bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Yoga‐Based Programs on Risk Profiles in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review
Authors: Innes Kim E. , Vincent Heather K.
Published: December 2006

There is growing evidence that yoga may offer a safe and cost‐effective intervention for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM 2). However, systematic reviews are lacking. This article critically reviews the published literature regarding the effects of yoga‐based programs on physiologic and anthropometric risk profiles and related clinical outcomes in adults with DM 2. We performed a comprehensive literature search using four computerized English and Indian scientific databases. The search was restricted to original studies (1970–2006) that evaluated the metabolic and clinical effects of yoga in adults with DM 2. Studies targeting clinical populations with cardiovascular disorders that included adults with comorbid DM were also evaluated. Data were extracted regarding study design, setting, target population, intervention, comparison group or condition, outcome assessment, data analysis and presentation, follow‐up, and key results, and the quality of each study was evaluated according to specific predetermined criteria. We identified 25 eligible studies, including 15 uncontrolled trials, 6 non‐randomized controlled trials and 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Overall, these studies suggest beneficial changes in several risk indices, including glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, anthropometric characteristics, blood pressure, oxidative stress, coagulation profiles, sympathetic activation and pulmonary function, as well as improvement in specific clinical outcomes. Yoga may improve risk profiles in adults with DM 2, and may have promise for the prevention and management of cardiovascular complications in this population. However, the limitations characterizing most studies preclude drawing firm conclusions. Additional high‐quality RCTs are needed to confirm and further elucidate the effects of standardized yoga programs in populations with DM 2.

Corrigendum to “The Influence of Yoga-Based Programs on Risk Profiles in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review”dx.doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nen008
Does Mode Matter For Modeling Political Choice? Evidence From the 2005 British Election Study
Authors: Sanders David , Clarke Harold D. , Stewart Marianne C. , Whiteley Paul
Published: December 2006

Although political scientists have begun to investigate the properties of Internet surveys, much remains to be learned about the utility of the Internet mode for conducting major survey research projects such as national election studies. This paper addresses this topic by presenting the results of an extensive survey comparison experiment conducted as part of the 2005 British Election Study. Analyses show statistically significant, but generally small, differences in distributions of key explanatory variables in models of turnout and party choice. Estimating model parameters reveals that there are few statistically significant differences between coefficients generated using the in-person and Internet data, and the relative explanatory power of rival models is virtually identical for the two types of data. In general, the in-person and Internet data tell very similar stories about what matters for turnout and party preference in Britain. Determining if similar findings obtain in other countries should have high priority on the research agenda for national election studies.
Host plant and population determine the fitness costs of resistance to
Bacillus thuringiensis
Authors: Raymond Ben , Sayyed Ali H , Wright Denis J
Published: December 2006

Novel adaptations often cause pleiotropic reductions in fitness. Under optimal conditions individual organisms may be able to compensate for, or reduce, these fitness costs. Declining environmental quality may therefore lead to larger costs. We investigated whether reduced plant quality would increase the fitness costs associated with resistance to
Bacillus thuringiensis
in two populations of the diamondback moth
Plutella xylostella
. We also measured the rate of decline in resistance on two host-plant (
Brassica
) species for one insect population (Karak). Population×plant species interactions determined the fitness costs in this study. Poor plant quality increased the fitness costs in terms of development time for both populations. However, fitness costs seen in larval survival did not always increase as plant quality declined. Both the fitness and the stability experiment indicated that fitness costs were higher on the most suitable plant for one population. Theoretically, if the fitness cost of a mutation interacts additively with environmental factors, the relative fitness of resistant insects will decrease with environmental quality. However, multiplicative costs do not necessarily increase with declining quality and may be harder to detect when fitness parameters are more subject to variation in poorer environments.
Positive short-term effects of sheep grazing on the alpine avifauna
Authors: Loe Leif Egil , Mysterud Atle , Stien Audun , Steen Harald , Evans Darren M , Austrheim Gunnar
Published: December 2006

Grazing by large herbivores may negatively affect bird populations. This is of great conservation concern in areas with intensive sheep grazing. Sheep management varies substantially between regions, but no study has been performed in less intensively grazed systems. In a fully replicated, landscape scale experiment with three levels of sheep grazing, we tested whether the abundance and diversity of an assemblage of mountain birds were negatively affected by grazing or if grazing facilitated the bird assemblage. Density of birds was higher at high sheep density compared with low sheep density or no sheep by the fourth grazing season, while there was no clear effect on bird diversity. Thus, agricultural traditions and land use politics determining sheep density may change the density of avifauna in either positive or negative directions.
The dynamics of nacre self-assembly
Authors: Cartwright Julyan H.E , Checa Antonio G
Published: December 2006

We show how nacre and pearl construction in bivalve and gastropod molluscs can be understood in terms of successive processes of controlled self-assembly from the molecular- to the macro-scale. This dynamics involves the physics of the formation of both solid and liquid crystals and of membranes and fluids to produce a nanostructured hierarchically constructed biological composite of polysaccharides, proteins and mineral, whose mechanical properties far surpass those of its component parts.
Helpers increase the reproductive potential of offspring in cooperative meerkats
Authors: Russell A.F , Young A.J , Spong G , Jordan N.R , Clutton-Brock T.H
Published: December 2006

In both animal and human societies, individuals may forego personal reproduction and provide care to the offspring of others. Studies aimed at investigating the adaptive nature of such cooperative breeding systems in vertebrates typically calculate helper ‘fitness’ from relationships of helper numbers and offspring survival to independence. The aim of this study is to use observations and supplemental feeding experiments in cooperatively breeding meerkats,
Suricata suricatta
, to investigate whether helpers influence the long-term reproductive potential of offspring during adulthood. We show that helpers have a significant and positive influence on the probability that offspring gain direct reproductive success in their lifetimes. This effect arises because helpers both reduce the age at which offspring begin to reproduce as subordinates and increase the probability that they will compete successfully for alpha rank. Supplemental feeding experiments confirm the causality of these results. Our results suggest that one can neither discount the significance of helper effects when none is found nor necessarily estimate accurately the fitness benefit that helpers accrue, unless their effects on offspring are considered in the long term.
Finding NEMO: nestedness engendered by mutualistic organization in anemonefish and their hosts
Authors: Ollerton Jeff , McCollin Duncan , Fautin Daphne G , Allen Gerald R
Published: December 2006

The interaction structure of mutualistic relationships, in terms of relative specialization of the partners, is important to understanding their ecology and evolution. Analyses of the mutualistic interaction between anemonefish and their host sea anemones show that the relationship is highly nested in structure, generalist species interacting with one another and specialist species interacting mainly with generalists. This supports the hypothesis that the configuration of mutualistic interactions will tend towards nestedness. In this case, the structure of the interaction is at a much larger scale than previously hypothesized, across more than 180° of longitude and some 60° of latitude, probably owing to the pelagic dispersal capabilities of these species in a marine environment. Additionally, we found weak support for the hypothesis that geographically widespread species should be more generalized in their interactions than species with small ranges. This study extends understanding of the structure of mutualistic relationships into previously unexplored taxonomic and physical realms, and suggests how nestedness analysis can be applied to the conservation of obligate species interactions.
Introduction. Antarctic ecology from genes to ecosystems: the impact of climate change and the importance of scale
Authors: Clarke Andrew , Johnston Nadine M , Murphy Eugene J , Rogers Alex D
Published: December 2006

Antarctica offers a unique natural laboratory for undertaking fundamental research on the relationship between climate, evolutionary processes and molecular adaptation. The fragmentation of Gondwana and the development of wide-scale glaciation have resulted in major episodes of extinction and vicariance, as well as driving adaptation to an extreme environment. On shorter time-scales, glacial cycles have resulted in shifts in distribution, range fragmentation and allopatric speciation, and the Antarctic Peninsula is currently experiencing among the most rapid climatic warming on the planet. The recent revolution in molecular techniques has provided a suite of innovative and powerful tools to explore the consequences of these changes, and these are now providing novel insights into evolutionary and ecological processes in Antarctica. In addition, the increasing use of remotely sensed data is providing a large-scale view of the system that allows these processes to be set in a wider spatial context. In these two volumes, we collect a wide range of papers exploring these themes, concentrating on recent advances and emphasizing the importance of spatial and temporal scale in understanding ecological and evolutionary processes in Antarctica.
Elevated expression of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1, involved in the growth of breast cancer cells
Authors: Shimo Arata , Nishidate Toshihiko , Ohta Tomohiko , Fukuda Mamoru , Nakamura Yusuke , Katagiri Toyomasa
Published: December 2006

To elucidate molecular mechanisms of mammary carcinogenesis and discover novel therapeutic targets for breast cancer, we previously carried out a genome‐wide expression profile analysis of 81 breast cancer cases by means of a combination of cDNA microarray and laser microbeam microdissection. Among the upregulated genes, we focused on the functional significance of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) in the development of breast cancer. Western blot analysis using breast cancer cell lines revealed a significant increase in endogenous PRC1 levels in G2/M phase. Treatment of breast cancer cells with small interfering RNA against PRC1 effectively suppressed its expression and inhibited the growth of breast cancer cell lines T47D and HBC5. Furthermore, we found an interaction between PRC1 and kinesin family member 2C/mitotic centromere‐associated kinesin (KIF2C/MCAK) by coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting using COS‐7 cells, in which these molecules were introduced exogenously. These findings suggest the involvement of a PRC1–KIF2C/MCAK complex in breast tumorigenesis, and this complex should be a promising target for the development of novel treatments for breast cancer. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 174–181)
Corrected‐QT intervals as related to methadone dose and serum level in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients—a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Peles Einat , Bodner Gershon , Kreek Mary Jeanne , Rados Vera , Adelson Miriam
Published: December 2006

Aims To determine and evaluate QTc intervals in electrocardiograms (ECGs) of former heroin addicts, currently in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), as previous reports suggest that methadone may prolong QTc intervals, thus possibly increasing the risk for Torsade de pointes (TdP).

Design Cross‐sectional study.

Setting Between January 2003 and September 2004, patients on a steady dose of methadone for at least 2 weeks were studied.

Participants This study is a subset of 153 patients, of whom 151 patients participated in a study of high methadone doses and serum levels. A total of 138 patients in MMT for a minimum of 100 days up to 10.7 years, receiving 40–290 mg/day methadone dose, participated.

Measurements Patients had an ECG at the time when blood was drawn for determination of serum methadone levels at around 24 hours after the last oral methadone dose. Corrected‐QT intervals (QTc) were calculated using the Bazett formula.

Findings Of 138 patients studied, 98 (71%) were male. Mean QTc interval was 418.3 ± 32.8 milliseconds (ms). Mean methadone dose was 170.9 ± 50.3 mg/day and mean serum methadone level was 708.2 ± 363.1 ng/ml. Methadone dose and serum levels did not correlate with QTc. Three patients had QTc intervals above 500 ms (‘prolonged’). After 2 ± 0.4 years of follow‐up, two patients died; they were two of three patients with very prolonged QTc. Causes of death were not attributed to cardiac origin. An additional 19 patients had QTc intervals of between 450 and 499 ms (‘possibly prolonged’). None of these QTc ≥ 450 ms patients had any cardiac problems. Methadone doses of all 22 patients were > 120 mg/day.

Conclusions Methadone maintenance is generally safe; however, the possible toxicity of high dose (> 120 mg/day) should be monitored for QTc.
Anaesthetic management of uncontrolled idiopathic intracranial hypertension during labour and delivery using an intrathecal catheter
Authors: Aly E. E. , Lawther B. K.
Published: December 2006

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare syndrome characterised by prolonged elevation of intracranial pressure in the absence of hydrocephalus, intracranial mass lesion or infection, and with increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure but a normal composition. We report a case of uncontrolled idiopathic intracranial hypertension successfully managed using an intrathecal catheter for analgesia in labour and delivery as well as temporary control of intracranial pressure.
Mechanisms influencing the vasoactive effects of lidocaine in human skin*
Authors: Newton D. J. , McLeod G. A. , Khan F. , Belch J. J. F.
Published: December 2006

The vasodilator properties of lidocaine are believed to be due mainly to the inhibition of action potentials via sodium channel blocking in vasoconstrictor sympathetic nerves. However, mechanisms involving the vascular endothelium may also play a role, and in this study we investigated the potential influences of nitric oxide release, the cyclo‐oxygenase pathway and the β‐adrenoceptors of vascular smooth muscle. Laser Doppler imaging was used to measure microvascular blood flow responses to intradermal injection of lidocaine 2%, with or without the addition of preservatives, in eight healthy, male volunteers. Co‐injection of the nitric‐oxide–synthase inhibitor Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester caused a 60% reduction in the response after about 20 min, and this reduction was enhanced with the lidocaine solution containing the preservatives methylhydroxybenzoate and propylhydroxybenzoate. No reduction in response was seen after blocking the cyclo‐oxygenase or β‐adrenoceptor pathways. Nitric oxide release contributes to the vasoactivity of lidocaine in human skin.
Evaluation of echocardiography indices of systolic function: a comparative study using pressure‐volume loops in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery*
Authors: Royse C. F. , Connelly K. A. , MacLaren G. , Royse A. G.
Published: December 2006

Transoesophageal echocardiography measures of systolic left ventricular function obtained during coronary artery bypass surgery are heavily influenced by alterations in loading conditions. No validation of these measurements against load independent indices obtained by pressure‐volume loop analysis has been undertaken in humans. Ten patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery underwent simultaneous transoesophageal echocardiography and pressure‐volume loop analysis of cardiac function at different loading conditions (reduced preload, increased afterload and atrial pacing). Fractional area change, afterload corrected fractional area change, and lateral basal wall peak systolic myocardial velocity, along with dP/dt, were compared to the preload recruitable stroke work relationship. There were no significant differences between the echocardiography measures when compared to the preload recruitable stroke work relationship; however, dP/dt varied significantly across loading conditions (p < 0.001). Transoesophageal echocardiography adequately assesses systolic function across loading conditions commonly seen during coronary artery bypass surgery.
Is inappropriate medication use a major cause of adverse drug reactions in the elderly?
Authors: Laroche Marie‐Laure , Charmes Jean‐Pierre , Nouaille Yves , Picard Nicolas , Merle Louis
Published: December 2006

What is already known about this subject

• Several studies have shown that inappropriate medications induce adverse health outcomes in the elderly.

• The hypothesis of Beers et al. that these inappropriate medications increase the likelihood of adverse drug reactions is debated and checked in patients admitted to hospital.

What this study adds

• Inappropriate medications do not seem to be the major cause of adverse drug reactions in the elderly.

• More than the inappropriateness of the drugs themselves, it is the inappropriate use of drugs that is to be tackled when treating the elderly.

• The main preventable factor is the reduction in the number of drugs given.

Aim

To study the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) linked to inappropriate medication (IM) use in elderly people admitted to an acute medical geriatric unit.

Methods

All the elderly people aged ≥ 70 years admitted to the acute medical geriatric unit of Limoges University hospital (France) over a 49‐month period were included, whatever their medical condition. For all the patients, clinical pharmacologists listed the medications given before admission and identified the possible ADRs. The appropriateness of these medications and the causal relationship between drugs (either appropriate or not) and ADRs were evaluated.

Results

Two thousand and eighteen patients were included. The number of drugs taken was 7.3 ± 3.0 in the patients with ADRs and 6.0 ± 3.0 in those without ADRs (P < 0.0001). Sixty‐six percent of the patients were given at least one IM prior to admission. ADR prevalence was 20.4% among the 1331 patients using IMs and 16.4% among those using only appropriate drugs (P < 0.03). In only 79 of the 1331 IM users (5.9%) were ADRs directly attributable to IMs. The IMs most often involved in patients with ADRs were: anticholinergic antidepressants, cerebral vasodilators, long‐acting benzodiazepines and concomitant use of two or more psychotropic drugs from the same therapeutic class. Using multivariate analysis, after adjusting for confounding factors, IM use was not associated with a significant increased risk of ADRs (odds ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.8, 1.3).

Conclusion

Besides a reduction in the number of drugs given to the elderly, a good prescription should involve a reduction in the proportion of IMs and should take into consideration the frailty of these patients.
Human growth hormone (GH1) gene polymorphism map in a normal‐statured adult population
Authors: Esteban Cristina , Audí Laura , Carrascosa Antonio , Fernández‐Cancio Mónica , Pérez‐Arroyo Annalisa , Ulied Angels , Andaluz Pilar , Arjona Rosa , Albisu Marian , Clemente María , Gussinyé Miquel , Yeste Diego
Published: December 2006

Objective  GH1 gene presents a complex map of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the entire promoter, coding and noncoding regions. The aim of the study was to establish the complete map of GH1 gene SNPs in our control normal population and to analyse its association with adult height.

Design, subjects and measurements  A systematic GH1 gene analysis was designed in a control population of 307 adults of both sexes with height normally distributed within normal range for the same population: −2 standard deviation scores (SDS) to +2 SDS. An analysis was performed on individual and combined genotype associations with adult height.

Results  Twenty‐five SNPs presented a frequency over 1%: 11 in the promoter (P1 to P11), three in the 5′UTR region (P12 to P14), one in exon 1 (P15), three in intron 1 (P16 to P18), two in intron 2 (P19 and P20), two in exon 4 (P21 and P22) and three in intron 4 (P23 to P25). Twenty‐nine additional changes with frequencies under 1% were found in 29 subjects. P8, P19, P20 and P25 had not been previously described. P6, P12, P17 and P25 accounted for 6·2% of the variation in adult height (P = 0·0007) in this population with genotypes A/G at P6, G/G at P6 and A/G at P12 decreasing height SDS (−0·063 ± 0·031, −0·693 ± 0·350 and −0·489 ± 0·265, Mean ± SE) and genotypes A/T at P17 and T/G at P25 increasing height SDS (+1·094 ± 0·456 and +1·184 ± 0·432).

Conclusions  This study established the GH1 gene sequence variation map in a normal adult height control population confirming the high density of SNPs in a relatively small gene. Our study shows that the more frequent SNPs did not significantly contribute to height determination, while only one promoter and two intronic SNPs contributed significantly to it. Studies in larger populations will have to confirm the associations and in vitro functional studies will elucidate the mechanisms involved. Systematic GH1 gene analysis in patients with growth delay and suspected GH deficiency/insufficiency will clarify whether different SNP frequencies and/or the presence of different sequence changes may be associated with phenotypes in them.
Tailoring quality improvement interventions to identified barriers: a multiple case analysis
Authors: Bosch Marije , Van Der Weijden Trudy , Wensing Michel , Grol Richard
Published: December 2006

Rationale, aims and objectives  The prevailing view on implementation interventions to improve the organization and management of health care is that the interventions should be tailored to potential barriers. Ideally, possible barriers are analysed before the quality improvement interventions are developed to influence both type and content of the implementation intervention. While tailoring educational improvement interventions generally requires the assessment of professional knowledge and skills, less is known about methods to tailor organizational interventions. In the present study, the results of previous studies on the development of educational and organizational interventions to improve the quality of health care are examined.

Method  Qualitative analyses were conducted on a purposeful sample of 20 quality improvement studies reporting barrier analyses and covering both educational and organizational interventions.

Results  Several methods were used to identify barriers, including focus group discussions, face‐to‐face interviews and telephone interviews. Attention to barriers prior to the development of the intervention did not always mean that the choice of a specific type of intervention was based on such, although identified barriers were often used to adjust the specific content of the intervention. A few methods to link improvement interventions to identified barriers were described, including theory‐based reasoning and iterative design processes. Results suggest there is often a mismatch between the level of identified barriers and the type of interventions selected for use. No differences in the tailoring of educational or organizational interventions could be identified.

Conclusions  The design of quality improvement interventions appears to still be in its infancy. The translation of identified barriers into tailor‐made implementation interventions is still a black box for both educational and organizational interventions.
Quantification of subclasses of human colonic myenteric neurons by immunoreactivity to Hu, choline acetyltransferase and nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Murphy E. M. A. , Defontgalland D. , Costa M. , Brookes S. J. H. , Wattchow D. A.
Published: December 2006

Abstract  An accurate method to count human enteric neurons is essential to develop a comprehensive account of the classes of nerve cells responsible for gut function and dysfunction. The majority of cells in the enteric nervous system utilize acetyl choline, or nitric oxide, or a combination of these, as neurotransmitters. Antisera raised against the RNA‐binding protein Hu, were used to identify nerve cell bodies in whole mounts of the myenteric plexus of human colon, and then were utilized to analyse cells immunoreactive for combinations of choline acetyltransferase and nitric oxide synthase. Antisera to Hu provided a reliable means to count apparently all enteric nerve cell bodies, revealing 10% more cell bodies than labelling with neuron specific enolase, and no labelling of glial cells as revealed by S100. ChAT+/NOS− neurons accounted for 48% (±3%) of myenteric neurons and ChAT−/NOS+ neurons accounted for 43% (±2.5%). ChAT+/NOS+ neurons comprised 4% (±0.5) of the total number of neurons, and a novel class of small ChAT−/NOS− neurons, making up 5% (±0.9%) of all cells, was described for the first time.
Graft‐vs.‐host disease in lung and other solid organ transplant recipients
Authors: Assi Maha A , Pulido Jose S , Peters Steve G , McCannel Colin A , Razonable Raymund R
Published: December 2006

Abstract: Graft‐vs.‐host disease (GVHD) is an uncommon complication of solid organ transplantation. Herein, we report a case of GVHD occurring in a lung transplant recipient and review 29 reported cases of GVHD that complicated thoracic organ, and non‐hepatic intra‐abdominal organ transplantation. The major presenting clinical symptom of GVHD was skin rash. Less frequent clinical manifestations were cytopenia (16%), diarrhea (11%), and fever (5%). The mainstay of treatment was high‐dose corticosteroids. The mortality rate was high (30%). The cause of death was mainly due to infection, suggesting that antimicrobial prophylaxis may improve the outcome of this potentially fatal complication.
Percutaneous transhepatic venous angioplasty in a two‐yr‐old patient with hepatic vein stenosis after partial liver transplantation
Authors: Miraglia Roberto , Luca Angelo , Marrone Gianluca , Caruso Settimo , Cintorino Davide , Spada Marco , Gridelli Bruno
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  We report one case of severe hepatic vein stenosis, in a two‐yr‐old pediatric patient with a left lateral split liver transplantation (S2–S3) and severe ascites, in whom color Doppler ultrasound failed to make the diagnosis and transhepatic balloon angioplasty was successfully performed.
Optimizing outcomes for neonatal ARPKD
Authors: Beaunoyer Mona , Snehal Mohile , Li Li , Concepcion Waldo , Salvatierra Oscar , Sarwal Minnie
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  A retrospective analysis was conducted on 10 consecutive cases of neonatal ARPKD, 9 of whom received kidney transplants (KT). All were diagnosed antenatally (n = 6) or at birth. In the first month of life 70% required ventilatory support. Pre‐emptive bilateral nephrectomy and peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement were performed in 9 at a mean age of 7.8 ± 11.9 months. The indications for nephrectomy were massive kidneys, resulting in suboptimal nutrition and respiratory compromise. All patients received assisted enteral nutrition, with significant increase in mean tolerated feeds following nephrectomy (p < 0.05), with increase in mean normalized weight and height (0.92 and 1.2 delta SDS respectively), by one year post‐transplantation. KT was performed at a mean age and weight of 2.5 ± 1.4 years and 13.3 ± 6.1 kg. The mean creatinine clearance at one year post‐KT was 91.3 ± 38.1 mls/min/1.73 m2, with a projected graft life expectancy of 18.4 years. Patient survival was 89% and death censored graft survival was 100%, at a mean follow‐up of 6.1 ± 4.5 years post‐transplant. Six patients demonstrated evidence of hepatic fibrosis, one of which required liver transplantation. In patients with massive kidneys from ARPKD, pre‐emptive bilateral nephrectomy, supportive PD and early aggressive nutrition, can minimize early infant mortality, so that subsequent KT can be performed with excellent patient and graft survival.
Dematiaceous fungi
Authors: Revankar Sanjay G.
Published: December 2006

Dematiaceous fungi are responsible for a wide variety of infectious syndromes. They are often found in soil and generally distributed worldwide. This suggests that most if not all individuals are exposed to them, presumably from inhalation or trauma. In recent years, these fungi have been increasingly recognised as important pathogens. The spectrum of diseases they are associated with has also broadened and includes superficial and deep local infections, allergic disease, pneumonia, brain abscess and disseminated infection. For some infections in immunocompetent individuals, such as allergic fungal sinusitis and brain abscess, they are among the most common aetiological agents. These fungi may have unique pathogenic mechanisms owing to the presence of melanin in their cell walls, which imparts the characteristic dark colour to their spores and hyphae. Diagnosis rests on careful microscopical and pathological examination, as there are no simple laboratory tests to reliably identify these fungi. Therapy depends upon the clinical syndrome. Local infection may be cured with excision alone, while systemic disease is often refractory to therapy. Azoles such as itraconazole and voriconazole have the most consistent in vitro activity, though there is more clinical experience with itraconazole. Further studies are needed to better understand the pathogenesis and optimal treatment of these uncommon infections.
Long‐term depression and associativity in rat primary motor cortex following thalamic stimulation
Authors: Eckert M. J. , Racine R. J.
Published: December 2006

Associativity is an attractive property of LTP in terms of its possible mechanism as a model for memory storage. In this study, we compare the effects of homosynaptic vs. associative stimulation on the induction of LTP and LTD in the neocortex of freely behaving rats. Using a callosal input to the motor cortex as a ‘strong’ input (one that potentiates reliably following homosynaptic stimulation), we paired activity of this pathway with a ‘weak’ thalamocortical pathway (one that does not potentiate when stimulated homosynaptically). Surprisingly, homosynaptic HFS caused a lasting depression of the field EPSP in the thalamocortical pathway. Analysis of this effect revealed that it was largely polysynaptic. Associative HFS (HFS applied to both pathways) not only failed to induce an LTP effect in the thalamocortical pathway, it increased the magnitude of the depression. Associative HFS did, however, facilitate LTP induction in the ‘strong’ callosal pathway. When comparing the effects of homosynaptic and associative LTD induction (HFS on one pathway anticorrelated with LFS on the other), we found that both protocols induced a similar magnitude of depression. These results show that HFS applied to the thalamocortical pathway causes a depression and this depression is enhanced, not reversed, by associative pairing with a strong input.
Influence of anesthesia on immune responses and its effect on vaccination in children: review of evidence
Authors: SIEBERT J.N. , POSFAY‐BARBE K.M. , HABRE W. , SIEGRIST C.‐A.
Published: December 2006

Anesthesia and surgery exert immunomodulatory effects and some authors argue that they may exert additive or synergistic influences on vaccine efficacy and safety. Alternatively, inflammatory responses and fever elicited by vaccines may interfere with the postoperative course. There is a lack of consensus approach among anesthesiologists to the theoretical risk of anesthesia and vaccination. Few studies have assessed the influence of anesthesia and surgery on pediatric vaccine responses. We have undertaken an extensive review of articles published in English between 1970 and 2006 meeting the criteria: measurement of immune parameters following general anesthesia in children. By searching the major medical databases (OVID Medline, PubMed, ISI Web of Science) and references cited in the articles themselves, among 277 articles obtained none examined directly the influence of anesthesia/surgery on vaccine responses. Only 16 original reports assessed the influence of several anesthetic agents on various markers of immunity including lymphocyte numbers and functions. These results are reinterpreted here in view of our current understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying vaccine efficacy and adverse events. We conclude that the immunomodulatory influence of anesthesia during elective surgery is both minor and transient (around 48 h) and that the current evidence does not provide any contraindication to the immunization of healthy children scheduled for elective surgery. However, respecting a minimal delay of 2 days (inactivated vaccines) or 14–21 days (live attenuated viral vaccines) between immunization and anesthesia may be useful to avoid the risk of misinterpretation of vaccine‐driven adverse events as postoperative complications.
Magnetic resonance colonography vs computed tomography colonography for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer: an indirect comparison
Authors: Purkayastha S. , Athanasiou T. , Tekkis P. P. , Constantinides V. , Teare J. , Darzi A. W.
Published: December 2006

Objective  The primary aim of this study was to use meta‐regression techniques to compare the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography colonography (CTC) and magnetic resonance colonography (MRC), compared with conventional colonoscopy for patients presenting with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Method  Quantitative meta‐analysis was performed using prospective studies reporting comparative data between CTC and MRC individually to conventional colonoscopy. Study quality was assessed and sensitivities, specificities, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) were calculated. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves and sensitivity analysis were utilized. Meta‐regression was used to indirectly compare the two modalities following adjustment for patient and study characteristics.

Results  Overall sensitivity and specificity for CTC (0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99; 1.00, 95% CI 0.99–1.00 respectively) and MRC (0.91, 95% CI 0.79–0.97; 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99 respectively) for the detection of CRC was similar. Meta‐regression analysis showed no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of both modalities (β = −0.64, P = 0.37 and 95% CI of 0.12–2.39). Both tests showed high area under the SROC curve (CTC = 0.99; MRC =0.98), with high DORs (CTC = 1461.90, 95% CI 544.89–3922.30; MRC = 576.41, 95% CI 135.00–2448.56). Factors that enhanced the overall accuracy of MRC were the use intravenous contrast, faecal tagging and exclusion of low‐quality studies. No factors improved diagnostic accuracy from CTC except studies with more than 100 patients (AUC = 1.00, DOR = 2938.35, 95%CI 701.84–12 302.91).

Conclusion  This meta‐analysis suggested that CTC and MRC have similar diagnostic accuracy for detecting CRC. Study quality, size and intravenous/intra‐luminal contrast agents affect diagnostic accuracies. For an exact comparison to be made, studies evaluating CTC, MRC and colonoscopy in the same patient cohort would be necessary.
WHAT IS IT TO BE A DAUGHTER? IDENTITIES UNDER PRESSURE IN DEMENTIA CARE
Authors: GOLDSTEEN MINKE , ABMA TINEKE , OESEBURG BARTH , VERKERK MARIAN , VERHEY FRANS , WIDDERSHOVEN GUY
Published: December 2006

This article concentrates on the care for people who suffer from progressive dementia. Dementia has a great impact on a person’s well‐being as well as on his or her social environment. Dealing with dementia raises moral issues and challenges for participants, especially for family members. One of the moral issues in the care for people with dementia is centred on responsibilities; how do people conceive and determine their responsibilities towards one another?

To investigate this issue we use the theoretical perspective of Margaret Walker. She states that ideas about identity play a crucial role in patterns of normative expectations with regard to the distribution of responsibilities in daily practices of care.

The results of this study show how the identity of a family‐member is put under pressure and changes during her loved one’s illness that leads to difficulties and misunderstandings concerning the issue of responsibility. These results offer an insight into the complexities of actual practices of responsibility and highlight the importance for those caring for people with dementia of attending carefully to how they see themselves and how they see other people involved (Who am I? Who do I want to be for the other?). Answers to such questions show what people expect from themselves and from one another, and how they, at any rate, are distributing responsibilities in a given situation. Professional caregivers should take into account that family members might have different ideas about who they are and consequently about what their responsibilities are.
Need for Approval and Children's Well‐Being
Authors: Rudolph Karen D. , Caldwell Melissa S. , Conley Colleen S.
Published: December 2006

This research examined the hypothesis that a tendency to base one's self‐worth on peer approval is associated with positive and negative aspects of children's well‐being. A sample of 153 fourth through eighth graders (9.0 to 14.8 years) reported on need for approval, global self‐worth, social‐evaluative concerns, anxiety and depression, and exposure to victimization. Teachers reported on social behavior. Results confirmed that need for approval is a two‐dimensional construct composed of positive (enhanced self‐worth in the face of social approval) and negative (diminished self‐worth in the face of social disapproval) approval‐based self‐appraisals. Need for approval had trade‐offs for well‐being that depended on the dimension (positive vs. negative), the psychological domain (emotional vs. social adjustment), children's sex and age, and children's social context (high vs. low peer victimization).
Children's Implicit Learning of Graphotactic and Morphological Regularities
Authors: Pacton Sébastien , Fayol Michel , Perruchet Pierre
Published: December 2006

In French, the transcription of the same sound can be guided by both probabilistic graphotactic constraints (e.g., /ɛt/ is more often transcribed ette after ‐v than after ‐f) and morphological constraints (e.g., /ɛt/ is always transcribed ette when used as a diminutive suffix). Three experiments showed that pseudo‐word spellings of 8‐to 11‐year‐old children and adults were influenced by both types of constraints. The influence of graphotactic regularities persisted when reliance on morphological rules was possible, without any falling off as a function of age. This suggests that rules are not abstracted, even after massive amounts of exposure to a rule‐based material. These results can be accounted for by a statistical model of implicit learning.
Data Preparation for Real‐time High Quality Rendering of Complex Models
Authors: Klein Reinhard
Published: December 2006

The capability of current 3D acquisition systems to digitize the geometry reflection behaviour of objects as well as the sophisticated application of CAD techniques lead to rapidly growing digital models which pose new challenges for interaction and visualization. Due to the sheer size of the geometry as well as the texture and reflection data which are often in the range of several gigabytes, efficient techniques for analyzing, compressing and rendering are needed. In this talk I will present some of the research we did in our graphics group over the past years motivated by industrial partners in order to automate the data preparation step and allow for real‐time high quality rendering e.g. in the context of VR‐applications. Strength and limitations of the different techniques will be discussed and future challenges will be identified. The presentation will go along with live demonstrations.
Tuning Subdivision by Minimising Gaussian Curvature Variation Near Extraordinary Vertices
Authors: Augsdörfer U.H. , Dodgson N.A. , Sabin M.A.
Published: December 2006

We present a method for tuning primal stationary subdivision schemes to give the best possible behaviour near extraordinary vertices with respect to curvature variation.

Current schemes lead to a limit surface around extraordinary vertices for which the Gaussian curvature diverges, as demonstrated by Karčiauskas et al. [

KPR04

]. Even when coefficients are chosen such that the subsubdominant eigenvalues,
μ
, equal the square of the subdominant eigenvalue,
λ
, of the subdivision matrix [

DS78

] there is still variation in the curvature of the subdivision surface around the extraordinary vertex as shown in recent work by Peters and Reif [

PR04

] illustrated by Karčiauskas et al. [

KPR04

].

In our tuning method we optimise within the space of subdivision schemes with bounded curvature to minimise this variation in curvature around the extraordinary vertex. To demonstrate our method we present results for the Catmull‐Clark [

CC78

], 4‐8 [

Vel01

,

VZ01

] and 4‐3 [

PS03

] subdivision schemes. We compare our results to previous work on the tuning of these schemes and show that the coefficients derived with this method give a significantly smaller curvature variation around extraordinary vertices.

Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling, I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques
Silhouette Extraction in Hough Space
Authors: Olson Matt , Zhang Hao
Published: December 2006

Object‐space silhouette extraction is an important problem in fields ranging from non‐photorealistic computer graphics to medical robotics. We present an efficient silhouette extractor for triangle meshes under perspective projection and make three contributions. First, we describe a novel application of 3D Hough transforms, which allows us to organize mesh data more effectively for silhouette computations than the traditional dual transform. Next, we introduce an incremental silhouette update algorithm which operates on an octree augmented with neighbour information and optimized for efficient low‐level traversal. Finally, we present a method for initial extraction of silhouette, using the same data structure, whose performance is linear in the size of the extracted silhouette. We demonstrate significant performance improvements given by our approach over the current state of the art.

Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.7 [Three‐Dimensional Graphics and Realism]: Visible line/surface algorithms
Beyond Tone Mapping: Enhanced Depiction of Tone Mapped HDR Images
Authors: Smith Kaleigh , Krawczyk Grzegorz , Myszkowski Karol , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: December 2006

High Dynamic Range (HDR) images capture the full range of luminance present in real world scenes, and unlike Low Dynamic Range (LDR) images, can simultaneously contain detailed information in the deepest of shadows and the brightest of light sources. For display or aesthetic purposes, it is often necessary to perform tone mapping, which creates LDR depictions of HDR images at the cost of contrast information loss. The purpose of this work is two‐fold: to analyze a displayed LDR image against its original HDR counterpart in terms of perceived contrast distortion, and to enhance the LDR depiction with perceptually driven colour adjustments to restore the original HDR contrast information. For analysis, we present a novel algorithm for the characterization of tone mapping distortion in terms of observed loss of global contrast, and loss of contour and texture details. We classify existing tone mapping operators accordingly. We measure both distortions with perceptual metrics that enable the automatic and meaningful enhancement of LDR depictions. For image enhancement, we identify artistic and photographic colour techniques from which we derive adjustments that create contrast with colour. The enhanced LDR image is an improved depiction of the original HDR image with restored contrast information.

Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Picture/Image Generation I.4.0 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: GeneralImage processing software
Splicing Upper‐Body Actions with Locomotion
Authors: Heck Rachel , Kovar Lucas , Gleicher Michael
Published: December 2006

This paper presents a simple and efficient technique for synthesizing high‐fidelity motions by attaching, or splicing, the upper‐body action of one motion example to the lower‐body locomotion of another. Existing splicing algorithms do little more than copy degrees of freedom (DOFs) from one motion onto another. This naïve DOF replacement can produce unrealistic results because it ignores both physical and stylistic correlations between various joints in the body. Our approach uses spatial and temporal relationships found within the example motions to retain the overall posture of the upper‐body action while adding secondary motion details appropriate to the timing and configuration of the lower body. By decoupling upper‐body action from lower‐body locomotion, our motion synthesis technique allows example motions to be captured independently and later combined to create new natural looking motions.

Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Animation
Latent Doodle Space
Authors: Baxter William , Anjyo Ken‐ichi
Published: December 2006

We propose the concept of a latent doodle space, a low‐dimensional space derived from a set of input doodles, or simple line drawings. The latent space provides a foundation for generating new drawings that are similar, but not identical to, the input examples. The two key components of this technique are 1) a heuristic algorithm for finding stroke correspondences between the drawings, and 2) the use of latent variable methods to automatically extract a low‐dimensional latent doodle space from the inputs. We present two practical applications that demonstrate the utility of this idea: first, a randomized stamp tool that creates a different image on every usage; and second, “personalized probabilistic fonts,” a handwriting synthesis technique that mimics the idiosyncrasies of one's own handwriting.

Keywords: sketch, by‐example, style learning, scattered data interpolation, principal component analysis, radial basis functions, Gaussian processes, digital in‐betweening, handwriting synthesis