bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Novel missense mutation in the IGF‐I receptor L2 domain results in intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation
Authors: Kawashima Yuki , Higaki Katsumi , Fukushima Toshiaki , Hakuno Fumihiko , Nagaishi Jun‐ichi , Hanaki Keiichi , Nanba Eiji , Takahashi Shin‐Ichiro , Kanzaki Susumu 
Published: February 2012

SummaryBackgroundIGFs play key roles in intrauterine and postnatal growth through the IGF‐I receptor (IGF‐IR). We identified a family bearing a new heterozygous missense mutation at the L2 domain of IGF‐IR (R431L).MethodWe analysed the nucleotide sequences of the IGF1R gene of the family. We prepared R− cells (fibroblasts with targeted disruption of the IGF‐IR gene) expressing wild‐type or R431L IGF‐IR and performed functional analyses by evaluating IGF‐I binding, IGF‐I‐stimulated DNA synthesis, tyrosine phosphorylation of IGF‐IR and its substrates, and internalization by measuring [125I]IGF‐I internalization. We also performed confocal microscopy analysis.ResultsWe identified a family bearing a new heterozygous missense mutation at the L2 domain of IGF‐IR (R431L) through an 8‐year‐old girl and her mother, both born with intrauterine growth retardation. In experiments conducted using cells homozygously transfected with the IGF‐IR R431L mutation; (i) IGF‐I binding was not affected; (ii) DNA synthesis induced by IGF‐I was decreased; (iii) IGF‐IR internalization stimulated by IGF‐I was decreased and (iv) IGF‐I‐stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation was reduced IGF‐IR by low concentrations of IGF‐I and on insulin receptor substrate (IRS)‐1 and IRS‐2.ConclusionA missense mutation (R431L) leads to the inhibition of cell proliferation, attenuation of IGF signalling and decrease in internalization of IGF‐IR. The results of this study suggest a novel link between a mutation at the IGF‐IR L2 domain and intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation.
Reverse iontophoresis of urea in health and chronic kidney disease: a potential diagnostic and monitoring tool?
Authors: Ebah Leonard M. , Read Ian , Sayce Andrew , Morgan Jane , Chaloner Christopher , Brenchley Paul , Mitra Sandip 
Published: February 2012

Eur J Clin Invest 2012;AbstractBackground  Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) need regular monitoring, usually by blood urea and creatinine measurements, needing venepuncture, frequent attendances and a healthcare professional, with significant inconvenience. Noninvasive monitoring will potentially simplify and improve monitoring. We tested the potential of transdermal reverse iontophoresis of urea in patients with CKD and healthy controls.Methods  Using a MIC 2® Iontophoresis Controller, reverse iontophoresis was applied on the forearm of five healthy subjects (controls) and 18 patients with CKD for 3–5 h. Urea extracted at the cathode was measured and compared with plasma urea.Results  Reverse iontophoresis at 250 μA was entirely safe for the duration. Cathodal buffer urea linearly correlated with plasma urea after 2 h (r = 0·82, P < 0·0001), to 3·5 h current application (r = 0·89, P = 0·007). The linear equations y = 0·24x + 1 and y = 0·21x + 4·63 predicted plasma urea (y) from cathodal urea after 2 and 3 h, respectively. Cathodal urea concentration in controls was significantly lower than in patients with CKD after a minimum current application of 2 h (P < 0·0001), with the separation between the two groups becoming more apparent with longer application (P = 0·003). A cathodal urea cut‐off of 30 μM gave a sensitivity of 83·3% and positive predictive value of 87% CKD. During haemodialysis, the fall in cathodal urea was able to track that of blood urea.Conclusion  Reverse iontophoresis is safe, can potentially discriminate patients with CKD and healthy subjects and is able to track blood urea changes on dialysis. Further development of the technology for routine use can lead to an exciting opportunity for its use in diagnostics and monitoring.
Large‐scale, long‐term trends in British river macroinvertebrates
Authors: Vaughan Ian P. , Ormerod Steve J. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractRivers are among the world's most modified ecosystems, with poor water quality representing a prominent problem for over 200 years, especially in urban areas. In Western Europe, however, industrial decline, tighter regulation and improved wastewater treatment have combined over recent decades to create conditions conducive to extensive restoration and positive biological change. Here, we evaluate the river macroinvertebrate fauna of England and Wales in relation to water quality, physical habitat and climate over almost two decades. We predicted that biological recovery would be characterized by: (i) greater taxon richness and prevalence of pollution‐sensitive taxa, (ii) larger changes in more heavily urbanized catchments, and (iii) temporal trends in assemblage structure that correlated with improving water quality. Family level richness increased on average by nearly 20% during 1991–2008, accompanied by a widespread shift towards taxa characteristic of well‐oxygenated and less polluted waters. Changes were largest in the most urbanized catchments. A combination of natural gradients and anthropogenic pressures explained the variation among sites, whereas temporal changes correlated with improving water quality and variations in discharge. Positive trends were not universal, however, and there was localized deterioration in some streams draining upland areas and in the lowland south east. Our results are consistent with a large‐scale ecological recovery of English and Welsh rivers since 1990, probably continuing a trend from the mid‐20th century. Based on these results, we suggest: (i) freshwater communities are resilient to long‐term anthropogenic pressures, (ii) biodiversity benefits can arise from investment and long‐term restoration intended largely to enhance ecosystem services such as drinking water and sanitary concerns, and (iii) long‐term monitoring data collected for statutory purposes–based in this case on nearly 50 000 samples–can address scientific questions at spatial and temporal extents seldom achieved in research programmes.
Keeping nurse researchers safe: workplace health and safety issues
Authors: Barr Jennieffer , Welch Anthony 
Published: February 2012

barr j. & welch a. (2012) Keeping nurse researchers safe: workplace health and safety issues. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1538–1545.AbstractAim.  This article is a report of a qualitative study of workplace health and safety issues in nursing research.Background.  Researcher health and safety have become increasing concerns as there is an increased amount of research undertaken in the community and yet there is a lack of appropriate guidelines on how to keep researchers safe when undertaking fieldwork.Design.  This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, using different sources of data to find any references to researcher health and safety issues.Methods.  A simple descriptive approach to inquiry was used for this study. Three approaches to data collection were used: interviews with 15 researchers, audits of 18 ethics applications, and exploration of the literature between 1992 and 2010 for examples of researcher safety issues. Data analysis from the three approaches identified participant comments, narrative descriptions or statements focused on researcher health and safety.Results.  Nurse researchers’ health and safety may be at risk when conducting research in the community. Particular concern involves conducting sensitive research where researchers are physically at risk of being harmed, or being exposed to the development of somatic symptoms. Nurse researchers may perceive the level of risk of harm as lower than the actual or potential harm present in research. Nurse researchers do not consistently implement risk assessment before and during research.Conclusions.  Researcher health and safety should be carefully considered at all stages of the research process. Research focusing on sensitive data and vulnerable populations need to consider risk minimization through strategies such as appropriate researcher preparation, safety during data collection, and debriefing if required.
Genetic variants associated with predisposition to prostate cancer and potential clinical implications
Authors: Goh C. L. , Schumacher F. R. , Easton D. , Muir K. , Henderson B. , Kote‐Jarai Z. , Eeles R. A. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract.  Goh CL, Schumacher FR, Easton D, Muir K, Henderson B, Kote‐Jarai Z, Eeles RA (The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Strangeways Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge; Health Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry; Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Sutton, Surrey, UK). Genetic variants associated with predisposition to prostate cancer and potential clinical implications (Review). J Intern Med 2012; 271: 353–365.Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in the developed world. There is an inherited component to this disease as shown in familial and twin studies. However, the discovery of these variants has been difficult. The emergence of genome‐wide association studies has led to the identification of over 46 susceptibility loci. Their clinical utility to predict risk, response to treatment, or treatment toxicity, remains undefined. Large consortia are needed to achieve adequate statistical power to answer these genetic–clinical and genetic–epidemiological questions. International collaborations are currently underway to link genetic with clinical/epidemiological data to develop risk prediction models, which could direct screening and treatment programs.
Climate‐controlled aggradation and cyclicity of continental loessic siliciclastic sediments in Asselian–Sakmarian cyclothems, Permian, Hugoton embayment, USA
Authors: DUBOIS MARTIN K. , GOLDSTEIN ROBERT H. , HASIOTIS STEPHEN T. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractSiliciclastic intervals in Lower Permian carbonate–siliciclastic cyclothems in western Kansas record climate control on facies progression, deposition and preservation. The 26 000 km2study area comprises seven marine‐continental (carbonate–siliciclastic) cyclothems caused by glacioeustasy. Core data and a three‐dimensional geological model provide a detailed view of the sub‐surface on a gently sloping ramp. Siliciclastic intervals in the cyclothems are fine‐grained red beds with extensive pedogenic features, indicating a continental origin. Bed geometry (sheet‐like deposits that thin to the east), lateral grading, grain size (very fine‐grained sand to silt) and grain angularity (sub‐angular to angular) suggest that the sediment is loess sourced from the west, probably the Ancestral Rocky Mountains. There is a repeated record of glacial‐cycle‐scale, climate‐controlled cyclicity within siliciclastic intervals that has not been recognized previously. Aeolian silt grain size coarsens upward towards the middle, then fines upward in each siliciclastic interval. When sea‐level was high (interglacial) and carbonate production flourished, aeolian sedimentation nearly ceased, suggesting increased vegetation and rainfall at the source. As sea‐level fell, fine‐grained siliciclastic sediments were deposited under relatively dry, but seasonally wet conditions on an exposed ramp. Laterally graded coarser grained siliciclastic sediments with diagnostic fabrics indicate drier conditions with seasonal rainfall during a continued relative fall in sea‐level. The coarsest siliciclastic sediments were deposited during the lowest sea‐level and driest conditions, but still with sufficient seasonal moisture to allow vegetative cover and bioturbation. Subsequent upward fining is correlated with sedimentological indications of wetter conditions during relative sea‐level rise. Unlike common sequence stratigraphic models that relate siliciclastic sediment accumulation to base‐level rise, continental deposits were preserved because plants and pedogenesis stabilized aeolian sediment. The aggradational landscape formed by this process had several metres of positive relief that reduced accommodation for overlying marine carbonate strata. Thus, this mechanism for continental siliciclastic aggradation has a significant effect on sequence stratigraphic architecture.
Timing of skin testing after a suspected anaphylactic reaction during anaesthesia
Authors: SOETENS F. , ROSE M. , FISHER M. 
Published: February 2012

BackgroundA delay of 4 to 6 weeks after a suspected anaphylactic reaction has commonly been recommended before performing skin testing. However, sometimes surgery cannot be delayed, and investigation must be done earlier. Recent recommendations suggest that skin testing can be performed immediately after a reaction.MethodsWe describe three cases in which skin testing was performed within 3 weeks after the suspected anaphylactic reaction. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate cases where skin testing was performed within 3 weeks of a suspected anaphylactic reaction during anaesthesia.ResultsReview of the literature did not give a definite answer to the optimal timing of skin testing after a suspected anaphylactic reaction during anaesthesia.ConclusionsOnly positive skin tests can be taken into account, and there is little safety data to provide confidence in early skin testing. A protocol of how to act if urgent surgery is necessary is suggested.
Vasopressors for the management of hypotension after spinal anesthesia for elective caesarean section. Systematic review and cumulative meta‐analysis
Authors: VEESER M. , HOFMANN T. , ROTH R. , KLÖHR S. , ROSSAINT R. , HEESEN M. 
Published: February 2012

BackgroundPhenylephrine use has been recommended over ephedrine for the management of hypotension after spinal anesthesia for elective caesarean section. The evidence for this is rather limited because in previous trials, pH was significantly lower after ephedrine, but absolute values were still within normal range. We pooled the available data to define maternal and neonatal effects of the two vasopressors.MethodsLiterature was identified by a systematic search. Hypotension, hypertension, and bradycardia of the mothers, fetal acidosis defined as a pH < 7.20, and the continuous variables base excess (BE) and arterial pCO2 of the neonates were recorded. Meta‐analysis using the random effects model was performed, and the weighted mean difference (WMD) or risk ratio (RR), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated.ResultsThe criteria for eligibility were fulfilled by 20 trials including 1069 patients. The RR of true fetal acidosis was 5.29 (95%CI 1.62–17.25, ) for ephedrine vs. phenylephrine (P = 0.006). BE values after ephedrine use were significantly lower than after phenylephrine (WMD −1.17; 95% CI −2.01 – −0.33). Umbilical artery pCO2 did not differ. Mothers treated with ephedrine had a lower risk for bradycardia (RR 0.17; 95%CI 0.07–0.43; P = 0.004). No differences between vasopressors were observed for hypotension and hypertension.ConclusionsOur analysis could clearly demonstrate a decreased risk of fetal acidosis associated with phenylephrine use. In addition with our findings for BE, this suggests a favorable effect of phenylephrine on fetal outcome parameters. The mechanism of pH depression is not related to pCO2.
Bayesian enhanced meta‐analysis of post‐operative analgesic efficacy of additives for caudal analgesia in children
Authors: ENGELMAN E. , MARSALA C. 
Published: February 2012

BackgroundThe authors calculated the effect size for post‐operative analgesia of three additives, clonidine, neostigmine, and tramadol to bupivacaine, ropivacaine, or levobupivacaine used for single‐dose caudal extradural blockade in children.MethodsA meta‐analysis was performed for three end points of efficacy: the increase of time until administration of analgesic drugs, the proportion of patients requiring analgesic drugs during the initial 24 post‐operative hours, and the amounts of post‐operative analgesic drugs. A Bayesian inference supporting direct statements about the probability of the magnitude of an effect was used to compare the effects size.ResultsNeostigmine increased the duration of analgesia by 9.96 h (95% confidence interval: 7.75 to 12.16), as compared with 3.68 h (2.65 to 4.7) with clonidine and 4.45 (2.84 to 6.07) with tramadol. There is a 95% probability that neostigmine increases the duration of post‐operative analgesia by more than 8 h, clonidine by more than 2.8 h, and tramadol by more than 3.25 h, as compared with local anesthetics alone. The odds ratios for the proportion of patients requiring analgesic drugs were 0.22 [0.13 to 0.37] for clonidine and 0.28 [0.10 to 0.75] for neostigmine. With tramadol, there was no statistically significant difference. All three additives reduced the amounts of post‐operative analgesic drugs. Neostigmine and tramadol increase the probability for post‐operative nausea or vomiting (PONV).ConclusionsNeostigmine provides the longest post‐operative analgesia. With clonidine, the duration of analgesia is shorter and sedation is increased, but the probability for PONV could be decreased.
Differentiation between Aphis pomi and Aphis spiraecola using multiplex real‐time PCR based on DNA barcode sequences
Authors: Naaum A. M. , Foottit R. G. , Maw H. E. L. , Hanner R. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe green apple aphid (Aphis pomi) and the spirea aphid (Aphis spiraecola) are pests of apples in North America. Although management regimes exist to effectively control these pests, they differ significantly because of varying susceptibility of each species to common pesticides and differences in their life cycles. Therefore, accurate identification of the species present is essential for pest control. However, the identification process is complicated because of the morphological similarity between these two species. As a result, confusion between A. pomi and A. spiraecola often occurs. DNA barcoding has been proven to accurately identify species of Aphididae. A further study demonstrated that DNA barcodes could be used to accurately differentiate A. pomi and A. spiraecola. DNA barcoding represents an important step towards rapid identification of these pests as distinctions can be easily made between morphologically similar species as well as from eggs and immature individuals in addition to adults. However, samples must still be sent to specially equipped facilities for sequence analysis, which can take between several hours and days. Real‐time PCR is emerging as a useful tool for more rapid pest identification. The purpose of this study was to develop a real‐time PCR assay for differentiation of A.pomi from A. spiraecola based on DNA barcode sequences from the Barcode of Life Data System. This assay was designed on the portable SmartCycler II platform and can be used in field settings to differentiate these species quickly and accurately. It has the potential to be a valuable tool to improve pest management of A. pomi and A. spiraecola.
UV‐absorbing films and nets affect the dispersal of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: Kigathi R. , Poehling H.‐M. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractUV‐absorbing films and nets are frequently used as covering materials for netted greenhouses and film tunnels in protected cultivation systems. This study explored the effects of such materials on the dispersal behaviour of western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis, in flight cages under greenhouse conditions with additional artificial UV‐A light sources. The study involved release–recapture experiments in choice and no‐choice layouts. Different trapping methods were compared (blue sticky cards, plants and transparent cards) for recapture of thrips. In choice experiments, insects were released from a black box compartment between two tunnels covered with either UV‐transmitting or UV‐absorbing materials. A significantly higher proportion of (82–98%) WFT was recaptured in UV‐transmitting tunnels compared with UV‐absorbing tunnels. In no‐choice experiments, WFT were found to infiltrate the tunnels at different rates depending on the trap type used and experimental layout. In small‐scale dispersal experiments using blue sticky cards and plants as traps, infiltration was not significantly different between UV‐absorbing and UV‐transmitting tunnels, whereas when using transparent cards, WFT penetrated further into the UV‐transmitting plastic film tunnels. In larger‐scale dispersal experiments, plants or blue sticky cards were arranged in concentric circles around a source plant at the release point. Dispersal was found to differ depending on the method of release, but WFT tended to exhibit reduced dispersal from source plants under UV‐deficient conditions. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that manipulation of spectral light properties using UV‐absorbing cladding materials for protected crop stands interferes with the orientation and host finding of WFT, resulting in reduced dispersal into and within plant stands in UV‐deficient environments.
Effects of Folic Acid on the Development and Oxidative Stress of Mouse Embryos Exposed to Heat Stress
Authors: Koyama H , Ikeda S , Sugimoto M , Kume S 
Published: February 2012

ContentsThe development of mammalian pre‐implantation embryos is inhibited by heat stress, and the inhibitory effect is associated with excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). Folate is a nutrient with various physiological functions including antioxidative effects. We first investigated the transcript expression for 10 enzymes in the cycle of folate metabolism (folate–methionine cycle) in mouse embryos at the 1‐cell, 2‐cell, 4‐ to 8‐cell, morula and blastocyst stages using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. All of the transcripts were consistently expressed, except for Mat1a, which was not detected from the 4‐ to 8‐cell stage onward. Next, the effects of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) on the development and ROS levels of heat‐stressed embryos were investigated. One‐cell mouse embryos were cultured with or without 1000 ng/ml folic acid basically at 38°C, and in the heat‐stressed groups, embryos were exposed to 39.5°C/10 h/day on the first two days of culture. The heat stress significantly (p < 0.05) decreased blastocyst development and cell number and increased ROS levels compared to those in the group not subjected to heat stress; however, among the heat‐stressed groups, blastocyst development and cell number were increased and the ROS level was decreased by the addition of folic acid. These results indicate that the mRNA of folate–methionine cycle enzymes are expressed in mouse pre‐implantation embryos, suggesting they can independently utilize folate, and the inhibitory effects of heat stress on the development of mouse pre‐implantation embryos are ameliorated by folic acid. The ameliorating effects of folic acid may be partly due to its antioxidative property.