bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition: a meta‐analysis of 40 years of litterbag studies
Authors: Kampichler Christian , Bruckner Alexander 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTLitterbags have been utilized in soil ecology for about 50 years. They are useful because they confine organic material and thus enable the study of decomposition dynamics (mass loss and/or nutrient loss through time, colonization by soil biota)in situ, i.e. under field conditions. Researchers can easily restrict or permit access to certain size classes of soil fauna to determine their contribution to litter mass loss by choosing adequate mesh size or applying specific biocides. In particular, the mesofauna has received much attention since it comprises two very abundant and diverse microarthropod groups, the Collembola (springtails) and Acari (mites). We comprehensively searched the literature from the mid‐1960s to the end of 2005 for reports on litterbag experiments investigating the role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition. Thirty papers reporting 101 experiments satisfied our selection criteria and were included in the database. Our meta‐analysis revealed that microarthropods have a moderate but significant effect on mass loss. We discuss in detail the interactions of the microarthropod effect with study characteristics such as experimental design (e.g. number of bags, duration of experiment), type of exposed organic matter, climatic zone and land use of the study site. No publication bias was detected; however, we noticed a significant decrease in the microarthropod effect with publication year, indicating that, in the first decades of litterbag use, soil zoologists may have studied “promising” sites with a highera prioriprobability of positive microarthropod effects on litter mass loss.A general weakness is that the treatments differ not only with respect to the presence or absence of microarthropods, but also with regard to mesh size (small to exclude microarthropods, wide to permit their access) or presence (to exclude microarthropods) and absence (to permit their access) of an insecticide. Consequently, the difference between the decomposition rates in the treatments is not a pure microarthropod effect but will be influenced by the additive effects of mesh size and insecticide. The relative contribution of the “true” microarthropod effect remains unknown without additional treatments controlling for the differential mesh size/insecticide effect. A meta‐analysis including only those studies using different mesh size and for which the data were corrected by subtracting an estimated mesh size effect based on data from the literature yielded a significantly negative microarthropod effect on litter decomposition. These results cast doubt on the widely accepted hypothesis that microarthropods generally exert a positive effect on litter mass loss. We conclude that after 40 years of litterbag studies our knowledge on the role of microarthropods in litter mass loss remains limited and that the inclusion of a third treatment in future studies is a promising way to retain litterbags as a meaningful tool of soil biological studies.
Consider the context: Blocked versus interleaved presentation of antisaccade trials
Authors: Ethridge Lauren E. , Brahmbhatt Shefali , Gao Yuan , Mcdowell Jennifer E. , Clementz Brett A. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractConclusions about the cognitive and neural requirements of saccade control may differ as a result of stimulus presentation method. This issue was examined in the current study by evaluating behavioral differences in pro‐ and antisaccade responses among 12 healthy young adults as a function of task presentation method, length of cue‐to‐target interval, and previous trial type. A 1‐s cue‐to‐target interval fostered goal neglect, indicated by an increase in uncorrected errors and reaction times for “error” saccades. There was also a strong relationship between speed of visual orienting (prosaccade latencies) and failed inhibition (antisaccade errors) for the simultaneous condition. Interestingly, only the simultaneous condition produced task switch costs (on saccade latencies and error response percentages). The saccadic task presentation method, therefore, can influence conclusions about the cognitive operations supporting successful performance.
Bilateral parietal and contralateral responses during maintenance of unilaterally encoded objects in visual short‐term memory: Evidence from magnetoencephalography
Authors: Robitaille Nicolas , Grimault Stephan , Jolicœur Pierre 
Published: May 2009

AbstractA component of the event‐related magnetic field (ERMF) response was observed in magnetoencephalographic signals recorded during the maintenance of information in visual short‐term memory (VSTM). This sustained posterior contralateral magnetic (SPCM) field is likely the magnetic equivalent of the sustained posterior contralateral negativity (SPCN) found in electrophysiology. Magnetoencephalography data showed, at the sensor level, a bilateral activation over the parietal cortex that increased in amplitude for higher memory load. Others sensors, also over the parietal cortex, showed an activation pattern similar to the SPCN with higher activation for the hemisphere contralateral to the visual field from which visual information was encoded. These two activation patterns suggest that the SPCN and SPCM are generated by a network of cortical sources that includes bilateral parietal loci, likely intra‐parietal/intra‐occipital cortex, and contralateral parietal sources.
Self‐reported health and cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress in a large community sample: Cross‐sectional and prospective associations
Authors: Phillips Anna C. , Der Geoff , Carroll Douglas 
Published: May 2009

AbstractExaggerated cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress have been implicated in a number of adverse health outcomes. This study examined, in a large community sample, the cross‐sectional and prospective associations between reactivity and self‐reported health. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at rest and in response to an arithmetic stress task. Self‐reported health was assessed concurrently and 5 years later. In cross‐sectional analyses, those with excellent/good self‐reported health exhibited larger cardiovascular reactions than those with fair/poor subjective health. In prospective analyses, participants who had larger cardiovascular reactions to stress were more likely to report excellent/good health 5 years later, taking into account their reported health status at the earlier assessment. The findings suggest that greater cardiovascular reactivity may not always be associated with negative health outcomes.
Consumer acceptance of food irradiation: a test of the recreancy theorem
Authors: Sapp Stephen G. , Downing‐Matibag Teresa 
Published: May 2009

AbstractConsumers living in both developed and developing nations rely upon foods that have been produced and processed in many countries and in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, it is not surprising that they express concerns about the safety of their food supplies. A technology proposed to improve consumer trust in food safety is irradiation. Despite extensive education efforts and endorsements given by many health‐related organizations worldwide, food irradiation has been slow to gain widespread acceptance. This ineffectiveness of diffusion efforts might indicate a need to broaden our theoretical perspectives of consumer acceptance of controversial technologies. Most theoretical approaches explain acceptance primarily as a function of perceived risks associated with a technology. The recreancy theorem, in contrast, explains acceptance as a function of public trust in societal institutions to effectively manage a technology. This study investigated the extent to which the recreancy theorem explained acceptance of food irradiation by US consumers, while statistically controlling for perceived risk and social‐demographic variables. The study used a longitudinal field design to survey one adult each in 116 households located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area during the first large‐scale market test of irradiated food. The results indicate that the recreancy theorem might provide a valid conceptual approach to gaining a broader understanding of consumer acceptance of controversial new technologies.
Effects of natural childbirth preparation versus standard antenatal education on epidural rates, experience of childbirth and parental stress in mothers and fathers: a randomised controlled multicentre trial
Authors: Bergström M , Kieler H , Waldenström U 
Published: May 2009

Objective  To examine the effects of antenatal education focussing on natural childbirth preparation with psychoprophylactic training versus standard antenatal education on the use of epidural analgesia, experience of childbirth and parental stress in first‐time mothers and fathers.Design  Randomised controlled multicentre trial.Setting  Fifteen antenatal clinics in Sweden between January 2006 and May 2007.Sample  A total of 1087 nulliparous women and 1064 of their partners.Methods  Natural group: Antenatal education focussing on natural childbirth preparation with training in breathing and relaxation techniques (psychoprophylaxis). Standard care group: Standard antenatal education focussing on both childbirth and parenthood, without psychoprophylactic training. Both groups: Four 2‐hour sessions in groups of 12 participants during third trimester of pregnancy and one follow‐up after delivery.Main outcome measures  Epidural analgesia during labour, experience of childbirth as measured by the Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (B), and parental stress measured by the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire.Results  The epidural rate was 52% in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the experience of childbirth or parental stress between the randomised groups, either in women or men. Seventy percent of the women in the Natural group reported having used psychoprophylaxis during labour. A minority in the Standard care group (37%) had also used this method, but subgroup analysis where these women were excluded did not change the principal findings.Conclusion  Natural childbirth preparation including training in breathing and relaxation did not decrease the use of epidural analgesia during labour, nor did it improve the birth experience or affect parental stress in early parenthood in nulliparous women and men, compared with a standard form of antenatal education.
Defining the surgical management of suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer by estimating patient numbers through alternative management strategies
Authors: Warwick J , Vardaki E , Fattizzi N , McNeish I , Jeyarajah A , Oram D , Hassan L , Covens A , Duffy S , Reynolds K 
Published: May 2009

Objective  To establish the optimal management strategy for women with suspected stage 1 ovarian cancer.Design  We created a flowchart to illustrate each of six hypothetical management strategies. These considered two surgical approaches (systematic lymphadenectomy versus no lymph node dissection at all) in combination with three different policies for giving adjuvant chemotherapy.Setting  Gynaecological cancer centre, London, UK.Data sources  Patient data and published papers.Methods  We developed a deterministic model that uses information from multiple sources to estimate patient flow through each level of a hypothesised decision tree.Results  We estimated that for every 100 cases of suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer, there would be 37 cases with ‘apparent’ stage 1 disease and that of these, two (6%) would be denied potentially life‐saving adjuvant treatment if systematic lymphadenectomy was not performed. The number of women given chemotherapy would not, according to our estimates, differ greatly between the two surgical approaches, the 7% increase with systematic lymphadenectomy being because of cases identified as having nodal metastases.Conclusions  We present a model of the intraoperative decision‐making process that determines the extent of the staging procedure to be performed within our department when early‐stage ovarian cancer is suspected. Unless adjuvant chemotherapy is prescribed for all, systematic pelvic and para‐aortic node dissection is required to optimise survival. However, in our department, this would result in 32% of women with suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer undergoing systematic node dissection. This flexible focused model may facilitate multidisciplinary team discussion when this part of the surgical staging procedure is considered within the context of the population presenting to the team, the morbidity of the procedure within the department and the predictive values of frozen section within that department. As the model is not disease‐specific, it may be useful for decision making in other medical disciplines.
Infant Sleep Position: A Randomized Clinical Trial of an Educational Intervention in the Maternity Ward in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Authors: Issler Roberto Mário Silveira , Marostica Paulo José Cauduro , Giugliani Elsa Regina Justo 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT: Background:
Few studies in Brazil have been published about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and none has addressed the mother's orientation about placing the infant to sleep in the supine position. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on mothers of an individual educational intervention in the maternity ward about infant sleep position.
Methods:
A randomized clinical trial was conducted with a study sample of 228 mother‐infant pairs assigned to an intervention or a control group. The intervention consisted of an individual orientation session at the maternity ward, at which folders and an oral explanation were given to mothers at discharge about the importance of the supine position as a preventive measure for SIDS. The outcome was the sleeping position at 3 months of age assessed during a home visit. The variables with p< 0.2 at a bivariate analysis were included in a logistic regression model.
Results:
Among mothers in the intervention group, 42.9 percent put their infants to sleep in a supine position at the 3‐month visit, compared with 24 percent of mothers in the control group (p = 0.009). In a multivariate analysis, the intervention at the hospital was the only variable that influenced maternal practices with respect to infant sleep positioning (OR 2.22; 95% CI 1.17–4.19).
Conclusions:
An individual educational session in the maternity ward about infant sleep position significantly increased the prevalence of supine position for sleeping in the infant's third month. Nevertheless, the intervention was not sufficient to guarantee that most mothers would put their infants to sleep in the recommended position.
Confident Commitment Is a Key Factor for Sustained Breastfeeding
Authors: Avery Alexis , Zimmermann Kristine , Underwood Patricia W. , Magnus Jeanette H. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT: Background:
The characteristics that distinguish women who breastfeed successfully from those who do not are just beginning to be identified in breastfeeding literature. The objective of this study was to identify the processes contributing to breastfeeding decisions among Caucasian and African American women.
Methods:
Data were initially collected through 24 focus groups consisting of separate groups of African American and Caucasian pregnant women, and breastfeeding and formula‐feeding mothers from three major United States cities. The focus group study was initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to obtain data on salient messages that would inform a national campaign to promote breastfeeding. This study was a secondary analysis of those data using a modified grounded theory approach.
Results:
The process that emerged associated with successful breastfeeding was labeled “confident commitment.” This process included several components: a) confidence in the process of breastfeeding, b) confidence in their ability to breastfeed, and c) commitment to making breastfeeding work despite obstacles.
Conclusions:
Contrary to popular conceptions, breastfeeding appears to be a learned skill. If mothers achieved a level of “confident commitment” before the birth, they were able to withstand lack of support by significant others and common challenges that occurred as they initiated breastfeeding. Without the element of “confident commitment,” a decision to breastfeed appeared to fall apart once challenged.
An Emerging “Maternal Near‐Miss Syndrome”: Narratives of Women Who Almost Died During Pregnancy and Childbirth
Authors: Souza Joao P. , Cecatti Jose G. , Parpinelli Mary A. , Krupa Fabiana , Osis Maria J. D. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT: Background:
An improvement in maternal health conditions can only be achieved when a reduction in the number of deaths is accompanied by a reduction in the frequency of severe complications of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to investigate women's experiences related to the burden of severe maternal morbidity.
Methods:
This qualitative study is based on narratives of women who survived severe complications of pregnancy and who were admitted to the intensive care unit of a public university hospital in the city of Campinas, Brazil. A sample of 30 women was recruited between April 2007 and January 2008. Before hospital discharge, eligible women who agreed to participate responded to a semidirected interview. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts received a thematic analysis.
Results:
Two major themes were identified, one more closely related to the experience of a critical illness and the other to the experience of care. A complex set of reactions was found in the women who survived, indicating the occurrence of acute stress‐related disorders.
Conclusions:
On the basis of narratives of women who almost died during pregnancy and childbirth, we reported on an acute stress disorder that may be associated with the occurrence of severe maternal complications, which we named, the “maternal near‐miss syndrome.” The implementation of integrated care that encompasses the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of women's health may help to alleviate the burden that maternal complications impose on millions of women around the world.
Brugada‐Like Changes in the Peripheral Leads during Diagnostic Ajmaline Test in Patients with Suspected Brugada Syndrome
Authors: BATCHVAROV VELISLAV N. , GOVINDAN MALINI , CAMM A. JOHN , BEHR ELIJAH R. 
Published: May 2009

Background: Although cases of Brugada‐type electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern in peripheral (limb) leads have been reported (“atypical” Brugada syndrome [BS]), their incidence in patients investigated for BS is unknown.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed an ECG database collected during ajmaline test in 143 patients (89 men) with suspected BS. In 42 patients, 12‐lead ECGs were recorded, whereas in 101 patients, leads V1–V3 from the third intercostal space were also recorded. The presence of types 1, 2, and 3 Brugada pattern in each limb and precordial lead was noted and the PR, QRS, and QTc intervals were calculated.
Results: There were 114 (79.7%) negative and 29 (20.3%) positive tests. Type 1 pattern developed in ≥1 limb lead in six patients (4.2%) (3/29 with positive tests, 10.3%); all of them were male, symptomatic, and/or with family history of BS or sudden cardiac death. Their pre‐ and posttest QRS were significantly longer compared with the rest with positive (n = 26) or negative (n = 111) test (pretest: 129 ± 31 ms vs 101 ± 11 ms and 97 ± 12 ms, P < 0.001; posttest: 175 ± 44 ms vs 134 ± 14 ms and 131 ± 19 ms, P < 0.001). The posttest QTc was longer in patients with peripheral changes compared with the rest (507 ± 47 ms vs 453 ± 22 ms and 447 ± 24 ms, P < 0.001). The pretest QTc and pre‐ and posttest heart rate and PR intervals were not significantly different between the three groups.
Conclusions: Type 1 Brugada pattern in the peripheral leads was observed in 4.2% of patients during ajmaline test (10.3% of positive tests) and was associated with longer QRS and greater QTc prolongation compared with the rest of the patients.
Prevalence of a Brugada Pattern Electrocardiogram in an Urban Population in the United States
Authors: PATEL SANDEEP S. , ANEES SYED S. , FERRICK KEVIN J. 
Published: May 2009

Objective: To determine the prevalence of a Brugada‐type pattern on routine electrocardiogram (ECG) in an urban population served by a tertiary medical center in the United States.
Methods: The investigators reviewed the ECG database at the Montefiore Medical Center, a tertiary teaching center in the Bronx, New York, over a 10‐year period. During this time, 653,006 ECG records in 162,590 patients were identified. The database was queried by applying standard diagnostic criteria in an attempt to identify records with apparent conduction delay and ST abnormality in leads V1–V3. Additional diagnostic criteria were then applied to identify records in an attempt to mimic Brugada‐like changes. A cardiac electrophysiologist reviewed records meeting these criteria to confirm the presence of a Brugada‐type pattern.
Results: In total, 16,067 patients (9.8%) were identified as having ECGs with right bundle branch block, incomplete right bundle branch block, or RSR′ in leads V1 and V2. After applying additional diagnostic criteria evaluating ST segment shift, 456 patients were identified as having a pattern potentially consistent with a Brugada‐type ECG. The presence of a Brugada‐type pattern was confirmed by physician overread in 20 patients (0.012%).
Conclusion: The Brugada‐type ECG pattern is infrequently seen in a large ethnically diverse urban US population. Further evaluation should be considered when this pattern is seen on routine ECG.
Esophageal Contour Changes during Cryoablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: HERWEG BENGT , ALI RIAS , KHAN NADIM , ILERCIL ARZU , BAROLD S. S. 
Published: May 2009

Background: We have observed contour changes of the barium‐filled esophagus during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with cryo‐energy delivered in direct proximity to the esophagus.
Objective: To evaluate the frequency, location, and severity of esophageal contour changes during cryo‐energy application close to the esophagus.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed cine‐fluoroscopic images acquired during hybrid cryo‐radiofrequency AF ablation in 100 consecutive patients with cryo‐energy delivered only in direct proximity to the esophagus.
Results: Esophageal contour changes were observed in 28 (32%) of 89 patients (and 74 [6.2%] of 1,191 of all cryo applications). They were more frequent in the left common pulmonary vein (PV) (50%) and less so in the right common PV and the upper PVs (4–5%). The distance of the ablation catheter from the endoesophageal contour prior to cryo‐energy applications associated with contour changes was 1.8 ± 1.5 mm, which increased to 4.1 ± 1.6 mm at the time of peak contour change (P < 0.001). The esophageal contour deformation was 2.3 ± 0.9 mm. There were no apparent complications related to cryo‐energy application for 3–4 minutes, even if associated with contour changes.
Conclusion: Esophageal contour changes were observed in >6% of cryo applications in direct proximity to the esophagus (32% of patients) and were most frequent in the posterior aspect of the left common and right lower PV ostium when cryo‐energy was delivered at a distance of ≤5 mm from the esophageal contrast silhouette. No overt esophageal injury occurred. However, the safety of cryo‐energy application in direct proximity to the esophagus remains to be further confirmed.