bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias Arising from the Right Ventricular Septum Close to the His Bundle: Features of the Local Electrogram at the Optimal Ablation Site
Authors: KOMATSU YUKI , OTOMO KIYOSHI , TANIGUCHI HIROSHI , KAKITA KEN , TAKAYAMA KEI , FUJIWARA HIDEOMI , IESAKA YOSHITO
Published: February 2011

Ablation of Para‐Hisian Ventricular Arrhythmias. Introduction: The characteristics of the local electrogram at the optimal ablation site of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) originating from the right ventricle close to the His bundle (HB) region have rarely been described.

Methods and Results: Among 190 consecutive patients with idiopathic VAs with left bundle branch block morphology and inferior‐axis deviation, 16 were found to have successful ablation site in the right ventricle close to the HB region (para‐Hisian group). The electrophysiologic data were compared between the patients in the para‐Hisian group and those with VAs arising from the right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (RVOT group). The distal bipolar electrogram at the successful ablation sites in the para‐Hisian group exhibited a significantly greater R‐wave duration, lower R‐wave amplitude, and slower upright deflection of the initial R wave than did those in the RVOT group (all P < 0.001). In the para‐Hisian group, a total of 56 radiofrequency (RF) energy applications were delivered, of which the local electrograms at 16 successful and 40 unsuccessful ablation sites were reviewed. High‐frequency R‐wave potentials of the bipolar electrogram were present in 14 (88%) of the successful ablation sites. An R‐wave duration of greater than 34 ms had a discriminatory power for indicating the site of a successful ablation (area under the receiver–operator characteristics curve 0.90, sensitivity 94%, specificity 80%).

Conclusions: The successful ablation site of the para‐Hisian VAs had distinctive local electrogram characteristics. A longer R‐wave duration of the bipolar electrogram with high‐frequency potentials could be a novel predictor of a successful ablation. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 878‐885, August 2011)
Predicting Hyperresponse Among Pacemaker‐Dependent Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy Patients Upgraded to Cardiac Resynchronization
Authors: ADELSTEIN EVAN , SCHWARTZMAN DAVID , GORCSAN III JOHN , SABA SAMIR
Published: February 2011

Resynchronizing Pacemaker‐Dependent Patients. Introduction: Right ventricular (RV) pacing engenders left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony and may diminish LV systolic function, promote adverse cardiac remodeling, and foster heart failure (HF). This process may be reversible in some pacemaker‐dependent patients upgraded to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We examined the clinical characteristics of pacemaker‐dependent patients who exhibit hyperresponse (i.e., normalization of LV function) with CRT upgrade.

Methods and Results
: We identified 51 chronically RV‐paced patients with no coronary artery disease, LV ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 35%, and severe HF symptoms who were upgraded to CRT‐defibrillators (CRT‐D). Echocardiograms were performed before and ≥6 months after CRT. Patients with follow‐up LVEF ≥ 50% were deemed hyperresponders. Clinical outcomes of death, cardiac transplant, mechanical circulatory support, and HF hospitalizations were assessed. Fifteen patients were CRT hyperresponders; all demonstrated ≥15% relative LV end‐systolic volume decrease. Hyperresponders had smaller baseline LV dimensions and shorter known cardiomyopathy duration than nonhyperresponders (P < 0.01). The best predictors of hyperresponse using receiver operating characteristic analysis were LV end‐systolic dimension <48 mm (area under the curve [AUC] 0.92, P < 0.001), LV end‐diastolic dimension <58 mm (AUC 0.86, P < 0.001), and cardiomyopathy duration <24 months (AUC 0.82, P < 0.001). No hyperresponders died, received a cardiac transplant, or required mechanical circulatory support during 42 ± 22 months follow‐up, whereas 5 nonhyperresponders died, 2 underwent transplant, and 1 required an assist device (log rank P = 0.049).

Conclusion
: Among chronically RV paced patients who are upgraded to CRT‐D, smaller baseline LV dimensions and shorter known cardiomyopathy duration predict hyperresponse. Hyperresponders have excellent long‐term survival. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 905‐911, August 2011)
A Free Software for Food Industries to Ensure Food Safety: CARVER + Shock
Authors: Yadav Vedpal , Sharma Alka
Published: February 2011

Abstract:  Bio‐terrorism is not a new term for scientists. Post 9/11 the United States of America, as well as other countries which have grown well economically and countries undergoing the metamorphosis to developed nations, are under serious threat of bio‐terrorism. This has led to the development of the software CARVER + Shock by Sandia National Laboratories and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), specifically for risk assessment and protection mechanism in the entire food supply chain from farm to table. This software requires training on the software front and interaction with industry people to chalk out a plan to safeguard the premises and the supply chain of the food products in the industry manufacturing. Such efforts should be well highlighted and advertised among food processing professionals, educators, students, and those government agencies concerning the food safety issues. Everyone must look at this software as this is going to be the future of food processing safety. This system works like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and can be integrated for total quality management of the concerned industry. Our study has highlighted the application of this software in various food industries showing its strength and weaknesses.
Evaluating Sweet Potato as an Intervention Food to Prevent Vitamin A Deficiency
Authors: Burri Betty J.
Published: February 2011

Abstract: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency causes over 600000 deaths per year, mostly of young children or pregnant women. Populations prone to VA deficiency obtain about 82% of their VA from plant sources that are rich in pro‐VA carotenoids such as beta‐carotene. Orange‐fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) are an especially good source. We evaluated OFSP carotenoid concentrations, bioaccessibility, and cooking and storage, then used this to estimate the amount of OFSP needed to supply 100% of VA for people at risk for deficiency. The grams/day of OFSP needed to meet VA requirements varies with age and sex, and with the amount of beta‐carotene in the OFSP. Amounts ranged from 6 to 33 g/d (0.02 to 0.13 cups/d) for a 3‐y‐old child with marginal VA status; to 68 to 381 g/d, (0.27 to 1.49 cups/d) for a lactating woman with good status. These are amounts that can be eaten on a daily basis. The amount of OFSP needed to supply the VA requirement to all of the 208.1 million people most in danger of VA deficiency for 1 y is 2.1 to 11.7 million metric tons, or 2% to 11% of current world sweet potato production. The most important factor influencing the effectiveness of sweet potato for preventing VA deficiency, by far, is the variety of sweet potato used. Fat in the diet is also important. We conclude that OFSP could prevent VA deficiency in many food‐deficit countries—if OFSP were substituted for white, cream, yellow, or purple sweet potatoes.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Alumina onto Carbon Fibers
Authors: Roy Amit K. , Baumann Wolfgang , Schulze Steffen , Hietschold Michael , Mäder Thomas , Nestler Daisy J. , Wielage Bernhard , Goedel Werner A.
Published: February 2011

Bundles of carbon fibers were successfully coated with alumina by atomic layer deposition via sequential exposures to trimethylaluminum and water at 77°C. Fibers were not damaged by this procedure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that individual filaments were coated separately with a smooth layer; no bridging of fibers was observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and SEM images indicate that the coating was conformal and adhered well to the fiber surface. The average deposition rate was 0.25±0.02 nm/cycle, calculated from SEM images obtained at various positions of the fibers and of fibers coated with various numbers of cycles. In addition to image analysis, the coating thickness was as well estimated from the elemental composition of selected parts of a fiber bundle that was coated by 450 cycles. Along the fiber axis, the weight fraction of aluminum of the coated fibers varied from 5.3 to 6.5 wt% and perpendicular to the bundle axis it varied from 4.8 to 7.4 wt%. This translates into a variation of the estimated coating thickness along the fiber from 166 to 126 nm and perpendicular to it from 114 to 183 nm. One can estimate independently an average coating thickness from the analysis of SEM images of this specific bundle of 126 nm. The alumina coating improved oxidation resistance of the carbon fiber significantly. The oxidation onset temperature was 600°C for fibers coated with a 30‐nm‐thick layer of alumina and increased gradually with increasing coating thickness up to 660°C at a thickness of 120 nm. On the other hand, uncoated fibers started to oxidize already at 300°C.
Rich Collaterals in Clinically Unsuspected Basilar Artery Occlusion—As Good as It Gets
Authors: Karacostas Dimitris , Ioannides Panayiotis , Balamoutsos George , Artemis Nikos
Published: February 2011

Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is generally considered an emergency and is associated with high mortality and poor functional outcome. Although cases with more benign course without thrombolysis treatment have occasionally been reported, to our knowledge there is only one previous report in which angiography, almost accidentally revealed a clinically unsuspected BAO. A 45‐year‐old man with treated hypertension and lipidemia had three distinct isolated episodes of dizziness, 2‐3 months before he was referred by an internist for an ultrasound neurovascular evaluation. Neurological examination and extensive laboratory work‐up was normal; however, transcranial Doppler (TCD) unexpectedly provided findings that first raised the suspicion of BAO, alerting for further work‐up. Cerebral angiography demonstrated BAO, just beyond the anterior inferior cerebellar artery origin, as well as extensive intracerebellar collateral circulation. On 6‐year follow‐up, he remains normal with no further episodes, although serial TCD shows persistent BAO.
Sex‐ and Age‐Related Differences in Brain FDG Metabolism of Healthy Adults: An SPM Analysis
Authors: Hsieh Te‐Chun , Lin Wan‐Yu , Ding Hueisch‐Jy , Sun Shung‐Shung , Wu Yu‐Chin , Yen Kuo‐Yang , Kao Chia‐Hung
Published: February 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The purpose of our study was aimed to analyze the sex‐ and age‐related differences of brain metabolism in healthy individuals.

METHODS

Consecutive 100 healthy subjects, 50 males and 50 females, undergoing routine 2‐[18F]‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for health checkup in our hospital were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used for analyses of the FDG PET images to disclose the possible effects of age on brain metabolism in males and females as well as the differences of brain metabolism between male and female groups.

RESULTS

In males and females, decreased brain metabolism with aging is found in bilateral lateral orbital prefrontal and right anterior cingulate cortices. In comparisons between sexes, males are found to have more brain metabolism than females in bilateral visual cortices and cerebellum.

CONCLUSIONS

Our report discloses different sex‐ and age‐related brain metabolism. Decreased brain metabolism with aging in males and females is similar to findings reported in previous literatures. However, whether declined brain function or volume with aging causing metabolic changes is unknown and should be further evaluated. Nevertheless, the sex‐related differences are possibly compatible with the historical observation of better performance in visual‐spatial tasks in males than females.
Digital interactive learning of oral radiographic anatomy
Authors: Vuchkova J. , Maybury T. , Farah C. S.
Published: February 2011

Introduction:  Studies reporting high number of diagnostic errors made from radiographs suggest the need to improve the learning of radiographic interpretation in the dental curriculum. Given studies that show student preference for computer‐assisted or digital technologies, the purpose of this study was to develop an interactive digital tool and to determine whether it was more successful than a conventional radiology textbook in assisting dental students with the learning of radiographic anatomy.

Materials and methods:  Eighty‐eight dental students underwent a learning phase of radiographic anatomy using an interactive digital tool alongside a conventional radiology textbook. The success of the digital tool, when compared to the textbook, was assessed by quantitative means using a radiographic interpretation test and by qualitative means using a structured Likert scale survey, asking students to evaluate their own learning outcomes from the digital tool.

Results:  Student evaluations of the digital tool showed that almost all participants (95%) indicated that the tool positively enhanced their learning of radiographic anatomy and interpretation.

Discussion:  The success of the digital tool in assisting the learning of radiographic interpretation is discussed in the broader context of learning and teaching curricula, and preference (by students) for the use of this digital form when compared to the conventional literate form of the textbook.

Conclusion:  Whilst traditional textbooks are still valued in the dental curriculum, it is evident that the preference for computer‐assisted learning of oral radiographic anatomy enhances the learning experience by enabling students to interact and better engage with the course material.
Targeted idiotype‐fusion DNA vaccines for human multiple myeloma: preclinical testing
Authors: Frøyland Marianne , Ruffini Pier Adelchi , Thompson Keith Michael , Gedde‐Dahl Tobias , Fredriksen Agnete Brunsvik , Bogen Bjarne
Published: February 2011

Objectives:  A homodimeric fusion DNA vaccine targeting idiotype (Id) to antigen‐presenting cells (APC) induced robust tumor protection in a mouse model of multiple myeloma (MM). Similar Id vaccine molecules were generated for four patients with MM with three main objectives: (i) do the vaccine molecules induce bona fide anti‐Id immune responses in mice? (ii) does targeting of the vaccine molecules to APC enhance immune responses? (iii) can anti‐Id antibodies, generated as by‐product in vaccinated mice, be used to establish sensitive assays for complete remission (CR) prior to patient vaccination?

Methods:  Chimeric vaccine molecules targeting patient Id to mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules were genetically constructed for four patients with MM.

Results:  DNA vaccination of mice with chimeric vaccines targeting patient Id to mouse MHC class II molecules elicited antibodies specific for the patient’s myeloma protein. Targeting MHC class II greatly enhanced anti‐Id responses. Mouse anti‐Id antibodies were used to establish myeloma protein–specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that were between 75 and 1500 times more sensitive than conventional serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation.

Conclusions:  These results pave the way for testing targeted DNA Id vaccines in patients in CR. Id‐ and patient‐specific ELISA could be established affording evaluation of CR depth beyond current serological methods.
Bryophytes display allelopathic interactions with tree species in native forest ecosystems
Authors: Michel Pascale , Burritt David J. , Lee William G.
Published: February 2011

Bryophytes are widespread in terrestrial ecosystems but little is known about their influence on vascular species. Water‐soluble leachates (0%, 1%, 5%, 10% concentration) derived from 18 species of bryophytes (mosses 11 species; liverworts 7 species) were tested on the germination and seedling growth ofLactuca sativaand two common treesMelicytus ramiflorus(Violaceae) andFuchsia excorticata(Onagraceae) in southern New Zealand forests. Bryophyte water soluble extracts (BWSE) have minor impact on seed germination ofLactuca, stimulatory effects on radical growth at low (1%) concentrations and inhibitory effects at higher concentrations (5–10%). ForMelicytusthe BWSE had variable effects, with evidence of strong stimulatory (Dendrohypopterygium filiculiforme) and inhibitory (Lepidozia concinna) effects on germination, but generally inhibited radical growth. BWSE at all test concentrations consistently inhibit both germination and seedling radicle growth inFuchsia. The toxicity effect of water‐soluble leachates varies significantly between bryophyte species but not consistently between mosses and liverworts. Bryophyte species exhibiting strongest inhibition effects under control conditions were associated with significantly reduced densities of broadleaved tree seedlings in forest ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that some bryophyte species via allelopathic interactions can inhibit seedling establishment and growth of forest trees. This mechanism provides an additional factor constraining the spatial distribution of the regeneration niche in forest communities.
Experimental evidence of host race formation inMitourabutterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Authors: Downey Michelle H. , Nice Chris C.
Published: February 2011

A population of herbivorous insects that shifts to a novel host can experience selection pressures that result in adaptation to the new resource. Host race formation, considered an early stage of the speciation process, may result. The current study investigates host shifts and variation in traits potentially involved in the evolution of reproductive isolation among populations of the juniper hairstreak butterfly,Mitoura gryneus. Mitouraare closely associated with their host trees (Cupressaceae) and exhibit host plant fidelity: in addition to larval development and oviposition, host trees support male leks and mating. Female oviposition preference for the natal host, and differential fitness of larvae when reared on natal versus alternate hosts, are indications that specialization and local adaptation to the natal host plant are occurring. Populations with single host plant associations (Juniperus ashei,J. pinchotiiandJ. virginiana) as well as populations with multiple hosts (bothJ. asheiandJ. pinchotii) were examined. Concordance between female preference and larval performance was found forJ. ashei‐associated populations. Population‐level variation in the patterns of female preference and larval performance, both within and among host associations, may reflect differences in the timing and direction of colonization of hosts. For a single nominal species that otherwise exhibits no morphological or phenological differences, the experimental assessment of specialization and host fidelity inM. gryneusprovides strong support for the hypothesis of ongoing host race formation in these butterflies.
Higher prevalence of periodontitis in patients with refractory arterial hypertension: a case–control study
Authors: Vidal F , Figueredo CMS , Cordovil I , Fischer RG
Published: February 2011

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 560–563

Objective:  The aim of this study was to assess the association of periodontitis with refractory arterial hypertension.

Study design:  A total of 137 patients were examined. Seventy patients (mean age of 55.2 ± 9.2 years) were included in the case group, while 67 non‐hypertensive subjects (mean age of 50.0 ± 7.2) served as a control group. Periodontal clinical examination included plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Patients with at least five sites with CAL ≥6 mm were considered as severe periodontitis, and with at least 30% of the sites with CAL ≥4 mm generalized chronic periodontitis.

Results:  The mean (±s.d.) number and percentage of sites with CAL ≥6 mm were 11 (±14) and 16.6 (±14) in the case group, and 5.7 (±9.5) and 5.8 (±9.7) in the control group (P  < 0.05). The mean (±s.d.) percentage of sites with CAL ≥4 mm was 37 (±29.6) in the case group and 21.2 (±20) in the control group (P  < 0.05). The significant associations with arterial hypertension were severe chronic periodontitis (OR = 4.04, 95% CI: 1.92; 8.49) and generalized chronic periodontitis (OR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.04; 4.56).

Conclusions:  Severe and generalized chronic periodontitis seem to play a role as risk indicators for hypertensive patients.
Sudden unexpected infant death in Auckland: a retrospective case review
Authors: Lynne Hutchison B , Rea Charlotte , Stewart Alistair W , Koelmeyer Timothy D , Tipene‐Leach David C , Mitchell Edwin A
Published: February 2011

Aim:  To review autopsy reports of all SUDI deaths in the Auckland region, New Zealand, from October 2000 to December 2009.

Methods:  Information on all SUDI cases from 2000 to 2009 was extracted from autopsy and police reports from the National Forensic Pathology Service at Auckland Hospital.

Results:  Of the 332 post‐mortems in this period, 221 were classified as SUDI. Of these, 83% were Māori or Pacific infants. The median age at death was 11 weeks and 11% occurred in 7‐ to 28‐day‐olds. At the time of death, 64% overall were bedsharing; this was more common in 7–28 day olds (92%). Bedsharing infants were significantly younger at death than non‐bedsharing infants (p = 0.008). Where sleep position was known, 57% were placed in non‐supine at the last sleep. There was no evidence of diagnostic shift and the prevalence of bedsharing did not change over the decade.

Conclusions:  Bedsharing was associated with a high proportion of SUDI cases, especially in the youngest infants, and non‐supine sleep positions were common. There is a need to enhance SUDI prevention messages and consider innovative ways of promoting safe sleeping environment and supine sleep position in Māori and Pacific communities.
Anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic physical illnesses: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Pinquart Martin , Shen Yuhui
Published: February 2011

To compare levels of anxiety of children with chronic illness with healthy peers and population norms. Meta‐analysis integrated results from 332 studies. Children with chronic illness had elevated levels of anxiety (d = 0.18 standard deviation units). Strongest elevations were found for chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine/tension headache, sensory impairment and epilepsy. Paediatricians should screen for anxiety symptoms in children at risk and offer interventions, if needed.
Solution and membrane‐bound chaperone activity of the diphtheria toxin translocation domain towards the catalytic domain
Authors: Chassaing Anne , Pichard Sylvain , Araye‐Guet Anne , Barbier Julien , Forge Vincent , Gillet Daniel
Published: February 2011

During cell intoxication by diphtheria toxin, endosome acidification triggers the translocation of the catalytic (C) domain into the cytoplasm. This event is mediated by the translocation (T) domain of the toxin. Previous work suggested that the T domain acts as a chaperone for the C domain during membrane penetration of the toxin. Using partitioning experiments with lipid vesicles, fluorescence spectroscopy, and a lipid vesicle leakage assay, we characterized the dominant behavior of the T domain over the C domain during the successive steps by which these domains interact with a membrane upon acidification: partial unfolding in solution and during membrane binding, and then structural rearrangement during penetration into the membrane. To this end, we compared, for each domain, isolated or linked together in a CT protein (the toxin lacking the receptor‐binding domain), each of these steps. The behavior of the T domain is marginally modified by the presence or absence of the C domain, whereas that of the C domain is greatly affected by the presence of the T domain. All of the steps leading to membrane penetration of the C domain are triggered at higher pH by the T domain, by 0.5–1.6 pH units. The T domain stabilizes the partially folded states of the C domain corresponding to each step of the process. The results unambiguously demonstrate that the T domain acts as a specialized pH‐dependent chaperone for the C domain. Interestingly, this chaperone activity acts on very different states of the protein: in solution, membrane‐bound, and membrane‐inserted.
The China National Stroke Registry for Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular Events: Design, Rationale, and Baseline Patient Characteristics
Authors: Wang Yongjun , Cui Liying , Ji Xunming , Dong Qiang , Zeng Jinsheng , Wang Yilong , Zhou Yong , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Chunxue , Liu Liping , Nguyen-Huynh Mai N. , Johnston S. Claiborne , Wong Lawrence , Li Hao ,   on behalf of the investigators for the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR) investigators
Published: February 2011

Background

As a leading cause of severe disability and death, stroke places an enormous burden on the health care system in China. There are limited data on the pattern of current medical practice and quality of care delivery for stroke patients at the national level.

Aim

The nation-wide prospective registry, China National Stroke Registry, will be considered with regard to its design, progress, geographic coverage, and hospital and patient characteristics.

Methods

Between September 2007 and August 2008, the China National Stroke Registry recruited consecutive patients with diagnoses of acute cerebrovascular events from 132 hospitals that cover all 27 provinces and four municipalities (including Hong Kong region) in China. Clinical data were collected prospectively using paper-based registry forms. Patients were followed for clinical and functional outcomes through phone interviews at three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months after disease onset.

Results

These patients ( n = 21 902) were 63·8 years of age on average, and 39% were females. Ischaemic stroke was predominant (66·4%), and the other subtypes were intracerebral haemorrhage (23·4%), subarachnoid haemorrhage (3·4%), and transient ischaemic attack (6·2%).

Conclusions

The China National Stroke Registry is a large-scale nationwide registry in China. Rich data collected from this prospective registry may provide the opportunity to evaluate the quality of care for stroke patients in China.
Intrinsic Regulation of Blood Flow in Adipose Tissue
Authors: Henriksen O. , Nielsen S. L. , Paaske W.
Published: February 2011

Previous studies on intact human subcutaneous tissue have shown, that blood flow remains constant during minor changes in perfusion pressure. This so‐called auto regulatory response has not been demonstrable in isolated preparations of adipose tissue. In the present study on isolated, denervated subcutaneous tissue in female rabbits only 2 of 12 expts. revealed an auto regulatory response during reduction in arterial perfusion pressure. Effluent blood flow from the tissue in the control state was 15.5 ml/100 g·min (S.D. 6.4, n = 12) corresponding to slight vasodilatation of the exposed tissue. Following total ischemia all experiments showed a period with reactive hyperemia, and both duration of hyperemia and excess flow was related to the duration of the ischemia. This response therefore seems more resistant to the experimental procedure, while auto regulation of blood flow to lowered pressure is more susceptible to surgical exposure of the tissue.

During elevation of arterial perfusion pressure blood flow in the isolated tissue showed a transient increase and then almost returned to the level during normotension, indicating an elevated vascular resistance. Raising of venous pressure elicited vasoconstriction with pronounced flow reduction. These two reactions may be important for local regulation of blood flow in subcutaneous tissue during orthostatic changes in arterial and venous pressure. It is concluded that the response in adipose tissue to changes in arterial pressure (auto regulation), venous pressure and total ischemia appear to be elicited by different mechanisms.
Influence of Vessel Distension and Myogenic Tone on Pulmonary Arterial Input Impedance. A Study using a Computer Model of Rabbit Lung
Authors: Piene Hroar
Published: February 2011

A computer model of the pulmonary arterial (PA) bed of rabbit lungs was designed in order to test experimental observations of changes in PA input impedance and pulsatile hydraulic power (cap.) during increased PA pressure. The computer model was based on a simple 3‐component analog representation of single vessels (i.e. resistance, inertance and compliance). 16 generations of arterial vessels, from PA to 60 μm diameter, were combined to calculate PA input impedance. Input impedance was found to mimic closely that observed experimentally. Both venous pressure elevation and arteriolar constriction was found to reduce input impedance and Wp. By combining arteriolar constriction with increased myogenic tone of the larger arteries, Wp was found to show a minimum level at a certain PA pressure, dependent on the degree of arterial stiffening. Wp was found to follow changes in arterial volume and resistance during simulated vasoconstriction. Wp dissipation in arterial vessels was calculated to approx. 50% of total input Wp at physiological pressure conditions, and could be reduced by one half after PA pressure increase from 20 to 50 cm H2O, despite a concurrent halving of arterial compliance. Arterial vessels smaller than 200 pm diameter were found to have negligible direct influence on PA input impedance.
Inhibition of the Lipolytic Response to Nerve Stimulation during Acidosis
Authors: Hjemdahl Paul
Published: February 2011

Acidosis inhibits catecholamine‐induced lipolysis in vivo and in vitro. The lipolytic response of canine subcutaneous adipose tissue to short (5 min) nerve stimulations at 4 Hz was, however, not influenced by hypercapnic acidosis (pH 7.0). The steady state outflow of glycerol during a prolonged nerve stimulation at 4 Hz was inhibited by 40 per cent (p<0.05) at pH 7.0. Similarly, glycerol outflow during vasodilatation induced by a 4 Hz stimulation in α‐blocked adipose tissue was inhibited by 37 per cent (p<0.05). Post‐stimulatory glycerol outflow was, however, not influenced by acidosis. This poststimulatory glycerol outflow, which may represent a complex wash‐out phenomenon, forms the largest part of the response to short nerve stimulations. It is suggested that steady state, rather than poststimulatory lipolysis should be studied in order to see the influence of treatments such as acidosis on responses to nerve stimulation.
Decrease of Oxygen Consumption in the Dog Liver during Temporary Arterial Occlusion
Authors: Andreen Magna , Irestedt Lars
Published: February 2011

The effects of occlusion of the hepatic artery on total and regional splanchnic oxygen consumption were studied in lightly anaesthetized dogs. Mean whole body oxygen uptake (± S.D.) was 4.72 ± 0.55 ml/kg b.w. min‐1, mean liver oxygen uptake (± S.D.) 1.18 ± 0.42 ml/kg b.w. min‐1 and mean oxygen uptake of the portally‐drained tissues (±S.D.) was 0.80±0.54 ml/kg b.w. min‐l during the control period. The hepatic artery contributed 45 ± 24% of the total liver oxygen uptake. The duration of occlusion was 45 min. Mean liver oxygen uptake was found to decrease to 64 % of control values. The extraction of oxygen from the portal blood increased slightly. Mean whole body oxygen uptake and mean oxygen uptake of the portally‐drained tissues were unchanged. 45 min after release of the hepatic artery occlusion, liver oxygen consumption had returned to control values. It is concluded that oxygen uptake in the liver is correlated to oxygen tension.
Significance of the Extracellular Bicarbonate Buffer System to Anaerobic Glycolysis in Hypoxic Muscle
Authors: Gesser Hans
Published: February 2011

1. The influence of the carbon dioxide‐bicarbonate buffer system on anaerobic energy production during severe hypoxia was studied in isolated right hemidiaphragms of rats. — 2. When the tissue was incubated in a Ringer solution containing 25 mM HCO3 aerated with 7 % CO2 in N2 at pH 7.4, the lactate production and lactate content of the tissue increased. — 3. At an extracellular (tissue bath) pH of 6.9 the lactate production was stimulated when carbon dioxide and bicarbonate were changed to 19 % and 25 mM, respectively. This stimulatory effect disappeared when these values were lowered to 7% and 7 mM. — 4. At pH 7.4 the stimulatory effect of the carbon dioxide‐bicarbonate system persisted when the buffer value was lowered from 60 to 3 mM by changing the system from an open (i.e. continuous gas equilibration) to a closed one (i.e. without any gas phase). Decreasing the glucose in the media from 22 to 0 mM reduced the lactate production and abolished the stimulatory effect of the carbon dioxide—bicarbonate system. — 5. There was no direct effect of this system on the glycolytic enzymes (i.e. lactate production and activity of phosphofructokinase of homogenates).
Capillary Permeability in Adipose Tissue
Authors: Paaske William P. , Nielsen Steen Levin
Published: February 2011

A method for measurement of capillary permeability using external registration of gamma emitting isotopes after close arterial bolus injection was applied to the isolated inguinal fat pad in slightly fasting rabbits. An average extraction of 26 per cent for 51Cr‐EDTA was found at a plasma flow of about 7 ml/100 g. min. This corresponds to a capillary diffusion capacity of 2.0 ml/100 g.min which is half the value reported for vasodilated skeletal muscle having approximately twice as great capillary surface area. Thus, adipose tissue has about the same capillary permeability during slight metabolic activation as vasodilated skeletal muscle.
A Method to Correct for the Influence of Gas Density on Maximal Expiratory Flow Rate
Authors: Nielsen Tage Mors , Pedersen Ole Find
Published: February 2011

Maximal expiratory flow rate (V̇max) was measured at 20, 35, 50, 65, and 80% vital capacity in 4 young healthy subjects breathing air, SF6/O2, and He/O2 mixtures. The flows of SF6/O2 and He/O2 were corrected to normal alveolar gasflow by means of only the density of the gases. The values for normal alveolar gasflow and corrected SF6/O2 flow were identical at 35% VC and larger volumes while the values for normal alveolar gasflow and corrected He/O2 flow were not. The results indicate that in young healthy subjects it is possible to correct Vmax at lung volumes above 359: VC for the changes induced by an increase in density of the gas breathed, provided viscosity is not much changed. Without correction, V̇max after O2‐breathing will be underestimated by about 6%, compared with V̇max for normal alveolar gas, whereas a change in alveolar CO2 concentrations between 3 and 9% only causes a 1 % decrease of V̇ max.
Toxic Legacy: Mustard Gas in the Sea around Us
Authors: Smith Susan L.
Published: February 2011

In 1946, Tom Brock spent part of his summer dumping mustard gas bombs off a barge into the Atlantic Ocean. Brock was a civilian employed by the United States Army Transport Service in Charleston, South Carolina. His job was to dispose of surplus bombs and drums filled with mustard gas. Sulphur mustard, commonly called “mustard gas,” can take several forms: a liquid, a solid, or a vapour. Mustard gas, named for its mustard-like color and smell, is a vesicant that is toxic to humans and causes blistering and burns, affecting the lungs, eyes, and skin. Brock recalled that he and the soldiers enjoyed watching the occasional bomb explode as it sunk into the water. “We thought it was fun,” explained Brock. “I was 18 or 19 years old. We weren’t scared. We didn’t fear any explosive. We thought we were immortal.” Later that summer he was required to guard a barge of bombs that were leaking mustard gas, which looked to him like hot molasses. Due to the known health risks, Brock was told to wear a protective suit and gas mask. However, it was a hot day so he loosened the straps around his legs. As a result, enormous blisters developed, swelling out like a balloon from his toes to his knees. His summer job was no longer fun as he experienced firsthand the health hazards of exposure to mustard gas.
Going for the Burn: Medical Preparedness in Early Cold War America
Authors: Lederer Susan E.
Published: February 2011

On September 23, 1949, President Harry Truman announced that the Soviet Union had successfully detonated an atomic bomb. The news that the Soviet Union had done this came as little surprise to a number of American scientists and to some members of the intelligence community who had predicted that the Soviets would quickly acquire this advanced weapons technology. But for many Americans this news was disturbing. Truman’s announcement was taken up by, among others, a young Baptist evangelist named Billy Graham. Opening a tent revival in Los Angeles just two days after the President’s report, Graham preached how the news of the Soviet bomb test had “startled the world” and launched an “arms race unprecedented in the history of the world.” President Truman, he informed his listeners, said that we “must be prepared foranyeventuality atanyhour….” Perhaps even more ominously he asked the crowd, “Do you know the area that is marked out for the enemy’s first atomic bomb? New York! Secondly, Chicago; and thirdly, the city of Los Angeles!” It was not only evangelical preachers who foresaw catastrophic implications from a growing arsenal of atomic weapons.
Representations and Reproductive Hazards of Agent Orange
Authors: Reagan Leslie J.
Published: February 2011

United States Air Force planes fly across mountains of green forest; behind them, fine white streams of chemical spray fill the sky. The planes fly alone or in formation covering wide swaths of the entire landscape. These images of the herbicide spraying during the United States-Vietnam War are ubiquitous in media material about Agent Orange, the most heavily used of the fifteen herbicides sprayed during the war. This representation of the war does not include guns, grenades, tanks, bombs, or dead bodies. Instead, contemporary documentary filmmakers offer images of airplanes and chemical barrels to provide evidence of another weapon of war, pan dead and leafless forests in an otherwise lush landscape of green, and zero in on children’s deformed bodies to show the lasting environmental and health effects of Agent Orange. In this essay I share preliminary thoughts from my new project on Agent Orange and film in the United States and Vietnam. The bulk of social science writing on Agent Orange has focused on American veterans and their fight to secure benefits, while film scholars have analyzed the Vietnam War in Hollywood movies and television. I investigate documentary film, the transnational activism that generates these films, and the representations of gender, disabilities, bodies, history and culture within them. Here I offer a close reading of two turn-of-the-twenty-first-century documentaries about Agent Orange in Vietnam.
Nucleotide Excision Repair Proteins Rapidly Accumulate but Fail to Persist in Human XP‐E (DDB2 Mutant) Cells
Authors: Oh Kyu‐Seon , Imoto Kyoko , Emmert Steffen , Tamura Deborah , DiGiovanna John J. , Kraemer Kenneth H.
Published: February 2011

The xeroderma pigmentosum (XP‐E) DNA damage binding protein (DDB2) is involved in early recognition of global genome DNA damage during DNA nucleotide excision repair (NER). We found that skin fibroblasts from four newly reported XP‐E patients with numerous skin cancers and DDB2 mutations had slow repair of 6‐4 photoproducts (6‐4PP) and markedly reduced repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). NER proteins (XPC, XPB, XPG, XPA and XPF) colocalized to CPD and 6‐4PP positive regions immediately (<0.1 h) after localized UV irradiation in cells from the XP‐E patients and normal controls. While these proteins persist in normal cells, surprisingly, within 0.5 h these repair proteins were no longer detectable at the sites of DNA damage in XP‐E cells. Our results indicate that DDB2 is not required for the rapid recruitment of NER proteins to sites of UV photoproducts or for partial repair of 6‐4PP but is essential for normal persistence of these proteins for CPD photoproduct removal.
Evidence-Based I–O Psychology: Not There Yet but Now a Little Nearer?
Authors: Briner Rob B. , Rousseau Denise M.
Published: February 2011

Our focal article sought to promote discussion of evidence-based approaches to practice in industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology. It did so by describing the meanings and origins of evidence-based practice, evaluating the extent to which I–O psychology practice is currently evidence-based, and considering the role of systematic reviews in promoting evidence-based practice. The commentaries on our focal article raised many interesting and important points. In our response, we divide them into two broad categories. The first category consists of comments and objections that arise from what we believe to be misinterpretations of evidence-based practice and our focal article. The second category contains those comments that in various ways extend and elaborate the issues raised in our focal article. Although we are not there yet, we hope that these commentaries will take us a little nearer to an evidence-based approach to I–O psychology.
Evaluating SNP ascertainment bias and its impact on population assignment in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua
Authors: BRADBURY IAN R. , HUBERT SOPHIE , HIGGINS BRENT , BOWMAN SHAREN , PATERSON IAN G. , SNELGROVE PAUL V. R. , MORRIS COREY J. , GREGORY ROBERT S. , HARDIE DAVID C. , BORZA TUDOR , BENTZEN PAUL
Published: February 2011

The increasing use of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in studies of nonmodel organisms accentuates the need to evaluate the influence of ascertainment bias on accurate ecological or evolutionary inference. Using a panel of 1641 expressed sequence tag–derived SNPs developed for northwest Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), we examined the influence of ascertainment bias and its potential impact on assignment of individuals to populations ranging widely in origin. We hypothesized that reductions in assignment success would be associated with lower diversity in geographical regions outside the location of ascertainment. Individuals were genotyped from 13 locations spanning much of the contemporary range of Atlantic cod. Diversity, measured as average sample heterozygosity and number of polymorphic loci, declined (c. 30%) from the western (He = 0.36) to eastern (He = 0.25) Atlantic, consistent with a signal of ascertainment bias. Assignment success was examined separately for pools of loci representing differing degrees of reductions in diversity. SNPs displaying the largest declines in diversity produced the most accurate assignment in the ascertainment region (c. 83%) and the lowest levels of correct assignment outside the ascertainment region (c. 31%). Interestingly, several isolated locations showed no effect of assignment bias and consistently displayed 100% correct assignment. Contrary to expectations, estimates of accurate assignment range‐wide using all loci displayed remarkable similarity despite reductions in diversity. Our results support the use of large SNP panels in assignment studies of high geneflow marine species. However, our evidence of significant reductions in assignment success using some pools of loci suggests that ascertainment bias may influence assignment results and should be evaluated in large‐scale assignment studies.
Outlier SNPs show more genetic structure between two Bay of Fundy metapopulations of Atlantic salmon than do neutral SNPs
Authors: FREAMO HEATHER , O’REILLY PATRICK , BERG PAUL R. , LIEN SIGBJØRN , BOULDING ELIZABETH G.
Published: February 2011

Atlantic salmon of Eastern Canada were once of considerable importance to aboriginal, recreational, and commercial fisheries, yet many populations are now in decline, particularly those of the inner Bay of Fundy (iBoF), which were recently listed as endangered. We investigated whether nonneutral SNPs could be used to assign individual Atlantic salmon accurately to either the iBoF or the outer Bay of Fundy (oBoF) metapopulations because this has been difficult with existing neutral markers. We first searched for markers under diversifying selection by genotyping eight captively bred Bay of Fundy (BoF) populations for 320 SNP loci with the Sequenom MassARRAY™ system and then analysed the data set with four different FST outlier detection programs. Three outlier loci were identified by both BayesFST and BayeScan whereas seven outlier loci, including the three previously mentioned, were identified by both Fdist and Arlequin. A subset of 14 nonneutral SNPs was more accurate (85% accuracy) than a subset of 67 neutral SNPs (75% accuracy) at assigning individual salmon back to their metapopulation. We then chose a subset of nine outlier SNP markers and used them to inexpensively genotype archived DNA samples from seven wild BoF populations using Invader™ chemistry. Hierarchical AMOVA of these independent wild samples corroborated our previous findings of significant genetic differentiation between iBoF and oBoF salmon metapopulations. Our research shows that identifying and using outlier loci is an important step towards achieving the goal of consistently and accurately distinguishing iBoF from oBoF Atlantic salmon, which will aid in their conservation.
An empirical comparison of SNPs and microsatellites for parentage and kinship assignment in a wild sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population
Authors: HAUSER LORENZ , BAIRD MELISSA , HILBORN RAY , SEEB LISA W. , SEEB JAMES E.
Published: February 2011

Because of their high variability, microsatellites are still considered the marker of choice for studies on parentage and kinship in wild populations. Nevertheless, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are becoming increasing popular in many areas of molecular ecology, owing to their high‐throughput, easy transferability between laboratories and low genotyping error. An ongoing discussion concerns the relative power of SNPs compared to microsatellites—that is, how many SNP loci are needed to replace a panel of microsatellites? Here, we evaluate the assignment power of 80 SNPs (HE = 0.30, 80 independent alleles) and 11 microsatellites (HE = 0.85, 192 independent alleles) in a wild population of about 400 sockeye salmon with two commonly used software packages (Cervus3, Colony2) and, for SNPs only, a newly developed software (SNPPIT). Assignment success was higher for SNPs than for microsatellites, especially for parent pairs, irrespective of the method used. Colony2 assigned a larger proportion of offspring to at least one parent than the other methods, although Cervus and SNPPIT detected more parent pairs. Identification of full‐sib groups without parental information from relatedness measures was possible using both marker systems, although explicit reconstruction of such groups in Colony2 was impossible for SNPs because of computation time. Our results confirm the applicability of SNPs for parentage analyses and refute the predictability of assignment success from the number of independent alleles.