bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of four scales for the acute stage of stroke
Authors: RÖDÉN‐JÜLLIG Å. , BRITTON M. , GUSTAFSSON C. , FUGL‐MEYER A.
Published: August 2009

Abstract. Objectives. To validate whether a simplified scale for the acute stage of stroke–the Scandinavian Stroke Supervision scale–is sufficient for monitoring symptom progression of prognostic importance.

Design. The capacity of the scale was compared to that of the Mathew, Toronto and Fugl‐Meyer stroke scales and the Barthel ADL index.

Setting. The stroke unit of Danderyd Hospital, which cares for a defined population.

Subjects. Fifty noncomatose patients with objectively recorded symptoms at entry were examined over a period of 5 days by one physician (250 ratings/scale). The last 10 patients were also investigated by another doctor in the same manner (50 ratings/scale) and by nurses (50 ratings) the Scandinavian scale only. The amount of time required by each scale was tested in another 10 patients by two nurses (100 ratings/scale).

Interventions. Routine investigation and treatment.

Main outcome measures. The reliability, validity, time requirement and correlation of the scales were evaluated, as was their ability to reveal progress of symptoms.

Results. All scales were highly significantly correlated. The interobserver agreement was excellent between the physicians but not as good between the physician and the nurses. The prediction of the outcome at discharge and after 3 months was very satisfactory for all of the scales with regard to the whole groups of patients, but none of them could predict the outcome for an individual with certainty. The Scandinavian Stroke Supervision scale was least time consuming, and had the fewest uncertainties expressed by the testers. This scale recorded the progression of slightly fewer symptoms, but did record those with a more serious impact on patient outcome.

Conclusion. The time‐saving, simplified Scandinavian scale was as reliable and as valid as the other scales, and detected deterioration that was important for patient outcome as satisfactorily as the other scales.
High‐dose methotrexate treatment and liver function in patients with osteosarcoma
Authors: FABBRI A. , MOTTA E. , FERRARI S. , LONGHI C. , MARCHI E. , BACCI G. , FIGUS E. , MD G. MARCHESINI
Published: August 2009

Abstract. Objectives. To study the effects of short‐term high‐dose methotrexate therapy on liver function in patients with osteosarcoma.

Design. Open prospective study.

Setting. Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology. Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.

Subjects. Fourteen patients with osteosarcoma, with no evidence of previous or actual liver disease at the time of diagnosis.

Interventions. All patients received a cumulative dose of 30–57 gm−2 of methotrexate within 6 months as neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy (pre‐ and post‐surgery). Each course of chemotherapy included methotrexate at a dose of 8–12 g m−2 and, in addition, adriamycin and cisplatinum.

Main outcome measures. Galactose elimination capacity and antipyrine clearance were measured at baseline, after the first course of chemotherapy, at the end of the pre‐operative period and at the end of chemotherapy. In each case they were carried out after transaminase levels had returned to normal.

Results. Galactose elimination capacity decreased from 2.45 (±0.48) mM min−1 to 2.04 (±0.60) mM min−1 after the five planned courses of chemotherapy (P = 0.013, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test), without any change in routine liver function tests. No differences in antipyrine clearance and half‐life were demonstrated (n = 8).

Conclusions. The data are consistent with a decreased reserve capacity of the liver after short‐term, high‐dose methotrexate. Long‐term survivors deserve monitoring of liver function for safer methotrexate use, in the light of progressive dosage increments to improve prognosis in neoplastic diseases.
Improvement of sleep apnoea due to acromegaly during short‐term treatment with octreotide
Authors: LEIBOWITZ G. , SHAPIRO M. S. , SALAMEH M. , GLASER B.
Published: August 2009

Abstract. Two acromegalic patients suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome were treated with the long‐acting somatostatin analogue octreotide. Daytime sleepiness and fatigue improved within a few days. Repeat sleep studies performed after octreotide treatment revealed more confluent sleep with a shorter duration of sleep apnoea. Nocturnal hypoxaemia improved in one patient. Octreotide might be an effective noninvasive treatment for sleep apnoea of acromegaly.
Patient‐generated aspects in oral rehabilitation decision making I. Comparison of traditional history taking and an individual systematic interview method
Authors: ÖZHAYAT E. B. , GOTFREDSEN K. , ELVERDAM B. , ÖWALL B.
Published: August 2009

Summary  Decision making in oral rehabilitation is often based on diagnoses related to impairment of different oral functions. In making the decision when to treat, the dentist must work in cooperation with the patient. By incorporating patient‐generated aspects into the decision making process, the dentist finds it easier to decide if and why treatment should be undertaken and what treatment modality to use. The purpose of this study was to describe the potential of an interview method, the ‘Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life‐Direct Weighting’ (SEIQoL‐DW), and compare it with a traditional history taking, in generating information to be used in decision making in oral rehabilitation. Fifty‐seven participants in need of oral rehabilitation were enrolled in the study. The participants underwent a traditional history taking and were interviewed using the SEIQoL‐DW method. The SEIQoL‐DW generated a high number of cues for all participants. Significantly more cues and additional information were generated by the SEIQoL‐DW than by the traditional history taking. The additional information concerned consultation and dentist issues, psychological aspects and treatment preferences. A high percentage of the participants were positive towards the use of the SEIQoL‐DW method in their treatment planning. The SEIQoL‐DW was considered to be a viable tool for decision making in oral rehabilitation.
Treatment and recovery as perceived by patients with substance addiction
Authors: NORDFJÆRN T. , RUNDMO T. , HOLE R.
Published: August 2009

Accessible summary

Social relations to therapists and other patients in treatment are important for positive and negative experiences among patients with substance addiction.

Improvements in mental health and substance use were considered as the more important areas of recovery among these patients.

One of the core reasons for premature dropout could be a failure to establish positive social relations and temptations to relapse to substance use.

Research concerning patients with substance addiction and how they perceive their treatment remains scant. The objective of this study was therefore to examine positive and negative perceptions of treatment and recovery from the perspectives of these patients. Data were collected with semi‐structured interviews among seven patients who completed treatment and six patients who prematurely dropped out from their programme (n= 13). Patients were strategically sampled from five inpatient facilities and one outpatient opioid maintenance treatment clinic located in two Norwegian counties. All interviews were transcribed and thereafter analysed with contextual content analysis aided by the qsr nvivo 8.0 software. This was carried out to obtain information about the manifest positive and negative content in the interviews. The results showed that the therapeutic alliance and mutual influences among patients were important for perceptions of treatment. Frequent staff turnover also related to these perceptions. The more important domains of recovery were psychosocial functioning and substance use. The implications of the results were discussed in relation to clinical practice and further research.
Unexpected survival advantage in elderly people with moderate sleep apnoea
Authors: LAVIE PERETZ , LAVIE LENA
Published: August 2009

Sleep‐disordered breathing is much more prevalent in elderly people than in middle‐aged or young populations, but its clinical significance in this age group is unclear. This study investigated retrospectively the rates of all‐cause mortality in elderly people (≥ 65 years) with a laboratory diagnosis of sleep apnoea, and compared their rates of mortality with that of age‐, gender‐ and ethnicity‐matched national mortality data. Survival of 611 elderly people was ascertained after a follow‐up of 5.17 ± 1.13 years. Their age was 70.4 ± 4.8 years, body mass index 30.4 ± 5.9 kg m−2 and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) 28.9 ± 20.1 events h−1. Seventy‐five (12.27%) patients died during the follow‐up period. In comparison with the demographically matched cohort from the general population, the standardized mortality rate of the sleep laboratory cohort was 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53–0.88; χ2 = 11.69, P < 0.0006]. When calculated separately for patients with RDI < 20 (no/mild apnoea), RDI 20–40 (moderate apnoea) and RDI > 40 events h−1 (severe apnoea) there was a significant survival advantage for the moderate group with a standardized mortality rate of 0.42 (P < 0.0002), while elderly people with no/mild apnoea tended to have lower mortality and those with severe sleep apnoea had the same mortality as the matched population cohorts. Cox regression analysis revealed that sleep latency and comorbidities but not sleep apnoea severity were associated independently with mortality. The survival advantage of elderly people with moderate sleep apnoea, combined with recent findings on the potential cardioprotective effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia, raise the possibility that apnoeas during sleep may activate adaptive pathways in the elderly.
Characterization and origin of infection of Rhizoctonia solani associated with Brassica oleracea crops in the UK
Authors: Budge G. E. , Shaw M. W. , Lambourne C. , Jennings P. , Clayburn R. , Boonham N. , McPherson M.
Published: August 2009

An extensive study was conducted to determine where in the production chain Rhizoctonia solani became associated with UK module‐raised Brassica oleracea plants. In total, 2600 plants from 52 crops were sampled directly from propagators and repeat sampled from the field. Additional soil, compost and water samples were collected from propagation nurseries and screened using conventional agar isolation methods. No isolates of R. solani were recovered from any samples collected from propagation nurseries. Furthermore, nucleic acid preparations from samples of soil and compost from propagation nurseries gave negative results when tested for R. solani using real‐time PCR. Conversely, R. solani was recovered from 116 of 1300 stem bases collected from field crops. All the data collected suggested R. solani became associated with B. oleracea in the field rather than during propagation. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic studies of ribosomal DNA suggested the majority of further classified isolates belonged to anastomosis groups 2‐1 (48/57) and AG‐4HGII (8/57), groups known to be pathogenic on Brassica spp. in other countries. Many R. solani isolates were recovered from symptomless plant material and the possibilities for such an association are discussed.
Role of oospores as primary inoculum for epidemics of downy mildew caused by Peronospora arborescens in opium poppy crops in Spain
Authors: Montes‐Borrego M. , Landa B. B. , Navas‐Cortés J. A. , Muñoz‐Ledesma F. J. , Jiménez‐Díaz R. M.
Published: August 2009

This study investigated the role of Peronospora arborescens oospores as primary inoculum for downy mildew of opium poppy and infection types that they may give rise to in Spain using an integrative experimental approach that combined pathogenicity tests in growth chambers and field microplots, together with molecular detection of P. arborescens infection by specific nested‐PCR assays. The results demonstrated that oospores in infested soil or leaf debris were effective inoculum for ingress of the pathogen through underground plant tissues early in poppy seedling growth. This gave rise to systemic infections that reproduced the stunting, chlorotic syndrome frequently observed in affected plants in commercial fields. Additionally, infection of underground tissues of older plants by oospore inoculum could remain asymptomatic. Results also suggested that sporangia formed on infected plants are effective in producing secondary local infections that later may become systemic and either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Finally, and more importantly, those delayed symptomatic or asymptomatic systemic infections, as well as secondary local infections of capsules, can give rise to infected seeds. This research on the biology of P. arborescens on poppy plants and epidemiology of downy mildew may help to develop knowledge‐based disease‐management strategies of use in the protection of yields of opium poppy crops in Spain and elsewhere.
Lethal cutis laxa with contractural arachnodactyly, overgrowth and soft tissue bleeding due to a novel homozygous fibulin‐4 gene mutation
Authors: Hoyer J , Kraus C , Hammersen G , Geppert J‐P , Rauch A
Published: August 2009

Cutis laxa is characterised by redundant, inelastic skin with deep wrinkling and additional variable systemic involvement. Mutations in fibulin‐4 (EFEMP2) and fibulin‐5 (FBLN5) were described to be causative for autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 1 in a few families each. The female patient was born to healthy consanguineous parents. Pregnancy was remarkable for fetal overgrowth and oligohydramnios. The newborn girl showed extreme bradycardia and died perinatally. Apart from overgrowth, cutis laxa, arachnodactyly of hands and feet with contractures of the third to fifth finger, medial rotation of feet, spina bifida of the os sacrum, microcephaly and facial dysmorphism were noted. Autopsy showed collapsed lungs with hypoplastic diaphragm and signs of cervical soft tissue bleedings due to fragility of vessels. Histologic examination showed fragmentation of elastic fibres with formation of cystic cavities in the medial layer of the aorta and central lung vessels. Sequencing of the elastin, fibulin‐4 and fibulin‐5 genes revealed a homozygous missense mutation (p.Cys267Tyr) in the fibulin‐4 gene in the patient. Our observation increases the number of cases with fibulin‐4 mutations to three and extends the phenotypic spectrum of fibulin‐4 mutations by microcephaly, overgrowth and arachnodactyly.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation is a risk factor for development of post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease after liver transplantation
Authors: Zhang Aibin , Zhang Min , Shen Yan , Wang Weilin , Zheng Shusen
Published: August 2009

Abstract:  Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is believed to be associated with immunosuppressive regimens, underlying diseases and lymphotropic viral infections after organ transplantation. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been identified as a risk factor for non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but no association between HBV and PTLD has been shown. In this study, we reviewed a series of 203 consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation (LTx) for benign liver disease in our center. The patients comprised 144 patients with hepatitis B and 59 contemporary patients without hepatitis B. After LTx, 36 of the 144 patients with hepatitis B experienced HBV reactivation, while the remaining 108 patients did not. There was no difference in the incidences of PTLD between patients with and without hepatitis B (p = 0.497). Overall, four patients (11.1%) with HBV reactivation developed PTLD, compared to only one patient (0.9%) without HBV reactivation (p = 0.007). The relative odds for developing PTLD in patients with HBV reactivation were 17.5. No differences were observed for the follow‐up periods, immunosuppressive regimens and rejection episodes (p > 0.05 for all). These data suggest that PTLD may be more prevalent in patients who experience HBV reactivation after liver transplantation. HBV reactivation may be a risk factor for development of PTLD.
Assessment of human herpesvirus‐6 infection in mesenchymal stromal cells ex vivo expanded for clinical use
Authors: Pessina A. , Bonomi A. , Coccè V. , Bernardo M.E. , Cometa A.M. , Ferrari M. , Sisto F. , Cavicchini L. , Locatelli F.
Published: August 2009

Abstract: Infection or reactivation of human herpesvirus (HHV)‐6 represents a potentially serious complication (often involving the central nervous system) in patients receiving either solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of HHV‐6 infection/reactivation in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). MSCs are multipotent cells displaying immunomodulatory properties that have been already successfully used in the clinical setting to enhance hematopoietic stem cell engraftment and to treat steroid‐refractory acute graft‐versus‐host disease. We analyzed 20 samples of ex vivo expanded MSCs, at different passages of culture, isolated both from bone marrow and from umbilical cord blood. Through Western blotting and immunocytochemistry techniques, we investigated the presence of the HHV‐6 receptor (CD46) on cell surface, whereas the presence of HHV‐6 DNA was evaluated by nested polymerase chain reaction assay. All of the MSC samples tested were positive for the virus receptor (CD46), suggesting their potential susceptibility to HHV‐6. However, none of the MSC samples derived from cultures, performed in the perspective of clinical use, was found to harbor HHV‐6. This preliminary observation on a consistent number of MSC samples, some of them tested at late in vitro passages, indicates a good safety profile of the product in terms of HHV‐6 contamination. Nevertheless, it remains important to set up in vitro experimental models to study MSCs' susceptibility to HHV‐6 (and HHV‐7) infection, to verify their capacity to integrate the virus into cellular DNA, and to investigate which experimental conditions are able to induce virus reactivation.
Diagnostic guidelines for bipolar disorder: a summary of theInternational Society for Bipolar DisordersDiagnostic Guidelines Task Force Report
Authors: Ghaemi S Nassir , Bauer Michael , Cassidy Frederick , Malhi Gin S , Mitchell Philip , Phelps James , Vieta Eduard , Youngstrom Eric ,   for the ISBD Diagnostic Guidelines Task Force
Published: August 2009

The Diagnostic Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) presents in this document and this special issue a summary of the current nosological status of bipolar illness, a discussion of possible revisions to current DSM‐IV and ICD‐10 definitions, an examination of the relevant literature, explication of areas of consensus and dissensus, and proposed definitions that might guide clinicians in the most valid approach to diagnosis of these conditions given the current state of our knowledge.
Diagnostic guidelines for bipolar depression: a probabilistic approach
Authors: Mitchell Philip B , Goodwin Guy M , Johnson Gordon F , Hirschfeld Robert MA
Published: August 2009

Objectives:  There are currently no accepted diagnostic criteria for bipolar depression for either research or clinical purposes. This paper aimed to develop recommendations for diagnostic criteria for bipolar I depression.

Methods:  Studies on the clinical characteristics of bipolar and unipolar depression were reviewed. To identify relevant papers, literature searches using PubMed and Medline were undertaken.

Results:  There are no pathognomonic characteristics of bipolar I depression compared to unipolar depressive disorder. There are, however, replicated findings of clinical characteristics that are more common in both bipolar I depression and unipolar depressive disorder, respectively, or which are observed in unipolar‐depressed patients who ‘convert’ (i.e., who later develop hypo/manic symptoms) to bipolar disorder over time. The following features are more common in bipolar I depression (or in unipolar ‘converters’ to bipolar disorder): ‘atypical’ depressive features such as hypersomnia, hyperphagia, and leaden paralysis; psychomotor retardation; psychotic features, and/or pathological guilt; and lability of mood. Furthermore, bipolar‐depressed patients are more likely to have an earlier age of onset of their first depressive episode, to have more prior episodes of depression, to have shorter depressive episodes, and to have a family history of bipolar disorder. The following features are more common in unipolar depressive disorder: initial insomnia/reduced sleep; appetite, and/or weight loss; normal or increased activity levels; somatic complaints; later age of onset of first depressive episode; prolonged episodes; and no family history of bipolar disorder.

Conclusions:  Rather than proposing a categorical diagnostic distinction between bipolar depression and major depressive disorder, we would recommend a ‘probabilistic’ (or likelihood) approach. While there is no ‘point of rarity’ between the two presentations, there is, rather, a differential likelihood of experiencing the above symptoms and signs of depression. A table outlining draft proposed operationalized criteria for such an approach is provided. The specific details of such a probabilistic approach need to be further explored. For example, to be useful, any diagnostic innovation should inform treatment choices.
Rapid cycling bipolar disorder – diagnostic concepts
Authors: Bauer Michael , Beaulieu Serge , Dunner David L , Lafer Beny , Kupka Ralph
Published: August 2009

Objectives:  This paper reviews the literature to examine the DSM‐IV diagnostic criteria for rapid cycling in bipolar disorder.

Methods:  Studies on the clinical characteristics of rapid cycling bipolar disorder were reviewed. To identify relevant papers, literature searches using PubMed and MEDLINE were undertaken.

Results:  First observed in the prepharmacologic era, rapid cycling subsequently has been associated with a relatively poor response to pharmacologic treatment. Rapid cycling can be conceptualized as either a high frequency of episodes of any polarity or as a temporal sequence of episodes of opposite polarity. The DSM‐IV defines rapid cycling as a course specifier, signifying at least four episodes of major depression, mania, mixed mania, or hypomania in the past year, occurring in any combination or order. It is estimated that rapid cycling is present in about 12–24% of patients at specialized mood disorder clinics. However, apart from episode frequency, studies over the past 30 years have been unable to determine clinical characteristics that define patients with rapid cycling as a specific subgroup. Furthermore, rapid cycling is a transient phenomenon in many patients.

Conclusions:  While a dimensional approach to episode frequency as a continuum between the extremes of no cycling and continuous cycling may be more appropriate and provide a framework to include ultra‐rapid and ultradian cycling, the evidence does not exist today to refine the DSM‐IV definition in a less arbitrary manner. Continued use of the DSM‐IV definition also enables comparisons between past and future studies, and it should be included in the next release of the ICD. Further scientific investigation into rapid cycling is needed. In addition to improving the diagnostic criteria, insight into neurophysiologic mechanisms of mood switching and episode frequency may have important implications for clinical care.
Schizoaffective disorder: diagnostic issues and future recommendations
Authors: Malhi Gin S , Green Melissa , Fagiolini Andrea , Peselow Eric D , Kumari Veena
Published: August 2009

Objective:  Difficulties surrounding the classification of mixed psychotic and affective syndromes continue to plague psychiatric nosology. This paper addresses the controversy regarding the diagnostic validity of schizoaffective disorder (SAD), a diagnosis that is used in both DSM‐IV and ICD‐10 and one that encroaches on both schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods:  A systematic synthesis of clinical and empirical literature, including evidence from cognitive, neurobiological, genetic, and epidemiological research, was undertaken with the aim of evaluating the utility of the SAD classification.

Results:  Distinctions between the diagnostic categories of SCZ, SAD and BD are not clearly demarcated by findings from neuropsychological, neuroimaging, molecular neurobiology, or genetic epidemiology studies. On the contrary, convergent evidence purports overlap across current diagnostic boundaries in the heritability and pathophysiology of psychotic and affective disorders. However, there are some disorder‐specific findings.

Conclusions:  Schizoaffective disorder is a prototypic boundary condition that epitomizes the pitfalls of the current categorical classification system. Future revisions to the DSM should consider the implementation of one of two alternative models to account for individuals presenting with mixed psychotic and affective symptoms. These include the views that (i) SAD is a comorbid set of symptoms that occur as a by‐product of two separate disorders (SCZ and BD) or, that (ii) SAD exists as the mid‐point on a continuum between SCZ and BD, such that the incorporation of these two disorders onto one dimension may be a suitable alternative. Hence the category SAD should be omitted in future revisions of DSM, allowing the development of meaningful nomenclature that rests upon further rigorous investigation of differences and similarities between disorders.
Females benefit from multiple mating but not multiple mates in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides
Authors: HOUSE C. M. , WALLING C. A. , STAMPER C. E. , MOORE A. J.
Published: August 2009

Male reproductive success generally increases with number of mates but this need not be true for females. If females are the limiting sex, as few as one mate can be optimal. Despite the theoretical differences driving multiple mating in the sexes, multiple mating is the norm rather than the exception. Empirical investigations are therefore required to determine why females mate with multiple males. Both nonadaptive (correlated responses to selection on males, given the mean mating rates have to be the same) and adaptive (direct or indirect fitness benefits) can drive the evolution of multiple mating in females. Females of the burying beetle Nicorphorus vespilloides often mate repeatedly with the same male, but this appears to be a correlated response to selection on males rather than reflecting direct benefits to females for multiple mating. However, an unexamined alternative to this nonadaptive explanation is that females benefit by mating with multiple different males and therefore are selected for general promiscuity. Here we examine if mating polyandrously provides fitness benefits by examing the effects of number of mates (1, 2 or 3), mating system (monogamous, polyandrous) and their interaction. The only significant influence was mating more than once. This did not depend on type of mating. We suggest that unlike most other species examined, in N. vespilloides mating with the same male repeatedly or with several different males reflects an indiscriminate willingness to mate as a result of correlated selection on males for high rates of mating.
Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in grouse and allies (Aves: Phasianidae) in relation to mating competition, fecundity demands and resource division
Authors: LISLEVAND T. , FIGUEROLA J. , SZÉKELY T.
Published: August 2009

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is often assumed to be driven by three major selective processes: (1) sexual selection influencing male size and thus mating success, (2) fecundity selection acting on females and (3) inter‐sexual resource division favouring different size in males and females to reduce competition for resources. Sexual selection should be particularly strong in species that exhibit lek polygyny, since male mating success is highly skewed in such species. We investigated whether these three selective processes are related to SSD evolution in grouse and allies (Phasianidae). Male‐biased SSD increased with body size (Rensch’s rule) and lekking species exhibited more male‐biased SSD than nonlekking ones. Directional phylogenetic analyses indicated that lekking evolved before SSD, but conclusions were highly dependent on the body size traits and chosen model values. There was no relationship between SSD and male display agility, nor did resource division influence SSD. Although clutch mass increased with female body size it was not related to the degree of SSD. Taken together, the results are most consistent with the hypothesis that lekking behaviour led to the evolution of male‐biased SSD in Phasianidae.
Pollen competition as an asymmetric reproductive barrier between two closely relatedSilenespecies
Authors: RAHMÉ J. , WIDMER A. , KARRENBERG S.
Published: August 2009

Reproductive barriers are important determinants of gene flow between divergent populations or species. We studied pollen competition as a post‐mating reproductive barrier betweenSilene dioicaandS. latifolia. Gene flow between these species is extensive, but early‐generation hybrids are rare. In an experiment with conspecific, heterospecific and 50 : 50 mixed pollinations in the two species, pollination treatments did not significantly affect seed set and seed weight. However, molecular determination of siring success after mixed pollinations showed that fewer than expected hybrids were produced inS. latifolia(18% hybrids) but not inS. dioica(51% hybrids). This constitutes an asymmetric post‐mating reproductive barrier and likely contributes to the rarity of early‐generation hybrids. Our study shows that pollen competition can be an effective barrier to hybridization between closely related species that likely acts in concert with other reproductive barriers.
Iron overload and toxicity: the hidden risk of multiple blood transfusions
Authors: Shander A. , Cappellini M. D. , Goodnough L. T.
Published: August 2009

Background  The quantity of iron in body is carefully regulated, primarily by control of iron absorption, and excess total body iron can be extremely toxic. Since humans have no mechanism for elimination of excess iron, multiple transfusions of red blood cells, which are required for the management of a number of disorders, inevitably result in iron overload. Cumulative iron overload, in turn, leads to iron toxicity with organ dysfunction and damage.

Materials  This review examines the relationship between iron metabolism and hematologic disorders treated with multiple transfusions, with emphasis on the diagnosis and current methods of management of iron overload and toxicity in transfusion‐dependent patients. Primarily using key words, we identified and reviewed more than 100 pertinent articles in English and other languages in the Medline database plus an additional number of abstracts of presentations at recent meetings of relevant scientific associations.

Results  Transfusion‐dependent disorders include those characterized by decreased red blood cell production, increased red blood cell destruction, or chronic blood loss. Patients receiving chronic transfusion therapy should be screened and monitored for iron overload, yet in our opinion, this is not always done routinely. Once iron overload has been identified, it should be treated to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality from iron toxicity, which particularly affects the liver and heart.

Conclusion  Increased awareness of the risks of iron overload from chronic transfusion therapy should result in greater use of interventions such as iron chelation to reduce total body iron and the risk of long‐term sequelae.
Influence of cellulose fibre length on faecal quality, mineral excretion and nutrient digestibility in cat
Authors: Prola L. , Dobenecker B. , Mussa P. P. , Kienzle E.
Published: August 2009

In dogs, faeces quality and nutrients digestibility were affected by different types of cellulose (Wichert et al., 2002). In this study, it was investigated whether there are comparable effects of cellulose type in cats. Seven adult, healthy cats were fed a moist commercial complete cat food with three different cellulose type added at a level of 4% for a 1 week period. Faeces quality was between 1 and 3 on the scale used from 1 to 5. The addition of long fibre cellulose resulted in significantly firmer faeces. Addition of cellulose decreased the digestibility of dry matter and energy, whereas the impact on protein and fat digestibility was not significant. The type of cellulose affected faecal bulk and faecal water excretion. Faecal excretion of sodium and potassium was exponentially correlated to faecal water, faecal bulk and to a lesser extent to faecal dry matter excretion. Faecal calcium, magnesium and phosphorus excretion showed an exponential correlation to faecal dry matter excretion. A weaker correlation existed in all three elements to faecal bulk, whereas the effect of faecal water excretion was small. Results suggest a remarkable likeness between cats and dogs with regard to the digestive physiology of major minerals.
Effects of adding liquiddl‐methionine hydroxy analogue‐free acid to drinking water on growth performance and small intestinal morphology of nursery pigs
Authors: Kaewtapee C. , Krutthai N. , Poosuwan K. , Poeikhampha T. , Koonawootrittriron S. , Bunchasak C.
Published: August 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding liquiddl‐methionine hydroxy analogue free acid (LMA) to drinking water on growth performance, small intestinal morphology and volatile fatty acids in the caecum of nursery pigs. Twenty‐four crossbred pigs (Large White × Landrace, BW ∼18 kg) were divided into three groups with four replications of two piglets each. The piglets received drinking water without (control), with 0.05 or 0.10% LMA. The results indicated that adding LMA at 0.10% to drinking water significantly increased their weight gain, average daily feed intake (p < 0.05) and tended to improve the feed conversion ratio. Adding LMA to drinking water significantly increased their water intake and significantly reduced the pH of drinking water (p < 0.01), thus total plate count (p < 0.01) andEscherichia coliin drinking water was reduced (p < 0.05), while the total number of bacteria in the caecum was not significantly affected. Liquiddl‐methionine hydroxy analogue free acid supplementation in drinking water tended to decrease pH in the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, colon and rectum. Furthermore, adding LMA at 0.10% significantly increased villous height in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05), and the villous height:crypt depth ratio in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.01) was higher, whereas acetic acid concentration in the caecum was significantly lower than in the control group. It could be concluded that adding LMA to drinking water improved growth performance of the nursery pigs because of high water quality and high nutrient utilization caused by an improvement of small intestinal morphology (not from nutritional effect of methionine source).
QTL analysis on plant height and flowering time in Brassica napus
Authors: Mei D. S. , Wang H. Z. , Hu Q. , Li Y. D. , Xu Y. S. , Li Y. C.
Published: August 2009

To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling plant height (PH) and flowering time (FT), a high stalk/later bloom Brassica napus line ‘2091’ was crossed with a dwarf/early bloom mutant ‘99CDAM’. A segregating population with 145 F2:3 lines was constructed and grown in field for 2 years. Based on this population, a linkage map consisting of 199 amplified fragment length polymorphism and 42 simple sequence repeat loci was constructed. The LOD threshold of 3.0 was used for declaring the existence of putative QTL. In total, seven QTL related to PH were identified, accounting for 8.5–28.6% of phenotypic variation, respectively, of which two QTL were identified in both years. Six QTL for FT were detected, accounting for 8.1–30.4% of phenotypic variation individually, of which two QTL were identified in both years. The main QTL of PH and FT were both mapped on linkage group 13, with overlapped creditable regions. QTL ph17 and ft17 existed at the same location. These might be the genetic base for the significant correlation observed between PH and FT.
Effect of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin on Plasma Concentrations of Insulin‐like Growth Factor I, Insulin and Membrane Integrity of Bull Spermatozoa
Authors: Vieira MB , Bianchi I , Madeira EM , Roll VFB , Oliveira CA , Viau P , Pivato I , Severo NC , Del Pino FAB , Schneider A , Corrêa MN
Published: August 2009

Contents

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the exogenous recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on plasma concentrations of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I), insulin and semen quality of bulls. Twenty bulls (Aberdeen Angus and Brangus) were divided by breed into two groups. Placebo group was injected with NaCl 0.9% (s.c.) and treatment group with rbST (s.c., 500 mg) at days 0 and 14 of the experiment. Immediately after semen collection, blood samples were taken on days 0, 14, 28, 42 and 56 of the experiment. Semen was also collected on day 70 of the experiment. Evaluation of sperm motility was performed at pre‐freezing and post‐thawing stage, whereas assessment of sperm membrane integrity was performed after freezing and thawing. Analysis of data revealed that the effect of treatment and treatment‐by‐collection day on plasma concentrations of IGF‐I and insulin was not significant. However, mean plasma concentrations of IGF‐I and insulin were affected (p < 0.0001) by days of blood sampling. Effect of treatment and treatment‐by‐collection day on motility of spermatozoa was similar (p > 0.05) at pre‐freezing and post‐thawing stage. Intactness of plasmalemma and tail membrane of spermatozoa at post‐thawing stage was higher (p < 0.05) in rbST‐treated group than in control. In conclusion, rbST did not affect plasma concentrations of IGF‐I and insulin, however, it did improve post‐thaw sperm membrane integrity.
Carbocisteine inhibits oxidant‐induced apoptosis in cultured human airway epithelial cells
Authors: YOSHIDA Motoki , NAKAYAMA Katsutoshi , YASUDA Hiroyasu , KUBO Hiroshi , KUWANO Kazuyoshi , ARAI Hiroyuki , YAMAYA Mutsuo
Published: August 2009

Background and objective:  Increased oxidant levels have been associated with exacerbations of COPD, and L‐carbocisteine, a mucolytic agent, reduces the frequency of exacerbations. The mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of L‐carbocisteine on oxidant‐induced COPD exacerbations were examined in an in vitro study of human airway epithelial cells.

Methods:  In order to examine the antioxidant effects of L‐carbocisteine, human tracheal epithelial cells were treated with L‐carbocisteine and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cell apoptosis was assessed using a cell death detection ELISA, and the pathways leading to cell apoptosis were examined by measurement of caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 by western blot analysis with fluorescent detection.

Results:  The proportion of apoptotic cells in human tracheal epithelium was increased in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner, following exposure to H2O2. Treatment with L‐carbocisteine reduced the proportion of apoptotic cells. In contrast, H2O2 did not increase the concentration of LDH in supernatants of epithelial cells. Exposure to H2O2 activated caspase‐3 and caspase‐9, and L‐carbocisteine inhibited the H2O2‐induced activation of these caspases. L‐carbocisteine activated Akt phosphorylation, which modulates caspase activation, and the inhibitors of Akt, LY294002 and wortmannin, significantly reversed the inhibitory effects of L‐carbocisteine on H2O2‐induced cell apoptosis.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that in human airway epithelium, L‐carbocisteine may inhibit cell damage induced by H2O2 through the activation of Akt phosphorylation. L‐carbocisteine may have antioxidant effects, as well as mucolytic activity, in inflamed airways.
Serratia marcescens sepsis outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Arslan Ugur , Erayman Ibrahim , Kirdar Sevin , Yuksekkaya Serife , Cimen Omer , Tuncer Inci , Bozdogan Bülent
Published: August 2009

Background:  Contaminated parenteral nutrition (PN) is an important source of infection in neonates. Many organisms have been reported to cause contamination resulting in outbreaks in intensive care units. The aim of the present study was to investigate an outbreak caused by Serratia marcescens in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods:  This was a descriptive study of an outbreak of sepsis in an NICU of a university teaching hospital. The outbreak was detected in seven patients from 10 to 12 December 2005 following the administration of PN. Extensive environmental samplings for culture were performed. The clonal relationship among isolates was tested using pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis, random amplification of polymorphic DNA–polymerase chain reaction and plasmid DNA typing.

Results:  Serratia marcescens was found in blood cultures from infected newborns and from in‐use PN solutions. Gestational age of the seven babies ranged from 28 to 34 weeks (median, 32 weeks), birthweight ranged from 1000 g to 2190 g (median, 1469 g), and postnatal age ranged from 8 to 22 days. The mortality rate was 14.3%. All these strains of S. marcescens had the same antibiotic susceptibility pattern and the same genomic DNA profile. Plasmid typing, as well as RAPD‐PCR showed that all isolates had the same profile.

Conclusion:  The source of the nosocomial sepsis in seven neonates was the PN solution. Contamination may occur during storage or repeated handling during PN preparation.
Roles of opioid receptor subtypes in mediating alcohol‐seeking induced by discrete cues and context
Authors: Marinelli Peter W. , Funk Douglas , Harding Stephen , Li Zhaoxia , Juzytsch Walter , Lê A. D.
Published: August 2009

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of selective blockade of the delta (DOP) or mu (MOP) opioid receptors on alcohol‐seeking induced by discrete cues and context. In Experiment 1, rats were trained to self‐administer alcohol in an environment with distinct sensory properties. After extinction in a different context with separate sensory properties, rats were tested for context‐induced renewal in the original context following treatment with the DOP receptor antagonist naltrindole (0–15 mg/kg, i.p.) or the MOP receptor antagonist D‐Phe‐Cys‐Tyr‐D‐Trp‐Orn‐Thr‐Pen‐Thr‐NH2(CTOP) (0–3 μg/4 μL, i.c.v.). In Experiment 2, reinstatement was tested with the presentation of a discrete light + tone cue previously associated with alcohol delivery, following extinction without the cue. The effects of naltrindole (0–5 mg/kg, i.p.) or CTOP (0–3 μg/4 μL, i.c.v.) were assessed. For context‐induced renewal, 7.5 mg/kg naltrindole reduced responding without affecting locomotor activity. Both doses of CTOP attenuated responding in the first 15 min of the renewal test session; however, total responses did not differ at the end of the session. For discrete‐cue‐induced reinstatement, 1 and 5 mg/kg naltrindole attenuated responding but CTOP had no effect. We conclude that whereas DOP receptors mediate alcohol‐seeking induced by discrete cues and context, MOP receptors may play a modest role only in context‐induced renewal. These findings point to a differential involvement of opioid receptor subtypes in the effects of different kinds of conditioned stimuli on alcohol‐seeking and support a more prominent role for DOP receptors.
Regulation of motor patterns by the central spike‐initiation zone of a sensory neuron
Authors: Daur Nelly , Nadim Farzan , Stein Wolfgang
Published: August 2009

Sensory feedback from muscles and peripheral sensors acts to initiate, tune or reshape motor activity according to the state of the body. Yet, sensory neurons often show low levels of activity even in the absence of sensory input. Here we examine the functional role of spontaneous low‐frequency activity of such a sensory neuron. The anterior gastric receptor (AGR) is a muscle–tendon organ in the crab stomatogastric nervous system whose phasic activity shapes the well‐characterized gastric mill (chewing) and pyloric (filtering) motor rhythms. Phasic activity is driven by a spike‐initiation zone near the innervated muscle. We demonstrate that AGR possesses a second spike‐initiation zone, which is located spatially distant from the innervated muscle in a central section of the axon. This initiation zone generates tonic activity and is responsible for the spontaneous activity of AGR in vivo, but does not code sensory information. Rather, it is sensitive to the neuromodulator octopamine. A computational model indicates that the activity at this initiation zone is not caused by excitatory input from another neuron, but generated intrinsically. This tonic activity is functionally relevant, because it modifies the activity state of the gastric mill motor circuit and changes the pyloric rhythm. The sensory function of AGR is not impaired as phasic activity suppresses spiking at the central initiation zone. Our results thus demonstrate that sensory neurons are not mere reporters of sensory signals. Neuromodulators can elicit non‐sensory coding activity in these neurons that shapes the state of the motor system.
Selective activation of dorsal raphe nucleus‐projecting neurons in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex by controllable stress
Authors: Baratta Michael V. , Zarza Christina M. , Gomez Devan M. , Campeau Serge , Watkins Linda R. , Maier Steven F.
Published: August 2009

Exposure to uncontrollable stressors produces a variety of behavioral consequences (e.g. exaggerated fear, reduced social exploration) that do not occur if the stressor is controllable. In addition, an initial experience with a controllable stressor can block the behavioral and neural responses to a later uncontrollable stressor. The serotonergic (5‐HT) dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) has come to be viewed as a critical structure in mediating the behavioral effects of uncontrollable stress. Recent work suggests that the buffering effects of behavioral control on the DRN‐dependent behavioral outcomes of uncontrollable stress require ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFCv) activation at the time of behavioral control. The present studies were conducted to directly determine whether or not controllable stress selectively activates DRN‐projecting neurons within the mPFCv. To examine this possibility in the rat, we combined retrograde tracing (fluorogold iontophoresed into the DRN) with Fos immunohistochemistry, a marker for neural activation. Exposure to controllable, relative to uncontrollable, stress increased Fos expression in fluorogold‐labeled neurons in the prelimbic region (PL) of the mPFCv. Furthermore, in a separate experiment, a prior experience with controllable stress led to potentiation of Fos expression in retrogradely labeled PL neurons in response to an uncontrollable stressor 1 week later. These results suggest that the PL selectively responds to behavioral control and utilizes such information to regulate the brainstem response to ongoing and subsequent stressors.