bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ecological correlates of the distribution of territorial Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea)
Authors: Pedersen Å.Ø. , Jepsen J.U. , Yoccoz N.G. , Fuglei E. 
Published: May 2007

Predictive habitat models have become important research and management tools for monitoring the spatial distribution and abundance of wildlife species. In this paper we develop and evaluate statistical habitat models for presence of territorial Svalbard rock ptarmigan ( Lagopus muta hyperborea Sundevall, 1845) cocks in spring and apply the best model to assess ptarmigan habitat selection in a larger extrapolated region. Terrain variables were extracted at detailed (10 m digital elevation model (DEM)) and coarse (50 m DEM) scales to compare model performance. Sets of candidate environmental variables related to terrain and vegetation cover were developed and explanatory variables were calculated at increasing distances from the count site to well above the typical size of ptarmigan territory. We used ecological niche factor analysis to describe the difference between used and available sites. Survey sites used by cocks were characterized by a restricted range of altitude, a high degree of terrain heterogeneity, and dense vegetation cover compared with overall site availability in the survey region. We then used model selection criteria (AICc) to find the most parsimonious logistic regression models estimating habitat resource selection functions for cocks. Detailed terrain variables were better predictors than coarse terrain variables. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was a good predictor of presence of territorial cocks, but not as good as the most preferred habitat type. Owing to limited availability of high-quality vegetation maps, the best model containing NDVI and 10 m DEM variables was used for extrapolation of male ptarmigan habitat. Our results show that it is possible to obtain a model with a high ability to rank habitats using a low number of map-derived variables. Such rankings can then be used to improve field sampling designs and are therefore a useful tool for management and conservation of ptarmigan and wildlife in Arctic and alpine areas.
Dispersal, survival, and reproduction of wild-born, yearling swift foxes in a reintroduced population
Authors: Ausband D.E. , Foresman K.R. 
Published: May 2007

From 1998 to 2002, the Blackfeet Tribe and Defenders of Wildlife reintroduced 123 captive-reared swift foxes ( Vulpes velox (Say, 1823)) to the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana. Because yearling swift foxes are colonizers of vacant habitats and are at the periphery of range expansion, we estimated 1st-year survival and explored aspects of dispersal to ascertain the contribution of wild-born juveniles to the reintroduction effort. First-year survival (post den emergence) of swift foxes averaged 0.38 and 0.36 for 2003–2004 and 2004–2005, respectively. Half of the females that survived to 1 June of their 1st year reproduced. Most dispersal (77%) and mortality (85%) occurred in autumn, with 80% of mortalities attributable to predation. Dispersal distance was not different among sexes and averaged 10.4 km. Understanding the contribution of yearling swift foxes — the colonizers — to reestablishing populations is important because several entities are currently reintroducing swift foxes and some states have expanding populations.
Changes in Sleep Architecture following Motor Learning Depend on Initial Skill Level
Authors: Peters Kevin R. , Smith Valerie , Smith Carlyle T. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractPrevious research has linked both rapid eyemovement (REM) sleep and Stage 2 sleep to procedural memory consolidation. The present study sought to clarify the relationship between sleep stages and procedural memory consolidation by examining the effect of initial skill level in this relationship in young adults. In-home sleep recordings were performed on participants before and after learning the pursuit rotor task. We divided the participants into low- and high-skill groups based on their initial performance of the pursuit rotor task. In high-skill participants, there was a significant increase in Stage 2 spindle density after learning, and there was a significant correlation between the spindle density that occurred after learning and pursuit rotor performance at retest 1 week later. In contrast, there was a significant correlation between changes in REM density and performance on the pursuit rotor task during retest 1 week later in low-skill participants, although the actual increase in REM density failed to reach significance in this group. The results of the present study suggest the presence of a double dissociation in the sleep-related processes that are involved in procedural memory consolidation in low- and high-skill individuals. These results indicate that the changes in sleep microarchitecture that take place after learning depend on the initial skill level of the individual and therefore provide validation for the model proposed by Smith et al. [Smith, C. T., Aubrey, J. B., & Peters, K. R. Different roles for REM and Stage 2 sleep in motor learning. Psychologica Belgica, 44, 79–102, 2004]. Accordingly, skill level is an important variable that needs to be considered in future research on sleep and memory consolidation.
Mismatch Responses to Pitch Changes in Early Infancy
Authors: He Chao , Hotson Lisa , Trainor Laurel J. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
We investigated the emergence of discriminative responses to pitch by recording 2-, 3-, and 4-month-old infants' electro-encephalogram responses to infrequent pitch changes in piano tones. In all age groups, infants' responses to deviant tones were significantly different from responses to standard tones. However, two types of mismatch responses were observed simultaneously in the difference waves. An increase in the left-lateralized positive slow wave was prominent in 2-month-olds, present in 3-month-olds, but insignificant in 4-month-olds. A faster adultlike mismatch negativity (MMN), lateralized to the right hemisphere, emerged at 2 months of age and became earlier and stronger as age increased. The coexistence and dissociation of two types of mismatch responses suggests different underlying neuromechanisms for the two responses. Furthermore, the earlier emergence of the MMN-like component to changes in pitch compared to other sound features implies that neural circuits involved in generating MMN-like responses have different maturational timetables for different sound features.
Quantitative analysis of minimal residual disease predicts relapse in children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in DFCI ALL Consortium Protocol 95-01
Authors: Zhou Jianbiao , Goldwasser Meredith A , Li Aihong , Dahlberg Suzanne E. , Neuberg Donna , Wang Hongjun , Dalton Virginia , McBride Kathryn D , Sallan Stephen E. , Silverman Lewis B , Gribben John G. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn a prospective trial in 284 children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we assessed the clinical utility of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of antigen receptor gene rearrangements for detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) to identify children at high risk of relapse. At the end of induction therapy, the 5-year risk of relapse was 5% in 176 children with no detectable MRD and 44% in 108 children with detectable MRD (P < .001), with a linear association of the level of MRD and subsequent relapse. Recursive partitioning and clinical characteristics identified that the optimal cutoff level of MRD to predict outcome was 10−3. The 5-year risk of relapse was 12% for children with MRD less than one leukemia cell per 103 normal cells (low MRD) but 72% for children with MRD levels greater than this level (high MRD) (P < .001) and children with high MRD had a 10.5-fold greater risk of relapse. Based upon these results we have altered our treatment regimen for children with B-lineage ALL and children with MRD levels greater than or equal to 10−3 at the end of 4 weeks of multiagent induction chemotherapy now receive intensified treatment to attempt to decrease their risk of subsequent relapse.
Alterations in cytoskeletal and immune function-related proteome profiles in whole rat lung following intratracheal instillation of heparin
Authors: Gabr Amir A , Reed Mathew , Newman Donna R , Pohl Jan , Khosla Jody , Sannes Philip L 
Published: May 2007

AbstractBackgroundHeparin has been shown to modify fundamental biologic processes ranging from blood coagulation and cell proliferation to fibrogenesis and asthma. The goal of this study was to identify specific or broad biologic responses of the rat lung to intratracheal instillation of heparin by targeted proteomic analysis.MethodsRats were given either aerosolized 500 μg heparin in 250 μl saline or saline alone. Lungs were harvested at 0, 24, or 96 hours post-treatment and isolated proteins analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins which increased and decreased significantly in treated groups above controls were then selected for identification by mass spectrometry.ResultsAlthough heparin treatments resulted in a general reduction in cytosolic protein expression, there were significant increases within members of discrete groups of proteins. At 24 hours, proteins which function in cytoskeletal organization and in calcium signaling were up-regulated between 2- and 27-fold above baseline and untreated controls. Increased proteins include annexins V and VI, septin 2, capping G protein, actin-related protein 3, moesin, RhoGDP dissociation inhibitor, and calcyclin. A group of proteins relating to immune response and tumor suppressor function were either up-regulated (tumor suppressor p30/hyaluronic acid binding protein-1, Parkinson disease protein 7, proteosome 28 subunit/interferon-γ inducible protein, and proteosome subunit macropain α-1) or strongly down-regulated (transgelin). At 96 hours, most proteins that had increased at 24 hours remained elevated but to a much lesser degree.ConclusionThese cumulative observations demonstrate that whole lung heparin treatment results in significant up-regulation of selected groups of proteins, primarily those related to cytoskeletal reorganization and immune function, which may prove to be relevant biomarkers useful in analysis of lung exposures/treatments as well as in system biology studies.
Trial on Refinement of Early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin versus vinorelbine and cisplatin: The TREAT protocol
Authors: Kreuter Michael , Vansteenkiste Johan , Griesinger Frank , Hoffmann Hans , Dienemann Hendrik , De Leyn Paul , Thomas Michael 
Published: May 2007

Abstract

Background
Adjuvant chemotherapy has been proven to be beneficial for patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, toxicity and insufficient dose delivery have been critical issues with the chemotherapy used. Doublet regimens with pemetrexed, a multi-target folate inhibitor, and platin show clear activity in non-small cell lung cancer and are well tolerated with low toxicity rates and excellent delivery.

Methods/Design
In this prospective, multi-center, open label randomized phase II study, patients with pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, stage IB, IIA, IIB, T3N1 will be randomized after complete tumor resection either to 4 cycles of the standard adjuvant vinorelbine and cisplatin regimen from the published phase III data, or to 4 cycles of pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 d1 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 d1, q 3 weeks. Primary objective is to compare the clinical feasibility of these cisplatin doublets defined as non-occurrence of grade 4 neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia > 7 days or bleeding, grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia and/or infection, grade 3/4 non-hematological toxicity, non-acceptance leading to premature withdrawal and no cancer or therapy related death. Secondary parameters are efficacy (time to relapse, overall survival) and drug delivery. Parameters of safety are hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity of both arms.

Discussion
The TREAT trial was designed to evaluate the clinical feasibility, i.e. rate of patients without dose limiting toxicities or premature treatment withdrawal or death of the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed as well as the published phase III regimen of cisplatin and vinorelbine. Hypothesis of the study is that reduced toxicities might improve the feasibility of drug delivery, compliance and the convenience of treatment for the patient and perhaps survival.

Trial Registration
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00349089
Improving organisational systems for diabetes care in Australian Indigenous communities
Authors: Bailie Ross , Si Damin , Dowden Michelle , O'Donoghue Lynette , Connors Christine , Robinson Gary , Cunningham Joan , Weeramanthri Tarun 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Background
Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately high prevalence of, and morbidity and mortality from diabetes. There is an urgent need to understand how Indigenous primary care systems are organised to deliver diabetes services to those most in need, to monitor the quality of diabetes care received by Indigenous people, and to improve systems for better diabetes care.

Methods
The intervention featured two annual cycles of assessment, feedback workshops, action planning, and implementation of system changes in 12 Indigenous community health centres. Assessment included a structured review of health service systems and audit of clinical records. Main process of care measures included adherence to guideline-scheduled services and medication adjustment. Main patient outcome measures were HbA1c, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels.

Results
There was good engagement of health centre staff, with significant improvements in system development over the study period. Adherence to guideline-scheduled processes improved, including increases in 6 monthly testing of HbA1c from 41% to 74% (Risk ratio 1.93, 95% CI 1.71–2.10), 3 monthly checking of blood pressure from 63% to 76% (1.27, 1.13–1.37), annual testing of total cholesterol from 56% to 74% (1.36, 1.20–1.49), biennial eye checking by a ophthalmologist from 34% to 54% (1.68, 1.39–1.95), and 3 monthly feet checking from 20% to 58% (3.01, 2.52–3.47). Medication adjustment rates following identification of elevated HbA1c and blood pressure were low, increasing from 10% to 24%, and from 13% to 21% respectively at year 1 audit. However, improvements in medication adjustment were not maintained at the year 2 follow-up. Mean HbA1c value improved from 9.3 to 8.9% (mean difference -0.4%, 95% CI -0.7;-0.1), but there was no improvement in blood pressure or cholesterol control.

Conclusion
This quality improvement (QI) intervention has proved to be highly acceptable in the Indigenous Australian primary care setting and has been associated with significant improvements in systems and processes of care and some intermediate outcomes. However, improvements appear to be limited by inadequate attention to abnormal clinical findings and medication management. Greater improvement in intermediate outcomes may be achieved by specifically addressing system barriers to therapy intensification through more effective engagement of medical staff in QI activities and/or greater use of nurse-practitioners.
Understanding the effects of a decentralized budget on physicians' compliance with guidelines for statin prescription – a multilevel methodological approach
Authors: Ohlsson Henrik , Merlo Juan 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Background
Official guidelines that promote evidence-based and cost-effective prescribing are of main relevance for obvious reasons. However, to what extent these guidelines are followed and their conditioning factors at different levels of the health care system are still insufficiently known.
In January 2004, a decentralized drug budget was implemented in the county of Scania, Sweden. Focusing on lipid-lowering drugs (i.e., statins), we evaluated the effect of this intervention across a 25-month period. We expected that increased local economic responsibility would promote prescribing of recommended statins.

Methods
We performed two separate multilevel regression analyses; on 110 827 individual prescriptions issued at 136 publicly-administered health care centres (HCCs) nested within 14 administrative areas (HCAs), and on 72 012 individual prescriptions issued by 115 privately-administered HCCs. Temporal trends in the prevalence of prescription of recommended statins were investigated by random slope analysis. Differences (i.e., variance) between HCCs and between HCAs were expressed by median odds ratio (MOR).

Results
After the implementation of the decentralized drug budget, adherence to guidelines increased continuously. At the end of the observation period, however, practice variation remained high. Prescription of recommended statins presented a high degree of clustering within both publicly (i.e., MORHCC = 2.18 and MORHCA = 1.31 respectively) and privately administered facilities (MORHCC = 3.47).

Conclusion
A decentralized drug budget seems to promote adherence to guidelines for statin prescription. However, the high practice differences at the end of the observation period may reflect inefficient therapeutic traditions, and indicates that rational statin prescription could be further improved.
Effects of crp deletion in Salmonella enterica serotype Gallinarum
Authors: Rosu Valentina , Chadfield Mark S , Santona Antonella , Christensen Jens P , Thomsen Line E , Rubino Salvatore , Olsen John E 
Published: May 2007

Abstract

Background

Salmonella enterica serotype Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum) remains an important pathogen of poultry, especially in developing countries. There is a need to develop effective and safe vaccines. In the current study, the effect of crp deletion was investigated with respect to virulence and biochemical properties and the possible use of a deletion mutant as vaccine candidate was preliminarily tested.

Methods
Mutants were constructed in S. Gallinarum by P22 transduction from Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) with deletion of the crp gene. The effect was characterized by measuring biochemical properties and by testing of invasion in a chicken loop model and by challenge of six-day-old chickens. Further, birds were immunized with the deleted strain and challenged with the wild type isolate.

Results
The crp deletions caused complete attenuation of S. Gallinarum. This was shown by ileal loop experiments not to be due to significantly reduced invasion. Strains with such deletions may have vaccine potential, since oral inoculatoin with S. Gallinarum Δcrp completely protected against challenge with the same dose of wild type S. Gallinarum ten days post immunization. Interestingly, the mutations did not cause the same biochemical and growth changes to the two biotypes of S. Gallinarum. All biochemical effects but not virulence could be complemented by providing an intact crp- gene from S. Typhimurium on the plasmid pSD110.

Conclusion
Transduction of a Tn10 disrupted crp gene from S. Typhimurium caused attenuation in S. Gallinarum and mutated strains are possible candidates for live vaccines against fowl typhoid.
Threshold-free high-power methods for the ontological analysis of genome-wide gene-expression studies
Authors: Nilsson Björn , Håkansson Petra , Johansson Mikael , Nelander Sven , Fioretos Thoas 
Published: May 2007

AbstractOntological analysis facilitates the interpretation of microarray data. Here we describe new ontological analysis methods which, unlike existing approaches, are threshold-free and statistically powerful. We perform extensive evaluations and introduce a new concept, detection spectra, to characterize methods. We show that different ontological analysis methods exhibit distinct detection spectra, and that it is critical to account for this diversity. Our results argue strongly against the continued use of existing methods, and provide directions towards an enhanced approach.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Older Patients With Cancer
Authors: Extermann Martine , Hurria Arti 
Published: May 2007

Purpose During the last decade, oncologists and geriatricians have begun to work together to integrate the principles of geriatrics into oncology care. The increasing use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is one example of this effort. A CGA includes an evaluation of an older individual's functional status, comorbid medical conditions, cognition, nutritional status, psychological state, and social support; and a review of the patient's medications. This article discusses recent advances on the use of a CGA in older patients with cancer. Methods In this article, we provide an update on the studies that address the domains of a geriatric assessment applied to the oncology patient, review the results of the first studies evaluating the use of a CGA in developing interventions to improve the care of older adults with cancer, and discuss future research directions. Results The evidence from recent studies demonstrates that a CGA can predict morbidity and mortality in older patients with cancer. Accumulating data show the benefits of incorporating a CGA in the evaluation of older patients with cancer. Prospective trials evaluating the utility of a CGA to guide interventions to improve the quality of cancer care in older adults are justified. Conclusion Growing evidence demonstrates that the variables examined in a CGA can predict morbidity and mortality in older patients with cancer, and uncover problems relevant to cancer care that would otherwise go unrecognized.
Tribute to P. L. Lutz: cardiac performance and cardiovascular regulation during anoxia/hypoxia in freshwater turtles
Authors: Overgaard Johannes , Gesser Hans , Wang Tobias 
Published: May 2007

SUMMARYFreshwater turtles overwintering in ice-covered ponds in North America may be exposed to prolonged anoxia, and survive this hostile environment by metabolic depression. Here, we review their cardiovascular function and regulation, with particular emphasis on the factors limiting cardiac performance. The pronounced anoxia tolerance of the turtle heart is based on the ability to match energy consumption with the low anaerobic ATP production during anoxia. Together with a well-developed temporal and spatial energy buffering by creatine kinase, this allows for cellular energy charge to remain high during anoxia. Furthermore, the turtle heart is well adapted to handle the adverse effects of free phosphate arising when phosphocreatine stores are used. Anoxia causes tenfold reductions in heart rate and blood flows that match the metabolic depression, and blood pressure is largely maintained through increased systemic vascular resistance. Depression of the heart rate is not driven by the autonomic nervous system and seems to arise from direct effects of oxygen lack and the associated hyperkalaemia and acidosis on the cardiac pacemaker. These intra- and extracellular changes also affect cardiac contractility, and both acidosis and hyperkalaemia severely depress cardiac contractility. However, increased levels of adrenaline and calcium may, at least partially, salvage cardiac function under prolonged periods of anoxia.