bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early serum (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan levels in patients with burn injury
Authors: Shupp Jeffrey W. , Petraitiene Ruta , Jaskille Amin D. , Pavlovich Anna R. , Matt Sarah E. , Nguyen Do T. , Kath Melissa A. , Jeng James C. , Jordan Marion H. , Finkelman Malcolm , Walsh Thomas J. , Shoham Shmuel
Published: July 2011

Serum (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan (BG) is increasingly used as diagnostic marker for invasive fungal infections. Exposure to gauze may lead to false‐positive BG assays. The role of BG is unclear in thermally injured patients who frequently require extensive gauze coverage; therefore, we prospectively evaluated BG levels in burn‐injured patients. Serum BG levels were measured in 18 burn patients immediately before application of the first dressing and 12 h after. Patients were stratified by extent of total body surface area (TBSA) requiring gauze coverage: <20%, 20–39%, 40–60% and >60%. BG levels were obtained from patients with non‐burn trauma as controls. BG results were positive (>80 pg ml−1) in 9/18 (50%) patients at baseline and in 8/18 (44%) 12 h after application of the first dressing. BG levels were positive in 1/5 (20%) of patients with <20% TBSA requiring gauze and in 10/13 (77%) with ≥20% (P < 0.05). None of the control patients had positive BG at any time point and none of the patients had candidemia at baseline. Mean serum BG levels decreased (19.44 pg ml−1) after gauze placement. False‐positive serum BG elevations are common in this patient population. Positivity correlates with extent of TBSA injured, but is not impacted by the gauze itself.
Prebiotics: Germinated barley foodstuff for the prevention of colitis‐associated colon cancer?
Authors: Koh Seong‐Joon , Kim Joo Sung
Published: July 2011

See article in J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2011; 26: 1298–1308.
Erythropoietin attenuates isoflurane‐induced neurodegeneration and learning deficits in the developing mouse brain
Authors: Tsuchimoto Teppei , Ueki Masaaki , Miki Takanori , Morishita Jun , Maekawa Nobuhiro
Published: July 2011

Objectives:  To examine whether recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) attenuates neurodegeneration and the learning disability induced by isoflurane with the postnatal day 7 (P7) mice.

Background:  Some of general anesthetic agents induce neurodegeneration in developing brain. Several drugs, but not rEPO, were reported as candidates for the prevention of or treatment for neurodegeneration.

Method and materials:  We divided P7 mice into three groups at random. One group (IE group) was exposed to 6‐h isoflurane (1.0%) after 50 000 IU·kg−1 rEPO administered subcutaneously. The second group (I) was exposed to isoflurane in the same manner as IE group except saline instead of rEPO. The third group (E) was exposed to air after rEPO administered. The mice were assigned to the radial arm maze on four consecutive days from P56 (day 1) to P59 (day 4). We divided the number of errors each day by that of day 1 to establish each‐day performance ratio. After the test, neurodegenerative change in the hilus of dentate gyrus was assessed using Nissl staining.

Results:  In radial maze test, the performance ratios of day 3 (mean ± sd) were 0.3 ± 0.2 (P < 0.05, vs I group), 0.8 ± 0.5, and 0.6 ± 0.2 in IE, I, and E groups, respectively, while those of day 4 were 0.3 ± 0.1 (P < 0.05), 0.8 ± 0.5, and 0.3 ± 0.2 (P < 0.05), respectively. The histopathological study revealed that in IE group the degenerative neuronal change was attenuated compared with I group.

Conclusions:  These results suggested that rEPO attenuated isoflurane‐induced neurodegeneration.
Environmental harshness and global richness patterns in glacier‐fed streams
Authors: Jacobsen Dean , Dangles Olivier
Published: July 2011

Aim To test for a possible effect of environmental harshness on large‐scale latitudinal and elevational patterns in taxon richness of macrofauna in arctic and alpine glacier‐fed streams.

Location Svalbard (79° N), Iceland (65° N), Norway (62° N), Switzerland and Italy (46° N), France (43° N), New Zealand (43° S) and Ecuador (0°), covering an elevational gradient from sea level to 4800 m a.s.l.

Methods We gathered data from 63 sites along 13 streams and created an index of glacial influence (the glacial index, GI) as an integrative proxy for environmental harshness. The explicative power of the GI, environmental variables, latitude and elevation on taxon richness was tested in generalized linear models. Taxon richness along geographical gradients was analysed at standardized levels of GI in contour plots. Beta diversity and assemblage similarity was calculated at different GI intervals and compared with a null‐model.

Results Overall, taxon richness decreased exponentially with increased GI (r2= 0.64), and of all included factors, GI had the highest explicative power. At low values of GI we found that local taxon richness varied along the coupled gradients of latitude and elevation in a hump‐shaped manner. However, this pattern disappeared at high values of GI, i.e. when environmental harshness increased. Beta diversity increased, while similarity among assemblages decreased towards high GI values.

Main conclusions In our study system, the number of taxa able to cope with the harshest conditions was largely independent of the regional taxon pool, and environmental harshness constituted a ‘fixed’ constraint for local richness, irrespective of latitude and elevation. Contrary to expectations, we found that beta diversity was highest and similarity lowest among the harshest sites, suggesting that taxon richness was not solely driven by niche selection based on environmental tolerances, but also stochastic ecological drift, leading to dispersal‐limited communities.
Empowerment and regulation – dilemmas in participatory fisheries science
Authors: Jacobsen Rikke B , Wilson Douglas C K , Ramirez‐Monsalve Paulina
Published: July 2011

Using a perspective from the sociology of knowledge, this study identifies some ‘dilemmas of participatory research’. We look at how social relationships between fishers and scientists develop around the exchange of fishers’ knowledge in particular institutional contexts. We survey the general types and global examples of fisher–scientist relationships in terms of how they approach the integration of fishers’ and scientists’ knowledge. Based on an empirical study of three European cases of participatory research, we then discuss five dilemmas that tend to characterize fisher–scientist relationships. These dilemmas centre on the relationship between fisheries research, fishery regulations and fishers as subjects of both regulation and participatory research endeavours. We argue that these dilemmas – experienced by both scientists and fishers – express an underlying tension between ‘empowering’ fishers to support the effective management of the fishing commons and the bureaucratic need to regulate the fishery as an industry.
Optimizing Environment Maps for Material Depiction
Authors: Bousseau Adrien , Chapoulie Emmanuelle , Ramamoorthi Ravi , Agrawala Maneesh
Published: July 2011

We present an automated system for optimizing and synthesizing environment maps that enhance the appearance of materials in a scene. We first identify a set of lighting design principles for material depiction. Each principle specifies the distinctive visual features of a material and describes how environment maps can emphasize those features. We express these principles as linear or quadratic image quality metrics, and present a general optimization framework to solve for the environment map that maximizes these metrics. We accelerate metric evaluation using an approach dual to precomputed radiance transfer (PRT). In contrast to standard PRT that integrates light transport over the lighting domain to generate an image, we pre‐integrate light transport over the image domain to optimize for lighting. Finally we present two techniques for transforming existing photographic environment maps to better emphasize materials. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by generating environment maps that enhance the depiction of a variety of materials including glass, metal, plastic, marble and velvet.
Stone Weathering in a Photograph
Authors: Xue Su , Dorsey Julie , Rushmeier Holly
Published: July 2011

The appearance of weathering effects on stone is important for creating outdoor scenes in computer graphics. To achieve them, previous research has built upon physical simulation, which, while yielding a degree of realism, is computationally expensive and inapplicable to the situation when the object geometry is unknown. Also, physical simulation requires specific knowledge of the stone properties and environmental processes. In this paper, we present a simple visual simulation pipeline for creating weathering effects on stone within a single image. Two primary effects of stone weathering, i.e., smoothing and roughening, are considered. In addition, erosion on the object silhouette is treated. These challenging effects involve significant geometry changes, which are intractable for previous image‐based editing techniques. The effectiveness of our technique is illustrated on a variety of scenes and types of stone. While it can be fully automatic, it also allows easy user interaction.
Improved Stochastic Progressive Photon Mapping with Metropolis Sampling
Authors: Chen Jiating , Wang Bin , Yong Jun‐Hai
Published: July 2011

This paper presents an improvement to the stochastic progressive photon mapping (SPPM), a method for robustly simulating complex global illumination with distributed ray tracing effects. Normally, similar to photon mapping and other particle tracing algorithms, SPPM would become inefficient when the photons are poorly distributed. An inordinate amount of photons are required to reduce the error caused by noise and bias to acceptable levels. In order to optimize the distribution of photons, we propose an extension of SPPM with a Metropolis‐Hastings algorithm, effectively exploiting local coherence among the light paths that contribute to the rendered image. A well‐designed scalar contribution function is introduced as our Metropolis sampling strategy, targeting at specific parts of image areas with large error to improve the efficiency of the radiance estimator. Experimental results demonstrate that the new Metropolis sampling based approach maintains the robustness of the standard SPPM method, while significantly improving the rendering efficiency for a wide range of scenes with complex lighting.
Perception of Visual Artifacts in Image‐Based Rendering of Façades
Authors: Vangorp P. , Chaurasia G. , Laffont P.‐Y. , Fleming R. W. , Drettakis G.
Published: July 2011

Image‐based rendering (IBR) techniques allow users to create interactive 3D visualizations of scenes by taking a few snapshots. However, despite substantial progress in the field, the main barrier to better quality and more efficient IBR visualizations are several types of common, visually objectionable artifacts. These occur when scene geometry is approximate or viewpoints differ from the original shots, leading to parallax distortions, blurring, ghosting and popping errors that detract from the appearance of the scene. We argue that a better understanding of the causes and perceptual impact of these artifacts is the key to improving IBR methods. In this study we present a series of psychophysical experiments in which we systematically map out the perception of artifacts in IBR visualizations of façades as a function of the most common causes. We separate artifacts into different classes and measure how they impact visual appearance as a function of the number of images available, the geometry of the scene and the viewpoint. The results reveal a number of counter‐intuitive effects in the perception of artifacts. We summarize our results in terms of practical guidelines for improving existing and future IBR techniques.
Perceptual Global Illumination Cancellation in Complex Projection Environments
Authors: Sheng Yu , Cutler Barbara , Chen Chao , Nasman Joshua
Published: July 2011

The unintentional scattering of light between neighboring surfaces in complex projection environments increases the brightness and decreases the contrast, disrupting the appearance of the desired imagery. To achieve satisfactory projection results, the inverse problem of global illumination must be solved to cancel this secondary scattering. In this paper, we propose a global illumination cancellation method that minimizes the perceptual difference between the desired imagery and the actual total illumination in the resulting physical environment. Using Gauss‐Newton and active set methods, we design a fast solver for the bound constrained nonlinear least squares problem raised by the perceptual error metrics. Our solver is further accelerated with a CUDA implementation and multi‐resolution method to achieve 1–2 fps for problems with approximately 3000 variables. We demonstrate the global illumination cancellation algorithm with our multi‐projector system. Results show that our method preserves the color fidelity of the desired imagery significantly better than previous methods.
A Volumetric Approach to Predictive Rendering of Fabrics
Authors: Schroder K. , Klein R. , Zinke A.
Published: July 2011

Efficient physically accurate modeling and rendering of woven cloth at a yarn level is an inherently complicated task due to the underlying geometrical and optical complexity. In this paper, a novel and general approach to physically accurate cloth rendering is presented. By using a statistical volumetric model approximating the distribution of yarn fibers, a prohibitively costly explicit geometrical representation is avoided. As a result, accurate rendering of even large pieces of fabrics containing orders of magnitudes more fibers becomes practical without sacrifying much generality compared to fiber‐based techniques. By employing the concept of local visibility and introducing the effective fiber density, limitations of existing volumetric approaches regarding self‐shadowing and fiber density estimation are greatly reduced.
Importance Point Projection for GPU‐based Final Gathering
Authors: Maletz David , Wang Rui
Published: July 2011

We present a practical importance‐driven method for GPU‐based final gathering. We take as input a point cloud representing directly illuminated scene geometry; we then project and splat the points to microbuffers, which store each shading pixel's occluded radiance field. We select points for projection based on importance, defined as each point's estimated contribution to a shading pixel. For each selected point, we calculate its splat size adaptively based on its importance value. The main advantage of our method is that it's simple and fast, and provides the capability to incorporate additional importance factors such as glossy reflection paths. We also introduce an image‐space adaptive sampling method, which combines adaptive image subdivision with joint bilateral upsampling to robustly preserve fine details. We have implemented our algorithm on the GPU, providing high‐quality rendering for dynamic scenes at near interactive rates.
Women's Parliamentary Representation in Africa: The Impact of Democracy and Corruption on the Number of Female Deputies in National Parliaments
Authors: Stockemer Daniel
Published: July 2011

Although many studies address the representation of women in parliament, few explore gender representation in Africa. Prior research on women's representation conducted in various areas of the world has emphasized the type of electoral system, quotas and the economic affluence of a country, as well as the state's political culture. In this evaluation these commonly used indicators are complemented by two factors that are not that frequently employed – a country's degree of democracy and its level of corruption. Besides quota provisions and the electoral system type of a country, both of these additional variables affect women's representation. Higher containment of corruption fosters higher percentages of women in parliament. In contrast, democratic states have fewer female members in parliament than non-democratic states.
Conserving European Biodiversity in a Changing Climate: The Bern Convention, the European Union Birds and Habitats Directives and the Adaptation of Nature to Climate Change
Authors: Trouwborst Arie
Published: July 2011

This article reviews the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and the European Union's Wild Birds and Habitats Directives from the perspective of the need to help nature adapt to climate change in order to attain biodiversity conservation goals. It concludes that even though none of the three instruments explicitly state this, both the Bern Convention and the EU directives currently subject Member States to legal obligations to take the measures necessary to facilitate the adaptation of biodiversity in Europe to climate change. These measures include the restoration and protection of robust populations and habitats, as well as the establishment of adequate connectivity in order to enable recovery of populations following climate‐related impacts and to enable climate‐induced range shifts.
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Authors: Buck Matthias , Hamilton Clare
Published: July 2011

The tenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity successfully adopted the ‘Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity’ in October 2010. This article identifies the main challenges in the final negotiations and explains the framework for access and benefit‐sharing established by the Protocol both for genetic resources and for traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources. It also describes in more detail the Protocol's economic, temporal and geographic scope; its relationship to other international instruments; the treatment of pathogens; the role of non‐commercial research; and the global multilateral benefit‐sharing mechanism. The article then identifies next steps at national level and at international level – in the Intergovernmental Committee set up to prepare the entry into force of the Protocol – to ensure that the Nagoya Protocol becomes a major tool for benefit‐sharing as well as for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Development of Canadian Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling: Lessons from the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Amos Will
Published: July 2011

Canada's National Energy Board has undertaken a review of general safety and environmental protection requirements for Arctic offshore drilling within the country's jurisdiction. The review is focusing, among other things, on the requirement for same season relief well (SSRW) capacity for Arctic offshore operators, and whether proposed alternatives are sufficiently robust to allow removal of the SSRW requirement. Given the significant threat offshore drilling poses to the fragile Arctic ecosystem, safety requirements must be strengthened, not weakened. The SSRW capability requirement should be maintained, and other policies, regulations and requirements ought to be strengthened and improved.
A stakeholder empire: the political economy of Spanish imperial rule in America1
Authors: GRAFE REGINA , IRIGOIN ALEJANDRA
Published: July 2011

This article revises the traditional view of Spain as a predatory colonial state that extracted revenue from natural resources and populations in the Americas while offering little in return. Using eighteenth‐century Spanish American treasury accounts, we show that local elites exerted important control not only over revenue collection, as previously argued by the authors, but also over expenditure allocation. The Spanish colonial state developed into a stakeholder model, in which local interests were deeply invested in the survival and expansion of empire. The means of co‐optation were intra‐colonial transfers, as well as credit relations between the state and colonial individuals and corporations, which guaranteed that much of colonial revenue was immediately fed back into the local economy, while minimizing enforcements costs. By allowing stakeholder control of both revenue and expenditure, Spain managed to avoid the problems faced by France, where royal control of expenditure clashed with partial elite control of revenue‐raising.
Renaissance attachment to things: material culture in last wills and testaments1
Authors: COHN, JR SAMUEL
Published: July 2011

Over the past decade ‘material culture’ has become a sub‐discipline of Italian Renaissance studies. This literature, however, has focused on the rich and their objects preserved in museums or reflected in paintings. In addition, the period 1300 to 1600 has been treated without attention to changes in the relationship between people and possessions. The article turns to last wills and testaments, which survive in great numbers and sink deep roots through late medieval and Renaissance cities and their hinterlands. They reveal aspirations and anxieties about things from post‐mortem repairs to farm houses to pillows of monk's wool. These aspirations changed fundamentally after the Black Death. Earlier, during the ‘commercial revolution’, ordinary merchants, artisans, and peasants on their deathbeds practised what the mendicants preached: stripping themselves of their possessions, they converted their estates to coin to be scattered among pious and non‐pious beneficiaries. After the Black Death, testators began to reverse tack, devising ever more complex legal strategies to govern the future flow of their goods. This work of the dead had larger economic consequences. By encouraging the liquidation of estates, the earlier mendicant ideology quickened the velocity of exchange, while the early Renaissance attachment to things did the opposite.
If the landlord so wanted . . . Family, farm production, and land transfers in the manorial system1
Authors: DRIBE MARTIN , OLSSON MATS , SVENSSON PATRICK
Published: July 2011

The manorial system was a salient feature of the pre‐industrial economy in Europe from the early middle ages until the late nineteenth century. Despite its importance, it is not usually the main focus of eighteenth‐ and early nineteenth‐century European economic history. Looking at a vital manorial economy, this article deals with land transmissions, a crucial factor in the socioeconomic reproduction of pre‐industrial societies, and demonstrates both similarities and important differences between the tenants on manorial land and freeholders. Although their strategies were often similar, we show that the manorial system consisted of a two‐party government—the landlord and the tenant—whose interests did not always coincide. In the nineteenth century, market expansion and commercialization promoted more active landlord strategies in terms of demesne expansions and by means of implementing short‐term leases. This made intergenerational transfers within the family increasingly difficult for tenants.
Bagehot for beginners: the making of lender‐of‐last‐resort operations in the mid‐nineteenth century1
Authors: BIGNON VINCENT , FLANDREAU MARC , UGOLINI STEFANO
Published: July 2011

In this article we develop new tools to survey the development of lending‐of‐last‐resort operations in the mid‐nineteenth century. One finding is that free lending and extensive liquidity support against good collateral developed gradually after 1847, and was already a fact of life before Bagehot publishedLombard Street. Another is that the extension of the Bank of England's lender‐of‐last‐resort function went along with a reduction of its exposure to default risks, in contrast with accounts that have associated lending of last resort with moral hazard. Finally, we provide a new interpretation of the ‘high rates’ advocated by Bagehot. We suggest they were meant to prevent banks from free‐riding on the safety offered by the central bank, and were aimed at forcing them to keep lending during crises so as to maintain a critical degree of liquidity in the money market.
Canals, rivers, and the industrial city: Manchester's industrial waterfront, 1790–18501
Authors: Maw Peter , Wyke Terry , Kidd Alan
Published: July 2011

This article presents new data on mill location in Manchester in 1850 to show that water‐transport infrastructure played a key role in determining the intra‐urban pattern of factory development. The shift from water to steam power introduced new patterns of industrial water use, rather than the relocation of factories away from waterways. Five new public canals and 23 private canal branches activated a major expansion of Manchester's waterfront, providing the majority of the manufacturing sites that enabled the town to become the world's foremost factory centre. Without effective municipal water supplies, canals were the best available water source for steam engines.
White blood cell SPECT during active period of cluster headache and in remission
Authors: Steinberg A. , Axelsson R. , Ideström L. , Müller S. , Nilsson Remahl A. I. M.
Published: July 2011

Background and purpose:  Cluster headache (CH) is an episodic headache disorder characterized by recurrent, unilateral attacks of excruciating pain in the temporal/orbital region. The pathophysiology of CH is largely unknown although involvement of immunological mechanisms has been suggested. The aim of our study was to investigate whether patients with CH show signs of intracranial inflammation, when using white blood cell single‐photon emission computer tomography (WBC‐SPECT).

Methods:  We have examined 14 patients with CH, both in active period and in remission, and five control subjects at one occasion, with WBC‐SPECT. To be able to precisely define regions of interest (ROI:s) in the brain, all patients with CH and control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain.

Results:  We found no significant difference in 99mTc‐labeled WBC uptake between patients with CH in active period and controls. Furthermore, patients with CH in active period were not significantly different in uptake compared with patients with CH in remission.

Conclusions:  These results did not provide conclusive support for a hypothesis of a pathophysiological role of inflammation intracranially. Our conclusions are restricted to the advantages and limitations of the chosen method.
Anti‐aquaporin‐4 antibodies in the context of assorted immune‐mediated diseases
Authors: Dellavance A. , Alvarenga R. R. , Rodrigues S. H. , Kok F. , de Souza A. W. S. , Andrade L. E. C.
Published: July 2011

Background and purposes:  Anti‐aquaporin 4 antibodies are specific markers for Devic‘s disease. This study aimed to test if this high specificity holds in the context of a large spectrum of systemic autoimmune and non‐autoimmune diseases.

Methods:  Anti‐aquaporin‐4 antibodies (NMO‐IgG) were determined by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on mouse cerebellum in 673 samples, as follows: group I (clinically defined Devic’s disease, n = 47); group II [inflammatory/demyelinating central nervous system (CNS) diseases, n = 41]; group III (systemic and organ‐specific autoimmune diseases, n = 250); group IV (chronic or acute viral diseases, n = 35); and group V (randomly selected samples from a general clinical laboratory, n = 300).

Results:  MNO‐IgG was present in 40/47 patients with classic Devic’s disease (85.1% sensitivity) and in 13/22 (59.1%) patients with disorders related to Devic’s disease. The latter 13 positive samples had diagnosis of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (n = 10) and isolated idiopathic optic neuritis (n = 3). One patient with multiple sclerosis and none of the remaining 602 samples with autoimmune and miscellaneous diseases presented NMO‐IgG (99.8% specificity). The autoimmune disease subset included five systemic lupus erythematosus individuals with isolated or combined optic neuritis and myelitis and four primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) patients with cranial/peripheral neuropathy.

Conclusions:  The available data clearly point to the high specificity of anti‐aquaporin‐4 antibodies for Devic’s disease and related syndromes also in the context of miscellaneous non‐neurologic autoimmune and non‐autoimmune disorders.
One‐stop‐shop treatment for basal cell carcinoma, part of a new disease management strategy
Authors: van der Geer S. , Frunt M. , Romero H.L. , Dellaert N.P. , Jansen‐Vullers M.H. , Demeyere T.B.J. , Neumann H.A.M. , Krekels G.A.M.
Published: July 2011

Background The number of skin cancer patients, especially patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), is rapidly increasing. Resources available at dermato‐oncology units have not increased proportionally, which affects the throughput time of patients.

Objective To assess the feasibility and safety of implementation of the one‐stop‐shop concept for the treatment of patients with BCC at a dermato‐oncology unit.

Methods A pilot study on a one‐stop‐shop concept for BCC was performed to investigate procedure safety and patient satisfaction. Fresh frozen sections were used to diagnose the tumours, and subsequently treatment with photodynamic therapy or excision was performed on the same day. Time spent in the hospital was measured and questionnaires were used to evaluate patient satisfaction.

Results Sixteen patients, who together had 19 tumours, were included. Diagnoses were made within a mean time of 100 min (range 27–160 min). The mean throughput time was 4 hours and 7 min (range 60–420 min). No complications were observed, and patient satisfaction was high.

Conclusion The one‐stop‐shop concept for the treatment of skin cancer patients is feasible and efficient for both patients and dermato‐oncology units. Further research is necessary to investigate cost‐effectiveness when larger patient groups are involved.
A critical framework for the assessment of biological palaeoproxies: predicting past climate and levels of atmospheric CO2 from fossil leaves
Authors: Jordan Gregory J.
Published: July 2011

This review uses proxies of past temperature and atmospheric CO2 composition based on fossil leaves to illustrate the uncertainties in biologically based proxies of past environments. Most leaf‐based proxies are geographically local or genetically restricted and therefore can be confounded by evolution, extinction, changes in local environment or immigration of species. Stomatal frequency proxies illustrate how genetically restricted proxies can be particularly vulnerable to evolutionary change. High predictive power in the modern world resulting from the use of a very narrow calibration cannot be confidently extrapolated into the past (the Ginkgo paradox). Many foliar physiognomic proxies of climate are geographically local and use traits that are more or less fixed for individual species. Such proxies can therefore be confounded by floristic turnover and biome shifts in the region of calibration. Uncertainty in proxies tends to be greater for more ancient fossils. I present a set of questions that should be considered before using a proxy. Good proxies should be relatively protected from environmental and genetic change, particularly through having high information content and being founded on biomechanical or biochemical principles. Some current and potential developments are discussed, including those that involve more mechanistically sound proxies and better use of multivariate approaches.

Contents

Summary
29

I.
Introduction
30

II.
Key concepts in the uncertainty of proxy evidence
30

III.
Uncertainties in major foliar physiognomic proxies of MAT
31

IV.
Stomatal density and stomatal index
34

V.
Steps forward
38

VI.
Synthesis
40

Acknowledgements
40

References
40
Surfing the attentional waves during visual curve tracing: Evidence from the sustained posterior contralateral negativity
Authors: Lefebvre Christine , Dell'acqua Roberto , Roelfsema Pieter R. , Jolicœur Pierre
Published: July 2011

Mental curve tracing is the process by which a contour is covertly followed between two landmarks. Completion time of this task increases as the distance between the landmarks does, even though the Euclidian distance is constant. This has been taken as evidence that attention does not cover a contour instantly, but rather moves from one point to another until the whole contour has been covered. This article provides an electrophysiological measurement of the time course of this spread of attention in humans using a sustained contralateral posterior negative (SPCN) event‐related potential component. This component being elicited only when stimuli are presented laterally, the position of lateralization was varied to modulate the onset of this SPCN. Curves that became lateralized further from the central starting point yielded a later SPCN onset than curves that lateralized nearer. This provides converging evidence that attention moves along the curve.
Biochemical and pathological evidences on the benefit of a new biodegradable nanoparticles of probiotic extract in murine colitis
Authors: Saadatzadeh Afrooz , Atyabi Fatemeh , Fazeli Mohammad Reza , Dinarvand Rassoul , Jamalifar Hossein , Abdolghaffari Amir Hossein , Mahdaviani Parvin , Mahbod Mirgholamreza , Baeeri Maryam , Baghaei Amir , Mohammadirad Azadeh , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: July 2011

Efficacy of probiotics in the management of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been approved in the recent years. In the present work, the efficacy of a new biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) of encapsulated and lyophilized probiotic extract (LPE) was examined in murine colitis. Colitis was induced by rectal instillation of trinitrobenzen sulfonic acid to male Wistar rats. The safety and effective dose of LPE was determined in a pilot study. To ease delivery into colon, LPE was encapsulated in chitosan‐coated‐poly (lactide co glycolide acid) NPs. After induction of colitis, animals in different groups received test compound in three doses by gavage for 10 days. Groups of sham, control (saline), and standard (dexamethasone) were also assigned. Colonic pathological examination, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interlukin (IL)‐1β, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were performed. LPE at all doses (273, 545, and 1100 mg/kg) had positive effects in reduction of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, LPO, and MPO in a dose‐dependent manner. The formulated compound containing medium dose of LPE was more efficient in mitigating the experimental colitis in comparison with that of high‐dose LPE. It is concluded that LPE and its nanoparticle‐encapsulated form are very much effective in control of colitis. Regarding safety of this compound, further studies can be conducted in patients with IBD.
The Decision to Receive Influenza Vaccination Among Nurses in North and South Dakota
Authors: Johansen Laurie Jo , Stenvig Thomas , Wey Howard
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACT Objectives: We examined the relationships between factors (intention, habit, facilitating conditions, and social, cognitive, and affective factors) and nurses' decisions about influenza vaccinations to understand why some get vaccinated while others do not.

Design and Sample: In a descriptive correlational design, the Triandis model of interpersonal behavior was used to examine the decision of nurses to receive influenza vaccinations. Participants were a random sample (N=193) of registered nurses in North and South Dakota drawn from the respective state nursing licensing board lists.

Measures: Instrument construction and mail survey procedures followed Dillman's tailored design method.

Results: The response rate exceeded 80%. The findings revealed significant, positive correlations among all model variables. Item analysis showed that false beliefs about influenza disease and vaccinations were prevalent and that there was a wide variation in employer support for nurses getting vaccinated.

Conclusions: Educational and social marketing strategies may improve nurse's knowledge about influenza disease and vaccine and increase vaccine uptake. Employers should be encouraged to promote and improve influenza vaccine accessibility in the workplace. Additional study is needed to understand how best to strengthen the influence of intention and habit on the decision of nurses to receive influenza vaccinations.
Chronic Migraine, Classification, Differential Diagnosis, and Epidemiology
Authors: Lipton Richard B.
Published: July 2011

(Headache 2011;51;S2:77‐83)

Chronic migraine (CM) is the most disabling of the 4 types of primary chronic daily headache (CDH) of long duration, a syndrome defined by primary headaches 15 or more days per month for at least 3 months with attacks that last 4 hours or more per day on average. CDH of long duration includes CM, chronic tension‐type headache, new daily persistent headache, and hemicrania continua. CM affects approximately 2% of the adult population in Western countries, imposing substantial burdens on individual sufferers and their families and, more broadly, upon society. Although this disorder is highly disabling and prevalent, it remains largely underdiagnosed and undertreated.

Diagnosing CM requires a systematic approach that includes these steps: (1) exclude a secondary headache disorder, and (2) diagnose a specific primary headache syndrome based on frequency and duration, for example, short‐duration episodic, long‐duration episodic, or long‐duration chronic. CM usually develops as a complication of episodic migraine after a period of increasing headache frequency. This migraine transformation is associated with a number of risk factors, some of which cannot be modified, including age and race. Other risk factors for CM are modifiable, such as obesity, snoring, head injury, stressful life events, and overuse of opioids and barbiturates. However, risk factor modification has not yet been shown to decrease the likelihood of CM onset.

According to a cross‐sectional analysis of data from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention study published this year in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, when compared to patients with episodic migraine, patients with CM were significantly less likely to be employed full‐time and almost twice as likely to be occupationally disabled. In addition, patients with CM were nearly twice as likely to have anxiety, chronic pain, or depression. Furthermore, patients with CM had higher cardiovascular and respiratory risk, were 40% more likely to have heart disease and angina, and were 70% more likely to have a history of stroke. These findings highlight the paramount importance of clinical vigilance, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate, effective management – including treatment or referrals – to improve patient outcomes.
Implications of Current Clinical Trials Focused on Medication Overuse and Therapeutic Prophylaxis
Authors: Aurora Sheena K.
Published: July 2011

(Headache 2011;51;S2:93‐100)

Chronic migraine (CM) is a complex disorder requiring a multifaceted management approach encompassing lifestyle modification, trigger avoidance, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, patient education and support, management of expectations, and close follow‐up. The lack of pharmacotherapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hinders CM prophylaxis and management. Topiramate, gabapentin, tizanidine, fluoxetine, amitriptyline, and onabotulinumtoxinA have been evaluated for prophylactic treatment of CM in randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled or active comparator‐controlled trials. Additional well‐designed, placebo‐controlled studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of new and existing treatment options for CM. Understanding current clinical trial design and management guidelines is critical to designing future trials that overcome the challenge of consistent use of sensitive and clinically meaningful outcome measures.

Topiramate is approved for episodic migraine management and has been studied for CM management. A growing body of evidence has shown it to be safe, effective, and well‐tolerated in specific patient populations. However, intolerable adverse effects and inadequate efficacy associated with topiramate may lead to poor adherence. The efficacy, safety, and tolerability of onabotulinumtoxinA have been demonstrated in studies in various migraine patient populations, leading to recent FDA approval of onabotulinumtoxinA for the prophylactic treatment of CM in adults. These studies included patients with or without medication overuse, which may affect 30% to 80% of CM patients in the USA. In this program, we will analyze and discuss recent clinical trials investigating topiramate and onabotulinumtoxinA for CM.
Repair of Monteggia Fractures Using an Arthrex Tightrope System and Ulnar Plating
Authors: Vallone Luc , Schulz Kurt
Published: July 2011

Objective: To report the outcome after treatment of Monteggia fractures (MF) using a novel surgical technique.

Study design: Clinical reports.

Methods: One dog and 1 cat were treated for MF by use of a Tightrope suture, toggle, and button implant. In both patients the fracture/luxations were reduced using an open technique and the tightrope was placed using a cannulated drill system and guide wire from cranial to caudal. Cases were retrospectively reviewed at 1, 5, and 8 weeks (cat) and at 4 weeks and 4 months (dog) for complications and outcome. Outcomes were measured by subjective assessment of range of motion comparing affected to unaffected limbs, and lameness scoring and by client description of function.

Results: Both animals returned to normal function with range of motion close to that of the unaffected limb. No complications were recognized.

Conclusions: Tightrope repair of MF resulted in excellent clinical results with no complications.
Effects of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy on Healing of Open Wounds in Dogs
Authors: Demaria Marco , Stanley Bryden J. , Hauptman Joe G. , Steficek Barbara A. , Fritz Michele C. , Ryan John M. , Lam Nathaniel A. , Moore Trevor W. , Hadley Heather S.
Published: July 2011

Objective: To compare the effect of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with standard‐of‐care management on healing of acute open wounds in dogs.

Study Design: Prospective, controlled, experimental study.

Animals: Adult dogs (n=10).

Methods: Full‐thickness 4 cm × 2 cm wounds were surgically created on each antebrachium and in each dog were randomized to receive either NPWT or standard wound dressings (CON) for 21 days. Dressing changes and wound evaluations were made at 8 time points. First appearance of granulation tissue, smoothness of granulation tissue, exuberance, percent epithelialization, and percent contraction were compared. Biopsies for histopathology were taken, and histologic scores determined, at 5 time points, and aerobic bacterial wound cultures performed at 2 time points.

Results: Granulation tissue appeared significantly earlier, and was smoother and less exuberant in NPWT wounds compared with CON wounds. Percent contraction in NPWT wounds was less than CON wounds after Day 7. Percent epithelialization in NPWT wounds was less than CON wounds on Days 11, 16, 18, and 21. Histologic scores for acute inflammation were higher in NPWT on Day 3, and lower on Day 7, than CON wounds. Bacterial load was higher in NPWT on Day 7.

Conclusion: NPWT accelerated appearance of smooth, nonexuberant granulation tissue; however, prolonged use of NPWT impaired wound contraction and epithelialization.
Distraction–Fusion for Caudal Cervical Spondylomyelopathy Using an Intervertebral Cage and Locking Plates in 14 Dogs
Authors: Steffen Frank , Voss Katja , Morgan Joe P.
Published: July 2011

Objective: To evaluate clinical and radiographic outcome in dogs with caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy (CCSM) treated with an intervertebral fusion cage and locking plates.

Study Design: Prospective clinical study.

Animals: Large breed dogs (n=14) with CCSM.

Methods: Dogs had single level cervical spine distraction/fusion performed using an intervertebral cage with a hollow center filled with cancellous autograft and 2 ventrally applied locking plates. Outcome was measured using neurologic scores and radiographic interpretation 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively.

Results: The surgical procedure was well tolerated in all dogs. Final outcome at 12 months was available in 9 dogs. Five dogs were judged excellent, 1 dog was good, 2 dogs were satisfactory, and 2 dogs were poor because of adjacent segment disease. Four dogs died for reasons unrelated to the procedure. Radiographically, implants remained stable over the entire follow‐up period. The disc space continued to fill with an immature pattern of new bone, which showed progressive increase in opacity and quantity. Subsidence of the cage (median 2 mm) was detected in 9 dogs at 6 weeks and remained unchanged in those that could be followed further.

Conclusion: Distraction–fusion of single level CCSM in dogs with a combination of intervertebral cage and ventral locking plates is clinically effective and results in successful bony fusion.
Kinematic Motion Patterns of the Cranial and Caudal Canine Cervical Spine
Authors: Johnson Jacqueline A. , da Costa Ronaldo C. , Bhattacharya Sanghita , Goel Vijay , Allen Matthew J.
Published: July 2011

Objective: To define the kinematic motion patterns of the canine cervical spine, with a particular emphasis on identifying differences between the cranial (C2–C4) and caudal (C5–C7) segments, and to determine the significance of coupled motions (CM) in the canine cervical spine.

Study Design: Cadaveric biomechanical study.

Sample Population: Cervical spines of 8 Foxhounds.

Methods: Spinal specimens were considered free of pathology based on radiographic, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging examinations. All musculature was removed without damaging ligaments or joint capsules. Spines were mounted in a customized pure‐moment spine testing jig, and data were collected using an optoelectronic motion capture system. Range of motion, neutral zone and CM in flexion/extension, left/right lateral bending and left/right axial rotation were established. Data were analyzed using mixed‐effects maximum likelihood regression models.

Results: Total flexion/extension did not change across the 4 levels. There was no difference between flexion and extension, and no CM was identified. Lateral bending was not different across levels, but tended to be greater in the cranial spine. Axial rotation was ∼2.6 times greater in the caudal segments. Lateral bending and axial rotation were coupled.

Conclusions: Kinematics of the cranial and caudal cervical spine differed markedly with greater mobility in the caudal cervical spine.
In Vitro Performance Testing of Two Arcuate Oscillating Saw Blades Designed for Use During Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy
Authors: Farrell Michael , Mathieson Andrew , Chung Peter , Heller Jane , Clarke Stephen P. , McDonald Mary Kate , Cardoni Andrea
Published: July 2011

Objective: To test the cutting performance of 2 commercially available oscillating saws designed for use during tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and to evaluate the influence of saline irrigation on cutting performance.

Study Design: In vitro experimental study.

Sample Population: Composite polyurethane test blocks (n=40); 24 mm TPLO saw blades.

Methods: Controlled force cutting tests were performed using custom‐made laminated bone substitute blocks to model the canine proximal tibia. Half of the trials were irrigated with 0.9% saline solution. Outcome measures were test block temperature (measured 1.5 mm from the cutting zone), cutting rate, and cutting surface wear. Durability was measured by recording change in performance over multiple consecutive trials.

Results: The Synthes blade cut the test blocks with ∼64% less heat generation and at a 63% faster cutting rate compared with the Slocum blade. Although wear of the Synthes blade was ∼50% greater after 19 uses, this did not negatively impact cutting performance. Saline irrigation produced no significant effect on peak cutting temperature but significantly reduced cutting rate for both saws.

Conclusions: Our results favor the Synthes blade in terms of cutting performance and the Slocum blade in terms of wear resistance.