bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social thermoregulation and torpor in the Siberian hamster
Authors: Jefimow Małgorzata , Głąbska Marta , Wojciechowski Michał S. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYSocial thermoregulation and huddling bring about energy benefits to animals sharing a nest because of the smaller surface-to-volume ratio of a huddle and the higher local temperature in the nest. We tested whether living in groups and huddling affect daily torpor, metabolic rate and seasonal changes in the body mass of a small heterothermic rodent, the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus), housed under semi-natural conditions both singly and in groups of four litter-mates. We predicted that in hamsters housed in groups: (1) synchronized torpor bouts would be longer and deeper than non-synchronized ones but shallower than in solitary hamsters, (2) seasonal variations in metabolic rate would be lower than in solitary hamsters, and (3) the winter decrease in body mass would be smaller in grouped than in singly housed hamsters. We found that group housing led to a smaller decrease in body mass in winter, and affected the length and depth of daily torpor. In group-living hamsters more than 50% of all torpor episodes were synchronized and torpid animals were often found in huddles formed of all cage-mates. The longest and deepest torpor bouts in groups were recorded when all animals in a group entered torpor simultaneously. Although the minimum body temperature during torpor was higher, torpor duration was slightly longer than in solitary hamsters. We did not record significant differences in the body mass-adjusted rate of oxygen consumption between solitary and grouped animals, either in the cold or at the lower critical temperature. We conclude that social thermoregulation enables maintenance of a larger body mass, and thus a larger body fat content, which can ensure better body condition at the beginning of the reproductive season.
The effect of ambient humidity and metabolic rate on the gas-exchange pattern of the semi-aquatic insectAquarius remigis
Authors: Contreras Heidy L. , Bradley Timothy J. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYWe have examined the effects of temperature on metabolic rate and respiratory pattern in the water strider Aquarius remigis. As temperature was increased from 10 to 30°C, the metabolic rate of the insects increased and the respiratory pattern transitioned from discontinuous, to cyclic, to continuous. The discontinuous gas-exchange cycle (DGC) was observed even in insects standing on water when the respirometry chamber was being perfused with humid (&gt;95% relative humidity) air. Comparisons of insects at 20°C in humid and dry air showed no statistically significant differences in metabolic rate or respiratory pattern (P&gt;0.05). The proportion of time that the spiracles were closed was greater at 10°C than at 20°C (P&lt;0.01), and greater at 20°C than at 30°C (P&lt;0.05). These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the respiratory patterns of insects are determined by the relationship between oxygen supply and oxygen demand. There was no evidence in this insect that humidity had any effect on the respiratory pattern. The results are discussed in the context of the ongoing discussion in the literature of the origin, maintenance and adaptive significance of the DGC in insects.
Scaling of caterpillar body properties and its biomechanical implications for the use of a hydrostatic skeleton
Authors: Lin Huai-Ti , Slate Daniel J. , Paetsch Christopher R. , Dorfmann A. Luis , Trimmer Barry A. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYCaterpillars can increase their body mass 10,000-fold in 2 weeks. It is therefore remarkable that most caterpillars appear to maintain the same locomotion kinematics throughout their entire larval stage. This study examined how the body properties of a caterpillar might change to accommodate such dramatic changes in body load. Using Manduca sexta as a model system, we measured changes in body volume, tissue density and baseline body pressure, and the dimensions of load-bearing tissues (the cuticle and muscles) over a body mass range from milligrams to several grams. All Manduca biometrics relevant to the hydrostatic skeleton scaled allometrically but close to the isometric predictions. Body density and pressure were almost constant. We next investigated the effects of scaling on the bending stiffness of the caterpillar hydrostatic skeleton. The anisotropic non-linear mechanical response of Manduca muscles and soft cuticle has previously been quantified and modeled with constitutive equations. Using biometric data and these material laws, we constructed finite element models to simulate a hydrostatic skeleton under different conditions. The results show that increasing the internal pressure leads to a non-linear increase in bending stiffness. Increasing the body size results in a decrease in the normalized bending stiffness. Muscle activation can double this stiffness in the physiological pressure range, but thickening the cuticle or increasing the muscle area reduces the structural stiffness. These non-linear effects may dictate the effectiveness of a hydrostatic skeleton at different sizes. Given the shared anatomy and size variation in Lepidoptera larvae, these mechanical scaling constraints may implicate the diverse locomotion strategies in different species.
The integration of locomotion and prey capture in divergent cottid fishes: functional disparity despite morphological similarity
Authors: Kane Emily A. , Higham Timothy E. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARYMany mobile animals rely on the integration of locomotion and feeding to capture prey. Fishes commonly swim up to a prey item and utilize a combination of ram and suction feeding for prey capture. Marine cottids represent a diverse and abundant lineage of fishes that exhibit variation in feeding mode that is related to their mouth morphology. However, little is known regarding the integration of the locomotor and feeding systems during prey capture. We quantified the feeding kinematics, feeding performance and integration of locomotion and feeding in two species of divergent cottids: Blepsias cirrhosus (silver-spotted sculpin) and Oligocottus maculosus (tidepool sculpin). Individuals were caught from sympatric habitats near the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on Vancouver Island and filmed with a high-speed video camera (500 Hz) while feeding on amphipod prey. Two principal component axes summarize differences in integration and feeding mode despite similarity in attack velocity and feeding morphology (peak gape, peak cranial elevation and peak jaw protrusion). A greater number of correlations between locomotor and feeding variables in B. cirrhosus, compared with O. maculosus, indicate greater integration. We conclude that traditional measures of attack kinematics do not capture functionally and ecologically relevant differences between species. The mechanisms underlying differences in locomotor strategy likely result from unexplored morphological or ecological differences between species. In cottids, integration is apparent in more basal, subtidal species such as B. cirrhosus, and the need for integration may be superceded by demands from the habitat in more derived, shallow-water species such as O. maculosus.
Aerial audiograms of several California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) measured using single and multiple simultaneous auditory steady-state response methods
Authors: Mulsow Jason , Reichmuth Colleen , Gulland Frances , Rosen David A. S. , Finneran James J. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARY
Measurements of the electrophysiological auditory steady-state response (ASSR) have proven to be efficient for evaluating hearing sensitivity in odontocete cetaceans. In an effort to expand these methods to pinnipeds, ASSRs elicited by single and multiple simultaneous tones were used to measure aerial hearing thresholds in several California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). There were no significant differences between thresholds measured using the single and multiple ASSR methods, despite the more rapid nature of data collection using the multiple ASSR method. There was a high degree of variability in ASSR thresholds among subjects; thresholds covered a range of ∼40 dB at each tested frequency. As expected, ASSR thresholds were elevated relative to previously reported psychophysical thresholds for California and Steller sea lions. The features of high-frequency hearing limit and relative sensitivity of most ASSR audiograms were, however, similar to those of psychophysical audiograms, suggesting that ASSR methods can be used to improve understanding of hearing demographics in sea lions, especially with respect to high-frequency hearing. Thresholds for one Steller sea lion were substantially elevated relative to all other subjects, demonstrating that ASSR methods can be used to detect hearing loss in sea lions.
The sub-lethal effects of repeated freezing in the woolly bear caterpillar Pyrrharctia isabella
Authors: Marshall Katie E. , Sinclair Brent J. 
Published: March 2011

SUMMARY
Repeated freeze–thaw cycles are common and are increasing in frequency with climate change in many temperate locations, yet understanding of their impact on freeze-tolerant insects is extremely limited. We investigated the effects of repeated freezing and thawing on the freeze-tolerant final instar caterpillars of the moth Pyrrharctia isabella (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) by subjecting individuals to either a single sustained 35 h freeze or five 7 h freezes. Sub-lethal effects were quantified with changes in three broad groups of measures: (1) cold hardiness, (2) metabolic rate and energy reserves and (3) survival after challenge with fungal spores. Repeated freeze–thaw cycles increased mortality to almost 30% and increased tissue damage in Malpighian tubules and hemocytes. Repeated freezing increased caterpillar glycerol concentration by 0.82 mol l–1. There were no changes in metabolic rate or energy reserves with repeated freezing. For the first time, we report increased survival after immune challenge in caterpillars after freezing and suggest that this may be linked to wounding during freezing. We suggest that little repair of freezing damage is possible in P. isabella caterpillars and repeated freeze–thaw cycles may present significant challenges to survival in this species.
Terlipressin in Hepatorenal Syndrome
Authors: Mazur Joseph E , Cooper Tanna B , Dasta Joseph F 
Published: March 2011

Objective: To compare the pharmacology, dosing, and adverse reactions of vasopressin and terlipressin for the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and assess the efficacy of the investigational drug terlipressin for HRS. Data Sources: Articles evaluating prospective studies for vasopressin and terlipressin were discussed after being identified through PubMed (1966-November 2010), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-November 2010), and EMBASE (1985-November 2010) with combinations of the following terms: vasopressin, terlipressin, and hepatorenal syndrome. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. Thirteen studies were identified for terlipressin, along with 4 meta-analyses and 1 case report. For vasopressin, 2 studies were identified. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Prospective clinical studies directly comparing terlipressin and vasopressin were evaluated, as well as prospective clinical studies and meta-analyses for terlipressin in HRS. Data Synthesis: NO randomized, placebo-controlled trials using vasopressin for the treatment of type I HRS have been published, and 4 randomized studies Involving 197 patients provide the most current outcome data for use of terlipressin in HRS. Terlipressin differs significantly from vasopressin with regard to its pharmacology, dosing, and adverse drug reaction profile. There is a paucity of data on vasopressin for HRS. Conclusions: NO definitive recommendations can be made for the use of terlipressin for this indication until further, well-conducted studies are performed.
Role of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Hatcher Molly A , Starr Jessica A 
Published: March 2011

Objective: To evaluate the literature regarding the use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, focusing on the appropriate usage criteria and administration time window. Data Sources: A PubMed and MEDLINE search was performed (1990-November 2010) using the key words alteplase, tissue plasminogen activator, thrombolytic, ischemic stroke, and cerebrovascular accident. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Clinical trials published in English were evaluated and relevant primary literature evaluating the use of tPA in acute ischemic stroke was included. Data Synthesis: The NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) trial revealed clinical efficacy of tPA in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke when administered within 3 hours of stroke symptom onset and served as the foundation for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) acute ischemic stroke guideline recommendations. The ECASS (European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study) I, ECASS II, and ATLANTIS (Alteplase Thrombolysis for Acute Noninterventional Therapy in Ischemic Stroke), part A and B, trials each assessed the efficacy of tPA when administered beyond 3 hours of ischemic stroke onset, but the results of each trial did not support its use beyond 3 hours. The ECASS III trial showed clinical efficacy of tPA when administered up to 4.5 hours. The SITS-MOST (Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study) and SITS-ISTR (Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke International Stroke Thrombolysis Register) registries evaluated the safety and efficacy of tPA at both 3 and 4.5 hours and showed promising results. In 2009, the AHA/ASA stroke guidelines were updated to support the use of tPA in select patients up to 4.5 hours after symptom onset. Conclusions: tPA is effective when administered up to 4.5 hours after ischemic stroke symptom onset in select patients. However, timely administration remains paramount to achievement of optimal therapeutic outcomes.
Evaluation of Contraindicated Drug-Drug Interaction Alerts in a Hospital Setting
Authors: Hatton Randy C , Rosenberg Amy F , Morris Candice T , McKelvey Russell P , Lewis James R 
Published: March 2011

Background: Risks associated with contraindicated drug-drug interaction alerts (CDDIAs) should always outweigh benefits. Misclassified CDDIAs should be eliminated. Objective: To review CDDIAs and determine if they are contraindicated according to Food and Drug Administration-approved product labeling and if there are circumstances in which contraindicated interactions are acceptable. Methods: A cross-sectional observational and quality improvement study was conducted over two 1 -year periods. The 20 most common CDDIAs from May 2007 to May 2008 and all CDDIAs from April 2008 to April 2009 were collected at a large teaching hospital. Horizon Meds Manager used First DataBank as the knowledge base for decision support. Interactions were deemed truly contraindicated if listed in the contraindications section of the labeling of at least one of the interacting drugs. Alerts were grouped by drug and pharmacologic class to evaluate the evidence supporting the relevance of these interactions. An expert panel determined when an alert was misclassified. A medical advisory committee determined whether a contraindicated drug-drug combination was acceptable. Results: Twelve (60%) of the most common 20 contraindicated interaction pairs from 2007 to 2008 were inappropriately classified. Half of the alerts were not truly contraindicated. The 8 truly contraindicated drug-drug pairs were ketorolac and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or oral solid potassium products and anticholinergics. Half of these interactions were subsequently deemed acceptable under specific circumstances. Similar results were found in the second year, with only 55.1% of all CDDIAs being truly contraindicated despite eliminating some of the alerts that were misclassified in the first year. Nearly three fourths of legitimate CDDIAs were deemed acceptable under specific circumstances, Conclusions: Most contraindicated drug-drug interaction alerts from a commercial knowledge base were inappropriately categorized and could be downgraded. Some contraindicated drug combinations are permissible under specific circumstances. Alerts suggesting that certain drugs should never be used together, but their use together is sometimes acceptable, contribute to alert fatigue.
Neuromuscular Blockade Resistance During Therapeutic Hypothermia
Authors: Mueller Scott W , Winn Robert , Macht Madison , Fish Douglas N , Kiser Tyree H , MacLaren Robert 
Published: March 2011

Objective: To report a case of neuromuscular blockade resistance to multiple agents during therapeutic hypothermia and discuss possible mechanisms of this resistance. Case Summary: A 64-year-old man with stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer and respiratory distress developed cardiac arrest in the emergency department. The man was quickly resuscitated and treated with therapeutic hypothermia. A chest tube was Inserted for pleural drainage of a large right-sided effusion that collapsed the right lung; this was unsuccessful in reinflating the lung. A bronchopleural fistula developed and independent lung ventilation was initiated due to persistent hypoxemia. Neuromuscular blockade was initiated after sedation and analgesia did not control shivering and was continued due to patient-ventilator dyssynchrony and persistent hypoxemia. Despite large doses of 3 different neuromuscular blocking agents and negligible response to train-of-four tests, clinical neuromuscular blockade, represented by ventilator synchrony, was not achieved until the patient was warmed. Discussion: Resistance to neuromuscular blocking agents has been reported in critically ill patients. Our case of neuromuscular blockade resistance occurred in a patient treated with therapeutic hypothermia, which generally requires a dose reduction of neuromuscular blocking agents. Resistance to neuromuscular blockade was quickly reversed upon warming of the patient as patient-ventilator synchrony was achieved at lower neuromuscular blocking agent doses. Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of a potential blunted response to neuromuscular blocking agents during therapeutic hypothermia and difficulty with paralysis monitoring since train-of-four response may correlate poorly with clinical neuromuscular blockade during hypothermia. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of this interaction, identify patients at risk, and evaluate alternative strategies to neuromuscular blockade for controlling shivering in patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.
New Measure of Adherence Adjusted for Prescription Patterns: The Case of Adults with Asthma Treated with Inhaled Corticosteroid Monotherapy
Authors: Blais Lucie , Kettani Fatima-Zohra , Beauchesne Marie-France , eGre Catherine Lemi , Perreault Sylvie , Forget Amélie 
Published: March 2011

Background: Common measures of adherence to prescribed medications derived from administrative databases reflect both patients’ and physicians’ behavior, even if the measures are often interpreted as reflecting only the patient's adherence. Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) has been shown to be low among patients with asthma. Objective: To develop a new measure of patients’ adherence adjusted for prescription patterns and to evaluate the extent to which the low use of ICSs in asthma is due to patients’ nonadherent or suboptimal prescribing practices. Methods: The new measure of adherence, called the proportion of prescribed days covered (PPDC), is defined as the ratio of the total days’ supply dispensed to the total days’ supply prescribed during the study period. The PPDC is a modification of an existing adherence measure, the proportion of days covered (PDC). The PPDC and PDC for ICSs, therapy that should be prescribed for chronic daily use to patients with persistent asthma, were compared within a cohort of 4190 ICS-naïve patients with asthma aged 18-45 years derived from the administrative health databases of Quebec. Canada. We estimated the mean and the 95% confidence interval of the PPDC and PDC for ICSs over 1 year, and we calculated the part of nonadherence attributed to patients when measured with the PDC that can be attributed to nonoptimal prescribing of ICSs for chronic daily use with the following formula: [(1 – PDC) – (1 – PPDC)] / (1 – PDC). Results: The mean PPDC and PDC during the 1 -year study were 52.6% (95% CI 51.6 to 53.6) and 19.1% (95% CI 18.6 to 19.6), respectively. Forty-one percent of nonadherence attributed to patients when measured with the PDC could be, in fact, attributed to non prescribing of ICSs (or chronic daily use. Conclusions: Our new adherence measure, the PPDC, may be considered as another way to assess patient adherence, taking into account differing prescribing patterns.
Character tables of m-flat association schemes
Authors: Kurihara Hirotake 
Published: March 2011

Abstract
An m-flat association scheme, denoted 𝔛(Xn
(m)), is defined on the set of affine m-flats, the cosets of an m-dimensional subspace of an n-dimensional vector space over the finite field 𝔽
q
. This association scheme was introduced by Zhu and Li in “A construction of association schemes with several association classes and of PBIB designs using m-flats in finite affine geometries”, Acta Math. Appl. Sinica
20 (1), 155–158, 1997. This association scheme is known to be imprimitive and gives rise to a quotient scheme that is isomorphic to the q-analogue Johnson scheme Jq
(n, m). In this paper, the character table of 𝔛(Xn
(m)) is obtained from that of Jq
(n, m) by studying the relationship between the parameter sets of two association schemes.
Child health and maternal stress: does neighbourhood status matter?
Authors: Lagerberg Dagmar , Magnusson Margaretha , Sundelin Claes 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe purpose of this cross-sectional questionnaire study was to explore neighbourhood-level differences in health behaviour, maternal stress and sense of coherence, birth weight, child health and behaviour, and children's television watching habits. In total, 2006 pairs of Swedish mothers and children, aged approximately 20 months, from the general population participated in the study. A total of 1923 lived in neighbourhoods of average socioeconomic status in six counties, and 83 in a high-status neighbourhood in one of the counties. Data were collected in 2002–2003 and 2004–2005 through the Child Health Services. Socio-demographic confounders were adjusted for in multiple logistic regressions (maternal age, country of birth, education, marital status and parity). Compared with their counterparts in average neighbourhoods, mothers in the high-status neighbourhood were less frequently smokers and had been breastfeeding their children more. They felt less stress from social isolation and had a higher sense of coherence. All these differences except lower social isolation were non-significant after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Privileged mothers felt more restricted by their parenting tasks (unadjusted comparison), and more privileged children were frequent television watchers. Child birth weight, health and behaviour were no better in the privileged than in average neighbourhoods. This paper adds to previous knowledge by showing that status-based geographic differences in important parenting and health parameters can be non-significant in an equitable society such as Sweden, where all families with young children have access to free high-quality health services. Individual characteristics could provide better explanations than neighbourhood status.