bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chemical and Morphological Study of Gunshot Residue Persisting on the Shooter by Means of Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry
Authors: Brożek-Mucha Zuzanna 
Published: November 2011

AbstractPersistence of gunshot residue (GSR) simultaneously collected from hands, face and hair, and clothing of the shooting person was examined. Samples were collected from five shooters in nine time intervals after a single shoot with a Luger 9 mm pistol, in the range of 0–4 h and examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Numbers of particles, frequencies of occurrence of certain compositions of particles, and their sizes in function of the time intervals were inspected. The greatest numbers of particles were observed in samples collected from hands right after shooting, but they decrease quickly with time. In samples collected from the face smaller initial numbers of particles were found, but they lasted at a similar level longer. The estimated half-life times of particles were less than 1 h for samples taken from the hands, over 1 h for clothing and about 2–3 h for the face. In samples collected at longer intervals after shooting, there were particles present of small sizes and irregular shapes. The results demonstrate that including evidence collected from the suspect's face and hair may increase the probability of detection of GSR in cases when the suspect has not been apprehended immediately after the investigated incident.
Dynamic measurements of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide concentration and glutathione redox state in rat pancreatic β-cells using ratiometric fluorescent proteins: confounding effects of pH with HyPer but not roGFP1
Authors: Roma Leticia P. , Duprez Jessica , Takahashi Hilton K. , Gilon Patrick , Wiederkehr Andreas , Jonas Jean-Christophe 
Published: November 2011

Using the ROS (reactive oxygen species)-sensitive fluorescent dyes dichlorodihydrofluorescein and dihydroethidine, previous studies yielded opposite results about the glucose regulation of oxidative stress in insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. In the present paper, we used the ratiometric fluorescent proteins HyPer and roGFP1 (redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein 1) targeted to mitochondria [mt-HyPer (mitochondrial HyPer)/mt-roGFP1 (mitochondrial roGFP1)] to monitor glucose-induced changes in mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide concentration and glutathione redox state in adenovirus-infected rat islet cell clusters. Because of the reported pH sensitivity of HyPer, the results were compared with those obtained with the mitochondrial pH sensors mt-AlpHi and mt-SypHer. The fluorescence ratio of the mitochondrial probes slowly decreased (mt-HyPer) or increased (mt-roGFP1) in the presence of 10 mmol/l glucose. Besides its expected sensitivity to H2O2, mt-HyPer was also highly pH sensitive. In agreement, changes in mitochondrial metabolism similarly affected mt-HyPer, mt-AlpHi and mt-SypHer fluorescence signals. In contrast, the mt-roGFP1 fluorescence ratio was only slightly affected by pH and reversibly increased when glucose was lowered from 10 to 2 mmol/l. This increase was abrogated by the catalytic antioxidant Mn(III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin but not by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. In conclusion, due to its pH sensitivity, mt-HyPer is not a reliable indicator of mitochondrial H2O2 in β-cells. In contrast, the mt-roGFP1 fluorescence ratio monitors changes in β-cell mitochondrial glutathione redox state with little interference from pH changes. Our results also show that glucose acutely decreases rather than increases mitochondrial thiol oxidation in rat β-cells.
Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Velopharyngeal Structures
Authors: Bae Youkyung , Kuehn David P. , Sutton Bradley P. , Conway Charles A. , Perry Jamie L. 
Published: November 2011

Purpose
To report the feasibility of using a 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol for examining velopharyngeal structures. Using collected 3D MRI data, the authors investigated the effect of sex on the midsagittal velopharyngeal structures and the levator veli palatini (levator) muscle configurations.

Method
Ten Caucasian healthy adults (5 women and 5 men) participated. A whole-head 3D MRI scan was obtained while participants were at rest in the supine position. Basic anatomic parameters of the velopharynx including midsagittal velopharyngeal structures and levator muscle configurations were compared between sexes.

Results
Detailed information on the 3D MRI protocol and data analysis method was introduced in the study. On the basis of the data, only the length of the levator muscle showed a statistically significant sex difference: Male participants had significantly longer levator muscles than those of female participants.

Conclusions
The present study successfully demonstrated the use of 3D MRI in quantifying major velopharyngeal structures and provided additional data on the anatomic variations that exist in healthy adult individuals.
Detecting genome-wide epistases based on the clustering of relatively frequent items
Authors: Xie Minzhu , Li Jing , Jiang Tao 
Published: November 2011

Abstract
Motivation: In genome-wide association studies (GWAS), up to millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are genotyped for thousands of individuals. However, conventional single locus-based approaches are usually unable to detect gene–gene interactions underlying complex diseases. Due to the huge search space for complicated high order interactions, many existing multi-locus approaches are slow and may suffer from low detection power for GWAS.
Results: In this article, we develop a simple, fast and effective algorithm to detect genome-wide multi-locus epistatic interactions based on the clustering of relatively frequent items. Extensive experiments on simulated data show that our algorithm is fast and more powerful in general than some recently proposed methods. On a real genome-wide case–control dataset for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the algorithm has identified genotype combinations that are significantly enriched in the cases.
Availability: http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~minzhux/EDCF.zip
Contact: minzhux@cs.ucr.edu; jingli@cwru.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
TGF‐β2 Induces Maturation of Immature Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Inhibits Inflammatory Cytokine Responses Induced Via the NF‐κB Pathway
Authors: Rautava Samuli , Lu Lei , Nanthakumar N. Nanda , Dubert‐Ferrandon Alix , Walker W. Allan 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTObjectives:Breast milk transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β2 is associated with healthy immune maturation and reduced risk of immune‐mediated disease in infants. We sought to investigate whether conditioning with TGF‐β2 may result in a more mature immune responder phenotype in immature human intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).Methods:Primary human fetal IECs (hFIECs) and the human fetal small intestinal epithelial cell line (H4 cells) were conditioned with breast milk levels of TGF‐β2, and an inflammatory response was subsequently induced. Inflammatory cytokine secretion and mRNA expression were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Alterations in activation of inflammatory signaling pathways were detected from IECs by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. The effects of TGF‐β2 conditioning on gene expression patterns in hFIECs were assessed by cDNA microarray analysis and quantitative PCR.Results:Conditioning with TGF‐β2 significantly attenuated subsequent interleukin (IL)‐1β‐, TNF‐α‐, and poly I:C‐induced IL‐8 and IL‐6 responses in immature human IECs. Conditioning with TGF‐β2 inhibited IL‐1β‐induced IκB‐α degradation and NF‐κB p65 nuclear translocation, which may partially result from TGF‐β2‐induced changes in the expression of genes in the NF‐κB signaling pathway detected by cDNA microarray and qPCR.Conclusions:Conditioning with TGF‐β2 attenuates the subsequent inflammatory cytokine response in immature human IECs by inhibiting signaling in the NF‐κB pathway. The immunomodulatory potential of breast milk may in part be mediated by TGF‐β2, which may provide a novel means of supporting intestinal immune maturation in neonates.
Pectin Methylesterase Genes Influence Solid Wood Properties of Eucalyptus pilularis
Authors: Sexton Timothy R. , Henry Robert J. , Harwood Chris E. , Thomas Dane S. , McManus Luke J. , Raymond Carolyn , Henson Michael , Shepherd Mervyn 
Published: November 2011

Abstract
This association study of Eucalyptus pilularis populations provides empirical evidence for the role of Pectin Methylesterase (PME) in influencing solid wood characteristics of Eucalyptus. PME6 was primarily associated with the shrinkage and collapse of drying timber, which are phenotypic traits consistent with the role of pectin as a hydrophilic polysaccharide. PME7 was primarily associated with cellulose and pulp yield traits and had an inverse correlation with lignin content. Selection of specific alleles in these genes may be important for improving trees as sources of high-quality wood products. A heterozygote advantage was postulated for the PME7 loci and, in combination with haplotype blocks, may explain the absence of a homozygous class at all single-nucleotide polymorphisms investigated in this gene.
Effects of saline and alkaline stresses in varying temperature regimes on seed germination of Leymus chinensis from the Songnen Grassland of China
Authors: Lin J. , Wang J. , Li X. , Zhang Y. , Xu Q. , Mu C. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractLeymus chinensis is a dominant and most promising grass species in the Songnen Grassland of Northern China. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of temperature, salinity, alkalinity and their interactions on seed germination. Seeds were germinated at four alternating temperatures (10–20, 15–25, 20–30 and 25–35°C), with saline stress (9:1 molar ratio of NaCl:Na2SO4) and alkaline stress (9:1 molar ratio of Na2CO3:NaHCO3). Germination percentage and rate were inhibited by either an increase or decrease in temperature from the optimal temperature range of 20–30°C, and were also inhibited by an increase in salinity and alkalinity at all temperatures. The inhibitory effects of high salinity on germination were greater at 25–35°C, but seeds were subjected to more stress even though the alkalinity was low under this temperature. Recovery percentage was highest at 400 mm salinity at 20–30°C, but only at 100 mm alkalinity, and 25–35°C also resulted in lower recovery percentage under both stresses. Results suggest that saline stress and alkaline stress have different impacts on seed germination and that saline‐alkaline tolerance of L. chinensis seeds is affected by the interactions of temperature and salinity‐alkalinity. Early July sowing in the field is recommended when temperature is optimal and salinity‐alkalinity concentrations are reduced by the high rainfall.
The effectiveness of an improved multidisciplinary pain management programme: a 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up study
Authors: Dysvik Elin , Kvaløy Jan Terje , Natvig Gerd Karin 
Published: November 2011

dysvik e., kvaløy j.t. & natvig g.k. (2011) The effectiveness of an improved multidisciplinary pain management programme: a 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1061–1072.AbstractAim.  This article is a report of a Norwegian‐revised study on the effectiveness of a follow‐up multidisciplinary management programme for chronic pain to investigate the change processes associated with treatment.Background.  Substantial evidence supports the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches to chronic pain. As relapse is often reported, follow‐up sessions should be included.Methods.  A follow‐up quasi‐experimental design was performed, and a previous control group was used. The study initially included 117 participants, and 104 of the sample completed the 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up programme. The 6‐month follow‐up consisted of therapeutic dialogue and education combined with physical activity. At the 12‐month follow‐up, a telephonic consultation was conducted. The data collection period was between September 2006 and January 2008. The statistical and clinical significance were considered.Results.  Findings suggest that this follow‐up programme can potentially maintain the positive results of the basic programme in terms of reduced pain perception, improved health‐related quality of life, and movement towards self‐management.Conclusion.  These results are consistent with the ultimate goal of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches, which is to help patients with chronic pain to cope more effectively and to improve their health‐related quality of life and functioning. To maintain treatment improvements and advance nursing, there is a clear need for research that tests the efficacy of follow‐up interventions that are designed to prevent drop out and relapse.
‘Therapeutic emplotment’: a new paradigm to explore the interaction between nurses and patients with a long‐term illness
Authors: Tropea Savina 
Published: November 2011

tropea s. (2011) ‘Therapeutic emplotment’: a new paradigm to explore the interaction between nurses and patients with a long‐term illness. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(4), 939–947.AbstractAims.  This paper presents a discussion of the use of ‘therapeutic emplotment’ during health professional–patient interactions when caring for patients with a long‐term illness, with implications for nursing.Background.  ‘Therapeutic emplotment’ develops from two philosophical strains: one emphasizing the connection of speech to actions, the other the linguistically mediated nature of human experience. Mattingly defines therapeutic emplotment as the creation of story‐like structures through therapist–patient interactions which encourage the patient to see therapy as integral to healing.Data Sources.  A literature search for the period 1994–2010 was undertaken using the keywords therapeutic emplotment, chronic illness, illness narratives, nursing narratives and nurse–patient interaction in the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, COCHRANE, Social Care online, PsycInfo and AnthroSource. Reference lists of papers and books were examined for relevant studies published before 1994.Discussion.  Differing from other social scientists, Mattingly highlights potential of narratives to create experiences in clinical practice. With therapeutic emplotment, narratives become ‘tools’ in the hands of health professionals to shape the interaction with patients with a long‐term illness and are constructed by them together. This introduces changes in the way health professionals, including nurses, look at their practice.Implications for nursing.  Therapeutic emplotment may provide nurses with a way of improving communication and relationship skills to help patients reach therapeutic goals; its use may also help qualitative research that explores the impact of nurses’ interactions with patients on the quality of care.Conclusion.  Therapeutic emplotment may be used by a broader range of health professionals, including nurses, for clinical and research purposes.
Does postoperative ‘M’ technique® massage with or without mandarin oil reduce infants’ distress after major craniofacial surgery?
Authors: de Jong Marjan , Lucas Cees , Bredero Hansje , van Adrichem Leon , Tibboel Dick , van Dijk Monique 
Published: November 2011

de jong m., lucas c., bredero h., van adrichem l., tibboel d. & van dijk m. (2011) Does postoperative ‘M’ technique® massage with or without mandarin oil reduce infants’ distress after major craniofacial surgery? Journal of Advanced Nursing68(6), 1748–1757.AbstractAim.  This article is a report of a randomized controlled trial of the effects of ‘M’ technique® massage with or without mandarin oil compared to standard postoperative care on infants’ levels of pain and distress, heart rate and mean arterial pressure after major craniofacial surgery.Background.  There is a growing interest in non‐pharmacological interventions such as aromatherapy massage in hospitalized children to relieve pain and distress but well performed studies are lacking.Methods.  This randomized controlled trial allocated 60 children aged 3–36 months after craniofacial surgery from January 2008 to August 2009 to one of three conditions; ‘M’ technique® massage with carrier oil, ‘M’ technique® massage with mandarin oil or standard postoperative care. Primary outcome measures were changes in COMFORT behaviour scores, Numeric Rating Scale pain and Numeric Rating Scale distress scores assessed from videotape by an observer blinded for the condition.Results.  In all three groups, the mean postintervention COMFORT behaviour scores were higher than the baseline scores, but differences were not statistically significant. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure showed a statistically significant change across the three assessment periods in all three groups. These changes were not related with the intervention.Conclusions.  Results do not support a benefit of ‘M’ technique® massage with or without mandarin oil in these young postoperative patients. Several reasons may account for this: massage given too soon after general anaesthesia, young patients’ fear of strangers touching them, patients not used to massage.
Patient and nurse staffing characteristics associated with high sitter use costs
Authors: Rochefort Christian M. , Ward Linda , Ritchie Judith A. , Girard Nadyne , Tamblyn Robyn M. 
Published: November 2011

rochefort c.m., ward l., ritchie j.a., girard n. & tamblyn r.m. (2011) Patient and nurse staffing characteristics associated with high sitter use costs. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(6), 1758–1767.AbstractAim.  This paper is a report of a study of the relationships between patient health conditions, nurse staffing characteristics and high sitter use costs.Background.  Increasing recourse to patient sitters is a major cost concern to hospitals. To reduce these expenses, we need to understand better the factors associated with high sitter use costs.Methods.  From a cohort of 43,212 medical/surgical patients admitted to an academic health centre in Montreal (Canada) in 2007 and 2008, all 1151 patients who received a sitter were selected. We applied multivariate logistic regression, using the Generalized Estimating Equation framework, to estimate the relationships between patient health conditions, nurse staffing characteristics and being in the upper two quintiles of sitter costs, vs. the lower three.Results.  The median sitter cost per patient, in Canadian dollars, was $772·35 (IQR = $1737·84); and $2397·00 (IQR = $3085·03) among the patients with high sitter use costs. In multivariate analyses, dementia, delirium and other cognitive impairments (OR = 1·49; 95% CI = 1·01–2·22) and schizophrenia and other psychoses (OR = 2·42; 95% CI = 1·08–5·76) increased the likelihood of high sitter use costs. In addition, every additional worked hour per patient per day by Registered Nurses (OR = 0·33; 95% CI = 0·27–0·39) and by patient care assistants (OR = 0·11; 95% CI = 0·08–0·15) reduced the likelihood of high sitter use costs.Conclusion.  Circumstances of understaffing and patients having psycho‐geriatric conditions are associated with high sitter use costs. Improving staffing and providing additional resources to support the care of psycho‐geriatric patients may lower these expenses.
Practical guide to skin prick tests in allergy to aeroallergens
Authors: Bousquet J. , Heinzerling L. , Bachert C. , Papadopoulos N. G. , Bousquet P. J. , Burney P. G. , Canonica G. W. , Carlsen K. H. , Cox L. , Haahtela T. , Lodrup Carlsen K. C. , Price D. , Samolinski B. , Simons F. E. R. , Wickman M. , Annesi‐Maesano I. , Baena‐Cagnani C. E. , Bergmann K. C. , Bindslev‐Jensen C. , Casale T. B. , Chiriac A. , Cruz A. A. , Dubakiene R. , Durham S. R. , Fokkens W. J. , Gerth‐van‐Wijk R. , Kalayci O. , Kowalski M. L. , Mari A. , Mullol J. , Nazamova‐Baranova L. , O’Hehir R. E. , Ohta K. , Panzner P. , Passalacqua G. , Ring J. , Rogala B. , Romano A. , Ryan D. , Schmid‐Grendelmeier P. , Todo‐Bom A. , Valenta R. , Woehrl S. , Yusuf O. M. , Zuberbier T. , Demoly P. 
Published: November 2011

To cite this article: Bousquet J, Heinzerling L, Bachert C, Papadopoulos NG, Bousquet PJ, Burney PG, Canonica GW, Carlsen KH, Cox L, Haahtela T, Lodrup Carlsen KC, Price D, Samolinski B, Simons FER, Wickman M, Annesi‐Maesano I, Baena‐Cagnani CE, Bergmann KC, Bindslev‐Jensen C, Casale TB, Chiriac A, Cruz AA, Dubakiene R, Durham SR, Fokkens WJ, Gerth‐van‐Wijk R, Kalayci O, Kowalski ML, Mari A, Mullol J, Nazamova‐Baranova L, O’Hehir RE, Ohta K, Panzner P, Passalacqua G, Ring J, Rogala B, Romano A, Ryan D, Schmid‐Grendelmeier P, Todo‐Bom A, Valenta R, Woehrl S, Yusuf OM, Zuberbier T, Demoly P. Practical guide to skin prick tests in allergy to aeroallergens. Allergy 2012; 67: 18–24.AbstractThis pocket guide is the result of a consensus reached between members of the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN) and Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA). The aim of the current pocket guide is to offer a comprehensive set of recommendations on the use of skin prick tests in allergic rhinitis–conjunctivitis and asthma in daily practice. This pocket guide is meant to give simple answers to the most frequent questions raised by practitioners in Europe, including ‘practicing allergists’, general practitioners and any other physicians with special interest in the management of allergic diseases. It is not a long or detailed scientific review of the topic. However, the recommendations in this pocket guide were compiled following an in‐depth review of existing guidelines and publications, including the 1993 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology position paper, the 2001 ARIA document and the ARIA update 2008 (prepared in collaboration with GA2LEN). The recommendations cover skin test methodology and interpretation, allergen extracts to be used, as well as indications in a variety of settings including paediatrics and developing countries.
Long‐Distance Calling by the Willow Tit, Poecile montanus, Facilitates Formation of Mixed‐Species Foraging Flocks
Authors: Suzuki Toshitaka N. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe occurrence of mixed‐species foraging flocks is a worldwide phenomenon in terrestrial bird communities. Previous studies suggest that individuals participating in flocks might derive benefits in terms of improved feeding efficiency and/or reduced risk of predation. However, very little is known about how individuals establish mixed‐species flocks. Here, I provide the first experimental evidence that long‐distance calling by the willow tit, Poecile montanus, facilitates the establishment of mixed‐species flocks at a foraging patch. Observations at experimental foraging patches showed that willow tits that find a food source produce long‐distance calls, particularly when they are isolated from conspecific flockmates. The probability of long‐distance calling was negatively correlated with the number of heterospecific foraging individuals near the food source. A playback experiment confirmed that calls attract both conspecific and heterospecific members of foraging flocks. This study demonstrates that willow tits use long‐distance calls to attract conspecific flockmates to foraging patches, and these calls can also facilitate the formation of mixed‐species flocks on patches.