bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The journey through Pick's Disease with a loved one: a personal account
Authors: McFarland D. M. 
Published: February 2010

MCFARLAND D.M. (2010) The journey through Pick's Disease with a loved one: a personal account. International Nursing Review57, 142–144Background:  The aim of this short communication is to share my personal experience of caring for a terminally ill family member who was afflicted with Pick's disease. I tell my story in the hope of increasing society's awareness on this little known but devastating disease and assisting those who might be facing a similar situation. Pick's disease is a rare and incurable type of dementia that is associated with atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain over time as a result of accumulation of tau protein fibres known as Pick's bodies. The exact cause is not known, but genetic predisposition is implicated in some disease cases. Pick's disease tends to affect men and women alike. It affects thinking, language and problem solving.Methods:  Data supporting this document were obtained from a thorough review of the literature and Internet search on Pick's disease, as well as from a personal experience with Pick's disease as it was unfolding.Results  Clinical features, diagnosis and treatment, and stages of the disease are presented.Conclusion:  Very little is known about Pick's disease. Additional research is needed to inform practice about tau protein dementias.
Contrasting patterns in the invasions of European terrestrial and freshwater habitats by alien plants, insects and vertebrates
Authors: Pyšek Petr , Bacher Sven , Chytrý Milan , Jarošík Vojtěch , Wild Jan , Celesti‐Grapow Laura , Gassó Núria , Kenis Marc , Lambdon Philip W. , Nentwig Wolfgang , Pergl Jan , Roques Alain , Sádlo Jiří , Solarz Wojciech , Vilà Montserrat , Hulme Philip E. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAim  To provide the first comparative overview on the current numbers of alien species that invade representative European terrestrial and freshwater habitats for a range of taxonomic groups.Location  Europe.Methods  Numbers of naturalized alien species of plants, insects, herptiles, birds and mammals occurring in 10 habitats defined according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) were obtained from 115 regional data sets. Only species introduced after ad 1500 were considered. Data were analysed by ANCOVA and regression trees to assess whether differences exist among taxonomic groups in terms of their habitat affinity, and whether the pattern of occurrence of alien species in European habitats interacts with macroecological factors such as insularity, latitude or area.Results  The highest numbers of alien plant and insect species were found in human‐made, urban or cultivated habitats; if controlled for habitat area in the region, wetland and riparian habitats appeared to support relatively high numbers of alien plant species too. Invasions by vertebrates were more evenly distributed among habitats, with aquatic and riparian, woodland and cultivated land most invaded. Mires, bogs and fens, grassland, heathland and scrub were generally less invaded. Habitat and taxonomic group explained most variation in the proportions of alien species occurring in individual habitats related to the total number of alien species in a region, and the basic pattern determined by these factors was fine‐tuned by geographical variables, namely by the mainland–island contrast and latitude, and differed among taxonomic groups.Main conclusions  There are two ecologically distinct groups of alien species (plants and insects versus vertebrates) with strikingly different habitat affinities. Invasions by these two contrasting groups are complementary in terms of habitat use, which makes an overall assessment of habitat invasions in Europe possible. Since numbers of naturalized species in habitats are correlated among taxa within these two groups, the data collected for one group of vertebrates, for example, could be used to estimate the habitat‐specific numbers of alien species for other vertebrate groups with reasonable precision, and the same holds true for insects and plants.
Similar regional effects among local habitats on the structure of tropical reef fish and coral communities
Authors: Burgess Scott C. , Osborne Kate , Caley M. Julian 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAim  We examined data on corals and reef fishes to determine how particular local habitat types contribute to variation in community structure across regions covering gradients in species richness and how consistent this was over time.Location  Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia.Methods  We compared large‐scale (1300 km), long‐term (11 years) data on fishes and corals that were collected annually at fixed sites in three habitats (inshore, mid‐shelf and outer‐shelf reefs) and six regions (latitudinal sectors) along a gradient of regional species richness in both communities. We used canonical approaches to partition variation in community structure (sites × species abundance data matrices) into components associated with habitat, region and time and Procrustes analyses to assess the degree of concordance between coral and fish community structure.Results  Remarkably similar patterns emerged for both fish and coral communities occupying the same sites. Reefs that had similar coral communities also had similar fish communities. The fraction of the community data that could be explained by regional effects, independent of pure habitat effects, was similar in both fish (33%) and coral (36.9%) communities. Pure habitat effects were slightly greater in the fish (31.3%) than in the coral (20.1%) community. Time explained relatively little variation (fish = 7.9%, corals = 9.6%) compared with these two spatial factors.Conclusions  Our results indicate either that fish and coral communities were structured in similar ways by processes associated with region, habitat and time, or that the variation in fish community structure tracked variation associated with the coral communities at these sites and thereby reflects an indirect link between the environment and the structure of fish communities mediated by corals. Irrespective of the causes of such commonality, we demonstrate that community structure, not just species richness, can be related to both habitat differences and regional setting simultaneously.
Macroecological patterns in soil communities
Authors: Decaëns Thibaud 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAim To review published evidence regarding the factors that influence the geographic variation in diversity of soil organisms at different spatial scales.Location Global.Methods A search of the relevant literature was conducted using the Web of Science and the author's personal scientific database as the major sources. Special attention was paid to include seminal studies, highly cited papers and/or studies highlighting novel results.Results Despite their significant contribution to global biodiversity, our taxonomic knowledge of soil biota is still poor compared with that of most above‐ground organisms. This is particularly evident for small‐bodied taxa. Global patterns of soil biodiversity distribution have been poorly documented and are thought to differ significantly from what is reported above‐ground. Based on existing data, it appears that microorganisms do not respond to large‐scale environmental gradients in the same way as metazoans. Whereas soil microflora seem to be mainly represented by cosmopolitan species, soil animals respond to altitudinal, latitudinal or area gradients in the same way as described for above‐ground organisms. At local scales, there is less evidence that local factors regulate above‐ and below‐ground communities in the same way. Except for a few taxa, the humpbacked response to stress and disturbance gradients doesn't seem to apply underground. Soil communities thus appear weakly structured by competition, although competitive constraints may account for assembly rules within specific taxa. The main factor constraining local soil biodiversity is the compact and heterogeneous nature of soils, which provides unrivalled potential for niche partitioning, thus allowing high levels of local biodiversity. This heterogeneity is increased by the impact of ecosystem engineers that generate resource patchiness at a range of spatio‐temporal scales.
Time‐of‐Flight Cameras in Computer Graphics
Authors: Kolb A. , Barth E. , Koch R. , Larsen R. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractA growing number of applications depend on accurate and fast 3D scene analysis. Examples are model and lightfield acquisition, collision prevention, mixed reality and gesture recognition. The estimation of a range map by image analysis or laser scan techniques is still a time‐consuming and expensive part of such systems.A lower‐priced, fast and robust alternative for distance measurements are time‐of‐flight (ToF) cameras. Recently, significant advances have been made in producing low‐cost and compact ToF devices, which have the potential to revolutionize many fields of research, including computer graphics, computer vision and human machine interaction (HMI).These technologies are starting to have an impact on research and commercial applications. The upcoming generation of ToF sensors, however, will be even more powerful and will have the potential to become ‘ubiquitous real‐time geometry devices’ for gaming, web‐conferencing, and numerous other applications. This paper gives an account of recent developments in ToF technology and discusses the current state of the integration of this technology into various graphics‐related applications.
Constrained Texture Mapping using Image Warping
Authors: Seo H. , Cordier F. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe introduce in this paper a new method for smooth foldover‐free warping of images. It allows users to specify the constraints in two different ways: positional constraints to constrain the position of points in the image and gradient constraints to constrain the orientation and scaling of some parts of the image. We then show how our method is used for texture mapping with hard constraints. We start with an unconstrained planar embedding of the target mesh calculated with conventional methods. In order to obtain a mapping that satisfies the user‐defined constraints, we use our warping method to align the features of the texture image with those of the unconstrained embedding. Compared to previous work, our method generates a smoother texture mapping and offers higher level of control for defining the constraints.
State of the Art in Example‐Based Motion Synthesis for Virtual Characters in Interactive Applications
Authors: Pejsa T. , Pandzic I.S. 
Published: February 2010

Abstract Animated virtual human characters are a common feature in interactive graphical applications, such as computer and video games, online virtual worlds and simulations. Due to dynamic nature of such applications, character animation must be responsive and controllable in addition to looking as realistic and natural as possible. Though procedural and physics‐based animation provide a great amount of control over motion, they still look too unnatural to be of use in all but a few specific scenarios, which is why interactive applications nowadays still rely mainly on recorded and hand‐crafted motion clips. The challenge faced by animation system designers is to dynamically synthesize new, controllable motion by concatenating short motion segments into sequences of different actions or by parametrically blending clips that correspond to different variants of the same logical action. In this article, we provide an overview of research in the field of example‐based motion synthesis for interactive applications. We present methods for automated creation of supporting data structures for motion synthesis and describe how they can be employed at run‐time to generate motion that accurately accomplishes tasks specified by the AI or human user.
Broadening the Study of Infant Security of Attachment: Maternal Autonomy‐support in the Context of Infant Exploration
Authors: Whipple Natasha , Bernier Annie , Mageau Geneviève A. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractAlthough security of attachment is conceptualised as a balance between infants' attachment and exploratory behaviours, parental behaviours pertaining to infant exploration have received relatively little empirical attention. Drawing from self‐determination theory, this study seeks to improve the prediction of infant attachment by assessing maternal autonomy‐support during infant exploration, in addition to maternal sensitivity. Seventy‐one dyads participated in two home visits. Maternal sensitivity was assessed when the infants were 12 months old, whereas maternal autonomy‐support and infant attachment were assessed at 15 months. The results revealed that autonomy‐support explained an additional portion of the variance in attachment when maternal socioeconomic status and sensitivity were controlled. These results speak to the relevance of a theory‐driven approach to examining maternal behaviours in the context of child exploration.
A history of the future: the emergence of contemporary anti‐ageing medicine
Authors: Everts Mykytyn Courtney 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe emergence of anti‐ageing medicine over the past 20 years has posed tremendous challenges for the understanding of ageing and the concomitant responsibilities of biomedicine. Though highly contentious and loosely organised at best, anti‐ageing targets ageing for biomedical intervention. This article examines a history of anti‐ageing in the United States from 1993 to 2008, outlining its evolution from a scientific ‘backwater’ to a field with such promise that many within and outside the field believe efficacious therapies are an inevitability. In large part, the language of anti‐ageing has shifted from predictions to expectations; it has become less a question of ‘if’ and more a question of ‘when’ and ‘how’ this rhetorical shift is directly linked with increasing legitimacy constructed upon a complex web of factors including mounting practitioner involvement, research interest, media attention, and popular desire. In this article I briefly review this history alongside the strategic histories marshalled by the various proponents and opponents to support their claims of legitimacy. The history of anti‐ageing medicine is one of an emerging scientific and clinical practice as well as a history of an idea that has very recently made its way out of science fiction and into science future.
Doing it my way: old women, technology and wellbeing
Authors: Loe Meika 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThis article focuses on women in their nineties (nonagenarians) who are ageing in place – or ageing at home – in upstate New York. I analyse these old women’s use of everyday technological tools to care for themselves and construct meaning. I argue that despite what we may expect, nonagenarian women can be and are technogenarians in their active and creative uses of everyday technologies. Old women utilise lifelong care work repertoires to identify, adjust, use and reject old and new technologies for their own everyday mobility, communication, nourishment, and physiological health. Perhaps most importantly techno‐savvy elders can maintain and achieve health and wellbeing, associated here with bodily comfort, social networks, self‐efficacy and intellectual life, in and beyond their homes. In these ways, nonagenarians can teach us how household technologies can be health and ageing technologies; instruments of continuity and control; or just the opposite.
Skin problems in stoma patients
Authors: Nybaek H , Jemec GBE 
Published: February 2010

AbstractOstomy patients are dependent on the integrity of their peristomal skin to maintain a normal lifestyle. Peristomal skin problems are thought to be common and may interfere with the use of ostomy pouching systems. This is a specialist area not commonly seen by dermatologists. This article seeks to provide an overview of the topic for the general dermatologist. A systematic literature search was conducted. The articles found were reviewed and relevant articles were selected by two investigators. Loss of skin integrity may be related to chemical injury, mechanical destruction, infectious conditions, immunological reactions, disease‐related conditions. Peristomal irritant dermatitis caused by skin contact with ostomy effluent is by far the most ordinary condition seen. Mechanical trauma, infection and aggravation of pre‐existing skin diseases are also seen. Allergic contact dermatitis, which is often cited as the cause of peristomal skin problems, appears to be a rare condition with an estimated prevalence of only 0.6%. In spite of the importance of the integrity of peristomal skin, the topic is poorly described in the literature. The existing publications suggest that although peristomal skin disease can be diagnosed and treated, additional information on both patients and physicians is necessary to optimize patient care.
Fetal autonomic response to severe acidaemia during labour
Authors: van Laar JOEH , Peters CHL , Vullings R , Houterman S , Bergmans JWM , Oei SG 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: van Laar J, Peters C, Vullings R, Houterman S, Bergmans J, Oei S. Fetal autonomic response to severe acidaemia during labour. BJOG 2010;117:429–437.Objective  Spectral analysis of heart‐rate variability is used to monitor autonomic nervous system fluctuations. The low‐frequency component is associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation and the high‐frequency component is associated with parasympathetic modulation. The objective was to study whether changes in low‐frequency or high‐frequency power of heart‐rate variability occur in case of fetal distress.Design  Case–control study.Setting  Obstetric unit of a tertiary‐care teaching hospital.Population  Twenty healthy human fetuses during labour at term of which ten had an umbilical artery pH < 7.05 (cases), and ten had an arterial pH > 7.20 (controls) after birth.Methods  Spectral information about fetal beat‐to‐beat heart rate, calculated from direct fetal electrocardiogram registrations, was obtained by using a short‐time Fourier transform.Main outcome measures  Absolute power and normalised power in the low‐frequency and high‐frequency bands.Results  No differences were found between fetuses with and without acidaemia in absolute low or high frequency power (P = 0.2 and P = 0.3, respectively). During the last 30 minutes of labour, acidaemic fetuses had significantly increased normalised low‐frequency power (P = 0.01) and decreased normalised high‐frequency power (P = 0.03) compared with non‐acidaemic fetuses. These differences were not observed from 3 to 2 hours before birth (P = 0.7 and P = 0.9, respectively).Conclusion  The autonomic nervous system of human fetuses at term responds adequately to severe stress during labour. Normalised low and high frequency power of heart‐rate variability might be able to discriminate between normal and abnormal fetal condition.
Distinct expression and ligand‐binding profiles of two constitutively active GPR17 splice variants
Authors: Benned‐Jensen T , Rosenkilde MM 
Published: February 2010

Background and purpose: In humans and non‐human primates, the 7TM receptor GPR17 exists in two isoforms differing only by the length of the N‐terminus. Of these, only the short isoform has previously been characterized. Hence, we investigated gene expression and ligand‐binding profiles of both splice variants and furthermore uncovered and characterized constitutive activity of both isoforms.Experimental approach: Expression levels of the hGPR17 isoforms were determined in several brain regions as well as heart and kidney using quantitative RT‐PCR. A CREB reporter assay and [35S]‐GTPγS binding were employed to assess the constitutive activity and the activation by UDP, UDP‐glucose and ‐galactose and the cysteinyl leukotrienes LTC4and LTD4. Leukotriene binding and induction of internalization were furthermore tested using homologous competition binding and antibody‐feeding experiments respectively.Key results: The short isoform (hGPR17‐S) was expressed more abundantly (eight‐ to 23‐fold) in the brain than the long isoform (hGPR17‐L), whereas the opposite was observed in heart and kidney. As previously reported, the uracil nucleotides activated hGPR17‐S with micromolar potencies. However, much lower potencies were observed for hGPR17‐L with a 50‐ to 170‐fold increase in EC50. Furthermore, contrary to previous reports, neither of the isoforms was activated or bound by the cysteinyl leukotrienes. Finally, both receptors were demonstrated to be constitutively active through Gαi.Conclusions and implications: We present the first isoform‐specific characterization of GPR17 and show that differences exist between the isoforms, in both expression pattern and pharmacological profile. In turn, our results indicate that the two human isoforms might serve tissue‐specific functions.
Origin and tectonic significance of corundum–kyanite–sapphirine amphibolites from the Variscan French Massif Central
Authors: BERGER J. , FÉMÉNIAS O. , OHNENSTETTER D. , PLISSART G. , MERCIER J.‐C. C. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe contact zone between two major allochthonous lithotectonic units in the French Massif Central (FMC) is characterized by the presence of corundum‐bearing amphibolites associated with serpentinites, flaser‐gabbros, eclogites and granulites. These unusual amphibolites are best preserved in the Western FMC, where they are found within the lower oceanic crust of the Limousin ophiolite. Mineralogical observations and thermodynamic modelling of the spinel–corundum–sapphirine–kyanite amphibolites in the CMASH system show that they were formed at peak P–T conditions around 800 °C/10 kbar in response to near isothermal burial followed by a retrogressive anticlockwise path. Metamorphic reactions are controlled both by modification of P–T conditions and by local chemical changes linked to fluid infiltration. Pargasite growth has been enhanced by infiltration of Ca‐ and Al‐rich fluids whereas kyanite‐ and sapphirine‐forming reactions are partly controlled by local inputs of MgO–SiO2 components, most probably during infiltration metasomatism. By analogy with worldwide ophiolites (Oman, Tethyan, Appalachian) and published numerical models, subduction of a still‐hot oceanic ridge is proposed to form these Al‐rich amphibolites from plagioclase‐rich troctolites. The trace‐element composition of high‐Ti, fine‐grained amphibolites (former fine‐grained Fe–Ti gabbros) adjacent to the corundum‐bearing ones, further indicates that the oceanic crust was initially created at a mid‐ocean ridge (rather than within a back‐arc basin), followed by the emplacement of supra‐subduction zone‐type magmas, probably due to intraoceanic subduction close to the ridge.
The normal and abnormal owl monkey (Aotus sp.) heart: looking at cardiomyopathy changes with echocardiography and electrocardiography
Authors: Rajendra Rashmi S. , Brady Alan G. , Parks Virginia L. , Massey Clara V. , Gibson Susan V. , Abee Christian R. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground  Cardiovascular disease, especially cardiomyopathy, was the major cause of death among owl monkeys (Aotus sp.) at a major colony and threatened colony sustainability. For this study, echocardiography (echo) and electrocardiography (ECG) normal values were established, and cardiomyopathy animals identified.Methods  Forty‐eight owl monkeys were studied, 30 older than 10 years of age (‘aged’) and 8 of age 5 years (‘young’). Eight aged owl monkeys had cardiomyopathy.Results and Conclusions  Aged Aotus had increased left ventricular posterior wall thickness over young animals. Left ventricular diameter and ejection fraction appeared to be the best identifying measurements for cardiomyopathy. There were no differences in the ECG.