bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical resilience of soil to field compaction and the interactions with plant growth and microbial community structure
Authors: Gregory A. S. , Watts C. W. , Whalley W. R. , Kuan H. L. , Griffiths B. S. , Hallett P. D. , Whitmore A. P.
Published: August 2007

Soil compaction has deleterious effects on soil physical properties, which can affect plant growth, but some soils are inherently resilient, whereby they may recover following removal of the stress. We explored aspects of soil physical resilience in a field‐based experiment. We subjected three soils of different texture, sown with winter wheat or remaining fallow, to a compaction event. We then monitored soil strength, as a key soil physical property, over the following 16 months. We were also interested in the associated interactions with crop growth and the microbial community. Compaction had a considerable and sustained effect in a sandy loam and a sandy clay loam soil, resulting in an increase in strength and decreased crop yields. By contrast compaction had little effect on a clay soil, perhaps due initially to the buoyancy effect of pore water pressure. Fallow clay soil did have a legacy of the compaction event at depth, however, suggesting that it was the actions of the crop, and rooting in particular, that maintained smaller strengths in the cropped clay soil rather than other physical processes. Compaction generally did not affect microbial communities, presumably because they occupy pores smaller than those affected by compaction. That the clay soil was able to supply the growing crop with sufficient water whilst remaining weak enough for root penetration was a key finding. The clay soil was therefore deemed to be much more resilient to the compaction stress than the sandy loam and sandy clay loam soils.
Movements by wild brown trout in a boreal river: response to habitat and flow contrasts
Authors: HEGGENES J. , OMHOLT P. K. , KRISTIANSEN J. R. , SAGEIE J. , ØKLAND F. , DOKK J. G. , BEERE M. C.
Published: August 2007

Abstract Radio transmitters were implanted in wild brown trout,Salmo truttaL., in the River Måna at low summer water flows (n = 18), higher flow in summer (n = 20), and variable, peaking flows in autumn (n = 20), and tracked two to four times day and night for 4–5 weeks. Individuals were caught and released in a 4‐km uniformly channelised section, and in a 4‐km natural diverse river section. Substantial individual variation in home range and total movement (924–85 818 m2and 295–7014 m) suggested flexibility to adapt to local environmental conditions. Fish were stationary most of the time (median movement 0 m), but some individuals undertook few and apparently sporadic longer movements, sometimes involving shifts in home range. No consistent diurnal pattern in movements was found. Trout in the uniform habitat section appeared to have larger home ranges and moved more than trout in the natural section. Differences were, however, not statistically significant in most comparisons, due to large individual variation. Similarly, larger home ranges and movements between trials related to higher flow were found, but differences were generally not significant. No consistent effects of sudden, extreme peaking flows on area use or movements by the brown trout were observed.
Bacterial metabolism in small temperate streams under contemporary and future climates
Authors: SAND‐JENSEN KAJ , PEDERSEN NIELS LAGERGAARD , SØNDERGAARD MORTEN
Published: August 2007

1. We examined the detailed temperature dependence (0–40 °C) of bacterial metabolism associated with fine sediment particles from three Danish lowland streams to test if temperature dependence varied between sites, seasons and quality of organic matter and to evaluate possible consequences of global warming.

2. A modified Arrhenius model with reversible denaturation at high temperatures could account for the temperature dependence of bacterial metabolism and the beginning of saturation above 35 °C and it was superior to the unmodified Arrhenius model. Both models overestimated respiration rates at very low temperatures (<5 °C), whereas Ratkowsky's model – the square root of respiration – provided an excellent linear fit between 0 and 30 °C.

3. There were no indications of differences in temperature dependence among samples dominated by slowly or easily degradable organic substrates. Optimum temperature, apparent minimum temperature, Q10‐values for 0–40 °C and activation energies of bacterial respiration were independent of season, stream site and degradability of organic matter.

4. Q10‐values of bacterial respiration declined significantly with temperature (e.g. 3.31 for 5–15 °C and 1.43 for 25–35 °C) and were independent of site and season. Q10‐values of bacterial production behaved similarly, but were significantly lower than Q10‐values of respiration implying that bacterial growth efficiency declined with temperature.

5. A regional warming scenario for 2071–2100 (IPCC A2) predicted that mean annual temperatures will increase by 3.5 °C in the air and 2.2–4.3 °C in the streams compared with the control scenario for 1961–1990. Temperature is expected to rise more in cool groundwater‐fed forest springs than in open, summer‐warm streams. Mean annual bacterial respiration is estimated to increase by 26–63% and production by 18–41% among streams assuming that established metabolism–temperature relationships and organic substrate availability remain the same. To improve predictions of future ecosystem behaviour, we further require coupled models of temperature, hydrology, organic production and decomposition.
Microbial soil respiration and its dependency on carbon inputs, soil temperature and moisture
Authors: CURIEL YUSTE J. , BALDOCCHI D. D. , GERSHENSON A. , GOLDSTEIN A. , MISSON L. , WONG S.
Published: August 2007

This experiment was designed to study three determinant factors in decomposition patterns of soil organic matter (SOM): temperature, water and carbon (C) inputs. The study combined field measurements with soil lab incubations and ends with a modelling framework based on the results obtained. Soil respiration was periodically measured at an oak savanna woodland and a ponderosa pine plantation. Intact soils cores were collected at both ecosystems, including soils with most labile C burnt off, soils with some labile C gone and soils with fresh inputs of labile C. Two treatments, dry‐field condition and field capacity, were applied to an incubation that lasted 111 days. Short‐term temperature changes were applied to the soils periodically to quantify temperature responses. This was done to prevent confounding results associated with different pools of C that would result by exposing treatments chronically to different temperature regimes. This paper discusses the role of the above‐defined environmental factors on the variability of soil C dynamics. At the seasonal scale, temperature and water were, respectively, the main limiting factors controlling soil CO2 efflux for the ponderosa pine and the oak savanna ecosystems. Spatial and seasonal variations in plant activity (root respiration and exudates production) exerted a strong influence over the seasonal and spatial variation of soil metabolic activity. Mean residence times of bulk SOM were significantly lower at the Nitrogen (N)‐rich deciduous savanna than at the N‐limited evergreen dominated pine ecosystem. At shorter time scales (daily), SOM decomposition was controlled primarily by temperature during wet periods and by the combined effect of water and temperature during dry periods. Secondary control was provided by the presence/absence of plant derived C inputs (exudation). Further analyses of SOM decomposition suggest that factors such as changes in the decomposer community, stress‐induced changes in the metabolic activity of decomposers or SOM stabilization patterns remain unresolved, but should also be considered in future SOM decomposition studies. Observations and confounding factors associated with SOM decomposition patterns and its temperature sensitivity are summarized in the modeling framework.
Galectin 3‐binding protein is a potential contaminant of recombinantly produced factor IX
Authors: BLOSTEIN M. , CUERQUIS J. , GALIPEAU J.
Published: August 2007

Summary.  Haemophilia B, or factor IX (FIX) deficiency, represents 15% of the hereditary haemophilias. The serious morbidity from the transmission of infectious agents in plasma‐derived material has mandated a need for the production of recombinant product. The rate‐limiting step for the production of recombinant FIX is γ‐carboxylation, a post‐translational modification carried out only in mammalian cells. To test the carboxylation efficiency of recombinantly produced FIX in vitro and to improve the isolation of the pure active product, we produced FIX in a transfected human cell line (293 human embryonic kidney cells) and isolated material by immunoaffinity chromatography followed by hydroxyapatite chromatography. Unexpectedly, during hydroxyapatite chromatography, we discovered that purified FIX was contaminated by a heretofore unknown protein. Further analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) sequencing revealed this protein to be galectin‐3‐binding protein (G3BP). The above results raise an important note of caution regarding the production of recombinant FIX and, indeed, other proteins produced recombinantly in mammalian cells.
Increased cytoplasmic level of migfilin is associated with higher grades of human leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Papachristou D J , Gkretsi V , Tu Y , Shi X , Chen K , Larjava H , Rao U N M , Wu C
Published: August 2007

Aims:  Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) are malignant neoplasms composed of cells that exhibit distinct smooth muscle differentiation. The molecular and cytogenetic features of LMS are complex and no consistent aberrations have been reported to date. Mitogen inducible gene‐2 (Mig‐2), kindlin and migfilin are recently identified cell–matrix adhesion proteins. The aim was to determine the expression and distribution of these proteins in human smooth muscle tumours of somatic soft tissue.

Methods and results:  Immunohistochemistry was performed on a human LMS tissue microarray and on sections of human leiomyomas (LM) and normal smooth muscle. Migfilin was barely detectable in normal smooth muscle cells, whereas increased levels of migfilin were observed in the majority of LM and LMS. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic level of migfilin was strongly associated with higher tumour grades. Additionally, the cytoplasmic levels of migfilin and Mig‐2 were correlated with each other, suggesting an association between the two in the cytoplasm. Kindlin was expressed in normal smooth muscle, LM and LMS, and its level did not correlate with tumour grade.

Conclusions:  Our results suggest a role for cytoplasmic migfilin in the progression of LMS and identify cytoplasmic migfilin as a potentially important biological marker for human LMS progression.
Distribution and significance of the oesophageal and gastric cardiac mucosae: a study of 131 operation specimens
Authors: Nakanishi Y , Saka M , Eguchi T , Sekine S , Taniguchi H , Shimoda T
Published: August 2007

Aims:  To clarify the distribution and significance of the oesophageal and gastric cardiac mucosae at the oesophago–gastric junction (EGJ).

Methods and results:  Oesophagectomy specimens from 131 consecutive patients with middle and upper thoracic oesophageal cancer were examined. The surgically resected specimens including the EGJ were cut into 5 mm thick serial sections and examined histopathologically for the length of the oesophageal and gastric cardiac mucosae and the incidence of columnar epithelial islands (CEIs). We also determined the presence of short‐segment Barrett's oesophagus (SSBE) and goblet cell metaplasia in SSBE. Oesophageal cardiac mucosa was found in 125 cases (95%) and gastric cardiac mucosa was found in all cases. The mean length of the oesophageal and gastric cardiac mucosa was 4 mm (range 1–26 mm) and 13 mm (range 2–64 mm), respectively. CEIs were found in 75 cases (57%). SSBE was found in 70 cases (53%), among which goblet cell metaplasia was found in 28 cases (21%). No long‐segment Barrett's oesophagus was found. The mean length of oesophageal cardiac mucosa (6 mm) and gastric cardiac mucosa (17 mm) in SSBE was significantly greater than that (3 mm and 8 mm, respectively) in non‐SSBE cases (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001). The incidence (69%) of CEIs in SSBE was significantly higher than that (44%) in non‐SSBE cases (P = 0.005).

Conclusions:  Oesophageal and gastric cardiac mucosae were found frequently. Oesophageal cardiac glands and CEIs might play an important role in the development of SSBE.
Immunohistochemistry for β‐catenin in the differential diagnosis of spindle cell lesions: analysis of a series and review of the literature
Authors: Carlson J W , Fletcher C D M
Published: August 2007

Aims:  Nuclear staining for β‐catenin by immunohistochemistry is being used increasingly to diagnose desmoid tumours (deep fibromatoses), especially where the differential diagnosis includes other abdominal spindle cell neoplasms. This study aimed to define the prevalence of β‐catenin positivity in desmoid tumours and other morphologically similar spindle cell neoplasms.

Method and results:  Nuclear β‐catenin expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 270 soft tissue tumours. Nuclear immunopositivity was detected in 80% of cases of sporadic desmoid fibromatosis (24/30) and in 67% of tumours in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (8/12). Nuclear positivity was also present in 14/25 superficial fibromatoses (56%), 3/10 low‐grade myofibroblastic sarcomas (30%), 5/23 solitary fibrous tumours (22%), 1/5 infantile fibrosarcomas (20%), 1/18 desmoplastic fibroblastomas (6%) and 1/21 gastrointestinal stromal tumours (5%). No nuclear immunoreactivity was present in neurofibromas (0/26), schwannomas (0/25), nodular fasciitis (0/19), leiomyosarcomas (0/16), inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours (0/12), fibromas of tendon sheath (0/9), lipofibromatoses (0/5), Gardner fibromas (0/4), calcifying aponeurotic fibromas (0/4) or fibromatosis colli (0/1).

Conclusion:  Nuclear staining for β‐catenin is supportive, but not definitive, of the diagnosis of desmoid fibromatosis. No significant difference in immunoreactivity was observed between sporadic and familial desmoid fibromatoses. β‐Catenin negativity does not preclude the diagnosis of fibromatosis.
Ki67 and cyclin A as prognostic factors in early breast cancer. What are the optimal cut‐off values?
Authors: Ahlin C , Aaltonen K , Amini R‐M , Nevanlinna H , Fjällskog M‐L , Blomqvist C
Published: August 2007

Aims:  To find the optimal cut‐off values for cyclin A and Ki67 in early breast cancer tumours and to evaluate their prognostic values.

Methods and results:  Tissue microarray (TMA) slides were constructed from 570 T1–4 N0–1 M0 breast cancer tumours. The TMA slides were stained for cyclin A and Ki67 using immunohistochemistry with commercial antibodies. To investigate the optimal cut‐off values for cyclin A, Ki67 average and maximum values the material was split into two parts at cut‐offs defined by dividing it into deciles. For each cut‐off value the relative risk (RR) for metastasis‐free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) was calculated comparing patients with high versus low cyclin A or Ki67 expression. When using a cut‐off value around the seventh decile, cyclin A and Ki67 score correlated with the highest RR ratio for MFS in the chemotherapy‐naïve subgroup. Among patients having received adjuvant chemotherapy, no statistically significant differences in MFS or OS were found.

Conclusions:  The optimal cut‐off value for cyclin A average is 8% and for cyclin A maximum value 11%; for Ki67 the corresponding values are 15% and 22%. Additional studies are needed to verify these results.
Reversal of expression of 15‐lipoxygenase‐1 to cyclooxygenase‐2 is associated with development of colonic cancer
Authors: Yuri M , Sasahira T , Nakai K , Ishimaru S , Ohmori H , Kuniyasu H
Published: August 2007

Aims:  Two different pathways of linoleic acid (LA) metabolism have opposite effects on the development of colonic cancer: a protumoral prostaglandin cascade metabolized by cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2, and an antitumoral peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ ligands metabolized by 15‐lipooxygenase (LOX)‐1. The aim was to examine the switching of the two LA metabolic pathways in colonic adenomas and carcinomas.

Materials and methods:  The expression of 15LOX‐1 mRNA and COX‐2 protein was examined in 54 adenomas, 21 pTis carcinoma‐in‐adenoma lesions and 36 pT3/p Stage II carcinomas of the colon by in‐situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Results:  15LOX‐1 expression was found in 89% (48 of 54) of adenomas, 43% (nine of 21) of adenomas and 10% (two of 21) of carcinomas in carcinoma‐in‐adenoma lesions, but not in pT3 carcinomas (P < 0.0001). In contrast, COX‐2 production was found in 11% (six of 54) of adenomas, 52% (11 of 21) of adenomas and 71% (15 of 21) of carcinomas in carcinoma‐in‐adenoma lesions, and 92% (33 of 36) of pT3 carcinomas (P < 0.0001). Concurrence of 15LOX‐1 down‐regulation and COX‐2 up‐regulation was found in 6% (three of 54) of adenomas, 33% (seven of 21) of adenomas and 71% (15 of 21) of carcinomas in carcinoma‐in‐adenoma lesions, and 92% (33 of 36) of pT3 carcinomas (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  These results suggest that switching of LA metabolism by reversal of the expression of 15LOX‐1 and COX‐2 is associated with acquisition of malignant potential in colonic neoplasia.
Geographical ecology of Paraguayan bats: spatial integration and metacommunity structure of interacting assemblages
Authors: STEVENS RICHARD D. , LÓPEZ‐GONZÁLEZ CELIA , PRESLEY STEVEN J.
Published: August 2007

We examined the relative contributions of regional spatial characteristics and local environmental conditions in determining Paraguayan bat species composition.

We used a suite of full and partial redundancy analyses to estimate four additive partitions of variance in bat species composition: (a) unexplained variation, (b) that explained purely by spatial characteristics, (c) that explained purely by local environmental conditions and (d) that explained jointly by space and environment. The spatial component to bat species composition was greater than the environmental component and both pure spatial and pure environmental characteristics accounted for significant amounts of variation in bat species composition.

Results from variance decomposition suggest that the mass effects model describes metacommunity structure of Paraguayan bats better than species sorting or neutral models. Such mass effects may potentially be general for bats and could explain the inability of purely local factors to fully account for bat community organization. Mass effects also have substantial conservation implications because rescue effects may enhance the persistence of mobile species in fragmented landscapes with relatively few protected sites.
The anatomy of predator–prey dynamics in a changing climate
Authors: WILMERS CHRISTOPHER C. , POST ERIC , HASTINGS ALAN
Published: August 2007

Humans are increasingly influencing global climate and regional predator assemblages, yet a mechanistic understanding of how climate and predation interact to affect fluctuations in prey populations is currently lacking.

Here we develop a modelling framework to explore the effects of different predation strategies on the response of age‐structured prey populations to a changing climate.

We show that predation acts in opposition to temporal correlation in climatic conditions to suppress prey population fluctuations.

Ambush predators such as lions are shown to be more effective at suppressing fluctuations in their prey than cursorial predators such as wolves, which chase down prey over long distances, because they are more effective predators on prime‐aged adults.

We model climate as a Markov process and explore the consequences of future changes in climatic autocorrelation for population dynamics. We show that the presence of healthy predator populations will be particularly important in dampening prey population fluctuations if temporal correlation in climatic conditions increases in the future.
Estimating expenditure on male and female offspring in a sexually size‐dimorphic bird: a comparison of different methods
Authors: MAGRATH MICHAEL J. L. , VAN LIESHOUT EMILE , PEN IDO , VISSER G. HENK , KOMDEUR JAN
Published: August 2007

The parents of sexually size‐dimorphic offspring are often assumed to invest more resources producing individuals of the larger sex. A range of different methods have been employed to estimate relative expenditure on the sexes, including quantifying sex‐specific offspring growth, food intake, energy expenditure and energy intake, in addition to measures of parental food provisioning and energy expenditure. These methods all have the potential to provide useful estimates of relative investment, but each has particular problems of interpretation, and few studies have compared the estimates derived concurrently from more than two of these measures.

In this study we compared these surrogate measures of parental investment in the brown songlark Cinclorhamphus cruralis, which exhibits one of the most extreme cases of sexual size dimorphism among birds.

At 10 days of age we found that male chicks, on average, were 49% heavier, received 42% more prey items, expended 44% more energy and ingested 50% more metabolizable energy than their sisters.

Furthermore, we created, experimentally, both all‐male and all‐female broods of 10‐day‐old chicks and found that mothers delivered 43% more prey items and expended 27% more energy when provisioning all‐male broods, providing the first direct evidence for a change in parental energy expenditure in relation to brood sex ratio.

These data reveal remarkable agreement between these estimates of investment and suggest that all may provide quantitatively useful information on sex allocation. However, the lower variance associated with estimates of relative mass and energy intake suggest that these methods may be of greater utility, although this may primarily reflect the shorter period over which our provisioning data were collected.
Evidence of an interannual effect of maternal immunization on the immune response of juveniles in a long‐lived colonial bird
Authors: STASZEWSKI VINCENT , GASPARINI JULIEN , MCCOY KAREN. D. , TVERAA TORKILD , BOULINIER THIERRY
Published: August 2007

Little is known about the maternal transfer of antibodies in natural host–parasite systems despite its possible evolutionary and ecological implications. In domestic animals, the maternal transfer of antibodies can enhance offspring survival via a temporary protection against parasites, but it can also interfere with the juvenile immune response to antigens.

We tested the functional role of maternal antibodies in a natural population of a long‐lived colonial seabird, the kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), using a vaccine (Newcastle disease virus vaccine) to mimic parasite exposure combined with a cross‐fostering design.

We first investigated the role of prior maternal exposure on the interannual transmission of Ab to juveniles. We then tested the effect of these antibodies on the juvenile immune response to the same antigen.

The results show that specific maternal antibodies were transferred to chicks 1 year after maternal exposure and that these antibodies were functional, i.e. they affected juvenile immunity. These results suggest that the role of maternal antibodies may depend on the timing and pattern of offspring exposure to parasites, along with the patterns of maternal exposure and the dynamics of her immune response.

Overall, our approach underlines that although the transgenerational transfer of antibodies in natural populations is likely to have broad implications, the nature of these effects may vary dramatically among host–parasite systems, depending on the physiological mechanisms involved and the ecological context.
Climate change can alter competitive relationships between resident and migratory birds
Authors: AHOLA MARKUS P. , LAAKSONEN TONI , EEVA TAPIO , LEHIKOINEN ESA
Published: August 2007

Climate change could affect resource competition between resident and migratory bird species by changing the interval between their onsets of breeding or by altering their population densities.

We studied interspecific nest‐hole competition between resident great tits and migrant pied flycatchers in South‐Western Finland over the past five decades (1953–2005).

We found that appearance of fatal take‐over trials, the cases where a pied flycatcher tried to take over a great tit nest but was killed by the tit, increased with a reduced interspecific laying date interval and with increasing densities of both tits and flycatchers. The probability of pied flycatchers taking over great tit nests increased with the density of pied flycatchers.

Laying dates of the great tit and pied flycatcher are affected by the temperatures of different time periods, and divergent changes in these temperatures could consequently modify their competitive interactions. Densities are a result of reproductive success and survival, which can be affected by separate climatic factors in the resident great tit and trans‐Saharan migrant pied flycatcher.

On these bases we conclude that climate change has a great potential to alter the competitive balance between these two species.
Where do the feral oilseed rape populations come from? A large‐scale study of their possible origin in a farmland area
Authors: Pivard S. , Adamczyk K. , Lecomte J. , Lavigne C. , Bouvier A. , Deville A. , Gouyon P. H. , Huet S.
Published: August 2007

Many cultivated species can escape from fields and colonize seminatural habitats as feral populations. Of these, feral oilseed rape is a widespread feature of field margins and roadside verges. Although considered in several studies, the general processes leading to the escape and persistence of feral oilseed rape are still poorly known. Notably, it remains unclear whether these annuals form transient populations resulting mainly from seed immigration (either from neighbouring fields or during seed transport), or whether they show real ability to persist (either through self‐recruitment or seed banks).

We conducted a 4‐year large‐scale study of factors involved in the presence of feral oilseed rape populations in a typical open‐field area of France. The results were subjected to statistical methods suitable for analysing large data sets, based on a regression approach. We subsequently addressed the relative contribution of the ecological processes identified as being involved in the presence of feral populations.

Many feral oilseed rape populations resulted from seed immigration from neighbouring fields (about 35–40% of the observed feral populations). Immigration occurred at harvest time rather than at sowing. Around 15% of such populations were attributed to immigration through seed transport.

The other half resulted from processes of persistence, mainly through persistent seed banks (35–40% of the observed feral populations). This was all the more unexpected because seed banks have not yet been documented on road verges (despite being frequent within fields). Local recruitment was rare, accounting for no more than 10% of the feral populations.

Synthesis and applications. Understanding the dynamics of feral oilseed rape populations is crucial for evaluating gene flow over an agro‐ecosystem. Our results show that, while many feral populations do come from annual seed dispersal, a significant number also result from seeds stored in the soil for several years. In the current context of coexistence and management of transgenic with non‐transgenic crops, feral persistence and, especially, the seed bank contribution to the dynamics of feral populations need to be considered seriously. The latter, combined with self‐recruitment, indicates a high potential for the persistence of transgenes and the possible emergence of gene‐stacking.
The role of candida in inflammatory papillary hyperplasia of the palate
Authors: POULOPOULOS A. , BELAZI M. , EPIVATIANOS A. , VELEGRAKI A. , ANTONIADES D.
Published: August 2007

Summary  The objective of this study was to investigate the expression by immunohistochemistry of the major basement membrane (BM) components (laminin, collagen type IV, fibronectin) in specimens from the palatal mucosa lesions of patients with complete dentures and diagnosis of inflammatory papillary hyperplasia of the palate (IPHP). Furthermore to evaluate the potential role of candidal infection in patients with IPHP. Biopsies of palatal mucosa were obtained from patients with IPHP, generally healthy/orally healthy patients with dentures, and healthy subjects. Immunohistochemical studies performed with specific antibodies to BM proteins. Scrapings and swaps of oral lesions from all patients and control groups were taken from the palate, and Candida species colonization was assessed with mycology tests. Immunohistochemical expression of BM components revealed thin linear staining in the BM of healthy palatal mucosa. In IPHP discontinuities or disruptions in BM were observed at the interface between epithelium and the underlying connective tissue in the areas of severe inflammatory response. Our findings suggest an interaction between the expression of BM components and Candida involvement in the development of IPHP, a disorder involving inflammatory reaction and modification of soft tissues.
Temperature change, dentinal fluid flow and cuspal displacement during resin composite restoration
Authors: RATIH D. N. , PALAMARA J. E. A. , MESSER H. H.
Published: August 2007

Summary  Dentin‐bonding agents and resin composite materials typically require light activation for polymerization. Light curing generates heat, which may influence dentinal fluid flow (DFF) and cuspal displacement. This study investigated the relationship among temperature increase, DFF and cuspal displacement in extracted human maxillary premolars with a mesial occlusal distal (MOD) cavity preparation. Two types of curing light were compared. Temperature changes were measured using thermocouples located on the occlusal cavity floor and at the pulp‐dentine junction, during polymerization of bonding agent and resin composite material. DFF and cuspal displacement were measured simultaneously using automated flow measurement apparatus and direct current differential transformers respectively. Temperature increases of up to 15 °C were recorded during the restoration procedures. A quartz tungsten halogen (QTH) unit produced a significantly greater temperature increase than a light‐emitting diode unit and curing of the bonding agent generated less temperature increase than curing of the resin composite. Heating due to exothermic reaction during polymerization of bonding agent and resin was not significantly different between light sources or between bonding and curing (P > 0·05). The QTH unit produced both greater inward fluid flow and cuspal displacement during the irradiation of bonding agent and resin composite than the light‐emitting diode unit. There was not a simple relationship between temperature increase, fluid movement and cuspal displacement. From a clinical point of view, the light‐emitting diode unit can be considered preferable to the QTH light, because it caused significantly smaller temperature increase, fluid shift and cuspal displacement.
Influence of playing wind instruments on activity of masticatory muscles
Authors: GOTOUDA A. , YAMAGUCHI T. , OKADA K. , MATSUKI T. , GOTOUDA S. , INOUE N.
Published: August 2007

Summary  The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of change in sound tone of playing wind instruments on activity of jaw‐closing muscles and the effect of sustained playing for a long time on fatigue of jaw‐closing muscles. Electromyograms (EMG) of 19 brass instrument players and 14 woodwind instrument players were measured while playing instruments in tuning tone and high tone and under other conditions. Nine brass instrument players and nine woodwind instrument players played instruments for 90 min. Before and after the exercise, power spectral analyses of EMG from masseter muscles at 50% of maximum voluntary clenching level were performed and mean power frequency (MPF) were calculated. Root mean square (RMS) of EMG in masseter and temporal muscles while playing were slightly larger than those at rest but extremely small in comparison with those during maximum clenching. Root mean square in orbicularis oris and digastric muscles were relatively large when playing instruments. In the brass instrument group, RMS in high tone was significantly higher than that in tuning tone in all muscles examined. In the woodwind instrument group, RMS in high tone was not significantly higher than that in tuning tone in those muscles. Mean power frequency was not decreased after sustained playing in both instrument groups. These findings indicate that contractive load to jaw‐closing muscles when playing a wind instrument in both medium and high tone is very small and playing an instrument for a long time does not obviously induce fatigue of jaw‐closing muscles.
Fracture strength of four‐unit Y‐TZP FPD cores designed with varying connector diameter. An in‐vitro study
Authors: LARSSON C. , HOLM L. , LÖVGREN N. , KOKUBO Y. , VULT VON STEYERN P.
Published: August 2007

Summary  Reported clinical success rates of all‐ceramic fixed partial dentures (FPDs) made of high‐strength oxide ceramics range between 82·5% and 100%. The main cause of all‐ceramic FPD failure is fracture in the connector area. There is, however, no consensus on what connector dimensions are adequate. The aim of this in‐vitro study was, therefore, to compare the fracture strength of four‐unit Y‐TZP FPD cores designed with different connector diameters. A total of 40 four‐unit FPD cores supported by end abutments and having two pontics were manufactured in Procera® Zirconia. Five groups of FPD cores with connector dimensions of 2·0, 2·5, 3·0, 3·5 and 4·0 mm were produced. All FPD cores underwent a firing programme according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the veneering porcelain, a cyclic preload, thermocycling and finally, load until fracture. Fracture strength was significantly higher for each increase in connector diameter except for the 2·0‐mm and 2·5‐mm diameters where all fractures occurred during preload. All FPD cores fractured in the connector area. Within the limitations of this in‐vitro study, a minimum diameter of 4·0 mm is recommended for all‐ceramic zirconia‐based FPDs with long spans or replacing molars. Clinical studies are, however, needed to determine adequate connector dimensions.
A two‐colour chewing gum test for masticatory efficiency: development of different assessment methods
Authors: SCHIMMEL M. , CHRISTOU P. , HERRMANN F. , MÜLLER F.
Published: August 2007

Summary  Objective:  The aim of this study was to investigate different assessment methods of a two‐colour chewing gum test for masticatory efficiency to determine its validity for research and clinical purposes.

Materials and methods:  Twenty adult volunteers, eleven women and nine men (mean age of 27·5 years), participated in this study. All participants perceived their masticatory efficiency as normal. The task was to chew five samples of a two‐colour chewing gum for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 cycles respectively. Maximum bite force was measured. All samples were assessed twice by two independent operators both, as ‘bolus’ and after flattening to 1 mm thick ‘wafers’. The latter were scanned and the unmixed pixels counted using Adobe Photoshop Elements® to calculate the ratio of unmixed colour to the total surface.

Results:  Digital image processing confirmed a significant correlation between colour mixing and chewing duration (P < 0·001). Subjective assessment proved less accurate with fair to substantial intra‐examiner agreement for ‘bolus’ (0·20 < kappa < 0·63) and substantial to almost perfect agreement for ‘wafer’ (0·60 < kappa < 0·88). Inter‐examiner agreement was consistently moderate or substantial only for specimen chewed 20 cycles or longer. No significant correlation was found between the colour mixture and the maximum bite force.

Conclusion:  Digital image processing of the two‐colour chewing gum test specimen provides reliable quantitative data for chewing efficiency. Visual assessments were less reliable but might still be useful in screening for chewing deficiencies in a clinical setting. In this context, the test should be performed with a flattened specimen chewed, probably for 20 cycles.
The effects of one night of sleep deprivation on known‐risk and ambiguous‐risk decisions
Authors: MCKENNA BENJAMIN S. , DICKINSON DAVID L. , ORFF HENRY J. , DRUMMOND SEAN P. A.
Published: August 2007

Sleep deprivation has been shown to alter decision‐making abilities. The majority of research has utilized fairly complex tasks with the goal of emulating ’real‐life’ scenarios. Here, we use a Lottery Choice Task (LCT) which assesses risk and ambiguity preference for both decisions involving potential gains and those involving potential losses. We hypothesized that one night of sleep deprivation would make subjects more risk seeking in both gains and losses. Both a control group and an experimental group took the LCT on two consecutive days, with an intervening night of either sleep or sleep deprivation. The control group demonstrated that there was no effect of repeated administration of the LCT. For the experimental group, results showed significant interactions of night (normal sleep versus total sleep deprivation, TSD) by frame (gains versus losses), which demonstrate that following as little as 23 h of TSD, the prototypical response to decisions involving risk is altered. Following TSD, subjects were willing to take more risk than they ordinarily would when they were considering a gain, but less risk than they ordinarily would when they were considering a loss. For ambiguity preferences, there seems to be no direct effect of TSD. These findings suggest that, overall, risk preference is moderated by TSD, but whether an individual is willing to take more or less risk than when well‐rested depends on whether the decision is framed in terms of gains or losses.
Intensive Sleep Retraining treatment for chronic primary insomnia: a preliminary investigation
Authors: HARRIS JODIE , LACK LEON , WRIGHT HELEN , GRADISAR MICHAEL , BROOKS AMBER
Published: August 2007

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Intensive Sleep Retraining, a novel, short duration behavioural therapy in treating chronic primary insomnia. Seventeen consecutive volunteers from the general public (mean age = 39.1 years), meeting selection criteria for chronic primary insomnia participated in the treatment study. The study was performed as a case replication series. Assessment involved sleep diary, actigraph and questionnaire measures of sleep and daytime functioning for a period of 2 weeks prior to, immediately after, and 6 weeks following the treatment. Treatment involved a single night of sleep deprivation, facilitating short sleep latencies (mean: 6.9 min) to a series of 50 brief nap opportunities. Following treatment, Sleep Onset Latency significantly decreased by a mean of 30.5 min (SD = 28.3), Wake Time after Sleep Onset significantly decreased by a mean of 28 min (SD = 34.0), and Total Sleep Time significantly increased by 64.6 min (SD = 45.5). Significant improvements were also seen in the daytime functioning and psychological measures of fatigue and vigour, cognitive sleep anticipatory anxiety and self‐efficacy for sleep. This brief therapy was effective in improving sleep and some daytime functioning and psychological questionnaire measures. These improvements were maintained up to 2 months following the treatment weekend. Further exploration of this brief therapy is needed, with larger, randomized, placebo‐controlled trials over longer follow‐up periods, and in comparison to other traditional therapies for insomnia.
Mood changes after sleep deprivation in morningness–eveningness chronotypes in healthy individuals
Authors: SELVI YAVUZ , GULEC MUSTAFA , AGARGUN MEHMET YUCEL , BESIROGLU LUTFULLAH
Published: August 2007

Inconsistent results have been found in the studies evaluating the effect of both total and partial sleep deprivation (SD) on mood in healthy subjects and a few variables have been analyzed as possible predictors. In the present study, we examined whether circadian preference modifies the effect of SD on mood changes in healthy subjects. Sample consisted of 60 healthy volunteers (including 30 morningness and 30 eveningness subjects). Then, the two groups were again divided into two groups for two SD procedures. Fifteen morningness and 15 eveningness chronotypes were total sleep deprived and 15 morningness and 15 eveningness subjects were partial sleep deprived. The mood changes were evaluated before and after SD using Profile of Mood States. Two main results were obtained from our study: a significant increase in depression subscale in morningness chronotypes and a significant decrease in depression subscale score after total SD (TSD) in eveningness chronotypes. The changes in depression‐dejection scores of eveningness chronotypes after total (P < 0.01) and partial SD (P < 0.01) were significantly different from changes in morningness chronotypes after TSD. Our results suggest that the effect of SD on mood in normal subjects is related to their circadian preferences. The morningness or eveningness characteristics of the shift workers have significant impact on their mood states. Therefore, adjusting the work schedule with the morningness and eveningness characteristics of the workers may improve their mood alterations.
The relationship between craniofacial anatomy and obstructive sleep apnoea: a case‐controlled study
Authors: JOHAL AMA , PATEL SHIVANI I. , BATTAGEL JOANNA M.
Published: August 2007

The aim of the study was to identify craniofacial and pharyngeal anatomical factors directly related to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The design and setting was a hospital‐based, case‐controlled study. Ninety‐nine subjects (78 males and 21 females) with a confirmed diagnosis of OSA, who were referred to the Dental Hospital for construction of a mandibular advancement splint were recruited. A similar number of control subjects, matched for age and sex, were recruited after completing snoring and Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaires to exclude habitual snoring and daytime sleepiness. An upright cephalogram was obtained and skeletal and soft tissue landmarks were traced and digitized. In OSA subjects the anteroposterior skeletal measurements, including maxillary and mandibular length were reduced (P < 0.001). The intermaxillary space was found to be 3.1 mm shorter in OSA subjects (P = 0.001). The nasopharyngeal airway in OSA subjects was narrower (P < 0.001) but pharyngeal length showed no difference. The tongue size was increased (P = 0.021), soft plate length, thickness and area were all greater (P < 0.001) and the hyoid bone was more inferiorly positioned in OSA subjects (P < 0.001). This study identifies a significant number of craniofacial and pharyngeal anatomical factors directly related to OSA.
Depression: relationships to sleep paralysis and other sleep disturbances in a community sample
Authors: SZKLO‐COXE MARIANA , YOUNG TERRY , FINN LAUREL , MIGNOT EMMANUEL
Published: August 2007

Sleep disturbances are important correlates of depression, with epidemiologic research heretofore focused on insomnia and sleepiness. This epidemiologic study’s aim was to investigate, in a community sample, depression’s relationships to other sleep disturbances: sleep paralysis (SP), hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations (HH), cataplexy – considered rapid eye movement‐related disturbances – and automatic behavior (AB). Although typical of narcolepsy, these disturbances are prevalent, albeit under‐studied, in the population. Cross‐sectional analyses (1998–2002), based on Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study population‐based data from 866 participants (mean age 54, 53% male), examined: depression (Zung Self‐Rating Depression Scale), trait anxiety (Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI‐T ≥ 75th percentile), and self‐reported sleep disturbances. Descriptive sleep data were obtained by overnight polysomnography. Adjusted logistic regression models estimated depression’s associations with each (>few times ever) outcome – SP, HH, AB, and cataplexy. Depression’s associations with self‐reported SP and cataplexy were not explained by anxiety. After anxiety adjustment, severe depression (Zung ≥55), vis‐à‐vis Zung <50, increased SP odds ∼500% (P = 0.0008). Depression (Zung ≥50), after stratification by anxiety given an interaction (P = 0.02), increased self‐reported cataplexy odds in non‐anxious (OR 8.9, P = 0.0008) but not anxious (OR 1.1, P = 0.82) participants. Insomnia and sleepiness seemed only partial mediators or confounders for depression’s associations with self‐reported cataplexy and SP. Anxiety (OR 1.9, P = 0.04) partially explained depression’s (Zung ≥55) association with HH (OR 2.2, P = 0.08). Anxiety (OR 1.6, P = 0.02) was also more related than depression to AB. Recognizing depression’s relationships to oft‐neglected sleep disturbances, most notably SP, might assist in better characterizing depression and the full range of its associated sleep problems in the population. Longitudinal studies are warranted to elucidate mediators and causality.
Ampicillin pharmacokinetics in swine following needle‐free, intramuscular, and intravenous administration
Authors: APLEY M. D. , COETZEE J. F. , IMERMAN P. M. , KARRIKER L. A. , GEHRING R.
Published: August 2007

A cross‐over study design was used to determine the pharmacokinetics of ampicillin in swine. Each of eight pigs was subjected to all of the following three treatments: (1) intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 17.6 mg/kg of ampicillin trihydrate; (2) injection of a mean dose of 17.6 mg/kg of ampicillin trihydrate using a needle‐free (NF) injection device; and (3) intravenous injection of 17.6 mg/kg of sodium ampicillin administered as a bolus. Ampicillin trihydrate administered by NF injection in this study was not statistically different from i.m. injection as measured by AUC0−∞, MRT, MAT, or Cmax. However, the 90% confidence limits about the difference in NF to i.m. mean Cmax and AUC0−∞ values, expressed relative to the i.m. treatment mean, exceeded the traditional bioequivalence limits of ±20%. In part, failure to demonstrate bioequivalence was attributable to small study size and the large within‐subject variability associated with this drug. Therefore the power of this study was not sufficient to definitively prove or disprove bioequivalence and additional studies to describe appropriate dosage regimens for ampicillin trihydrate when administered by NF injection to pigs are warranted.