bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Closing the safety loop: evaluation of the National Patient Safety Agency's guidance regarding wristband identification of hospital inpatients
Authors: Sevdalis Nick , Norris Beverley , Ranger Chris , Bothwell Sue ,   the Wristband Project Team
Published: March 2009

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Wristbands are essential for accurate patient identification. Some evidence suggests that missing wristbands is not an infrequent occurrence in acute hospitals. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has developed guidance on patient identification for hospitals in England and Wales. Here we report an evaluation of the uptake of the guidance.Method  The evaluation was designed as a ‘pre–post’ intervention survey. Fifty hospitals (response rate 67%) responded to the ‘pre‐guidance’ part and 40 hospitals (response rate 43%) responded to the ‘post‐guidance’ part.Results  The majority of the hospitals use wristbands to identify inpatients. Fifty‐eight per cent of the hospitals in the ‘pre‐guidance’ survey and 50% of them in the ‘post‐guidance’ survey reported not having a patient identification policy before receiving the guidance. Only one hospital reported not having developed such a policy in the ‘post‐guidance’ survey. Ninety‐eight per cent of the hospitals reported that their policies are consistent with the guidance. Relevant training to staff is provided in about a quarter of the organizations, both before and after the guidance. Problems in implementing the guidance were reported by 23% of the hospitals, and included difficulties with staff or patient attitudes, or with the guidance itself, or difficulty to identify a lead staff member.Conclusion  Overall, implementation of NPSA guidance regarding inpatient identification was satisfactory. The reported problems should be taken into account, as they likely apply to a range of patient safety interventions. Limitations of evaluating intervention uptake, rather than efficacy, and relying on self‐report are discussed.
Do landscape processes predict phylogeographic patterns in the wood frog?
Authors: LEE‐YAW JULIE A. , DAVIDSON ANDREW , MCRAE BRAD H. , GREEN DAVID M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractUnderstanding factors that influence population connectivity and the spatial distribution of genetic variation is a major goal in molecular ecology. Improvements in the availability of high‐resolution geographic data have made it increasingly possible to quantify the effects of landscape features on dispersal and genetic structure. However, most studies examining such landscape effects have been conducted at very fine (e.g. landscape genetics) or broad (e.g. phylogeography) spatial scales. Thus, the extent to which processes operating at fine spatial scales are linked to patterns at larger scales remains unclear. Here, we test whether factors impacting wood frog dispersal at fine spatial scales are correlated with genetic structure at regional scales. Using recently developed methods borrowed from electrical circuit theory, we generated landscape resistance matrices among wood frog populations in eastern North America based on slope, a wetness index, land cover and absolute barriers to wood frog dispersal. We then determined whether these matrices are correlated with genetic structure based on six microsatellite markers and whether such correlations outperform a landscape‐free model of isolation by resistance. We observed significant genetic structure at regional spatial scales. However, topography and landscape variables associated with the intervening habitat between sites provide little explanation for patterns of genetic structure. Instead, absolute dispersal barriers appear to be the best predictor of regional genetic structure in this species. Our results suggest that landscape variables that influence dispersal, microhabitat selection and population structure at fine spatial scales do not necessarily explain patterns of genetic structure at broader scales.
Integrating hormones into the floral‐transition pathway of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: DAVIS SETH J. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe transition from vegetative to reproductive growth is a major phase change in angiosperms. In annual plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), this change is irreversible, and as such, the regulation of its timing must be tightly controlled. Plant hormone (phytohormone) signalling is known to regulate suites of morphogenic processes in Arabidopsis a role in flowering‐time control is starting to emerge as one key‐controlling step. This review focuses on experimental evidence in the Arabidopsis that both classical and newly described phytohormones serve within the signal network leading to a reproductive phase transition, as both positive and repressive elements, depending on the phytohormone and growth conditions. Examples of genetic and pharmacological experiments that implicate phytohormones as components of the floral‐timing syndrome will be described. I hope that this review will serve as a primer for future research on the mechanisms of action for each respective phytohormone on the floral transition in Arabidopsis, and lead to further experimentation on the crosstalk that likely bridges between them.
Generation of a Dendritic Cell‐based Vaccine in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia Using CliniMACS Platform for Large‐scale Production
Authors: Adamson L. , Palma M. , Choudhury A. , Eriksson I. , Näsman‐Glaser B. , Hansson M. , Hansson L. , Kokhaei P. , Österborg A. , Mellstedt H. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWe previously demonstrated that dendritic cells (DC) that have endocytosed apoptotic bodies of autologous leukemic cells (Apo‐DC) can boost antileukemic T‐cell responses. In this study, we report a description of the production procedure and product specification of the Apo‐DC vaccine preparations for clinical use. Enriched populations of CD14+ monocytic precursors and CD19+ leukaemic cells were obtained using CliniMACS technology from a single leukapheresis product. Apoptotic bodies were obtained by irradiating (5 Gy) CD19+ selected B cells. DC were generated ex vivo by culturing monocytes with granulocyte macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and interleukin‐4. Following coculture with apoptotic bodies, DCs were matured with tumour necrosis factor‐α. The mean percentage of CD14+ cells in the peripheral blood as well as in the leukapheresis product of the patients (n = 10) was approximately 2% (range, 0.8–3.3). Immunomagnetic selection using the CD14 reagent yielded a CD14+ population that was 91 ± 2.2% (mean ± SEM) pure. Immunomagnetic selection of CD19 expressing cells yielded a population that was 100 ± 0.03% pure. Cell viability immediately after selection was 97% and 98% after 7 days of culture. The Apo‐DC cellular vaccine product showed a mature phenotype, with a high rate of endocytosis (84%) of apoptotic leukemic B‐cells. In conclusion, despite significant variability in the circulating monocyte frequency of the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients, our method permitted the production of a DC vaccine with high reproducibility and conforming with recommended quality standards.
In SituDeposition of Complement in Human Acute Brain Ischaemia
Authors: Pedersen E. D. , Løberg E. M. , Vege E. , Daha M. R. , Mæhlen J. , Mollnes T. E. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractExperimental animal models indicate that complement contributes to tissue damage during brain ischaemia and stroke, but limited data are available for a role of the complement in human stroke. We, therefore, evaluated whether acute ischaemia leads to complement activation in human brain. Indirect immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin‐embedded, formalin‐fixed human brain from 10 patients and 10 controls. Complement components C1q, C3c and C4d were detected in all ischaemic lesions, suggesting activation via the classical pathway. C9, C‐reactive protein and IgM were detected in necrotic zones. Marked CD59 and weak CD55 expression were found in normal brains, but these complement regulators were virtually absent in ischaemic lesions. Modest amounts of mannose‐binding lectin (MBL), MBL‐associated serine protease‐2 and factor B were found in both ischaemic lesions and controls. These data suggest that increased deposition of complement components combined with decreased expression of complement regulators is a possible mechanism of tissue damage during ischaemia in human brain.
Effect of education and pill count on hemoglobin status during prenatal care in Nepalese women: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Adhikari Kamala , Liabsuetrakul Tippawan , Pradhan Neelam 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim: To determine the effect of an education program and/or pill count on the change in hemoglobin levels and the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women.Methods: A randomized, factorial design controlled trial was conducted at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal. A total of 320 eligible pregnant women receiving prenatal care were randomized into four groups (control, education, pill count and education with pill count) by block randomization with allocation concealment. All recruited women received conventional routine prenatal care with a daily dose of 60 mg iron supplementation. In addition, the education group received an education program. Pill counting was done for the pill count group at their routine prenatal visits. The education with pill count group received both the education program plus pill counting. Baseline hemoglobin at the recruitment phase and follow‐up hemoglobin after three months of recruitment were measured. Changes in hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence were analyzed and compared between groups.Results: The education only and education with pill count groups had significantly higher hemoglobin changes (0.23 and 0.26 g/dL, respectively) than the control group (P < 0.01). Anemia was reduced by 59% in the education group and by 65% in the education with pill count group, compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Pill count alone significantly improved neither the hemoglobin level nor anemia prevalence compared to the control group.Conclusion: An education program along with routine iron supplementation can improve hemoglobin levels and reduce anemia prevalence in pregnant women. Pill count as a measure of compliance has no additional effect on improving hemoglobin status.
Preliminary characterization of vaginal microbiota in healthy Chinese women using cultivation‐independent methods
Authors: Shi Yi , Chen Leiqiong , Tong Jianqian , Xu Chen 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim:  The normal microbiota plays an important role in maintaining the vaginal health of women. The aim of this study was to characterize the numerically dominant populations of vaginal microbial communities in Chinese women.Methods:  Genomic DNA was isolated from samples of vaginal swabs of five healthy women, 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid libraries were constructed and the sequences of 300 clones from each library were determined and subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The phylotypes were classified based on sequence similarity to known organisms.Results:  All vaginal microbial communities were dominated by the Lactobacillus species, and they constituted from 96.4% to 100% of the clones sequenced. Sequences homologous to L. crispatus and L. iners were most common, which were highly homologous with those of Caucasian women in the USA.Conclusions:  The numerically dominant microbial populations in healthy Chinese women's vaginas were L. crispatus and L. iners. The limited number of Lactobacillus phylotypes found in the human vagina suggested that host factors have a role in the selection of specific organisms, which have specific characteristics that allow them to successfully colonize the vagina.
The impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on male sexual health: EpiLUTS
Authors: Wein Alan J. , Coyne Karin S. , Tubaro Andrea , Sexton Chris C. , Kopp Zoe S. , Aiyer Lalitha P. 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the association between International Continence Society categories of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS; storage, voiding, and postmicturition) and individual LUTS (associated with decreased sexual activity and sexual satisfaction in men) with erectile dysfunction (ED), ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) and premature ejaculation (PE).SUBJECTS AND METHODSThe impact of LUTS on men’s sexual health was captured as part of a cross‐sectional epidemiological study to assess the prevalence LUTS among men and women aged ≥40 years in the USA, the UK and Sweden.RESULTSThe analysis included 11 834 men with a mean age of 56.1 years, 71% of whom reported being currently sexually active. The primary reason for not being sexually active was no partner (35%), followed by personal health (23%) and no desire (23%). Of the men, 26% had mild to severe ED, 7% had EjD, and 16% PE. Men with multiple LUTS had more severe ED and more frequent EjD and PE. Logistic regression analysis showed that greater age, hypertension, diabetes, depression, urgency with fear of leaking, and leaking during sexual activity were significantly associated with ED. The results were similar in the logistic regression analysis for EjD, whereas being younger and the absence of prostatitis were significantly associated with PE, as were the presence of terminal dribble, incomplete emptying, and split stream.CONCLUSIONLUTS are associated with common sexual dysfunctions in men. The results of this study highlight the importance of assessing the sexual health of men presenting with LUTS.
Statistical learning of phonetic categories: insights from a computational approach
Authors: McMurray Bob , Aslin Richard N. , Toscano Joseph C. 
Published: March 2009

Abstract Recent evidence (

Maye, Werker & Gerken, 2002

) suggests that statistical learning may be an important mechanism for the acquisition of phonetic categories in the infant's native language. We examined the sufficiency of this hypothesis and its implications for development by implementing a statistical learning mechanism in a computational model based on a mixture of Gaussians (MOG) architecture. Statistical learning alone was found to be insufficient for phonetic category learning – an additional competition mechanism was required in order for the categories in the input to be successfully learnt. When competition was added to the MOG architecture, this class of models successfully accounted for developmental enhancement and loss of sensitivity to phonetic contrasts. Moreover, the MOG with competition model was used to explore a potentially important distributional property of early speech categories – sparseness – in which portions of the space between phonetic categories are unmapped. Sparseness was found in all successful models and quickly emerged during development even when the initial parameters favoured continuous representations with no gaps. The implications of these models for phonetic category learning in infants are discussed.
The secret is in the sound: from unsegmented speech to lexical categories
Authors: Christiansen Morten H. , Onnis Luca , Hockema Stephen A. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWhen learning language, young children are faced with many seemingly formidable challenges, including discovering words embedded in a continuous stream of sounds and determining what role these words play in syntactic constructions. We suggest that knowledge of phoneme distributions may play a crucial part in helping children segment words and determine their lexical category, and we propose an integrated model of how children might go from unsegmented speech to lexical categories. We corroborated this theoretical model using a two‐stage computational analysis of a large corpus of English child‐directed speech. First, we used transition probabilities between phonemes to find words in unsegmented speech. Second, we used distributional information about word edges – the beginning and ending phonemes of words – to predict whether the segmented words from the first stage were nouns, verbs, or something else. The results indicate that discovering lexical units and their associated syntactic category in child‐directed speech is possible by attending to the statistics of single phoneme transitions and word‐initial and final phonemes. Thus, we suggest that a core computational principle in language acquisition is that the same source of information is used to learn about different aspects of linguistic structure.
The General Form of the Proposition: The Unity of Language and the Generality of Logic in the Early Wittgenstein
Authors: McManus Denis 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe paper presents an interpretation of the thinking behind the early Wittgenstein's “general form of the proposition.” It argues that a central role is played by the assumption that all domains of discourse are governed by the same laws of logic. The interpretation is presented partly through a comparison with ideas presented recently by Michael Potter and Peter Sullivan; the paper argues that the above assumption explains more of the key characteristics of the “general form of the proposition” than Potter and Sullivan suppose, including, in particular, its claim that the bases from which all other propositions are derived must be elementary propositions.
Designing Permanent Sample Plots by Using a Spatially Hierarchical Matrix Population Model
Authors: Chagneau P. , Mortier F. , Picard N. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryDesigning permanent sample plots is a key issue in forestry where long-term data are required to assess the sustainability of forest logging. The data that are collected in permanent sample plots are used to set parameters in a population dynamics matrix model which in turn is used to predict stock recovery rates for each species. The sampling plan for permanent plots can be designed to estimate stock recovery rates with a required accuracy at a given confidence level, while minimizing installation costs. This can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem (one constraint for each species). The question then is to quantify sampling variability, i.e. the variability of model predictions that are generated by the distribution of parameter estimators. In this study, we address the question of sampling variability for a size-classified population matrix model in a hierarchical context where sample size is itself random and driven by a multivariate spatial point process. An approximate expression is given for the accuracy of the stock recovery rate estimator. This expression is the limit of the accuracy as the expectation of sample size tends to ∞. We extend this expression to the multispecies case. To a first approximation, interactions between species do not affect the accuracy of the stock recovery rate for each species. A sampling plan is designed using the data for three species in a tropical rainforest in French Guiana. The optimal sampling plan appears to be determined by the most constrained species.
The atypical protein kinase C in Aplysia can form a protein kinase M by cleavage
Authors: Bougie Joanna K. , Lim Travis , Farah Carole Abi , Manjunath Varsha , Nagakura Ikue , Ferraro Gino B. , Sossin Wayne S. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn vertebrates, a brain‐specific transcript from the atypical protein kinase C (PKC) ζ gene encodes protein kinase M (PKM) ζ, a constitutively active kinase implicated in the maintenance of synaptic plasticity and memory. We have cloned the atypical PKC from Aplysia, PKC Apl III. We did not find a transcript in Aplysia encoding PKMζ, and evolutionary analysis of atypical PKCs suggests formation of this transcript is restricted to vertebrates. Instead, over‐expression of PKC Apl III in Aplysia sensory neurons leads to production of a PKM fragment of PKC Apl III. This cleavage was induced by calcium and blocked by calpain inhibitors. Moreover, nervous system enriched spliced forms of PKC Apl III show enhanced cleavage. PKC Apl III could also be activated through phosphorylation downstream of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase. We suggest that PKM forms of atypical PKCs play a conserved role in memory formation, but the mechanism of formation of these kinases has changed over evolution.
Inhibition of anti‐IgE mediated human mast cell activation by NO donors is dependent on their NO release kinetics
Authors: Yip KH , Leung FP , Huang Y , Lau HYA 
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose: Although the mast cell is a source of nitric oxide (NO), the effect of NO on human mast cells has not been defined. This study investigated if exogenous NO could affect human mast cell activation.Experimental approach: Effects of different NO donors on immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐dependent activation of human‐cultured mast cells (HCMC) derived from precursors in buffy coat were investigated by measuring histamine release. Intracellular NO in HCMC was monitored with confocal microscopy using the fluorescent NO indicator 4‐amino‐5‐methylamino‐2′, 7′‐difluorofluorescein.Key results: Diethylamine NONOate (DEA/NO) and MAHMA NONOate (NOC‐9), both have rapid NO release rates, only inhibited anti‐IgE‐induced histamine release when added to HCMC at the time of activation. NO donors with slower NO release kinetics were ineffective even after 30 min incubation. Confocal microscopy revealed that the effectiveness of NO donors was dependent on the availability of adequate NO inside HCMC during activation. The inhibitory action of DEA/NO was diminished by the NO scavenger, 2‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐3‐oxide‐1‐oxyl but potentiated by the anti‐oxidant, N‐acetylcysteine (NAC). Furthermore, co‐incubation with NAC allowed previously ineffective NO donors to suppress HCMC activation and thus suggested that NAC could increase the availability of NO from NO donors.Conclusions and implications: Our results demonstrated that NO was able to modulate human mast cell activation but only when enough NO was present at the time of cell activation. Our findings explain the controversy over the effectiveness of NO on mast cell degranulation and supports the possibility that NO donors could be beneficial for treating allergic inflammation.
Amiloride derivatives induce apoptosis by depleting ER Ca2+ stores in vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Park KS , Poburko D , Wollheim CB , Demaurex N 
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose:  Amiloride derivatives are blockers of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) and at micromolar concentrations have protective effects on cardiac and brain ischaemia/reperfusion injury but at higher concentrations also induce apoptosis. Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism related to this cytotoxic action.Experimental approach:  We quantified the expression of genes associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and measured changes in luminal ER Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]ER) with a ‘cameleon’ indicator, D1ER.Key results:  Amiloride derivatives induced apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells, an effect that increased at alkaline extracellular pH. The potency order for cytotoxicity was 5‐(N,N‐hexamethylene)‐amiloride (HMA) > 5‐(N‐methyl‐N‐isobutyl) amiloride > 5‐(N‐ethyl‐N‐isopropyl) amiloride (EIPA) >> amiloride. HMA dose‐dependently increased the transcription of the ER stress genes GADD153 and GADD34 and rapidly depleted [Ca2+]ER, mimicking the effects of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA) inhibitor thapsigargin. The NHE1‐specific inhibitor HOE 694 inhibited NHE activity by 87% but did not alter [Ca2+]ER. The decrease in [Ca2+]ER evoked by amiloride derivatives was also observed in HeLa cells and was mirrored by an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration.Conclusions and implications:  Amiloride derivatives disrupt ER and cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis by a mechanism unrelated to NHE inhibition, most likely by interfering with the activity of SERCA. We propose that ER Ca2+ depletion and subsequent ER stress provide a rationale framework for the apoptotic effects of amiloride derivatives.