bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein C Concentrations Correlate with Organ Dysfunction and Predict Outcome Independent of the Presence of Sepsis
Authors: Brunkhorst Frank , Sakr Yasser , Hagel Stefan , Reinhart Konrad
Published: June 2007

Background:

Characterizing the evolution of protein C concentrations in critically ill patients may help in identifying high risk groups and potential therapeutic targets. The authors investigated the time courses of protein C concentrations and their relation to the presence of sepsis, organ dysfunction/failure, and outcome.

Methods:

This observational cohort study, in a university hospital surgical intensive care unit (ICU), included 312 consecutive patients with an estimated ICU length of stay more than 48 h. Plasma protein C concentrations and parameters of organ dysfunction were measured daily until discharge or death.

Results:

Protein C concentrations were below the lower limit of normal in 50.6% of patients (n = 158) on admission and decreased to a nadir within 3–4 days after admission before almost normalizing by 2 weeks thereafter, irrespective of the presence of sepsis, sex, source and type of admission, and type of surgery. The minimum protein C concentration was lower in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock (n = 54) than in those with sepsis (n = 63) and those who never had sepsis (n = 195), and was negatively correlated to the maximum Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (R
2 = 0.345, P < 0.001). Protein C levels were lower in nonsurvivors (n = 46; 14.7%) than in survivors, especially in the first 4 days after admission. In a multivariable analysis with ICU mortality as the dependent variable, a minimum protein C concentration less than 45% was an independent risk factor for ICU death.

Conclusions:

In critically ill surgical patients, protein C concentrations were generally low, associated with organ dysfunction/failure, and independently associated with a higher risk of ICU mortality.
Electrophysiologic Mechanism Underlying Action Potential Prolongation by Sevoflurane in Rat Ventricular Myocytes
Authors: Chae Jee Eun , Ahn Duck Sun , Kim Myung Hee , Lynch Carl , Park Wyun Kon
Published: June 2007

Background:

Despite prolongation of the QTc interval in humans during sevoflurane anesthesia, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie these actions. In rat ventricular myocytes, the effect of sevoflurane on action potential duration and underlying electrophysiologic mechanisms were investigated.

Methods:

The action potential was measured by using a current clamp technique. The transient outward K+ current was recorded during depolarizing steps from −80 mV, followed by brief depolarization to −40 mV and then depolarization up to +60 mV. The voltage dependence of steady state inactivation was determined by using a standard double-pulse protocol. The sustained outward current was obtained by addition of 5 mm 4-aminopyridine. The inward rectifier K+ current was recorded from a holding potential of −40 mV before their membrane potential was changed from −130 to 0 mV. Sevoflurane actions on L-type Ca2+ current were also obtained.

Results:

Sevoflurane prolonged action potential duration, whereas the amplitude and resting membrane potential remained unchanged. The peak transient outward K+ current at +60 mV was reduced by 18 ± 2% (P < 0.05) and 24 ± 2% (P < 0.05) by 0.35 and 0.7 mm sevoflurane, respectively. Sevoflurane had no effect on the sustained outward current. Whereas 0.7 mm sevoflurane did not shift the steady state inactivation curve, it accelerated the current inactivation (P < 0.05). The inward rectifier K+ current at −130 mV was little altered by 0.7 mm sevoflurane. L-type Ca2+ current was reduced by 28 ± 3% (P < 0.05) and 33 ± 1% (P < 0.05) by 0.35 and 0.7 mm sevoflurane, respectively.

Conclusions:

Action potential prolongation by clinically relevant concentrations of sevoflurane is due to the suppression of transient outward K+ current in rat ventricular myocytes.
Population Volume Kinetics Predicts Retention of 0.9% Saline Infused in Awake and Isoflurane-anesthetized Volunteers
Authors: Norberg Åke , Hahn Robert G. , Li Husong , Olsson Joel , Prough Donald S. , Børsheim Elisabet , Wolf Scott , Minton Regina K. , Svensén Christer H.
Published: June 2007

Background:

In previous work, extravascular expansion was observed to be enhanced by isoflurane anesthesia in sheep when a crystalloid bolus was administered. The aim of the current study was to further elaborate these investigations to humans and to explore the use of population kinetics in the analysis of fluid shifts.

Methods:

Eleven healthy volunteers participated in two experiments each, either awake or isoflurane anesthetized, during which they received 25 ml/kg saline, 0.9%, intravenously over 20 min. Plasma dilution data were derived from repeated sampling of hemoglobin concentration, and population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted using the WinNonMix 2.0.1 software (Pharsight Corporation, Mountain View, CA). Plasma hormones were measured, and hemodynamic values were monitored.

Results:

Fluid infusion during isoflurane anesthesia was followed by a higher cardiac output, lower arterial pressure, and lower urinary excretion as compared with the awake protocol (P < 0.05). Albumin dilution was greater than hemoglobin concentration–derived plasma dilution, which indicates a transcapillary leak of albumin. A two-compartment model with an isoflurane-depressed, intercompartmental distribution parameter predicted that more than 50% of the infused volume was retained in the peripheral compartment at 180 min in both protocols. Isoflurane markedly increased the plasma levels of renin and aldosterone, whereas vasopressin was mostly unchanged.

Conclusion:

Fluid retention after rapid infusion of 0.9% saline was prominent in both awake and isoflurane-anesthetized subjects. Altered kinetics of infused 0.9% saline during isoflurane anesthesia was expressed as reduced clearance and a slower distribution, resulting in a small but significant increase in fluid accumulation in the body fluid compartments. These changes may be due to the associated decreasing of mean arterial pressure and increased release of renin and aldosterone.
Lidocaine Induces Apoptosis via the Mitochondrial Pathway Independently of Death Receptor Signaling
Authors: Werdehausen Robert , Braun Sebastian , Essmann Frank , Schulze-Osthoff Klaus , Walczak Henning , Lipfert Peter , Stevens Markus F.
Published: June 2007

Background:

Local anesthetics, especially lidocaine, can lead to persistent cauda equina syndrome after spinal anesthesia. Recently, lidocaine has been reported to trigger apoptosis, although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. To elucidate the pathway of lidocaine-induced apoptosis, the authors used genetically modified cells with overexpression or deficiencies of key regulators of apoptosis.

Methods:

Human Jurkat T-lymphoma cells overexpressing the antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 as well as cells deficient of caspase 9, caspase 8, or Fas-associated protein with death domain were exposed to lidocaine and compared with parental cells. The authors evaluated cell viability, mitochondrial alterations, cytochromecrelease, caspase activation, and early apoptosis. Apoptosis was in addition investigated in neuroblastoma cells.

Results:

In Jurkat cells, lidocaine reduced viability, associated with a loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential. At low concentrations (3–6 mm) of lidocaine, caspase 3 was activated and release of cytochromecwas detected, whereas at higher concentrations (10 mm), no caspase activation was found. Apoptosis by lidocaine was strongly reduced by B-cell lymphoma-2 protein overexpression or caspase-9 deficiency, whereas cells lacking the death receptor pathway components caspase 8 and Fas-associated protein with death domain were not protected and displayed similar apoptotic alterations as the parental cells. Lidocaine also induced apoptotic caspase activation in neuroblastoma cells.

Conclusions:

Apoptosis is triggered by concentrations of lidocaine occurring intrathecally after spinal anesthesia, whereas higher concentrations induce necrosis. The data indicate that death receptors are not involved in lidocaine-induced apoptosis. In contrast, the observation that B-cell lymphoma-2 protein overexpression or the lack of caspase 9 abolished apoptosis clearly implicates the intrinsic mitochondrial death pathway in lidocaine-induced apoptosis.
Isoform-selective Effects of Isoflurane on Voltage-gated Na+ Channels
Authors: OuYang Wei , Hemmings Hugh C.
Published: June 2007

Background:

Voltage-gated Na+ channels modulate membrane excitability in excitable tissues. Inhibition of Na+ channels has been implicated in the effects of volatile anesthetics on both nervous and peripheral excitable tissues. The authors investigated isoform-selective effects of isoflurane on the major Na+ channel isoforms expressed in excitable tissues.

Methods:

Rat Nav1.2, Nav1.4, or Nav1.5 α subunits heterologously expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells were analyzed by whole cell voltage clamp recording. The effects of isoflurane on Na+ current activation, inactivation, and recovery from inactivation were analyzed.

Results:

The cardiac isoform Nav1.5 activated at more negative potentials (peak INa at −30 mV) than the neuronal Nav1.2 (0 mV) or skeletal muscle Nav1.4 (−10 mV) isoforms. Isoflurane reversibly inhibited all three isoforms in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner at clinical concentrations (IC50 = 0.70, 0.61, and 0.45 mm, respectively, for Nav1.2, Nav1.4, and Nav1.5 from a physiologic holding potential of −70 mV). Inhibition was greater from a holding potential of −70 mV than from −100 mV, especially for Nav1.4 and Nav1.5. Isoflurane enhanced inactivation of all three isoforms due to a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of steady state fast inactivation. Inhibition of Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 by isoflurane was attributed primarily to enhanced inactivation, whereas inhibition of Nav1.2, which had a more positive V1/2 of inactivation, was due primarily to tonic block.

Conclusions:

Two principal mechanisms contribute to Na+ channel inhibition by isoflurane: enhanced inactivation due to a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of steady state fast inactivation (Nav1.5 ≈ Nav1.4 > Nav1.2) and tonic block (Nav1.2 > Nav1.4 ≈ Nav1.5). These novel mechanistic differences observed between isoforms suggest a potential pharmacologic basis for discrimination between Na+ channel isoforms to enhance anesthetic specificity.
Endosomal signaling of plant steroid receptor kinase BRI1
Authors: Geldner Niko , Hyman Derek L. , Wang Xuelu , Schumacher Karin , Chory Joanne
Published: June 2007

The LRR receptor serine/threonine kinases are a major eukaryotic receptor family, for which the central regulatory mechanism of endosomal trafficking remains largely unadressed. We show that the steroid receptor BRI1 localizes to both plasma membrane and early endosomal compartments, even when observed at low, endogenous expression levels, and that its localization and turnover are independent of ligand. However, increasing endosomal localization of BRI1 enhances activation of the pathway and genomic responses. Our data indicate distinct signaling and trafficking mechanisms within this receptor class and show that the use of endosomes as signaling compartments is an unexpectedly broad phenomenon in eukaryotes.
OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS IN A FEDERATION: A SIMPLE, UNIFIED FRAMEWORK
Authors: Dhami Sanjit , Al‐Nowaihi Ali
Published: June 2007

In a federation with n≥ 2 regions the relative optimality of five regimes – autarky, centralization, unregulated devolution, regulated devolution and direct democracy – is examined. Public policy consists of redistribution and regional public good provision. Regional incomes are uncertain and correlated. Estimates of the usefulness of regional public goods are uncertain and the federal government's estimates are noisier relative to those of regional governments. The optimality of each regime is influenced by four margins – regional insurance, coarseness of federal information, internalization of spillovers and raiding the commons. Regulated devolution is the only regime that is capable of producing the constrained first best level of public goods. Federal insurance under direct democracy can be inadequate relative to that under a utilitarian federal government. An increase in the number of regions allows better risk pooling but also greater opportunities for raiding the commons.
BERTRAND COMPETITION CAN YIELD HIGHER PRICES THAN MONOPOLY
Authors: Sanner Helge
Published: June 2007

If we take into account the spatial dimension of markets, prices of incumbent firms may be higher and consumer surplus may be lower with competition than with monopoly. This result obtains unambiguously, even in the supposedly highly competitive case of Bertrand competition. Moreover, we are able to show that consumers of the commodity may be worse off with duopoly, if the distance between the firms' sites is sufficiently large.
QUALITY‐CORRECTED PRICE CAPS
Authors: Currier Kevin M.
Published: June 2007

Although price caps have desirable efficiency properties, it is well known that they may create incentives for a regulated firm to attempt to lower its costs via reductions in service quality. Thus, the regulators often employ quality standards or other methods designed to have allowed prices reflect delivered service quality levels. In this paper, we present a system of quality‐corrected price caps that results in efficient pricing and quality provision.
Diet partitioning in sympatric Atlantic salmon and brown trout in streams with contrasting riparian vegetation
Authors: Dineen G. , Harrison S. S. C. , Giller P. S.
Published: June 2007

Prey intake by Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta was measured across different riparian vegetation types: grassland, open canopy deciduous and closed canopy deciduous, in upland streams in County Mayo, Western Ireland. Fishes were collected by electrofishing while invertebrates were sampled from the benthos using a Surber sampler and drifting invertebrates collected in drift traps. Aquatic invertebrates dominated prey numbers in the diets of 0+ year Atlantic salmon and brown trout and 1+ year Atlantic salmon, whereas terrestrial invertebrates were of greater importance for diets of 1+ and 2+ year brown trout. Terrestrial prey biomass was generally greater than aquatic prey for 1+ and 2+ year brown trout across seasons and riparian types. Prey intake was greatest in spring and summer and least in autumn apart from 2+ year brown trout that sustained feeding into autumn. Total prey numbers captured tended to be greater for all age classes in streams with deciduous riparian canopy. Atlantic salmon consumed more aquatic prey and brown trout more terrestrial prey with an ontogenetic increase in prey species richness and diversity. Atlantic salmon and brown trout diets were most similar in summer. Terrestrial invertebrates provided an important energy subsidy particularly for brown trout. In grassland streams, each fish age class was strongly associated with aquatic, mainly benthic invertebrates. In streams with deciduous riparian canopy cover, diet composition partitioned between conspecifics with older brown trout associated with surface drifting terrestrial invertebrates and older Atlantic salmon associated with aquatic invertebrates with a high drift propensity in the water column and 0+ year fish feeding on benthic aquatic invertebrates. Deciduous riparian canopy cover may therefore facilitate vertical partitioning of feeding position within the water column between sympatric Atlantic salmon and brown trout. Implications for riparian management are discussed.
Otolith size trends in marine fish communities from different depth strata
Authors: Lombarte A. , Cruz A.
Published: June 2007

A comparison of 681 saccular otoliths (sagitta) from 134 species belonging to six demersal communities from different depth strata and the epipelagic community from the north‐western Mediterranean Sea was made in order to study otolith relative size and function related morphologies. A relationship between otolith size composition, habitat and depth was found. The epipelagic community was characterized by species with very small and small otolith sizes (68% of the epipelagic species). In the demersal communities, the proportion of species with large sagitta increased with depth until 750 m (reached 50% of the species of the upper slope). The abyssal community (between 1000 and 2000 m), however, was characterized by a decrease in the mean otolith size and an increase in the proportion of species with very small otoliths. With exception of the abyssal community, endogenous causes (a mixture of geneaology, plesiomorph characters shared by the all species of the taxonomic group and recent adaptive ones) may be even more important than exogenous factors in determining the otolith relative size. Within the endogenous causes that condition sagitta size, the adaptive features associated with specialization in acoustic communication are relevant.
Female mate choice and mate search tactics in a sex role reversed population of the peacock blennySalaria pavo(Risso, 1810)
Authors: Fagundes T. , Gonçalves D. M. , Oliveira R. F.
Published: June 2007

Behavioural observations were carried out on a sex role reversed population of the blennySalaria pavoto investigate possible mate choice behaviour of the females. Females mated with relatively larger males, with a larger head crest, anal gland and genital papilla, which had more eggs in their nests and that courted the female. Thus, these male traits were potentially assessed by females when choosing their mates. In order to mate, females visited one to four males (eight females spawned with the first male they had visited and eight visited more than one male). The majority of the females spawned with the last male visited but three of them returned to mate with males visited previously (two with the penultimate visited male). Additionally, the outcome of the first visit of each female depended on the quality of the males: males that were accepted on this first visit had larger head crest than rejected males. Therefore, the mate searching model that best fitted the data was a threshold tactic that allowed the searching individual to return to any potential mate visited before,i.e.that allowed for complete recall. Moreover, three females returned to mate with males rejected earlier during the search, which indicates that they lowered their thresholds. These results suggest that females use a ‘one step decision’ tactic to search for mates. In this tactic, females mate with males that satisfy an adjustable threshold criterion, balancing the quality of the mates expected to find in the next step of the search and the effort of finding them.
Feeding preferences of two seagrass grazing monacanthid fishes
Authors: Wressnig A. , Booth D. J.
Published: June 2007

Two seagrass grazing fishes, Meuschenia freycineti and Meuschenia trachylepis (Monacanthidae), were offered three choices of Posidonia australis seagrass blades of different epiphyte coverage and leaf age to determine whether these fishes exhibit a preference for epiphyte‐covered seagrass blades. Both species removed significantly more biomass of the epiphyte‐covered blades than of the two other blade types in multiple‐choice tests. This clear preference for epiphyte‐covered seagrass blades results in a preferred removal of older blades within the seagrass shoot of P. australis.
Evidence for negative impact of plerocercoid infection of Triaenophorus nodulosus on Perca fluviatilis L. stock in Upper Lake Constance, a water body undergoing rapid reoligotrophication
Authors: Brinker A. , Hamers R.
Published: June 2007

The macro‐pathological impact of plerocercoid infection of perch Perca fluviatilis livers was quantitatively determined by an index of liver lesion (ILL) in fish from Upper Lake Constance (ULC). These results were compared to the ILL values of perch from two other lakes. From February to November 1999, 2071 perch were examined from the three sites. Prevalence of infection in ULC was 13% in actively growing first year (0+ year) perch and 94% in older fish, whereas in the two lakes used for comparison the figures for 0+ year perch were 12 and 20%, and in older fish 62 and 60%, respectively. Infected livers from perch caught in ULC revealed significantly higher ILL values than those of fish from the other two lakes. Perch livers from ULC containing more than three Triaenophorus nodulosus larvae also showed significantly more serious pathological alterations than uninfected livers or those with normal infection levels of one to three T. nodulosus. In all three lakes, excluding heavily infected perch from ULC, 0+ year perch livers revealed little or no damage, whereas in livers of older perch pathological alterations were apparent. In addition, analysis of age and total length data showed that perch infected with one to three parasites in ULC grew significantly slower than uninfected ones, and severely infected perch (greater than three parasites) grew significantly slower than those with a normal parasite load. With respect to mass, growth of ULC fish suffering normal infection (49% of all adults) was reduced by 9% and in those with severe infections (45% of all adults) growth was 16% below expected at normal harvesting age.
Influence of ration level and rearing temperature on hepatic GHR1 and 2, and hepatic and intestinal TRα and TRβ gene expression in late stages of rainbow trout embryos
Authors: Raine J. C. , Hua K. , Bureau D. P. , Vijayan M. M. , Leatherland J. F.
Published: June 2007

The study examined whether the early life‐history temperature experience of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss embryos affects subsequent growth and expression of growth‐related genes in the growing‐up juveniles in response to variations in ration levels. Embryos were reared in a Heath incubator at either 8·5° C (E8·5) or 6·0° C (E6·0) until hatching, at which time they were transferred to grow‐up tanks supplied with water at 8·5° C. At swim‐up, the late stage embryos were subsequently fed a salmonid starter diet at levels of 5, 2 or 0·5% of live body mass per day. The body mass and proximate composition of the juveniles was examined when yolk absorbance was complete (21 days after the fish commenced feeding). Quantitative RT‐PCR was used to examine the expression of mRNA encoding for growth hormone receptors 1 and 2 (GHR1 and GHR2) in the liver, and the two isoforms of thyroid hormone receptor (TRα and TRβ) in the liver and intestinal tract. Final body mass and total length, liver and intestinal masses, and total lipid content of the E8·5 treatment group were directly related to increased ration size. These variables in the E6·0 treatment group fed the 5% ration were significantly lower than for the comparable E8·5 treatment group, suggesting an effect of embryo rearing temperature on the subsequent growth of these late stage embryos as they undergo the transition from embryo to early juvenile. Intestinal TRα and TRβ mRNA abundance was directly related to ration size in the E8·5 treatment group, but not in the E6·0 treatment group. Conversely, hepatic TRα and TRβ mRNA abundance was significantly affected by ration size only in the E6·0 group, with TRβ and TRα abundance showing direct and inverse relationships with ration size, respectively. Hepatic GHR1 mRNA abundance was significantly and directly related to ration size in both the E8·5 and E6·0 treatment groups, but there were no differences in the abundance of hepatic GHR2 mRNA among any treatments.
Quantitative assessment of behavioural response to the netting panel in the jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus
Authors: Yanase K. , Arimoto T.
Published: June 2007

The behavioural response of the jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus when encountering a netting panel was shown to be influenced by swimming speed and the diagonal mesh‐size ratio (vertical:horizontal).
Morphological variation in pumpkinseedLepomis gibbosusintroduced into Iberian lakes and reservoirs; adaptations to habitat type and diet?
Authors: Vila‐Gispert A. , Fox M. G. , Zamora L. , Moreno‐Amich R.
Published: June 2007

The morphology of pumpkinseedLepomis gibbosuspopulations from five Catalonian waterbodies (north‐eastern Spain) that vary in hydromorphometry was examined and compared to a native North American reference site that contained two morphological variants of this species. Populations exhibited significant differences in fin location, body depth and caudal peduncle length, which are known to have functional significance in the hydrodynamics of swimming and hence the foraging mode. Differences were also noted in internal morphological traits functionally related to prey selection. Pumpkinseed populations that fed extensively on zooplankton showed narrow gill raker spacing, and mollusc‐feeding populations had longer and wider pharyngeal bones. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) provided significant separation of all populations on the basis of both external and internal morphology, with the main axis of separation being geographical rather than environmental. The secondary DFA axis, however, did separate populations that fed primarily on zooplankton from those that were primarily benthic invertebrate feeders. In this regard, a population that occupied an Iberian steep‐sided reservoir with an unstable littoral zone showed similar morphological adaptations to the limnetic morphological variant native in North America, supporting previous studies showing that fish morphology is strongly affected by prey type and feeding mode. The results suggest that pumpkinseeds are able to adapt, morphologically, to the types of habitats and prey present in Catalonian waterbodies, and this may partially explain why they are so successful in areas where they have been introduced.
How are prey fishes of multiple meals evacuated from the stomach of a piscivorous fish?
Authors: Andersen N. G. , Beyer J. E.
Published: June 2007

The observations that the gastric evacuation of a meal was accelerated after ingestion of an additional meal, whereas the evacuation of the latter meal was slowed down were compared to the predictions of mass‐dependent models derived from experiments on evacuation of single meals. In contrast, the present study on cod Gadus morhua fed identical double meals of sandeel Ammodytes tobianus demonstrated that the evacuation of each meal was slowed down relative to the evacuation of a single meal. This fact could be explained by the exposed meal surface area being reduced while the meals were together in the stomach as it was expected by a surface‐dependent cylinder interpretation of the square‐root model. The cylinder model forecasted accurately the observed evacuation of each meal in the double‐meal situation. The simple surface considerations of the model further explained the discrepancies between observed and expected evacuation rates using mass‐dependent models, which suggested that the above finding of the previous studies was an artefact. The ability of the cylinder model to predict properly also the evacuation of multiple meals in juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch indicated that the model would apply to gastric evacuation in small‐sized predatory fishes as well. This should increase considerably its value as a generic tool for studies on the feeding biology of fishes in the wild.
Sea growth, smolt age and age at sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon
Authors: Jonsson N. , Jonsson B.
Published: June 2007

Relationships between growth at sea, smolt size and age at sexual maturation of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were tested. The fish were offspring of brood stocks sampled in eight Norwegian rivers at latitudes between 59° and 70° N, hatchery reared and released at smolting at the mouth of the River Imsa (59° N). Smolt size influenced the subsequent growth rate of Atlantic salmon. The larger the fish were at release, the slower the yearly length increment at sea. Mean sea age at sexual maturity, measured as proportion of the returning adults attaining sexual maturity at sea age 2 years, was significantly correlated with mean growth rate during the first year at sea and mean smolt size (r2= 0·74, P < 0·001). Fish attaining maturity at a relatively high sea age were more fast growing during their first year at sea than those maturing at a younger age. The results indicate that high sea age at sexual maturation is a population‐specific characteristic and associated with high early growth rate at sea.
Spiggin levels are reduced in male sticklebacks infected with Schistocephalus solidus
Authors: Rushbrook B. J. , Katsiadaki I. , Barber I.
Published: June 2007

Using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based technique, Schistocephalus solidus infection was shown to considerably reduce levels of spiggin in the kidney of male three‐spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus from an oligotrophic upland lake. These results suggested a graduated effect of the infection on the reproductive physiology of male three‐spined sticklebacks.
Efficacy and safety of preprandial versus postprandial administration of low‐dose cyclosporin microemulsion (Neoral) in patients with psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: HASHIZUME Hideo , ITO Taisuke , YAGI Hiroaki , TAKIGAWA Masahiro , KAGEYAMA Hazuki , FURUKAWA Fukiko , HATA Maki , SHIRAHAMA Shigeho , TANAKA Masato , HIGASHISHIBA Teruomi , MACHIDA Hideki , TSUSHIMA Tomoo , MATSUSHITA Kayo
Published: June 2007

A study of therapeutic drug monitoring indicated that cyclosporin administered before meals produces higher blood concentrations than an equivalent dose administered after meals. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of cyclosporin administered before and after meals, respectively, in psoriasis vulgaris patients. We performed an open trial study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive cyclosporin before (group B, n = 20) or after meals (group A, n = 17), and were followed up in 10 dermatology clinics. The difference between groups was evaluated in severity. The percent reduction in psoriasis area and severity index score from baseline was 29.8% in group A and 75.4% in group B (A vs B, P = 0.00005). Two patients in each group withdrew due to abnormality of laboratory data. Short‐term, low‐dose treatment with cyclosporin before rather than after meals is suggested as a new effective treatment regimen for psoriasis, with the added advantage of lowering costs.
Comparison of the efficacy of local narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) phototherapy versus psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) paint for palmoplantar psoriasis
Authors: SEZER Engin , ERBIL Ahmet Hakan , KURUMLU Zafer , TAŞTAN Halis Bülent , ETIKAN Ilker
Published: June 2007

Palmoplantar psoriasis is an idiopathic disabling condition, often resistant to conventional therapies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of local narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) phototherapy and to compare it with local psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) paint in patients with palmoplantar psoriasis unresponsive to conventional therapies other than phototherapy. A cohort of 25 patients with palmoplantar psoriasis were included in this study, which was based on a left‐to‐right comparison pattern. The treatments were administered with local narrowband UVB irradiation on one side and local PUVA on the other side three times a week over 9 weeks. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline and every 3 weeks during the 9‐week treatment. There was a statistically significant decrease in the mean clinical scores at the third, sixth and ninth week with both treatments. The difference in clinical response between the two treatment modalities was statistically significant at the end of the treatment period, with the percentage reduction in severity index scores with the PUVA‐paint‐treated side being 85.45% compared with 61.08% for the NB‐UVB treated side (t = 5.379, P = 0.0001, Student's t‐test for unpaired samples). Our results show that, although some clinical improvement was achieved with local NB‐UVB phototherapy, the results were better with local PUVA, and such a treatment option may be reserved for patients with palmoplantar psoriasis who experience phototoxic reaction to psoralens.
Skin capacitance in normal and atopic infants, and effects of moisturizers on atopic skin
Authors: MATSUMOTO Tomoaki , YUASA Hiromi , KAI Rie , UEDA Hiromi , OGURA Shunko , HONDA Yoshiko
Published: June 2007

Skin capacitance depends on the water content of the stratum corneum, and moisturizers have beneficial effects in atopic dermatitis. This study was performed to determine the skin capacitance in normal and atopic infants, and to evaluate the effects of different moisturizers on infantile atopic skin. The skin capacitance in 186 normal infants and 37 atopic infants was measured with a Moisture Checker. Measurements were also made for atopic infants after an application of pure petrolatum or an oil‐in‐water cream containing a humectant. Age‐related decreases in skin capacitance were observed at the majority of dermal sites in normal infants. The skin capacitance was significantly lower in atopic infants compared with normal infants at all body sites. Pure petrolatum and oil‐in‐water creams containing humectants significantly augmented the capacitance from 2% to 7%. The reference values for skin capacitance may be helpful for delineating normal from atopic skin. Certain moisturizers can increase skin hydration.
Cross‐sectional study of hair loss patterns in 122 Korean systemic lupus erythematosus patients: A frequent finding of non‐scarring patch alopecia
Authors: YUN Sook Jung , LEE Jae‐Wook , YOON Hyun‐Jung , LEE Shin Seok , KIM Seo‐Young , LEE Jee‐Bum , LEE Seung‐Chul , WON Young‐Ho , KIM Seong‐Jin
Published: June 2007

Although non‐scarring diffuse hair loss has been frequently observed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, the pattern of hair loss with regard to its frequency in SLE has been rarely studied. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to evaluate the hair loss patterns in SLE during the course of disease. We evaluated 122 SLE patients (age range, 13–71 years; mean age, 32.7 ± 10.6; female : male ratio, 12.6:1), by conducting interviews about hair loss patterns before and after a diagnosis of SLE using a questionnaire format. History taking and physical examinations were done at the time of interview, and photographs were taken to discriminate the active LE‐specific scarring hair loss from the LE‐nonspecific diffuse hair loss. Frequency and correlation analysis were performed on the data from the interviews and photographs for determining their relation with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). We found that 104 patients experienced at least one hair loss event before or during the course of SLE. Eighteen patients experienced patch alopecia, including eight who experienced this malady both before and after the diagnosis; thus, the overall prevalence of patch alopecia was 14.8% (18/122). Eighty‐six patients experienced hair loss after diagnosis, of which non‐scarring diffuse hair loss was the most common pattern (65.1%, 56/86) followed by non‐scarring patch alopecia (15.1%, 13/86). The interview survey failed to identify a statistically significant relationship between the hair loss pattern and the SLEDAI. Our results suggest that non‐scarring patch alopecia is also an important pattern in SLE that should be included in the differential diagnosis of alopecia areata and confirmed by histopathological examination.
Tosufloxacin tosilate‐induced thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: TAKAHAMA Hideto , TAZAKI Hiromi
Published: June 2007

Tosufloxacin tosilate, a member of the naphthyridine group, was developed in Japan and became commercially available in 1990. We experienced a 69‐year‐old male who developed thrombocytopenic purpura due to tosufloxacin tosilate. The diagnosis was made when similar symptoms (petechiae and thrombocytopenia) were induced by inadvertent challenge with tosufloxacin tosilate. In this paper, we report the first case of tosufloxacin tosilate‐induced thrombocytopenic purpura and present a brief published work review.
Familial cutaneous collagenoma: New affected family with prepubertal onset
Authors: GUREL Mehmet Salih , MULAYIM Mehmet Kamil , OZARDALI Ilyas , BITIREN Muharrem
Published: June 2007

Two siblings presented with clinical and histopathological findings of familial cutaneous collagenoma which is a rare connective tissue nevus, inherited in an autosomal‐dominant pattern. A 13‐year‐old girl had oval‐round, soft, painless papules, 5–10 mm in size and a total of 9–10 on her abdomen and flanks. Skin biopsy demonstrated dense, coarse collagen fibers in the dermis and a decrease in elastic fibers. Doppler echocardiography indicated an atrioseptal defect of the secundum type. Her 9‐year‐old brother was also examined; four lesions were discovered on his back but he was otherwise normal. Our cases comprise the sixth affected family to be reported in the medical published work and all lesions had appeared prepubertally.
“Thermie” and friction therapy performed using a special instrument
Authors: IWASAKI Junya , AKI Toshiyuki , YOSHIDA Yuichi , YAMAMOTO Osamu , TAJIMA Shingo
Published: June 2007

“Thermie” therapy is one of the folk remedies in Japan and is mainly done by rubbing the skin with special instruments. The therapy is believed to relieve several symptoms which include pain, common cold and ileus. We report here the first two cases of thermie dermatosis in the English published work. The first patient had suffered from poikiloderma‐like eruptions for 30 years after the initiation of a thermie therapy. The eruptions were on both the upper back and the abdomen. The second patient presented with a hyperpigmented plaque on the right femoral region, and excoriated papules and a hyperpigmented plaque on the left lower leg. The patient had received thermie therapy for 3 years. The histopathology of the first case revealed features of cutaneous amyloidosis, and, of the second case, superficial dermatitis and hypermelanosis in the epidermal basal layer. A common cause of both cases was regarded as the thermie therapy. This report suggests the importance of getting a thorough history including folk remedies in patients presenting such pigmented lesions.
Long‐term trends in fish recruitment in the north‐east Atlantic related to climate change
Authors: BRUNEL THOMAS , BOUCHER JEAN
Published: June 2007

This study investigates the temporal correspondence between the main patterns of recruitment variations among north‐east Atlantic exploited fish populations and large‐scale climate and temperature indices. It is of primary importance to know what changes in fish stock productivity can be expected in response to climate change, to design appropriate management strategies. The dominant patterns of recruitment variation were extracted using a standardized principal component analysis (PCA). The first principal component (PC) was a long‐term decline, with a stepwise change occurring in 1987. A majority of Baltic Sea, North Sea, west of Scotland and Irish Sea populations, especially the gadoids, have followed this decreasing trend. On the contrary, some herring populations and the populations of boreal ecosystems have followed an opposite increasing trend. The dominant signal in north‐east Atlantic sea surface temperature, also extracted by a PCA, was highly correlated with the increase in the Northern Hemisphere Temperature anomaly, which is considered to be an index of global warming. The first component of recruitment was inversely correlated with these changes in regional and global temperature. The second PC of recruitment was a decadal scale oscillation, which was not correlated with climate indicators. The analysis of correlations between population recruitment and local temperature also indicated that the dominant pattern of recruitment variation may be related to an effect of global warming. The influence of fishing on recruitment, via its effect on the spawning stock biomass (SSB), was also investigated by the analysis of correlations between fishing mortality, SSB and recruitment. Results indicate that fishing can be another factor explaining recruitment trends, probably acting in combination with the effect of climate, but cannot explain alone the patterns of recruitment variation found here.
Long‐term repeatability of body mass and resting metabolic rate in free‐living weasels, Mustela nivalis
Authors: SZAFRAŃSKA P. A. , ZUB K. , KONARZEWSKI M.
Published: June 2007

The significant repeatability of a trait of interest is a vital condition for meaningful extrapolation of its value over long time periods, and any inference related to its response to environmental conditions. Surprisingly, although body mass and resting metabolic rate (RMR) are widely recognized as the two important traits affecting mammalian ecology and life history, very little is known about their repeatability in the wild.

Here we report long‐term repeatabilities of body mass and RMR, measured in summer and winter, in free‐living weasel males, Mustela nivalis L. Body mass was highly repeatable over extremely long periods (compared with weasels’ lifetime) of up to 400 days (intraclass correlation coefficient τ = 0·93, Pearson correlation r = 0·96). Its variation was independent of time and season. Repeatability of RMR (corrected for body mass and season) was also significant (τ = 0·63, r = 0·62) and independent of time scale. However, within seasons it was statistically significant in summer (τ = 0·55, r = 0·54) but not in winter (τ = 0·07, r = 0·25).

To our knowledge, this is the first study providing empirical support for long‐term repeatability of body mass and RMR in free‐ranging small mammals, and is consistent with a significant level of heritable variation of these two traits.
Involvement of valosin‐containing protein (VCP)/p97 in the formation and clearance of abnormal protein aggregates
Authors: Kobayashi Taeko , Manno Atsushi , Kakizuka Akira
Published: June 2007

Abnormal protein aggregates are commonly observed in affected neurons in many neurodegenerative disorders. We have reported that valosin‐containing protein (VCP) co‐localizes with protein aggregates in patients’ neurons and in cultured cells expressing diseased proteins. However, the significance of such co‐localization remains elucidated. Here we report the involvement of VCP in the re‐solubilization process of abnormal protein aggregates. VCP recognized and accumulated onto pre‐formed protein aggregates created by proteasome inhibition. VCP knockdown or the expression of dominant‐negative VCP both significantly delayed the elimination of ubiquitin‐positive aggregates. VCP was involved in the clearance of pre‐formed polyglutamine aggregates as well. Paradoxically, VCP knockdown also diminished polyglutamine aggregate formation. Furthermore, its ATPase activity was required for the re‐solubilization and re‐activation of heat‐denatured proteins, such as luciferase, from insoluble aggregates. We thus propose that VCP functions as a mediator for both aggregate formation and clearance depending upon the concentration of soluble aggregate‐prone proteins, indicating dual VCP functions as an aggregate formase and an unfoldase.
Climate envelope, life history traits and the resilience of birds facing global change
Authors: JIGUET FRÉDÉRIC , GADOT ANNE‐SOPHIE , JULLIARD ROMAIN , NEWSON STUART E. , COUVET DENIS
Published: June 2007

Few studies have examined how life history traits and the climate envelope influence the ability of species to respond to climate change and habitat degradation. In this study, we test whether 18 species‐specific variables, related to the climate envelope, ecological envelope and life history, could predict recent population trends (over 17 years) of 71 common breeding bird species in France. Habitat specialists were declining at a much higher rate than generalists, a sign that habitat quality is decreasing globally. The lower the thermal maximum (temperature at the hot edge of the climate envelope), the more negative are the population trends and the less tolerant these species are climate warming, regardless of the thermal range over which these species occur. The life history trait ‘the number of broods per year’ was positively related to recent trends, suggesting that single‐brooded species might be more sensitive to advances in food peak due to climate change, as it increases the risk of mistiming their single‐breeding event. Annual fecundity explained long‐term declines, as it is a good proxy for most other demographic rates, with shorter‐lived species being more sensitive to global change: individuals of species with higher fecundity might have too short a life to learn to adapt to directional changes in their environment. Finally, there was evidence that natal dispersal was a predictor of recent trends, with species with high natal dispersal experiencing smaller population declines than species with low natal dispersal. This is expected if the higher the natal dispersal, the larger the ability to shift spatially when facing changes in local habitat or climate, in order to track optimal conditions and adapt to global change. Identifying decline‐promoting factors allow us to infer mechanisms responsible for observed declines in wild bird populations facing global change, and by doing so allow for a more pre‐emptive approach to conservation planning.
Nursing home residents in emergency departments: a Foucauldian analysis
Authors: McCloskey Rose , Van Den Hoonaard Deborah
Published: June 2007

Title. Nursing home residents in emergency departments: a Foucauldian analysis

Aim.  This paper is a critical review of current knowledge about use of emergency departments by nursing home residents.

Background.  A great deal of literature focuses on the challenges presented by older adults in acute care environments. Nursing home residents who transfer to emergency departments have been identified as being particularly problematic because they use considerable resources and their needs are not always amenable to acute interventions.

Method.  A literature search was conducted in May 2006 using the CINAHL, Medline and Cochrane databases and Google Scholar with the keywords ‘nursing home resident’, ‘long‐term care resident’, ‘hospital transfer’, and ‘acute illness and emergency room’. No date restrictions were imposed. Foucault's concept of subjectivity was used to demonstrate how power derived from medical knowledge is used by emergency department personnel to construct nursing home residents as problematic.

Findings.  Knowledge about the use of emergency departments by nursing home residents has been derived mainly from retrospective record reviews, while the events in nursing homes that lead to transfers have been virtually ignored. Moreover, the primary focus of these investigations has been the effect of residents on emergency departments, rather than how residents themselves were affected.

Conclusion.  Current understanding of the care of nursing home residents in emergency departments is embedded in a complex web of social, historical and political factors. Research is needed that considers multiple perspectives, including those of both emergency department and nursing home staff, residents and ambulance personnel who act as mediators between the two settings.