abolished by administration of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt inhibitor LY-294002 or ERK inhibitor PD-98059.

Conclusions

The two postconditioning methods possess comparable neuroprotective effects on the spinal cord and share a common molecular mechanism, in which phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and ERK pathways play crucial roles.
Pain Assessment Is Associated with Decreased Duration of Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Payen Jean-Francois , Bosson Jean-Luc , Chanques Gérald , Mantz Jean , Labarere José
Published: November 2009

Background

Critically ill patients frequently experience pain, but assessment rates remain below 40% in mechanically ventilated patients. Whether pain assessment affects patient outcomes is largely unknown.

Methods

As part of a prospective cohort study of mechanically ventilated patients who received analgesia on day 2 of their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the investigators performed propensity-adjusted score analysis to compare the duration of ventilator support and duration of ICU stay between 513 patients who were assessed for pain and 631 patients who were not assessed for pain.

Results

Patients assessed for pain on day 2 were more likely to receive sedation level assessment, nonopioids, and dedicated analgesia during painful procedures than patients whose pain was not assessed. They also received fewer hypnotics and lower daily doses of midazolam. Patients with pain assessment had a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (8 vs. 11 days; P < 0.01) and a reduced duration of stay in the ICU (13 vs. 18 days; P < 0.01). In propensity-adjusted score analysis, pain assessment was associated with increased odds of weaning from the ventilator (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.98) and of discharge from the ICU (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.00).

Conclusions

Pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients is independently associated with a reduction in the duration of ventilator support and of duration of ICU stay. This might be related to higher concomitant rates of sedation assessments and a restricted use of hypnotic drugs when pain is assessed.
Susceptibility to Fraud in Systematic Reviews
Authors: Marret Emmanuel , Elia Nadia , Dahl Jørgen B. , McQuay Henry J. , Møiniche Steen , Moore R Andrew , Straube Sebastian , Tramèr Martin R.
Published: November 2009

Background

Dr. Scott Reuben allegedly fabricated data. The authors of the current article examined the impact of Reuben reports on conclusions of systematic reviews.

Methods

The authors searched in ISI Web of Knowledge systematic reviews citing Reuben reports. Systematic reviews were grouped into one of three categories: I, only cited but did not include Reuben reports; II, retrieved and considered, but eventually excluded Reuben reports; III, included Reuben reports. For quantitative systematic reviews (i.e., meta-analyses), a relevant difference was defined as a significant result becoming nonsignificant (or vice versa) by excluding Reuben reports. For qualitative systematic reviews, each author decided independently whether noninclusion of Reuben reports would have changed conclusions.

Results

Twenty-five systematic reviews (5 category I, 6 category II, 14 category III) cited 27 Reuben reports (published 1994-2007). Most tested analgesics in surgical patients. One of 6 quantitative category III reviews would have reached different conclusions without Reuben reports. In all 6 (30 subgroup analyses involving Reuben reports), exclusion of Reuben reports never made any difference when the number of patients from Reuben reports was less than 30% of all patients included in the analysis. Of 8 qualitative category III reviews, all authors agreed that one would certainly have reached different conclusions without Reuben reports. For another 4, the authors' judgment was not unanimous.

Conclusions

Carefully performed systematic reviews proved robust against the impact of Reuben reports. Quantitative systematic reviews were vulnerable if the fraudulent data were more than 30% of the total. Qualitative systematic reviews seemed at greater risk than quantitative.
Offspring sex varies with maternal investment ability: empirical demonstration based on cross-fostering
Authors: Robert Kylie A. , Schwanz Lisa E. , Mills Harriet R.
Published: November 2009

Despite decades of interest, adaptive explanations for biased offspring sex ratios in mammals remain contentious, largely because direct tests of the underlying fitness assumptions of adaptive hypotheses are rarely conducted. These tests are complicated by the difficulty of manipulating offspring sex prior to significant maternal investment owing to the biological constraints of viviparity. We test the adaptive advantage of sex allocation through cross-fostering offspring by sex in tammar wallabies. We examine whether offspring sex is correlated with maternal investment ability (i.e. Trivers–Willard hypothesis, TWH). In addition, we test the assumption that maternal investment has a greater influence on the fitness of sons than of daughters. We failed to find statistical support for maternal investment ability influencing a son's weaning success or body size more than a daughter's, although this result was probably owing to small sample sizes. In support of the TWH, females that gave birth to a son had higher investment ability (likelihood of weaning an offspring) regardless of the sex of offspring fostered.
Saving Darwin's muse: evolutionary genetics for the recovery of the Floreana mockingbird
Authors: Hoeck Paquita E. A. , Beaumont Mark A. , James Karen E. , Grant Rosemary B. , Grant Peter R. , Keller Lukas F.
Published: November 2009

The distribution of mockingbird species among the Galápagos Islands prompted Charles Darwin to question, for the first time in writing, the ‘stability of species’. Some 50 years after Darwin's visit, however, the endemic Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus) had become extinct on Floreana Island and, today, only two small populations survive on two satellite islets. As Darwin noted, rarity often precedes extinction. To avert extinction, plans are being developed to reintroduceM. trifasciatusto Floreana. Here, we integrate evolutionary thinking and conservation practice using coalescent analyses and genetic data from contemporary and museum samples, including two collected by Darwin and Robert Fitzroy on Floreana in 1835. Our microsatellite results show substantial differentiation between the two extant populations, but our coalescence-based modelling does not indicate long, independent evolutionary histories. One of the populations is highly inbred, but both harbour unique alleles present on Floreana in 1835, suggesting that birds from both islets should be used to establish a single, mixed population on Floreana. Thus, Darwin's mockingbird specimens not only revealed to him a level of variation that suggested speciation following geographical isolation but also, more than 170 years later, return important information to their place of origin for the conservation of their conspecifics.
Contrasting patterns of genetic structure and dispersal ability in ant-attended and non-attendedTuberculatusaphids
Authors: Yao Izumi
Published: November 2009

Aphid species within the genusTuberculatusexhibit a variety of interactions with ants, ranging from close associations to non-attendance. An ant-attended species,Tuberculatus quercicola, and two non-attended species,Tuberculatus japonicusandTuberculatus paiki, are sympatric and hosted by the tree speciesQuercus dentata(Fagaceae). An undescribed ant-attended species ofTuberculatus(sp. A) and several non-attendedTuberculatusspecies are found onQuercus crispulatrees. The population genetic structure was examined for the species sympatric on 11Q. dentatatrees and on 11Q. crispulatrees using five microsatellite loci. To determine the extent to which ant-attended or non-attended species migrate between subpopulations, flight intercept traps were placed in the study sites. Ant-attended species exhibited lower allelic richness and showed increased genetic differentiation between subpopulations compared with those of non-attended species. The number of non-attended species caught in traps increased with seasonal abundance; however, few ant-attended species were trapped, despite their abundance. These results suggest that populations of ant-attended aphids are composed of fragmented local subpopulations that are connected by low dispersal rates, leading to considerable population differentiation.
Dietary carotenoid availability, sexual signalling and functional fertility in sticklebacks
Authors: Pike Thomas W. , Blount Jonathan D. , Lindström Jan , Metcalfe Neil B.
Published: November 2009

In species where males express carotenoid-based sexual signals, more intensely coloured males may be signalling their enhanced ability to combat oxidative stress. This may include mitigating deleterious oxidative damage to their sperm, and so be directly related to their functional fertility. Using a split-clutch
in vitro
fertilization technique and dietary carotenoid manipulation, we demonstrate that in non-competitive fertilization assays, male three-spined sticklebacks (
Gasterosteus aculeatus
) that are fed higher (but biologically relevant) levels of carotenoids had a significantly increased fertilization success, irrespective of maternal carotenoid intake. Furthermore, within diet groups, a male's fertilization success was positively related to the expression of his carotenoid-based nuptial coloration, with more intensely coloured males having higher functional fertility. These data provide, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that dietary access to carotenoids influences fertilization success, and suggest that females could use a male's nuptial coloration as an indicator of his functional fertility.
Particle absorption by black holes and the generalized second law of thermodynamics
Authors: Funkhouser Scott
Published: November 2009

The change in entropy, Δ
S
, associated with the quasi-static absorption of a particle of energy
ε
by a Schwarzschild black hole (ScBH) is approximately (
ε
/
T
)−
s
, where
T
is the Hawking temperature of the black hole and
s
is the entropy of the particle. Motivated by the statistical interpretation of entropy, it is proposed here that the absorption should be suppressed, but not forbidden, when Δ
S
<0, which requires the absorption cross section to be sensitive to Δ
S
. A purely thermodynamic formulation of the probability for the absorption is obtained from the standard relationship between microstates and entropy. If Δ
S
≫1 and
s
≪
ε
/
T
, then the probability for the particle not to be absorbed is approximately exp[−
ε
/
T
], which is identical to the probability for quantum mechanical reflection by the horizon of an ScBH. The manifestation of quantum behaviours in the new probability function may intimate a fundamental physical unity between thermodynamics and quantum mechanics.
A generalized Coleman–Noll procedure for the exploitation of the entropy principle
Authors: Cimmelli V. A. , Sellitto A. , Triani V.
Published: November 2009

A generalization of the classical Coleman–Noll procedure for the exploitation of second law of thermodynamics in the presence of first-order non-local constitutive functions is proposed. The local balance of entropy is regarded as a differential inequality constrained by the governing equations for the set of the unknown fields as well as by their gradient extensions. The thermodynamic compatibility of such a class of materials is achieved without any modification of the basic thermodynamic laws. The results so obtained are applied to model nonlinear heat conduction in solids, in the presence of a dynamical semi-empirical temperature scale.
Birds adjust acoustic directionality to beam their antipredator calls to predators and conspecifics
Authors: Yorzinski Jessica L. , Patricelli Gail L.
Published: November 2009

Animals in many vertebrate species vocalize in response to predators, but it is often unclear whether these antipredator calls function to communicate with predators, conspecifics or both. We evaluated the function of antipredator calls in 10 species of passerines by measuring the acoustic directionality of these calls in response to experimental presentations of a model predator. Acoustic directionality quantifies the radiation pattern of vocalizations and may provide evidence about the receiver of these calls. We predicted that antipredator calls would have a lower directionality if they function to communicate with surrounding conspecifics, and a higher directionality and aimed at the receiver if they function to communicate with the predator. Our results support both of these functions. Overall, the birds produce antipredator calls that have a relatively low directionality, suggesting that the calls radiate in many directions to alert conspecifics. However, birds in some species increase the directionality of their calls when facing the predator. They can even direct their calls towards the predator when facing lateral to it—effectively vocalizing sideways towards the predator. These results suggest that antipredator calls in some species are used to communicate both to conspecifics and to predators, and that birds adjust the directionality of their calls with remarkable sophistication according to the context in which they are used.
A new lungless caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from Guyana
Authors: Wake Marvalee H. , Donnelly Maureen A.
Published: November 2009

We report the discovery of a single specimen of a small, terrestrial, lungless caecilian, the second known taxon of lungless caecilians. It differs from all other caecilians in lacking open external nares, and from the large aquatic lungless species described by Nussbaum & Wilkinson (Nussbaum, R. A. & Wilkinson, M. 1995
Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B
261
, 331–335) in having no significant skull modifications. All modifications are of ‘soft morphology’ (covered external nares and choanae, lung and pulmonary vessel loss, etc.). A new genus and species are described to accommodate this form. Aspects of its skull and visceral morphology are described and considered in terms of the possible life history and evolution of the species, and compared with those of other lungless amphibians.
Evolution of box jellyfish (Cnidaria: Cubozoa), a group of highly toxic invertebrates
Authors: Bentlage Bastian , Cartwright Paulyn , Yanagihara Angel A. , Lewis Cheryl , Richards Gemma S. , Collins Allen G.
Published: November 2009

Cubozoa (Cnidaria: Medusozoa) represents a small clade of approximately 50 described species, some of which cause serious human envenomations. Our understanding of the evolutionary history of Cubozoa has been limited by the lack of a sound phylogenetic hypothesis for the group. Here, we present a comprehensive cubozoan phylogeny based on ribosomal genes coding for near-complete nuclear 18S (small subunit) and 28S (large subunit) and partial mitochondrial 16S. We discuss the implications of this phylogeny for our understanding of cubozoan venom evolution, biogeography and life-history evolution. Our phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that: (i) the last common ancestor of Carybdeida probably possessed the mechanism(s) underlying Irukandji syndrome, (ii) deep divergences between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific clades may be explained by ancient vicariant events, and (iii) sexual dimorphism evolved a single time in concert with complex sexual behaviour. Furthermore, several cubozoan taxa are either para- or polyphyletic, and we address some of these taxonomic issues by designating a new family, Carukiidae, a new genus,Copula, and by redefining the families Tamoyidae and Tripedaliidae. Lastly, cubozoan species identities have long been misunderstood and the data presented here support many of the recent scientific descriptions of cubozoan species. However, the results of a phylogeographic analysis ofAlatina moserifrom Hawai'i andAlatina mordensfrom Australia indicate that these two nominal species represent a single species that has maintained metapopulation cohesion by natural or anthropogenic dispersal.
Body downsizing caused by non-consumptive social stress severely depresses population growth rate
Authors: Edeline Eric , Haugen Thrond O. , Weltzien Finn-Arne , Claessen David , Winfield Ian J. , Stenseth Nils Chr. , Vøllestad L. Asbjørn
Published: November 2009

Chronic social stress diverts energy away from growth, reproduction and immunity, and is thus a potential driver of population dynamics. However, the effects of social stress on demographic density dependence remain largely overlooked in ecological theory. Here we combine behavioural experiments, physiology and population modelling to show in a top predator (pike
Esox lucius
) that social stress alone may be a primary driver of demographic density dependence. Doubling pike density in experimental ponds under controlled prey availability did not significantly change prey intake by pike (i.e. did not significantly change interference or exploitative competition), but induced a neuroendocrine stress response reflecting a size-dependent dominance hierarchy, depressed pike energetic status and lowered pike body growth rate by 23 per cent. Assuming fixed size-dependent survival and fecundity functions parameterized for the Windermere (UK) pike population, stress-induced smaller body size shifts age-specific survival rates and lowers age-specific fecundity, which in Leslie matrices projects into reduced population rate of increase (
λ
) by 37–56%. Our models also predict that social stress flattens elasticity profiles of λ to age-specific survival and fecundity, thus making population persistence more dependent on old individuals. Our results suggest that accounting for non-consumptive social stress from competitors and predators is necessary to accurately understand, predict and manage food-web dynamics.