bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Homocysteine is transported by the microvillous plasma membrane of human placenta
Authors: Tsitsiou Eleni , Sibley Colin P. , D'Souza Stephen W. , Catanescu Otilia , Jacobsen Donald W. , Glazier Jocelyn D. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractElevated maternal plasma concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy) are associated with pregnancy complications and adverse neonatal outcomes. The postulate that we wish to advance here is that placental transport of Hcy, by competing with endogenous amino acids for transporter activity, may account for some of the damaging impacts of Hcy on placental metabolism and function as well as fetal development. In this article, we provide an overview of some recent studies characterising the transport mechanisms for Hcy across the microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) of the syncytiotrophoblast, the transporting epithelium of human placenta. Three Hcy transport systems have been identified, systems L, A and y+L. This was accomplished using a strategy of competitive inhibition to investigate the effects of Hcy on the uptake of well‐characterised radiolabelled substrates for each transport system into isolated MVM vesicles. The reverse experiments were also performed, examining the effects of model substrates on [35S]L‐Hcy uptake. This article describes the evidence for systems L, A and y+L involvement in placental Hcy transport and discusses the physiological implications of these findings with respect to placental function and fetal development.
A short‐term longitudinal analysis of friendship selection on early adolescent substance use
Authors: Poulin François , Kiesner Jeff , Pedersen Sara , Dishion Thomas J. 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTThere is a strong empirical connection between individual and peer substance use during adolescence. The determination of whether this level of covariation reflects influence or selection is obscured by both the design and measurement strategies used. This present study utilizes a short‐term longitudinal design with bi‐monthly assessments to address the following two hypotheses: a) Adolescents select friends on the basis of their substance use, and b) New friend substance use predicts changes in future use. French Canadian adolescents (n = 143) were interviewed on their friendship networks and substance use behaviors (e.g., tobacco, alcohol and marijuana) four times during a school year. Cross‐lag panel models revealed that adolescents who use substances tend to select new friends who use. Moreover, once in the network, these new friends also contribute to changes in the adolescents’ substance use. These findings are relevant to understanding the multiple functions of adolescent substance use.
Identifying adolescents at risk through voluntary school‐based mental health screening
Authors: Husky Mathilde M. , Kaplan Adam , McGuire Leslie , Flynn Laurie , Chrostowski Christine , Olfson Mark 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTThis study compares referrals for mental health services among high school students randomized to two means of referral to mental health services: referral via systematic identification through a brief mental health screening procedure (n = 365) or referral via the usual process of identification by school personnel, parents, or students themselves (n = 291). Screened students were significantly more likely than control students (AOR: 21.64 95%CI 6.66–70.36) to receive a referral for mental health services, whether it be to school‐based services (AOR: 11.68 95%CI 3.52–8.73) or community‐based services (AOR: 20.02 95%CI 2.66–150.41). Post‐study, for those screened, 95.5% of school‐based mental health services referrals, and 39.3% of community‐based referrals were accessed. School based mental health screening identified a significantly greater proportion of youth to be in clinical need of mental health services than would have likely been identified without screening, and increased rates of referral resulted in greater access to mental health services.
Psychopathologic, neuropsychological and functional outcome measures during cognitive rehabilitation in schizophrenia: A prospective controlled study in a real-world setting
Authors: Vita A. , De Peri L. , Barlati S. , Cacciani P. , Cisima M. , Deste G. , Cesana B.M. , Sacchetti E. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractBackgroundCognitive dysfunction has been demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia, and this may affect patients’ functional outcome. The improvement of such dysfunction by means of cognitive remediation interventions has become a relevant target in the care of schizophrenia.ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of the cognitive subprograms of Integrated Psychological Therapy (IPT) on symptomatological, neuropsychological and functional outcome variables and to analyze the relationships between cognitive and functional outcome changes in schizophrenia.MethodsThirty-two patients with schizophrenia were assigned to cognitive remediation (IPT-cog) or usual rehabilitative interventions in a naturalistic setting of care. Clinical, neuropsychological and functional outcome variables were assessed at baseline and after 24 weeks of treatment.ResultsThe IPT-cog group improved significantly more than the comparison group with respect to psychopathological and functional outcome variables. Moreover, only the IPT-cog group improved significantly in the neuropsychological domains of verbal and working memory, with specific significant correlations between neurocognitive performance and functional outcome changes.ConclusionsThe results of the study confirm the effectiveness of the cognitive remediation component of IPT in schizophrenia, and indicate that some of the changes in functional outcome may be mediated by improvement in specific cognitive domains.
Measuring Rates of Hand Hygiene Adherence in the Intensive Care Setting: A Comparative Study of Direct Observation, Product Usage, and Electronic Counting Devices
Authors: Marra Alexandre R. , Moura Denis Faria , Paes Ângela Tavares , dos Santos Oscar Fernando Pavão , Edmond Michael B. 
Published: June 2010

Objective.To compare 3 measures of hand hygiene adherence—direct observation, product usage, and electronic counting devices—in an intensive care unit.Design.A 12-week observational study.Setting.A 40-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit at a private tertiary care hospital.Methods.Over a 12-week period, we assessed hand hygiene adherence by 3 different methods: direct observation of practice, collection of data from electronic counters for dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub, and measurement of the amount of product used (alcohol-based hand rub and chlorhexidine).Results.There were 2,249 opportunities for hand hygiene observed, and the overall rate of hand hygiene adherence was 62.3% (representing 1,402 cleansing episodes). A total of 76,389 dispensing episodes were recorded by the electronic devices. The mean number of dispensing episodes per patient-day was 53.8. There was 64.1 mL of alcohol-based hand rub used per patient-day (representing 65.5% of total product used) and 33.8 mL of Chlorhexidine used per patient-day (representing 34.5%). There was no significant correlation between observed hand hygiene adherence and total product used per patient-day (r = 0.18; P = .59).Conclusions.Direct observation cannot be considered the gold standard for assessing hand hygiene, because there was no relationship between the observed adherence and the number of dispensing episodes or the volume of product used. Other means to monitor hand hygiene adherence, such as electronic devices and measurement of product usage, should be considered.
Global and regional importance of the tropical peatland carbon pool
Authors: PAGE SUSAN E. , RIELEY JOHN O. , BANKS CHRISTOPHER J. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractAccurate inventory of tropical peatland is important in order to (a) determine the magnitude of the carbon pool; (b) estimate the scale of transfers of peat‐derived greenhouse gases to the atmosphere resulting from land use change; and (c) support carbon emissions reduction policies. We review available information on tropical peatland area and thickness and calculate peat volume and carbon content in order to determine their best estimates and ranges of variation. Our best estimate of tropical peatland area is 441 025 km2 (∼11% of global peatland area) of which 247 778 km2 (56%) is in Southeast Asia. We estimate the volume of tropical peat to be 1758 Gm3 (∼18–25% of global peat volume) with 1359 Gm3 in Southeast Asia (77% of all tropical peat). This new assessment reveals a larger tropical peatland carbon pool than previous estimates, with a best estimate of 88.6 Gt (range 81.7–91.9 Gt) equal to 15–19% of the global peat carbon pool. Of this, 68.5 Gt (77%) is in Southeast Asia, equal to 11–14% of global peat carbon. A single country, Indonesia, has the largest share of tropical peat carbon (57.4 Gt, 65%), followed by Malaysia (9.1 Gt, 10%). These data are used to provide revised estimates for Indonesian and Malaysian forest soil carbon pools of 77 and 15 Gt, respectively, and total forest carbon pools (biomass plus soil) of 97 and 19 Gt. Peat carbon contributes 60% to the total forest soil carbon pool in Malaysia and 74% in Indonesia. These results emphasize the prominent global and regional roles played by the tropical peat carbon pool and the importance of including this pool in national and regional assessments of terrestrial carbon stocks and the prediction of peat‐derived greenhouse gas emissions.
Water‐use efficiency in response to climate change: from leaf to ecosystem in a temperate steppe
Authors: NIU SHULI , XING XUERONG , ZHANG ZHE , XIA JIANYANG , ZHOU XUHUI , SONG BING , LI LINGHAO , WAN SHIQIANG 
Published: June 2010

AbstractWater‐use efficiency (WUE) has been recognized as an important characteristic of ecosystem productivity, which links carbon (C) and water cycling. However, little is known about how WUE responds to climate change at different scales. Here, we investigated WUE at leaf, canopy, and ecosystem levels under increased precipitation and warming from 2005 to 2008 in a temperate steppe in Northern China. We measured gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), evapotranspiration (ET), evaporation (E), canopy transpiration (Tc), as well as leaf photosynthesis (Pmax) and transpiration (Tl) of a dominant species to calculate canopy WUE (WUEc=GEP/T), ecosystem WUE (WUEgep=GEP/ET or WUEnee=NEE/ET) and leaf WUE (WUEl=Pmax/Tl). The results showed that increased precipitation stimulated WUEc, WUEgep and WUEnee by 17.1%, 10.2% and 12.6%, respectively, but decreased WUEl by 27.4%. Climate warming reduced canopy and ecosystem WUE over the 4 years but did not affect leaf level WUE. Across the 4 years and the measured plots, canopy and ecosystem WUE linearly increased, but leaf level WUE of the dominant species linearly decreased with increasing precipitation. The differential responses of canopy/ecosystem WUE and leaf WUE to climate change suggest that caution should be taken when upscaling WUE from leaf to larger scales. Our findings will also facilitate mechanistic understanding of the C–water relationships across different organism levels and in projecting the effects of climate warming and shifting precipitation regimes on productivity in arid and semiarid ecosystems.
Cytoplasmic β‐catenin accumulation is a good prognostic marker in upper and lower gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas
Authors: Norwood Michael G A , Bailey Neil , Nanji Manoj , Gillies Richard S , Nicholson Anna , Ubhi Sukh , Darnton Jane J , Steyn Richard S , Womack Chris , Hughes Andrew , Hemingway David , Harrison Rebecca , Waters Rachel , Jankowski Janusz A 
Published: June 2010

Norwood M G A, Bailey N, Nanji M, Gillies R S, Nicholson A, Ubhi S, Darnton J J, Steyn R S, Womack C, Hughes A, Hemingway D, Harrison R, Waters R & Jankowski J A (2010) Histopathology 57, 101–111 Cytoplasmic β‐catenin accumulation is a good prognostic marker in upper and lower gastrointestinal adenocarcinomasAims:  β‐Catenin is an important molecule in cancer biology. Membranous β‐catenin enhances cellular differentiation and inhibits invasion by its action on E‐cadherin. The aim was to ascertain whether the cellular expression of these molecules in colorectal and oesophageal cancer specimens is associated with survival in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.Methods and results:  Tumour samples from 149 patients undergoing resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma and 147 patients undergoing resection for oesophageal adenocarcinoma were retrospectively analysed using immunohistochemical techniques to assess β‐catenin expression. Increasing β‐catenin expression in the cytoplasm was associated with improved survival for colorectal cancer cases on both univariate (P = 0.003) and multivariate (P = 0.01) analysis. In addition, increased expression in the most recent cohort of oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients was associated with improved TNM staging (P = 0.007). Membrane expression was weakly associated with survival in colorectal cancer on univariate analysis (P = 0.09), but not on multivariate analysis (P = 0.21). Complete absence of β‐catenin expression at all three sites was associated with reduced 5‐year survival in colorectal cancer.Conclusions:  This is one of the largest prognostic studies of β‐catenin in gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma. It shows that low levels of cytoplasmic β‐catenin expression are associated with reduced survival in patients with colorectal cancer as well as worse TNM staging in oesophageal adenocarcinoma (a recognized surrogate end‐point for survival). We believe this is the first time that this has been reported. This finding should be tested prospectively in oncological trials to validate whether the presence of cytoplasmic β‐catenin could be used as a prognostic marker for less aggressive disease.
Volatile composition and descriptive sensory analysis of Italian vanilla torrone
Authors: Speziale Marisa , Vázquez‐Araújo Laura , Mincione Antonio , Carbonell‐Barrachina Ángel A. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryVanilla torrone is a honey‐ and almond‐based confectionery product very famous in Italy, especially during Christmas. In this study, the effects of two factors, the manufacturing company and the manufacturing season, on the volatile composition of vanilla torrone were studied. Volatile compounds in torrone samples were extracted using simultaneous distillation‐extraction and finally isolated, semi‐quantified and identified using GC‐MS. A trained panel was also used to make a descriptive analysis of torrone. Benzene derivatives and terpenes were the predominant chemical groups in torrone samples. The addition of artificial flavourings (mainly vanillin and benzaldehyde) played an important role in determining the final composition of volatiles and their concentrations. However, the amount and quality of almonds and honey and the intensity of almond toasting could also play important roles. If manufacturers want to provide a more homogeneous product to the consumers, more attention should be paid to the composition and concentrations of the flavourings added.
Intimal thickening of coronary arteries in the rabbitfish, Chimaera monstrosa L. (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali)
Authors: Durán A C , Rodríguez C , Gil de Sola L , Fernández B , Arqué J M , Sans‐Coma V 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis study is the first to report the occurrence of intimal thickening of coronary arteries in a holocephalan, namely the rabbitfish, Chimaera monstrosa. The sample studied consisted of five hearts from rabbitfish with body weights ranging between 12 g and 1116 g. The specimens were fixed in formalin, in methanol:acetone:water (MAW), or in paraformaldehyde and were examined by brightfield and polarization light microscopy. Coronary arteries from three larger animals displayed focal intimal thickenings, which were located in the left main coronary artery trunk, at the level of the cono‐ventricular junction, and in several intramyocardial ventricular arteries. The vascular changes were characterized by myointimal proliferation, breakage or absence of the inner elastic lamina, and, in one case, by increased collagen within the myointimal proliferation. Taking into account the severity of the coronary arterial changes, their location, and the body weight of the affected animals, we conclude that (1) these changes are age‐related in the rabbitfish and (2) local intense mechanical tension seems to be an important factor in their formation in this species.
3D volumes constructed from pixel‐based images by digitally clearing plant and animal tissue
Authors: LIVINGSTON D.P. , TUONG T.D. , GADI S.R.V. , HAIGLER C.H. , GELMAN R.S. , CULLEN J.M. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryConstruction of three‐dimensional volumes from a series of two‐dimensional images has been restricted by the limited capacity to decrease the opacity of tissue. The use of commercial software that allows colour‐keying and manipulation of two‐dimensional images in true three‐dimensional space allowed us to construct three‐dimensional volumes from pixel‐based images of stained plant and animal tissue without generating vector information. We present three‐dimensional volumes of (1) the crown of an oat plant showing internal responses to a freezing treatment, (2) a sample of a hepatocellular carcinoma from a woodchuck liver that had been heat‐treated with computer‐guided radiofrequency ablation to induce necrosis in the central portion of the tumour, and (3) several features of a sample of mouse lung. The technique is well suited to images from large sections (greater than 1 mm) generated from paraffin‐embedded tissues. It is widely applicable, having potential to recover three‐dimensional information at virtually any resolution inherent in images generated by light microscopy, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or electron microscopy.
Photorhabdus phase variants express a novel fimbrial locus, mad, essential for symbiosis
Authors: Somvanshi Vishal S. , Kaufmann‐Daszczuk Bettina , Kim Kwi‐suk , Mallon Shane , Ciche Todd A. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryFimbriae are adhesive organelles known to enable pathogens to colonize animal tissue, but little is known of their function in mutualistic symbioses. Photorhabdus colonization of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes is essential for the pair's insect pathogenic lifestyle. Maternal nematodes acquire Photorhabdus symbionts as a persistent intestinal biofilm prior to transmission to infective juvenile (IJ) stage offspring developing inside the maternal body. Screening 8000 Photorhabdus mutants for defects in IJ colonization revealed that a single fimbrial locus, named mad for maternal adhesion defective, is essential. The mad genes encode a novel usher/chaperone assembled fimbria regulated by an ON/OFF invertible promoter switch. Adherent Photorhabdus cells in maternal nematode intestines had the switch ON opposite to the OFF orientation of most other cells. A ΔmadA mutant failed to adhere to maternal intestines and be transmitted to the IJs. Mad fimbriae were detected on TT01 phase ON cells but not on ΔmadA phase ON cells. Also required for transmission is madJ, predicted to encode a transcriptional activator related to GrlA. Expression of madA–K or madIJK restored the ability of madJ mutant to adhere. The Mad fimbriae were not required for insect pathogenesis, indicating the specialized function of Mad fimbriae for symbiosis.
AtNHX3 is a vacuolar K+/H+ antiporter required for low‐potassium tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: LIU HUA , TANG RENJIE , ZHANG YUE , WANG CUITING , LV QUNDAN , GAO XIAOSHU , LI WENBIN , ZHANG HONGXIA 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTThree vacuolar cation/H+ antiporters, AtNHX1 (At5g27150), 2 (At3g05030) and 5 (At1g54370), have been characterized as functional Na+/H+ antiporters in Arabidopsis. However, the physiological functions of AtNHX3 (At5g55470) still remain unclear. In this study, the physiological functions of AtNHX3 were studied using T‐DNA insertion mutant and 35S‐driven AtNHX3 over‐expression Arabidopsis plants. RT‐PCR analyses revealed that AtNHX3 is highly expressed in germinating seeds, flowers and siliques. Experiments with AtNHX3::YFP fusion protein in tobacco protoplasts indicated that AtNHX3 is mainly localized to vacuolar membrane, with a minor localization to pre‐vacuolar compartments (PVCs) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Seedlings of null nhx3 mutants were hypersensitive to K+‐deficient conditions. Expression of AtNHX3 complemented the sensitivity to K+ deficiency in nhx3 seedlings. Tonoplast vesicles isolated from transgenic plants over‐expressing AtNHX3 displayed significantly higher K+/H+ exchange rates than those isolated from wild‐type plants. Furthermore, nhx3 seeds accumulated less K+ and more Na+ when both wild‐type and nhx3 were grown under normal growth condition. The overall results indicate that AtNHX3 encodes a K+/H+ antiporter required for low‐potassium tolerance during germination and early seedling development, and may function in K+ utilization and ion homeostasis in Arabidopsis.
Occupational therapy in palliative care: Is it under‐utilised in Western Australia?
Authors: Halkett Georgia K. B. , Ciccarelli Marina , Keesing Sharon , Aoun Samar 
Published: June 2010

Aim: To explore potential barriers to occupational therapy in palliative care in Western Australia, as perceived by occupational therapists and other health professionals.Method: A qualitative research methodology was used. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 occupational therapists and 10 health professionals (including a physiotherapist, a social worker, medical registrars and clinical nurses). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.Results: The four main themes identified were: inconsistent understanding of the contribution that occupational therapists can make to palliative care, insufficient promotion of the potential contribution of occupational therapy, insufficient funding, and limited research on the role of occupational therapy in palliative care.Conclusion: This study provides an understanding of the barriers that have limited occupational therapists’ involvement in providing palliative care in Western Australia.
Impact of whole‐body 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography on therapeutic management of non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: HEO Eun Young , YANG Seock‐Chul , YOO Chul‐Gyu , HAN Sung Koo , SHIM Young‐Soo , KIM Young Whan 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Accurate staging at the time of diagnosis is very important in deciding on the appropriate treatment for cancer patients. FDG PET indicates metabolic changes in cancer cells, enabling the early detection of lesions. This has the advantage of allowing more accurate staging than is possible with conventional staging tools, and has led to the incorporation of FDG PET in the initial work‐up protocols for lung cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the clinical impact of FDG PET as an initial staging tool, on the therapeutic management of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:  Patients diagnosed with NSCLC by histopathology were retrospectively identified and both chest CT and FDG PET were performed for initial staging. Information was collected regarding the results of conventional versus FDG PET staging, and any resulting modifications of treatment were evaluated.Results:  Among the 537 patients who were evaluated FDG PET resulted in upstaging of the tumour in 91 (17%) and downstaging of the tumour in 68 (13%). Consequently, therapeutic management was modified in 118 patients (22%). Furthermore, use of FDG PET resulted in the detection of a second primary cancer in six patients.Conclusions:  This study confirms that FDG PET has a considerable impact on the initial staging and therapeutic management of patients with NSCLC.