bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moving toward Elimination of Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Call to Action
Authors: Cardo Denise , Dennehy Penelope H. , Halverson Paul , Fishman Neil , Kohn Mel , Murphy Cathryn L. , Whitley Richard J. ,   HAI Elimination White Paper Writing Group
Published: October 2010

Jointly, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) propose a call to action to move toward the elimination of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by adapting the concept and plans used for the elimination of other diseases, including infections. Elimination, as defined for other infectious diseases, is the maximal reduction of “the incidence of infection caused by a specific agent in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued measures to prevent reestablishment of transmission are required.” (p24) This definition has been useful for elimination efforts directed toward polio, tuberculosis, and syphilis and can be readily adapted to HAIs. Sustained elimination of HAIs can be based on this public health model of constant action and vigilance. Elimination will require the implementation of evidence-based practices, the alignment of financial incentives, the closing of knowledge gaps, and the acquisition of information to assess progress and to enable response to emerging threats. These efforts must be under-pinned by substantial research investments, the development of novel prevention tools, improved organizational and personal accountabilities, strong collaboration among a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders, and a clear national will to succeed in this arena.
Differential Modulation of Keratin Expression by Sulforaphane Occurs via Nrf2-dependent and -independent Pathways in Skin Epithelia
Authors: Kerns Michelle , DePianto Daryle , Yamamoto Masayuki , Coulombe Pierre A.
Published: October 2010

Treatment with the natural chemical sulforaphane (SF) ameliorates skin blistering in keratin 14 (K14)-deficient mice, correlating with the induction of K16 and K17 in the basal layer of epidermis (Kerns et al., PNAS 104:14460, 2007). Here we address the basis for the SF-mediated K16 and K17 induction in mouse epidermis in vivo. As expected, induction of K16 partly depends on the transcription factor Nrf2, which is activated by SF exposure. Strikingly, K17 induction occurs independently of Nrf2 activity and parallels the decrease in glutathione occurring shortly after epidermal exposure to SF. Pharmacological manipulation of glutathione levels in mouse epidermis in vivo alters K17 and K16 expression in the expected manner. We present findings suggesting that select MAP kinases participate in mediating the Nrf2- and glutathione-dependent alterations in K16 and K17 levels in SF-treated epidermis. These findings advance our understanding of the effect of SF on gene expression in epidermis, point to a role for glutathione in mediating some of these effects, and establish that SF induces the expression of two contiguous and highly related genes, K16 and K17, via distinct mechanisms.
Sex allocation in haplodiploids is mediated by egg size: evidence in the spider mite
Tetranychus urticae
Koch
Authors: Macke Emilie , Magalhães Sara , Khan Hong Do-Thi , Luciano Anthony , Frantz Adrien , Facon Benoît , Olivieri Isabelle
Published: October 2010

Haplodiploid species display extraordinary sex ratios. However, a differential investment in male and female offspring might also be achieved by a differential provisioning of eggs, as observed in birds and lizards. We investigated this hypothesis in the haplodiploid spider mite
Tetranychus urticae
, which displays highly female-biased sex ratios. We show that egg size significantly determines not only larval size, juvenile survival and adult size, but also fertilization probability, as in marine invertebrates with external fertilization, so that female (fertilized) eggs are significantly larger than male (unfertilized) eggs. Moreover, females with on average larger eggs before fertilization produce a more female-biased sex ratio afterwards. Egg size thus mediates sex-specific egg provisioning, sex and offspring sex ratio. Finally, sex-specific egg provisioning has another major consequence: male eggs produced by mated mothers are smaller than male eggs produced by virgins, and this size difference persists in adults. Virgin females might thus have a (male) fitness advantage over mated females.
Is oxidative stress a physiological cost of reproduction? An experimental test in house mice
Authors: Garratt Michael , Vasilaki Aphrodite , Stockley Paula , McArdle Francis , Jackson Malcolm , Hurst Jane L.
Published: October 2010

Investment in reproduction is costly and frequently decreases survival or future reproductive success. However, the proximate underlying causes for this are largely unknown. Oxidative stress has been suggested as a cost of reproduction and several studies have demonstrated changes in antioxidants with reproductive investment. Here, we test whether oxidative stress is a consequence of reproduction in female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus), which have extremely high energetic demands during reproduction, particularly through lactation. Assessing oxidative damage after a long period of reproductive investment, there was no evidence of increased oxidative stress, even when females were required to defend their breeding territory. Instead, in the liver, markers of oxidative damage (malonaldehyde, protein thiols and the proportion of glutathione in the oxidized form) indicated lower oxidative stress in reproducing females when compared with non-reproductive controls. Even during peak lactation, none of the markers of oxidative damage indicated higher oxidative stress than among non-reproductive females, although a positive correlation between protein oxidation and litter mass suggested that oxidative stress may increase with fecundity. Our results indicate that changes in redox status occur during reproduction in house mice, but suggest that females use mechanisms to cope with the consequences of increased energetic demands and limit oxidative stress.
Increased Phloem Transport of S-Methylmethionine Positively Affects Sulfur and Nitrogen Metabolism and Seed Development in Pea Plants
Authors: Tan Qiumin , Zhang Lizhi , Grant Jan , Cooper Pauline , Tegeder Mechthild
Published: October 2010

Seeds of grain legumes are important energy and food sources for humans and animals. However, the yield and quality of legume seeds are limited by the amount of sulfur (S) partitioned to the seeds. The amino acid S-methylmethionine (SMM), a methionine derivative, has been proposed to be an important long-distance transport form of reduced S, and we analyzed whether SMM phloem loading and source-sink translocation are important for the metabolism and growth of pea (Pisum sativum) plants. Transgenic plants were produced in which the expression of a yeast SMM transporter, S-Methylmethionine Permease1 (MMP1, YLL061W), was targeted to the phloem and seeds. Phloem exudate analysis showed that concentrations of SMM are elevated in MMP1 plants, suggesting increased phloem loading. Furthermore, expression studies of genes involved in S transport and metabolism in source organs, as well as xylem sap analyses, support that S uptake and assimilation are positively affected in MMP1 roots. Concomitantly, nitrogen (N) assimilation in root and leaf and xylem amino acid profiles were changed, resulting in increased phloem loading of amino acids. When investigating the effects of increased S and N phloem transport on seed metabolism, we found that protein levels were improved in MMP1 seeds. In addition, changes in SMM phloem loading affected plant growth and seed number, leading to an overall increase in seed S, N, and protein content in MMP1 plants. Together, these results suggest that phloem loading and source-sink partitioning of SMM are important for plant S and N metabolism and transport as well as seed set.
Severe hydroa vacciniforme‐like eruptions confined to sun‐exposed areas
Authors: TAKEUCHI Tsunemichi , KAMIDE Ryoichi
Published: October 2010

A 15‐year‐old boy presented with vesiculopapular eruptions confined to sun‐exposed areas from the age of 3. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens of repetitive UVA‐irradiated areas revealed reticular degeneration of the epidermis, and dermal infiltrates in the photoinduced lesions showed a latent Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection. At the age of 21, the number of skin lesions had increased, and his anti‐EBV antibody titers revealed an abnormal profile: an undetectable anti‐EBV nuclear antigen antibody titer despite a detectable antiviral capsid antigen IgG antibody titer. No infectious mononucleosis‐like symptoms, such as prolonged or intermittent fever, lymphoadenopathy, or liver damage were evident up till then. Severe hydroa vacciniforme (HV)‐like eruptions were diagnosed considering the increased number of the skin lesions with increasing age and the unusual anti‐EBV antibody titers, in addition to the histopathological findings. In the same year, he suddenly developed high fever and died from disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome without any spontaneous regression of the skin lesions. In this patient with severe HV‐like eruptions, the skin lesions had been confined to sun‐exposed areas until his death, and the photo‐provocation test showed a positive reaction. Severe HV‐like eruptions may have clinical features suggestive of HV.
Positron emission tomography imaging and biodistribution of vascular endothelial growth factor with 64Cu‐labeled bevacizumab in colorectal cancer xenografts
Authors: Paudyal Bishnuhari , Paudyal Pramila , Oriuchi Noboru , Hanaoka Hirofumi , Tominaga Hideyuki , Endo Keigo
Published: October 2010

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered to be a major angiogenic factor responsible for the development of tumor vasculature. The aim of this study was to image VEGF expression with 64Cu‐labeled anti‐VEGF antibody (bevacizumab) non‐invasively, and to see whether or not the expression was correlated with tumor accumulation in colorectal cancer xenografts. Bevacizumab was conjugated with the bifunctional chelator 1, 4, 7, 10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1, 4, 7, 10‐tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and radiolabeled with 64Cu. In vivo biodistribution studies and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were performed on mice bearing human colorectal cancer (HT29) xenografts after injection of 64Cu‐DOTA‐bevacizumab, which showed clear accumulation of 64Cu‐DOTA‐bevacizumab in the tumor (22.7 ± 1.0 %ID/g, 24 ± 0.2 %ID/g, 19.0 ± 2.5 %ID/g at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively). Tumor accumulation of 64Cu‐DOTA‐bevacizumab was significantly correlated with VEGF expression as measured by western blot (ρ = 0.81, P = 0.004). Vascular endothelial growth factor blocking with unlabeled bevacizumab significantly reduced tumor accumulation of 64Cu‐DOTA‐ bevacizumab (9.7 ± 1.2 %ID/g, P < 0.001) at 48 h. Interestingly, the blood concentration of VEGF in the mice treated with excess fold of bevacizumab was significantly higher than those without at 48 h (25.5 ± 4.6 %ID/g vs 6.5 ± 2.1 %ID/g, P = 0.0016). Liver uptake decreased from 24 h (17.2 ± 1.7 %ID/g) to 48 h (13.0 ± 4.2 %ID/g) and 72 h (10.6 ± 1.5 %ID/g) due to hepatic clearance of the tracer. The present study successfully showed 64Cu‐DOTA‐bevacizumab as a potential PET tracer for non‐invasive imaging of VEGF expression in colorectal cancer xenografts. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 117–121)
The effect of survey sampling frame on coverage: the level of and changes in alcohol‐related mortality in Finland as a test case
Authors: Mäkelä Pia , Huhtanen Petri
Published: October 2010

Aims  Exclusion of, for example, the homeless and institutionalized from survey sampling frames has been suggested to be one important reason for low coverage rate of surveys. We assess this, using mortality data from Finland, where in 2004 alcohol taxes were lowered by one‐third, and surveys were unable to capture the 10% increase in per capita consumption.

Design and measurement  We compared the level of and the change in alcohol‐related mortality in 2001–03 and 2004–05 in (1) the whole population, (2) the population included in the sampling frame of many Finnish surveys and (3) the population excluded from the sampling frame.

Setting and participants  Finns aged 15 years and above, linked individually to cause of death data.

Findings  The population outside survey sampling frames constituted 1.4% of the whole population and had a high rate of alcohol‐related deaths. For example, among men the rate of directly alcohol‐attributable causes was 3.7 times higher than in the survey population. Among women the rate ratio was 4.6. The exclusion of the non‐survey population reduced the estimated level of alcohol‐related mortality by 1–4%. Similarly, the non‐survey population had only a marginal effect on the estimates of temporal change.

Conclusions  Alcohol‐related mortality, and hence probably also alcohol consumption, is on average much higher in the subgroups of populations excluded from survey sampling frames. Due to the small size of the excluded group in the Finnish context, this has only a small effect on population‐level estimates.
Impulse control disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease receiving dopamine replacement therapy: evidence and implications for the addictions field
Authors: Ambermoon Polly , Carter Adrian , Hall Wayne D. , Dissanayaka Nadeeka N. W. , O'Sullivan John D.
Published: October 2010

Aims  To describe the prevalence, phenomenology and correlates of ‘impulse control disorders’ (ICDs) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with dopamine replacement therapy (DRT); to assess the strength of the evidence that DRT plays a contributory causal role in these disorders; and to highlight the implications of these disorders for research in the addiction field.

Methods  PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched and the reference lists of papers examined.

Results  The prevalence of ICDs in Parkinson's patients using DRT varied between 3.5% and 13.6%, depending on the severity and range of disorders assessed. PD patients with ICDs were: generally younger; had an earlier onset of PD; had a personal or family history of substance abuse or an ICD; and were more likely to be treated with dopamine receptor agonists (DA agonists) than levodopa (l‐dopa). There is reasonable evidence that dopaminergic medications play a causal role in ICDs in that they occur at a higher rate in an otherwise low‐risk population of adults, begin after initiation of DA agonist therapy and cease upon its discontinuation. A causal relationship is biologically plausible, but the role of other factors (such as concurrent mood disorders) remain to be clarified by better‐controlled studies.

Conclusions  Impulse control disorders among patients with Parkinson's disease receiving dopamine replacement therapy may provide a unique opportunity for addiction researchers to study the neurobiology of impulsive forms of behaviour (such as problem gambling) that appear to be caused, in part, by the therapeutic use of dopamine receptor agonists.
The acute effects of caffeinated versus non‐caffeinated alcoholic beverage on driving performance and attention/reaction time
Authors: Howland Jonathan , Rohsenow Damaris J. , Arnedt J. Todd , Bliss Caleb A. , Hunt Sarah K. , Calise Tamara Vehige , Heeren Timothy , Winter Michael , Littlefield Caroline , Gottlieb Daniel J.
Published: October 2010

Aims  Marketing that promotes mixing caffeinated ‘energy’ drinks with alcoholic beverages (e.g. Red Bull with vodka) targets young drinkers and conveys the expectation that caffeine will offset the sedating effects of alcohol and enhance alertness. Such beliefs could result in unwarranted risk taking (e.g. driving while intoxicated). The aim of this study was to assess the acute effects of caffeinated versus non‐caffeinated alcoholic beverages on a simulated driving task and attention/reaction time.

Design  We conducted a 2 × 2 between‐groups randomized trial in which participants were randomized to one of four conditions: beer and non‐alcoholic beer, with and without caffeine added. Caffeine was added in the same proportion as found in a commercially available caffeinated beer (69 mg/12 oz of beer at 4.8% alc. by vol).

Participants  Participants were 127 non‐dependent, heavy episodic, young adult drinkers (age 21–30) who were college students or recent graduates. The target breath alcohol level was 0.12 g%.

Measures  Driving performance was assessed with a driving simulator; sustained attention/reaction with the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT).

Findings  Across the driving and attention/reaction time we found main effects for alcohol, with alcohol significantly impairing driving and sustained attention/reaction time, with mainly large statistical effects; however, the addition of caffeine had no main or interaction effects on performance.

Conclusion  The addition of caffeine to alcohol does not appear to enhance driving or sustained attention/reaction time performance relative to alcohol alone.
Replicating necropsy data without lethal collections: using ultrasonography to understand the decline in northern fur seals
Authors: Testa J. Ward , Adams Gregg P. , Bergfelt Don R. , Johnson Devin S. , Ream Rolf R. , Gelatt Thomas S.
Published: October 2010

1. Many valuable contributions to the biology and conservation of harvested or previously harvested species have come from examination of specimens obtained by lethal collections. The northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, has a long history of exploitation, including a large (>320 000) experimental harvest of females from 1955 to 1968 when the population was at a peak (∼2 million seals). The decline caused by this harvest was followed in 1977 by another major decline, apparently unrelated to harvest, that has recently accelerated.

2. To obtain current reproductive data that could be compared directly with historic estimates, we used imaging ultrasonography to estimate pregnancy rate in 171 adult fur seals captured on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in November, near the end of embryonic diapause. A modified logistic regression of pregnancy by date was used to estimate asymptotic pregnancy rate; a Bayesian hierarchical model based on date and size of embryonic vesicle was also used to account for pregnancies that were not detectable on the date of examination.

3. Pregnancy rate was high [0·85 (SE = 0·05), 0·88 (SE = 0·05) or 0·92 (SE = 0·04), depending on method] and there was little statistical support for the hypothesis that the current pregnancy rate is lower than the pre‐decline rate (0·84, SE = 0·012) or contributing significantly to the present decline.

4. Synthesis and applications. Further study on intrauterine losses and pupping rates is necessary and ongoing, but reproductive ultrasonography provided an early comparative assessment important for the conservation management of this fur seal stock. It narrows the search for demographic and ecological causes of the population decline and allows research priorities to evolve in response to the likelihood of those causes. The field and analytic methods described have application to population assessments of other mammalian species, including those considered threatened or serving as ecosystem indicators.
Does global stoichiometric theory apply to bryophytes? Tests across an elevation × soil age ecosystem matrix on Mauna Loa, Hawaii
Authors: Waite Mashuri , Sack Lawren
Published: October 2010

1. General hypotheses have related nutrient stoichiometry to physiology and structure for tracheophytes across global resource gradients. These hypotheses have not been tested on bryophytes despite their importance in numerous ecosystem processes.

2. Twelve bryophyte species were sampled across an elevation × soil age matrix representing a dramatic range of climates on Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

3. We tested six major hypotheses for the relationship of tissue nutrients to environment and morphology, and for differences in composition between bryophytes and tracheophytes.

4. Results supported stoichiometric theory. Mass‐based nutrient concentrations increased with soil nutrient availability; area‐based nutrient concentrations increased with irradiance as mediated by bryophyte canopy mass per area; N and P followed the general scaling shown previously for tracheophytes; and P increased and N:P decreased with elevation consistent with increasing cold tolerance.

5. Synthesis. These findings extend the generality of stoichiometric theory, pointing to convergent physiological responses across distantly related lineages, operating across local and global resource gradients.
Surfing the wave on a borrowed board: range expansion and spread of introgressed organellar genomes in the seaweed Fucus ceranoides L.
Authors: NEIVA JOÃO , PEARSON GARETH A. , VALERO MYRIAM , SERRÃO ESTER A.
Published: October 2010

For many taxa, introgression represents an important source of genetic variation, but the specific contexts allowing locally introgressed material to spread and largely replace native allelic lineages throughout a species range remain poorly understood. Recent demographic‐genetic simulations of spatial expansions show that the stochastic surfing of alien alleles during range expansions may constitute a general mechanism leading to extensive introgression, but empirical evidence remain scarce and difficult to distinguish from selection. In this study, we report a compelling case of such a phenomenon in the estuarine alga Fucus ceranoides. We re‐assessed the phylogenetic relationships among F. ceranoides and its marine congeners F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis using nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplast sequence data, and conducted a mtDNA phylogeographic survey in F. ceranoides. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed a recent and asymmetric introgression of a single F. vesiculosus cytoplasm into F. ceranoides. The phylogeographic scope of introgression was striking, with native and introgressed mtDNA displaying disjunct distributions south and north of the English Channel. A putative Pleistocene climatic refugium was detected in NW Iberia, and the extensive and exclusive spread of the alien cytoplasm throughout Northern Europe was inferred to have occurred concurrently with the species post‐glacial, northwards range expansion. This massive spread of a foreign organelle throughout the entire post‐glacial recolonization range represents good empirical evidence of an alien cytoplasm surfing the wave of a range expansion and the first description of such a phenomenon in the marine realm.
The AGC Ser/Thr kinase Aga1 is essential for appressorium formation and maintenance of the actin cytoskeleton in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis
Authors: Berndt Patrick , Lanver Daniel , Kahmann Regine
Published: October 2010

On the plant surface the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis switches from budding to hyphal growth and differentiates appressoria. To get more insight into these highly regulated processes we report on the role of a conserved Ser/Thr kinase of the AGC kinase family, Aga1. U. maydis Aga1 could functionally replace Ypk1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. aga1 deletion mutants were affected in growth, cell wall integrity, mating as well as the ability to form appressoria and showed defects in actin organization and actin‐dependent endocytosis. With respect to appressorium formation and endocytosis, the aga1 deletion phenotype could be mimicked by inhibiting the formation of actin filaments with Latrunculin A. These data suggest a critical role of Aga1 in F‐actin organization during the morphological changes accompanying the development of appressoria.
Successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia in a patient with hepatic echinococcal cyst managed by delayed hepatectomy
Authors: Kim J. , Delioukina M.L. , Lee W. , Soriano P. , Prendergast C. , D'Apuzzo M. , Dadwal S.S.
Published: October 2010

J. Kim, M.L. Delioukina, W. Lee, P. Soriano, C. Prendergast, M. D'Apuzzo, S.S. Dadwal. Successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia in a patient with hepatic echinococcal cyst managed by delayed hepatectomy. Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 273–277. All rights reserved

Abstract: We report the case of a patient who underwent cytotoxic chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute myelogenous leukemia in the presence of hepatic cystic echinococcal infection. The presence of Echinococcus granulosus infection in an immunocompromised host is extremely rare, with lack of established data regarding optimal management. Successful management of the patient's disease processes required a multidisciplinary approach, which included systemic chemotherapy, HSCT, treatment of chronic graft‐versus‐host‐disease, and elective en bloc resection of the hepatic cyst.
Pulmonary haemodynamics and right ventricular function during cemented hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fracture
Authors: KOTYRA M. , HOULTZ E. , RICKSTEN S‐E.
Published: October 2010

Background: Bone cement implantation syndrome (BCIS) is characterised by hypoxia, hypotension and loss of consciousness occurring early after bone cementation. The haemodynamic perturbations during BCIS have not been extensively studied, particularly not in patients with femoral neck fracture. We evaluated the effects of cemented hemiarthroplasty, in these patients, on pulmonary haemodynamics, right ventricular performance, intrapulmonary shunting and physiological dead space.

Methods: Fifteen patients undergoing cemented hemiarthroplasty because of femoral neck fracture were included. Surgery was performed under total intravenous anaesthesia in the lateral position. All patients were catheterised with a radial and pulmonary artery catheter, for continuous measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), cardiac output, mixed venous oxygen saturation, right ventricular end‐diastolic volume (RVEDV) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Haemodynamic measurements and blood gas analyses were performed after induction of anaesthesia, during surgical stimulation before and immediately after bone cementation and prosthesis insertion, 10 and 20 min after insertion and during skin closure.

Results: After bone cementation and prosthesis insertion, MAP (−10%), cardiac index (−10%) and stroke volume index (−10%) decreased, while PAPs (10–15%) and the pulmonary vascular resistance index (45%) increased. RVEF decreased by 10–20%, while the RVEDV index increased by 10%. Pulmonary haemodynamic and RV variables changed progressively with time, while intra‐pulmonary shunting and physiological dead space increased immediately after prosthesis insertion and then returned to baseline.

Conclusions: Cemented hemiarthroplasty in patients with femoral neck fracture causes a pronounced pulmonary vasoconstriction and an impairment of RV function accompanied by pulmonary ventilation/perfusion abnormalities.
Spontaneous breathing during high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation improves regional lung characteristics in experimental lung injury
Authors: VAN HEERDE M. , ROUBIK K. , KOPELENT V. , KNEYBER M. C. J. , MARKHORST D. G.
Published: October 2010

Background: Maintenance of spontaneous breathing is advocated in mechanical ventilation. This study evaluates the effect of spontaneous breathing on regional lung characteristics during high‐frequency oscillatory (HFO) ventilation in an animal model of mild lung injury.

Methods: Lung injury was induced by lavage with normal saline in eight pigs (weight range 47–64 kg). HFO ventilation was applied, in runs of 30 min on paralyzed animals or on spontaneous breathing animals with a continuous fresh gas flow (CF) or a custom‐made demand flow (DF) system. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was used to assess lung aeration and ventilation and the occurrence of hyperinflation.

Results: End expiratory lung volume (EELV) decreased in all different HFO modalities. HFO, with spontaneous breathing maintained, showed preservation in lung volume in the dependent lung regions compared with paralyzed conditions. Comparing DF with paralyzed conditions, the center of ventilation was located at 50% and 51% (median, left and right lung) from anterior to posterior and at 45% and 46% respectively, P<0.05. Polynomial coefficients using a continuous flow were −0.02 (range −0.35 to 0.32) and −0.01 (−0.17 to 0.23) for CF and DF, respectively, P=0.01.

Conclusions: This animal study demonstrates that spontaneous breathing during HFO ventilation preserves lung volume, and when combined with DF, improves ventilation of the dependent lung areas. No significant hyperinflation occurred on account of spontaneous breathing. These results underline the importance of maintaining spontaneous breathing during HFO ventilation and support efforts to optimize HFO ventilators to facilitate patients' spontaneous breathing.
Evolutionarily accelerated invasions: the rate of dispersal evolves upwards during the range advance of cane toads
Authors: PHILLIPS B. L. , BROWN G. P. , SHINE R.
Published: October 2010

Human activities are changing habitats and climates and causing species’ ranges to shift. Range expansion brings into play a set of powerful evolutionary forces at the expanding range edge that act to increase dispersal rates. One likely consequence of these forces is accelerating rates of range advance because of evolved increases in dispersal on the range edge. In northern Australia, cane toads have increased their rate of spread fivefold in the last 70 years. Our breeding trials with toads from populations spanning the species’ invasion history in Australia suggest a genetic basis to dispersal rates and interpopulation genetic variation in such rates. Toads whose parents were from the expanding range front dispersed faster than toads whose parents were from the core of the range. This difference reflects patterns found in their field‐collected mothers and fathers and points to heritable variance in the traits that have accelerated the toads’ rate of invasion across tropical Australia over recent decades. Taken together with demonstrated spatial assortment by dispersal ability occurring on the expanding front, these results point firmly to ongoing evolution as a driving force in the accelerated expansion of toads across northern Australia.
Absence of population‐level phenotype matching in an obligate pollination mutualism
Authors: GODSOE W. , YODER J. B. , SMITH C. I. , DRUMMOND C. S. , PELLMYR O.
Published: October 2010

Coevolution is thought to promote evolutionary change between demes that ultimately results in speciation. If this is the case, then we should expect to see similar patterns of trait matching and phenotypic divergence between populations and between species in model systems for coevolution. As measures of divergence are frequently only available at one scale (population level or taxon level), this contention is rarely tested directly. Here, we use the case of co‐divergence between different varieties of Joshua tree Yucca brevifolia (Agavaceae) and their obligate pollinators, two yucca moths (Tegeticula spp. Prodoxidae), to test for trait matching between taxa and among populations. Using model selection, we show that there is trait matching between mutualists at the taxon level, but once we account for differences between taxa, there is no indication of trait matching in local populations. This result differs from similar studies in other coevolving systems. We hypothesize that this discrepancy arises because coevolution in obligate mutualisms favours divergence less strongly than coevolution in other systems, such as host–parasite interactions.
Sources of resistance in bread wheat to Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) in Syria identified using the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS)
Authors: El Bouhssini M. , Street K. , Amri A. , Mackay M. , Ogbonnaya F. C. , Omran A. , Abdalla O. , Baum M. , Dabbous A. , Rihawi F.
Published: October 2010

With 1 table

Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), is an important pest of wheat and barley in North America, Africa and the Middle East. Host plant resistance is the most economical and practical means of controlling this insect. Field and greenhouse screening in Syria of bread wheat lines from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas’ (ICARDA) gene bank, using the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS), identified 12 lines resistant to D. noxia. These sources of resistance will be used to develop germplasm resistant to D. noxia for the highland areas of North Africa, and West and Central Asia, where this insect causes economic damage. This study also showed the relevance of the FIGS approach in better targeting accessions held in gene banks for valuable traits.
Community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning: Identifying tacit knowledge
Authors: Carrier Annie , Levasseur Mélanie , Bédard Denis , Desrosiers Johanne
Published: October 2010

Background:  Occupational therapy interventions in the community, a fast expanding practice setting, are central to an important social priority, the ability to live at home. These interventions generally involve only a small number of home visits, which aim at maximising the safety and autonomy of community‐dwelling clients. Knowing how community occupational therapists determine their interventions, i.e. their clinical reasoning, can improve intervention efficacy. However, occupational therapists are often uninformed about and neglect the importance of clinical reasoning, which could underoptimise their interventions.

Aim:  To synthesise current knowledge about community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning.

Method:  A scoping study of the literature on community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning was undertaken.

Results:  Fifteen textbooks and 25 articles, including six focussing on community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning, were reviewed. Community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning is influenced by internal and external factors. Internal factors include past experiences, expertise and perceived complexity of a problem. One of the external factors, practice context (e.g. organisational or cultural imperatives, physical location of intervention), particularly shapes community occupational therapists’ clinical reasoning, which is interactive, complex and multidimensional. However, the exact influence of many factors (personal context, organisational and legal aspects of health care, lack of resources and increased number of referrals) remains unclear.

Conclusion:  Further studies are needed to understand better the influence of internal and external factors. The extent to which these factors mould the way community occupational therapists think and act could have a direct influence on the services they provide to their clients.
Pyridoxine‐dependent epilepsy: An under‐recognised cause of intractable seizures
Authors: Yeghiazaryan Nune S , Zara Federico , Capovilla Giuseppe , Brigati Giorgia , Falsaperla Raffaele , Striano Pasquale
Published: October 2010

Pyridoxine‐dependent epilepsy (PDE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder causing intractable seizures in neonates and infants. PDE patients are typically resistant to anti‐epileptic treatment but respond to the administration of pyridoxine. Different seizure types have been reported in PDE, and episodes of status epilepticus are common. Electroencephalographic or neuroimaging abnormalities are not pathognomonic for this disorder. Intellectual disability is frequent at the follow‐up. Recently, elevated urinary α‐aminoadipic semialdehyde has been shown to be a reliable biomarker of this disorder, and mutations in the ALDH7A1 gene, encoding α‐aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, have been demonstrated in the large majority of PDE patients. However, early consideration of a pyridoxine trial remains the most important issue in a neonate or in an infant with intractable early onset seizures.
Refractory cholestasis presenting as cholangiolitis in an Rh (E)‐incompatible neonate
Authors: Taba Ryusuke , Yamakawa Masaru , Miyakoshi Chisato , Imai Yukihiro
Published: October 2010

Cholestasis in neonates is infrequently associated with Rh isoimmunization, and usually resolves within a month. The suggested pathophysiology is inspissated bile and hepatocellular damage. We report a rare case of refractory cholestasis presenting with cholangiolitis in a newborn with anti‐E isoimmunisation. The cholangiolitis was disclosed by immunohistochemical investigation of conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia and by liver biopsy, which showed a number of CD8+ lymphocytes within the portal tract damaging the interlobular bile duct. Bilirubin levels dramatically decreased after 14‐day corticosteroid therapy (prednisolone, 2 mg/kg/day) implying that the cause of cholestasis could be immune‐mediated cholangiolitis.
Parents with a history of Kawasaki disease whose child also had the same disease
Authors: Uehara Ritei , Yashiro Mayumi , Nakamura Yosikazu , Yanagawa Hiroshi
Published: October 2010

Background:  The aim of this study was to describe time trends of prevalence and detailed characteristics of parents with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) who had a child with the same disease using data from Japanese nationwide surveys on KD.

Methods:  Parents with a history of KD were identified using nationwide surveys of KD patients who visited hospitals between 1999 and 2008. To confirm KD histories, a parental questionnaire was sent to pediatricians who reported parental cases to the surveys for KD patients who visited hospitals from 2001 through 2004. Parental history was ascertained by merging data from the parental questionnaire with data from previous nationwide surveys, and detailed information about childhood KD was obtained from survey reports.

Results:  During the 10‐year study period, 407 parents with a child with KD were reported as having a KD history (0.43%). The prevalence of such parents significantly increased during this study period (regression coefficient: 0.13, 95% confidence interval: 0.05–0.20). Thirty‐one confirmed parents with the history were diagnosed between 1966 and 1984. All parents met the case definition of KD, and 33% had been treated with steroids. No parent with a KD history received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

Conclusions:  The prevalence of parents with KD history with a child with the same disease increased during the study period. Some of these parents had not been treated with IVIG because they were diagnosed before its use was widespread in Japan. An increase in the number of parents with the history is expected, thus continuous monitoring of familial cases with KD is required.
High‐frequency stimulation of deep brain structures in obsessive‐compulsive disorder: the search for a valid circuit
Authors: Haynes William I. A. , Mallet Luc
Published: October 2010

Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, disabling, psychiatric disease combining intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions). Although most patients respond well to conventional pharmacological and/or psychological therapy, 25–30%, often with extremely severe symptoms, fail to improve after treatment. High‐frequency stimulation of deep brain structures (basal ganglia included), a surgical technique developed for movement disorders and otherwise known as deep brain stimulation (DBS), has been proposed as an alternative to ablative surgery for these intractable cases. Here, we review the scientific data that explain why the use of this technique is currently being investigated in OCD, from the first hypotheses based on neuroimaging studies (anatomical and functional) to more recent animal models and clinical observations. The general outcome of each clinical trial is outlined in order to discuss its relation to pathophysiology; however, more specific clinical information (side‐effects, latencies, and other behavioural modifications) is not given. Finally, a description of the models of OCD that stem from these data and how they might be affected by DBS is provided.
Role for Reelin‐induced cofilin phosphorylation in the assembly of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the murine intermediolateral column
Authors: Krüger Marie T. , Zhao Shanting , Chai Xuejun , Brunne Bianka , Bouché Elisabeth , Bock Hans H. , Frotscher Michael
Published: October 2010

Sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) are located in the intermediolateral column (IMLC) of the spinal cord. This specific localization results from primary and secondary migratory processes during spinal cord development. Thus, following neurogenesis in the neuroepithelium, SPNs migrate first in a ventrolateral direction and then, in a secondary step, dorsolaterally to reach the IMLC. These migratory processes are controlled, at least in part, by the glycoprotein Reelin, which is known to be important for the development of laminated brain structures. In reeler mutants deficient in Reelin, SPNs initially migrate ventrolaterally as normal. However, most of them then migrate medially to become eventually located near the central canal. Here, we provide evidence that in wild‐type animals this aberrant medial migration towards the central canal is prevented by Reelin‐induced cytoskeletal stabilization, brought about by phosphorylation of cofilin. Cofilin plays an important role in actin depolymerization, a process required for the changes in cell shape during migration. Phosphorylation of cofilin renders it unable to depolymerize F‐actin, thereby stabilizing the cytoskeleton. Using immunostaining for phosphorylated cofilin (p‐cofilin), we demonstrate that SPNs in wild‐type animals, but not in reeler mutants and other mutants of the Reelin signalling cascade, are immunoreactive for p‐cofilin. These findings suggest that Reelin near the central canal induces cofilin phosphorylation in SPNs, thereby preventing them from aberrant migration towards the central canal. The results extend our previous studies on cortical neurons in which Reelin in the marginal zone was found to stabilize the leading processes of migrating neurons and terminate the migration process.
Alcohol consumption and other psycho‐social conditions as important factors in the development of diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Altenburg N. , Joraschky P. , Barthel A. , Bittner A. , Pöhlmann K. , Rietzsch H. , Fischer S. , Mennicken G. , Koehler C. , Bornstein S. R.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 168–174 (2011)

Aims  To characterize bio‐psycho‐social factors, particularly mental disorders and self‐harm behaviour, associated with the development of diabetic foot ulcers.

Methods  Two groups of diabetic patients with and without foot ulcers (n = 47 in each group) with similar sex, age and diabetes duration were assessed for mental disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Self‐harm behaviour, quality of life, depressive symptoms and self‐compassion were rated using different standard questionnaires.

Results  Patients from the ulcer group visited their practitioners and/or psychotherapists less frequently in the last 12 months than patients in the control group 0 vs. 13%; P = 0.026). The ulcer group patients had a history of increased alcohol consumption (43 vs. 19%; P = 0.025), lower levels of education (8 vs. 10 grades; P = 0.014) and income (1190 vs. 1535€/month; P = 0.039). Additionally, they were less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders (11 vs. 32%; P = 0.022). No significant differences in glycated haemoglobin, body mass index, smoking and direct self‐harm behaviour were identified.

Conclusions  Patients with foot ulcers tend to exhibit lower health‐conscious behaviour, particularly higher lifetime alcohol consumption, lower utilization of medical services and less general anxiety. Practitioners should be aware of these behaviours, since early detection of diabetes patients at psycho‐social risk and consecutive psychological intervention may be an effective preventive strategy in avoiding the development of foot ulcers.
DEVELOPMENTS IN STEM CELL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTIC CLONING: ISLAMIC ETHICAL POSITIONS, A REVIEW
Authors: FADEL HOSSAM E.
Published: October 2010

Stem cell research is very promising. The use of human embryos has been confronted with objections based on ethical and religious positions. The recent production of reprogrammed adult (induced pluripotent) cells does not – in the opinion of scientists – reduce the need to continue human embryonic stem cell research. So the debate continues.

Islam always encouraged scientific research, particularly research directed toward finding cures for human disease. Based on the expectation of potential benefits, Islamic teachings permit and support human embryonic stem cell research. The majority of Muslim scholars also support therapeutic cloning. This permissibility is conditional on the use of supernumerary early pre‐embryos which are obtained during infertility treatment in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. The early pre‐embryos are considered in Islamic jurisprudence as worthy of respect but do not have the full sanctity offered to the embryo after implantation in the uterus and especially after ensoulment.

In this paper the Islamic positions regarding human embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning are reviewed in some detail, whereas positions in other religious traditions are mentioned only briefly.

The status of human embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning in different countries, including the USA and especially in Muslim countries, is discussed.
Green Public Procurement: Analysis on the Use of Environmental Criteria in Contracts
Authors: Palmujoki Antti , Parikka‐Alhola Katriina , Ekroos Ari
Published: October 2010

Increasing environmental concerns regarding the actions and policies of the EU have meant that green aspects have become an important factor in public procurement. Although green purchasing criteria are fostered by many EU level and national action plans, and thus are more often included in calls for tenders, it is not necessarily the case that they are integrated into the final contract clauses. Opportunities for incorporating environmental aspects into contract clauses are important in order to ensure that the environmental criteria of the tender documents are fulfilled by the purchased products and services during the contract period.

In this article we examine and analyse environmental criteria in public procurement contracts and calls for tenders, and focus on the relevance of environmental contractual terms, i.e. the existence and applicability of environmental criteria in the procurement contracts. We also discuss the comprehensiveness and enforceability of the drafted terms and conditions in the procurement contracts, highlighting the contract practices that we see as the most functional and practical from the procuring authorities' point of view.
‘New Europe’: Between Cosmopolitan Dreams and Nationalist Nightmares
Authors: AUER STEFAN
Published: October 2010

This article seeks to expose some limitations of dominant discourses about European integration. It argues that the attempt to move towards a more federalist Europe underpinned by the ideal of ‘post‐national citizenship’ (Habermas) is both unrealistic and undesirable. The populism and ethno‐centric nationalism endangering the European project emerged in Europe not despite the cosmopolitan agendas of its elites, but arguably, in response to their ambitious agendas. A more realistic view on nationalism is imperative for a better understanding of European integration; one capable of addressing the appeal of populist politics.