bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attribute and Responsibility Framing Effects in Television News Coverage of Poverty1
Authors: Hannah Gordon , Cafferty Thomas P.
Published: November 2006

This study looks at how television news may contribute to inaction toward the poor through the attribute and responsibility framing of poverty stories. Participants were shown 1 of 4 news presentations on poverty. The news presentations depicted the poor as either primarily Black or primarily White, and framed poverty stories either episodically or thematically. Individuals shown presentations depicting the poor as White felt stronger that too little was being spent on poverty programs and were more likely to take a flyer about volunteering with a poverty charity than were participants shown presentations depicting the poor as Black. This pattern of results was found for both White and Black participants. No effects were found based on the responsibility framing.
Attitudes of Malaysian Teachers Toward a Performance‐Appraisal System
Authors: Rahman Shukran Abdul
Published: November 2006

This study investigated the attitudes of teachers of different ethnic origins in Malaysia toward an outcome‐oriented performance appraisal, the New Performance Appraisal System (NPAS). It also investigated the relationship between teachers' attitudes toward the system and their job satisfaction and professional commitment. Teachers of the major ethnic origins in Malaysia—Malays, Chinese, and Indians—were selected randomly from 6 public high schools in the state of Kedah. The study found that teachers of all ethnic origins reported less favorable attitudes toward the NPAS, and that their cultural dimension had no bearing on attitudes toward the NPAS. Teachers who received appropriate explanation and supervision of their performance, despite low performance‐appraisal results, reported high levels of job satisfaction and professional commitment.
Hepatitis B virus genotype B is associated with better response to thymosin α1 therapy than genotype C
Authors: Chien R‐N. , Lin C‐Y. , Yeh C‐T. , Liaw Y‐F.
Published: November 2006

Summary.  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype has been reported to correlate with response to interferon treatment in several studies. The relationship between HBV genotype and thymosin α1 (T‐α1) treatment is unknown. We retrospectively examine HBV genotypes, precore and core promoter mutations in patients treated with Tα1 and analyse the correlation between complete response [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization plus seroclearance of HBeAg and HBV‐DNA] and HBV genotype. It consisted 98 patients with chronic hepatitis B randomly allocating to three groups: (i) T6 group (n = 32) received a 26‐week course of Tα1 1.6 mg two times a week; (ii) T12 group (n = 34) received the same regimen as T6 group, but Tα1 therapy extended for 52 weeks; (iii) T0 group (n = 32) served as a control and was followed up for 18 months without specific treatment. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that genotype (OR, 3.747; 95% CI, 1.066–13.170; P = 0.039), precore mutation (OR, 6.285; 95% CI, 1.874–21.086; P = 0.003) and Tα‐1 treatment (OR, 12.045; 95% CI, 2.220–65.354; P = 0.004) as independent factors associated with complete response. The complete response of Tα‐1 therapy was higher in patients with genotype B compared to patients with genotype C (52%vs 24%; P = 0.036) and in patients with precore mutation (64%vs 19%; P = 0.002). In conclusion, genotype, presence of precore mutation and Tα‐1 therapy were independent predictors to complete response. Genotype B, compared to genotype C, is associated with a higher response rate to T‐α1 therapy.
Molecular detection and sequence analysis of a new hepatitis E virus isolate from Pakistan
Authors: He J.
Published: November 2006

Summary.  Sporadic and epidemic acute viral hepatitis E in many developing countries is caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV). The HEV genome has been classified into three major genotypes. However, extensive diversity has been noted among HEV isolates from patients with acute hepatitis in China and Taiwan. Some reports indicated that multiple genotypes of HEV could cocirculate in the same area; even distinct genotypes of HEV could exist in the same patient. Pakistan is a highly endemic area for hepatitis E. So far only two Pakistan HEV isolates Sar‐55 (87‐Pakistan‐A) and Abb‐2B (88‐Pakistan‐2B) have been characterized, and the nucleotide sequences of these two HEV isolates show only 90% homology. In this study, a third HEV isolate from Pakistan (87‐Pakistan‐B) is reported. The sequences of a 438‐bp fragment from ORF‐2 and a 259‐bp fragment from the ORF‐1–3 region of this new HEV isolate were obtained and sequenced. The sequence analysis showed that this new HEV isolate was very closely related to the Sar‐55 but different from the Abb‐2B HEV isolate. These results indicated that the Sar‐55 (87‐Pakistan‐A) genotype is the main endemic HEV strain in the Sargodha area. These data will be useful for HEV epidemiological studies, diagnosis and vaccine development.
Reduction in liver‐related hospital admissions and deaths in HIV‐infected patients since the year 2002
Authors: Martín‐Carbonero L. , Sánchez‐Somolinos M. , García‐Samaniego J. , Núñez M. J. , Valencia M. E. , González‐Lahoz J. , Soriano V.
Published: November 2006

Summary.  Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), complications of chronic liver disease (CLD) have emerged as one of the leading causes of hospital admission and death among HIV‐infected patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The impact of CLD on hospital admissions and deaths in HIV‐infected patients attended at one reference HIV hospital in Madrid during the last 9 years was analysed. All clinical charts from January 1996 to December 2004 were retrospectively examined. Demographics, discharge diagnosis, complications during inhospital stay and causes of death were recorded. A total of 2527 hospital admissions in 2008 distinct HIV‐infected persons were recorded. Overall, 84% were iv drug users; mean age was 37 years and the mean CD4 count was 224 cells/μL. Both mean age and CD4 count significantly increased during the study period (P < 0.01). Overall, 42% of hospitalized patients were on antiretroviral therapy. Decompensated CLD was the cause of admission and/or developed during hospitalization in 345 patients (14%). Admissions caused by decompensated CLD increased significantly from 9.1% (30/329) in 1996 to 26% (78/294) in 2002. A significant steady decline occurred since then, being 11% (29/253) in the year 2004. Similarly, inhospital liver‐related deaths were 9% (5/54) in 1996, peaked to 59% (10/17) in 2001 and declined to 20% (3/15) in the year 2004. Chronic hepatitis C was responsible for admissions and/or deaths in 73.5% of CLD cases. In conclusion, the rate of liver‐related hospital admissions and deaths among HIV‐infected patients peaked in the year 2002 and has steadily declined since then. A slower progression to liver cirrhosis in patients on HAART, avoidance of hepatotoxic antiretroviral drugs and more frequent use of anti‐HCV therapy in HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients could account for this benefit.
Comparative phylogeography of two North American ‘glacial relict’ crustaceans
Authors: DOOH R. T. , ADAMOWICZ S. J. , HEBERT P. D. N.
Published: November 2006

The Pleistocene glaciations represent the most recent and dramatic series of habitat changes since the Cretaceous. The impact of these events was particularly acute for aquatic taxa with poor powers of dispersal, but few organisms have evolutionary histories more intimately entwined with the advance and retreat of ice than the ‘glacial relicts’. In this study, we used a mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), to examine and compare the phylogeographical structure of two glacial relict crustaceans (Limnocalanus macrurus and members of the Mysis relicta species group) across North America. In both cases, we found a sharp phylogenetic division between populations from inland lakes formed during glacial retreat, and arctic lakes isolated from polar seas via isostatic rebound. However, the depth of this phylogenetic partition varied between taxa. In L. macrurus, nucleotide sequence divergence of 2.2% between these zones is consistent with its current status as a single morphologically variable species, but in Mysis the split occurred among recently described, morphologically conserved species, at a divergence of 8.2%. The disparity in the depth of divergence indicates a history of recurrent freshwater invasions from the arctic seas, in concordance with previous studies of Eurasian glacial relicts. However, we suggest further consideration of a largely overlooked explanation that could account for some of the discrepancies between molecular divergences and glaciation events. Many cladogenetic events could have occurred in arctic seas prior to the transition to inland waters, a possibility supported both by the complex physical and ionic history of arctic seas and by high marine and estuarine lineage diversity in the north.
Effective gene dispersal and female reproductive success in Mediterranean maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton)
Authors: GONZÁLEZ‐MARTÍNEZ SANTIAGO C. , BURCZYK JAROSLAW , NATHAN RAN , NANOS NIKOS , GIL LUIS , ALÍA RICARDO
Published: November 2006

Understanding population‐scale processes that affect allele frequency changes across generations is a long‐standing interest in genetic, ecological and evolutionary research. In particular, individual differences in female reproductive success and the spatial scale of gene flow considerably affect evolutionary change and patterns of local selection. In this study, a recently developed maximum‐likelihood (ML) method based on established offspring, the Seedling Neighbourhood Model, was applied and exponentially shaped dispersal kernels were fitted to both genetic and ecological data in a widespread Mediterranean pine, Pinus pinaster Aiton. The distribution of female reproductive success in P. pinaster was very skewed (about 10% of trees mothered 50% of offspring) and significant positive female selection gradients for diameter (γ = 0.7293) and cone crop (γ = 0.4524) were found. The selective advantage of offspring mothered by bigger trees could be due to better‐quality seeds. These seeds may show more resilience to severe summer droughts and microsite variation related to water and nutrient availability. Both approaches, ecological and of parentage, consistently showed a long‐distance dispersal component in saplings that was not found in dispersal kernels based on seed shadows, highlighting the importance of Janzen‐Connell effects and microenvironmental variation for survival at early stages of establishment in this Mediterranean key forest tree.
A transgenerational interval timer inhibits unseasonal sexual morph production in damson‐hop aphid, Phorodon humuli
Authors: CAMPBELL COLIN A. M. , TREGIDGA EMMA L.
Published: November 2006

Abstract The induction of sexual and parthenogenetic morphs of the damson‐hop aphid, Phorodon humuli, on hops is controlled by daylength. The ability of P. humuli, to produce winged pre‐sexual females (gynoparae) in the short‐day conditions of spring is inhibited by an interval timer present in generations immediately after hatching of the overwintering egg. The inhibition expires after three generations when nymphs are born and reared in short days (LD 12 : 12 h), irrespective of whether their parents are reared in short or long days (LD 18 : 6 h). No gynoparae are produced by aphids maintained for 13 generations in long days. Two wingless aphids from 35 survive transfer from Prunus spinosa to hops. No winged females are produced during nine generations among their progeny maintained in long days on hops, but gynoparae, followed by males, are produced one generation after these aphids are transferred to short days.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the stomach: Endosonographic differentiation in relation to histological risk
Authors: Jeon Seong Woo , Park Young Dae , Chung Yun Jin , Cho Chang Min , Tak Won Young , Kweon Young Oh , Kim Sung Kook , Choi Yong Hwan
Published: November 2006

Background and Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the endosonographic characteristics of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) of the stomach according to histological risk classification.

Methods:  Twenty‐four cases of histologically proven c‐kit positive GISTs were divided into three groups according to histological risk: low risk (n = 14), intermediate risk (n = 7) and high risk (n = 3). Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) features recorded were: size, ulceration, regularity of marginal border, lobulation, shape of tumor, marginal halo, homogeneity, internal echogenic or cystic foci, and the presence of exophytic development.

Results:  Significant differences were seen in size between the groups studied (P = 0.026). All tumors in the high risk group had mucosal ulceration, which was more commonly seen in the intermediate risk group compared to the low risk group (P = 0.014). All tumors in the high risk group had irregular borders, but only three cases out of 11 in the low risk group had irregular borders (P = 0.039). Thirteen cases in the low risk group and five cases in the intermediate risk group had an oval or round shape; however, only one case in the high risk group showed this (P = 0.043). The optimal size value for prediction of the intermediate and high risk group was 30 mm. Sensitivity and specificity with this value was 80% and 79%, respectively.

Conclusions:  Large, especially larger than 30 mm, GISTs of the stomach with irregular borders, mucosal ulceration and a non‐oval shape on EUS suggest higher risk GISTs of the stomach. These criteria might aid in the clinical management of GISTs of the stomach.
Pegylated interferon‐α2β in combination with ribavirin does not aggravate thyroid dysfunction in comparison to regular interferon‐α2β in a hepatitis C population: Meta‐analysis
Authors: Tran Huy A , Attia John R , Jones Tracey L , Batey Robert G
Published: November 2006

Background:  Interferon (IFN) has been well documented to cause thyroid dysfunction, especially in high risk patients and when combined with ribavirin (RBV). There is very sparse data to assess if pegylated IFN will further aggravate the thyroid disease risk in comparison to regular IFN. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of developing thyroid disease with pegylated IFN (pIFN) versus regular IFN (rIFN) therapy (in combination with RBV). We also pooled our results with previous studies in a meta‐analysis.

Methods:  An observational study was made retrospectively of 24 patients who underwent a combination of rIFN and RBV therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. As these patients failed to obtain an initial satisfactory response, they were retreated using pIFN and RBV. Monthly thyrotropin (TSH) levels were assessed while undergoing both treatment regimens. A meta‐analysis was performed using available published data in PubMed.

Results:  No difference in TSH levels was observed when comparing rIFN/RBV with pIFN/RBV. None of the patients developed hypo‐ or hyperthyroidism. TSH levels fluctuated during the treatment but did not extend outside the reference range. No further investigation was carried out in the absence of clinical and biochemical thyroid disease. The result of the meta‐analysis failed to find any excess risk of thyroid dysfunction using pIFN above that of rIFN.

Conclusions:  The pegylation of IFN, in combination with RBV, did not aggravate thyroid diseases in the hepatitis C population. This finding is reassuring and dictates that no deviation from current practice regarding thyroid surveillance is required whilst undergoing HCV treatment.
Host factors contributing to the discovery of gastric cancer after successful eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori: Preliminary report
Authors: Takata Shunsuke , Ito Masanori , Yoshihara Masaharu , Tanaka Shinji , Imagawa Shinobu , Haruma Ken , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: November 2006

Background and Aim:  Clinical features of patients who develop gastric cancer after successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori are still unclear. We attempted to identify host factors associated with the discovery of gastric cancer, including changes in the background gastric mucosa in patients with atrophic gastritis.

Methods:  We enrolled 101 patients (59 men, 42 women; mean age 56.0 years) who underwent successful eradication therapy. All patients had no neoplastic lesion in the stomach and were diagnosed with corpus atrophic gastritis histologically before the eradication therapy. After successful eradication, these patients were followed up by an annual endoscopic examination (mean follow‐up time 63.2 months; range 12–157 months). Fasting sera were obtained before and after eradication therapy and the serum levels of gastrin/pepsinogens were evaluated.

Results:  Gastric cancer occurred during follow‐up in eight of the 101 patients (7.9%). We compared the host features between the cancer‐discovered group (n = 8) and the non‐discovered group (n = 93). We found no difference in gender, history of previous treatment of gastric cancer, and serum pepsinogen/gastrin levels at entry between them. The trends in alterations of serum markers did not differ between the two groups. However, gastric cancer was more frequently found in older patients (>54 years at eradication) than in others (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Improvement of gastric inflammation did not correlate with the discovery of gastric cancer after eradication; however, age at the time of eradication seemed to be important. Strict follow‐up after eradication is needed in older patients with atrophic gastritis.
Benign cystic lymphangioma presenting as a pelvic mass
Authors: Erdem Savas , Iskender Cantekin , Avsar A. Filiz , Altundag Ö. Basak , Ustunyurt Emin
Published: November 2006

We report a case of a 48‐year‐old woman with a complaint of chronic pelvic pain with a pelvic mass not related with uterus or adnexes. Preoperative ultrasonography or contrast enhanced computed tomography did not give accurate information on the origin of tumor. At laparotomy a cystic, retroperitoneal mass was totally resected without rupture. Final histopathological examination revealed that cystic spaces with abundant lymphocytes suggesting lymphangioma. No recurrence was detected in the follow up 6 months after total resection. As a result cystic lymphangioma should be considered as a rare cause of pelvic mass in women
Transient postpartum diabetes insipidus associated with HELLP syndrome
Authors: Ellidokuz Ender , Uslan Ihsan , Demir Serap , Cevrioglu Serhan , Tufan Gulnihal
Published: November 2006

Diabetes insipidus in pregnancy has different causes. The association of diabetes insipidus with disturbances of liver function has been reported, however, diabetes insipidus has rarely been reported in HELLP syndrome. We present a 23‐year‐old primigravida with a singleton gestation complicated by HELLP syndrome who developed postpartum diabetes insipidus. Labor was induced promptly to terminate pregnancy because of intrauterine fetal death and liver dysfunction. 1‐deamino‐8‐D‐arginine‐vasopressin was administered. Diabetes insipidus and liver dysfunction resolved within 2 weeks. Development of diabetes insipidus may result from increased vasopressinase activity mainly caused by deterioration of liver functions caused by HELLP syndrome. In pregnant women with liver disease as a result of any cause, the development of diabetes insipidus should be assessed with particular attention.
Adenofibroma of the endometrium protruding into the vaginal cavity: Findings on transvaginal ultrasonography, MRI and CT
Authors: Konishi Yoshitomo , Sato Hirokazu , Fujimoto Toshio , Tanaka Hidenori , Takahashi Osamu , Tanaka Toshinobu
Published: November 2006

Adenofibroma is a rare benign biphasic neoplasm that is classified into the mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumor group. We report the case of a 42‐year‐old woman with adenofibroma of the endometrium protruding into the vagina. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed the tumor as an intravaginal mass containing multiple cystic components. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a heterogeneous high‐intensity mass filling the vaginal cavity on T2‐weighted imaging, with a low‐contrast enhanced septum identified within the mass on gadolinium‐enhanced, T1‐weighted imaging. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a heterogeneous low‐attenuating multicystic mass filling the vaginal cavity. Although preoperative diagnosis of this rare tumor is very difficult, the combination of MRI, CT, and ultrasonography offers a useful diagnostic tool.
Variability Is the Norm in Performance, but Not in Beliefs
Authors: Sophian Catherine
Published: November 2006

Do children have coexisting but contradictory beliefs about things like magic? Some patterns of behavior that seem to reflect contradictory beliefs may stem from children's recognition that their knowledge about events is incomplete and therefore things may occur without them understanding how. In addition, children may hold certain beliefs that are inconsistent with the rest of their knowledge in a way that is very much like the premises of a game of make‐believe. These beliefs are recognized to be “not really true” but children act as if they were true under specific circumstances. It is concluded that children do not hold contradictory beliefs except in this special sense.
Disorder in the Representational Warehouse
Authors: McGeer Victoria , Schwitzgebel Eric
Published: November 2006

Although developmental psychologists are generally happy to endorse dissociationist and gradualist views of development like Woolley's (2006), the design and interpretation of developmental research often suggests an implicit commitment to a cleaner, less dissociative, sudden‐transition view of development. Such an implicit commitment may derive some of its power from the “representational warehouse” model of cognition and development that rose to prominence in the cognitive revolution. An alternative model of cognition and development, grounded in dispositional patterns of responding to stimuli, more naturally accommodates dissociative phenomena in development and highlights mechanisms for self‐regulation and for fashioning and deploying representations, or depictions, in a uniquely human way.
Dissociations, Developmental Psychology, and Pedagogical Design
Authors: Lillard Angeline
Published: November 2006

Although dissociations in children's responses are sometimes about “getting it right” for an experimenter, they might also often reflect differences between conscious and subconscious processing that are not geared to correct performance. Research with adults also reveals many cases of dissociation, and adults can more easily be subjected to neuroimaging methods that might help shed light on dissociation. Finally, much of the research on dissociations shows that human cognition is optimized in some contexts over others. School environments often correspond to less optimizing contexts. Research on dissociation could be used to inform pedagogical design.
Infants' Developing Appreciation of Similarities Between Model Objects and Their Real‐World Referents
Authors: Younger Barbara A. , Johnson Kathy E.
Published: November 2006

Previous research suggests that model competence does not emerge until relatively late in infancy (20–26 months). Development was systematically analyzed within 3 key areas—count noun learning, dual representation, and categorization—hypothesized to support the emergence of model competence in the second year. In an object‐handling preferential looking task, 21‐ to 26‐month‐olds matched model objects to referents only when count noun knowledge was high. When dual representation demands were reduced through the use of pictures in place of model objects, 20‐month‐olds with low count noun vocabularies succeeded in relating symbols to referents. Finally, change in infants' construal of a model object as a member of a category was documented between 14 and 20 months of age.
Special Parenting and the Combined Skills Model
Authors: Young Sadie , Hawkins Tim
Published: November 2006

Background  The Child and Special Parenting Service provides flexible assessment, long‐term domiciliary support and home‐based teaching to intellectually disabled parents. It provides key coordination between the Learning Disability Service and the Children's Service with focussed parenting assessments, where issues of child care and protection proceedings arise.

Method  Semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires were designed to evaluate user satisfaction for both recipients of the service and professionals referring to the service.

Results  A high level of consumer satisfaction was found and assessment reports were highly rated. The service is seen to help prevent family breakdown, to meet user needs and to be supportive and non‐threatening by the parents.

Conclusions  The combined skills model proposes a small, specialized service that acts as a linchpin for complex cases that require skills from both child and learning disability workers. The Child and Special Parenting Service receives an increasing demand for assessment. It is highly valued by the users and works strongly from an inter‐agency standpoint, coordinating complex packages of domiciliary assessment and support, and is a good practice model.
A new genus and species of ‘giant hutia’ (Tainotherium valei) from the Quaternary of Puerto Rico: an extinct arboreal quadruped?
Authors: Turvey S. T. , Grady F. V. , Rye P.
Published: November 2006

A large incomplete rodent femur from a Quaternary cave deposit near Barahona, Puerto Rico, is established as the holotype of Tainotherium valei, a new extinct genus and species. Although biogeographic and body size similarities suggest that it may be related to the Puerto Rican giant hutia Elasmodontomys, the Antillean large‐bodied rodent family Heptaxodontidae is now interpreted as invalid, and it is impossible to assign Tainotherium to a particular caviomorph family in the absence of associated craniodental material. Tainotherium differs from other West Indian species in possessing a large femoral head, a proximally angled femoral neck, a short greater trochanter and a medially positioned lesser trochanter unconnected by an intertrochanteric crest, and a transversely flattened, anteroposteriorly bowed shaft lacking well‐defined ridges. These characters are all associated with arboreal life habits in other mammal groups. The Puerto Rican land mammal fauna was dominated by a rodent radiation occupying a wide variety of niches before human arrival in the West Indies, but although arboreality is correlated with increased likelihood of survival in Quaternary mammalian extinction events, all of this fauna is now extinct. It is unlikely that decreasing aridity and the reduction of Puerto Rican savanna‐type environments at the end of the Pleistocene contributed to the extinction of the arboreal Tainotherium, and habitat destruction by pre‐Columbian Amerindians may instead have been responsible.
Development of 51 genomic microsatellite DNA markers of guppy (Poecilia reticulata) and their application in closely related species
Authors: SHEN XUEYAN , YANG GUANPIN , LIAO MEIJIE
Published: November 2006

Fifty‐one microsatellite DNA markers of guppy (Poecilia reticulata) were developed. All of the markers detected moderate allelic variation. The number of alleles for each locus ranged from two to 10. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.10 to 0.63 and from 0.23 to 0.77, respectively. Three additional fish species of family Poeciliidae were used for the cross‐species amplification of these markers. It was found that only four to 16 markers detected polymorphism in these three fish species.
Development of microsatellite markers for the red tide‐forming harmful species Chattonella antiqua, C. marina, and C. ovata (Raphidophyceae)
Authors: DEMURA M. , KAWACHI M. , KUNUGI M. , NISHIZAWA T. , KASAI F. , WATANABE M. M.
Published: November 2006

We have developed 11 microsatellite markers that are specific to Chattonella antiqua, C. marina, and C. ovata, the red tide‐forming harmful phytoplanktons. The 11 loci were amplified in the three species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 16. The three species shared most microsatellite regions, although the genetic differences in specific loci were detected among them. These markers of the Chattonella species will be beneficial for biogeographical, detailed taxonomic, studies.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Cylindrocladium pauciramosum
Authors: WRIGHT LOUWRANCE P. , WINGFIELD BRENDA D. , CROUS PEDRO W. , WINGFIELD MICHAEL J.
Published: November 2006

Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Cylindrocladium pauciramosum, a plant pathogen with a wide host range, which poses a serious problem in South African Eucalyptus nurseries. Polymorphism was evaluated on 43 isolates collected from Colombia and South Africa. Each locus had between three and six alleles. Testing for random mating showed multilocus equilibrium for a population of 40 isolates from a South African forestry nursery. Cross‐species transferability tested for 19 other Cylindrocladium species found amplification only in C. spathulatum, which is phylogenetically closely related to C. pauciramosum.
PCR‐RFLP markers detect 29 mitochondrial haplotypes in Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus)
Authors: DOCKER M. F. , HAAS G. R. , GOODMAN D. H. , REID S. B. , HEATH D. D.
Published: November 2006

We developed five polymerase chain reaction‐based markers that detect variation in the mitochondrial genome of the Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus, across most of its range. Two gene fragments (ND2 and ND5) were amplified and digested with three and two restriction enzymes, respectively, detecting sequence variation at 18 sites (ND2 = 13; ND5 = 5) and yielding 29 composite haplotypes among 1246 lampreys. These sequence‐based markers will be useful in a range of phylogeographical and population genetic studies.
Random urine protein to creatinine ratio as a diagnostic method of significant proteinuria in pre‐eclampsia
Authors: ZADEHMODARRES Shahrzad , RAZZAGHI Mohammad Reza , HABIBI Gholamreza , NAJMI Zahra , JAM Hanieh , MOSAFFA Nariman , KABOOSI Masomeh
Published: November 2006

Background:  Because of the importance of pre‐eclampsia and proteinuria in pregnancy, a faster and simpler diagnostic method is needed.

Aim:  To compare random urine protein to creatinine ratio (p:c ratio) with 24‐h urine protein excretion rate in pregnant women with a suspicion of pre‐eclampsia.

Methods:  The study was conducted on 100 pregnant women with gestational ages of ≥ 20 weeks; 50 patients were suspected of having pre‐eclampsia and 50 were healthy pregnant women. A random urine sample for p:c ratio determination and a 24‐h urine sample for protein measurement were obtained.

Results:  All women suspected of having pre‐eclampsia had significant proteinuria. The single‐voided p:c ratio demonstrated a sensitivity of 94% with a specificity of 96% at the cut‐off ≥ 0.2 mg/mg. There was strong correlation between the two methods in this group (r = 0.70, P < 0.001, R2 = 49%). Using the same cut‐off in the pregnant women who were not thought to have pre‐eclampsia, the sensitivity of the test (p:c ratio) was 29% and the specificity was 87%. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 26 (P < 0.06). Negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 34 and 83%, respectively.

Conclusion:  There is a strong correlation between 24‐h urine protein excretion and single‐voided urine p:c ratio in women suspected of having pre‐eclampsia. A single‐voided p:c ratio of ≥ 0.2 mg/mg is highly predictive for significant proteinuria. However, this test was not found to be a reasonable alternative to 24‐h urine collection; and it must be followed by 24‐h urine collection in a clinically suspect patient with a p:c ratio of < 0.2 mg/mg.
Care of women at risk of preterm birth: A survey of reported practice in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: JENKINS‐MANNING Sue , FLENADY Vicki , DODD Jodie , CINCOTTA Rob , CROWTHER Caroline
Published: November 2006

A mail‐out questionnaire on management of women considered at high risk of preterm birth was sent to all members and fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. While the survey suggested that there is general consensus among practitioners as to what constitutes an increased risk of preterm birth, there is some variation in investigations and treatment currently undertaken.
Cross‐Mapping Between Three Terminologies With the International Standard Nursing Reference Terminology Model
Authors: Goossen William
Published: November 2006

PURPOSE.  The International Standards Organization's (ISO) International Standard IS 18104 should assist the nursing profession to integrate their terminologies into computer systems and healthcare reference terminologies. The purpose of this study is to cross‐map between different terminologies; that is, to determine if concepts in one terminology are similar to concepts in another terminology.

METHODS.  The ISO standard was used to test the degree to which three terminologies could be cross‐mapped to each other. Concepts and terms were selected, their equivalence determined by experts, and the specific concepts were dissected or broken down to their constituent parts.

RESULTS.  Based on experts’ selections from the three classifications, equivalent concepts were identified. Those concepts deemed equivalent were dissected, thus revealing whether the components of the nursing diagnostic concepts such as focus, judgment, and other attributes of the ISO standard matched. Based on the dissection of each diagnosis, the decision was made whether mapping was possible or not.

CONCLUSIONS.  The dissection revealed that several nursing diagnostic concepts can easily be interchanged, while others cannot or can be mapped only for specific purposes (e.g., clinical or aggregate use). This implies that for some concepts it does not matter which terminology is used, and in other cases it does because of different meanings.
Molecular Descriptors of N‐Arylhydroxamic Acids: A Tool in Drug Design
Authors: Tiwari Vaishali , Pande Rama
Published: November 2006

The partition coefficient in the 1‐octanol/water system, log P(O/W), is a measure of lipophilicity. It is used as a predictor of solute–membrane partitioning. The objective of this study was to measure the log P(O/W) of five hydroxamic acids. Other molecular descriptors of these solutes, namely molar volume, molar refraction, parachor, polarizability (π*), hydrogen‐bond donor acidity (ɛα) and hydrogen‐bond acceptor basicity (ɛβ), have also been discussed. These properties represent the combined effects of a number of intermolecular forces between a solute and its environment.
Hemorrhagic complications in bone marrow transplant: possible roles of recombinant activated coagulation factor VII
Authors: OLAJIDE OLUDAMILOLA , HENKE DAVID , GABRIEL DON A.
Published: November 2006

Severe hemorrhage is a rare but significant complication in bone marrow transplant. Central nervous system bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhagic cystitis and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage account for most life‐threatening causes of hemorrhage. Thrombocytopenia, adverse therapeutic interactions, infections and treatment‐related organ injury are contributing factors. Thus, careful monitoring of global hemostasis function during transplantation is prudent. Therapeutic intervention for hemorrhagic complications in addition to transfusion may include factor concentrates such as recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa).
The use of recombinant activated factor VII in patients undergoing major burn surgery: experiences from a single center
Authors: JOHANSSON PÄR I. , ERIKSEN KIRSTEN , ALSBJØRN BJARNE
Published: November 2006

Burn wound excision and skin grafting is frequently associated with excessive perioperative blood loss necessitating allogeneic blood transfusion. Blood transfusion is associated with both infectious and non‐infectious complications and may worsen postoperative outcome. In this report we present our experience with recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in 17 severely burned patients treated at our institution. In seven patients rFVIIa was administered as a rescue treatment when life‐threatening bleeding unresponsive to conventional therapy occurred. Hemostasis was achieved within 15 minutes of rFVIIa administration in all patients. No treatment‐related adverse events, in particular thromboembolic events, were observed. Furthermore, as part of a single‐center, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, pilot trial involving 18 patients undergoing one‐stage major burn surgery, nine patients received prophylactic administration of rFVIIa resulting in a significant 50% reduction in transfusion requirements compared with controls. No treatment‐related adverse events were observed. We conclude that rFVIIa may be an effective hemostatic treatment for burn patients undergoing major excision and skin grafting surgery both as rescue therapy and when given as a prophylactic dose prior to surgery.
Use of recombinant activated factor VII in the management of medical and surgical bleeding: a critical review
Authors: STEINER MARIE E. , KEY NIGEL S.
Published: November 2006

Off‐label administration of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) has extended to multiple patient populations with bleeding complications uncontrolled by conventional measures. Published reports of rFVIIa use through March 2005 for indications not otherwise addressed in this issue were identified from an Internet search and summarized by organ systems. Reported experience is weighed according to published evidence‐based medicine guidelines. Recommendations for use and further studies of rFVIIa are summarized.
Sleep apnoea and hypertension: role of chemoreflexes in humans
Authors: Smith Michael L. , Pacchia Christina F.
Published: November 2006

The link between sleep apnoea and systemic hypertension in humans is well documented. However, a direct causal association between the two diseases independent of comorbidities has been difficult to establish. Comorbidities clearly play an important role in this strong relationship; however, new findings also suggest that sleep apnoea is an independent risk factor for hypertension. This relationship appears to be at least in part a result of chronically elevated sympathetic activity, and therefore manifests as a neurally mediated hypertension. Although the mechanism(s) for this causal relationship of sleep apnoea to hypertension remains ill defined, a growing body of literature suggests that autonomic dysfunction, mediated by abnormal chemoreflex control of sympathetic activity, is a potential mechanism. Abnormal chemoreflex responses to both acute and chronic apnoea or hypoxia have been demonstrated. Hypothesized mechanisms by which chemoreflex dysfunction may contribute to chronically elevated sympathetic tone and ultimately hypertension are explored in this review. Thus, this review focuses on the current evidence linking chemoreflex function to obstructive sleep apnoea and systemic hypertension in humans and provides an analysis of these data and their implications.
Delayed Inflammatory Response to Primary Pneumonic Plague Occurs in Both Outbred and Inbred Mice
Authors: Bubeck Sarah S. , Cantwell Angelene M. , Dube Peter H.
Published: November 2006

Yersinia pestisis the causative agent of plague, a disease that can manifest as either bubonic or pneumonic plague. An interesting feature of plague is that it is a rapidly progressive disease, suggesting thatY. pestiseither evades and/or suppresses the innate immune response to infection. Therefore, the early host response during the course of primary pneumonic plague was investigated in two mouse strains, the outbred strain CD1 and the inbred strain C57BL/6. A comparative analysis of the course of disease in these two strains of mice indicated that they are susceptible to intranasalY. pestisCO92 infection and have similar 50% lethal doses and kinetics of infection with respect to colonization of the lung, liver, and spleen. Significantly, in both strains of mice, robust neutrophil recruitment to the lungs was not observed until 48 h after infection, suggesting that there was a delay in inflammatory cell recruitment to the site of infection. In addition, proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor alpha, gamma interferon, IL-12p70, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1) and chemokines (KC, MIP-2) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were not readily detected until 48 h after infection, which coincided with the increase in polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) recruitment to the lungs. In comparison, CD1 mice with gram-negative pneumonia caused byKlebsiella pneumoniaeexhibited strong inflammatory responses early in infection, with PMNs comprising the majority of the cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid 24 h postinfection, indicating that PMN recruitment to the lungs could occur earlier in this infection than inY. pestisinfection. Together, our results indicate that there is a delay in the recruitment of neutrophils to the lungs in the mouse model of primary plague pneumonia that correlates with delayed expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in both outbred and inbred mice.
Reduced Phase Switch Capacity and Functional Adhesin Expression of Type 1-Fimbriated
Escherichia coli
from Immunoglobulin A-Deficient Individuals
Authors: Nowrouzian Forough L. , Friman Vanda , Adlerberth Ingegerd , Wold Agnes E.
Published: November 2006

The mannose-specific adhesin of type 1 fimbriae is the most common adhesin in
Escherichia coli
. One receptor for this adhesin is the carbohydrate chains of secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), and intestinal
E. coli
from IgA-deficient individuals has a reduced capacity to adhere to mannose-containing receptors. Here, we investigated the expression of the mannose-specific adhesin and its capacity to switch to the fimbriated phenotype in colonic resident and transient
E. coli
strains isolated from control (
n
= 16) and IgA-deficient (
n
= 17) persons. Resident
E. coli
strains from IgA-deficient individuals displayed weaker mannose-specific adherence to colonic cells than resident strains from control individuals (21 versus 44 bacteria/cell,
P
= 0.0009) due to three mechanisms: a lower carriage rate of the
fimH
gene (90% versus 97%, not significant), more frequent failure to switch on the
fim
genes (30% versus 6%,
P
= 0.02), and the reduced adhesive potential of
fimH

+

isolates capable of phase switch (26 versus 46 bacteria/cell,
P
= 0.02). On the other hand, resident strains from IgA-deficient individuals displayed stronger mannose-resistant adherence than resident strains from control individuals (
P
= 0.04) and transient strains from IgA-deficient individuals (
P
= 0.01). The presence of S-IgA appears to favor the establishment of
E. coli
clones which readily express mannose-specific adhesins in the bowel microbiota.
Environmental Mimics and the Lvh Type IVA Secretion System Contribute to Virulence-Related Phenotypes ofLegionella pneumophila
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Purnima , Liu Shuqing , Gabbai Carolina B. , Venitelli Zeah , Steinman Howard M.
Published: November 2006

Legionella pneumophila, the causative organism of Legionnaires' disease, is a fresh-water bacterium and intracellular parasite of amoebae. This study examined the effects of incubation in water and amoeba encystment onL. pneumophilastrain JR32 and null mutants indot/icmgenes encoding a type IVB secretion system required for entry, delayed acidification ofL. pneumophila-containing phagosomes, and intracellular multiplication when stationary-phase bacteria infect amoebae and macrophages. Following incubation of stationary-phase cultures in water, mutants indotAanddotB, essential for function of the type IVB secretion system, exhibited entry and delay of phagosome acidification comparable to that of strain JR32. Following encystment inAcanthamoeba castellaniiand reversion of cysts to amoeba trophozoites,dotAanddotBmutants exhibited intracellular multiplication in amoebae. TheL. pneumophilaLvh locus, encoding a type IVA secretion system homologous to that inAgrobacterium tumefaciens, was required for restoration of entry and intracellular multiplication indot/icmmutants following incubation in water and amoeba encystment and was required for delay of phagosome acidification in strain JR32. These data support a model in which the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system is conditionally rather than absolutely required forL. pneumophilavirulence-related phenotypes. The data suggest that the Lvh type IVA secretion system, previously thought to be dispensable, is involved in virulence-related phenotypes under conditions mimicking the spread of Legionnaires' disease from environmental niches. Since environmental amoebae are implicated as reservoirs for an increasing number of environmental pathogens and for drug-resistant bacteria, the environmental mimics developed here may be useful in virulence studies of other pathogens.
Intranasal Vaccination with Recombinant Outer Membrane Protein CD and Adamantylamide Dipeptide as the Mucosal Adjuvant Enhances Pulmonary Clearance of
Moraxella catarrhalis
in an Experimental Murine Model
Authors: Becker Pablo D. , Bertot Gustavo M. , Souss David , Ebensen Thomas , Guzmán Carlos A. , Grinstein Saúl
Published: November 2006

Moraxella catarrhalis
causes acute otitis media in children and lower respiratory tract infections in adults and elderly. In children the presence of antibodies against the highly conserved outer membrane protein CD correlates with protection against infection, suggesting that this protein may be useful as a vaccine antigen. However, native CD is difficult to purify, and it is still unclear if recombinant CD (rCD) is a valid alternative. We performed a side-by-side comparison of the immunogenicities and efficacies of vaccine formulations containing native CD and rCD with adamantylamide dipeptide as the mucosal adjuvant. Intranasal vaccination of mice stimulated the production of high CD-specific antibody titers in sera and of secretory immunoglobulin A in mucosal lavages, which cross-recognized both antigens. While vaccination with native CD increased the number of interleukin-2 (IL-2)- and gamma interferon-producing cells, rCD mainly stimulated IL-4-secreting cells. Nevertheless, efficient bacterial clearance was observed in the lungs of challenged mice receiving native CD and in the lungs of challenged mice receiving rCD (96% and 99%, respectively). Thus, rCD is a promising candidate for incorporation in vaccine formulations for use against
M. catarrhalis
.
LINKING IN KNOT THEORY
Authors: HSIEH CHUN-CHUNG
Published: November 2006

In this talk, we will give an explicit/combinatorial formulae for Massey–Milnor first non-vanishing linking, and also express this linking in terms of Chern–Simons–Witten perturbative quantum field theory.
BLOBS AND FLIPS ON GEMS
Authors: LINS SÓSTENES , MULAZZANI MICHELE
Published: November 2006

In this paper we prove that two n-gems induce the same manifold if and only if they are linked by a finite sequence of gem moves. A gem move is either a blob move, consisting in the creation or cancellation of an n-dipole, or a clean flip, which is a switch of a pair of edges of the same color that thickens an h-dipole, 1 ≤ h ≤ n - 1, or the inverse operation, which slims an h-dipole, 2 ≤ h ≤ n. Moreover we prove that we can reorder the gem moves, so that all the blob creations precede all clean flips which then precede all the blob cancellations. This reordering is of interest because it is an easy matter to decide whether two gems are linked by a finite sequence of clean flips. As a consequence, if a bound for the number of blob creations is established, then there exists a deterministic finite algorithm to decide whether two gems induce the same manifold or not.