bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Continuous Relation between Audit Firm Size and Audit Opinions: Evidence from China
Authors: Li Chuntao , Song Frank M. , Wong Sonia M. L.
Published: July 2008

This study documents a continuous relation between audit firm size and the issuing of modified opinions in China using a panel data set of audit firms and listed firms from 2001 to 2003. The relation is robust after controlling for a set of confounding factors and dealing with endogeneity issues. It is also robust when we exclude audit firms involving foreign partners or private client firms from our sample. Our results indicate that the audit firm size effect suggested in other studies is applicable to audit markets that have not yet been dominated by a few very large audit firms as well as audit markets where client firms are partially state‐owned entities.
Molecular epidemiological and mutational analysis of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes in endometrial cancer patients with HNPCC‐associated familial predisposition to cancer
Authors: Hirai Y. , Banno K. , Suzuki M. , Ichikawa Y. , Udagawa Y. , Sugano K. , Miki Y.
Published: July 2008

Recently, a high rate of endometrial cancer has been reported in women with hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), suggesting a relationship between familial endometrial cancers and HNPCC. Familial endometrial cancers constitute only about 0.5% of all endometrial carcinomas and it is essential to examine family histories in detail. A mutational analysis of three DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes (hMLH1, hMSH2 and hMSH6) in patients with endometrial cancer who meet our criteria for familial predisposition to HNPCC‐associated endometrial cancers was performed. Mutations were detected in 18 of the 120 patients (15.0%). Most HNPCC‐related endometrial cancers do not meet the New Amsterdam Criteria for HNPCC. These clinical criteria may identify only some HNPCC‐associated endometrial cancers. Establishing the correct family history for endometrial cancer patients is important for diagnosing familial endometrial carcinomas. An analysis of MMR genes may be useful for patients with endometrial cancer showing familial aggregation. In addition, gynecologists must be accurately informed, and it is important to perform large‐scale, multicenter studies both nationwide and internationally. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1715–1719)
Effects of fentanyl pretreatment on the QTc interval during propofol induction
Authors: Chang D. J. , Kweon T. D. , Nam S. B. , Lee J. S. , Shin C. S. , Park C. H. , Han D. W.
Published: July 2008

Prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval is associated with various anaesthetic drugs. The QTc prolongation may become more exacerbated during laryngoscopy and intubation, which is possibly caused by sympathetic stimulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fentanyl on the QTc interval during propofol induction in healthy patients. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either fentanyl (n = 25) or saline (n = 25) before induction. The QTc interval was significantly prolonged immediately after intubation in control group compared to preceding values, but it did not change in the fentanyl group. The number of patients with the prolonged QTc interval exceeding 20 ms immediately after intubation compared to the baseline values was 14 in the control group and seven in the fentanyl group. In conclusion, pretreatment with fentanyl 2 μg.kg−1 significantly attenuated QTc prolongation associated with laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation during propofol induction.
Evaluation of the size 4 i‐gel™ airway in one hundred non‐paralysed patients*
Authors: Gatward J. J. , Cook T. M. , Seller C. , Handel J. , Simpson T. , Vanek V. , Kelly F.
Published: July 2008

We studied the i‐gel™ in 100 elective, anaesthetised patients (55 : 45 male:female, median age 53 years) assessing: ease of use, airway quality, positioning, seal and complications. First insertion attempt was successful in 86 patients, second attempt in 11 patients, and third attempt in three patients. Fifty three manipulations were required in 26 patients (median 1) to achieve a clear airway. Median insertion time was 15 s. During ventilation, expired tidal volume of 7 ml.kg−1 was achieved in 96 (96%) patients. Median airway leak pressure was 24 cmH2O. On fibreoptic examination via the device, vocal cords were visible in 87 patients (91%). During maintenance, six patients (6%) required 12 airway manipulations. There was one episode of regurgitation, without aspiration. Other complications and patient side‐effects were mild and few. The i‐gel is easily and rapidly inserted, providing a reliable airway in over 90% of cases. Further studies are indicated to assess safety and performance compared to other supraglottic airway devices.
Modelling patient flows as an aid to decision making for critical care capacities and organisation
Authors: Shahani A. K. , Ridley S. A. , Nielsen M. S.
Published: July 2008

Using real data from a number of hospitals, we predicted the patient flows following a capacity or organisational change. Clinically recognisable patient groups obtained through classification and regression tree analysis were used to tune a simulation model for the flow of patients in critical care units. A tuned model which accurately reflected the base case of the flow of patients was used to predict alterations in service provision in a number of scenarios which included increases in bed numbers, alterations in patients’ lengths of stay, fewer delayed discharges, caring for long stay patients outside the formal intensive care unit and amalgamating small units. Where available the predictions’ accuracy was checked by comparison with real hospital data collected after an actual capacity change. The model takes variability and uncertainty properly into account and it provides the necessary information for making better decisions about critical care capacity and organisation.
Pro‐ vs. retro‐foreland basins
Authors: Naylor M. , Sinclair H. D.
Published: July 2008

Alpine‐type mountain belts formed by continental collision are characterised by a strong cross‐sectional asymmetry driven by the dominant underthrusting of one plate beneath the other. Such mountain belts are flanked on either side by two peripheral foreland basins, one over the underthrust plate and one over the over‐riding plate; these have been termed pro‐ and retro‐foreland basins, respectively. Numerical modelling that incorporates suitable tectonic boundary conditions, and models orogenesis from growth to a steady‐state form (i.e. where accretionary influx equals erosional outflux), predicts contrasting basin development to these two end‐member basin types. Pro‐foreland basins are characterised by: (1) Accelerating tectonic subsidence driven primarily by the translation of the basin fill towards the mountain belt at the convergence rate. (2) Stratigraphic onlap onto the cratonic margin at a rate at least equal to the plate convergence rate. (3) A basin infill that records the most recent development of the mountain belt with a preserved interval determined by the width of the basin divided by the convergence rate. In contrast, retro‐foreland basins are relatively stable, are not translated into the mountain belt once steady‐state is achieved, and are consequently characterised by: (1) A constant tectonic subsidence rate during growth of the thrust wedge, with zero tectonic subsidence during the steady‐state phase (i.e. ongoing accretion‐erosion, but constant load). (2) Relatively little stratigraphic onlap driven only by the growth of the retro‐wedge. (3) A basin fill that records the entire growth phase of the mountain belt, but only a condensed representation of steady‐state conditions. Examples of pro‐foreland basins include the Appalachian foredeep, the west Taiwan foreland basin, the North Alpine Foreland Basin and the Ebro Basin (southern Pyrenees). Examples of retro‐foreland basins include the South Westland Basin (Southern Alps, New Zealand), the Aquitaine Basin (northern Pyrenees), and the Po Basin (southern European Alps). We discuss how this new insight into the variability of collisional foreland basins can be used to better interpret mountain belt evolution and the hydrocarbon potential of these basins types.
Quantifying geomorphology associated with large subduction zone earthquakes
Authors: Morgan Eugene C. , McAdoo Brian G. , Baise Laurie G.
Published: July 2008

For 30 large‐earthquake generating subduction zones, we quantify forearc basin size and subducting seafloor roughness to see if the size and shape of geomorphologic features determine earthquake magnitude. The subduction of geomorphologic features, such as ridges and seamounts, not only influences seismicity, but increases basal erosion and subsidence of the accretionary wedge, resulting in the formation of forearc basins. Many subduction zone ruptures have been associated with these basins, where a great portion of the ruptures' asperities collocate with the basins. First, we attempt to discern a relationship between forearc and subducting geomorphology by quantifying along‐strike variations in the bathymetry associated with 30 different rupture zones and the sections of subducting seafloor adjacent to those rupture zones. Two parameters, determined from theoretical models fit to empirical semivariograms, characterize areas of bathymetry: the sill, which estimates the degree of relief in the terrain, and the range, which is the horizontal scale associated with the sill. The ratio of sill to range provides us with a measure of seafloor roughness at a scale relevant to the mechanics of subduction. We investigate the control that forearc basins and subducting bathymetric highs may have on the occurrence of large thrust earthquakes by separately comparing our rupture zone and subducting seafloor roughness measurements to the moment magnitudes of the 30 events. The trench‐parallel dimension of bathymetrically high features on the subducting seafloor appears to correlate with moment magnitude. Also, we observe in the ratio of sill to range measurements that geomorphology on the subducting seafloor and forearc constrain the earthquake size at a margin.
Shift of statin use towards the elderly in 1995−2005: a nation‐wide register study in Finland
Authors: Ruokoniemi Päivi , Helin‐Salmivaara Arja , Klaukka Timo , Neuvonen Pertti J. , Huupponen Risto
Published: July 2008

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN

• Statin use has increased in western societies since the 1990s.

• Efficacy of statins in the prevention of coronary heart diseases has been clearly documented in the general population but only recently in elderly persons.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• Since 1995 the use of statins has clearly shifted towards the elderly in Finland.

• At the beginning of the 11 year follow‐up the prevalence of statin use was higher among males than females but since 2002 the prevalence has been higher among females.

AIM

To describe nation‐wide secular trends in statin use.

METHODS

Reimbursed prescriptions for lipid lowering drugs between 1995 and 2005 in Finland were retrieved from the nation‐wide Prescription Register. The 1 year prevalence and incidence of statin use stratified by gender and age of users were measured for each calendar year. The relative changes (RR) in the incidence and the prevalence were calculated by using the year 1995 as a reference.

RESULTS

The 1 year prevalence increased 11‐fold (95% confidence interval 11.2, 11.5), i.e. from 7.8 per 1000 inhabitants in 1995 to 88.9 in 2005. The incidence increased five‐fold (95% CI 4.9, 5.1) from 355 per 100 000 inhabitants to 1772 during the respective years. The prevalence and incidence were the highest among persons aged 65−74 years. The largest relative increase in incidence was found among those aged ≥ 75 years, in both females (RR 14.1, 95% CI 13.0, 15.3) and males (RR 14.0, 95% CI 12.5, 15.7). Since 2002 the prevalence has been higher among females (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

As statin use has increased particularly among the elderly, further studies on the benefits in real life situation are needed in this age group.
Effect of separase depletion on ionizing radiation‐induced cell cycle checkpoints and survival in human lung cancer cell lines
Authors: Sak A. , Fegers I. , Groneberg M. , Stuschke M.
Published: July 2008

Abstract.  Objectives: This study is to evaluate the effect of separase depletion on cell cycle progression of irradiated and non‐irradiated cells through the G2/M phases and consecutive cell survival. Materials and methods: Separase was depleted with siRNA in two human non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines. Cell cycle progression, mitotic fraction, DNA repair, apoptotic and clonogenic cell death were determined. Results: By depletion of endogenous separase with siRNA in NSCLCs, we showed that separase affects progression through the G2 phase. In non‐irradiated exponentially growing cells, separase depletion led to an increased G2 accumulation from 17.2% to 29.1% in H460 and from 15.7% to 30.9% in A549 cells and a decrease in mitotic cells. Depletion of separase significantly (P < 0.01) increased the fraction of radiation‐induced G2 arrested cells 30–56 h after irradiation and led to decrease in the mitotic fraction. This was associated with increased double‐strand break repair as measured by γ‐H2AX foci kinetics in H460 cells and to a lesser extent in A549 cells. In addition, a decrease in the expression of mitotic linked cell death after irradiation was found. Conclusions: These results indicate that separase has additional targets involved in regulation of G2 to M progression after DNA damage. Prolonged G2 phase arrest in the absence of separase has consequences on repair of damaged DNA and cell death.
What parents value from formal support services in the context of identified child abuse
Authors: Hardy Fotina , Darlington Yvonne
Published: July 2008

Parents whose children are identified as having experienced or being at risk of experiencing significant harm potentially provide an invaluable dimension to our understanding of the circumstances that result in child abuse or neglect and how best to respond to these invariably complex situations. This paper reports findings from a study of the experiences of six parents.

In‐depth interviews were conducted with four mothers and two fathers who had been referred to an intensive family support service by the Queensland statutory child protection authority. Using a critical ecological perspective, the study focused on identifying and understanding the experiences of the parents in using formal family support services, including aspects of service delivery that were helpful or unhelpful. Parents also commented on their experiences of statutory child protection services.

Service components and worker qualities that parents identified as being helpful included being accessible, targeted and integrated and being able to meet a continuum of needs, from a micro to a broader level. Their reports provide invaluable insight into how formal family support services, including child protection services, can better meet the needs of parents in addressing the recurring problem of child maltreatment.
Nectar usage in a southern Arizona hawkmoth community
Authors: ALARCÓN RUBEN , DAVIDOWITZ GOGGY , BRONSTEIN JUDITH L.
Published: July 2008

Abstract 1. Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) are important plant associates at two life‐history stages: larvae are herbivorous, whereas adults are nectar feeders and often pollinators. The diversity and identities of plants used for nectar is poorly known, however.

2. This study takes a community‐level approach to hawkmoth nectar plant usage in a semi‐arid grassland habitat in southern Arizona, U.S.A.

3. Pollen carried on the proboscis was identified from over 700 individuals of 14 hawkmoth species attracted to lights over a 2‐year period.

4. Two plant species dominated pollen loads, suggesting that hawkmoths use these species extensively as nectar sources: Datura wrightii (Solanaceae), a classic hawkmoth‐pollinated plant, and Agave palmeri (Agavaceae), which is known to be used extensively by bats. Field surveys indicate that both species are relatively rare in the flowering community. Little or no pollen was present on the moths from the most common plant species in flower during the study.

5. The dominance of Agave in pollen loads suggests that this typically bat‐pollinated species may be subsidising pollinator populations of the hawkmoth‐pollinated flora.

6. Three groups of hawkmoths within this community are identified based on larval diets (reported in the literature) and adult diets (documented here): those that, at a given site, heavily exploit the same plant species at both life‐history stages (Manduca sexta and M. quinquemaculata); those that have broad local associations at both life‐history stages (Hyles lineata); and those that exhibit narrow but non‐overlapping local associations at the two life‐history stages (all other hawkmoths at this site).
Mechanisms and consequences of bladder cell invasion by uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Dhakal B. K. , Kulesus R. R. , Mulvey M. A.
Published: July 2008

Strains of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the major cause of urinary tract infections worldwide. Multiple studies over the past decade have called into question the dogmatic view that UPEC strains act as strictly extracellular pathogens. Rather, bacterial expression of filamentous adhesive organelles known as type 1 pili and Afa/Dr fibrils enable UPEC to invade host epithelial cells within the urinary tract. Entry into bladder epithelial cells provides UPEC with a protected niche where the bacteria can persist quiescently for long periods, unperturbed by host defences and protected from many antibiotic treatments. Alternately, internalized UPEC can rapidly multiply, forming large intracellular inclusions that can contain several thousand bacteria. Initial work aimed at defining the host and bacterial factors that modulate the entry, intracellular trafficking, and eventual resurgence of UPEC suggests a high degree of host‐pathogen crosstalk. Targeted disruption of these processes may provide a novel means to prevent and treat recurrent, relapsing and chronic infections within the urinary tract.
Effect of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and sestonic food abundance on the invertebrate community within a constructed treatment wetland
Authors: PECK GEORGE W. , WALTON WILLIAM E.
Published: July 2008

1. The effect of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) predation on the invertebrate community in a hypereutrophic constructed treatment wetland in southern California was investigated at two nutrient levels that influenced sestonic food abundance.

2. Gambusia affinis and insect predators in the wetland had a significant impact on larval mosquito density in the wetland irrespective of nutrient level. At the end of the 5‐month study, cladoceran abundance in predator exclusion enclosures was 2–3 orders of magnitude greater than in the treatments that allowed access by planktivores. Chironomids were the most abundant insect group collected in emergence traps, and midge production from the high nutrient location of the wetland was greater than from the low nutrient location, but was not affected significantly by G. affinis. The presence of abundant alternative prey in this highly enriched wetland may have weakened the predation impact of G. affinis on mosquitoes.

3. The abundances of six invertebrate groups in dipper samples and of four insect groups in emergence trap collections were analysed using a multivariate distance‐based linear model. Fish treatment and location interactions with sampling date explained significant amounts of the variation in the abundance of invertebrate groups.

4. Multivariate multiple regression analysis showed that chlorophyll‐a concentration explained a large portion of the variability in non‐predatory insect and zooplankton abundance at the high nutrient location, whereas bacterial density explained a large portion of the variability in the abundances of these taxa at the low nutrient location. Predatory insects were not directly coupled to the bottom‐up influence of bacterial abundance and chlorophyll‐a.
The effect of water colour on lake hydrodynamics: a modelling study
Authors: PERSSON IRINA , JONES IAN D.
Published: July 2008

1. The one‐dimensional equation solver, PROgram for Boundary layers in the Environment, was used to simulate the temperature structure of Lake Erken, a medium‐sized Swedish lake, assuming differing extinction coefficients for a series of modelled years driven by observed meteorological data and by a set of idealized meteorological data.

2. Results suggested that, as expected, larger extinction coefficients initially led to surface waters becoming warmer. The reverse was true late in the summer, however, as the warming induced by greater absorption of solar radiation was outweighed by the cooling effects of entrained colder hypolimnetic water.

3. There was between a two‐ and fourfold inter‐annual variation in the effects on key physical lake parameters, induced by changing extinction coefficient, such as maximum heat flux, heat content and Schmidt stability.

4. The change in surface heat flux induced by a change in extinction coefficient was up to almost 50 W m−2.

5. In the summer, changes in extinction coefficient from 0.5 to 0.2 m−1 led to a dramatic shift in the duration of the stratified period as well as to enormous changes in Schmidt stability and hypolimnetic temperature.

6. Future changes to extinction coefficients of small and medium‐sized lakes are likely to have wide‐ranging effects on lake thermal structure and ecology.
Body size and food thresholds for zero growth in Dreissena polymorpha: a mechanism underlying intraspecific competition
Authors: WACKER ALEXANDER , VON ELERT ERIC
Published: July 2008

1. Dreissena polymorpha is an extraordinarily successful invasive species that shows high recruitment of small juvenile mussels on established mussel banks. Such juvenile settlement on, and overgrowth of, large adult mussels; however, leads to competition with adults, and often at high densities and low‐food concentrations.

2. The concept of food thresholds for zero growth has been a powerful approach to explaining size‐related exploitative competition in different zooplankton species. We applied it to investigate whether food threshold concentrations for zero growth (C0) differ between juvenile and adult zebra mussels.

3. By determining body mass growth at various concentrations of a diet mixture (Nannochloropsis limnetica and Isochrysis aff. galbana) we demonstrate that the threshold food concentration for growth of juvenile mussels (C0 = 0.08 mg C L−1) is substantially lower than that for adults (C0 = 0.36 mg C L−1).

4. This indicates that, at low food availability, juvenile zebra mussels are competitively superior to their larger conspecifics. Within zebra mussel banks plankton food is substantially depleted and so the observed mechanism might ensure juvenile success and therefore the regeneration of mussel banks in nature.
Effects of uncertainty in rock‐physics models on reservoir parameter estimation using seismic amplitude variation with angle and controlled‐source electromagnetics data
Authors: Chen Jinsong , Dickens Thomas A.
Published: July 2008

This paper investigates the effects of uncertainty in rock‐physics models on reservoir parameter estimation using seismic amplitude variation with angle and controlled‐source electromagnetics data. The reservoir parameters are related to electrical resistivity by the Poupon model and to elastic moduli and density by the Xu‐White model. To handle uncertainty in the rock‐physics models, we consider their outputs to be random functions with modes or means given by the predictions of those rock‐physics models and we consider the parameters of the rock‐physics models to be random variables defined by specified probability distributions. Using a Bayesian framework and Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling methods, we are able to obtain estimates of reservoir parameters and information on the uncertainty in the estimation. The developed method is applied to a synthetic case study based on a layered reservoir model and the results show that uncertainty in both rock‐physics models and in their parameters may have significant effects on reservoir parameter estimation. When the biases in rock‐physics models and in their associated parameters are unknown, conventional joint inversion approaches, which consider rock‐physics models as deterministic functions and the model parameters as fixed values, may produce misleading results. The developed stochastic method in this study provides an integrated approach for quantifying how uncertainty and biases in rock‐physics models and in their associated parameters affect the estimates of reservoir parameters and therefore is a more robust method for reservoir parameter estimation.
Effective permittivity of porous media: a critical analysis of the complex refractive index model
Authors: Brovelli Alessandro , Cassiani Giorgio
Published: July 2008

The availability of reliable constitutive models linking the bulk electric properties of porous media to their inner structure is a key requirement for useful quantitative applications of noninvasive methods. This study focuses on the use of dielectric measurements to monitor fluid saturation changes in porous materials. A number of empirical, semi‐empirical and theoretical relationships currently exists that link the bulk dielectric constant with volumetric water content. One such relationship, named complex refractive index model or Lichteneker‐Rother model has been extensively applied in recent years. Here we first analyse the characteristics of this Lichteneker‐Rother model by means of theoretical considerations. This theoretical analysis indicates that the Lichteneker‐Rother exponent is dependent upon the geometrical properties of the porous structure, as well as the permittivity contrast between the different phases. Pore‐scale modelling and experimental data further support this result. The parameter estimation robustness in presence of synthetic data error is also assessed. This demonstrates that Lichteneker‐Rother parameters cannot, in general, be independently identified on the basis of bulk dielectric constant versus moisture content data.
Thermal effect of magma intrusion on the electrical properties of magnetic rocks from Hammamat sediments, Cairo, Egypt
Authors: Gomaa Mohamed M. , Elsayed Ragaa
Published: July 2008

The thermal effects of magmatic intrusion on the conductivity and dielectric constant of magnetic rocks from Hammamat sediments, NE desert, Cairo, Egypt (latitude ∼27° and longitude ∼33°) were investigated experimentally in the laboratory using nonpolarizing electrodes. Granitic magma was intruded into the Hammamat sediments, which are a mixture of mainly magnetite with sandstone and due to the thermal effect the area around was extensively heated and altered to different degrees. Due to this magma intrusion, magnetite was transformed (by heating) to hematite to different degrees according to its location from the intrusion. Complex impedance measurements were performed in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 KHz at normal temperature (∼20°C) and at a relative humidity of ∼50% RH. Samples were collected at different locations perpendicular to the core of the magma intrusion. Experimental data indicate that the electrical properties vary strongly as we move away (with distance) from the magma intrusion. The conductivity of hematite is ∼10−2 S/m and that of magnetite is ∼104 S/m. As we move from magnetite to hematite (to the core of the magma intrusion) it is supposed that the conductivity will decrease but it was found that the conductivity increases (which is supposed to be abnormal). The conductivity increases with increasing frequency from ∼10−8 S/m to ∼10−5 S/m with almost power‐law dependence on frequency. The conductivity increases in the order of one decade due to the variation from magnetite to hematite. The increase of conductivity, as we move from magnetite to hematite, was argued to be due to the heating that partially or completely melts the samples, thus the porosity of the samples was decreased and accordingly the conductivity and dielectric constant increased. It was also supposed that the grains of the conductor in the samples are coated or isolated with insulator material. A percolation behaviour for the conductivity and dielectric constant, characteristic of random conductor‐insulator mixtures, was found with distance, where continuous paths of the conductive material occur accompanied by peaking of the dielectric constant.

Complex impedance plots show that as we move in the direction of altered samples (towards hematite) the relation between real and imaginary impedance changes from a linear form to an arc of a depressed semicircle and increases in depression as we move in the direction of the altered samples, which is consistent with the above interpretation.
Comparison of outputs of a biophysical simulation model for pasture growth and composition with measured data under dryland and irrigated conditions in New Zealand
Authors: White T. A. , Johnson I. R. , Snow V. O.
Published: July 2008

Simulation models have a role in predicting and understanding the consequences of weather and management perturbations to biophysical systems. One such model is EcoMod – a biophysical simulation model of a pastoral ecosystem. It comprises a range of sub‐models that form the main components of pastoral ecosystems – namely plants, soils and ruminant livestock. These component models are integrated to simulate the complex interactions occurring within such systems. The purpose of this study was to test how well EcoMod simulated the changes in growth rate and plant composition of dryland and irrigated pasture production in a temperate climate through comparison with a long‐term (1966–2003) data set measured in New Zealand. The general behaviour of the modelled pastures was similar to those of the observed pastures. There was also close agreement between the measured and modelled total annual and monthly growth rates of dry matter (DM), particularly after modifying some of the parameters of plant growth to better represent the characteristics of dominant species present under dryland and irrigation pastures. There was greater discrepancy between measured and modelled pasture composition but in the case of the simulation of the dryland pasture, the proportional differences in species composition were much greater than the absolute differences in species composition. In addition to comparing the outputs of EcoMod to data from actual pasture production, model testing issues and potential sources of error between model outputs and data were also examined.
Selection of grazing‐tolerant lucerne cultivars
Authors: Pecetti L. , Romani M. , De Rosa L. , Piano E.
Published: July 2008

Improvement of grazing‐tolerance in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is an objective of interest worldwide for the acknowledged potential of this species in pastures. A breeding programme applied standard methods of the selection for this trait, which implies continuous stocking and intensive grazing, to germplasm preliminarily selected for reportedly positive morphological attributes (large and deep crowns; non‐erect growth habit). In this study six experimental cultivars, originating from this programme, and three check varieties were evaluated. Grazing tolerance was assessed under continuous sheep stocking for 2 years. Herbage yield in 3 years and seed yield (in the second year) were also evaluated in distinct and contiguous sub‐experiments. One experimental cultivar had a prostrate habit, two were semi‐prostrate, and three were semi‐erect. Under grazing, five of them showed final persistence similar to, or better than, that of the tolerant check variety adopted in the standard test. In particular, the prostrate experimental cultivar (termed Camporegio) had remarkable persistence, although associated with low vigour, associated with the introgression of M. sativa ssp. falcata into its parentage. A semi‐erect cultivar (termed Verbena) possessed a good balance between grazing tolerance, potential dry‐matter yield and seed yield.
Long‐term responses in the yield of Eastern Gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] to nitrogen fertilizer under two harvest regimes in the United States
Authors: Moyer J. L. , Sweeney D. W.
Published: July 2008

Eastern Gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] is a perennial C4 grass with potentially high productivity. Intensive management through the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and frequency of cutting, however, may be required to maximize its potential for forage production. This study determined the long‐term and residual responses of Eastern Gamagrass in terms of dry matter (DM) yield and tiller density to three annual application rates (0, 50 or 100 kg ha−1) of a N‐fertilizer solution applied by broadcasting or knife placement for 5 out of the 10 years of the study, and harvested using one‐cut or two‐cut regimes. Application of N‐fertilizer increased total DM yield in the 5 years of N applications by 0·44 with the first increment of 50 kg N ha−1, and by an additional 0·15 with the next increment of 50 kg N ha−1. In the first year that directly followed N‐fertilizer applications, DM yield was 0·175 higher than the no fertilizer treatment when 50 kg ha−1 had been previously applied and a further 0·16 higher when 100 kg ha−1 had been previously applied. Dry matter yields were greater from the one‐cut than the two‐cut regime only in years when no N‐fertilizer was applied. Knife placement of N‐fertilizer increased total DM yield only at 100 kg N ha−1. Tiller densities were generally higher under the one‐cut than the two‐cut regime, particularly when N‐fertilizer was broadcast. The application of N‐fertilizer increased herbage production, especially when responses in the year subsequent to application are considered.
Clinical efficacy in bleeding and surgery in von Willebrand patients treated with Fanhdi® a highly purified, doubly inactivated FVIII/VWF concentrate
Authors: HERNANDEZ‐NAVARRO F. , QUINTANA M. , JIMENEZ‐YUSTE V. , ALVAREZ M. T. , FERNANDEZ‐MORATA R.
Published: July 2008

Summary.  Therapy with factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/VWF) concentrate is the mainstay therapy in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) unresponsive to desmopressin. There are several commercially available FVIII/VWF concentrates that have been tested in VWD patients. We retrospectively analized the clinical efficacy in bleeding episodes and surgery of a highly purified FVIII/VWF complex with two inactivation steps (Fanhdi®) in VWD patients. Sixty patients were included in the study. Treatment schedule consisted of one or more doses (standard dose 40 IU/kg body weight of FVIII) of Fanhdi®. One hundred and fifty bleeding episodes were treated. These were: 28 serious bleedings; 92 moderate and 30 mild. An excellent clinical efficacy in almost 95% of cases was observed. Fanhdi® was administered during 66 surgical procedures (38 major and 28 minor) with an overall efficacy of 98%. Fanhdi® a highly purified, doubly virus‐inactivated FVIII/VWF concentrate, with a high content of active VWF and an excellent record of clinical safety, is a valid choice in treating VWD.
A pilot study on the effects of the transition of paediatric to adult health care in patients with haemophilia and in their parents: patient and parent worries, parental illness‐related distress and health‐related Quality of Life
Authors: GEERTS E. , VAN DE WIEL H. , TAMMINGA R.
Published: July 2008

Summary.  The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of the transition from paediatric to adult health care services in haemophilia patients and their parents. We compared pretransition children (n = 9) and their parents (n = 18) to posttransition patients (n = 8) and their parents (n = 21). Pre‐ and posttransition patients did not differ in self‐rated health‐related quality of life (QoL) or worries about the transition. Fathers of posttransition patients rated their son’s QoL as poorer than those of pretransition patients (P = 0.034) and indicated higher levels of illness‐related distress than fathers of pretransition patients (P = 0.034). The findings indicate that the transition affects parents more than patients. Moreover, we found gender differences in parental worries about the transition. The findings indicate that programmes designed to facilitate the transition in haemophilic patients should also address the patients’ parents.
Digital scoring of haemophilic arthropathy using radiographs is feasible
Authors: JANSEN N. W. D. , VINCKEN K. L. , MARIJNISSEN A. C. A. , LUNDIN B. , HEIJNEN L. , ROOSENDAAL G. , PETTERSSON H. , LAFEBER F. P. J. G.
Published: July 2008

Summary.  Radiographs are important tools to evaluate structural changes in many joint diseases. In the case of haemophilic arthropathy (HA), the Pettersson score is widely used. The rising of digital radiography enables evaluation of these changes in a more quantitative and detailed manner, potentially improving diagnosis and follow‐up. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether digital image analysis in the case of HA is feasible, using a presently available method for radiographic changes in knee osteoarthritis (OA), knee image digital analysis (KIDA). Sixty‐two knee radiographs were scored according to Pettersson and with KIDA, each by two independent observers. Inter‐observer variation and correlations between the two scoring methods were determined. The inter‐observer variation was smaller for KIDA than for Pettersson and for KIDA not significantly different from evaluation of OA joints. Good correlations were found for the two methods where comparison of parameters was appropriate. Importantly, for each of the parameters within one point in the ordinal Pettersson score, a large window still existed in the continuous KIDA grading. Digital analysis of radiographs to quantify joint damage in HA is feasible. The use of continuous variables, as used in a digital method such as KIDA has the advantage that it enables objective and much more sensitive detection of small changes than by use of an ordinal analogue method such as the Pettersson score. Based on the present results, it would be worthwhile to adapt the KIDA method for the specific characteristics of HA and to extend the method to elbow and ankle radiographs.
Iron‐induced mucosal pathology of the upper gastrointestinal tract: a common finding in patients on oral iron therapy
Authors: Kaye P , Abdulla K , Wood J , James P , Foley S , Ragunath K , Atherton J
Published: July 2008

Aims:  Upper gastrointestinal injury from iron tablets at therapeutic dose is not widely recognized. The aim was to document cases of iron‐related upper gastrointestinal (GI) pathology and to determine frequency of occurrence.

Methods and results:  We prospectively studied patients with iron deficiency anaemia undergoing upper GI endoscopy from November 2005 to July 2006. Cases of upper GI iron deposition from these and other cases extracted retrospectively between 1999 and 2006 were examined histopathologically and patient notes were reviewed. In the prospective study, 15/160 patients investigated for iron deficiency anaemia [16.1% (15/93) of those taking oral iron tablets] had iron deposition noted on routine haematoxylin and eosin staining. In this plus the retrospective series, 59 patients were identified with 64 episodes of iron deposition. Eighty‐six percent (6/7) with oesophageal iron deposition had associated erosion. Sixty‐three percent (29/46) with gastric iron deposition had erosion and 80% (37/46) had reactive gastritis. Duodenal deposition was usually (91%, 10/11) within macrophages in villous tips with no erosion. Ninety‐eight percent (58/59) of iron deposition cases had documented oral iron intake.

Conclusions:  Iron deposition in the upper GI tract is common in patients taking iron tablets. It is frequently associated with mucosal disruption in the oesophagus and stomach.
The T‐cell pool is anergized in patients with multiple sclerosis in remission
Authors: Fransson Moa E. , Liljenfeldt Lina S. E. , Fagius Jan , Tötterman Thomas H. , Loskog Angelica S. I.
Published: July 2008

Relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is a complex autoimmune disease of the central nervous system with oscillating phases of relapse and remission. RRMS has been considered to be driven by T helper type 1 (Th1) lymphocytes but new data indicate the involvement of Th17 responses. In the present study, blood samples from patients (n = 48) and healthy individuals (n = 44) were evaluated for their immunological status. T cells from patients with RRMS expressed high levels of the activation marker CD28 (P < 0·05) and secreted both interferon‐γ (CD8: P < 0·05) and interleukin‐17 upon polyclonal mitogen or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antigen stimulation. However, T cells from patients with RRMS in remission, in contrast to relapse, had poor proliferative capacity (P < 0·05) suggesting that they are controlled and kept in anergy. This anergy could be broken with CD28 stimulation that restored the T‐cell replication. Furthermore, the patients with RRMS had normal levels of CD4+ Foxp3+ T regulatory cells but the frequency of Foxp3+ cells lacking CD127 (interleukin‐7 receptor) was lower in patients with MS (mean 12%) compared to healthy controls (mean 29%). Still, regulatory cells (CD25+ sorted cells) from patients with RRMS displayed no difference in suppressive capacity. In conclusion, patients in relapse/remission demonstrate in vitro T‐cell responses that are both Th1 and Th17 that, while in remission, appear to be controlled by tolerogenic mechanisms yet to be investigated.
The immunomodulatory activity of human umbilical cord blood‐derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro
Authors: Wang Meng , Yang Yuan , Yang Dongming , Luo Fei , Liang Wenjie , Guo Shuquan , Xu Jianzhong
Published: July 2008

Bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM‐MSC) are currently being investigated in preclinical and clinical settings because of their self‐renewal and multipotent differentiative capacity or their immunosuppressive function. However, BM may be detrimental because of the highly invasive donation procedure and BM‐MSC decline with age. Therefore, MSC derived from other sources have been considered as an alternative. However, there is only limited knowledge on their immunomodulatory properties. Human umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells are good substitutes for BM‐MSC because of the immaturity of newborn cells. In this study, we successfully isolated MSC from UCB. The morphological phenotypes, cell cycle status, surface markers and differentiation potential of these clonally expanded cells are consistent with BM‐MSC. Furthermore, UCB‐MSC expanded in vitro retain low immunogenicity and an immunomodulatory effect. Flow cytometry analysis showed that UCB‐MSC did not express CD40, CD40 ligand, CD80, CD86 and major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. We have demonstrated that UCB‐MSC are incapable of inducing allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and have a dose‐dependent inhibition of PBMC immune responses in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) and phytohaemagglutinin activation assays, even after interferon‐γ treatment. Additionally, we have found that UCB‐MSC can suppress the function of mature dendritic cells. Using transwell systems, we have demonstrated an inhibition mechanism that depends on both cell contact and soluble factors. Based on the findings we conclude that banked UCB could serve as a potential alternative source of MSC for allogeneic application in the future.
Fatty acid‐induced induction of Toll‐like receptor‐4/nuclear factor‐κB pathway in adipocytes links nutritional signalling with innate immunity
Authors: Schaeffler Andreas , Gross Philipp , Buettner Roland , Bollheimer Cornelius , Buechler Christa , Neumeier Markus , Kopp Andrea , Schoelmerich Juergen , Falk Werner
Published: July 2008

To study the effects of fatty acids and the involvement of the Toll‐like receptor‐4/nuclear factor‐κB (TLR‐4/NF‐κB) pathway with respect to the secretion of adipokines from adipocytes 3T3‐L1 adipocytes were stimulated with increasing doses of fatty acids. The secretion of adiponectin, resistin and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The NF‐κB p65 nuclear translocation and TLR‐4 expression were investigated by Western blot. The effects mediated by NF‐κB were tested using a specific NF‐κB‐inhibitor and TLR‐4‐induced effects were analysed with a neutralizing TLR‐4 antibody. Binding of 14C‐labelled fatty acids to TLR‐4/MD‐2 was investigated using a FLAG‐tagged extracellular part of TLR‐4 fused to full‐length MD‐2 via a linker (lipopolysaccharide‐Trap). The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of adipokines in abdominal adipose tissue of rats fed a standard chow or a high‐fat diet was investigated by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The TLR‐4 is induced during adipocyte differentiation and its expression is enhanced following fatty acid stimulation. The stimulatory effects of stearic and palmitic acids on MCP‐1 secretion and of palmitoleic acid on resistin secretion are mediated via NF‐κB. The stimulatory effects of stearic, palmitic and palmitoleic acids on resistin secretion and the stimulatory effect of stearic acid on MCP‐1 secretion are mediated via TLR‐4. Fatty acid‐mediated effects are caused by an endogenous ligand because fatty acids were shown not to bind directly to TLR‐4/MD‐2. Adipose tissue mRNA expression and serum levels of adipokines did not differ in rats fed a high‐fat diet. These data provide a new molecular mechanism by which fatty acids can link nutrition with innate immunity.
Role of a serine residue (S278) in the pore‐facing region of the houseflyl‐glutamate‐gated chloride channel in determining sensitivity to noncompetitive antagonists
Authors: Hirata K. , Ishida C. , Eguchi Y. , Sakai K. , Ozoe F. , Ozoe Y. , Matsuda K.
Published: July 2008

γ‐Hexachlorocyclohexane (γ‐HCH), fipronil and picrotoxinin are noncompetitive antagonists (NCAs) ofl‐glutamate‐gated chloride channels (GluCls), yet their potencies are weaker than those on γ‐aminobutyric acid receptors (GABARs). The A302S mutation ofDrosophilaRDL (resistant to dieldrin) GABAR confers NCA resistance, and housefly GluCls (MdGluCls) possess S278 as the residue corresponding to the A302. Thus, the effects of S278A mutation on the NCA actions on MdGluCls were investigated. The S278A mutation resulted in enhanced blocking by NCAs of the MdGluCl response to 30 µMl‐glutamate. However, such actions of γ‐HCH and picrotoxinin, but not of fipronil, on the S278A mutant were reduced with 200 µMl‐glutamate. Further increases in thel‐glutamate concentration led to potentiation by NCAs of the mutant response tol‐glutamate.
Highly similar piggyBac elements in Bactrocera that share a common lineage with elements in noctuid moths
Authors: Handler A. M. , Zimowska G. J. , Armstrong K. F.
Published: July 2008

The piggyBac IFP2 transposable element, originally discovered in a Trichoplusia ni cell line, also exists as nearly identical elements in other noctuid lepidopterans, and in several species of the tephritid genus Bactrocera. To further define the distribution of piggyBacs in Bactrocera, and compare their relationship to sequences found in Lepidoptera, a survey by PCR amplification was performed in a range of Bactrocera species. Highly similar piggyBac sequences were found in all B. dorsalis complex species tested, as well as in species in the B. zonata and B. frauenfeldi complexes. All nucleotide sequences had > 94% identity to corresponding sequences in the T. ni IFP2 element, and > 88% identity among the sequences. Conserved primers did not amplify any distantly related sequences that have been found by computational searches in a wider range of insect and non‐insect species. Notably, 55 nucleotide substitutions relative to IFP2 were common to all the Bactrocera sequences, 44 of which exist in piggyBacs previously sequenced from moths, with 17 resulting in amino acid substitutions. These piggyBac elements, that apparently traversed orders by horizontal transfer, probably arose from a lineage separate from IFP2 and the other known elements in T.  ni. Implications for the presence of nearly identical piggyBacs, in widely distributed insects, to the applied use of piggyBac vectors are discussed.