bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of high electrolyte contents in the diet and using floor heating on development and severity of foot pad dermatitis in young turkeys
Authors: Abd El‐Wahab A. , Visscher C. F. , Beineke A. , Beyerbach M. , Kamphues J. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryFoot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a very common disease affecting poultry and is mostly caused by bad litter condition. This study aimed to test the effects of poultry diets with normal levels of electrolytes compared with a surplus level of electrolytes with and without using floor heating. Eighty two‐week‐old ♀ turkey poults were reared over 3 weeks on wood shavings, divided randomly into four groups. Two groups were fed normal levels of electrolytes (1.60 g Na; 7.80 g K/kg diet), and the other two groups were fed surplus levels of electrolytes (3.10; 15.3 g/kg diet). In each dietary treatment, half of the birds were exposed to floor heating. Half of the birds in each group were exposed for 4 h/day to wet litter (35% water) in adjacent separate boxes. External assessment of foot pads was performed weekly. High dietary electrolytes increased the severity of FPD significantly (3.65 ± 1.03). Floor heating is likely to be highly effective in significantly reducing the severity of FPD (2.36 ± 0.588). Despite forced water intake, the litter became drier when floor heating was in use. Combining low Na and K levels with a floor heating system reduced the scores of FPD by approximately 60%, compared with high electrolyte levels without floor heating. Therefore, both dietary electrolyte levels and floor heating markedly affected FPD via litter moisture.
Influence of high‐altitude grazing on bone metabolism of growing sheep
Authors: Liesegang A. , Hüttenmoser D. , Risteli J. , Leiber F. , Kreuzer M. , Wanner M. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryThe objective of this study was to identify the effect of high alpine grazing, associated with varying pasture grass qualities and more pronounced exercise on typically steep slopes, on bone metabolism by improving bone density and enhancing bone turnover in growing sheep. Twenty‐four 5‐month‐old sheep were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was kept at high altitude (HA; 2000–2200 m a.s.l.) for 3 months, and the other group (C; control) remained in the lowlands (400 m a.s.l.). Both groups were kept in grazing pastures with access to good‐quality swards. Before the start of the experiment, blood samples were taken, the sheep were weighed, and the left metatarsus of each animal was analysed by quantitative computer tomography. After 1 month, blood samples were taken and body weight was measured, followed by biweekly sampling. Finally, the animals were slaughtered, and the bones were collected for analysis of various bone parameters. Body weight development did not differ between the groups. Concentrations of 25‐OH‐Vitamin D, carboxy‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and activities of bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase were always higher in the HA group than in the C group, except on the last two sampling dates. Bone mineral content and density increased in both groups during the experiment, but more intensively in the HA group. In addition, the cortical thickness of the HA group increased. The present study demonstrates an increase in bone turnover and mineral content of the bones of the growing sheep grazing in high alpine pastures. The factors associated with HA grazing, therefore, clearly seem to improve bone composition.
Blending critical realist and emancipatory practice development methodologies: making critical realism work in nursing research
Authors: Parlour Randal , McCormack Brendan 
Published: October 2011

PARLOUR R and MCCORMACK B. Nursing Inquiry 2012; 19: 308–321  Blending critical realist and emancipatory practice development methodologies: making critical realism work in nursing researchThis paper examines the efficacy of facilitation as a practice development intervention in changing practice within an Older Person setting and in implementing evidence into practice. It outlines the influences exerted by the critical realist paradigm in guiding emancipatory practice development activities and, in particular, how the former may be employed within an emancipatory practice development study to elucidate and increase understanding pertinent to causation and outcomes. The methodology is based upon an emancipatory practice development approach set within a realistic evaluation framework. This allows for systematic analysis of the social and contextual elements that influence the explication of outcomes associated with facilitation. The study is concentrated upon five practice development cycles, within which a sequence of iterative processes is integrated. The authors assert that combining critical realist and emancipatory processes offers a robust and practical method for translating evidence and implementing changes in practice, as the former affirms or falsifies the influence that emancipatory processes exert on attaining culture shift, and enabling transformation towards effective clinical practice. A new framework for practice development is proposed that establishes methodological coherency between emancipatory practice development and realistic evaluation. This augments the existing theoretical bases for both these approaches by contributing new theoretical and methodological understandings of causation.
Increased natural killer T‐like cells are a major source of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and granzymes in lung transplant recipients
Authors: HODGE GREG , HODGE SANDRA , LI‐LIEW CHIEN , REYNOLDS PAUL N. , HOLMES MARK 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Natural killer T (NKT)‐like cells are a small but significant population of T lymphocytes; however, their role in lung transplant and the effect of current immunosuppressive agents on their function is largely unknown. We have previously shown lung transplant rejection was associated with an increase in peripheral blood T cell γ‐interferon (IFN‐γ), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and granzyme B. NKT‐like cells are a source of these pro‐inflammatory mediators and as such may be involved in lung transplant pathology.Methods:  We analysed NKT‐like cell numbers and cytokine and granzyme profiles in peripheral blood from a group of stable lung transplant patients and control subjects using multiparameter flow cytometry.Results:  There was a significant increase in NKT‐like cells in transplant patients compared with control subjects (6.8 ± 4.9 vs 0.8 ± 0.2% lymphocytes respectively). There was an increase in the numbers of NKT‐like cells producing IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐2 IL‐17, granzyme and perforin in transplant patients compared with controls. Immunosuppressant drugs were less effective at inhibiting IFN‐γ and TNF‐α production by T and NKT‐like cells than NK cells in vitro.Conclusions:  Current therapeutics is inadequate at suppressing NKT‐like cell numbers and their production of pro‐inflammatory mediators known to be associated with graft rejection. Alternative therapies that specifically target NKT‐like cells may improve patient morbidity.
Prescription of antibiotics for adults hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumonia in Korea in 2004: A population‐based descriptive study
Authors: YOON YOUNG KYUNG , KIM EUN JU , CHUN BYUNG CHUL , EOM JOONG SIK , PARK DAE WON , SOHN JANG WOOK , KIM MIN JA 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) is generally considered to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. There is much controversy regarding the optimal choice of antibiotics for patients with CAP. The aim of this study was to identify the antibiotics prescribed for adults hospitalized with CAP in Korea during a calendar year.Methods:  This population‐based, descriptive epidemiological study was performed using data from nationwide health insurance claims from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004. The study population was adults (≥18 years old), who had been hospitalized with CAP as determined by discharge diagnosis, and who had been treated with antibiotics for ≥3 days. The exclusion criteria were tuberculosis, underlying malignancies and potential nosocomial pneumonia, based on the department providing care, or surgery reports during the admission.Results:  Of the 5592 adults hospitalized with CAP, data for 3662 (65.5%) patients was eligible for inclusion in the analysis. This included data for 1899 (51.9%) males, and 2045 (55.8%) patients ≥65 years of age. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobial regimen was β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors and fluoroquinolones in combination (31.0%), followed by β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus macrolides (30.2%), monotherapy (17.0%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus aminoglycosides (12.9%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors plus clindamycin (4.9%), and cephalosporins plus fluoroquinolones (2.5%). Monotherapy included, in decreasing order of use, cephalosporins (6.0%), fluoroquinolones (3.5%), β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitors (2.3%) and macrolides (2.2%).Conclusions:  In this study, patterns of antimicrobial prescription for patients hospitalized with CAP were assessed for the first time in Korea. There was divergence from the 2009 Korean guidelines for the treatment of CAP, reinforcing the need for assessment of physicians' adherence to the guidelines.
Rediscovery of the Desert Sand‐skipper Croitana aestiva Edwards (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae): morphology, life history and behaviour
Authors: Palmer Christopher M , Braby Michael F 
Published: October 2011

AbstractCroitana aestiva Edwards is one of Australia's most poorly known butterflies. Previously it was known from a total of eight specimens collected in 1966 and 1972 in the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs in central Australia. The species was not positively recorded for the next 35 years; however, in February 2007 a population was rediscovered during targeted surveys. Subsequent biological studies were conducted from 2007 to 2010. A reappraisal of adult morphology show that four character states are unique to C. aestiva. Eggs are creamy‐white and subcircular, with 21–29 longitudinal ribs. First‐instar larvae are creamy‐white, with a dark head capsule and prothoracic plate. Fourth‐ and fifth‐instar larvae have a dark green medial band, a pale lateral band on each side of the body, and a distinct, highly setose, brown anal plate. The pupae are mainly orange‐brown, darkening anteriorly, with a highly sculptured pupal cap. The larval food plant is the grass Neurachne tenuifolia (Poaceae), which is also endemic to central Australia. Shelters for all larvae and the pupa are among the leaf sheaths and stems near the base of the tussock. Adults are opportunistic feeders on a wide variety of nectar‐producing plants, and are active throughout the day. Males use patrolling and perching behaviour to locate receptive females at a range of encounter sites, including the larval food plant and hilltops. Oviposition occurs during late morning, and eggs are laid on the upper surface of blades of the food plant. Comparison of the immature stages of C. aestiva with its congeners indicates many similarities in general morphology, but there are pronounced behavioural differences such as upward‐orientated shelters.
Renal parenchymal volume increases after contralateral nephrectomy: Assessment using three‐dimensional ultrasonography
Authors: Funahashi Yasuhito , Hattori Ryohei , Yamamoto Tokunori , Aoki Shigeyuki , Majima Tsuyoshi , Gotoh Momokazu 
Published: October 2011

AbstractWe investigated the relationship between changes in renal parenchymal volume (RPV) and renal function after a unilateral nephrectomy. In all 46 consecutive patients undergoing unilateral nephrectomy were included. Three‐dimensional ultrasonography was performed before surgery (n = 46) and at 4.3 ± 1.9 h (n = 46), 2 days (n = 39), and 7 days (n = 43) after surgery to determine RPV. The mean RPV of the remaining kidney was 104.7 mL before surgery, 116.1 mL (+13.2%) at 4.3 h, 122.7 mL (+18.2%) at 2 days, and 117.6 mL (+13.3%) at 7 days after surgery. Sequential volume measurements during surgery (n = 5) revealed that the transection of the renal artery was followed by an increase in RPV on the contralateral side at 60−90 min. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that RPV was positively associated with the single‐kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and body surface area in both the preoperative and postoperative states. An increase in the single‐kidney GFR was not seen at 2 years in patients with an RPV increase of <5% at 1 week (102.9 ± 8.4%, P = 0.322), but was still significant in the other patients (115.5 ± 21.0%, P < 0.001). These findings suggest that kidney volume may increase due to enlargement of the vascular bed caused by increased renal blood flow during the acute phase. Thereafter, histological hypertrophic responses may replace the hemodynamic changes in the chronic phase.
Laparoscopic transvesical removal of erosive mesh after transobturator tape procedure
Authors: Yoshizawa Tsuyoshi , Yamaguchi Kenya , Obinata Daisuke , Sato Katsuhiko , Mochida Junichi , Takahashi Satoru 
Published: October 2011

AbstractWe have experienced two cases of intravesical transobturator tape (TOT) tape successfully removed by laparoscopic transvesical procedure. Patient 1 was a 67‐year‐old woman complaining of irritative symptoms of the urinary bladder. In another hospital she had undergone anterior corporrhaphy and a TOT procedure to treat a cystocele and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) 17 months before the initial consultation. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi at the 4 to 5 O'clock position of the bladder neck. After filling the bladder with carbon dioxide, three 5‐mm ports were placed in lower abdomen directly into the bladder. The tape extruding from the bladder muscle layer was completely excised, and extirpated with the adherent calculi. The bladder mucosa and muscle layer were continuously sutured using 4‐0 Vicryl (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ, USA). The port entry sites were closed under direct vision using 4‐0 Vicryl. SUI recurred 15 months later and a second TOT surgery was performed. Neither SUI nor mesh extrusion have been observed during the 18 months following the second TOT. Patient 2 was a 74‐year‐old woman. She consulted our hospital for the removal of an intravesically extruded tape and adherent calculi. She had undergone a vaginal hysterectomy and TOT surgery for uterine prolapse and SUI at another hospital 3 years before her visit. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi on the right bladder wall. We performed an endoscopic transvesical extirpation of the intravesical foreign bodies in a same manner described below. There has been no recurrent SUI or mesh erosion during the 18‐month follow up.
Bird community composition across an Andean tree‐line ecotone
Authors: LLOYD HUW , SEVILLANO RÍOS STEVEN , MARSDEN STUART J. , VALDÉS‐VELÁSQUEZ ARMANDO 
Published: October 2011

AbstractFew studies have found strong evidence to suggest that ecotones promote species richness and diversity. In this study we examine the responses of a high‐Andean bird community to changes in vegetation and topographical characteristics across an Andean tree‐line ecotone and adjacent cloud forest andpunagrassland vegetation in southern Peru. Over a 6‐month period, birds and vegetation were surveyed using a 100 m fixed‐width Distance Sampling point count method. Vegetation analyses revealed that the tree‐line ecotone represented a distinctive high‐Andean vegetation community that was easily differentiated from the adjacent cloud forest andpunagrassland based on changes in tree‐size characteristics and vegetation cover. Bird community composition was strongly seasonal and influenced by a pool of bird species from a wider elevational gradient. There were also clear differences in bird community measures between tree‐line vegetation, cloud forest andpunagrassland with species turnover (β‐diversity) most pronounced at the tree‐line. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the majority of the 81 bird species were associated with tree‐line vegetation. Categorizing patterns of relative abundance of the 42 most common species revealed that the tree‐line ecotone was composed primarily of cloud forest specialists and habitat generalists, with very few species from thepunagrassland. Only two species,Thlypopsis ruficepsandAnairetes parulus, both widespread Andean species more typical of montane woodland vegetation edges, were categorized as ecotone specialists. However, our findings were influenced by significant differences in species detectability between all three vegetation communities. Our study highlights the importance of examining ecotones at an appropriate spatial and temporal scale. Selecting a suitable distance between sampling points based on the detection probabilities of the target bird species is essential to obtain an unbiased picture of how ecotones influence avian richness and diversity.
Latitudinal mismatches between the components of mammal–flea interaction networks
Authors: Guilhaumon François , Krasnov Boris R. , Poulin Robert , Shenbrot Georgy I. , Mouillot David 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTAim  The large‐scale description of ecosystem complexity, including the structure of interaction networks, has been largely overlooked although it is known to underpin species co‐occurrences and their robustness to climatic or anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we investigated whether the various components of mammal–flea interaction networks (richness of fleas, richness of mammals and the richness of mammal–flea associations) are spatially congruent and follow the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG).Location  Sixteen regions, world‐wide.Methods  We first took into account the effect of area on diversity by determining the position of regions with respect to species–area relationships. We then investigated the spatial congruence between the regional richness of each component of mammal–flea interaction networks as well as their latitudinal gradients. We further investigated patterns for flea–host associations by testing for relationships between mammal–flea interaction richness and (1) flea niche breadth and (2) host carrying capacity.Results  We report divergent LDGs for the different components of mammal–flea interaction networks: our data agree with a canonical LDG for mammals, but reveal that the diversity of fleas and mammal–flea associations do not follow such a classical gradient. Our results suggest that host carrying capacity is more likely than flea niche breadth to modulate the number of links in host–parasite interaction networks.Main conclusions  The complex interplay between geographic variation in host diversity and both host and parasite traits can lead to unexpected spatial patterns such as the invalidation of expected parasites and links in host–parasite web LDGs. Beyond our focus on host–parasite interactions, our study is among the first in the emerging field of interaction network macroecology and paves the way for other components of ecological networks to be investigated across space and time.
Absent Role of the State: Analysis of Social Support to Older People with Disabilities in Rural China
Authors: Fisher Karen R. , Shang Xiaoyuan , Li Zhengang 
Published: October 2011

AbstractChina is experiencing rapid population ageing and already has 44 million older people with disabilities aged over 59 years. Yet social support of these older people with disabilities is undeveloped and not well researched. This article contributes by using a disability rights framework (right to life and protection, economic security and social support) to analyze local cases in rural China. It finds that, although the family is still the main provider of economic and care support to rural older people with disabilities, the absence of a state role in welfare provision has negative impacts on the well‐being of older and younger generations in rural families.
Balancing Efficiency and Legitimacy: Institutional Changes and Rural Health Organization in China
Authors: Pei Xiaomei , Bloom Gerald 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of the institutional arrangements within which China's rural health facilities are embedded and of the contribution of policy to the creation of these arrangements. Information collected through field observations and in‐depth interviews with the managers, staff and patients of a township health centre indicates that with the gradual evolution of markets, encouraged by state policies, health care in rural China took on more of the characteristics of a commodity. In order to adapt to this change, the health centre and its employees are adjusting their behavioural norms and reconstructing an institutional network within which daily activities of simultaneously fulfilling public health responsibilities and pursuing economic gain are legitimized. This article focuses on the interwoven relationship between politics and markets at the micro level and examines the negotiations between stakeholders in constructing new institutional arrangements. It also describes how health sector managers are creating regulations to influence the performance of their facility. The article argues that while government policies play a crucial role in shaping the direction of development, institutional arrangements strongly influence the attempts by rural health organizations to implement them. It concludes that it is critical to take institutional factors into account in analyzing China's rural health‐care reforms.
Demographic Transition, Developmentalism and Social Security in China
Authors: Ye Lin 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThis article studies the current demographic transition in China and its implications on the country's social welfare reform, particularly its Old Age Social Security (OASS) development. The developmental approach is analyzed to examine how developmentalism affects China's social welfare reform. Reviewing the historical development of the OASS system after the 1980s, this article discusses the major issues and concerns under the current system and the challenges it faces for future development. Further studies are called upon to address these issues in order to build a financially sound and socially equitable welfare system in China.
Combination of transcranial sonography, olfactory testing, and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy as a diagnostic indicator for Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Izawa M. O. , Miwa H. , Kajimoto Y. , Kondo T. 
Published: October 2011

Background:  Appropriate diagnostic biomarkers are useful for improving speed and accuracy of a diagnosis. Substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity visualized by transcranial sonography (TCS), olfactory dysfunction, and the reduced uptake of 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in myocardial scintigraphy have been suggested as potential biomarkers for the identification of Parkinson’s disease (PD).Objectives:  To evaluate the diagnostic potential of these tests and to determine whether combining them increases their diagnostic power.Methods:  Subjects were 44 patients with clinically diagnosed PD and 36 healthy controls. TCS of the SN, the odor stick identification test for Japanese (OSIT‐J), and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy were conducted.Results:  Eleven patients with PD (25%) and four controls (11%) were excluded because of an insufficient acoustic temporal bone window in the TCS. Thus, 33 patients with PD and 32 healthy controls were finally included. The diagnostic sensitivity of TCS, OSIT‐J, and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy was 78.8%, 84.8%, and 60.6%, respectively. The specificity of TCS and OSIT‐J was 93.8% and 78.1%, respectively. The combination of TCS of the SN and OSIT‐J substantially increased the sensitivity to a sufficient level for discriminating patients with PD from controls.Conclusion:  TCS of the SN and olfactory testing play complementary roles in increasing diagnostic power in PD. As both tests are easy to perform, noninvasive, and inexpensive, the combination of TCS of the SN and olfactory testing may contribute to early and accurate diagnosis of PD.