bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraluminal impedance detects failure of pharyngeal bolus clearance during swallowing: a validation study in adults with dysphagia
Authors: Szczesniak M. M. , Rommel N. , Dinning P. G. , Fuentealba S. E. , Cook I. J. , Omari T. I.
Published: August 2008

Abstract  Multichannel intraluminal impedance (MII) detects bolus flow through a healthy pharynx. The aim of this study was to determine whether the technique detects bolus flow and retention in patients with pharyngeal dysphagia; develop appropriate impedance‐based criteria for assessing patients and to provide some preliminary insights into the clinical utility of the technique. Pharyngo‐oesophageal pressure and impedance were recorded simultaneously with videofluoroscopy (VF) during swallows in six patients with dysphagia. Agreement, as to the presence or absence of bolus material, between the VF and MII was expressed using the Cohen’s Kappa statistic. To test whether the impedance criteria for the detection of bolus passage in dysphagia could be improved, a Kappa statistic was calculated in an iterative process for a range of impedance values (100%–0%) defining bolus head entry and bolus tail clearance from the pharynx. Bolus presence according to the MII criteria previously derived by us in healthy controls demonstrated a modest correlation with VF when applied to this dysphagia population [0.37, 0.5 and 0.58 in the hypopharynx, upper oesophageal sphincter (UOS) and proximal oesophagus respectively]. In the patient population, the optimal impedance criteria were 50% for bolus head entry and 20% for bolus tail clearance. Adopting these criteria demonstrated enhanced agreement between VF and impedance; yielding Kappa coefficients of 0.42 in the hypopharynx, 0.54 in the UOS and 0.62 in the proximal oesophagus. With the adoption of appropriate criteria, pharyngeal impedance measurement can accurately detect bolus passage and failed or impaired clearance during swallowing in patients with dysphagia.
Effect of diet on the fecundity of three carabid beetles
Authors: SASKA PAVEL
Published: August 2008

AbstractIn the present study, the importance of diet in terms of fecundity is compared for three species of the carabid genusAmara(Coleoptera: Carabidae), using an insect diet, two types of seed diet (Capsella bursa‐pastoris,Stellaria media) and a mixed diet. It is expected that the species of carabid studied have different food requirements for reproduction. Diet affects reproduction performance and egg production significantly. A mixed diet and both single‐seed diets are suitable for reproduction inAmara aenea(DeGeer) because a higher proportion of the females reproduce and lay significantly more eggs than on a purely insect diet. Females ofAmara familiaris(Duftschmid) do not reproduce unless provided with seeds ofS. media. Seeds ofC. bursa‐pastorisor a mixed diet are equally suitable diets for reproduction ofAmara similata(Gyllenhal); a diet of insects or seeds ofS. mediais unsuitable. The results support the hypothesis that the species under investigation have specific food requirements, suggesting that seed feeding has evolved to different degrees in particular species:A. aeneais omnivorous, whereasA. familiarisandA. similataspecialize on the seed of a particular plant species or family. This resource partitioning facilitates co‐occurrence of carabid species.
Comparing the physiological effects and function of larval feeding in closely‐related endoparasitoids (Braconidae: Microgastrinae)
Authors: HARVEY JEFFREY A. , BEZEMER T. M. , GOLS RIETA , NAKAMATSU YUTAKA , TANAKA TOSHIHARU
Published: August 2008

Abstract The larvae of most endoparasitoid wasps consume virtually all host tissues before pupation. However, in some clades, the parasitoid larvae primarily consume haemolymph and fat body and emerge through the side of the host, which remains alive and active for up to several days. The evolutionary significance of this host‐usage strategy has attracted attention in recent years. Recent empirical studies suggest that the surviving larva guards the parasitoid broods against natural enemies such as predators and hyperparasitoids. Known as the ‘usurpation hypothesis’, the surviving larvae bite, regurgitate fluids from the gut, and thrash the head capsule when disturbed. In the present study, the ‘usurpation hypothesis’ is tested in the association involving Manduca sexta, its parasitoid Cotesia congregata, and a secondary hyperparasitoid Lysibia nana. Percentage parasitoid survival is higher and hyperparasitism lower when cocoons of C. congregata are attached to the dorsum of M. sexta caterpillars. Fat body contents in several associations involving solitary and gregarious parasitoids feeding on haemolymph and fat body are also compared. The amount of fat body retained in parasitized caterpillars varies considerably from one association to another. In M. sexta and Pieris brassicae, considerable amounts of fat body remain after parasitoid emergence whereas, in Cotesia kariyai and Cotesia rufricus, virtually all of the fat body is consumed by the parsasitoid larvae. The length of post‐egression survival of parasitized caterpillars differs considerably in several tested associations. In Pseudeletia separata, most larvae die within a few hours of parasitoid emergence whereas, in M. sexta, parasitized larvae live up to 2 weeks after parasitoid emergence. Larvae in other associations parasitized by gregarious and solitary endoparasitoids live for intermediate periods. The results are discussed in relation to the adaptive significance of different feeding strategies of immature parasitoids and of the costs and benefits of retaining the parasitized caterpillar in close proximity with the parasitoid cocoons.
Cold hardiness and sugar content in photo‐insensitive individuals of the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: KURBAN ANWAR , YOSHIDA HIDEYA , IZUMI YOHEI , SONODA SHOJI , TSUMUKI HISAAKI
Published: August 2008

Abstract A proportion of Helicoverpa armigera collected from fields in Okayama Prefecture (Western Japan; 34.6°N, 134.1°E) does not enter diapause when reared under a short days at 20 °C during the larval stages. However, diapause in such photo‐insensitive individuals can be induced when they are reared at moderately low temperatures, such as 15 °C, regardless of photoperiod. To determine whether such photo‐insensitive individuals can survive overwintering in fields, the present study compares the cold hardiness and sugar content between nondiapausing and diapausing pupae of photo‐insensitive individuals selected over several generations at 20 °C under a short day photoperiod (LD 10 : 14 h). Diapausing and nondiapausing pupae are obtained under the short days by rearing at 15 and 20 °C, respectively, during larval and pupal stages. These pupae are stepwise acclimated at a reduction of 5 °C every 5 days to 0 °C. Maximum survival periods of nondiapausing and diapausing pupae at 0 °C are approximately 30 and 90 days, respectively. Trehalose content in diapausing pupae increases, reaches a maximum level (1.95 mg 100 mg−1 in males and 2.1 mg 100 mg−1 in females) 28 days after exposure to 0 °C and then decreases. On the other hand, glucose content in diapausing pupae increases (maximum level: 0.32 mg 100 mg−1 in males and 0.21 mg 100 mg−1 in females) with decreasing trehalose content 42 days after exposure to 0°C. The decrease in trehalose content and the increase in glucose content may be linked to termination of diapause in H. armigera. These results suggest that, in Japan, the photo‐insensitive individuals can only survive in the mild winters of southern regions, and not in the severe winters of northern regions.
Differentiation of innate but not learnt responses to host‐habitat odours contributes to rapid host finding in a parasitoid genotype
Authors: PÉREZ‐MALUF RAQUEL , RAFALIMANANA HALITIANA , CAMPAN ERICK , FLEURY FRÉDERIC , KAISER LAURE
Published: August 2008

Abstract In parasitoids, host‐habitat odour can influence host searching within the habitat. This is the case in Leptopilina sp. (Hymenoptera, Figitidae), a Drosophila parasitoid searching for larvae by ovipositor probes. This a behaviour can be conditioned to fruit odours. In a previous study, the latency of probing to a fruit odour is reported to have a genetic variability within a laboratory strain. This suggests a link between rapidity of host discovery and fitness. In the present study, this hypothesis is tested by comparing responses to host‐habitat odours between two genotypes of Leptopilina heterotoma Thomson, from the Mediterranean coast (Antibes) and from Burgundy (Tailly). The two genotypes present contrasting rhythms and levels of locomotor activity linked to contrasting interspecific competition in their area of origin. The high activity observed in the Mediterranean genotype is interpreted as an adaptive response to a limited time‐window to win against a competitor species absent in Burgundy. The present study finds differentiation in innate but not learnt responses to host‐habitat odours. The more active genotype (Antibes) has a higher probability and a shorter latency of innate probing to the odours than the less active genotype (Tailly); Antibes females also find larvae and complete infestations more rapidly. Learning equalizes the probability and the latency of probing to the odours in both strains, and increases the probing duration. Innate responses to host‐habitat odours would allow time‐limited insects to increase their reproductive rate, when host predictability is high in the habitat. Selection of faster innate responses to host and habitat cues without evolution of learnt responses indicates that the initial host discovery is more crucial to fitness than subsequent ones.
pH and carbon supply control the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase genes in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: CHEN ZHI‐HUI , JENKINS GARETH I. , NIMMO HUGH G.
Published: September 2008

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is thought to play many roles in C3 plants including the provision of biosynthetic precursors and control of pH during N assimilation. Its activity is controlled via phosphorylation catalysed by PEPC kinases, which are encoded by PPCK genes. We examined PPCK expression in response to changes in the supply of N or C, and to changes in intracellular pH, using cultured Arabidopsis cells and seedlings. The results show that expression of both PPCK1 and PPCK2 is increased by C availability, but does not respond to N availability. Expression of the two PPCK genes and the phosphorylation state of PEPC are increased in response to increasing intracellular pH. Elevated pH also reduces the repression of PPCK gene expression by Pi. Expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), which catalyses the decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, is decreased in response to increasing intracellular pH. pH homeostasis may be mediated at least partly by reciprocal changes in the expression of PPCK genes and PEPCK.
Ethylene insensitivity impedes a subset of responses to phosphorus deficiency in tomato and petunia
Authors: KIM HYE‐JI , LYNCH JONATHAN P. , BROWN KATHLEEN M.
Published: September 2008

The role of ethylene in growth and developmental responses to low phosphorus stress was evaluated using ethylene‐insensitive ‘Never‐ripe’ (Nr) tomato and etr1 petunia plants. Low phosphorus increased adventitious root formation in ‘Pearson’ (wild‐type) tomato plants, but not in Nr, supporting a role for ethylene in adventitious root development and showing that ethylene is important for this aspect of phosphorus response. Low phosphorus reduced ethylene production by adventitious roots of both genotypes, suggesting that ethylene perception – not production – regulates carbon allocation to adventitious roots at the expense of other roots under low phosphorus stress. With the exception of its effect on adventitious rooting, Nr had positive effects on growth and biomass accumulation in tomato whereas etr1 tended to have negative effects on petunia. This was particularly evident during the recovery from transplanting, when the effective quantum yield of photosystem II of etr1 petunia grown with low phosphorus was significantly lower than ‘Mitchell Diploid’, suggesting that etr1 petunia plants may undergo more severe post‐transplant stress at low phosphorus availability. Our results demonstrate that ethylene mediates adventitious root formation in response to phosphorus stress and plays an important role for quick recovery of plants exposed to multiple environmental stresses, i.e. transplanting and low phosphorus.
Genetic analysis of sympatric char populations in western Alaska: Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) are not two sides of the same coin
Authors: TAYLOR E. B. , LOWERY E. , LILLIESTRÅLE A. , ELZ A. , QUINN T. P.
Published: September 2008

The North Pacific Ocean has been of great significance to understanding biogeography and speciation in temperate faunas, including for two species of char (Salmonidae:Salvelinus) whose evolutionary relationship has been controversial. We examined the morphology and genetics (microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA) of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and Dolly Varden char (Salvelinus malma) in lake systems in western Alaska, the eastern and western Arctic, and south of the Alaskan Peninsula. Morphologically, each lake system contained two forms: one (Arctic char) largely confined to lake habitats and characterized by greater numbers of pyloric caeca, gill rakers, and shallower bodies, and another (Dolly Varden) predominated in adjacent stream habitats and was characterized by fewer pyloric caeca, gill rakers, and deeper bodies. MtDNA partial (550 bp) d‐loop sequences of both taxa were interspersed with each other within a single ‘Bering’ clade and demographic inferences suggested historical gene flow from Dolly Varden to Arctic char had occurred. By contrast, the taxa were strongly differentiated in sympatry across nine microsatellite loci in both lakes. Our data show that the two taxa are highly genetically distinct in sympatry, supporting their status as valid biological species, despite occasional hybridization. The interaction between these species highlights the importance of the North Pacific, and Beringia in particular, as an evolutionary wellspring of biodiversity.
Association of human leukocyte antigen polymorphism with outcomes of hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Ramezani Amitis , Hasanjani Roshan Mohammad Reza , Kalantar Ebrahim , Eslamifar Ali , Banifazl Mohammad , Taeb Jaleh , Aghakhani Arezoo , Gachkar Latif , Velayati Ali Akbar
Published: August 2008

Background and Aim:  Host genetic and environmental factors are viewed as a common basis of the different outcomes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) plays an important role in immunological reaction to HBV infection. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between HBV infection and HLA‐A, B, and DRB1 alleles in northern Iran.

Methods:  HLA‐A, B, and DRB1 alleles in 33 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 31 healthy carriers as the persistent group, and 30 subjects who had spontaneously recovered from HBV infection were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–sequence‐specific primer (PCR‐SSP) technique.

Results:  The frequency of the HLA‐A*33 allele was higher in the persistent group than in the recovered group (10.16% vs 0%, P < 0.008); the frequency of the DRB1*13 allele was lower in the persistent group than in the recovered group (3.13% vs 11.67%, P < 0.03). The frequency of the B*52 allele was higher in CHB patients than healthy carriers (7.58% vs 0%, P < 0.05). The logistic regression model showed that the presence of the HLA‐DRB1*13 allele was the significant factor associated with protection against the persistency of HBV. There were significant differences between the HBV recovered group, CHB patients, and healthy carriers regarding age, hepatitis B e antigen, and anti‐hepatitis B e positivity.

Conclusion:  HLA‐A*33 was closely related with susceptibility to persisting hepatitis B infection, and HLA‐DRB1*13 was closely related with protection against persisting hepatitis B in an Iranian population. These findings emphasized that the host HLA polymorphism is an important factor in determining the outcome of HBV infection.
Acylated ghrelin level in patients with OSA before and after nasal CPAP treatment
Authors: TAKAHASHI Ken‐ichi , CHIN Kazuo , AKAMIZU Takashi , MORITA Satoshi , SUMI Kensuke , OGA Toru , MATSUMOTO Hisako , NIIMI Akio , TSUBOI Tomomasa , FUKUHARA Shunichi , KANGAWA Kenji , MISHIMA Michiaki
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  Patients with newly diagnosed OSA have been reported to have recent weight gain prior to diagnosis. Ghrelin stimulates food intake and increases weight gain. Plasma ghrelin is decreased in obese and increased in lean individuals. Of the two circulating forms of ghrelin, acylated and unacylated, the former is thought to be essential for the biological activity of ghrelin.

Methods:  The plasma levels of the two forms of ghrelin were measured in 21 OSA patients (with a mean of 46.2 sleep‐disordered events/h) before and after 1 month of nasal CPAP (nCPAP) treatment, and were compared with those in 14 untreated OSA patients and 13 individuals without OSA.

Results:  The BMI was significantly higher in the 21 OSA patients than in the non‐OSA group as were the baseline acylated (11.4 ± 5.86 vs 7.19 ± 3.80 fmol/mL, P = 0.03) and unacylated (84.2 ± 50.6 vs 48.3 ± 23.2 fmol/mL, P = 0.02) ghrelin levels. The total ghrelin level was positively correlated with the number of sleep‐disordered breathings (P = 0.002). After 1 month of nCPAP treatment, the acylated ghrelin level significantly decreased (P = 0.02) while the unacylated ghrelin level did not (P = 0.09).

Conclusions:  Treatment of OSA may play an important role in the management of obesity in these patients by reducing the acylated ghrelin level.
Clinical characteristics and efficacy of bronchoscopic intervention for tracheobronchial leiomyoma
Authors: KWON Yong Soo , KIM Hojoong , KOH Won‐Jung , SUH Gee Young , CHUNG Man Pyo , KWON O. Jung , HAN Joungho
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  This study reports the clinical characteristics, efficacy and safety of bronchoscopic treatment of patients with tracheobronchial leiomyoma.

Methods:  A retrospective study of 10 patients with tracheobronchial leiomyoma who underwent bronchoscopic intervention between 2000 and 2007 at a single centre, documenting the clinical characteristics, treatment method and outcomes.

Results:  Seven men and three women were studied. The median age at diagnosis was 47 years (range 17–66). The most frequent symptoms were cough (n = 5) and dyspnoea (n = 4). The lesions were in the trachea in two patients, the right bronchi in six, and the left bronchi in two. On chest CT, the most frequent findings were a tracheobronchial mass without parenchymal lesion (n = 7). The tumours were removed by neodymium‐yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet laser treatment by rigid bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia (n = 9) and with flexible bronchoscopy under local (n = 1) anaesthesia. Two patients eventually underwent surgical resection because of late tumour recurrence at 16 months, after the bronchoscopic intervention, in one patient, and incomplete removal by bronchoscopic intervention in another patient. In eight of ten patients who were successfully treated by the bronchoscopic intervention, the clinical outcome was good during the median follow‐up period of 24.5 months. There were no procedure‐related mortalities or late complications.

Conclusions:  Patients with a tracheobronchial leiomyoma usually present with non‐specific respiratory symptoms and an endobronchial mass without parenchymal lesions. Bronchoscopic intervention is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of patients with a tracheobronchial leiomyoma.
Predictors of long‐term survival in elderly patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: FRUCHTER Oren , YIGLA Mordechai
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  There is a paucity of survival data regarding the prognosis of elderly patients following acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). We undertook a study to examine long‐term mortality rates and to identify clinical and laboratory predictors of these outcomes.

Methods:  A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 786 consecutive elderly (>65 years) patients admitted to general medicine acute‐care wards for AECOPD. Factors determining short‐ and long‐term mortality were analysed.

Results:  The mean (±SD) age of the study population was 75.8 ± 7.3 years (range 65–100 years). The in‐hospital mortality rate for the entire cohort was 7.25%. The risk of mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years was 28%, 47% and 54%, respectively. In univariate analysis age (hazard ratio 1.52; 95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.91), FEV1 (1.45; 1.73–2.35), active cancer (1.23; 1.64–2.32), current smoking (1.74; 1.35–2.11), ischaemic heart disease (1.58; 1.28–2.02), congestive heart failure (1.55; 1.23–2.26) and maintenance use of oral glucocorticosteroids (1.58; 1.11–2.79) were significantly associated with mortality. In multivariate analysis, only current smoking (1.89; 1.18–1.93), ischaemic heart disease (1.41; 1.07–1.68), PaCO2 on admission (1.49; 1.03–1.60), hospital readmission (2.23; 1.40–2.18) and FEV1 (1.41; 1.12–1.54) were independent predictors of mortality.

Conclusions:  This study provides new insights into the predictive factors associated with long‐term prognosis in elderly patients admitted for acute exacerbations of COPD, which differ from those previously identified for younger patients.
Poor clinical outcomes associated with a multi‐drug resistant clonal strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Tasmanian cystic fibrosis population
Authors: BRADBURY Richard , CHAMPION Alan , REID David W.
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  Clonal strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in large cystic fibrosis (CF) centres. Whether such strains are more virulent or whether cross‐infection between patients explains their widespread prevalence is unknown. This study described the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa infection in CF patients in Tasmania, Australia, an area with a high CF birth incidence. Patients in Tasmania are geographically dispersed and when this study was conducted (2003) there was no central CF clinic, with patients receiving treatment in regional hospitals.

Methods:  P. aeruginosa isolates from CF adults aged 15 years and over in Tasmania were genotyped using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)‐PCR and clonal strains confirmed with pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

Results:  Airway samples were obtained from 41 patients (82% of the adult CF population). P. aeruginosa was isolated from 34 patients and nine (26%) of these individuals harboured P. aeruginosa strains with identical RAPD‐PCR and pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns (Australian Epidemic Strain III – AES III). AES III was isolated from patients in all regions of Tasmania and was distinct from the epidemic CF strains described on mainland Australia (AES I and II). The possible link between CF adults infected with AES III was attendance at family camps more than 12 years previously. Patients harbouring AES III had suffered significantly more exacerbations requiring hospitalisation during the 2 years prior to the study compared with patients infected with unique strains (P < 0.01). AES III displayed increased multi‐antibiotic resistance compared with other strains (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Clonal strains of P. aeruginosa may arise even in isolated CF populations. The increased exacerbation rate in patients infected with AES III and its antibiotic resistance profile strongly suggest increased virulence.
A culture‐independent study of free‐living fungi in biological soil crusts of the Colorado Plateau: their diversity and relative contribution to microbial biomass
Authors: Bates Scott T. , Garcia‐Pichel Ferran
Published: September 2008

Molecular methodologies were used to investigate free‐living fungal communities associated with biological soil crusts (BSCs), along km‐scale transects on the Colorado Plateau (USA). Two cyanobacteria‐dominated crust types that did not contain significant lichen cover were examined. Fungal community diversity and composition were assessed with PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting and sequencing, and fungi‐specific quantitative PCR was used to measure fungal population densities as compared with those of bacteria. Our results clearly indicate that free‐living fungi, while ubiquitous in BSCs, are less diverse and contribute far less biomass than their bacterial counterparts. Biological soil crust fungal community structure differed from that of uncrusted soils in their surroundings. Phylogenetic analyses placed the majority of BSC fungi within the Ascomycota, confirmed the importance of dematiaceous fungi, and pointed to members of the genera Alternaria and Acremonium as the most common free‐living fungi in these crusts. Phylotypes potentially representing novel taxa were recovered, as were several belonging to the Basidiomycota that would not have been readily recognized by culture‐dependant means.
Botulinum toxin type A inhibits sensory neuropeptide release in rat bladder models of acute injury and chronic inflammation
Authors: Lucioni Alvaro , Bales Gregory T. , Lotan Tamara L. , McGehee Daniel S. , Cook Sean P. , Rapp David E.
Published: September 2008

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTX‐A) on the release of the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) from isolated bladder preparations after acute injury with HCl and the induction of cyclophosphamide (CYP)‐induced cystitis, as neurogenic inflammation has been increasingly identified in urological disorders such as interstitial cystitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult rats had either an intraperitoneal injection with CYP or saline over a 10‐day period to induce chronic bladder inflammation, after which the bladder was harvested, or normal bladder explants were injured acutely with incubation (20 s) in HCl (0.4 m). To measure the effect of BTX‐A on the release of neurotransmitters, harvested bladders were incubated in an organ bath containing BTX‐A (10 U) or vehicle. Bladders were transferred to a subsequent bath (physiological saline) and incubated for 15 min, and the bathing medium analysed to measure neurotransmitter release, as determined by radioimmunoassay. Bladder specimens from sham treatment, controls and experimental rats were compared histologically.

RESULTS

Acute injury with HCl caused a significantly greater release of both CGRP and SP release (1235 and 1655 pg/g, respectively) than in controls (183 and 449 pg/g, respectively; P < 0.001). This increase in neurotransmitter release was partly inhibited by exposure to BTX‐A (870 and 1033 pg/g (P < 0.05 and <0.01). CYP‐induced chronic inflammation caused significantly greater release of SP than in the controls (1060 and 605 pg/g, respectively; P < 0.005). Exposure to BTX‐A partly inhibited the release of SP after CYP‐induced cystitis (709 pg/g, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The application of BTX‐A inhibits the release of sensory neurotransmitters from isolated bladder preparations in rat bladder models of both acute injury and chronic inflammation, suggesting a potential clinical benefit of BTX‐A in the treatment of neurogenic inflammation.
Benefits of a bolus calculator in pre‐ and postprandial glycaemic control and meal flexibility of paediatric patients using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)
Authors: Shashaj B. , Busetto E. , Sulli N.
Published: August 2008

Aims   To assess the efficacy in pre‐ and postprandial glycaemic control and the impact on treatment satisfaction of a bolus calculator (Bolus Wizard) incorporated into the insulin pump in Type 1 diabetic (T1D) paediatric patients using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) treatment at various stages of pubertal development.

Methods   Thirty‐six T1D patients on CSII treatment (19 males; mean age 13.9 ± 3.5 years; range 4.9–17.8 years), were prospectively enrolled into this two‐period crossover study. Eighteen patients were randomized to begin phase A using the Bolus Wizard, followed by phase B, using their current conventional insulin dosing method to determine pre‐meal boluses. The remaining subjects were randomized to begin with phase B followed by phase A. Each study period lasted 2 weeks. A questionnaire assessing treatment satisfaction with the Bolus Wizard was compiled.

Results   There was a significant reduction in blood glucose levels before and 2 h after meals and in the number of correction boluses during phase A with respect to phase B of the study. The lower frequency of hypoglycaemic events during phase A did not reach statistical significance. There were no differences between the two phases: insulin requirement, daily bolus rate (%) and meal bolus quantity.

Conclusions   When paediatric patients used CSII, the bolus insulin dose calculated using the Bolus Wizard was more effective in improving pre‐ and postprandial glycaemic control with fewer correction boluses, without differences in the prandial insulin requirements and without restriction in the carbohydrate content of meals. The use of the Bolus Wizard was easy and was associated with a high level of satisfaction in these patients.
Plastid transformation of high‐biomass tobacco variety Maryland Mammoth for production of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) p24 antigen
Authors: McCabe Matthew S. , Klaas Manfred , Gonzalez‐Rabade Nuria , Poage Miranda , Badillo‐Corona Jesus A. , Zhou Fei , Karcher Daniel , Bock Ralph , Gray John C. , Dix Philip J.
Published: September 2008

Chloroplast transformation of the high‐biomass tobacco variety Maryland Mammoth has been assessed as a production platform for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) p24 antigen. Maryland Mammoth offers the prospect of higher yields of intact functional protein per unit floor area of contained glasshouse per unit time prior to flowering. Two different transformation constructs, pZSJH1p24 (for the insertion of a native p24 cDNA between the rbcL and accD genes) and pZF5 (for the insertion of a chloroplast‐codon‐optimized p24 gene between trnfM and trnG) were examined for the production of p24. Plants generated with construct pZSJH1p24 exhibited a normal green phenotype, but p24 protein accumulated only in the youngest leaves (up to approximately 350 µg/g fresh weight or ~2.5% total soluble protein) and was undetectable in mature leaves. In contrast, some of the plants generated with pZF5 exhibited a yellow phenotype (pZF5‐yellow) with detectable p24 accumulation (up to approximately 450 µg/g fresh weight or ~4.5% total soluble protein) in all leaves, regardless of age. Total protein in pZF5‐yellow leaves was reduced by ~40%. The pZF5‐yellow phenotype was associated with recombination between native and introduced direct repeat sequences of the rbcL 3′ untransformed region in the plastid genome. Chloroplast‐expressed p24 was recognized by a conformation‐dependent monoclonal antibody to p24, and p24 protein could be purified from pZF5‐yellow leaves using a simple procedure, involving ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion‐exchange chromatography, without the use of an affinity tag. The purified p24 was shown to be full length with no modifications, such as glycosylation or phosphorylation, using N‐terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry.
What's in a Name?
Authors: Levi Don S.
Published: September 2008

This paper is about the mode of being of names. The paper begins by explaining why the joke is on commentators who see Lewis Carroll's White Knight as applying the use/mention distinction. Then it argues that the real problem with the distinction is that the idea that names are used to mention what they name depends on mistakenly conceiving of language as existing autonomously; and that philosophers have this conception because they fail to appreciate what they are doing when they philosophise about language. This failure also explains why philosophers mistakenly think of any manifestation of a name as a (physical) token.
The effects of social influence on children's memory reports: The omission and commission error asymmetry
Authors: HJELMSÄTER EMMA ROOS AF , GRANHAG PÄR ANDERS , STRÖMWALL LEIF A. , MEMON AMINA
Published: September 2008

Children in two age groups (7 vs. 12 yrs, N= 174) individually interacted with a stranger and were later interviewed about this event. Right before the interview, each child encountered the stranger once again and he engaged in a conversation where he either suggested that a (central or peripheral) detail originally present in the event had actually not been there or that an originally non‐present (central or peripheral) detail had in fact been there. It was hypothesized that the two types of misinformation would result in omission and commission errors respectively. The results showed that the social influence resulted in an asymmetric effect (i.e., more commission than omission errors). Importantly, we also found that the children made more errors with respect to the peripheral detail (a suitcase), compared to the central detail (a passenger). Younger children did not make more errors (neither omission nor commission errors) than older children.
THE RECEPTION OF DIONYSIUS IN THE BYZANTINE WORLD: MAXIMUS TO PALAMAS
Authors: LOUTH ANDREW
Published: August 2008

The first major theologian to engage the CD in the Byzantine world is Maximus the Confessor. His is a highly individual engagement, but without any of the embarrassment alleged by many modern scholars. Dionysian influence in Byzantium seems to have been mostly confined to the monastic tradition, and is traced here, in outline, from Symeon the New Theologian to Gregory Palamas. Various issues recur: the distinction between apophatic and kataphatic theology, the notion of hierarchy (often understood in a much cruder way than in Dionysius himself), the nature and importance of angelic mediation, and the central place of the sacramental liturgy.
THE EARLY LATIN DIONYSIUS: ERIUGENA AND HUGH OF ST. VICTOR
Authors: ROREM PAUL
Published: August 2008

This essay sketches how Eriugena and Hugh of St. Victor interpreted the Areopagite, emphasizing key passages for each. Eriugena's translation of the CD and his Expositiones on The Celestial Hierarchy exerted a tremendous influence on subsequent Latin readers, including Hugh, and even survived the condemnation of his masterwork, the Periphyseon. The Victorine, whose own Augustinian inclinations were largely untouched by his encounter with the Areopagite, nevertheless exerted a distinctive influence by (falsely) attributing to Dionysius the view that in our pursuit of God, “love surpasses knowledge.” Together, despite their stark differences, they bequeathed a lively Dionysian tradition to the high medieval authors, scholastics and mystics alike.
Alcohol abuse, compulsory treatment and successive aftercare: a qualitative study of client perspectives
Authors: Ekendahl Mats
Published: September 2008

In Sweden, the social welfare boards have a statutory duty to provide aftercare for compulsorily treated substance abusers. However, there are no data on how the aftercare is organised and how clients perceive this phase of the compulsory treatment process. The aim of the study is to analyse how a sample of compulsorily treated alcohol abusers (n = 12) characterise the current coercive treatment episode and evaluate previously experienced and forthcoming aftercare interventions. Qualitative interview‐data were coded into themes and sub‐themes encompassing relevant client perspectives. Results show that the alcohol abusers claimed to want (but be denied) adequate help for their problems, both during primary treatment and after discharge. Their perspectives on coercive care and aftercare interventions appeared related to their views on their own problems and on being incarcerated. For instance, those who recognised their own alcohol problems emphasised the importance of quitting consumption and were dissatisfied with interventions offered during and subsequent to compulsory treatment referrals.
Physical Activity and Headache: Results from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)
Authors: Varkey E , Hagen K , Zwart J-A , Linde M
Published: September 2008

The aim of this study was to evaluate, using a prospective and a cross-sectional design, the relationship between level of physical activity and migraine and non-migraine headache. In the prospective part, 22 397 participants, not likely to have headache, answered questions about physical activity at baseline (19841986) and responded to a headache questionnaire at follow-up. In the cross-sectional part (1995-1997), 46 648 participants answered questions about headache and physical activity. Physically inactive individuals at baseline were more likely than active individuals to have non-migraine headache 11 years later (odds ratio 1.14, 95± confidence interval 1.02, 1.28). In the cross-sectional analyses, low physical activity was associated with higher prevalence of migraine and non-migraine headache. In both headache groups, there was a strong linear trend ( P< 0.001) of higher prevalence of ‘low physical activity’ with increasing headache frequency. The result may indicate that physical inactivity among headache-free individuals is a risk factor for non-migraine headache and that individuals with headache are less physically active than those without headache.
Direct Diagnosis and Management of Emotional Factors in Chronic Headache Patients
Authors: Abbass A , Lovas D , Purdy A
Published: September 2008

Somatization, anxiety, depression and personality disorders are common features of many patients with chronic headaches. Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) is a brief therapy method developed specifically to treat patients with this cluster of somatic problems, symptoms and maladaptive behaviours through focusing on how the patient handles emotional experiences. It also contains a direct method of assessing the somatic discharge pathways of both emotions and anxiety, thus allowing direct observation of somatization in the case of many chronic headache sufferers. In this review, we summarize the extant literature on emotional factors in headache, review the evidence for short-term dynamic therapies in somatic problems and describe the assessment and treatment method of ISTDP we use routinely with chronic headache sufferers.
Regional Variations in the Prevalence of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache Applying the new IHS Criteria: The German DMKG Headache Study
Authors: Pfaffenrath V , Fendrich K , Vennemann M , Meisinger C , Ladwig K-H , Evers S , Straube A , Hoffmann W , Berger K
Published: September 2008

The prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) varies considerably with respect to gender, age group and geographic regions. Methodological differences in the assessment and classification of cases are a major cause of this variability across studies, limiting the ability to perform true regional comparisons. We conducted three population-based studies in different German regions and assessed headache prevalence and headache characteristics in face-to-face interviews, applying standardized methods. We analysed the 6-month prevalence of migraine, TTH and their probable subtypes based on the new criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS). Among the 7417 participants in all three regions, the pooled 6-month prevalence of migraine, probable migraine, TTH and probable TTH was 6.75, 4.40, 19.86 and 11.61%, respectively. Despite the application of standardized classification methods, regional variations between 4.39 and 8.00% for migraine and 15.44 and 23.64% for TTH were observed, indicating differences in the local headache burden. Application of the new IHS criteria yielded headache categories that were not mutually exclusive, indicating a need for further discussion about the value of probable headache types in epidemiological studies.
A Comparative ID Migraine™ Screener Study in Ophthalmology, ENT and Neurology Out-Patient Clinics
Authors: Ertaş M , Baykan B , Tuncel D , Gökçe M , Gökçay F , Şirin H , Deniz O , Öztürk V , İdiman F , Karlı N , Zarifoğlu M , Yıldız N , Siva A , Saip S , Göksan B , Ak F , Aluçlu U , Duman T , Melek İM , Bulut S , Berilgen S ,   MIRA-3 Study Group
Published: September 2008

Migraine is more likely to be misdiagnosed in patients with comorbid diseases. Not only primary care physicians, but also specialists might misdiagnose it due to the lack of diagnostic criteria awareness. The ID migraine test is a reliable screening instrument that may facilitate and accelerate migraine recognition. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and characteristics of migraine in a large sample of patients admitted to clinics of ophthalmology (OC), ear, nose and throat diseases (ENTC) and neurology (NC), as well as to validate the use of the ID migraine test in OC and ENTC settings. This was a multicentre (11 cites) study of out-patients admitting either to NC, ENTC or OC of the study sites during five consecutive working days within 1 week. From each of the clinics, 100 patients were planned to be recruited. All recruited patients were interviewed and those having a headache complaint received an ID migraine test and were examined for headache diagnosis by a neurologist, blinded to the ID migraine test result. A total of 2625 subjects were recruited. Only 1.3% of OC patients and 5.4% of ENTC patients have been admitted with a primary complaint of headache, whereas the percentage of NC patients suffering from headache was 37.6%. Whereas 138 patients (19.3%) in OC, 154 (17.3%) in ENTC and 347 (34%) in NC were found to be ID migraine test positive, 149 patients (20.8%) in OC, 142 (16%) in ENTC and 338 (33.1%) in NC were diagnosed with migraine. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive ratios of the ID migraine test were found to be similar in all clinics. An important fraction of the patients admitted to NC, as well as to OC and ENTC, for headache and/or other complaints were found out to have migraine by means of a simple screening test. This study validated the ID migraine test as a sensitive and specific tool in OC and ENTC, encouraging its use as a screening instrument.
Abortive aphthous‐like oral lesions: an underreported initial presentation of pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Daneshpazhooh M , Chams‐Davatchi C , Ramezani A , Moinedin F , Rezaei Hemami M
Published: August 2008

Background  Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) usually presents as non‐healing, painful oral erosions, but transient or aphtha‐like lesions are not exceptional at the very beginning of the disease leading to the common misdiagnosis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). We designed this cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based study to evaluate this underreported yet important presentation of PV.

Material and methods  One hundred and eighty‐five consecutive PV patients were interviewed and a questionnaire, comprising items related to the natural history of oral lesions, was filled in for each. Fourteen patients who had taken steroids (topical or systemic) before their final diagnosis were excluded.

Results  Twenty‐three per cent of patients gave a history of transient aphthous‐like lesions; 95% of them were misdiagnosed as aphthae. These lesions were especially reported by patients aged 40 years or older (P < 0.047).

Conclusion  PV should be kept in mind as a rare differential diagnosis of transient oral ulcerations. We recommend careful observation of these patients and performing indirect immunofluorescence or desmoglein ELISA and even biopsy in atypical cases, to rule out PV especially in older patients and predisposed ethic groups. To find out the differential aspects of RAS and aphthous‐like PV, a cohort study on RAS patients is suggested.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
The timeliness and timelessness of the ‘archaic’: analytical psychology, ‘primordial’ thought, synchronicity
Authors: Bishop Paul
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  In 1930 Jung gave a lecture entitled ‘Archaic Man’ to the Lesezirkel in Hottingen. Following recent work on this text by two commentators, this article uses their interpretations as a springboard for a complementary reading, which emphasizes the fundamental significance of this paper as bridging the earlier and later stages in the development of analytical psychology, and examines closely the opposition between ‘archaic’–‘modern’ in Jung's paper; indeed, in his work as a whole. In contrast to Lévy‐Bruhl, Jung rejects the label of ‘mysticism’ as applied to the ‘primitive’ point of view, and his anti‐mystical stance can be explained in terms of his dialectical conception of the relationship between Self and World. On this account, the subject and the object—the psyche and the external world—are more closely (inter)related than conventional (modern) epistemology and ontology generally believe. This conception of the relation between the subjective and the objective foreshadows his later, and controversial, concept of synchronicity, which is, Jung insists, a way of apprehending the world in terms of its meaning. Concluding with a survey of the status of the ‘primordial’ in some other texts by Jung, this article aims to foster further debate on one of Jung's most complex and fascinating texts.
Examining Quality Improvement Programs: The Case of Minnesota Hospitals
Authors: Olson John R. , Belohlav James A. , Cook Lori S. , Hays Julie M.
Published: August 2008

Objective. To determine if there is a hierarchy of improvement program adoption by hospitals and outline that hierarchy.

Data Sources. Primary data were collected in the spring of 2007 via e‐survey from 210 individuals representing 109 Minnesota hospitals. Secondary data from 2006 were assembled from the Leapfrog database.

Study Design. As part of a larger survey, respondents were given a list of improvement programs and asked to identify those programs that are used in their hospital.

Data Collection/Data Extraction. Rasch Model Analysis was used to assess whether a unidimensional construct exists that defines a hospital's ability to implement performance improvement programs. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship of the Rasch ability scores with Leapfrog Safe Practices Scores to validate the research findings.

Principal Findings. The results of the study show that hospitals have widely varying abilities in implementing improvement programs. In addition, improvement programs present differing levels of difficulty for hospitals trying to implement them. Our findings also indicate that the ability to adopt improvement programs is important to the overall performance of hospitals.

Conclusions. There is a hierarchy of improvement programs in the health care context. A hospital's ability to successfully adopt improvement programs is a function of its existing capabilities. As a hospital's capability increases, the ability to successfully implement higher level programs also increases.