bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The subjective experiences of people who regularly receive depot neuroleptic medication in the community
Authors: PHILLIPS L. , MCCANN E.
Published: August 2007

Little has been written on the subjective experiences of people who receive depot injections in the community. The authors of this paper have identified distinct gaps in the literature in terms of the views of service users regarding this particular intervention. Existing studies tend to focus upon the side effects of depot neuroleptic medication and the attitudes of Community Mental Health Nurses (CMHNs) towards administering depot medication and issues of compliance and non‐compliance. Mental health nurses are frequently perceived as adhering solely to a biomedical approach to patient care in their practice and the therapeutic aspects of their role is frequently unacknowledged. This paper explores how, within the process of giving a depot injection, CMHNs are able to carry out an assessment of their client's needs as well as being someone who is consistent, reliable and supportive. This means that the process of giving a depot injection may be considered as a therapeutic intervention. Qualitative data were obtained through the administration of a semi‐structured interview schedule that was constructed and consisted of a range of questions that elicited service users views and opinions related to their experiences of receiving depot neuroleptic medication in the community. The relationship between patient and nurse, as this study reveals, was one that was not only therapeutic, but also provided a forum where psychosocial and clinical issues could be discussed and explored. Crucially, the service users felt they did have a role and an influence in the delivery of their care.
‘Then I just showed her my arms . . .’ Bodily sensations in moments of alienation related to self‐injurious behaviour.* A hermeneutic phenomenological study
Authors: SCHOPPMANN S. , SCHRÖCK R. , SCHNEPP W. , BÜSCHER A.
Published: August 2007

People committing self‐injurious behaviour are often perceived as difficult patients; confronted with unhelpful reactions from nurses, the patients find themselves left alone in their distress. A connection between self‐injurious behaviour and feelings of alienation is suggested in the literature. Alienation is described as a state in which the self is perceived as strange, machinelike and not in contact with its emotional and physical needs. On one hand, complex neuro‐biological processes are seen as responsible for this; on the other hand, alienation is seen as a means of self‐protection when one is exposed to a threatening or traumatic situation. Nursing interventions focus on the nurse–patient relationship and on the handling of self‐injuries, but they tend to ignore the client's previous experience. Proceeding from the assumption that patients committing self‐injurious behaviour are the experts on their own harm, the purpose of the present study is to get insight into their ‘lived experience’ and to contribute to the understanding of this vulnerable group. Adopting a hermeneutic phenomenological research perspective, methods of participant observation and qualitative interviewing were chosen to generate data. The database consists of 99 observational sequences, five interviews and a set of email texts written by a self‐injuring woman. A thematic analysis as described by Van Manen was done. The main findings are that alienation is experienced in several stages, that nurses can detect early signs of an impending loss of control, and that self‐injurious behaviour is an effective strategy to end a painful experience of alienation. Self‐injurious behaviour is appropriately understood as a form of ‘self‐care’.
Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 1 and the evolution of dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies with redshift
Authors: Burgarella D. , Le Floc'h E. , Takeuchi T. T. , Huang J. S. , Buat V. , Rieke G. H. , Tyler K. D.
Published: August 2007

Ultraviolet (UV) galaxies have been selected from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer deep imaging survey. The presence of a far-UV (FUV) drop-out in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) proved to be a very complete (83.3 per cent) but not very efficient (21.4 per cent) tool for identifying Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z∼ 1. In this paper, we explore the physical properties of these galaxies and how they contribute to the total star formation rate (SFR). We divide the LBG sample into two subclasses: red LBGs (RLBGs) detected at λ= 24 μm which are mainly luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (LIRGs) and blue LBGs (BLBGs) undetected at λ= 24 μm down to the MIPS/GTO limiting flux density of 83 μJy. Two of the RLBGs are also detected at 70 μm. The median SED of the RLBGs is similar (above λ∼ 1 μm) to that of a luminous dusty starburst at z∼ 1.44, HR10. However, unlike local luminous and ultraluminous IR galaxies, RLBGs are UV bright objects. We suggest that these objects contain a large amount of dust but that some bare stellar populations are also directly visible. The median SED of the BLBGs is consistent with their containing the same stellar population as the RLBGs (i.e. a 250–500 Myr old, exponentially decaying star formation history) but with a lower dust content. The luminosity function (LF) of our LBG sample at z∼ 1 is similar to the LF of near-UV (NUV) selected galaxies at the same redshift. The integrated luminosity densities of z∼ 1 LBGs and NUV-selected galaxies are very consistent. Making use of the RLBG sample, we show that SFRs estimated from UV measurements and corrected using the IRX−β method provide average total SFRTOT in agreement with the sum of the UV and IR contributions: SFR UV+ SFR dust. However, IRX−β-based SFRTOT shows a large dispersion. Summing up the detected UV (1150-Å rest-frame) and IR-based SFRs of the detected objects, we find that only one-third of the total (i.e. UV + dust) LBG SFR resides in BLBGs and two-thirds in RLBGs, even though most LBGs at z∼ 1 are BLBGs. On the other hand, the total SFR of LBGs accounts for only 11 per cent of the total SFR at z∼ 1. Finally, we observe a regular decrease in the luminosity ratio Ldust/LFUV from z= 0 to z≈ 2 for UV-selected samples.
Depositional controls on glaucony texture and composition, Upper Jurassic, West Siberian Basin
Authors: EDER VIKA G. , MARTÍN‐ALGARRA AGUSTÍN , SÁNCHEZ‐NAVAS ANTONIO , ZANIN YURI N. , ZAMIRAILOVA ALBINA G. , LEBEDEV YURI N.
Published: August 2007

This study examines textural inhomogeneity and variable chemical composition of Upper Jurassic glaucony in relation to small‐scale synsedimentary and postsedimentary authigenic processes controlled by the palaeonvironmental and palaeogeographical context. Four glaucony types with complex textural and compositional features have been recognized in cores of the Georgiev Formation of the West Siberian Basin. Samples exclusively made of light green type 1 glaucony (K2O < 6·5%: the less mature type, richer in glauconite–smectite mixed layer) formed under dysoxic conditions in the deepest distal marine environments of the northern sectors of the West Siberian Basin. Dark green type 2 glaucony is the most mature (richest in glauconitic mica: K2O up to 8·5%), is sometimes associated with type 1 glaucony, and is typical of high bottom areas with a low sedimentation rate within the central sectors of the basin. Type 3 glaucony is formed by brown grains, poorer in K and Fe but richer in Al and Si than type 2 glaucony, and is only present in strongly condensed successions of the central‐eastern sectors of the West Siberian Basin. Type 4 glaucony is much richer in Fe than any other type, shows fresh yellowish green cores slightly less mature than type 2 glaucony, and brown rims and cracks with composition similar to that of type 3 grains; it was formed in western sectors of the West Siberian Basin, close to Urals. Weathering under a subtropical to temperate climate, and erosion of badly drained peneplaned lowland areas around the basin, provided Al‐rich terrigenous clays as substratum for glauconitization, which explains Al and Si enrichment in Siberian glaucony. Maturation from glauconite–smectite to glauconitic mica is monitored by a change from light to dark green colour related to decrease in Al, Si, Mg, Ca and Na, and to increase in K and Fe. Brown rims of type 4 glaucony, and brown type 3 grains formed after leaching of Fe and K from mature glauconite, with formation of clays and Fe oxyhydroxides as reaction products, as a result of free oxygen exposure related to a hydrodynamic regime and temporary sea‐level fall. Glauconitization stopped and diagenetic pyrite formed due to basin deepening and burial under black shales during the latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous transgression. This study demonstrates that, due to the complex nature of glaucony, the authigenesis of glauconitic minerals in the rock record cannot be correctly understood if the palaeoenvironmental context and the palaeogeographical context of glaucony‐bearing sediments are not considered.
Molecular phylogeny of the endemic East African flightless grasshoppers Altiusambilla Jago, Usambilla (Sjöstedt) and Rhainopomma Jago (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Lentulidae)
Authors: SCHULTZ OLIVER , HEMP CLAUDIA , HEMP ANDREAS , WÄGELE WOLFGANG
Published: August 2007

Abstract A molecular phylogeny of endemic flightless grasshoppers is presented for the three Lentulidae genera Altiusambilla Jago, 1981, Usambilla Sjöstedt, 1909 and Rhainopomma Jago, 1981 based on DNA sequences (16S rRNA locus). Parsimony, distance and likelihood reconstructions were performed using different assumptions on sequence evolution. The generated phylogenies agree in almost all parts of the calculated trees and support the monophyly of the observed genera. It was shown that Usambilla and Rhainopomma are more closely related to each other, Altiusambilla being a separate clade. However, the investigated East African lentulid genera are clearly separated from South African taxa, underlining the monophyly of East African genera. Usambilla olivacea is re‐established. Populations of Rhainopomma montanum from the Taita Hills of Kenya and from the West Usambara mountains of Tanzania are two separate species not closely related to each other. Rhainopomma samples from the North Pare mountains of Tanzania belong to a hitherto undescribed species.
Phylogeny of the World Anthophorini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae)
Authors: DUBITZKY ANDREAS
Published: August 2007

AbstractThe phylogenetic relationships of members of the long‐tongued bee tribe Anthophorini were investigated. Twenty‐six ingroup taxa, representing all known genera and the most common subgenera of the Anthophorini, were included in a cladistic analysis of the tribe based on 51 morphological characters. The analysis yielded the generic relationships: ((Habrophorula,Elaphropoda) (Habropoda(Deltoptila(Pachymelus(Amegilla,Anthophora))))). The monophyly of the Anthophorini and each of its genera was confirmed. A second tribe, Habropodini, as postulated by some authors, is paraphyletic. On the basis of the results of the cladistic analysis and the biogeographical data of Anthophorini, an evolutionary scenario is postulated in which all genera of Anthophorini probably evolved in the Late Cretaceous, exceptAmegillaandAnthophora, which originated in the Oligocene. The northern part of south‐east Asia (India to south‐east China) is regarded as the most probable place of origin and radiation of the Anthophorini. The New World was probably colonized three times independently byHabropoda(upper Cretaceous to Tertiary), by an ancestral lineage ofDeltoptila(upper Cretaceous to Tertiary) and byAnthophora(Tertiary to Quaternary).
The E3 ligase AtCHIP ubiquitylates FtsH1, a component of the chloroplast FtsH protease, and affects protein degradation in chloroplasts
Authors: Shen Guoxin , Adam Zach , Zhang Hong
Published: August 2007

The Arabidopsis E3 ligase AtCHIP was found to interact with FtsH1, a subunit of the chloroplast FtsH protease complex. FtsH1 can be ubiquitylated by AtCHIP in vitro, and the steady‐state level of FtsH1 is reduced in AtCHIP‐over‐expressing plants under high‐intensity light conditions, suggesting that the ubiquitylation of FtsH1 by AtCHIP might lead to the degradation of FtsH1 in vivo. Furthermore, the steady‐state level of another subunit of the chloroplast FtsH protease complex, FtsH2, is also reduced in AtCHIP‐over‐expressing plants under high‐intensity light conditions, and FtsH2 interacts physically with AtCHIP in vivo, suggesting the possibility that FtsH2 is also a substrate protein for AtCHIP in plant cells. A substrate of FtsH protease in vivo, the photosystem II reaction center protein D1, is not efficiently removed by FtsH in AtCHIP‐over‐expressing plants under high‐intensity light conditions, supporting the assumption that FtsH subunits are substrates of AtCHIP in vivo, and that AtCHIP over‐expression may lead to a reduced level of FtsH in chloroplasts. AtCHIP interacts with cytosolic Hsp70 and the precursors of FtsH1 and FtsH2 in the cytoplasm, and Hsp70 also interacts with FtsH1, and these protein–protein interactions appear to be increased under high‐intensity light conditions, suggesting that Hsp70 might be partly responsible for the increased degradation of the substrates of Hsp70, such as FtsH1 and FtsH2, in AtCHIP‐over‐expressing plants under high‐intensity light conditions. Therefore, AtCHIP, together with Hsp70, may play an important role in protein quality control in chloroplasts.
Prevalence of 25(OH) vitamin D (calcidiol) deficiency at time of renal transplantation: a prospective study
Authors: Sadlier D.M. , Magee C.C.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  25(OH) Vitamin D (calcidiol) is the major circulating form of vitamin D and is considered the most reliable measure of vitamin D status. Adequate vitamin D status is important for bone health but there is increasing evidence that low serum concentrations of calcidiol (<30 ng/mL) are associated with many adverse health outcomes in the general population. Little is known about calcidiol status at the time of renal transplantation, a period when bone loss is greatest and immunosuppression is highest. We prospectively measured serum calcidiol and parathyroid hormone immediately after transplant from March 2005 onwards. Of 112 patients studied, 29% had calcidiol deficiency (<10 ng/mL), 59% had calcidiol insufficiency (10–29 ng/mL) and only 12% of patients had a normal calcidiol concentration (>30 ng/mL). The prevalence of calcidiol deficiency in black recipients was extremely high at 41%. Serum calcidiol tended to be lower in winter than other seasons. In conclusion, the prevalence of 25(OH) vitamin D (calcidiol) deficiency/insufficiency at the time of renal transplant is very high. The clinical effects of this deficiency/insufficiency deserve further study.
Changes of photosynthetic traits in beech saplings (Fagus sylvatica) under severe drought stress and during recovery
Authors: Gallé Alexander , Feller Urs
Published: August 2007

In the context of an increased risk of extreme drought events across Europe during the next decades, the capacity of trees to recover and survive drought periods awaits further attention. In summer 2005, 4‐year‐old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings were watered regularly or were kept for 4 weeks without irrigation in the field and then re‐watered again. Changes of plant water status, leaf gas exchange and Chl a fluorescence parameters, as well as alterations in leaf pigment composition were followed. During the drought period, stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis (Pn) decreased in parallel with increased water deficit. After 14 days without irrigation, stomata remained closed and Pn was almost completely inhibited. Reversible downregulation of PSII photochemistry [the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm)], enhanced thermal dissipation of excess excitation energy and an increased ratio of xanthophyll cycle pigments to chlorophylls (because of a loss of chlorophylls) contributed to an enhanced photo‐protection in severely stressed plants. Leaf water potential was restored immediately after re‐watering, while gs, Pn and Fv/Fm recovered only partially during the initial phase, even when high external CO2 concentrations were applied during the measurements, indicating lasting non‐stomatal limitations. Thereafter, Pn recovered completely within 4 weeks, meanwhile gs remained permanently lower in stressed than in control plants, leading to an increased ‘intrinsic water use efficiency’ (Pn/gs). In conclusion, although severe drought stress adversely affected photosynthetic performance of F. sylvatica (a rather drought‐sensitive species), Pn was completely restored after re‐watering, presumably because of physiological and morphological adjustments (e.g. stomatal occlusions).
Linking leaf chlorophyll fluorescence properties to physiological responses for detection of salt and drought stress in coastal plant species
Authors: Naumann Julie C. , Young Donald R. , Anderson John E.
Published: August 2007

Effects of salinity and drought on physiology and chlorophyll fluorescence were used to evaluate stress in two coastal plants, Myrica cerifera (L.) and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. Drought and salinity stress were induced and measurements of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, xylem pressure potential (ψ) and fluorescence were conducted following treatment. The onset of stress began at 2 g l−1 for M. cerifera, and 5 g l−1 for P. australis, as seen by significant decreases in physiological measurements. Despite the physiological effects of salinity, there was no significant difference in dark‐adapted fluorescence (Fv/Fm, where Fm is the maximal fluorescence in dark‐adapted leaves) for either species at any salinity level. Significant decreases in the light‐adapted measurement ΔF/F′m (F′m is maximal fluorescence in light‐adapted leaves) occurred at 10 g l−1 in M. cerifera and P. australis, days before visible stress was evident. The quantum yield of xanthophyll‐regulated thermal energy dissipation (ΦNPQ, where NPQ is non‐photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence) increased with decreasing ΔF/F′m. Drought studies showed similar results, with significant decreases in physiological measurements occurring by day 2 in M. cerifera and day 4 in P. australis. Differences in ΔF/F′m were seen by day 5 for both species, whereas Fv/Fm showed no indication of stress, despite apparent visible signs. Xanthophyll‐cycle‐dependent energy dissipation may be the underlying mechanism in protecting photosystem II from excess energy in salinity‐ and drought‐treated plants.
Responses of Jatropha curcas seedlings to cold stress: photosynthesis‐related proteins and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics
Authors: Liang Yu , Chen Hui , Tang Ming‐Juan , Yang Ping‐Fang , Shen Shi‐Hua
Published: August 2007

Photosynthesis‐related proteins and PSII functions of Jatropha curcas seedlings under cold stress were studied using proteomic and chlorophyll fluorescence approaches. The results of chlorophyll fluorescence measurement indicated that electron transport flux per reaction center (ETo/RC) and performance index (PIABS) were relatively sensitive to low temperature, especially at early stage of cold stress. The increase in O–J phase and decrease in J–I phase of chlorophyll fluorescence transient indicated a protection mechanism of J. curcas to photoinhibition at early stage of cold stress. Eight photosynthesis‐related proteins significantly changed during cold stress were identified using liquid chromatography MS/MS. Results of correlation analyses between photosynthesis‐related proteins and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters indicated that (1) ATP synthase and Rieske FeS protein were significantly correlated with electron transport of reaction center in PSII; (2) precursor for 33‐kDa protein was positively correlated with fluorescence quenching of the O–J and J–I phases and PIABS during cold stress, which implies that it might be related to multiple process in PSII; (3) contrary correlations were found between FJ − Fo and two enzymes in the Calvin cycle, and the relations between these proteins and PSII function were unclear. The combined study using proteomic approaches and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that the early‐stage (0–12 h) acclimation of PSII and the late‐stage (after 24 h) H2O2 scavenging might be involved in the cold response mechanisms of J. curcas seedlings.
Mechanism of the ropivacaine‐induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in rat aortic smooth muscle
Authors: Tokinaga Y. , Ogawa K. , Yu J. , Kuriyama T. , Minonishi T. , Hatano Y.
Published: August 2007

Background:  Ropivacaine is a long‐acting local anesthetic with low cardiac toxicity that induces vasoconstriction in vitro and in vivo. Vascular smooth muscle tone is regulated by changes in both intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the mechanism underlying the increase in [Ca2+]i in ropivacaine‐induced vascular contraction.

Methods:  Ropivacaine‐induced contractile responses and changes in [Ca2+]i were examined using an isometric force transducer and a fluorometer, respectively.

Results:  Ropivacaine induced a biphasic, concentration‐dependent change in [Ca2+]i and contractile response in rat aortic smooth muscles: an increase in [Ca2+]i occurred at lower ropivacaine concentrations (3 × 10−5 to 3 × 10−4 M) and a decrease was observed at higher concentrations (10−3 to 3 × 10−3 M). Contraction and the [Ca2+]i increase induced by ropivacaine were attenuated significantly by a voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel antagonist, an inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor antagonist and Ca2+‐free solution (P  <  0.01, n = 6).

Conclusion:  Ropivacaine‐induced contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle is, in part, regulated by Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space and Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Overtriage in trauma – what are the causes?
Authors: Uleberg O. , Vinjevoll O. P. , Eriksson U. , Aadahl P. , Skogvoll E.
Published: August 2007

Background:  Different criteria are employed to activate trauma teams. Because of a growing concern about overtriage, the objective of this study was to investigate the performance of our trauma team’s activation protocol.

Methods:  Injured patients with trauma team activation (TTA), admission to an intensive care unit or surgical intermediate care unit with a trauma diagnosis, or trauma‐related death in the emergency department were investigated retrospectively from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2005. Different TTA criteria were analysed with respect to sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and overtriage (1 – PPV).

Results:  Eight hundred and nine patients were included, 185 (23%) of whom had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of more than 15. The performance of our protocol showed a sensitivity of 87%, PPV of 22% and overtriage of 78%. The mechanism of injury as a TTA criterion had a sensitivity of 14%, PPV of 7% and overtriage of 93%. Physiological/anatomical criteria and interfacility transfer showed higher PPV and less overtriage. Undertriage (no TTA despite ISS > 15) was identified in 23 patients (13%), 18 of whom were hospital transfers.

Conclusion:  A TTA protocol based on physiological, anatomical and interfacility transfer criteria seems to yield a higher precision than, in particular, that based on mechanism of injury criteria. Because of substantial overtriage in our hospital, the TTA protocol needs to be re‐evaluated.
Methylprednisolone and ketorolac rapidly reduce hyperalgesia around a skin burn injury and increase pressure pain thresholds
Authors: Stubhaug A. , Romundstad L. , Kaasa T. , Breivik H.
Published: August 2007

Background: Glucocorticoids and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease acute postoperative pain and hyperalgesia. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of methylprednisolone and ketorolac on hyperalgesia around a skin burn injury and on pressure pain thresholds.

Methods: In a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized trial with cross‐over design, methylprednisolone 125 mg, ketorolac 60 mg or placebo was administered intravenously in 12 male volunteers on three separate days at least 4 days apart. Primary and secondary hyperalgesia were produced by a first‐degree burn injury on abdominal skin 45 min before injection of the test medicines. The area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia outside the site of injury was measured. Pressure pain stimuli were applied on the base of a fingernail, increasing until the pressure pain detection threshold (PPDT) and pressure pain tolerance threshold (PPTT) were reached.

Results: Compared with placebo, the active drugs reduced the area of secondary hyperalgesia (methylprednisolone,P< 0.001; ketorolac,P< 0.01). Ketorolac but not methylprednisolone increased PPDT compared with placebo (P< 0.05). Both active drugs increased PPTT compared with placebo (methylprednisolone,P< 0.01; ketorolac,P< 0.001). Ketorolac increased PPTT more than methylprednisolone (P< 0.05).

Conclusions: Methylprednisolone and ketorolac increased PPTT attenuated secondary hyperalgesia around a skin burn injury. PPTT increased after both methylprednisolone and ketorolac. The present study demonstrates analgesic and anti‐hyperalgesic properties of a glucocorticoid and a non‐selective NSAID that have not been demonstrated previously in human subjects.
The comparative effects of sevoflurane vs. isoflurane on cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity in patients with hypertension
Authors: Kadoi Y. , Saito S. , Takahashi K.
Published: August 2007

Background:  Sevoflurane has been shown to have different effects on cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in comparison with isoflurane. In this study, the comparative effects of sevoflurane vs. isoflurane on cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity were examined in patients with hypertension.

Methods:  Fifty patients, 30 hypertensive and 20 normotensive, were included in this study. The 30 hypertensive patients were divided into two groups: sevoflurane and isoflurane. Patients with controlled hypertension (n= 9 in each of the two groups) were those with normal blood pressure levels (systolic blood pressure below 139 mmHg). Patients with uncontrolled hypertension (n= 6 in each of the two groups) were those with high blood pressure levels despite medication (systolic blood pressure above 160 mmHg). Anesthesia was maintained with either 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane or 1.0 MAC of isoflurane in 33% oxygen and 67% nitrous oxide. A 2.5‐MHz pulsed transcranial Doppler probe was attached to the patient’s head at the right temporal window for continuous measurement of the mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (Vmca). After establishing baseline values of Vmca and cardiovascular hemodynamics, the end‐tidal CO2 was increased by decreasing the ventilatory frequency by 2–5 breaths per minute.

Results:  Values of the absolute and relative CO2 reactivity in the sevoflurane groups were lower than those in the isoflurane groups. There were no significant intra‐group differences in the absolute and relative CO2 reactivity within the sevoflurane and isoflurane groups.

Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that, in hypertensive patients, the control of cerebral blood flow by altering the pressure of arterial CO2 (Paco2) can be more effectively achieved during isoflurane rather than sevoflurane anesthesia.
Use of non‐invasive‐stimulated muscle force assessment in long‐term critically ill patients: a future standard in the intensive care unit?
Authors: Ginz H. F. , Iaizzo P. A. , Urwyler Albert , Pargger H.
Published: August 2007

Background: This study’s main purpose was to test the feasibility of employing a non‐invasive‐stimulated muscle force assessment approach in long‐term critically ill patients.

Methods: A case series was performed over a 4‐year period in the intensive care unit (ICU). Of the 25 patients initially recruited, eight patients required long‐time mechanical ventilation for a median of 3.8 weeks (range 2–10 weeks) and were immobilized for 5 weeks (range 2–10 weeks). With a previously tested non‐invasive measuring device, we weekly assessed peak torques and rates of force development and relaxation of patients’ ankle dorsiflexor contractile responses, induced via peroneal nerve stimulation. Subsequently, we derived each patient’s time course of observed progressive weakness and/or recovery.

Results: During their critical illnesses, seven out of eight patients elicited significant decreases in measured peak torques. In survivors (n = 6) during their recovery periods, torques gradually recovered. In the two patients who died, their strengths decreased continuously until death. The rate of force development data elicited similar trends as peak torque responses, whereas relative relaxation rates differed more widely between individuals.

Conclusion: This approach of non‐invasive‐stimulated muscle force assessment can be used in long‐term critically ill patients and may eventually become a standard in the intensive care unit, e.g. for assessing recovery. This method is easy to employ, reproducible, provides important phenotypic quantification of skeletal muscle contractile function, and can be used for long‐term outcomes assessment.
Pulse pressure variation as a tool to detect hypovolaemia during pneumoperitoneum
Authors: Bliacheriene F. , Machado S. B. , Fonseca E. B. , Otsuke D. , Auler J. O. C , Michard F.
Published: August 2007

Background:  Pulse pressure variation (ΔPP) and systolic pressure variation (SPV) induced by mechanical ventilation have been proposed to detect hypovolaemia and guide fluid therapy. During laparoscopic surgery, chest compliance is decreased by pneumoperitoneum. This may affect the value of SPV and ΔPP as indicators of intravascular volume status. Thereby, we investigated the effects of pneumoperitoneum and hypovolaemia on SPV and ΔPP.

Methods:  We measured ΔPP, SPV and the inspiratory (Δup) and expiratory (Δdown) components of SPV, at baseline, during pneumoperitoneum, during pneumoperitoneum and hypovolaemia and after the return to baseline conditions, in 11 mechanically ventilated rabbits. Pneumoperitoneum was induced by inflating the abdomen with carbon dioxide, and hypovolaemia was induced by controlled haemorrhage.

Results:  Pneumoperitoneum induced an increase in SPV from 8.5 ± 1.6 to 13.3 ± 2.6 mmHg (+56%, P < 0.05) as a result of an increase in Δup from 2.0 ± 1.0 to 6.7 ± 2.1 mmHg (+236%, P < 0.05), but no significant change in Δdown, nor in ΔPP. Haemorrhage induced a significant (P < 0.05) increase in SPV from 13.3 ± 2.6 to 19.9 ± 3.7 mmHg (+50%), in Δdown from 6.6 ± 3.3 to 14.0 ± 4.9 mmHg (+112%) and in ΔPP from 11.1 ± 4.8 to 24.9 ± 9.8% (+124%) but no change in Δup. All parameters returned to baseline values after blood re‐infusion and abdominal deflation.

Conclusions:  SPV is modified by haemorrhage but it is also influenced by pneumoperitoneum. In contrast, ΔPP is modified by haemorrhage but not by pneumoperitoneum. These findings suggest that ΔPP should be used preferentially instead of SPV to detect hypovolaemia and guide fluid therapy during laparoscopic surgery.
Association between intracranial pulse pressure levels and brain energy metabolism in a patient with an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Eide P. K. , Bentsen G. , Stanisic M. , Stubhaug A.
Published: August 2007

This report addresses whether intracranial pulse pressure amplitudes are associated with brain energy metabolism, examined by intracerebral microdialysis. We present a 65‐year‐old female with an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) from a left posterior communicating artery (PCOM) aneurysm. She underwent simultaneous intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and microdialysis (MD) as part of a diagnostic workout because of a lack of clinical improvement after long‐term intensive care management. Over a 4‐day period, a total of 128 samples of metabolites (glutamate, glycerol, lactate and pyruvate) were gathered, allowing retrospective comparisons with the levels of intracranial pulse pressure amplitudes (the mean ICP wave amplitude). During this 4‐day period, mean ICP was normal (<15 mmHg), while mean ICP wave amplitude was high (≥5 mmHg) in 47% of the recording time. There was a highly significant relationship between the levels of the mean ICP wave amplitude and the levels of glutamate, glycerol and lactate/pyruvate ratio. The levels of metabolites were increased when the mean ICP wave amplitude was ≥5 mmHg as compared with mean ICP wave amplitude levels <5 mmHg. We tentatively suggest that increased mean ICP wave amplitudes indicative of reduced intracranial compliance can be associated with brain ischaemia.
A greater decrease in blood pressure after spinal anaesthesia in patients with low entropy of the RR interval
Authors: Fujiwara Y. , Sato Y. , Shibata Y. , Asakura Y. , Nishiwaki K. , Komatsu T.
Published: August 2007

Background:  The objective of this study was to determine whether pre‐operative heart rate variability (HRV) estimated using the newly developed MemCalc method predicts hypotension after spinal anaesthesia (SA).

Method:  Fifty‐two patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, aged 38–84 years, scheduled to undergo elective transurethral surgery were investigated in this study. Ultra short‐term entropy (UsEn) as a non‐linear index of HRV was estimated before and after SA using the MemCalc method. The patients were then assigned to two groups (Group LO and HI) according to pre‐operative UsEn. SA was performed by intrathecal injection of 17.5 mg of isobaric bupivacaine via interlumbar spaces L3‐4 or L4‐5. After SA, the haemodynamic fluctuations were recorded and compared between the two groups.

Results:  SA significantly decreased LF/HF (a ratio of the low frequency component of HRV to that of the high frequency component) but did not affect UsEn. The percentage decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) after SA was 11.4 (9.9)% in group HI, whereas it was 17.5 (9.8)% in group LO (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the number of patients who developed hypotension was significantly higher in group LO.

Conclusion:  SA significantly decreased LF/HF without affecting UsEn. Patients with a low UsEn developed a greater decrease in SBP after SA. Furthermore, the incidence of hypotension after SA was higher in patients with a low UsEn.
Survival benefits select for group living in a social spider despite reproductive costs
Authors: BILDE T. , COATES K. S. , BIRKHOFER K. , BIRD T. , MAKLAKOV A. A. , LUBIN Y. , AVILÉS L.
Published: August 2007

The evolution of cooperation requires benefits of group living to exceed costs. Hence, some components of fitness are expected to increase with increasing group size, whereas others may decrease because of competition among group members. The social spiders provide an excellent system to investigate the costs and benefits of group living: they occur in groups of various sizes and individuals are relatively short‐lived, therefore life history traits and Lifetime Reproductive Success (LRS) can be estimated as a function of group size. Sociality in spiders has originated repeatedly in phylogenetically distant families and appears to be accompanied by a transition to a system of continuous intra‐colony mating and extreme inbreeding. The benefits of group living in such systems should therefore be substantial. We investigated the effect of group size on fitness components of reproduction and survival in the social spiderStegodyphus dumicolain two populations in Namibia. In both populations, the major benefit of group living was improved survival of colonies and late‐instar juveniles with increasing colony size. By contrast, female fecundity, female body size and early juvenile survival decreased with increasing group size. Mean individual fitness, estimated as LRS and calculated from five components of reproduction and survival, was maximized for intermediate‐ to large‐sized colonies. Group living in these spiders thus entails a net reproductive cost, presumably because of an increase in intra‐colony competition with group size. This cost is traded off against survival benefits at the colony level, which appear to be the major factor favouring group living. In the field, many colonies occur at smaller size than expected from the fitness curve, suggesting ecological or life history constraints on colony persistence which results in a transient population of relatively small colonies.
Evolution of total net fitness in thermal lines:Drosophila subobscuralikes it ‘warm’
Authors: SANTOS M.
Published: August 2007

Fisher's fundamental theorem states that heritable variation for net fitness sets a limit to the rate of response to natural selection. How will temperate (i.e. cold‐tolerant) species cope with contemporary rapid global warming? Using three‐fold replicated lines ofDrosophila subobscurathat had been allowed to evolve for 4 years (between 32 and 59 generations) at 13 °C (cold), 18 °C (the supposed optimum temperature), and 22 °C (warm) I assess here how net fitness changes according to thermal environments. Net fitness was estimated following the classical approach in population genetics of competing over a number of generation in outbred experimental populations multiple wild‐type O chromosomes (homologous to arm 3R inD. melanogaster) independently derived from each base thermal stock in an otherwise homogeneous genetic background against a balancer chromosome. Warm‐adapted populations (‘warm‐adapted O chromosomes’) performed comparatively well at all tested temperatures. However, net fitness was severely reduced in cold‐adapted populations when transferred to warmer conditions. It seems, therefore, that thermal fitness breath forD. subobscuraflies is positively associated to temperature. These findings are discussed in relation to the fast world‐wide clinal shifts in the frequency of genetic markers correlated with current climate change.
Effective population size associated with self‐fertilization: lessons from temporal changes in allele frequencies in the selfing annual Medicago truncatula
Authors: SIOL M. , BONNIN I. , OLIVIERI I. , PROSPERI J. M. , RONFORT J.
Published: August 2007

Abstract Despite its significance in evolutionary and conservation biology, few estimates of effective population size (Ne) are available in plant species. Self‐fertilization is expected to affect Ne, through both its effect on homozygosity and population dynamics. Here, we estimated Ne using temporal variation in allele frequencies for two contrasted populations of the selfing annual Medicago truncatula: a large and continuous population and a subdivided population. Estimated Ne values were around 5–10% of the population census size suggesting that other factors than selfing must contribute to variation in allele frequencies. Further comparisons between monolocus allelic variation and changes in the multilocus genotypic composition of the populations show that the local dynamics of inbred lines can play an important role in the fluctuations of allele frequencies. Finally, comparing Ne estimates and levels of genetic variation suggest that He is a poor estimator of the contemporaneous variance effective population size.
Social heterosis and the maintenance of genetic diversity
Authors: NONACS P. , KAPHEIM K. M.
Published: August 2007

Genetic diversity in species is often high in spite of directional selection or strong genetic drift. One resolution to this paradox may be through fitness benefits arising from interactions of genetically diverse individuals. Advantageous phenotypes that are impossible in single individuals (e.g. being simultaneously bold and shy) can be expressed by groups composed of genetically different individuals. Genetic diversity, therefore, can produce mutualistic benefits shared by all group members. We define this effect as ‘social heterosis’, and mathematically demonstrate maintenance of allelic diversity when diverse groups or neighbourhoods are more reproductively successful than homogenous ones. Through social heterosis, genetic diversity persists without: frequency dependence within groups, migration, balancing selection, genetic linkages, overdominance, antagonistic pleiotropy or nonrandom allele assortment. Social heterosis may also offer an alternative evolutionary pathway to cooperation that does not require clustering of related individuals, nepotistic favouritism towards kin, or overt reciprocity.
High Caudal Epidural Anaesthesia with Local Anaesthetics or α2‐Agonists in Calves
Authors: Meyer H. , Starke A. , Kehler W. , Rehage J.
Published: August 2007

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of a caudal epidural anaesthesia using lidocaine or xylazine in a high volume for analgesia of the flank, navel and hamstring tendon. Fourteen calves weighing 57.7 ± 5.1 kg and 37.9 ± 9.3 (mean ± SEM) days old were randomly divided into two groups of seven calves each. Calves belonging to the lidocaine group were given a 2% lidocaine solution in the sacrococcygeal vertebral space epidurally at a volume of 0.4 ml/kg (8 mg/kg) body weight (BW). Animals of the xylazine group were administered an epidural anaesthesia with xylazine at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg BW, diluted with a 0.9% saline solution to a corresponding final volume of 0.4 ml/kg BW. Heart rate and respiratory rate were measured and the degree and duration of analgesia was determined by the response to a skin prick with a hypodermic needle over a period of 350 min after epidural injection. After epidural anaesthesia with lidocaine the mean heart rate increased during dorsal recumbency, whereas after xylazine both heart rate and respiratory rate decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The epidural injection of xylazine compared with lidocaine caused longer (P < 0.05) analgesia at the hamstring tendon (mean ± SEM, 120.7 ± 29.7 min versus 93.6 ± 3.5 min) and at the flank (100.7 ± 24.4 min versus 78.3 ± 11.1 min). There were no differences in the intensity of analgesia between groups. After xylazine application analgesia at the navel was achieved for 95.0 ± 14.1 min whereas after lidocaine injection sufficient analgesia at the navel was found in just two of seven calves for 55 and 95 min respectively. Based on above experiences, a second study was performed, in which a combination of xylazine and local anaesthetics was used and the injection volume was increased to prove the efficacy of caudal epidural anaesthesia in 15 calves (26.3 ± 26.7 days; 57.1 ± 19.5 kg) submitted to the clinic for regular umbilical surgery. In these cases the xylazine (0.1 mg/kg BW) was diluted with 2% lidocaine (n = 7) or 2% procaine (n = 8) to a corresponding final volume of 0.5–0.6 ml/kg BW. In all cases complete anaesthesia of the surgical area was achieved and no adverse effects were observed. Overall the high volume caudal epidural anaesthesia represents an effective, safe, cheap and easy to perform alternative for anaesthesia of the navel, flank and hamstring tendon in calves without major side effects.
A Potentized Homeopathic Drug, Arsenicum Album 200, Can Ameliorate Genotoxicity Induced by Repeated Injections of Arsenic Trioxide in Mice
Authors: Banerjee P. , Biswas S. J. , Belon P. , Khuda‐Bukhsh A. R.
Published: August 2007

Groundwater arsenic contamination has become a menacing global problem. No drug is available until now to combat chronic arsenic poisoning. To examine if a potentized homeopathic remedy, Arsenicum Album‐200, can effectively combat chronic arsenic toxicity induced by repeated injections of Arsenic trioxide in mice, the following experimental design was adopted. Mice (Mus musculus) were injected subcutaneously with 0.016% arsenic trioxide at the rate of 1 ml/100 g body weight, at an interval of 7 days until they were killed at day 30, 60, 90 or 120 and were divided into three groups: (i) one receiving a daily dose of Arsenicum Album‐200 through oral administration, (ii) one receiving the same dose of diluted succussed alcohol (Alcohol‐200) and (iii) another receiving neither drug, nor succussed alcohol. The remedy or the placebo, as the case may be, was fed from the next day onwards after injection until the day before the next injection, and the cycle was repeated until the mice were killed. Two other control groups were also maintained: one receiving only normal diet, and the other receiving normal diet and succussed alcohol. Several toxicity assays, such as cytogenetical (chromosome aberrations, micronuclei, mitotic index, sperm head anomaly) and biochemical (acid and alkaline phosphatases, lipid peroxidation), were periodically made. Compared with controls, the drug fed mice showed reduced toxicity at statistically significant levels in respect of all the parameters studied, thereby indicating protective potentials of the homeopathic drug against chronic arsenic poisoning.
Seasonal Variation in Nuclear DNA Integrity of Frozen–Thawed Spermatozoa from Thai AI Swamp Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Koonjaenak S. , Johannisson A. , Pongpeng P. , Wirojwuthikul S. , Kunavongkrit A. , Rodriguez‐Martinez H.
Published: August 2007

In this study, we investigated the susceptibility of frozen–thawed swamp buffalo sperm nuclear DNA to undergo controlled acid‐induced denaturation in situ, as analysed by flow cytometry, and aimed to correlate the results with sperm head morphology over three seasons in tropical Thailand. Artificial insemination (AI) doses (n = 218) from 18 AI buffalo sires, prepared between 1980 and 1989 and 2003 and 2005, were tested and compared among three seasons, the rainy season, July–October; winter, November–February; and summer, March–June. The overall mean of DNA fragmentation index (DFI) (± SD) was 1.84 ± 1.68%, range from 0.19 to 7.92%, with 0.221 ± 0.021 of the x‐DFI ranging from 0.190 to 0.350 and 0.023 ± 0.009 of the SD‐DFI ranging from 0.010 to 0.070. The DFI was consistently low (range 1.40 ± 0.21% to 2.16 ± 0.21%; LSM ± SEM), with x‐DFI ranging from 0.216 ± 0.003 to 0.225 ± 0.003 and SD‐DFI ranging from 0.022 ± 0.001 to 0.024 ± 0.001 across the seasons. The DFI was low enough to be related to high fertility potential. However, DFI values varied statistically among seasons, being lower in the rainy season (1.40 ± 0.21%, P < 0.05) than in winter (2.16 ± 0.21%) or summer (2.00 ± 0.20%), and were also affected by the year of semen collection and processing (P < 0.001). The proportion of morphologically abnormal sperm head shapes was low, with no significant differences between seasons. However, DFI was significantly related to the proportion of loose abnormal sperm heads (r = 0.27, P < 0.01). In conclusion, frozen–thawed swamp buffalo sperm chromatin integrity is not seriously damaged by cryopreservation or affected by the seasonal variations in temperature and humidity seen in tropical Thailand.
Field Trial on the Relationship of Blood Metabolites and Body Condition Score with the Recurrence of Luteal Activity in Estonian Holstein Cows
Authors: Ling K. , Waldmann A. , Samarütel J. , Jaakson H. , Kaart T. , Leesmäe A.
Published: August 2007

Associations of body condition scores and blood metabolites, measured before calving and at different periods during early lactation, with recurrence of luteal activity were investigated in a 250‐head commercial dairy farm during a 4‐year period (1999–2002). The study was conducted on 48 dairy cows (60 lactations) with average 305‐day milk yield of 8149 kg per cow. Blood samples taken 1–14 days before calving and 1–14, 28–42 and 63–77 days after calving were analysed for aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, ketone bodies, triglycerides, non‐esterified fatty acids and cholesterol. Milk progesterone (P4) profiles (samples collected twice a week, P4 levels measured in whole milk by enzyme immunoassay) were used to evaluate the interval from calving to first luteal response, P4 >5 ng/ml, and the interval from calving to first normal cycle. The MIXED procedure of the sas system was used to study the association of investigated parameters.

A higher concentration of ketone bodies before calving was associated with shorter interval to recurrence of first normal cycle (P = 0.007) and tended to be related to shorter interval from calving to first luteal response (P = 0.071). A lower prepartum aminotransferase activity showed a tendency to be associated with shorter interval from calving to first luteal response (P = 0.084).

Results suggest metabolic status up to 2 weeks prepartum to be related to the resumption of postpartum luteal activity in Estonian Holstein dairy cows.