bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fine needle aspiration cytology of palatine tonsils: a study of 112 consecutive adult tonsillectomies
Authors: Ashraf M. J. , Azarpira N. , Nowroozizadeh B. , Shishegar M. , Khademi B. , Faramarzi A. , Hashemi S. B. , Hakimzadeh A. , Abedi E.
Published: March 2009

M. J. Ashraf, N. Azarpira, B. Nowroozizadeh, M. Shishegar, B. Khademi, A. Faramarzi, S. B. Hashemi, A. Hakimzadeh and E. Abedi Fine needle aspiration cytology of palatine tonsils: a study of 112 consecutive adult tonsillectomies

Objective:  To study fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings of tonsillar lesions with histological controls and to assess its role in the diagnostic evaluation of tonsillectomy specimens.

Methods:  This study consisted of 112 cases that required tonsillectomy, comprising 55 (49.1%) men and 57 (50.9%) women. The ages ranged between 20 and 62 years. The clinical diagnosis in 101 cases was chronic tonsillitis, whereas 11 were suspected of neoplasia. FNAC was performed before tonsillectomy under general or local anaesthesia or on fresh specimens using a 21‐G needle. The smears were stained using Wright–Giemsa and Papanicolaou methods. Histological examination was carried out on surgical specimens of all cases and, when required, immunohistochemistry was performed on histological sections. The diagnostic outcomes between FNAC and surgical biopsy were compared.

Results:  In this study, 106 cases were diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis/follicular hyperplasia, four cases as non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, one as Hodgkin’s lymphoma and one as monophasic synovial sarcoma. All malignant cases were diagnosed by FNAC, but synovial sarcoma was incorrectly diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. Five cases clinically suspected of neoplasia were correctly diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis on cytology.

Conclusion:  Tonsillar aspiration is a safe procedure and is useful in the evaluation of tonsillectomy specimens. However, ancillary tests on cytological material are often needed when neoplasia is suspected and would help clinical management and allow histological examination of cases diagnosed cytologically as lymphoma.
CD98hc (SLC3A2), a novel marker in renal cell cancer
Authors: Prager G. W. , Poettler M. , Schmidinger M. , Mazal P. R. , Susani M. , Zielinski C. C. , Haitel A.
Published: March 2009

Background  In a variety of malignant diseases, molecular targeting represents a therapeutic option, whereby, when compared with chemotherapy, fewer side effects are thought to be expected. Especially in renal cell cancer (RCC), tyrosine kinase‐inhibitors have been established as useful and highly effective therapy. However, tyrosine kinase‐inhibitors currently approved for RCC treatment lack single molecule specificity and bear a variety of side effects of the gastro‐intestinal tract, skin, heart and haematopoietic system. Therefore, the identification of novel cell surface markers is sought, which might lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in cancer.

Material and methods  Paraffin‐embedded RCCs from a well characterized tissue bank were immunohistochemically quantified for embryonic transmembrane antigen CD98hc (SLC3A2) expression and semi‐quantitative analyses were correlated with subtype or grade of differentiation.

Results  We found increased CD98hc expression in different types of malign RCCs, among them clear cell (cc)RCC, papillary (p)RCC and chromophobe (ch)RCC, but lack of expression in the benign renal oncocytoma. Thereby, the extent of CD98hc expression directly complies with grade of malignancy. Furthermore, the more malignant type II pRCC significantly higher expressed CD98hc than the less malignant and more differentiated type I pRCC (type II 83·34%, type I 4·76% CD98hc positive, P < 0·00001; n = 51). The established marker for type I pRCC, Cytokreatin 7, showed 95·24% expression in type I and 26·67% expression in type II pRCC (P < 0·00001, n = 51).

Conclusions  From these data, we conclude that CD98hc is expressed in RCCs, whereby the extent of expression is likely to correlate directly with grade of malignancy. In pRCCs, CD98hc might represent a novel and reliable marker for type II pRCC.
Chronic renal failure induces genetic instability in multiple organs of Wistar rats
Authors: Ribeiro D. A. , Campos R. R. , Bergamaschi C. T.
Published: March 2009

Background  Taking into consideration the strong evidence for a relationship between DNA damage and carcinogenesis, the aim of this study was to investigate whether blood, liver, heart, kidney and brain are particularly sensitive organs for DNA damaging during chronic renal disease by the single‐cell gel (comet) assay to predict genetic instability induced by this pathological condition.

Methods  A total of 18 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: negative control (n = 8) and experimental (n = 10), in which was submitted to the 5/6 renal mass ablation by ligation of two or three branches of the left renal artery and total right nephrectomy during 8 weeks.

Results  The results showed that chronic renal disease was able to induce genetic damage in blood, heart, liver and kidney cells as depicted by the mean tail moment. No genetic damage was induced in brain cells, i.e. no significant statistically differences (P > 0·05) were noticed when compared to negative control.

Conclusion  In conclusion, our results suggest that chronic renal failure could contribute to the damage of DNA at all organs evaluated, except to the brain cells. As DNA damage is an important step in events leading to carcinogenesis, this study represents a relevant contribution to the correct evaluation of the potential health risks associated with kidney disease.
Research use in clinical practice – extent and patterns among nurses one and three years postgraduation
Authors: Forsman Henrietta , Gustavsson Petter , Ehrenberg Anna , Rudman Ann , Wallin Lars
Published: March 2009

Title.  Research use in clinical practice – extent and patterns among nurses one and three years postgraduation.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study of nurses’ research use in clinical practice one and three years postgraduation in Sweden.

Background.  Internationally, learning to critically appraise and use research is an educational objective within nursing training, with the aim of promoting research use in nursing practice. The extent to which these skills is acquired and used among relatively newly graduated nurses is largely unexplored, however.

Method.  A descriptive study was conducted in 2006 using a national longitudinal survey of two nursing cohorts one (n = 1,365) and three (n = 933) years postgraduation. The self‐reported extent of instrumental, conceptual and persuasive research use was measured. Data were analysed using both variable‐ and pattern‐oriented approaches based on cluster analysis.

Results.  Research use was reported to occur in about half or fewer of the working shifts. In both samples, seven clusters of nurses with different research use profiles were identified. Clusters representing overall low and very low users in all three types of research use were predominant both at one (45·6%) and three (51·6%) years postgraduation, whereas clusters of nurses reporting overall high research use were uncommon. The proportion of very low users was larger 3 years after graduation than 1 year after graduation.

Conclusions.  The low extent of reported research use, raises the question of whether scientific perspectives included in nursing education are translated into clinical application. The pattern‐oriented approach illustrates the complexity of research use and identification of typical research use profiles in specific contexts may have potential to guide interventions aimed at supporting evidence‐based practice.
Knowing in nursing: a concept analysis
Authors: Bonis Susan A.
Published: March 2009

Title. Knowing in nursing: a concept analysis.

Aim. This paper is a report of an analysis of the evolution of the concept of knowing in nursing.

Background. Following the seminal contribution of Carper in 1978, knowing has been discussed with increasing frequency in the nursing literature with reference to the development of nursing knowledge. Various patterns of knowing, as well as research focused on reflection on experience, have been the foundation for activities and research designed to improve practice as well as patient care in clinical, community, education, cultural and administrative settings.

Methods. Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis provided the framework for this analysis. The data source was a search of literature published from 1978 to 2007. Three aims guided the analysis: to understand how the concept of knowing is used in nursing, how it is used in other health‐related disciplines and how the concept has evolved into the current interpretation.

Discussion. Analysis revealed that knowing in nursing refers to a uniquely personal type of knowledge constructed of objective knowledge interfaced with the individual’s subjective perspective on personal experience. Knowing is a dynamic process and a result of personal reflection and transformation as the individual lives and interacts in the world. Its antecedents are experience, awareness and reflection. The consequences are understanding, finding meaning and transformation.

Conclusion. This analysis illuminates an area in which nursing has carved out its own niche in healthcare research. The concept of knowing in nursing practice and research reflects a focus on the individual experience of health and illness.
Humanism and its critiques in nursing research literature
Authors: Traynor Michael
Published: March 2009

Title.  Humanism and its critiques in nursing research literature.

Aim.  This paper raises for debate the issue of how humanist ideas have been taken up by nurse scholars, particularly in research literature.

Background.  Many nurses from the mid‐1970s onwards have described and promoted humanism as an appropriate philosophical basis for nursing practice and research. This has been partly in an attempt to sharply differentiate the profession from medicine, and later, managerialism, which have been represented as reductionist and failing to adequately respond to the whole patient.

Methods.  A summary of definitions of humanism and critiques of humanism in broad philosophical literature is followed by an examination and critique of literature appearing in PubMed published within nursing scholarship from 1976 to 2007 which discusses or promotes humanism in nursing practice or research.

Findings.  Writers have attempted to enhance the importance of nursing by associating it with the humanistic project of accepting responsibility for realizing our human potential. They have promoted a version of research which is qualitative and centres on understanding individual lifeworlds of research participants because of a strong valuing of the experiences and perspectives of the individual. Much of the literature on this topic describes this humanism in dualistic contrast to medico‐scientific reductionism and objectivity.

Conclusion.  Some of the presentations of humanistic nursing lack rigour and can be seen as doing little more than reproducing professional ideology. Scholars and others in the field of nursing could take the trouble to submit these ideologies to proper scrutiny.
Clinical decision‐making for ‘as needed’ medications in mental health care
Authors: Usher Kim , Baker John A. , Holmes Colin , Stocks Belinda
Published: March 2009

Title.  Clinical decision‐making for ‘as needed’ medications in mental health care.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study exploring the medical and nursing decision‐making process associated with the prescription and administration of ‘as needed’ psychotropic medication.

Background.  The administration of ‘as needed’ psychotropic medications is a relatively autonomous component of a nurse’s role, allowing for the capacity to administer psychotropic medications rapidly in acute situations or at the request of a patient. From the research evidence available to date, it is very difficult to determine how doctors and nurses make decisions about the prescription and administration of ‘as needed’ psychotropic medications.

Method.  A qualitative exploratory‐descriptive study was undertaken to explore nurses and doctors decision‐making surrounding the administration of pro re nata or ‘as needed’ psychotropic medications. Nineteen medical and nursing staff from three mental healthcare sites (acute, secure and rehabilitation) in Australia participated in semi‐structured interviews in 2006. Thematic content analysis of the transcripts was conducted independently by two members of the research team and then merged to form the final themes.

Results.  Four themes were identified in the data: decision‐making processes; factors which influenced the administration and prescription of ‘as needed’ medication; individual protocols and improving practice.

Conclusion.  In‐service education should be developed for mental health nurses on psychotropic medications and ‘as needed’ medications, and on the appropriate use of ‘as needed’ medications as a behaviour management strategy. Further, an extensive review of ‘as needed’ medication prescription and administration compared to best practice guidelines is needed.
Resident perspectives of the determinants of quality of life in residential care in Ireland
Authors: Cooney Adeline , Murphy Kathy , O’Shea Eamon
Published: March 2009

Title.  Resident perspectives of the determinants of quality of life in residential care in Ireland.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study conducted to identify the determinants of quality of life for older people living in residential care, including exploration of mediating factors at personal and institutional levels and to construct a model of these.

Background.  The quality of life of older people living in residential care is an under‐researched area. The focus in the gerontology literature has been on quality of care rather than quality of life for these people. There is emerging consensus, however, that quality of life for older people is a complex, multidimensional concept, incorporating both subjective and objective elements, whether people live at home or in residential care.

Method.  A grounded theory study was conducted in 2005–2006. A total of 101 interviews were undertaken with older people across 12 sites, representing different types of residential care in Northern Ireland. The constant comparative technique was used to analyse data.

Findings.  Four themes having an impact on the quality of life of residents were identified: ethos of care; sense of self and identity; connectedness; and activities and therapies. Mediating and facilitating and/or constraining factors for quality of life were also identified. The core category was conceptualized as ‘maximizing potential’.

Conclusion.  Achieving optimal quality of life for older people in residential care will remain elusive unless all the factors which affect on it are taken into account by practitioners and policy‐makers. Improving the quality of life of older people in residential care will require action in respect of all of the domains identified in this paper.
First in line or first in time? Effects of settlement order and arrival date on reproduction in a group‐living beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae
Authors: Latty Tanya M. , Reid Mary L.
Published: March 2009

In group‐living organisms, individuals that initiate aggregations, termed pioneers, may suffer higher mortality costs than individuals that join established aggregations. Here we examine the hypothesis that aggregation initiators achieve higher reproductive success in the early phases of colonization, potentially through lower competition and increased access to the resource (finder's advantage), and that this benefit is sufficient to outweigh the costs of pioneering.

We also examine the role of arrival date (irrespective of order within the aggregation) on reproductive success, because individuals in seasonal environments may gain an advantage by arriving early. We test these hypotheses using mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), an obligately aggregating insect wherein pioneers suffer high mortality due to tree defences. We measured reproductive success at the start of winter when most components of final offspring number were likely to be determined.

Surviving pioneers that successfully recruited conspecifics had smaller broods than individuals that joined aggregations, refuting our hypothesis. The later that a beetle settled within an aggregation, the higher its reproductive success. However, beetles that settled early in the season produced more offspring than those that settled later in the season, and this effect was generally stronger than settlement order within an aggregation. Our study highlights the importance of examining the effects of both settlement order and arrival date on the costs and benefits of pioneering aggregations.
Cascading top‐down effects of changing oceanic predator abundances
Authors: Baum Julia K. , Worm Boris
Published: March 2009

Top‐down control can be an important determinant of ecosystem structure and function, but in oceanic ecosystems, where cascading effects of predator depletions, recoveries, and invasions could be significant, such effects had rarely been demonstrated until recently.

Here we synthesize the evidence for oceanic top‐down control that has emerged over the last decade, focusing on large, high trophic‐level predators inhabiting continental shelves, seas, and the open ocean.

In these ecosystems, where controlled manipulations are largely infeasible, ‘pseudo‐experimental’ analyses of predator–prey interactions that treat independent predator populations as ‘replicates’, and temporal or spatial contrasts in predator populations and climate as ‘treatments’, are increasingly employed to help disentangle predator effects from environmental variation and noise.

Substantial reductions in marine mammals, sharks, and piscivorous fishes have led to mesopredator and invertebrate predator increases. Conversely, abundant oceanic predators have suppressed prey abundances. Predation has also inhibited recovery of depleted species, sometimes through predator–prey role reversals. Trophic cascades have been initiated by oceanic predators linking to neritic food webs, but seem inconsistent in the pelagic realm with effects often attenuating at plankton.

Top‐down control is not uniformly strong in the ocean, and appears contingent on the intensity and nature of perturbations to predator abundances. Predator diversity may dampen cascading effects except where nonselective fisheries deplete entire predator functional groups. In other cases, simultaneous exploitation of predator and prey can inhibit prey responses. Explicit consideration of anthropogenic modifications to oceanic foodwebs should help inform predictions about trophic control.

Synthesis and applications. Oceanic top‐down control can have important socio‐economic, conservation, and management implications as mesopredators and invertebrates assume dominance, and recovery of overexploited predators is impaired. Continued research aimed at integrating across trophic levels is needed to understand and forecast the ecosystem effects of changing oceanic predator abundances, the relative strength of top‐down and bottom‐up control, and interactions with intensifying anthropogenic stressors such as climate change.
Phylogeographic patterns in Hypochaeris section Hypochaeris (Asteraceae, Lactuceae) of the western Mediterranean
Authors: Ortiz María Ángeles , Tremetsberger Karin , Stuessy Tod F. , Terrab Anass , García‐Castaño Juan L. , Talavera Salvador
Published: March 2009

Aim  To analyse phylogeographic patterns in the four species of Hypochaeris sect. Hypochaeris, evaluating possible areas of origin and the microevolutionary processes that have shaped their morphology, genetics and distribution.

Location  Western Mediterranean area.

Methods  We applied amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to a total of 494 individuals belonging to 82 populations of Hypochaeris arachnoidea, H. glabra, H. radicata and H. salzmanniana to determine population structure.

Results  Populations with the largest proportion of private and rare AFLP fragments were found in Morocco. This region was consequently inferred to be the ancestral area for H. arachnoidea, H. glabra, H. radicata and H. salzmanniana. The Guadalquivir River (southern Spain) was inferred to be an effective dispersal barrier for H. glabra and H. radicata. The Strait of Gibraltar was inferred to be a somewhat weaker barrier than the Guadalquivir River for H. radicata and a much weaker barrier for H. glabra. The main barrier for H. salzmanniana coincides with the extension of the Rif Mountains to the Atlantic coast in Morocco, and the Strait of Gibraltar is a much weaker barrier for this species. Hypochaeris arachnoidea appears to have originated in the Atlas Mountains.

Main conclusions  The highest levels of genetic variation in La Mamora forest (H. glabra and H. salzmanniana) or the adjacent central Middle Atlas (H. arachnoidea and H. radicata) in Morocco suggest that these areas were a centre of origin of Hypochaeris sect. Hypochaeris. All three potential barriers – the Guadalquivir River, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Rif Mountains – have been important in shaping genetic diversity in species of section Hypochaeris.
Large‐scale spatio‐temporal shifts in the diet of a predator mediated by an emerging infectious disease of its main prey
Authors: Moleón Marcos , Sánchez‐Zapata José Antonio , Real Joan , García‐Charton José Antonio , Gil‐Sánchez José María , Palma Luís , Bautista Jesús , Bayle Patrick
Published: March 2009

Aim  To explore the influence of an emerging infectious disease (EID) affecting a prey species on the spatial patterns and temporal shifts in the diet of a predator over a large geographical scale. We reviewed studies on the diet of Bonelli’s eagles (Hieraaetus fasciatus) in order to determine the repercussions of the reduction in the density of its main prey, the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), caused by outbreaks of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) since 1988.

Location  Western continental Europe.

Methods  We compiled published and unpublished information on the diet of breeding Bonelli’s eagles from Portugal, Spain and France for a 39‐year study period (1968–2006). Nonparametric tests were used in order to analyse temporal shifts in diet composition and trophic diversity (H′) between the periods of ‘high’ (before outbreak of RHD) and ‘low’ rabbit density (after outbreak of RHD). A combination of hierarchical agglomerative clustering and non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses were used to test for the existence of geographical patterns in the diet of Bonelli’s eagles in each period.

Results  The diet of the Bonelli’s eagle consisted of rabbit (28.5%), pigeons (24.0%), partridges (15.3%), ‘other birds’ (11.6%), ‘other mammals’ (7.1%), corvids (7.0%), and herptiles (6.4%). However, RHD had large consequences for its feeding ecology: the consumption of rabbits decreased by one‐third after the outbreak of RHD. Conversely, trophic diversity (H′) increased after outbreak of RHD. At the same time, the analyses showed clear geographical patterns in the diet of the Bonelli’s eagle before, but not after, RHD outbreak.

Main conclusions  Geographical patterns in the diet of the Bonelli’s eagle in western Europe seem to be driven mainly by spatio‐temporal variation in the abundance of rabbits and, to a lesser extent, by the local (territorial) environmental features conditioning the presence and density of alternative prey species. We show that an EID can disrupt predator–prey relationships at large spatial and temporal scales through a severe decline in the population of the main prey species. Hence we argue that strict guidelines should be drawn up to prevent human‐aided dissemination of ‘pathogen pollution’, which can threaten wildlife not only at the population and species level but also at the community and ecosystem scale.
Plant litter chemistry and mycorrhizal roots promote a nitrogen feedback in a temperate forest
Authors: Wurzburger Nina , Hendrick Ronald L.
Published: March 2009

Relationships between mycorrhizal plants and soil nitrogen (N) have led to the speculation that the chemistry of plant litter and the saprotrophy of mycorrhizal symbionts can function together to closely couple the N cycle between plants and soils. We hypothesized that a tannin‐rich, ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM) plant promotes the retention of protein–tannin N in soil, and that this N source is accessible to saprotrophic ERM symbionts and their hosts, but remains less available to co‐occurring ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbionts and their hosts.

We tested this feedback hypothesis in a southern Appalachian forest community composed of two microsites: a hardwood microsite with ECM and AM trees in the overstorey and understorey, and an AM herb layer; and a rhododendron microsite where the understorey and herb layer are replaced by ERM rhododendron. We synthesized 15N‐enriched protein–tannin complexes from leaf litter extracts representing each forest microsite and examined the fate of 15N in soil volumes 3 months and 1 year after the complexes were placed in the field.

Protein–tannin complexes derived from the rhododendron microsite led to a higher retention of 15N in soil organic matter and a lower recovery in dissolved N pools than those from the hardwood microsite, supporting the hypothesis that rhododendron tannins create stable complexes that increase organic N retention in soils.

Rhododendron complexes led to greater 15N‐enrichment in ERM roots than in AM and ECM roots, supporting the hypothesis that rhododendron can better access the N complexed by its own litter tannins than can co‐occurring forest trees and plants. Our results suggest that both fungal saprotrophy and a high specific root length contribute to the ability of ERM roots to acquire N from complex organic sources.

Synthesis. This study provides evidence of an intricate N feedback where plant litter chemistry influences the cycle of N to maximize N acquisition by the host's mycorrhizal roots, while hindering N acquisition by mycorrhizal roots of co‐occurring plants. Feedback processes such as these have the potential to drive patterns in nitrogen cycling and productivity in many terrestrial ecosystems.
Partial agonists and schizophrenia: theoretical developments for the development of mental health nursing
Authors: JONES M. , WHITE J. , GRAY R.
Published: March 2009

People with schizophrenia have a significant impaired quality of life. The paper discusses how partial agonists could improve the quality of life with people with schizophrenia in comparison with treatment with second generation antipsychotics. The paper provides a framework as to how mental health nurses can utilize the clinical benefits of partial agonists through greater application of psychosocial interventions.
Biodiversity in microbial communities: system scale patterns and mechanisms
Authors: PARNELL J. JACOB , CROWL TODD A. , WEIMER BART C. , PFRENDER MICHAEL E.
Published: March 2009

The relationship between anthropogenic impact and the maintenance of biodiversity is a fundamental question in ecology. The emphasis on the organizational level of biodiversity responsible for ecosystem processes is shifting from a species‐centred focus to include genotypic diversity. The relationship between biodiversity measures at these two scales remains largely unknown. By stratifying anthropogenic effects between scales of biodiversity of bacterial communities, we show a statistically significant difference in diversity based on taxonomic scale. Communities with intermediate species richness show high genotypic diversity while speciose and species‐poor communities do not. We propose that in species‐poor communities, generally comprising stable yet harsh conditions, physiological tolerance and competitive trade‐offs limit both the number of species that occur and the loss of genotypes due to decreases in already constrained fitness. In species‐rich communities, natural environmental conditions result in well‐defined community structure and resource partitioning. Disturbance of these communities disrupts niche space, resulting in lower genotypic diversity despite the maintenance of species diversity. Our work provides a model to inform future research about relationships between species and genotypic biodiversity based on determining the biodiversity consequences of changing environmental context.
Contribution of cyclic parthenogenesis and colonization history to population structure in Daphnia
Authors: THIELSCH ANNE , BREDE NORA , PETRUSEK ADAM , DE MEESTER LUC , SCHWENK KLAUS
Published: March 2009

Cyclic parthenogenesis, the alternation of parthenogenetic and sexual reproduction, can lead to a wide scope of population structures, ranging from almost monoclonal to genetically highly diverse populations. In addition, sexual reproduction in aquatic cyclic parthenogens is associated with the production of dormant stages, which both enhance potential gene flow among populations as well as impact local evolutionary rates through the formation of dormant egg banks. Members of the cladoceran genus Daphnia are widely distributed key organisms in freshwater habitats, which mostly exhibit this reproduction mode. We assessed patterns of genetic variation within and among populations in the eurytopic and morphologically variable species Daphnia longispina, using data from both nuclear (13 microsatellite loci) and mitochondrial (partial sequencing of the 12S rRNA gene) markers from a set of populations sampled across Europe. Most populations were characterized by very high clonal diversity, reflecting an important impact of sexual reproduction and low levels of clonal selection. Among‐population genetic differentiation was very high for both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, and no strong pattern of isolation by distance was observed. We also did not observe any substantial genetic differentiation among traditionally recognized morphotypes of D. longispina. Our findings of high levels of within‐population genetic variation combined with high among‐population genetic differentiation are in line with predictions of the monopolization hypothesis, which suggests that in species with rapid population growth and potential for local adaptation, strong priority effects due to monopolization of resources lead to reduced levels of gene flow.
Peroxule extension over ER‐defined paths constitutes a rapid subcellular response to hydroxyl stress
Authors: Sinclair Alison M. , Trobacher Chris P. , Mathur Neeta , Greenwood John S. , Mathur Jaideep
Published: March 2009

Plants survive against myriad environmental odds while remaining rooted to a single spot. The time scale over which plant cells can respond to environmental cues is seldom appreciated. Fluorescent protein‐assisted live imaging of peroxisomes reveals that they respond within seconds of exposure to hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals by producing dynamic extensions called peroxules. Observations of the Arabidopsis flu mutant and treatments with xenobiotics eliciting singlet oxygen and superoxide reactive oxygen species suggest that the observed responses are specific for hydroxyl radicals. Prolonged exposure to hydroxyl radicals inhibits peroxule extension, and instead causes motile and spherical peroxisomes in a cell to become immotile and elongate several‐fold. Expression of photo‐convertible EosFP–PTS1 demonstrates that vermiform peroxisomes result from rapid stretching of individual peroxisomes, while the subsequent ‘beads‐on‐a‐string’ morphology results from differential protein distribution within an elongated tubule. Over time, the beads in elongated peroxisomes also extend peroxules randomly before undergoing asynchronous, asymmetrical fission. Peroxule extension does not appear to involve cytoskeletal elements directly, but is closely aligned with and reflects the dynamics of ER tubules. Peroxisomal responses reveal a rapidly invoked subcellular machinery that is involved in recognition of hydroxyl stress thresholds, and its possible remediation locally through extension of peroxules or globally by increasing peroxisome numbers. A matrix protein retro‐flow mechanism that supports peroxisome–ER connectivity in plant cells is suggested.
Which model species for weed seedbank and emergence studies? A review
Authors: GARDARIN A , DÜRR C , COLBACH N
Published: March 2009

Gardarin A, Dürr C & Colbach N (2009). Which model species for weed seedbank and emergence studies? A review. Weed Research49, 117–130.

Models predicting the effects of cropping systems on weed demography are important tools for testing new rules for integrated weed management that may reduce the use of herbicides and preserve the biodiversity of agro‐ecosystems. Such models already exist for a few species and should now be extended to a larger flora, in order to predict and understand the effects of agricultural practices on the evolution of weed communities. This review analysed the literature from 1973 to 2006, focusing on 45 species, to identify past reasons for choosing particular species when modelling the effects of cropping systems on the processes leading to seedling emergence. The frequency or harmfulness of the species were the main reason for studying them. It appears that the studied species were mainly autumn‐emerging in north‐western Europe cropping systems and summer‐emerging in North America; the effects of deep soil tillage were studied mainly in Europe, as simplified sowing techniques are more often practised in North America. A voluminous literature exists on seed persistence in the soil, dormancy, germination and emergence, but rarely with the attempt of establishing generic relationships between species characteristics and model parameters. Until now, such an approach has been mostly developed in ecological studies. Taxa, as well as ecological preferences, seed size and the relationships of these characteristics with weed emergence model parameters should be considered when selecting a range of species for multi‐specific modelling purposes.
A novel strain of Fusarium oxysporum from Germany and its potential for biocontrol of Orobanche ramosa
Authors: MÜLLER‐STÖVER D , KOHLSCHMID E , SAUERBORN J
Published: March 2009

Müller‐stöver D, Kohlschmid E & Sauerborn J (2009). A novel strain of Fusarium oxysporum from Germany and its potential for biocontrol of Orobanche ramosa. Weed Research.49, 175–182.

A newly isolated Fusarium oxysporum strain was investigated for its biocontrol potential against the root parasitic weed Orobanche ramosa (branched broomrape). The fungus was found to affect all developmental stages of the parasite. Orobanche seed germination was reduced by 40% in the presence of fungal conidia in vitro. The number of underground tubercles and shoots of the weed was reduced by the fungus by 55% compared with the control and 92% of tubercles were recorded as diseased in root chambers. In pot experiments, soil application of a granular formulation of the fungus resulted in a reduction of number and dry matter of Orobanche shoots by more than 90%. Spraying of a conidial suspension on aboveground Orobanche shoots caused the death of 75% of them within 2 weeks. Data from initial host‐range experiments indicate that the isolate is very host‐specific, not even attacking shoots of other Orobanche species. Because of these promising results, we conclude that the fungal isolate should be investigated under field conditions and be compared with other Fusarium isolates proposed for biocontrol of O. ramosa.
Investigating genetic diversity and habitat dynamics in Plantago brutia (Plantaginaceae), implications for the management of narrow endemics in Mediterranean mountain pastures
Authors: De Vita A. , Bernardo L. , Gargano D. , Palermo A. M. , Peruzzi L. , Musacchio A.
Published: March 2009

Many factors have contributed to the richness of narrow endemics in the Mediterranean, including long‐lasting human impact on pristine landscapes. The abandonment of traditional land‐use practices is causing forest recovery throughout the Mediterranean mountains, by increasing reduction and fragmentation of open habitats. We investigated the population genetic structure and habitat dynamics of Plantago brutia Ten., a narrow endemic in mountain pastures of S Italy. Some plants were cultivated in the botanical garden to explore the species’ breeding system. Genetic diversity was evaluated based on inter‐simple sequence repeat (ISSR) polymorphisms in 150 individuals from most of known stands. Recent dynamics in the species habitat were checked over a 14‐year period. Flower phenology, stigma receptivity and experimental pollinations revealed protogyny and self‐incompatibility. With the exception of very small and isolated populations, high genetic diversity was found at the species and population level. amova revealed weak differentiation among populations, and the Mantel test suggested absence of isolation‐by‐distance. Multivariate analysis of population and genetic data distinguished the populations based on genetic richness, size and isolation. Landscape analyses confirmed recent reduction and isolation of potentially suitable habitats. Low selfing, recent isolation and probable seed exchange may have preserved P. brutia populations from higher loss of genetic diversity. Nonetheless, data related to very small populations suggest that this species may suffer further fragmentation and isolation. To preserve most of the species’ genetic richness, future management efforts should consider the large and isolated populations recognised in our analyses.
Comparison of the guaranteed analysis with the measured nutrient composition of commercial pet foods
Authors: Choate C. J. , Hill R. C. , Scott K. C. , Molenberghs G.
Published: March 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare the guaranteed analysis of commercial pet foods to their measured nutrient concentrations. Data were collected regarding the guaranteed and measured concentrations of crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, moisture and ash of pet foods from annual feed inspection reports from South Dakota (2003–2005), Indiana (2004–2005), Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey (2005–2006). The difference for each nutrient was compared among types of food (dry, canned or treat), intended species, target life‐stages, manufacturers and reporting laboratories.

Significant differences between the guaranteed and measured nutrient concentrations were found. For all foods, the mean ± one standard deviation of the difference was 1.5 ± 2.0% for crude protein, 1.0 ± 1.7% for crude fat, ‐0.7 ± 1.3% for crude fibre, ‐4.0 ± 3.3% for moisture, and ‐0.5 ± 1.0% for ash. The difference in crude protein was significantly greater for treats than for other food types. The difference in crude fat was significantly less for dry foods than for other food types. The differences in crude fibre and moisture were significantly less for canned foods than for other food types. Only the differences in crude fibre differed significantly among target species, life‐stages, manufacturers or laboratories.

More accurate estimations of the nutrient composition and calculated metabolizable energy content of commercial pet foods can be obtained by making adjustments to the guaranteed analysis. This includes adding 1.5% and 1% to the guaranteed minimums for crude protein and crude fat, respectively, and subtracting 0.7%, 4% and 0.5% from the guaranteed maximums for crude fibre, moisture and ash, respectively.
cDNA and protein sequence for canine arachidonate 5‐lipoxygenase: stuctural modelling and species differences
Authors: Wakshlag J. J. , Morgan S. K.
Published: March 2009

5‐lipoxygense is an important enzyme in the genesis of leukotrienes through arachidonic acid metabolism to 5‐hydroxyecosatetranoic acid (5)‐HETE. Not only is this enzyme important in producing the chemotactic leukotrienes, but it may also be important in producing autocrine lipid signaling molecules (5‐oxo‐ETE, LTB4) for cellular proliferation. mRNA was isolated in our laboratory from canine leukocytes, and transitional carcinoma cells using the Qiagen whole blood mRNA extraction kit. An internal cDNA fragment was cloned using primers designed according to homologous regions in human and rat 5‐LOX. Once an internal sequence was determined both 5′ and 3’ RACE reactions were performed according to the manufacturer's suggestions using the Ambion RACE kit. The 5′ region just upstream of the ATG start site to 300 bp beyond the terminal codon was sequenced. Protein structural modeling was performed through threading of the presumed sequence onto the known rabbit 15‐LOX using Swiss PDB viewer. Based on the known human sequence and structural modeling there are three areas of interest in the canine structure. (i) In the catalytic domain there are a number of charged amino acid differences in an external alpha helix at amino acids 645‐660, which may confer structural differences between human and canine 5‐LOX. (ii) An important phosphorylation site at ser 532 is actually a threonine in canine 5‐LOX. (iii) All mammalian 5‐lipoxygense enzymes are between 673–674 amino acids; however, the canine 5‐LOX sequence contains two additional amino acids, a leucine and valine at residues 379 and 380 respectively, making canine 5‐LOX 676 amino acids rather than the 674 identified in human, mouse and bovine.
The relationship between obesity and markers of oxidative stress in dogs
Authors: Cline M. G. , Lauten S. , Cox Sherry , Bartges Joseph W.
Published: March 2009

Obesity, a serious epidemic affecting much of our pet population, increases the risk of developing numerous diseases. It has been demonstrated that obesity increases oxidative stress in obese children, cats and other species. Oxidative stress can result in DNA damage with subsequent alterations in gene expression, cell signaling, mutations, cell death or cell transformation. These effects of oxidative damage predispose animals and humans to numerous disease processes and cancer. The objective of the study was to demonstrate that obese dogs are under oxidative stress resulting in DNA damage and decreased endogenous antioxidant protection measured by serum glutathione levels and the ratio of reduced (GSH) to oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. In this case–control study, 10 obese dogs were compared with aged‐matched healthy control dogs. Dogs with BCS of 7 or greater (9 pt scale) were considered obese. Dogs were evaluated by history, physical exam, body condition score, CBC, serum biochemical analysis and total T4, with both groups showing no significant differences in CBC, serum biochemical or T4 analysis. Single‐cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) was used to measure DNA damage, and high performance liquid chromatography was used to measure serum glutathione. Reduced glutathione levels were significantly higher in the obese group (p = 0.012). The results of this pilot study suggest that obesity is associated with an increase in antioxidant potential, therefore justifying a larger study with antioxidant supplementation to determine how antioxidants in weight loss diets effects endogenous antioxidant capabilities.
Olfactory response of Stenotus rubrovittatus to rice and paddy weed, Scirpus juncoides
Authors: Hori M.
Published: March 2009

The olfactory response of the sorghum plant bug, Stenotus rubrovittatus (Matsumura) (Het., Miridae), to rice, Oryza sativa L., and paddy weed, Scirpus juncoides Roxb. var. ohwianus T. Koyama, was investigated with an olfactometer to clarify the mechanism of the invasion of the bugs in paddy fields. Both adult females and males were significantly attracted to panicles of rice in the flowering and full‐ripe stages. Whole plants (aboveground parts) of rice in the panicle‐formation stage, and stems and leaves of rice in the flowering stage significantly attracted only adult females. Other rice structures tested did not attract males or females. Both males and females were attracted to the flowering spikelets of S. juncoides. Although females showed no olfactory response to stems of S. juncoides in the flowering stage, males were repelled by them. Only females were attracted to whole plants of flowering S. juncoides. Whole plants of S. juncoides in the spikelet‐formation stage significantly attracted only females. The findings suggest that the invasions of S. rubrovittatus into paddy fields are caused by their olfactory responses to the volatiles emitted from rice and some paddy weeds such as S. juncoides.
The changing face of epidemiology of invasive fungal disease in Europe
Authors: Lass‐Flörl Cornelia
Published: March 2009

Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are an increasingly common complication in critically ill patients in Europe and are frequently fatal. Because of changes in treatment strategies and the increased use of antifungal prophylaxis, the epidemiology of IFDs has changed substantially in recent years and infections due to Candida species are no longer the majority in many institutions. In contrast, the emergence of non‐Candida IFDs such as aspergillosis, zygomycosis and fusariosis has increased. European surveys indicate that Candida albicans is responsible for more than half the cases of invasive candidaemia; however, the occurrence of non‐albicans‐related IFDs appears to be increasing. Rates of IFD‐related mortality in Europe depend on the pathogen, geographical location and underlying patient characteristics, with rates ranging from 28 to 59% for Candida infections and from 38 to 80% for invasive aspergillosis. Early initiation of antifungal therapy is critical for improving outcomes; however, this is complicated by the difficulty in diagnosing IFDs rapidly and accurately. The introduction of new extended‐spectrum azole antifungal agents (e.g. voriconazole, posaconazole) and echinocandins (e.g. micafungin, caspofungin, anidulafungin) has increased the number of therapeutic options for early therapy. Choice between agents should be based on a variety of factors, including spectrum of activity, adverse events, drug interactions, route of administration, clinical efficacy of individual agents and local epidemiology.
Continuity of nursing and the time of sickness
Authors: Elstad Ingunn , Torjuul Kirsti
Published: March 2009

This paper explores the relationship between temporal continuity in nursing and temporal features of sickness. It is based on phenomenological and hermeneutical philosophy, empirical studies of sickness time, and the nursing theories of Nightingale, of Benner and of Benner and Wrubel. In the first part, temporal continuity is defined as distinct from interpersonal continuity. Tensions between temporal continuity and discontinuity are discussed in the contexts of care management, of conceptualisations of disease and of time itself. Temporal limitations to the methodological concept of situation are discussed. The main part of this paper explores nurses’ possibilities to relate to their patients’ time, and how temporal features of sickness may warrant temporal continuity of nursing. Three temporal characteristics of sickness are discussed: the immediacy of patients’ suffering, the basic continuity of life through sickness and health care, and the indeterminism and precariousness of sickness. The timing of nursing acts is discussed. The paper explores how sickness is both part of the continuity of life, and threatens this continuity. It concludes that this tension is implicitly recognised in the temporal continuity of nursing, which allows for discontinuous and continuous aspects of sickness time. Nurses accordingly perceive the sick person's time at several levels of temporality, and distinguish highly complex temporal processes in their patients’ trajectory. Temporal continuity provides the time, flexibility, and closeness for nurses to perceive and act into time dimensions of individual sickness. The paper shows that temporal continuity of nursing is grounded in temporal characteristics of severe sickness. It suggests that temporal continuity is an important theoretical concept in nursing.