bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of One vs Multiple Ovulatory Follicles and Associated Systemic Hormone Concentrations in Mares
Authors: Ginther OJ , Jacob JC , Gastal MO , Gastal EL , Beg MA
Published: May 2009

Contents

Ablation of follicles ≥  6 mm in diameter and treatment with PGF2α 10 days after ovulation were used to induce the development of ovulatory waves. Comparisons were made between induced waves with one (33 waves, 72%) and multiple (13 waves, 28%) ovulatory follicles. Diameter deviation was defined as the separation of follicles into dominant and subordinate categories. Multiple ovulatory follicles were preceded by more (p < 0.001) follicles ≥ 20 mm at the beginning of deviation, higher LH preceding deviation (approached significance, p < 0.08), lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of FSH on the day of deviation and thereafter, and higher (p < 0.0003) oestradiol by 2 days after deviation. During the peri‐ovulatory period, systemic hormone concentrations for waves with multiple ovulations involved higher oestradiol before ovulation (approached significance, p < 0.07), lower FSH (p < 0.04) before and after ovulation, and both higher progesterone (p < 0.05) and lower LH (p < 0.05) beginning the day after ovulation. Results indicated that by the beginning of deviation there were more follicles ≥  20 mm and subsequently greater oestradiol production in waves that led to the development of multiple ovulatory follicles, and during the peri‐ovulatory period differences between one and multiple ovulations were consistent with the negative effects of the ovarian hormones on the gonadotropins.
Nursing and the issue of ‘party’ in the Church of England: the case of the Lichfield Diocesan Nursing Association
Authors: Wildman Stuart
Published: May 2009

In recent years, there has been increased interest in the role of religion in the reform of nursing during the mid‐nineteenth century. However, less is known about how ‘party’ disputes between evangelicals and followers of the ‘Oxford Movement’ may have affected nursing. This study examines a proposal to create a nursing association for the Diocese of Lichfield in 1864, which leads to a public dispute concerning the ‘ecclesiastical’ nature of the organisation. Leading evangelicals in Derby campaigned against the idea of nurses belonging to a ‘sisterhood’. This resulted in two rival organisations being created in 1865. This paper reports upon the nature and origins of the dispute within the diocese, unsuccessful attempts to draw Florence Nightingale into the dispute and the relative success of the two institutions. The results of this research indicate that the importance of context and of place must be recognised when studying the history of nursing. This research is based mainly, upon newspaper reports, correspondence and miscellaneous sources, including biographies as there are few surviving records from the two organisations under scrutiny.
The nurse’s odyssey: the professional folktale in New Zealand backblocks nurses’ stories, 1910–1915
Authors: Wood Pamela J
Published: May 2009

Nurses have a long tradition of storytelling. Nurses in the New Zealand government’s Backblocks Nursing Service, established in 1909 for settlers in remote rural areas, related narratives of personal experience in articles, conference papers and letters to their chief nurse that were published in the country’s nursing journal. Analysis of the 16 stories published between 1910 and 1915 revealed 14 had a common storyline and structure. Structural elements included a call, arduous journey, arrival and reconnaissance, trial (difficult case or circumstance), resolution and homily. Using a literary folkloristics approach, this article argues that repetition of the story by nurses in different regions traditionalised it as a professional folktale, ‘The nurse’s odyssey’. It enabled nurses to debrief from difficult cases and write‐into‐being this new role and practice. Striking differences in the practice setting ensured the story’s reportability, while clinical details connected writer and readers through a common professional aesthetic context and strengthened the story’s credibility. For the chief nurse who was also a journal editor, publishing the stories allowed her to potentially attract nurses to the service while alerting them to its harsh realities, and show policy‐makers the profession’s value in meeting new health service needs.
Teaching nursing history: The Santa Catarina, Brazil, experience
Authors: Padilha Maria Itayra , Nelson Sioban
Published: May 2009

Nursing history has been a much debated subject with a wide range of work from many countries discussing the profession’s identity and questioning the nature of nursing and professional practice. Building upon a review of the recent developments in nursing history worldwide and on primary research that examined the structure of mandated nursing history courses in 14 nursing schools in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, this paper analyzes both the content and the pedagogical style applied. We postulate that the study of history offers an important opportunity for the development of student learning, and propose that more creative and dynamic teaching strategies be applied. We argue the need for professors to be active historical researchers, so they may meaningfully contribute to the development of local histories and enrich the professional identities of both nursing students and the profession. We conclude that historical education in nursing is limited by a traditional and universalist approach to nursing history, by the lack of relevant local sources or examples, and by the failure of historical education to be used as a vehicle to provide students with the intellectual tools for the development of professional understanding and self‐identity.
Shifting boundaries: religion, medicine, nursing and domestic service in mid‐nineteenth‐century Britain
Authors: Helmstadter Carol
Published: May 2009

The boundaries between medicine, religion, nursing and domestic service were fluid in mid‐nineteenth‐century England. The traditional religious understanding of illness conflicted with the newer understanding of anatomically based disease, the Anglican sisters were drawing a line between professional nursing and the traditional role of nurses as domestic servants who looked after sick people as one of their many duties, and doctors were looking for more knowledgeable nurses who could carry out their orders competently. This prosopographical study of the over 200 women who served as government nurses during the Crimean War 1854–56 describes the status of nursing and provides a picture of the religious and social structure of Britain in the 1850s. It also illustrates how religious, political and social factors affected the development of the new nursing. The Crimean War nurses can be divided into four major groups: volunteer secular ladies, Roman Catholic nuns, Anglican sisters and working‐class hospital nurses. Of these four groups I conclude that it was the experienced working‐class nurses who had the greatest influence on the organization of the new nursing.
Basic fibroblast growth factor increases the precursor pool of photoreceptors, but inhibits their differentiation and apoptosis in chicken retinal reaggregates
Authors: Frohns Florian , Mager Magnus , Layer Paul G.
Published: May 2009

The role(s) of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF‐2) in the differentiation and survival of photoreceptor (PR) cells was investigated in three‐dimensional reaggregated histotypic spheres, derived from dispersed cells of the embryonic day 6 chicken embryo retina. Novel data processing methods are introduced to reliably quantify sphere sizes and spatial distributions of immunochemical signals in spheroids. Supplementation with 25 ng/mL FGF‐2 increased cell proliferation, detected by bromodeoxyuridine uptake, and growth of spheroids. Immunochemical studies showed that FGF‐2 decreased the number of visinin‐positive and XAP‐1‐positive cells, including the total PR pool from early precursor until mature states, whereas the number of Pax6‐positive amacrine cells was strongly increased. Notably, the relative number of PR precursors as detected by an Islet2 antibody was increased. The further differentiation of both red/green cones and then rods, as detected by CERN‐906 and CERN‐901 antibody binding, was much delayed. In contrast, blocking system‐inherent FGF‐2 by suramin showed opposite effects. Addition of both FGF‐2 plus suramin resulted in nearly normal levels of PR differentiation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling histochemistry showed that PR apoptosis, which generally progresses with the age of spheres, was strongly increased by suramin treatment. These results suggest that in a three‐dimensional retinal tissue context, FGF‐2 restricts the pool of PRs in favour of cells of the inner retina, increases and maintains their precursor pool, delays their differentiation, and also protects them from apoptosis.
Streamlining ‘search and destroy’: cost‐effective surveillance for invasive species management
Authors: Hauser Cindy E. , McCarthy Michael A.
Published: May 2009

Invasive species surveillance has typically been targeted to where the species is most likely to occur. However, spatially varying environmental characteristics and land uses may affect more than just the probability of occurrence. Biodiversity or economic value, and the ease of detection and control are also likely to vary. We incorporate these factors into a detection and treatment model of a low‐density invader to determine the surveillance strategy that minimizes expected management costs. Sites with a high probability of invader occurrence and great benefits associated with detection warrant intensive surveillance; however, the optimum investment is a nonlinear function of these factors. Environments where the invader is relatively easy to detect are prioritized for surveillance, although only a moderate investment is necessary to ensure a high probability of detection. Intensive surveillance effort may be allocated to other sites if the probability of occurrence, budget and/or expected benefits is sufficiently high.
The optimum approach for pre‐transplant bilateral nephrectomy in small kidneys: dorsal lumbotomy vs laparoscopy
Authors: Srivastava Aneesh , Muruganandham Kaliyaperumal , Gupta Parag , Dubey Deepak , Kapoor Rakesh , Kumar Anant , Gupta Amit , Sharma Raj Kumar
Published: May 2009

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the outcomes of bilateral pretransplant nephrectomy (BPN) for small kidneys, using a bilateral dorsal lumbotomy (BDL) or transperitoneal laparoscopy (TL) approach.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty‐eight patients with end‐stage renal disease and small kidneys underwent BPN for various indications, most commonly uncontrolled hypertension. There were 38 patients in the BDL group (group 1) and 20 in the TL group (group 2). The variables before and during surgery, and the outcomes afterward, were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients and male/female ratio were comparable in both groups. The mean size of the kidneys removed were 7.4 and 8.2 cm, respectively, in groups 1 and 2. The mean (range) operative duration was longer in group 2, at 210  (160–240) min, than in group 1, at 112  (90–150) min (P < 0.001). The postoperative analgesic requirement for pain, blood transfusion rate, wound and pulmonary complications were similar between the groups. Bowel function recovered earlier in group 1 than group 2 (19 vs 37 h, P < 0.001). The total cost for the nephrectomy in group 2 was 3.5 times that of group 1. The mean interval between nephrectomy and transplantation was similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

BDL appears to be better than TL for BPN in small kidneys because the surgery is quicker, and there is earlier bowel recovery and lower costs.
Effect of diversification on capital structure
Authors: La Rocca Maurizio , La Rocca Tiziana , Gerace Dionigi , Smark Ciorstan
Published: May 2009

Previous empirical financial studies have paid little attention to the role of diversification strategy on financial choices. This study analyses the financing strategies of multibusiness firms, suggesting the relevance of sorting the diversification phenomena into its related and unrelated components. The implications of our findings are important because they explain earlier contradictory results on capital‐structure determinants and offer an explanation of how the degree of product specialization/diversification and the direction of diversification (related or unrelated) translate into different corporate financial behaviours.
Market's perception of deferred tax accruals
Authors: Chang Cheryl , Herbohn Kathleen , Tutticci Irene
Published: May 2009

This study investigates the value relevance and incremental information content of deferred tax accruals reported under the ‘income statement method’ (AASB 1020 Accounting for Income Taxes) over the period 2001–2004. Our findings suggest that deferred tax accruals are viewed as assets and liabilities. We document a positive relation between recognized deferred tax assets and firm value using the levels model, while the results from the returns model suggest that deferred tax liabilities reflect future tax payments. The balance of unrecognized deferred tax assets provides a negative signal to the market about future profitability, particularly for companies from the materials and energy sectors and loss‐makers.
Paediatric obesity, physical activity and the musculoskeletal system
Authors: Shultz S. P. , Anner J. , Hills A. P.
Published: May 2009

The current epidemic of paediatric obesity is consistent with a myriad of health‐related comorbid conditions. Despite the higher prevalence of orthopaedic conditions in overweight children, a paucity of published research has considered the influence of these conditions on the ability to undertake physical activity. As physical activity participation is directly related to improvements in physical fitness, skeletal health and metabolic conditions, higher levels of physical activity are encouraged, and exercise is commonly prescribed in the treatment and management of childhood obesity. However, research has not correlated orthopaedic conditions, including the increased joint pain and discomfort that is commonly reported by overweight children, with decreases in physical activity. Research has confirmed that overweight children typically display a slower, more tentative walking pattern with increased forces to the hip, knee and ankle during ‘normal’ gait. This research, combined with anthropometric data indicating a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal malalignment in overweight children, suggests that such individuals are poorly equipped to undertake certain forms of physical activity. Concomitant increases in obesity and decreases in physical activity level strongly support the need to better understand the musculoskeletal factors associated with the performance of motor tasks by overweight and obese children.
AN EXACT TEST FOR HAZARD SIMILARITY
Authors: Hamza Kais
Published: May 2009

An exact test is developed for hazard similarity and in particular for exponentiality. This test is distinct from more common goodness‐of‐fit tests such as the Kolmogorov–Smirnov goodness‐of‐fit test, as it does not require full specification of the null distribution. This test is obtained through a characterization of hazard‐similar distributions and a generalization of Fisher's test for association.
The Process of Fixing the British National Minimum Wage, 1997–2007
Authors: Brown William
Published: May 2009

The British National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 under the guidance of a Low Pay Commission constructed on a basis of ‘social partnership’. The article analyses its conduct over its first 10 years from diary data. Key challenges were for it to be independent of government, to have its advice accepted by government and to maintain internal unanimity. The changing internal dynamics of the Commission, and its major negotiations over the level of the minimum wage, are described and analysed. Conclusions are drawn for the social partnership process.
Publication Selection Bias in Minimum‐Wage Research? A Meta‐Regression Analysis
Authors: Doucouliagos Hristos , Stanley T. D.
Published: May 2009

Card and Krueger's meta‐analysis of the employment effects of minimum wages challenged existing theory. Unfortunately, their meta‐analysis confused publication selection with the absence of a genuine empirical effect. We apply recently developed meta‐analysis methods to 64 US minimum‐wage studies and corroborate that Card and Krueger's findings were nevertheless correct. The minimum‐wage effects literature is contaminated by publication selection bias, which we estimate to be slightly larger than the average reported minimum‐wage effect. Once this publication selection is corrected, little or no evidence of a negative association between minimum wages and employment remains.
Minimum Wage Impacts on Older Workers: Longitudinal Estimates from Canada
Authors: Fang Tony , Gunderson Morley
Published: May 2009

We use the longitudinal nature of the master file of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics in Canada for the period 1993–99 to estimate the employment impacts for older workers of the large number (24) of minimum wage increases that have occurred across the different provincial jurisdictions over that period. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the minimum wage increases have positive impacts on the employment of older workers compared with the negative impacts that are commonly estimated for youths in Canada. The results are robust across various comparison groups and measures of the minimum wage increases. Reasons for this unusual finding are discussed.
The Productivity‐Enhancing Impacts of the Minimum Wage: Lessons from Denmark and New Zealand
Authors: McLaughlin Colm
Published: May 2009

This article adds an international comparative perspective to the reflection on 100 years of minimum wage legislation in Britain by exploring the impact of minimum wage regulations and institutions in Denmark and New Zealand. In particular, it looks at the question of whether minimum wages can raise productivity through the ‘shock effect’. It argues that while they will play a role, a supportive institutional framework is more important in providing coordinated solutions to issues of market failure, such as inadequate levels of training. The article suggests that sectoral bargaining institutions in low‐paid sectors may have the potential to facilitate such coordination and enable the high‐productivity model to emerge.
One Hundred Years of British Minimum Wage Legislation
Authors: Deakin Simon , Green Francis
Published: May 2009

The Trade Boards Act 1909 was a landmark in the development of minimum wage regulation in Britain and around the world. Although their powers were limited, the trade boards had immediate and tangible effects in terms of raising living standards, and over time they became a core part of the system of state support for collective wage determination. While influential overseas, the wages councils (as the trade boards became after 1945) were eventually seen as providing only a partial solution to the problem of low pay. In the 1980s, their powers were reduced under the influence of deregulatory labour market policies, prior to their abolition in 1993. The British national minimum wage (‘NMW’), which was introduced in 1998, despite appearances, is not a universal national minimum of the kind which the Webbs and other Fabian writers argued for a century ago. Notwithstanding a growing consensus that the supposed negative economic effects of the minimum wage have not been borne out by the experience of the NMW, public policy has yet to take fully on board its potential benefits, including the reduction of social costs and the promotion of social partnership.
A double‐blind, randomized trial of duloxetine versus placebo in the management of chronic low back pain
Authors: Skljarevski V. , Ossanna M. , Liu‐Seifert H. , Zhang Q. , Chappell A. , Iyengar S. , Detke M. , Backonja M.
Published: May 2009

Background:  Duloxetine has demonstrated analgesic effect in chronic pain states. This study assesses the efficacy of duloxetine in chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Methods:  Adult patients with non‐radicular CLBP entered this 13‐week, double‐blind, randomized study comparing duloxetine 20, 60 or 120 mg once daily with placebo. The primary measure was comparison of duloxetine 60 mg with placebo on weekly mean 24‐h average pain. Secondary measures included Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ‐24), Patient’s Global Impressions of Improvement (PGI‐I), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), safety and tolerability.

Results:  Four hundred four patients were enrolled, 267 completed. No significant differences existed between any dose of duloxetine and placebo on reduction in weekly mean 24‐h average pain at end‐point. Duloxetine 60 mg was superior to placebo from weeks 3–11 in relieving pain, but not at weeks 12–13. Duloxetine 60 mg demonstrated significant improvement on PGI‐I, RMDQ‐24, BPI‐average pain and BPI‐average interference. Significantly more patients taking duloxetine 120 mg (24.1%) discontinued because of adverse events, versus placebo (8.5%).

Conclusions:  Duloxetine was superior to placebo on the primary objective from weeks 3–11, but superiority was not maintained at end‐point. Duloxetine was superior to placebo on many secondary measures, and was well‐tolerated.
Serum S100B protein in early management of patients after mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Morochovič R. , Rácz O. , Kitka M. , Pingorová S. , Cibur P. , Tomková D. , Lenártová R.
Published: May 2009

Background and purpose:  Neuronal protein S100B assays are available now with a perspective of being an early screening tool for serious intracranial injury. The aim of the study was to correlate early S100B measurements and initial CCT findings in the patients sustaining mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).

Methods:  The prospective study included patients of all ages with a history of MTBI. CCT scans and venous blood sampling for S100B analysis were performed within 6 h after injury. Levels of S100B above 0.1 ng/ml (S100B+) and any CCT detectable trauma‐relevant intracranial lesions were considered positive (CCT+).

Results:  A series of 102 patients were involved in the study. CCT+ scans were present in eighteen (17.6%) and CCT‐ scans in 84 (82.4%) patients. There were 74 (72.5%) patients in S100B+ and 28 (27.5%) in S100B− group. Sensitivity of S100B assay attained 83.3% with a negative predictive value of 89.3%. Three patients from CCT+ group had negative plasma level of S100B. Two of them required surgical treatment.

Discussion:  S100B serum protein marker seems to be an unrealiable screening tool for determination of an intracranial injury risk group due to low sensitivity and negative predictive value seen from samples taken greater than 3 h after an MTBI.
The Retirement Expectations of Middle‐aged Australians*
Authors: COBB‐CLARK DEBORAH A. , STILLMAN STEVEN
Published: May 2009

We use HILDA data to examine the retirement plans of middle‐aged Australians. We find that approximately two‐thirds of men and more than half of women report a numeric expected retirement age which we refer to as having a standard retirement plan. Still, one in five individuals seem to have delayed their retirement planning and approximately 1 in 11 either does not know when he or she expects to retire or expects to never retire. Retirement plans are closely related to current labour market position, with workers in jobs with well‐defined superannuation benefits more likely to report numeric expected retirement ages.
Unobserved Components in Competitive Balance and Match Attendances in the Australian Football League, 1945–2005: Where is all the Action Happening?*
Authors: LENTEN LIAM J. A.
Published: May 2009

A structural time‐series model is estimated to investigate the relation between competitive balance, measured by the actual‐to‐idealised standard deviation ratio, and average match attendance in the Australian Football League from 1945 to 2005. The unobserved components approach allows the data to be modelled in ways new to the literature on this topic. A seemingly unrelated time‐series version shows much of the explanatory power of the data to be in the irregular (fast‐moving) component. An OLS regression produces robust goodness‐of‐fit and diagnostic results, and the coefficient estimates produce inferences in contrast to those ofSchmidt and Berri (2001), with persistent shocks.
Are State Elections Affected by the National Economy? Evidence from Australia*
Authors: LEIGH ANDREW , MCLEISH MARK
Published: May 2009

Using data from 191 Australian state elections, we test how voters respond to economic conditions. We find that unemployment has a strong impact on election outcomes, with each additional percentage point of unemployment reducing the incumbent's re‐election probability by 3–5 per cent. However, when we separate luck (unemployment in other states) from competence (unemployment in that state relative to the rest of Australia), we find that both luck and competence are equally important. This is consistent with a psychological theory of the ‘fundamental attribution error’, in which observers consistently underestimate the importance of situational constraints. We also find evidence that unemployment driven by a clearly exogenous source – the US economy – has a non‐trivial impact on the re‐election probability of Australian state governments. Our results suggest that Australian voters either retain too many state governments in economic booms, vote out too many state governments in recessions, or perhaps both.
Response of Bird Populations to Farmland Set‐Aside Programs
Authors: HERKERT JAMES R.
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  The role of agricultural landscapes in biodiversity conservation has been largely ignored despite their potential role in conserving declining species. Within agricultural landscapes, set‐aside programs may offer the most promising conservation opportunities due to the large area involved in these programs. I explored the relationship between set‐aside effect size—on the basis of data from field studies of birds in cropland and set‐aside fields—and population changes following establishment of these fields. Species whose abundance was most strongly influenced by the establishment of set‐aside lands also tended to show positive changes in population trends following broad‐scale implementation of the set‐aside program. This relationship was strongest for grassland obligate birds, a group of birds experiencing broad‐scale population declines throughout North America. There is now increasing evidence that set‐aside lands within the United States are providing population‐level benefits to grassland birds. Nevertheless, there are also increasing concerns about the stability of these set‐aside lands in the face of increased demand for crops and rising commodity prices. If set‐aside area within the United States is allowed to decline, additional declines of birds and perhaps other taxa within agricultural landscapes seem likely.
Long‐term Administration of Probiotics to Asymptomatic Pre‐school Children for Either the Eradication or the Prevention of Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Boonyaritichaikij Surasak , Kuwabara Kentaro , Nagano June , Kobayashi Kiyoshi , Koga Yasuhiro
Published: May 2009

Background:  The role of probiotics in the armamentarium remains to be defined. The aims of this study were to investigate whether the long‐time administration of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 (LG21) strain can eradicate H. pylori in asymptomatic pre‐school children and/or prevent H. pylori infection.

Methods: A total of 440 children, from 5–7 years of age, attending a kindergarten in Thailand were screened by the Helicobacter pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test. Thereafter 132 H. pylori positive and 308 H. pylori negative children were recruited to eradication and randomized prevention arms, respectively. Children in the active and placebo treatment groups received Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 (LG21) containing cheese and ordinary cheese, respectively, for 12 months. Eradication was defined as reversion by HpSA at 12 months. Prevention was defined as persistently HpSA negative at 12 months.

Results:  Eighty‐two of 132 H. pylori positive (62%) completed the eradication arm, of which 24 (29.3%) were negative at 12 months according to the HpSA test. In the randomized prevention arm, 123 of 156 (79%) and 99 of 122 (81%) completed active and placebo arms, respectively, of which 4.1% and 8.1%, respectively, were HpSA positive at 12 months based on a per‐protocol analysis (p = .21).

Conclusion: Further trials are needed.
The Effect of the Human Gut‐Signalling Hormone, Norepinephrine, on the Growth of the Gastric Pathogen Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Doherty Neil C. , Tobias Amanda , Watson Sue , Atherton John C.
Published: May 2009

Background and Aims: Helicobacter pylori is an important human pathogen, infecting around half the population of the world. It has developed a number of refinements to allow it to persist in the human stomach. Catecholamine hormones have been shown to enhance growth of other bacterial species and are found in the gastric niche. We aimed to study growth enhancement of H. pylori by the human catecholamine hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Methods: Growth studies were carried out in complex and defined media containing the hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and normetanephrine, the main host metabolite of norepinephrine. Bacterial density was measured by viable count or optical density. Intracellular ATP was measured using a bioluminescence assay technique.

Results: Both epinephrine and norepinephrine enhanced H. pylori growth in a dose‐dependent strain‐independent fashion, with norepinephrine being more effective than epinephrine. We showed a rapid (4 hours) dose‐dependent effect on metabolic activity, as measured by intracellular ATP levels. We used a chemically defined medium to study mechanisms: chelation of ferric iron blocked H. pylori growth, which could be overcome by addition of norepinephrine. Disruption of the catechol group of norepinephrine abrogated its H. pylori‐growth‐promoting activity.

Conclusions: Norepinephrine stimulates growth of H. pylori under otherwise growth‐restricted conditions, and this effect is related to the ability of norepinephrine to bind ferric iron. This supports the notion that norepinephrine may aid H. pylori persistence in the stomach.
High resolution micro‐SPECT scanning in rats using125I β‐CIT: Effects of chronic treatment with carbamazepine
Authors: Cain Stuart M. , Ruest Torsten , Pimlott Sally , Patterson Jim , Duncan Rod , Dewar Debbie , Sills Graeme J.
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a first‐line antiepileptic agent with mood‐stabilizing effects in bipolar disorder. It has been reported to influence extracellular concentrations of serotonin and dopamine, suggesting an interaction with monoamine transporters. We have investigated this effect using in vivo single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in rats.

Methods: Adult male rats received 3 mg/kg/h CBZ via mini‐osmotic pump. After 14 days continuous treatment, animals underwent two consecutive SPECT scans, using125I β‐CIT as a radiotracer to label serotonin transporter (SERT) and dopamine transporter (DAT) sites in the brain. Pharmacologic distinction was enabled by125I β‐CIT SPECT imaging in rats acutely exposed to the serotonin and dopamine transporter inhibitors, fluoxetine and GBR12909. The interaction between CBZ and125I β‐CIT binding to SERT and DAT was investigated using in vitro autoradiography.

Results: Carbamazepine (10 μm) did not affect binding of125I β‐CIT to isolated rat brain slices, thereby excluding a direct effect on ligand binding to SERT and DAT. SPECT studies with fluoxetine and GBR12909 highlighted SERT binding in thalamus, hippocampus, centromedial nuclei, and occipital cortex, and DAT binding in the caudate. Prolonged treatment with CBZ failed to influence125I β‐CIT binding to either SERT or DAT in any of the brain regions examined.

Discussion: This study employed the novel technique of small animal SPECT imaging to investigate the effects of CBZ on monoamine transporters in rat brain. Following prolonged treatment, the drug was without effect on SERT or DAT availability. The mechanism by which CBZ exerts its mood stabilizing effects remains elusive.
Suicide in people with epilepsy: How great is the risk?
Authors: Bell Gail S , Gaitatzis Athanasios , Bell Catherine L , Johnson Anthony L , Sander Josemir W
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Suicide is more common in populations with epilepsy, but estimates vary concerning the magnitude of the risk. We aimed to estimate the risk using meta‐analysis.

Methods: A literature search identified 74 articles (76 cohorts of people with epilepsy) in whom the number of deaths by suicide in people with epilepsy and the number of person–years at risk could be estimated. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each cohort, for groups of cohorts, and for the total population.

Results: The overall SMR was 3.3 (95% CI 2.8–3.7) based on 190 observed deaths by suicide compared with 58.4 expected. The SMR was significantly increased in people with incident or newly diagnosed epilepsy in the community (SMR 2.1), in populations with mixed prevalence and incidence cases (SMR 3.6), in those with prevalent epilepsy (SMR 4.8), in people in institutions (SMR 4.6), in people seen in tertiary care clinics (SMR 2.28), in people with temporal lobe epilepsy (SMR 6.6), in those following temporal lobe excision (SMR 13.9), and following other forms of epilepsy surgery (SMR 6.4). The SMR was significantly low overall in two community‐based studies of people with epilepsy and developmental disability.

Discussion: We confirm that the risk of suicide is increased in most populations of people with epilepsy. Psychiatric comorbidity has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for suicide in the general population and in people with epilepsy, and such comorbidity should thus be identified and treated.
Epilepsy in Angelman syndrome: A questionnaire‐based assessment of the natural history and current treatment options
Authors: Thibert Ronald L. , Conant Kerry D. , Braun Eileen K. , Bruno Patricia , Said Rana R. , Nespeca Mark P. , Thiele Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Angelman syndrome (AS) commonly presents with epilepsy (>80%). The goal of this study was to examine the natural history and various treatments of epilepsy in AS in a large population.

Methods: A detailed electronic survey containing comprehensive questions regarding epilepsy in AS was conducted through the Angelman Syndrome Foundation.

Results: There were responses from 461 family members of individuals with AS, of whom 86% had epilepsy (60% with multiple seizure types), the most common being atonic, generalized tonic–clonic, absence, and complex partial. Partial‐onset seizures only were reported in 11% of those with epilepsy. Epilepsy was most common among those with maternal deletions and unknown subtypes, with catastrophic epilepsies present in only these two subtypes. These epilepsies were refractory to medication, with only 15% responding to the first antiepileptic drug (AED). The most commonly prescribed AED were valproic acid and clonazepam, but lamotrigine and levetiracetam appeared to have similar efficacy and tolerability.

Discussion: This is the largest study to date assessing epilepsy in AS. Although epilepsy in AS is considered a generalized epilepsy, there was a high prevalence of partial seizures. There are few previous data regarding the use of newer AED in AS, and the results of this study suggest that these newer agents, specifically levetiracetam and lamotrigine, may have efficacy similar to that of valproic acid and clonazepam, and that they appear to have similar or better side‐effect profiles. Nonpharmacologic therapies such as dietary therapy and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) also suggest favorable efficacy and tolerability, although further studies are needed.
Epilepsy and the sleep–wake patterns found in Angelman syndrome
Authors: Conant Kerry D. , Thibert Ronald L. , Thiele Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2009

Sleep disturbances and epilepsy are common in Angelman syndrome (AS). This study examines seizure variables and sleep in a large AS cohort. Sleep disturbances and epilepsy were assessed in 290 individuals with AS using two questionnaires, including the Behavioral Evaluation of Disorders of Sleep (BEDS). Sensitivity to the sleeping environment, decreased nightly hours of sleep, and a difficulty initiating sleep were significantly correlated with the presence of epilepsy, particularly focal seizures. Use of multiple anticonvulsant drugs was shown to affect sleep. No significant associations were present between molecular subtypes of AS and individual sleep factors. Sleep problems appeared to be associated with epilepsy in individuals with AS, especially with focal and absence seizures and multiple seizure types. Results were consistent with those of prior studies assessing sleep in AS. Severity of epilepsy and use of anticonvulsant drugs may be related to a higher degree of sleep disturbance in this population.
Provocative and inhibitory effects of a video‐EEG neuropsychologic protocol in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Authors: Guaranha Mirian Salvadori Bittar , Da Silva Sousa Patrícia , De Araújo‐Filho Gerardo Maria , Lin Katia , Guilhoto Laura Maria Figueiredo Ferreira , Caboclo Luís Otávio Sales Ferreira , Yacubian Elza Márcia Targas
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Studies suggest that higher cognitive functions could precipitate seizures in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). The present study aimed to analyze the effects of higher mental activity on epileptiform discharges and seizures in patients with JME and compare them to those of habitual methods of activation.

Methods: Seventy‐six patients with JME (41 female) underwent a video‐EEG (electroencephalography) neuropsychologic protocol (VNPP) and habitual methods of activation for 4–6 h.

Results: Twenty‐nine of the 76 (38.2%) presented provocative effect, and inhibition was seen in 28 of 31 (90.3%). A mixed effect was observed in 11 (35.5%), and 30 patients (39.5%) suffered no effect of VNPP. Action‐programming tasks were more effective than thinking in provoking epileptiform discharges (23.7% and 11.0% of patients, respectively, p = 0.03). Inhibitory effect was observed equally in the various categories of tasks, except in mental calculation, which had a higher inhibitory rate. Habitual methods of activation were more effective than VNPP in provoking discharges. Anxiety disorders were diagnosed in 24 of 58 patients (41.4%); anxious patients had greater discharge indexes and no significant inhibitory effect on VNPP.

Discussion: Praxis exerted the most remarkable provocative effect, in accordance with the motor circuitry hyperexcitability hypothesis in JME. Inhibitory effect, which had no such task specificity, might be mediated by a widespread cortical–thalamic pathway, possibly involving the parietal cortex. The frequent inhibitory effect found under cortical activation conditions, influenced by the presence of anxiety, supports nonpharmacologic therapeutic interventions in JME.
Myocardial contractile function and intradialytic hypotension
Authors: OWEN Paul J. , PRIESTMAN William S. , SIGRIST Mhairi K. , LAMBIE Stewart H. , JOHN Stephen G. , CHESTERTON Lindsay J. , MCINTYRE Christopher W.
Published: May 2009

Dialysis‐induced hypotension remains a significant problem in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Numerous factors result in dysregulation of blood pressure control and impaired myocardial reserve in response to HD‐induced cardiovascular stress. Episodic intradialytic hypotension may be involved in the pathogenesis of evolving myocardial injury. We performed an initial pilot investigation of cardiovascular functional response to pharmacological cardiovascular stress in hypotension‐resistant (HR) and hypotension‐prone (HP) HD patients. We studied 10 matched chronic HD patients (5 HP, 5 HR). Dobutamine‐atropine stress (DAS) was performed on a nondialysis short interval day, with noninvasive pulse‐wave analysis using the Finometer® to continuously measure hemodynamic variables. Baroreflex sensitivity was assessed at rest and during DAS. Baseline hemodynamic variables were not significantly different. The groups had differing hemodynamic responses to DAS. The Mean arterial pressure was unchanged in the HR group but decreased in HP patients (−13.6 ± 3.5 mmHg; P<0.001). This was associated with failure to significantly increase cardiac output in the HP group (cf. increase in cardiac output in the HR group of +33.4 ± 6%; P<0.05), and a reduced response in total peripheral resistance (HP −10.3 ± 6.8%, HR −22.7 ± 2.9%, P=NS). Baroreflex sensitivity was not significantly different between groups at baseline or within groups with increasing levels of DAS; however, the mean baroreflex sensitivity was higher in HR cf. HP subjects throughout pharmacological stress (P<0.05). Hypotension‐prone patients appear to have an impaired cardiovascular response to DAS. The most significant abnormality is an impaired myocardial contractile reserve. Early identification of these patients would allow utilization of therapeutic strategies to improve intradialytic tolerability, potentially abrogating aggravation of myocardial injury.
Survival pattern of hemodialysis patients in Kumasi, Ghana: A summary of forty patients initiated on hemodialysis at a new hemodialysis unit
Authors: EGHAN Benjamin A. , AMOAKO‐ATTA Kwabena , KANKAM Charity Ama , NSIAH‐ASARE Anthony
Published: May 2009

To evaluate the survival pattern of hemodialysis patients at a dialysis unit in Kumasi, Ghana, through a retrospective (observational) study. Patients who were placed on hemodialysis at the dialysis unit at Komfo Anokye teaching hospital from October 25, 2006 to December 2007. The patients were followed from initiation of dialysis until December 31, 2007. The overall mortality was 14 (35.9%) on the incident population for the period and that for the first 90 days was 12 (32.4%) patients. Chronic glomerulonephritis was the underlying kidney disease in 35.9%. This was followed by hypertension (19.1%) and diabetes mellitus (15.4%), respectively. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 42% of mortality. This was followed by septicemia (25%) from the access site and anemia (25%). Fifty percent of the patients were able to afford 20 sessions of hemodialysis before stopping. The most powerful predictors of survival were the duration of hemodialysis (P=0.05) and the number of hemodialysis sessions (P=0.02). Age at initiation of hemodialysis was not significant. First 90‐day mortality of patients on hemodialysis is high in poor African countries. This is due partially to the late referral of patients and also the cost of the dialysis treatment. Efforts will have to be made to reduce the cost of the dialysis treatment. Reuse technology (of dialyzer, etc.) should be introduced to cut down the cost of hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis should also be introduced for highly motivated patients. Efforts should also be made to reduce the increasing incidence of kidney disease, and finally third‐world countries should consider establishing kidney transplantation, that is cost effective.
Culture and the Organization of Diversity: Reflections on the Future of Quantitative Methods in Psychological Anthropology
Authors: Lende Daniel H.
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe dynamics of culture and social organization are emerging as current strengths within quantitative anthropology, building on previous developments in cultural consensus modeling and other cognitive anthropological methods. Theoretical developments indicate the need to consider other properties of culture than shared consensus, including the relative and local nature of social–cultural life and the impact of structural inequality. Important tasks include improved consideration of individual diversity (through experience and behavior) and the use of qualitative methods to not just start but also to complement, extend, and test quantitative research. [quantitative methods, cognitive anthropology, social epidemiology, culture theory, cultural consensus]
Quantifying the impact of above‐ and belowground higher trophic levels on plant and herbivore performance by modeling1
Authors: Meyer Katrin M. , Vos Matthijs , Mooij Wolf M. , Gera Hol W. H. , Termorshuizen Aad J. , Vet Louise E. M. , Van Der Putten Wim H.
Published: May 2009

Growing empirical evidence suggests that aboveground and belowground multitrophic communities interact. However, investigations that comprehensively explore the impacts of above‐ and belowground third and higher trophic level organisms on plant and herbivore performance are thus far lacking. We tested the hypotheses that above‐ and belowground higher trophic level organisms as well as decomposers affect plant and herbivore performance and that these effects cross the soil–surface boundary. We used a well‐validated simulation model that is individual‐based for aboveground trophic levels such as shoot herbivores, parasitoids, and hyperparasitoids while considering belowground herbivores and their antagonists at the population level. We simulated greenhouse experiments by removing trophic levels and decomposers from the simulations in a factorial design. Decomposers and above‐ and belowground third trophic levels affected plant and herbivore mortality, root biomass, and to a lesser extent shoot biomass. We also tested the effect of gradual modifications of the interactions between different trophic level organisms with a sensitivity analysis. Shoot and root biomass were highly sensitive to the impact of the fourth trophic level. We found effects that cross the soil surface, such as aboveground herbivores and parasitoids affecting root biomass and belowground herbivores influencing aboveground herbivore mortality. We conclude that higher trophic level organisms and decomposers can strongly influence plant and herbivore performance. We propose that our modelling framework can be used in future applications to quantitatively explore the possible outcomes of complex above‐ and belowground multitrophic interactions under a range of environmental conditions and species compositions.
Analysis of DHHC Acyltransferases Implies Overlapping Substrate Specificity and a Two‐Step Reaction Mechanism
Authors: Hou Haitong , John Peter Arun T. , Meiringer Christoph , Subramanian Kanagaraj , Ungermann Christian
Published: May 2009

Asp‐His‐His‐Cys (DHHC) cysteine‐rich domain (CRD) acyltransferases are polytopic transmembrane proteins that are found along the endomembrane system of eukaryotic cells and mediate palmitoylation of peripheral and integral membrane proteins. Here, we address the in vivo substrate specificity of five of the seven DHHC acyltransferases for peripheral membrane proteins by an overexpression approach. For all analysed DHHC proteins we detect strongly overlapping substrate specificity. In addition, we now show acyltransferase activity for Pfa5. More importantly, the DHHC protein Pfa3 is able to trap several substrates at the vacuole. For Pfa3 and its substrate Vac8, we can distinguish two consecutive steps in the acylation reaction: an initial binding that occurs independently of its central cysteine in the DHHC box, but requires myristoylation of its substrate Vac8, and a DHHC‐motif dependent acylation. Our data also suggest that proteins can be palmitoylated on several organelles. Thus, the intracellular distribution of DHHC proteins provides an acyltransferase network, which may promote dynamic membrane association of substrate proteins.