bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Initial Phase of a Longleaf Pine‐Wiregrass Savanna Restoration: Species Establishment and Community Responses
Authors: Aschenbach Todd A. , Foster Bryan L. , Imm Donald W.
Published: July 2009

The significant loss of the longleaf pine‐wiregrass ecosystem in the southeastern United States has serious implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In response to this loss, we have initiated a long‐term and landscape‐scale restoration experiment at the 80,125 ha (310 mi2) Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, South Carolina.Aristida beyrichiana(wiregrass), an important and dominant grass (i.e., a “matrix” species) of the longleaf pine savanna understory, and 31 other herbaceous “non‐matrix” species were planted at six locations throughout SRS in 2002 and 2003. Of the 36,056 transplanted seedlings, 75% were still alive in June 2004, while mean 1–2 year survival across all planted species was 48%.Lespedeza hirta(hairy lespedeza) exhibited the greatest overall survival per 3 × 3 m cell at 95%, whereasSchizachyriumspp. (little bluestem) exhibited the greatest mean cover among individual species at 5.9%. Wiregrass survival and cover were significantly reduced when planted with non‐matrix species. Aggregate cover of all planted species in restored cells averaged 25.9% in 2006. High rates of survival and growth of the planted species resulted in greater species richness (SR), diversity, and vegetative cover in restored cells. Results suggest that the loss of the longleaf pine‐wiregrass ecosystem may be ameliorated through restoration efforts and illustrate the positive impact of restoration plantings on biodiversity and vegetative cover.
Between‐Patch Bird Movements within a High‐Andean Polylepis Woodland/Matrix Landscape: Implications for Habitat Restoration
Authors: Lloyd Huw , Marsden Stuart J.
Published: July 2009

The movement ability of species in fragmented landscapes must be considered if habitat restoration strategies are to allow maximum benefit in terms of increased or healthier wildlife populations. We studied movements of a range of bird species between woodland patches within a high‐altitude Polylepis/matrix landscape in the Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru. Movement rates between Polylepis patches differed across guilds, with arboreal omnivores, arboreal sally‐strikers and nectarivores displaying the highest movement rates, and understorey guilds and arboreal sally‐gleaners the lowest movement rates. Birds tend to avoid flights to more distant neighboring patches, especially when moving from patches which were themselves isolated. The decline in bird flight frequencies with increasing patch isolation followed broken‐stick models most closely, and while we suggest that there is evidence for a decline in between‐patch movements over distances of 30–210 m, there was great variability in movement rates across individual patches. This variability is presumably a result of complex interactions between patch size, quality and configuration, and flight movement patterns of individual bird species. Our study does, however, highlight the contribution small woodland patches make toward fragmented Polylepis ecosystem functioning, and we suggest that, where financial resources permit, small patch restoration would be an important compliment to the restoration of larger woodland patches. Most important is that replanting takes place within 200 m or so of existing larger patches. This will be especially beneficial in allowing more frequent use of woodland elements within the landscape and in improving the total area of woodland patches that are functionally connected.
Effects of Retention Felling on Epixylic Species in Boreal Spruce Forests in Southern Finland
Authors: Hautala Harri , Laaka‐Lindberg Sanna , Vanha‐Majamaa Ilkka
Published: July 2009

We studied the effects of patch retention felling and soil scarification by harrowing on the coverage and species richness of epixylic species in boreal Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests in Southern Finland. The epixylics were investigated from both the retention tree groups (RTGs) and the surrounding felling areas before and after fellings and after scarification on consecutive years. The cover percentage of all included species groups was shown to decrease after the felling, especially in the felling areas (vascular plants, −0.4%; mosses, −27.8%; liverworts, −4.0%; and lichens,−2.1%). The decrease was considerable also in the RTGs. The amount of dead moss increased in both the areas indicating microclimatic changes. Species richness also declined rapidly after the first year, especially in the felling areas (vascular plants, −2.2%; mosses, −27.3%; liverworts, −30.3%; and lichens, −22.9%). Scarification also decreases covers and species richness of bryophytes. After the second year, the covers of the species groups generally started to regain, especially in the untreated RTGs. The size of RTG was in positive correlation with the total species number. Another main result indicates that it is possible to maintain much higher initial vegetation abundance and diversity in the RTGs than in the felling areas. Coarse woody debris formed by the frequent tree uprootings may also enhance the long‐term survival of epixylics over forest regeneration period. RTGs should be at least 10 times larger than the size used in current Finnish forestry, so that they could function as species refugia.
Roadside Reclamation Outside the Revegetation Season: Management Options under Schedule Pressure
Authors: Mola Ignacio , Jiménez María D. , López‐Jiménez Nicolás , Casado Miguel A. , Balaguer Luis
Published: July 2009

Roadside reclamation involves standard revegetation practices that often fail under the adverse conditions imposed by subordination to the infrastructure construction schedule. We experimentally tested for seed and microsite limitations on roadslopes by assessing the effects of seed addition and habitat suitability upon plant cover and species richness. The relative contributions of topsoil seed bank, seed rain, and hydroseeding with standard or native seed mixtures were analyzed in relation to soil texture, fertility, and stability. In order to increase applicability, this research was fitted into the actual construction design and schedule of a highway in central Spain, which resulted in topsoil of varying quality, steep roadcuts and embankments (34°), and out‐of‐season hydroseedings. During the first 2 years following roadslope construction, there was an uneven but sustained increase in plant cover and species richness. Topsoil spread on embankments led to greater plant cover in a shorter time and to lower sedimentation rates at slope bases. The topsoil seed bank was extremely poor. Hydroseeding invariably failed, regardless of seed mixture and roadslope type. The seed rain provided seven times more seeds than hydroseedings, and was correlated with the distance to vegetation patches. Recruitment, however, was limited by microsite suitability, as the initial soil content in nitrate, total nitrogen, and organic matter explained up to 80% of variation in plant cover. In conclusion, when revegetation was performed outside the optimal season due to schedule constraints, measures aimed at overcoming microsite limitation were more cost‐effective and enhanced roadside carrying capacity for local species.
A Test of Diversity–Productivity Models in Natural, Degraded, and Restored Wet Prairies
Authors: Jelinski Nicolas A. , Kucharik Christopher J. , Zedler Joy B.
Published: July 2009

Conceptual restoration models depict strong correlations between structure and function, with both decreasing as an ecosystem is degraded and increasing during restoration. We evaluated the “linear” and “asymptotic” models by measuring diversity and annual net primary productivity (NPP) within four states of a southern Wisconsin floodplain: a remnant (unplowed) wet prairie, two degraded sites (soybean field and invaded prairie), and a restored prairie. Neither model fit our data for aboveground (ANPP), belowground (BNPP), or total (TNPP) productivity. ANPP declined as species richness increased (r = 0.998, df = 2), with highest values for soybeans (1,024 g/m2; two species in 30 0.25‐m2 plots) and invaded prairie (937 g/m2; nine species, 99% cover of Phalaris arundinacea), intermediate for restored prairie (712 g/m2; 28 species), and lowest for diverse remnant prairie (571 g/m2; 36 species). In contrast, BNPP was lowest for soybeans (225 g/m2) and highest for remnant prairie (571 g/m2). TNPP in restored prairie (990 g/m2) matched that of the remnant (1,147 g/m2) within 7 years, but root:shoot NPP ratios were quite different (0.39 and 0.99, respectively). Overall, results suggest that the relationship between species diversity and productivity can differ with the component measured (ANPP, BNPP, or TNPP) and that diversity does not ensure high productivity. Because measuring ANPP does not fully test ecosystem‐function theory, we recommend assessing BNPP and additional ecosystem processes in future attempts to determine whether adding species will restore more function to degraded ecosystems.
Effects of Competition and Temporal Variation on the Evolutionary Potential of Two Native Bunchgrass Species
Authors: Knapp Eric E. , Rice Kevin J.
Published: July 2009

The capacity of restored plant populations to adapt to new environmental challenges depends on within‐population genetic variation. We examined how much genetic and environmentally based variation for fitness‐associated traits exists within populations of two native grasses commonly used for restoration in California. We were also interested in understanding how phenotypic expression of genetic variation for these traits varies with growth environment. Thirty maternal families ofElymus glaucus(Blue wild rye) andNassella pulchra(Purple needlegrass) were sampled from both coastal and interior populations and reciprocally transplanted into three replicated common gardens with and without interspecific competition at each site. Reproductive output of families differed both among years and with competition treatments. Phenotypic expression of genetic variation in culm production differed among populations and was very low when families were grown with interspecific competition. Without interspecific competition, the degree of genetic determination peaked in year two in both species (8.4 and 15.1% inE. glaucusandN. pulchra, respectively). Significant genetic differences in reproduction and phenotypic plasticity were found amongN. pulchrasubpopulations sampled less than 3 km apart, further highlighting the importance of thoroughly sampling available genetic variation in populations used for restoration. The variable and generally low expression of genetic variation indicates that rates of adaptation in restored populations of these native grasses may vary temporally and may be especially slow within competitive environments.
Pursuing paradoxical proconvulsant prophylaxis for epileptogenesis
Authors: Armstrong Caren , Morgan Robert J. , Soltesz Ivan
Published: July 2009

There are essentially two potential treatment options for any acquired disorder: symptomatic or prophylactic. For acquired epilepsies that follow a variety of different brain insults, there remains a complete lack of prophylactic treatment options, whereas at the same time these epilepsies are notoriously resistant, once they have emerged, to symptomatic treatments with antiepileptic drugs. The development of prophylactic strategies is logistically challenging, both for basic researchers and clinicians. Nevertheless, cannabinoid‐targeting drugs provide a very interesting example of a system within the central nervous system (CNS) that can have very different acute and long‐term effects on hyperexcitability and seizures. In this review, we outline research on cannabinoids suggesting that although cannabinoid antagonists are acutely proconvulsant, they may have beneficial effects on long‐term hyperexcitability following brain insults of multiple etiologies, making them promising candidates for further investigation as prophylactics against acquired epilepsy. We then discuss some of the implications of this finding on future attempts at prophylactic treatments, specifically, the very short window within which prevention may be possible, the possibility that traditional anticonvulsants may interfere with prophylactic strategies, and the importance of moving beyond anticonvulsants—even to proconvulsants—to find the ideal preventative strategy for acquired epilepsy.
Association Between Quality of Cheap and Unrecorded Alcohol Products and Public Health Consequences in Poland
Authors: Lachenmeier Dirk W. , Ganss Sebastian , Rychlak Bogumil , Rehm Jürgen , Sulkowska Urszula , Skiba Michał , Zatonski Witold
Published: July 2009

Background:  The research aimed to study the quality of cheap alcohol products in Poland. These included unrecorded alcohols (i.e., home‐produced or illegally imported), estimated to constitute more than 25% of total consumption and fruit wines.

Methods:  A sample of alcohol products (n = 52) was collected from local markets and chemical analyses were conducted. The parameters studied were alcoholic strength, volatiles (methanol, acetaldehyde, and higher alcohols), ethyl carbamate, inorganic elements, and food additives including preservatives, colors, and sweeteners. The compositions of the beverages were then toxicologically evaluated using international standards.

Results:  With the exception of 1 fortified wine, the unrecorded alcohols were home‐produced fruit‐derived spirits (moonshine) and spirits imported from other countries. We did not detect any nonbeverage surrogate alcohol. The unrecorded spirits contained, on average, 45% vol of alcohol. However, some products with considerably higher alcoholic strengths were found (up to 85% vol) with no labeling of the content on the bottles. These products may cause more pronounced detrimental health effects (e.g., liver cirrhosis, injuries, some forms of malignant neoplasms, alcohol use disorders, and cardiovascular disease) than will commercial beverages, especially as the consumer may be unaware of the alcohol content consumed. Fruit wines containing between 9.5 and 12.2% vol alcohol showed problems in terms of their additive content and their labeling (e.g., sulfites, sorbic acid, saccharin, and artificial colors) and should be subjected to stricter control.

Regarding the other components investigated, the suspected human carcinogens, acetaldehyde and ethyl carbamate, were found at levels relevant to public health concerns. While acetaldehyde is a typical constituent of fermented beverages, ethyl carbamate was found only in home‐produced unrecorded alcohols derived from stone fruits with levels significantly above international guidelines.

Conclusions:  The contamination of unrecorded alcohols with ethyl carbamate should be analyzed in a larger sample that also should include legal alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, the impacts of unrecorded alcohol on the health of people with lower socioeconomic status should be studied in detail. Overall, given the extent of the alcohol‐attributable disease burden in Poland, the highest priority should be given to the problem of ethanol and its very high content in unrecorded alcohol products.
Entrepreneurial Scripts and the New Transaction Commitment Mindset: Extending the Expert Information Processing Theory Approach to Entrepreneurial Cognition Research
Authors: Smith J. Brock , Mitchell J. Robert , Mitchell Ronald K.
Published: July 2009

In this study, we extend the expert information processing theory approach to entrepreneurial cognition research through an empirical exploration of the new transaction commitment mindset among business people in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Using analysis of covariance, multivariate analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression analysis of data from a cross–sectional sample of 417 respondents, our results provide a foundation for additional cross–level theory development, with related implications for increasing the practicality of expert information processing theory–based entrepreneurial cognition research. Specifically, this paper: (1) clarifies the nature of the relationship between entrepreneurial expert scripts and constructs that might represent an entrepreneurial mindset at the individual level of analysis; (2) identifies analogous relationships at the economy level of analysis, where the structure found at the individual level informs an economy–level problem; (3) presents a North American Free Trade Agreement–based illustration analysis to demonstrate the extent to which cognitive findings at the individual level can be used to explain economy–level phenomena; and (4) extrapolates from our analysis some of the ways in which script–based comparisons across country or culture can inform the more general task of making information processing–based comparisons among entrepreneurs across other contexts.
Increased right amygdala volume in lithium‐treated patients with bipolar I disorder
Authors: Usher J. , Menzel P. , Schneider‐Axmann T. , Kemmer C. , Reith W. , Falkai P. , Gruber O. , Scherk H.
Published: July 2009

Usher J, Menzel P, Schneider‐Axmann T, Kemmer C, Reith W, Falkai P, Gruber O, Scherk H. Increased right amygdala volume in lithium‐treated patients with bipolar I disorder.

Objective:  The amygdala plays a major role in processing emotional stimuli. Fourteen studies using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have examined the amygdala volume in paediatric and adult patients with bipolar disorder (BD) compared with healthy controls (HC) and reported inconsistent findings. Lithium has been found to increase grey matter volume, and first evidence points towards an effect on regional brain volume such as the amygdala.

Method:  We examined the amygdala volume of euthymic patients with BD treated with lithium (n = 15), without lithium (n = 24) and HC (n = 41) using structural MRI.

Results:  Patients treated with lithium exhibited in comparison to HC a larger right absolute (+17.9%, P = 0.015) and relative (+18%, P = 0.017) amygdala volume. There was no significant difference in amygdala volume between patients without lithium treatment and HC.

Conclusion:  Lithium appears to have a sustained effect on a central core region of emotional processing and should therefore be considered in studies examining BD.
Amisulpride – dose, plasma concentration, occupancy and response: implications for therapeutic drug monitoring
Authors: Sparshatt A. , Taylor D. , Patel M. X. , Kapur S.
Published: July 2009

Objective:  To evaluate the relationships between dose, plasma concentration, pharmacological activity and clinical outcome to evaluate the appropriateness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients receiving amisulpride.

Method:  Literature search of Embase, Medline and PubMed databases.

Results:  Amisulpride plasma concentration is closely correlated with dose (r2 = 0.96, P < 0.0001), dopamine occupancy, response and with extra‐pyramidal symptoms (EPS). Dose is correlated with response, dopamine occupancy and EPS. Optimal clinical response was found at doses of 400–800 mg/day, corresponding to plasma levels of approximately 200–500 ng/ml. EPS appears to be more reliably predicted by a plasma level above 320 ng/ml than by a particular dose.

Conclusion:  The effects and safety of amisulpride in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are predicted by daily dose. The plasma concentration threshold for response appears to be approximately 200 ng/ml. EPS are more reliably predicted by plasma level than by dose. TDM for patients prescribed amisulpride is thus of some clinical value.
Long‐term melatonin administration protects brain mitochondria from aging
Authors: Carretero Miguel , Escames Germaine , López Luis C. , Venegas Carmen , Dayoub José C. , García L. , Acuña‐Castroviejo Darío
Published: July 2009

Abstract: We tested whether chronic melatonin administration in the drinking water would reduce the brain mitochondrial impairment that accompanies aging. Brain mitochondria from male and female senescent prone (SAMP8) mice at 5 and 10 months of age were studied. Mitochondrial oxidative stress was determined by measuring the levels of lipid peroxidation and nitrite, glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio, and glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities. Electron transport chain activity and oxidative phosphorylation capability of mitochondria were also determined by measuring the activity of the respiratory chain complexes and the ATP content. The results support a significant age‐dependent mitochondrial dysfunction with a diminished efficiency of the electron transport chain and reduced ATP production, accompanied by an increased oxidative/nitrosative stress. Melatonin administration between 1 and 10 months of age completely prevented the mitochondrial impairment, maintaining or even increasing ATP production. There were no major age‐dependent differences between males in females, although female mice seemed to be somewhat more sensitive to melatonin treatment than males. Thus, melatonin administration as a single therapy maintained fully functioning brain mitochondria during aging, a finding with important consequences in the pathophysiology of brain aging.
Kynuramines, metabolites of melatonin and other indoles: the resurrection of an almost forgotten class of biogenic amines
Authors: Hardeland Rüdiger , Tan Dun‐Xian , Reiter Russel J.
Published: July 2009

Abstract: Kynuramines represent their own class of biogenic amines. They are formed either by decarboxylation of kynurenines or pyrrole ring cleavage of indoleamines.N2‐formylated compounds formed in this last reaction can be deformylated either enzymatically by arylamine formamidases or hemoperoxidases, or photochemically. The earlier literature mainly focussed on cardiovascular effects of kynuramine, 5‐hydroxykynuramine and theirN1,N1‐dimethylated analogs, including indirect effects via release of catecholamines or acetylcholine and interference with serotonin receptors. After the discovery ofN1‐acetyl‐N2‐formyl‐5‐methoxykynuramine (AFMK) andN1‐acetyl‐5‐methoxykynuramine (AMK) as major brain metabolites of melatonin, these compounds became of particular interest. They were shown to be produced enzymatically, pseudoenzymatically, by various free radical‐mediated and via photochemical processes. In recent years, AFMK and AMK were shown to scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, thereby forming several newly discovered 3‐indolinone, cinnolinone and quinazoline compounds, and to protect tissues from damage by reactive intermediates in various models. AMK is of special interest due to its properties as a potent cyclooxygenase inhibitor, NO scavenger forming a stable nitrosation product, inhibitor and/or downregulator of neuronal and inducible NO synthases, and a mitochondrial metabolism modulator. AMK easily interacts with aromates, forms adducts with tyrosyl and tryptophanyl residues, and may modify proteins.
Regional differences in maturation of germ cells of cryptorchid testes: role of environment
Authors: Zivkovic Dragana , Varga Jan , Konstantinidis Georgios , Vlaski Jovan , Snyder Howard M , Hadziselimovic Faruk
Published: July 2009

Objective:  To investigate differences in maturation of germ cells in cryptorchid testes in three different regions.

Patients and methods:  A total of 103 consecutive patients were operated for unilateral undescended testis in Vojvodina, from March 2006 until September 2007, and had a testicular biopsy performed. Germ cells were counted, and the presence of Ad spermatogonia was noted. Biopsies were compared to biopsies of similar patients from two different regions: Philadelphia, USA (130), and Liestal, Switzerland (55 patients).

Results:  In Vojvodina, 84.5% of patients had Sertoli cells only, or some spermatogonia, but no Ad spermatogonia, and 15.5% had Ad spermatogonia. In Philadelphia, 59.3% of patients had poor testicular histology, and 40.7% had Ad spermatogonia. In Liestal, 61.8% of patients had no, or some, spermatogonia, but no Ad spermatogonia, and 38.2% had Ad spermatogonia. There was a difference (p = 0.000025) between the patients with normal testicular histology from Philadelphia and those from Vojvodina, as well as between the patients from Vojvodina and Liestal (p = 0.0027).

Conclusion:  The reduction in the number of germ cells in patients with cryptorchidism from Vojvodina is more pronounced than patients from either Switzerland or USA. This is a unique observation, since such a study has not been published yet.
Knowledge and practical performance gained by Iraqi residents after participation to a neonatal resuscitation program course
Authors: Jabir Maysoon M , Doglioni Nicoletta , Fadhil Tareef , Zanardo Vincenzo , Trevisanuto Daniele
Published: July 2009

Aim:  neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) course is effective in improving knowledge in participants coming from developed as well as developing countries; however, its impact on practical performances has not been yet formally evaluated in participants coming from developing countries. We evaluate the knowledge and the performance on clinical simulations gained by Iraqi residents following participation in the NRP course.

Methods:  A 71‐item questionnaire derived from the standard test contained in the American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Manual was administered to participants before and after the course. All participants were tested with a final Mega code (Mega code A scenario–NRP textbook) to evaluate their performance on clinical simulations.

Results:  Twenty‐six obstetrical and 2 pediatric residents participated in the NRP course, respectively. The percentages of correct answers significantly improved from before (52 ± 14%) to immediately after the course (85 ± 7%); p < 0.001. Mean score obtained at the final Mega code was 68 ± 8%. Four out of 28 (14%) participants reached the minimum score required for passing the exam (80%).

Conclusion:  Residents coming from a developing country (Iraq) significantly improved their knowledge attainment following participation in the NRP course; however, their performance on clinical simulations was unsatisfactory, suggesting that this aspect needs to be improved.
Anti‐inflammatory treatment of asthma: differentiation and trial‐and‐error
Authors: Wolthers Ole D
Published: July 2009

The relative lack of evidence for anti‐inflammatory treatment of some phenotypes of asthma in children has been highlighted in recent guidelines and consensus reports specifically aiming at the paediatric population. Consequently, we are left with a need for defining treatment strategies in the clinical setting. The decision to initiate antiinflammatory treatment should be based on assessments of the individual child's age, the type of asthma, severity, heredity and atopic condition, adherence factors and sensitivity to systemic adverse effects of treatment options. Inhaled corticosteroids are potent anti‐inflammatory agents that are effective in the whole spectrum of asthma in school age children. In toddlers with viral wheeze and in children with mild asthma oral leukotriene receptor antagonists or inhaled corticosteroids may be given on a trial‐and‐error basis.

Conclusion:  To treat all children with asthma equally effectively from infancy through adolescence does not mean that they should be treated identically and in some types of asthma a trial‐and‐error approach may be warranted.
Management of bronchiolitis without antibiotics: a multicentre randomized control trial in Bangladesh
Authors: Kabir ARML , Mollah AH , Anwar KS , Rahman AKMF , Amin R , Rahman ME
Published: July 2009

Objective:  To ascertain that antibiotics have no role in the management of bronchiolitis.

Design:  Multicentre randomized control trial (RCT).

Setting:  Five purposively selected teaching hospitals in Bangladesh.

Patient:  Children under 24 months old with bronchiolitis.

Interventions:  Children were randomized into three groups of therapeutic interventions: parenteral ampicillin (P‐Ab), oral erythromycin (O‐Ab) and no antibiotic (N‐Ab) in adjunct to supportive measures.

Main outcome measures:  Clinical improvement was assessed using 18 symptoms/signs which were graded on a two‐point recovery scale of ‘rapid’ and ‘gradual’, indicating improvement within ‘four days’ and ‘beyond four days’, respectively.

Results:  Each intervention group consisted of 98 ± 1 children having comparable clinico‐epidemiological characteristics at the baseline. The trial revealed that most chesty features (features appearing to arise from chest, i.e. cough, breathing difficulty, wheeze, chest indrawing, tachypnoea, tachycardia, rhonchi and crepitation) demonstrated a gradual recovery, beyond 4th admission day and, not differing among the three intervention groups (p > 0.23, p < 0.62, p = 0.54, p < 0.27, p = 0.75, p = 0.76, p = 0.81, p > 0.98, respectively). Most non‐chesty features (features appearing to arise away from chest, i.e. feeding/sleeping difficulties, social smile, restlessness, inconsolable crying, nasal flaring, fever and hypoxaemia) demonstrated a rapid recovery, within 4 days, remaining comparable among the three intervention groups (p < 0.07, p = 0.65, p = 0.24, p < 0.61, p = 0.22, p = 0.84, p = 0.29 and p = 0.96, respectively). However, nasal symptoms (runny nose and nasal blockage) also showed no difference among groups (p = 0.36 and p = 0.66, respectively). Thus, the dynamics of clinical outcome obviates that children not receiving antibiotics had similar clinical outcome than those who did.

Conclusion:  In hospital settings, managing bronchiolitis with only supportive measures but without antibiotics remains preferable.
Nasal CPAP and surfactant for treatment of respiratory distress syndrome and prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Verder Henrik , Bohlin Kajsa , Kamper Jens , Lindwall Robert , Jonsson Baldvin
Published: July 2009

The Scandinavian approach is an effective combined treatment for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). It is composed of many individual parts. Of significant importance is the early treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) and surfactant treatment. The approach may be supplemented with caffeine citrate and non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation for apnoea. The low incidence of BPD seen as a consequence of the treatment strategy is mainly due to a reduced need for mechanical ventilation (MV).

Conclusion:  Early‐postnatal treatment with nCPAP and surfactant decreases the severity and mortality of RDS and BPD. This is mainly due to a diminished use of MV in the first days of life.
Geography: The Key to Recent British Elections
Authors: Johnston Ron , Pattie Charles
Published: July 2009

Elections are a geographer’s delight, providing them with large amounts of data that can be mapped and spatially analysed. This is especially the case with elections to legislative bodies – such as the UK’s House of Commons and the USA’s House of Representatives – which use single‐member district systems characterised by a winner‐takes‐all method (often termed first‐past‐the‐post or plurality) for translating votes cast for political parties into legislative representation. Not only are the data intrinsically geographical – they refer to spatially defined places and territorially delimited vote containers – but in addition the entire organisation and conduct of elections in such circumstances is an inherently geographical activity. This essay demonstrates that geography is much more than epiphenomenal in electoral studies through a case study of British general elections over the last 60 years, based on a large number of empirical studies.
New Possibilities? Shifts in Post‐Development Theory and Practice
Authors: McGregor Andrew
Published: July 2009

When post‐development first emerged as an outraged collection of critiques in the early 1990s theorists called for fundamental changes or the abandonment of development, declaring it had failed in its own limited terms and had instead lead to the destruction of people, places and spaces. Post‐development drew from post‐structural ideas to destabilise the taken‐for‐granted truths, knowledges and languages of development to highlight the faulted cultural assumptions and violences inherent within development industries. Not surprisingly post‐development attracted a good deal of critique which has tempered its ferocity and contributed to a more constructive approach, albeit in its infancy, intent on exploring the practical applications of this body of theory. This article overviews the travails of post‐development from its early angry incarnations to its current experimental and optimistic mood. I argue that although post‐development insights are infusing broader development approaches its future as a coherent body of work will be determined by its ability to re‐imagine agency and place and create new networks and spaces of opportunity for people and communities. For this to occur post‐development research must be couched in the languages of hope and possibility.
Thinking Beyond Place: The Responsibilities of a Relational Spatial Politics
Authors: Darling Jonathan
Published: July 2009

Although for many in contemporary human geography, it appears paradigmatic to conceive of space as a performed, networked, articulation of social relations; the political and ethical challenges of ‘thinking space relationally’ are only beginning to be considered. In this article, I attempt to review the account of spatial and political responsibilities elaborated through such writing, arguing that its focus upon spatial connections and flows develops those concerns with partialist and impartialist sentiments noted in literature on geography’s ‘moral turn’. The article reviews the development of the work of Doreen Massey in particular to consider how a relational politics of space has come to represent a call for a concern for both the relations which run ‘into’ and ‘out from’ place. By examining a number of examples of this form of a ‘politics beyond place’, I argue that viewing space relationally offers a versatile account of the diverse claims made by a series of spatial issues, such as climate change and fair‐trade relations. The article concludes by suggesting how a relational politics might present an alternative geographical imagination of extensive political responsibilities.
Meaning in Life as a Subjective Judgment and a Lived Experience
Authors: Hicks Joshua A. , King Laura A.
Published: July 2009

Meaning in life has long been recognized as a central dilemma of human life. In this article, we review some of the challenges of studying meaning in life from the perspective of social psychology. We draw on the diary of Etty Hillesum, a young woman who was killed in Auschwitz, to argue for the relevance of current empirical approaches to meaning in life. We review evidence suggesting that meaning in life is an important variable in the psychology of human functioning while also acknowledging that there is no consensus definition for the construct. Drawing on Hillesum's diary and our research, we argue for the importance of considering meaning in life as the outcome of a subjective judgment process. We then review research showing the strong relationship between positive mood and meaning in life and suggest that such a relationship is born out in the phenomenology of meaning in life.
Micro‐Column Separation/Pre‐Concentration Combined with Fluorinating Electrothermal Vaporisation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry for Determination of Trace Refractory Elements in Seawater, Soil and Sediment
Authors: Xiong Chaomei , He Man , Hu Bin
Published: July 2009

A new, rapid and highly efficient method for the determination of trace amounts of refractory elements (titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum) using micro‐column separation/pre‐concentration combined with fluorinating electrothermal vaporisation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (FETV‐ICP‐MS) has been developed. In this method, trace amounts of the analytes were selectively adsorbed by a conical micro‐column packed with the solid phase extraction material N‐benzoyl‐N‐phenylhydroxylamine loaded on microcrystalline naphthalene at desired pH values. Various factors influencing the separation/pre‐concentration, such as pH, sample flow rate and sample volume were studied in detail, and the influences of the organic matrix and the pre‐ashing temperature on the determined results were also investigated. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits for Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta and Mo were 0.016, 0.011, 0.010, 0.007, 0.005, 0.006 and 0.003 ng ml−1, respectively, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 3.3% (Nb) to 9.6% (Hf) (C= 0.20 ng ml−1, n= 9). In order to validate the method, the proposed method was applied to the analysis of three certified reference materials (soils GBW07401 and GBW07425; sediment GBW07301a) and the results obtained were in good agreement with the reference values. The method was also successfully applied to the analysis of real seawater samples with satisfactory results.
Morbidity and mortality among populations suffering floods in Hunan, China: the role of socioeconomic status
Authors: Abuaku B.K. , Zhou J. , Li Xinhua , Li S. , Li Xingli , Liu A. , Yang T. , Tan H.
Published: July 2009

A cross‐sectional survey in randomly selected eight counties affected by the 1998 floods in Hunan, China, was conducted in year 2000 using a structured questionnaire. Data obtained included demographic and housing characteristics of subjects; family income; morbidity and mortality during and after the floods; and type and severity of flood suffered. Gender, age group, source of drinking water, type of flood suffered, and severity of flood suffered played highly significant roles in morbidity while gender, age group, educational level, family size, and type of flood suffered played highly significant roles in mortality among populations suffering floods. Intervention strategies in such populations need to take into account these characteristics with the view of reducing the health impact of floods.
Anglo‐Indian Lives in the Later Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries
Authors: FINN MARGOT
Published: July 2009

This essay explores the utility of individual and family biographies for British imperial and global history‐writing. It begins by outlining social historians' ambivalent attitude to biography as a genre and then deploys a case study of the family of Sir Thomas Munro (1761‐1827) to illuminate the demographic forces that drove propertied families into imperial ventures. It argues that malleable marital stratagems and collective social aspirations, rather than rigid political or racial ideologies, provided the primary impetus for British engagement with empire on the subcontinent under East India Company rule.
Potential agronomic options for energy‐efficient sugar beet‐based bioethanol production in northern Japan
Authors: KOGA NOBUHISA , TAKAHASHI HIROYUKI , OKAZAKI KAZUYUKI , KAJIYAMA TSUTOMU , KOBAYASHI SOHEI
Published: July 2009

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) is deemed to be one of the most promising bioethanol feedstock crops in northern Japan. To establish viable sugar beet‐based bioethanol production systems, energy‐efficient protocols in sugar beet cultivation are being intensively sought. On this basis, the effects of alternative agronomic practices for sugar beet production on total energy inputs (from fuels and agricultural materials during cultivation and transportation) and ethanol yields (estimated from sugar yields) were assessed in terms of (i) direct drilling, (ii) reduced tillage (no moldboard plowing), (iii) no‐fungicide application, (iv) using a high‐yielding beet genotype, (v) delayed harvesting and (vi) root+crown harvesting. Compared with the conventional sugar beet production system used in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, northern Japan, which makes use of transplants, direct drilling and no‐fungicide application contributed to reduced energy inputs from raising seedlings and fungicides, respectively, but sugar (or ethanol) yields were also reduced by these practices, to a greater equivalent extent than the reductions in energy inputs. Consequently, direct drilling (6.84 MJ L−1) and no‐fungicide application (7.78 MJ L−1) worsened the energy efficiency (total energy inputs to produce 1 L of ethanol), compared with conventional sugar beet production practices (5.82 MJ L−1). Sugar yields under conventional plow‐based tillage and reduced tillage practices were similar, but total energy inputs were reduced as a result of reduced fuel consumption from not plowing. Hence, reduced tillage showed improved energy efficiency (5.36 MJ L−1). The energy efficiency was also improved by using a high‐yielding genotype (5.23 MJ L−1) and root+crown harvesting (5.21 MJ L−1). For these practices, no major changes in total energy inputs were noted, but sugar yields were consistently increased. Neither total energy inputs nor ethanol yields were affected by extending the vegetative growing period by delaying harvesting.
Detection of anti‐TNFα activity in canine hyperimmune serum using a TNFα inhibition assay
Authors: Kotiw Michael , Morgan Michael , Taylor Stephen M. , Shiels Ian A.
Published: July 2009

Background: Increased serum tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) activity has been associated with onset of serious inflammatory diseases in dogs. Development of treatment with TNFα‐antagonists has been limited by the unavailability of suitable reagents and potency assays for TNFα.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to optimize a cell‐based assay to measure anti‐TNFα activity in serum and plasma from hyperimmune (vaccinated with an Escherichia coli J5 bacterin) and unvaccinated canine donors; to use the assay to determine whether hyperimmune serum inhibits TNFα activity in vivo; and to determine whether soluble TNF receptor‐1 (sTNFR1, a naturally occurring TNFα antagonist) contributes to anti‐TNFα activity.

Methods: Commercial plasma and serum from hyperimmune‐frozen plasma (HFP) donors and unvaccinated fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP) donors were used in the study. An L929‐cell TNFα‐inhibition assay (LTIA) was optimized to measure anti‐TNFα activity. Using a rat subcutaneous pouch model of inflammation, the effects of HFP, FFP, a synthetic TNFα antagonist (Etanercept), and carprofen on TNFα activity were compared in vivo. Immunofluorescence was used to measure soluble sTNFR1 concentration.

Results: Using the optimized LTIA, HFP serum but not FFP serum decreased canine TNFα activity (P<.01). HFP plasma and Etanercept (but not FFP plasma or carprofen) significantly decreased TNFα activity in pouch exudates (P<.05). A significantly higher concentration of sTNFR1 was found in HFP than FFP serum.

Conclusions: Using the LTIA, anti‐TNFα activity is readily measured in canine serum and inflammatory exudates. sTNFR1 appears to contribute to anti‐TNFα activity in HFP serum. These results suggest HFP should be investigated further as a potential immunotherapeutic agent for controlling canine diseases in which TNFα is implicated.
The use of pooled vs serial urine samples to measure urine protein:creatinine ratios
Authors: LeVine Dana N. , Zhang Daowen , Harris Tonya , Vaden Shelly L.
Published: July 2009

Background:Evaluation of serial urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratios is important in prognosticating chronic kidney disease and monitoring response to therapeutic interventions. Owing to random biologic variation in dogs with stable glomerular proteinuria, multiple determinations of UPC ratios often are recommended to reliably assess urine protein loss. This can be cost‐prohibitive.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate agreement between the mean of 3 UPC ratios obtained on 3 separate urine samples per dog and a single UPC ratio obtained when aliquots of the separate samples were pooled and analyzed as 1 sample.

Methods:Three separate urine samples were collected from each of 25 dogs, both client‐owned and members of a research colony. Protein and creatinine concentrations were measured in the supernatant of each sample using a biochemical analyzer, and the mean of the 3 UPC ratios was calculated. A 1.0 mL aliquot of each of the 3 samples from each dog was pooled to create a fourth sample for that dog, and the UPC ratio of the pooled sample was similarly determined. Agreement and correlation between the mean and pooled UPC ratios were assessed using Bland–Altman difference plots and regression analysis, respectively.

Results:The UPC ratio in the pooled samples was highly correlated (r=.9998,P<.0001) with the mean UPC ratio of the 3 separate samples. Strong agreement between results was demonstrated; a UPC ratio from a pooled sample was at most ±20% different than the mean UPC ratio obtained from 3 separate samples.

Conclusions:Measuring the UPC ratio in a pooled sample containing equal volumes of several different urine specimens from the same dog provides a reliable and cost‐effective alternative to assessing multiple UPC ratios on several specimens from the same dog.
In Vivo and In Vitro Evidence of the Involvement of CXCL1, a Keratinocyte‐Derived Chemokine, in Equine Laminitis
Authors: Faleiros R.R. , Leise B.B. , Westerman T. , Yin C. , Nuovo G.J. , Belknap J.K.
Published: July 2009

Background:C‐X‐C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) is an important chemokine of epithelial origin in rodents and humans.

Objectives:To assess in vivo and in vitro the regulation of CXCL1 in equine laminitis.

Animals:Twenty adult horses.

Methods:Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess expression of CXCL1 in samples of laminae, liver, skin, and lung from the black walnut extract (BWE) model of laminitis, and in cultured equine epithelial cells (EpCs). Tissue was obtained from control animals (CON, n = 5), and at 1.5 hours (early time point [ETP] group, n = 5), at the onset of leukopenia (developmental time point [DTP] group, n = 5), and at the onset of lameness (LAM group, n = 5) after BWE administration. EpCs were exposed to Toll‐like/Nod receptor ligands, oxidative stress agents, and reduced atmospheric oxygen (3%). In situ PCR was used to localize the laminar cell types undergoing CXCL1 mRNA expression.

Results:Increases in laminar CXCL1 mRNA concentrations occurred in the ETP (163‐fold [P= .0001]) and DTP groups (21‐fold [P= .005]). Smaller increases in CXCL1 expression occurred in other tissues and organs. In cultured EpCs, increases (P< .05) in CXCL1 mRNA concentration occurred after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS [28‐fold]), xanthine/xanthine oxidase (3.5‐fold), and H2O2(2‐fold). Hypoxia enhanced the LPS‐induced increase in CXCL1 mRNA (P= .007). CXCL1 gene expression was localized to laminar EpCs, endothelial cells, and emigrating leukocytes.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance:These findings indicate that CXCL1 plays an early and possibly initiating role in neutrophil accumulation in the BWE laminitis model, and that laminar keratinocytes are an important source of this chemokine. New therapies using chemokine receptor antagonists may be indicated.