bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In the face of fear: Anxiety sensitizes defensive responses to fearful faces
Authors: Grillon Christian , Charney Danielle R. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractFearful faces readily activate the amygdala. Yet, whether fearful faces evoke fear is unclear. Startle studies show no potentiation of startle by fearful faces, suggesting that such stimuli do not activate defense mechanisms. However, the response to biologically relevant stimuli may be sensitized by anxiety. The present study tested the hypothesis that startle would not be potentiated by fearful faces in a safe context, but that startle would be larger during fearful faces compared to neutral faces in a threat‐of‐shock context. Subjects viewed fearful and neutral faces in alternating periods of safety and threat of shock. Acoustic startle stimuli were presented in the presence and absence of the faces. Startle was transiently potentiated by fearful faces compared to neutral faces in the threat periods. This suggests that although fearful faces do not prompt behavioral mobilization in an innocuous context, they can do so in an anxiogenic one.
Alpha modulation in parietal and retrosplenial cortex correlates with navigation performance
Authors: Chiu Te‐Cheng , Gramann Klaus , Ko Li‐Wei , Duann Jeng‐Ren , Jung Tzyy‐Ping , Lin Chin‐Teng 
Published: August 2011

AbstractThe present study investigated the brain dynamics accompanying spatial navigation based on distinct reference frames. Participants preferentially using an allocentric or an egocentric reference frame navigated through virtual tunnels and reported their homing direction at the end of each trial based on their spatial representation of the passage. Task‐related electroencephalographic (EEG) dynamics were analyzed based on independent component analysis (ICA) and subsequent clustering of independent components. Parietal alpha desynchronization during encoding of spatial information predicted homing performance for participants using an egocentric reference frame. In contrast, retrosplenial and occipital alpha desynchronization during retrieval covaried with homing performance of participants using an allocentric reference frame. These results support the assumption of distinct neural networks underlying the computation of distinct reference frames and reveal a direct relationship of alpha modulation in parietal and retrosplenial areas with encoding and retrieval of spatial information for homing behavior.
A human IgM signals axon outgrowth: coupling lipid raft to microtubules
Authors: Xu Xiaohua , Warrington Arthur E. , Wright Brent R. , Bieber Allan J. , Van Keulen Virginia , Pease Larry R. , Rodriguez Moses 
Published: August 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 100–112.AbstractMouse and human IgMs support neurite extension from primary cerebellar granule neurons. In this study using primary hippocampal and cortical neurons, we demonstrate that a recombinant human IgM, rHIgM12, promotes axon outgrowth by coupling membrane domains (lipid rafts) to microtubules. rHIgM12 binds to the surface of neuron and induces clustering of cholesterol and ganglioside GM1. After cell binding and membrane fractionation, rHIgM12 gets segregated into two pools, one associated with lipid raft fractions and the other with the detergent‐insoluble cytoskeleton‐containing pellet. Membrane‐bound rHIgM12 co‐localized with microtubules and co‐immuno precipitated with β3‐tubulin. rHIgM12‐membrane interaction also enhanced the tyrosination of α‐tubulin indicating a stabilization of new neurites. When presented as a substrate, rHIgM12 induced axon outgrowth from primary neurons. We now demonstrate that a recombinant human mAb can induce signals in neurons that regulate membrane lipids and microtubule dynamics required for axon extension. We propose that the pentameric structure of the IgM is critical to cross‐link membrane lipids and proteins resulting in signaling cascades.
The evolution and phylogenetic placement of invasive Australian Acacia species
Authors: Miller Joseph T. , Murphy Daniel J. , Brown Gillian K. , Richardson David M. , González‐Orozco Carlos E. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAim  Acacia is the largest genus of plants in Australia with over 1000 species. A subset of these species is invasive in many parts of the world including Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific region. We investigate the phylogenetic relationships of the invasive species in relation to the genus as a whole. This will provide a framework for studying the evolution of traits that make Acacia species such successful invaders and could assist in screening other species for invasive potential.Location  Australia and global.Methods  We sequenced four plastid and two nuclear DNA regions for 110 Australian Acacia species, including 16 species that have large invasive ranges outside Australia. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree was generated to define the major lineages of Acacia and to determine the phylogenetic placement of the invasive species.Results  Invasive Acacia species do not form a monophyletic group but do form small clusters throughout the phylogeny. There are no taxonomic characters that uniquely describe the invasive Acacia species.Main conclusions  The legume subfamily Mimosoideae has a high percentage of invasive species and the Australian Acacia species have the highest rate of all the legumes. There is some evidence of phylogenetic clumping of invasive species of Acacia in the limited sampling presented here. This phylogeny provides a framework for further testing of the evolution of traits associated with invasiveness in Acacia.
Creating novel food webs on introduced Australian acacias: indirect effects of galling biological control agents
Authors: Veldtman Ruan , Lado Thomas F. , Botes Antoinette , Procheş Şerban , Timm Alicia E. , Geertsema Henk , Chown Steven L. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAim  The use of host‐specific biological control agents is widely considered an effective option for the management of invasive alien plant species. However, the formation of novel associations between released biological control agents and indigenous species poses risks. Here, we investigate whether native food webs associated with two galling biological control agents on Acacia longifolia and A. saligna are similar to those found in their introduced range.Location  Gall inhabitants recorded from South Africa and Australia.Methods  Non‐targeted insects were collected from galls in introduced ranges for comparisons to that of the agents’ native ranges.Results  We find that two host plant‐specific galling biological control agents accumulate food web links with higher trophic levels in their introduced range that are similar in number, taxonomic/phylogenetic pattern and guild composition to those in their native range. Bray‐Curtis percentage similarity between native (Australia) and novel (South Africa) food webs was 30–50% and 50–75% at the family and superfamily taxonomic level, respectively, and 45–50% if considering shared phylogenetic diversity.Main conclusions  Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae and Uromycladium tepperianum accumulated food webs in South Africa that are strikingly similar in complexity and structure to those that occur in their native ranges. This indicates that the structure of food webs in the introduced range could be predicted by studying food webs in the native range of a biological control agent, potentially paving the way for more effective risk assessment of weed biological control.
Contain or eradicate? Optimizing the management goal for Australian acacia invasions in the face of uncertainty
Authors: Moore Joslin L. , Runge Michael C. , Webber Bruce L. , Wilson John R. U. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAim  To identify whether eradication or containment is expected to be the most cost‐effective management goal for an isolated invasive population when knowledge about the current extent is uncertain.Location  Global and South Africa.Methods  We developed a decision analysis framework to analyse the best management goal for an invasive species population (eradication, containment or take no action) when knowledge about the current extent is uncertain. We used value of information analysis to identify when investment in learning about the extent will improve this decision‐making and tested the sensitivity of the conclusions to different parameters (e.g. spread rate, maximum extent, and management efficacy and cost). The model was applied to Acacia paradoxa DC, an Australian shrub with an estimated invasive extent of 310 ha on Table Mountain, South Africa.Results  Under the parameters used, attempting eradication is cost‐effective for infestations of up to 777 ha. However, if the invasion extent is poorly known, then attempting eradication is only cost‐effective for infestations estimated as 296 ha or smaller. The value of learning is greatest (maximum of 8% saving) when infestation extent is poorly known and if it is close to the maximum extent for which attempting eradication is optimal. The optimal management action is most sensitive to the probability that the action succeeds (which depends on the extent), with the discount rate and cost of management also important, but spread rate less so. Over a 20‐year time‐horizon, attempting to eradicate A. paradoxa from South Africa is predicted to cost on average ZAR 8 million if the extent is known, and if our current estimate is poor, ZAR 33.6 million as opposed to ZAR 32.8 million for attempting containment.Main conclusions  Our framework evaluates the cost‐effectiveness of attempting eradication or containment of an invasive population that takes uncertainty in population extent into account. We show that incorporating uncertainty in the analysis avoids overly optimistic beliefs about the effectiveness of management enabling better management decisions. For A. paradoxa in South Africa, attempting to eradicate is likely to be cost‐effective, particularly if resources are allocated to better understand and improve management efficacy.
Human‐mediated introductions of Australian acacias – a global experiment in biogeography
Authors: Richardson David M. , Carruthers Jane , Hui Cang , Impson Fiona A. C. , Miller Joseph T. , Robertson Mark P. , Rouget Mathieu , Le Roux Johannes J. , Wilson John R. U. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAim  Australian acacias (1012 recognized species native to Australia, which were previously grouped in Acacia subgenus Phyllodineae) have been moved extensively around the world by humans over the past 250 years. This has created the opportunity to explore how evolutionary, ecological, historical and sociological factors interact to affect the distribution, usage, invasiveness and perceptions of a globally important group of plants. This editorial provides the background for the 20 papers in this special issue of Diversity and Distributions that focusses on the global cross‐disciplinary experiment of introduced Australian acacias.Location  Australia and global.Methods  The papers of the special issue are discussed in the context of a unified framework for biological invasions. Distributions of species were mapped across Australia, their representation in bioclimatic zones examined and the potential global distribution of the group modelled. By collating a variety of different lists, we determined which Australian acacias have reached different stages in the introduction‐naturalization‐invasion continuum in different parts of the world. Paradigms and key research questions relating to barriers to invasion, stages of invasion and management perceptions are sketched.Results  According to our global database of Australian acacia records, 386 species have been moved outside Australia by human agency, 71 species are naturalized or weedy, and 23 are unequivocally invasive. Climatic models suggest that about a third of the world’s land surface is climatically suitable for Australian acacias. Many species are commercially important crops or are useful for other purposes and have been extensively planted, and many different human perceptions of Australian acacias exist in different parts of the world. The papers in the special issue cover all the barriers, stages and processes that define biological invasions and touch on many aspects: history and the human dimension; aspects of the species pool; species traits; biotic interactions; climate and niche; and management.Main conclusions  Australian acacias are an excellent model group for examining interactions between evolutionary, ecological and socio‐economic drivers of species introductions. New insights have emerged on the biological, ecological and evolutionary correlates of naturalization and invasion, but human usage factors permeate all explanatory models. Understanding and managing introduced Australian acacias requires a fundamental and integrative appreciation of both intrinsic (e.g. species traits) and extrinsic (e.g. human usage and perceptions) aspects.
Fractionated plasma separation and adsorption: current practice and future options
Authors: Rifai Kinan 
Published: August 2011

AbstractFractionated plasma separation and adsorption (FPSA) is a method of albumin dialysis that is integrated into an extracorporeal liver support device (Prometheus®). This concept allows the effective removal of both protein‐bound and water‐soluble substances without the need for external albumin. Several studies comparing the in vivo extraction capacities of FPSA and molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) concluded that detoxification by FPSA seems to be more effective than by MARS. Overall, FPSA therapy has been shown to be safe. Over the last few years, the anticoagulation protocol for FPSA therapy was optimised by using regional anticoagulation with citrate to avoid clotting of system components. Recently, the results of a large randomised‐controlled multicentre trial (HELIOS) have been presented. Survival after 1 and 3 months was evaluated in 145 patients with acute‐on‐chronic liver failure comparing FPSA therapy with standard medical treatment versus standard medical treatment alone. There was no statistically significant survival benefit for patients undergoing FPSA therapy. However, patients with hepatorenal syndrome type I or MELD score>30 showed a significant survival benefit under FPSA in a predefined subgroup analysis. Furthermore, there have been promising results with FPSA in the treatment of refractory cholestatic pruritus. Regarding acute liver failure, only few data are currently available.
Steatotic liver: a suitable source for the isolation of hepatic progenitor cells
Authors: Tolosa Laia , Bonora‐Centelles Ana , Teresa Donato M. , Pareja Eugenia , Negro Alejandro , López Silvia , Castell José V. , José Gómez‐Lechón M. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractBackground:Alternative and/or complementary sources of cells such as hepatic progenitor cells (HPC) are under investigation for hepatic cell therapy purposes. Steatotic livers are those most commonly rejected for clinical transplantation and are also unsuitable for good quality hepatocyte isolation.Aim:Taken together these two facts, our aim was to investigate whether they could represent a suitable source for the isolation of progenitor cells.Methods:Rats fed for 7 weeks with methionine–choline deficient diets showing proved steatotic signs (i.e. increase in hepatic lipids; macrovesicular steatosis) and steatotic and normal human liver samples were used to study the expression of HPC markers and to isolate these cells.Results:In the liver of the steatotic rats there was a significant increase in HPC (known as oval cells in rodents) markers such as Thy‐1, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and OV‐6 (2‐, 3‐ and 5‐fold increase respectively). Additionally, there was an increase in the yield of isolated oval cells compared to control rats. Similarly, studies using human livers clearly confirmed an increase in the expression of HPC markers in the steatotic tissue and a significant rise in the number of isolated progenitor cells (EpCAM+, Thy‐1+, OV‐6+) (10, 12 and 11.6 × 104 cells/g of tissue respectively).Conclusions:These data suggest that steatotic livers, discarded for orthotopic liver transplantation and hepatocyte isolation, could be a suitable source for large scale isolation of HPC which might be potential candidates in liver cell therapy.
The ventilator care bundle and its impact on ventilator‐associated pneumonia: a review of the evidence
Authors: Lawrence Petra , Fulbrook Paul 
Published: August 2011

Aims and objectives: The aim of this review was to critically analyse recent research that has investigated ventilator care bundle (VCB) use, with the objective of analysing its impact on ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) outcomes. Background: The VCB is a group of four evidence‐based procedures, which when clustered together and implemented as an ‘all or nothing’ strategy, may result in substantial clinical outcome improvement. VAP is a nosocomial lung infection associated with endotracheal tube use in ventilated patients. Since the VCB was introduced there have been several studies that have reported significant VAP rate reductions. Search strategy: A comprehensive search for research, published between 2004 and 2009, was conducted using Medline and PubMed. Key words were used to identify English language studies reporting VCB implementation within adult intensive care units (ICU) and associated clinical outcomes. Studies that implemented bundle variations that did not include all four elements were excluded. Conclusions: Because of the limitations of the observational designs used in the studies retrieved, a definitive causal relationship between VCB use and VAP reduction cannot be stated. However, the evidence to date is strongly indicative of a positive association. Several studies reported the use of additional VCB elements. In these cases it is difficult to establish which elements are related to the measured outcomes. Further research is recommended to establish baseline outcome measures using the four‐element VCB, before adding further processes singly, as well as research investigating the effect of audit and feedback on VCB compliance and its effect on clinical outcomes. Relevance to clinical practice: A reduction in VAP is associated with VCB use. The evidence to date, whilst not at the highest experimental level, is at the highest ethically permissible level. In the absence of contradictory research, the current evidence suggests that use of the VCB represents best practice for all eligible adult ventilated patients in ICU.
An evaluation of a critical care course for undergraduate nursing students
Authors: Gallagher Patrick Joseph , Rice Billiejoan , Tierney Paul , Page Karen , McKinney Aidin 
Published: August 2011

Aim: The aim of this paper was to evaluate a 2‐day critical care course (CCC) delivered to a cohort of adult branch nursing students. Background: In today's health care system there is an increase in the number of critically ill patients being cared for in a ward environment. As a result, nurses require the knowledge and skills to effectively manage this patient group. Skills such as prompt recognition of the sick patient, effective communication and performing basic management care skills are necessary. Methods: The CCC was provided to final year adult branch nursing students (n = 182) within a university in the UK. On completion of the course, participants were invited to undertake a Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire also contained a free response section to elicit qualitative information. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 17·0 and descriptive statistics produced. Qualitative responses were analysed thematically. Results: There was a 73·7% (n = 135) response rate. Overall, there was a positive evaluation of the course. Students (89·6%; n = 121) reported a perceived increase in confidence when caring for critically ill patients following the course and 88·2% (n = 119) felt that their knowledge and skills had improved at the end of the 2‐day course. Conclusion: This study supports the implementation of critical care training for undergraduate nursing students. There are implications for the development of specific modules, aiming to improve undergraduate nursing students' recognition, assessment and management of the critically ill patient. Relevance to clinical practice: There is a shortage of critical care practice placements for undergraduate nursing students. It is essential that an undergraduate curriculum incorporates critical care teaching so that critical care skills are evident at the point of registration.
The implementation of a bowel management protocol in an adult intensive care unit
Authors: McPeake Joanne , Gilmour Harper , MacIntosh Graham 
Published: August 2011

Aim: A study to explore the impact of implementing a bowel management protocol in a tertiary referral intensive care unit (ICU) in the West of Scotland. Methods: A three phase study was implemented. Phase 1 – a baseline audit reviewing 26 patients' medical notes and a baseline focus group reviewing the multidisciplinary team's (MDT's) opinions with regard to bowel care management in the ICU. Phase 2 – the implementation of a protocol, updated bowel care chart and education sessions for members of the MDT. Phase 3 – an end of study audit reviewing 27 patients' notes after the implementation of phase 2. Additionally, a further focus group examined the MDT's experiences of the protocol in clinical practice. Results and Findings: During the phase 1 data collection period, it was evident that there was a haphazard approach to bowel care in the ICU, resulting in poor bowel care documentation and a high incidence of constipation and diarrhoea days. After the interventions of phase 2, bowel care documentation days increased by 13% (p = 0·0003), constipation incidence decreased by 20·7% (p = 0·13) and diarrhoea days reduced by 15·2% (p = 0·18). Conclusion: Although further evaluation is planned, the protocol implemented in this particular study appears to be a useful tool for the delivery of bowel care in the ICU. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Ensuring appropriate and timely bowel care in the ICU has major implications for the critically ill patients.
Overweight does not increase asthma risk but may decrease allergy risk at school age after infantile bronchiolitis
Authors: Sidoroff Virpi , Hyvärinen Mari K , Piippo‐Savolainen Eija , Korppi Matti 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAim:  Increasing evidence suggests that overweight children are at increased risk of asthma. The association between weight gain and allergy is more complex. The aim was to evaluate the association between overweight or obesity and asthma, allergy, bronchial reactivity or atopic sensitization at school age in children with bronchiolitis in infancy.Subjects and methods:  Eighty‐one children hospitalized for bronchiolitis at <24 months of age attended control visits at 7.2 and 12.3 years of ages. The visits consisted of medical examinations, weight and height measurements, body mass index (BMI) calculations, skin prick tests and exercise challenge tests. BMI >1.3 SD from age‐ and gender‐specific references meant overweight and BMI >2.0 SD obesity.Results:  Current or previous overweight or obesity did not increase the risk of asthma, allergy, bronchial reactivity or atopic sensitization at 7.2 or 12.3 years of age. Previous and current obesity decreased the risk of atopic dermatitis, and current overweight and obesity decreased the risk of sensitization to outdoor allergens at 12.3 years of age.Conclusion:  Previous or current overweight does not increase asthma or allergy risk but current obesity may decrease allergy risk at school age after bronchiolitis in infancy.