bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in Soil Properties Following 55 Years of Secondary Forest Succession at Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.A.
Authors: Maloney Kelly O. , Garten Charles T. , Ashwood Tom L. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract We present results on changes in soil properties following land use change over an approximately 55‐year period at Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.A. Soil cores were taken at 129 locations that were categorized as reforested (field/bare ground in 1944 and forest in 1999), disturbed (field/bare ground in 1944 and 1999), or reference forests (forest in 1944 and 1999). Soil disturbance included historic agriculture (pre‐1944) and military training (post‐1944). Density in mineral soils exhibited a historic land use legacy effect (reference < reforested < disturbed). Rates of change in bulk density decreased with depth and estimated total times to reach reference forest levels ranged from 83 (0–10 cm) to 165 (30–40 cm) years. A land use legacy effect on C stock was apparent in the O‐horizon and in 30‐ to 40‐cm soil increment (reference > reforested > disturbed). Soil C stock in all other increments and in particulate organic matter was affected by disturbance; however, no legacy was apparent (reference = reforested > disturbed). For the entire soil profile (O‐horizon to 40 cm), rate of C accrual was 28 g m−2 yr−1 (1.5%/yr). Nitrogen stocks were affected by disturbance in the O‐horizon and 0‐ to 10‐cm increment; however, no legacy effect was detected (reference = reforested > disturbed). Nitrogen accumulated at 0.56 g m−2 yr−1 (0.6%/yr) for the entire soil profile. At Fort Benning, soil C and N stocks of reforested stands were similar to those of reference forested stands after approximately 55 years. However, soil bulk density was greater on reforested stands than reference forest stands at 55 years and may require an additional century to reach reference levels.
Wetland Restoration in the New Millennium: Do Research Efforts Match Opportunities?
Authors: Wagner Kelly I. , Gallagher Sally K. , Hayes Matthew , Lawrence Beth A. , Zedler Joy B. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract Of 311 papers on wetland restoration, only 15 concerned large‐scale experimentation in restoration sites. Most papers described what happened, reported on small field experiments, or discussed restoration targets. While these are important topics, our opinion is that we lose significant opportunities to learn how to recover populations, community structure, and ecosystem processes, and we limit our ability to document variability and whole‐system responses, when we do not experiment at large scales. We suggest that, wherever possible, large projects facilitate field tests of alternative restoration approaches. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to take advantage of major restoration efforts by conducting large field experiments, assessing multiple responses, and offering restoration guidance in an adaptive framework.
Washing of drained blood does not alter immediate immune effects of retransfusion
Authors: Volk Thomas , Doering Kristin , Granitza Lucille , Perka Carsten , Spies Claudia D. , Heymann Christian von 
Published: August 2008

BACKGROUND: Retransfusion of postoperatively drained wound blood may be associated with adverse immune effects induced by many mediators present in unwashed filtered blood.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this randomized trial, the hypothesis that a washing procedure alters the course of markers of immune and inflammatory responses after retransfusion of blood collected from patients after endoprosthetic surgery is tested. Mean volume of blood reinfused was 363 ± 173 mL in Group A and 352 ± 180 mL in Group B. Five hours postoperatively patients either received washed (Group A) or unwashed (Group B) blood collected during the postoperative period. Circulating cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]‐α, interleukin [IL]‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]‐1) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated TNF‐α secretion were measured at several time points pre‐ and postoperatively.RESULTS: IL‐6 and IL‐8 slightly increased immediately after retransfusion in both groups (by 48 ± 37 and 5 ± 2 pg/mL, respectively, in Group A; by 74 ± 60 and 17 ± 13 pg/mL in Group B). IL‐10 and MCP‐1 were unaltered and both circulating TNF‐α and LPS stimulated capacity in TNF‐α secretion decreased (by 5 ± 13 and 1 ± 31 pg/mL, respectively, in Group A; by 3 ± 14 and 29 ± 39 pg/mL in Group B), independent from a washing procedure.CONCLUSION: For small reinfusion volumes a washing procedure does not alter the ex vivo capacity of LPS induced TNF‐α secretion and the selected cytokine profile after retransfusion of postoperatively drained and filtered blood.
Quantitative ultrasound (QUS): a useful tool for monitoring bone health in preterm infants?
Authors: Fewtrell MS , Loh KL , Chomtho S , Kennedy K , Hawdon J , Khakoo A 
Published: August 2008

AbstractPreterm infants are at risk of osteopenia and metabolic bone disease (MBD) of prematurity. There is a need for simple, reliable methods to detect and monitor this condition.Aims: The aims were first to describe longitudinal changes in speed of sound (SOS) measured using quantitative ultrasound (QUS; Sunlight Omnisense, Israel) in preterm neonates: and second to determine whether SOS predicts the development of MBD.Methods: SOS was measured in the tibia in 99 preterm infants (mean (SD)) gestation 29.7 (3.6) weeks; birthweight 1340 (550) g, with longitudinal measurements in 75. SOS z‐scores were generated for gestation and sex. Clinical data were recorded.Results: Baseline SOS (but not SOS z‐score) was positively associated with gestational age. SOS and SOS z‐score fell with age. In multivariate models, peak ALP, minimum phosphate concentrations and markers of illness severity were not predictors of the fall in SOS z‐score, and baseline SOS measurements did not predict the development of high peak ALP or low phosphate.Interpretation: Speed of sound measurements fell with age in all infants, but we found no evidence that this measurement could predict biochemical indicators of MBD. We cannot exclude the possibility that this technique could be useful in monitoring the response to interventions designed to improve bone health in this population.
Hippocampal Sclerosis: Progress Since Sommer
Authors: Thom Maria 
Published: August 2008

AbstractHippocampal sclerosis (HS) continues to be the most common pathology identified in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing surgery. Wilhelm Sommer described this characteristic pattern of neuronal loss over 120 years ago through his post‐mortem studies on patients with epilepsy. Neuropathological post‐mortem studies in the 20th century proceeded to contribute significantly to the understanding of this disease process, with regard to the varying patterns of HS and involvement of adjacent limbic structures. From studies of surgical temporal lobe specimens from the 1950s onwards it was recognized that an early cerebral injury could act as the precipitant for the sclerosis and epilepsy. Modern neuropathological studies have focused on aspects of neuronal injury, loss of specific neuronal groups and cellular reorganization to address mechanisms of epileptogenesis and the enigma of how specific hippocampal neuronal vulnerabilities and glial proliferation are both the effect and the cause of seizures.
In Vivo Absorption Spectra of the Two Stable States of the Euglena Photoreceptor Photocycle
Authors: Barsanti Laura , Coltelli Primo , Evangelista Valtere , Passarelli Vincenzo , Frassanito Anna Maria , Vesentini Nicoletta , Santoro Fabrizio , Gualtieri Paolo 
Published: August 2008

Abstract Euglena gracilis possesses a simple but sophisticated light detecting system, consisting of an eyespot formed by carotenoids globules and a photoreceptor. The photoreceptor of Euglena is characterized by optical bistability, with two stable states. In order to provide important and discriminating information on the series of structural changes that Euglena photoreceptive protein(s) undergoes inside the photoreceptor in response to light, we measured the in vivo absorption spectra of the two stable states A and B of photoreceptor photocycle. Data were collected using two different devices, i.e. a microspectrophotometer and a digital microscope. Our results show that the photocycle and the absorption spectra of the photoreceptor possess strong spectroscopic similarities with a rhodopsin‐like protein. Moreover, the analysis of the absorption spectra of the two stable states of the photoreceptor and the absorption spectrum of the eyespot suggests an intriguing hypothesis for the orientation of microalgae toward light.
Ten polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Authors: KOLOMYJEC STEPHEN H. , GRANT TOM R. , BLAIR DAVID 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWe identified and optimized 10 microsatellite loci for the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Monotremata: Ornithorhynchidae), and screened 21 individuals from the southern tablelands area of New South Wales, Australia. Each polymorphic locus possessed between two and 12 alleles with observed heterozygosities between 0.118 and 0.950. The intent of this effort was to provide informative loci for studies on the population genetics of this species.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Palinurus elephas
Authors: PALERO F. , PASCUAL M. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) mean annual catches have decreased alarmingly during recent decades along its entire distribution area due to stock over‐exploitation, which makes it a primary target for conservation plans. A total of 164 microsatellite loci were isolated from a genomic library of P. elephas enriched for CA, GA, CAA and GATA repeats. A total of 15 polymorphic loci have been screened in 48 individuals. High numbers of alleles per locus (averaging 20 ± 10.5) and observed heterozygosity (averaging 0.789 ± 0.197) have been detected. None of the pairs of loci showed significant linkage disequilibrium. Two of the loci (Pael1 and Pael2) showed significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in Sagres, while Pael38 showed significant departure in Tunis. These highly polymorphic markers will be useful in determining the spatial patterns of genetic diversity between and within populations of Palinurus elephas.
Double‐dose double‐phase use of second generation hepatitis B virus vaccine in patients after living donor liver transplantation: Not an effective measure in transplant recipients
Authors: Yamashiki Noriyo , Sugawara Yasuhiko , Tamura Sumihito , Kaneko Junichi , Matsui Yuichi , Togashi Junichi , Kokudo Norihiro , Omata Masao , Makuuchi Masatoshi 
Published: August 2008

Aims: Post‐transplant active immunization for chronic hepatitis B patients has been attempted in several studies with controversial results. We assessed the effect of a double‐dose double‐phase vaccination regimen among partial living donor liver recipients.Methods: Eighteen patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for chronic hepatitis B and two non‐hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infected patients who received hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)‐positive donor organs were recruited 18–78 months after LT. All were on hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) mono‐prophylaxis before and throughout vaccination, to maintain hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) titers of more than 100 IU/mL. Recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen vaccine (40 µg) was administered intramuscularly during weeks 0, 4, 8, 24, 28 and 32.Results: The patients consisted of 15 males and five females with a median age of 52 (39–59) years. None developed a sufficient HBsAb titer above 500 IU/mL by week 48. In two patients whose maximum HBsAb titer increased to above 300 IU/mL, we attempted to skip HBIG, but shortly thereafter the titer dropped below 100 IU/mL and HBIG administration was resumed. Although the HBIG dose was reduced during and after vaccination, cessation of administration was not achieved.Conclusion: Double‐dose double‐phase use of second generation recombinant vaccine was not effective in this study population. The selected population should be targeted for a conventional vaccine regimen, and different approaches, such as strong adjuvant or pre‐S containing protein, should be further tested in a larger number of patients after LT for chronic hepatitis B.
Tissues from routine pathology archives are suitable for microRNA analyses by quantitative PCR
Authors: Siebolts U , Varnholt H , Drebber U , Dienes H-P , Wickenhauser C , Odenthal M 
Published: August 2008

Background:MicroRNAs have recently taken centre stage as short non-coding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression.Aim/Methods:To assess the feasibility of using microRNA techniques on routinely processed tissues, the accessibility of two representative microRNAs was examined by real-time quantitative PCR in 86 human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from liver, breast, bone marrow, lymphatic tissues and colon. Murine liver was used to analyse the influence of fixation time and different fixatives.Results:High-quality microRNA was successfully extracted from routinely processed formalin-fixed tissues, resembling PCR amplification results from snap-frozen material analysed in parallel. While fixation time did not affect microRNA accessibility, non-buffered formalin or fixative supplements such as glutaraldehyde influenced PCR results. Storage of human tissues for up to 7 years did not cause a significant deterioration of microRNA. However, microRNA quality in human archival material following routine processing 10–20 years ago was decreased. Oxidation by ambient air during storage and fixation in non-buffered formalin is a possible reason for loss of microRNA quality.Conclusion:The assessment of microRNAs in readily obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples is a highly promising tool in molecular pathology when similarly treated samples are analysed. Therefore, microRNA analyses will gain wider acceptance as an adjunct to morphological tissue assessment in routine pathology and retrospective studies.
Increased lymph node harvest from colorectal cancer resections using GEWF solution: a randomised study
Authors: Iversen L H , Laurberg S , Hagemann-Madsen R , Dybdahl H 
Published: August 2008

Background:The lymph node harvest from colorectal specimens is pivotal for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), independent of N stage.Aims:To determine whether the use of GEWF solution (glacial acetic acid, ethanol, distilled water and formaldehyde) could improve the lymph node harvest in CRC specimens.Methods:Consecutive fresh colonic (n = 60) and rectal (n = 60) specimens from patients with primary CRC resected at Aarhus University Hospital THG between March 2006 and July 2007 were randomised to either conventional preparation or GEWF preparation and examined in a standard manner.Results:For colonic as well as rectal specimens, the GEWF solution increased the mean lymph node harvest from 9 and 10 to 16 and 17 lymph nodes per specimen compared to conventional prepared specimens (p<0.001). Using the recommended threshold of 12 lymph nodes to ensure adequacy of nodal harvest, the adequacy increased from less than half to almost three quarters independent of tumour origin (p<0.037). The proportion of node-negative specimens was not significantly different between the two preparation groups.Conclusion:The use of GEWF solution in patients with CRC significantly increases the lymph node harvest of resected specimens.
Information and consent for newborn screening: practices and attitudes of service providers
Authors: Kerruish N J , Webster D , Dickson N 
Published: August 2008

Objectives:To gather information about the practices and attitudes of providers of maternity care with respect to informed consent for newborn screening (NBS).Methods:A questionnaire concerning information provision and parental consent for NBS was sent to all 1036 registered lead maternity carers (LMC) in New Zealand.Results:93% of LMC in New Zealand report giving parents information concerning NBS, most frequently after delivery (73%) and in the third trimester (60%). The majority (85%) of LMC currently obtain some form of consent (verbal or written) for NBS from parents and consider this to be the ideal approach (94%). Despite this a significant minority of LMC (23%) reported considering that NBS should be mandatory. Of those in our survey who believed that NBS should be mandatory, paradoxically most (89%) still believed that some form of parental consent should be obtained; of those who believed testing should not be mandatory, only a small proportion (10%) would accept parental refusal without question.Conclusions:When the results of this survey are considered in conjunction with existing evidence there appears to be a consensus that good quality information in the prenatal period should be an integral part of any NBS programme. The issue of consent is more complex and there is less agreement on the preferred degree of parental involvement in decisions to allow babies to undergo NBS. A policy that both strongly recommends NBS but also allows parental choice appears to be most consistent with the views of LMC in this survey.
Informed consent in clinical research in France: assessment and factors associated with therapeutic misconception
Authors: Durand-Zaleski I S , Alberti C , Durieux P , Duval X , Gottot S , Ravaud Ph , Gainotti S , Vincent-Genod C , Moreau D , Amiel P 
Published: August 2008

Background:Informed consent in clinical research is mandated throughout the world. Both patient subjects and investigators are required to understand and accept the distinction between research and treatment.Aim:To document the extent and to identify factors associated with therapeutic misconception in a population of patient subjects or parent proxies recruited from a variety of multicentre trials (parent studies).Patients and methods:The study comprised two phases: the development of a questionnaire to assess the quality of informed consent and a survey of patient subjects based on this questionnaire.Results:A total of 303 patient subjects or parent proxies were contacted and 279 questionnaires were analysed. The median age was 49.5 years, sex ratio was 1 and 61% of respondents were professionally active. Overall memorisation of the oral or written communication of informed consent was good (69–97%), and satisfaction with the process was around 70%. Therapeutic misconception was present in 70% of respondents, who expected to receive better care and ignored the consequence of randomisation and treatment comparisons. This was positively associated with the acuteness and severity of the disease.Conclusion:The authors suggest that the risk of therapeutic misconception be specifically addressed in consent forms as an educational tool for both patients and investigators.
Clinical research projects at a German medical faculty: follow-up from ethical approval to publication and citation by others
Authors: Blümle A , Antes G , Schumacher M , Just H , von Elm E 
Published: August 2008

Background:Only data of published study results are available to the scientific community for further use such as informing future research and synthesis of available evidence. If study results are reported selectively, reporting bias and distortion of summarised estimates of effect or harm of treatments can occur. The publication and citation of results of clinical research conducted in Germany was studied.Methods:The protocols of clinical research projects submitted to the research ethics committee of the University of Freiburg (Germany) in 2000 were analysed. Published full articles in several databases were searched and investigators contacted. Data on study and publication characteristics were extracted from protocols and corresponding publications.Results:299 study protocols were included. The most frequent study design was randomised controlled trial (141; 47%), followed by uncontrolled studies (61; 20%), laboratory studies (30; 10%) and non-randomised studies (29; 10%). 182 (61%) were multicentre studies including 97 (53%) international collaborations. 152 of 299 (51%) had commercial (co-)funding and 46 (15%) non-commercial funding. 109 of the 225 completed protocols corresponded to at least one full publication (total 210 articles); the publication rate was 48%. 168 of 210 identified publications (80%) were cited in articles indexed in the ISI Web of Science. The median was 11 citations per publication (range 0–1151).Conclusions:Results of German clinical research projects conducted are largely underreported. Barriers to successful publication need to be identified and appropriate measures taken. Close monitoring of projects until publication and adequate support provided to investigators may help remedy the prevailing underreporting of research.
Endothelin receptor B-mediated induction of c-jun and AP-1 in response to shear stress in human endothelial cellsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue (part 2 of 2) on Forefronts in Endothelin.
Authors: Morawietz H. , Wagner A.H. , Hecker M. , Goettsch W. 
Published: August 2008

In vivo, endothelial cells are constantly exposed to shear stress by flowing blood. Short-term exposure of endothelial cells to shear stress has been shown to induce endothelin-1 release. It is currently unknown, however, whether this shear stress-dependent endothelin-1 release affects the expression and activity of transcription factors. In this study, primary cultures of human endothelial cells from the umbilical vein were exposed to laminar shear stress in a cone-and-plate viscometer. Laminar shear stress for 30 min induced a 2-fold increase in mRNA expression of c-jun , but not c-fos, in human endothelial cells. Blockade of endothelin receptor subtype B (ETB) with BQ788 prevented this shear stress-dependent induction of c-jun expression. The induction of c-jun by shear stress involved protein kinase C and endothelial NO synthase. In addition, exposure of endothelial cells to arterial laminar shear stress for 1 h increased the binding of transcription factor AP-1 to its consensus sequence by 1.7-fold in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. This induction was also mediated by an ETB-dependent pathway. Supershift analysis supports an AP-1 complex containing c-jun, but not c-fos, in human endothelial cells. In conclusion, our data suggest endothelin-1-mediated induction of c-jun expression and activation of AP-1 (possibly as a c-jun homodimer) by laminar shear stress in human endothelial cells.