bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conservation of water cycle on land via restoration of natural closed‐canopy forests: implications for regional landscape planning
Authors: Makarieva Anastassia M. , Gorshkov Victor G. , Li Bai‐Lian 
Published: October 2006

AbstractInvestigating the role of forests for maintenance of the water cycle on land is critically important in the current situation of rapid global elimination of the natural vegetation cover. In this paper we contribute to the on‐going discussion of the issue with two aspects. (1) Theoretical consideration of the water cycle on land reveals the importance of correct identification of independent and dependent terms in the water budget with respect to changing vegetation cover for understanding possible scenarios of water cycle change under anthropogenic impact. An important controlling influence of the vegetation cover is imposed on the outgoing fluxes of atmospheric moisture A− from land to the ocean, which is maximized in deserts and minimized in forested areas, while the dependencies for runoff and precipitation are the reverse. (2) Physical mechanisms allowing for efficient water retention and minimization of A− in forest ecosystems are investigated. Atmospheric water vapor is in aerostatic equilibrium when the temperature lapse rate is less than G = 1.9 K km−1 and out of aerostatic equilibrium when G > 1.9 K km−1. In the former case there are no vertical upward fluxes of the evaporated water. It is shown that the temperature profiles developed under the closed canopies of natural forests keep water vapor in aerostatic equilibrium preventing soil moisture loss to A−, in contrast to the situation in open ecosystems like grasslands. The analyzed evidence allows one to conclude that an intensive water cycle on land can be restored after recovery of natural, self‐sustained closed canopy ecosystems on continent‐wide areas.
Reverse sural artery flap for distal lower extremity defects
Authors: ŞAVK Öner , ŞAVK Ekin 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTTraumatic and various dermatological conditions resulting in skin and subcutaneous tissue loss on the lower limb cause a therapeutic challenge for the dermatological surgeon, because this anatomical location lacks adequate skin laxity and has limited local soft tissue, especially around the heel. In this report, we present our experience with the reverse sural artery flap on seven patients. The soft tissue defect was traumatic in two patients. We also treated three diabetic patients. There were no immediate or late surgical complications in four cases; flap and donor site healing was uneventful. The remaining three cases were diabetic, and all presented with the following complications: rejection of split skin graft at donor site, infection at the flap border and superficial flap necrosis. The flap necrosis was concluded to be at least in part due to the patient's noncompliance with postoperative measures. We conclude that the reverse sural artery flap is a satisfactory alternative in the reconstruction of lower limb defects, but we also feel that the importance of proper evaluation prior to surgery in terms of vascular impairment and patient compliance should be emphasized to ensure a successful surgical outcome.
Effectiveness of an ‘half elemental diet’ as maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease: a randomized‐controlled trial
Authors: TAKAGI S. , UTSUNOMIYA K. , KURIYAMA S. , YOKOYAMA H. , TAKAHASHI S. , IWABUCHI M. , TAKAHASHI H. , TAKAHASHI S. , KINOUCHI Y. , HIWATASHI N. , FUNAYAMA Y. , SASAKI I. , TSUJI I. , SHIMOSEGAWA T. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryBackgroundAlthough thiopurines have a proven role in maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease, an alternative therapy is needed for patients intolerant or resistant to thiopurines.AimTo evaluate the effectiveness of home enteral nutrition as a maintenance therapy regimen in which half of the daily calorie requirement is provided by an elemental diet and the remaining half by a free diet. We refer to this home enteral nutrition therapy as ‘half elemental diet’.MethodsBetween 2002 and 2005, 51 patients in remission from two hospitals were randomly assigned to a half elemental diet group (n = 26) or a free diet group (n = 25). The primary outcome measure of this study was the occurrence of relapse over the 2‐year period.ResultsThe relapse rate in the half elemental diet group was significantly lower [34.6% vs. 64.0%; multivariate hazard ratio 0.40 (95% CI: 0.16–0.98)] than that in the free diet group after a mean follow‐up of 11.9 months. Compliance was similar in the two groups. No adverse event occurred in any of the patients throughout the study.ConclusionThis randomized‐controlled trial shows the effectiveness of an half elemental diet, which is a promising maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease patients.
Increased risk of fundic gland polyps during long‐term proton pump inhibitor therapy
Authors: JALVING M. , KOORNSTRA J. J. , WESSELING J. , BOEZEN H. M. , DE JONG S. , KLEIBEUKER J. H. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryBackgroundIt is controversial whether proton pump inhibitor use leads to fundic gland polyp development.AimTo determine whether fundic gland polyp development is due to proton pump inhibitor use and to investigate mechanisms involved.MethodsProton pump inhibitor use and the presence of fundic gland polyps were assessed in consecutive patients undergoing oesophagogastroduodenoscopy. Biopsies from fundic gland polyps and gastric mucosa were taken. Dysplasia was graded as negative, low or high grade. Prevalence of parietal cell hyperplasia and parietal cell protrusions and the proportional cystic area were assessed.Results599 patients participated, 322 used proton pump inhibitors, 107 had fundic gland polyps. Long‐term proton pump inhibitor use was associated with an increased risk of fundic gland polyps (1–4.9 years use: OR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.3–3.8; ≥5 years: OR 3.8, 95% CI: 2.2–6.7) while short‐term therapy (<1 year) was not (OR 1.0, 95% CI: 0.5–1.8). Low‐grade dysplasia was found in one fundic gland polyp. Fundic gland polyps associated with long‐term proton pump inhibitor use had a larger proportional cystic area and higher frequency of parietal cell hyperplasia and parietal cell protrusion.ConclusionsLong‐term proton pump inhibitor use is associated with an up to fourfold increase in the risk of fundic gland polyps. Risk of dysplasia is negligible. Aetiologically, these polyps seem to arise because of parietal cell hyperplasia and parietal cell protrusions resulting from acid suppression.
A comparison of an anterior jaw lift manoeuvre with the Berman airway for assisting fibreoptic orotracheal intubation*
Authors: Iqbal R. , Gardner‐Thorpe C. , Thompson J. , Popat M. T. , Yentis S. M. , Pandit J. J. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryThis study compared the efficacy of an anterior jaw lift manoeuvre with that of the Berman airway in clearing the upper airway during oral fibreoptic tracheal intubation in anaesthetised, paralysed patients. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to undergo fibreoptic‐assisted intubation with one method, followed by crossover to the alternative method. The time taken to view the vocal cords was the primary endpoint, and we also noted the rate of failure to view the cords, i.e. cords not seen after 120 s of endoscopy. Anterior jaw lift yielded significantly shorter times to view the vocal cords (median [interquartile range; range]: 22 [17–46; 7–120] s vs 40 [29–67; 21–120] s, p = 0.001) and a higher success rate (49/50 vs 42/50, p = 0.014). We conclude that the anterior jaw lift is more effective than the Berman device for achieving airway clearance in this setting.
Brain stem death testing after thiopental use: a survey of UK neuro critical care practice*
Authors: Pratt O. W. , Bowles B. , Protheroe R. T. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryA postal survey was conducted to determine how thiopental is used in UK neurosurgery critical care units. Thirty units were contacted and 26 replied. Thiopental is used in 23 units. The majority (60%) of these units govern the use of thiopental with protocols or guidelines and 74% use cerebral monitoring to guide dosage. When patients have had thiopental, 20 units delay brain stem testing, two will not perform tests and one unit incorporates cerebral angiography into their protocol. Twelve units use serum thiopental assays in their brain stem testing procedures, but there is wide variation in the interpretation of the results. We found inconsistency and confusion surrounding brain stem testing in this patient group, raising the possibility of misdiagnosis of brain stem death.
Combinations of common chronic paediatric diseases deviate the immune response in diverging directions
Authors: Nilsson L , Kivling A , Jalmelid M , Magnusson K Fälth , Faresjö M 
Published: October 2006

Summary
The cytokine pattern of T lymphocytes has not been characterized in children with combinations of paediatric immunological disorders. We describe cytokine secretion in children with type 1 diabetes, coeliac disease and allergy and combinations of two of these diseases after stimulation with ‘disease-specific’ antigens. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 68 children with type 1 diabetes, allergy or coeliac disease, two of these diseases in combination or none of these diseases. Using the enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) technique, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 were analysed from fresh PBMC spontaneously and after in vitro stimulation with antigens associated with one or more of these diseases (insulin, gluten, birch and cat extract, β-lactoglobulin, ovalbumin and phytohaemagglutinin) in order to divide T helper (Th)1- from Th2-like lymphocytes. Stimulation with birch and cat extract caused increased IL-4 secretion in allergic children. A low IFN-γ response to insulin was found in type 1 diabetic children, whereas allergic children responded to insulin by increased IL-4 secretion. Children suffering from both type 1 diabetes (Th1-prone) and allergy (Th2-prone) reacted distinctly to general mitogen stimulation. Children suffering from two Th1-dominated diseases (type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease) showed hardly any response to either food or inhalation allergens. Our results indicate an important interplay between common immunological diseases in children. The combination of two Th1-deviated diseases is associated with a suppressed immune response, whereas a combination of Th1- and Th2-dominated diseases appears to increase the general immune response.
Fetal gonadotrope cell origin of FSH‐secreting pituitary adenoma – insight into human pituitary tumour pathogenesis
Authors: Davis J. R. E. , McNeilly J. R. , Norris A. J. , Pope C. , Wilding M. , McDowell G. , Holland J. P. , McNeilly A. S. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryObjective  The pathogenesis of human pituitary adenomas remains unclear, but we report a case of FSH‐secreting pituitary adenoma whose monohormonal phenotype suggests it was of fetal origin.Patients  A 28‐year‐old woman presented with abdominal discomfort and irregular menses, enlarged multicystic ovaries and elevated serum oestradiol, with sustained high‐normal FSH and low LH levels.Measurements  Endocrine studies were performed before and after curative surgery, with assessment of tumour hormone secretion in vitro, and immunostaining of tumour tissue for a series of gonadotrope proteins.Results  Immunocytochemistry showed that tumour cells were monohormonal for FSH. Normal components of gonadotrope signalling pathways were expressed, including oestrogen receptor‐α, activin receptors, secretogranin‐II and chromogranin‐A. β‐glycan, the putative inhibin coreceptor, was absent. Tumour culture in vitro confirmed secretion of FSH with minimal LH, that was unsuppressed by oestradiol or inhibin‐A. Human fetal pituitary tissue contained FSH‐only cells at 18 weeks gestation, whereas normal adult pituitary tissue contained only bihormonal gonadotropes.Conclusions  We propose that this pituitary adenoma represents an indolent tumour of monohormonal fetal gonadotrope cells that originated early in gestation. Pituitary tumours may therefore arise from abnormal persistence of fetal cell types, with extremely slow growth over many years until reaching a size threshold to generate an endocrine syndrome. Understanding fetal pituitary architecture and function may be more informative for new insights into pituitary tumour pathogenesis than classical theories of cancer biology that invoke unrestrained cell proliferation.
A revision of a job evaluation system
Authors: Kahya Emin 
Published: October 2006

Aims.  This paper reports a revision of the United Kingdom's National Health Service Job Evaluation System and tests the revised system in eight clinical nursing management jobs in four Turkish hospitals.Background.  A job evaluation system was developed in the United Kingdom in 2003–2004. Most studies have focused on how the whole system will be implemented in a health organization. No study investigating proficiency of the system in terms of factors and their level definitions was found.Methods.  The factors Knowledge, Training and experience and Working conditions were divided into five factors: Knowledge, Experience, Education, Environmental conditions and Hazards. To test the revised system, all the nursing management jobs in four hospitals were evaluated using a factor‐based questionnaire including nurses’ demographic information and 19 variables. The questionnaire was distributed to 57 supervisor nurses in 31 clinics at four hospitals in one Turkish city in 2005. All the questionnaires were analysed to evaluate the jobs.Results.  The job scores change depending on clinical conditions. Although the score range in the National Health Service Job Evaluation system has been determined as 405–465 points (band VI) for Nurse team leader and 469–536 points (band VII) for Nurse team manager jobs, the job scores in the present study were 363 (band V) – 557 points (band VIIIa) and 379 (band V) – 586 points (band VIIIa) respectively.Conclusion.  Although this exploratory study was limited to four hospitals in one city in Turkey, the results indicated that two new jobs would be identified in the National Health Service system to match the jobs in the intensive care and emergency units.
Validation of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument
Authors: Lee Linda YK , Lee Diana TF , Woo Jean , Wong Eric MC 
Published: October 2006

Aim.  To assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument.Background.  Resident's satisfaction has been regarded by the literature as a gold standard for quality of nursing home care. Accurate assessment of resident's satisfaction can provide valuable information for implementation of quality nursing home care. However, there is not a validated Chinese tool to serve the purpose.Design.  A cross‐sectional descriptive survey design.Methods.  Content validity of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument was assessed by the use of expert panel. Construct validity of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument was determined by assessing the correlation between satisfaction with other theoretically related constructs. Internal consistency and stability of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument were determined by Cronbach's method and two‐week test–retest reliability. The six‐factor structure of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. Testing was performed on a cluster sample of 330 residents from 16 nursing homes in Hong Kong.Results.  The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument demonstrated good content validity by having content validity index of 0·93. High construct validity of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument was supported by its significant correlation with depression (r = −0·42, P = 0·000), health‐related quality of life (physical component) (r = 0·16, P = 0·042), health‐related quality of life (mental component) (r = 0·41, P = 0·000) and global quality of care (r = 0·49, P = 0·000). The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and good stability by having Cronbach's alpha of 0·79 and intra‐class correlation coefficient of 0·94, respectively. The six‐factor structure of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument was not fully supported by confirmatory factor analysis.Conclusions.  The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument is a useful instrument for assessing satisfaction of cognitively intact Chinese nursing home residents. Findings provided initial evidence on its validity and reliability. Further empirical testing is recommended to explore its factor structure.Relevance to clinical practice.  The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with the Nursing Home Instrument can provide guidance to enhance delivery of high‐quality nursing home care for the Chinese population.
Caring for patients of Islamic denomination: critical care nurses’ experiences in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Halligan Phil 
Published: October 2006

Aim.  To describe the critical care nurses’ experiences in caring for patients of Muslim denomination in Saudi Arabia.Background.  Caring is known to be the essence of nursing but many health‐care settings have become more culturally diverse. Caring has been examined mainly in the context of Western cultures. Muslims form one of the largest ethnic minority communities in Britain but to date, empirical studies relating to caring from an Islamic perspective is not well documented. Research conducted within the home of Islam would provide essential truths about the reality of caring for Muslim patients.Design.  Phenomenological descriptive.Methods.  Six critical care nurses were interviewed from a hospital in Saudi Arabia. The narratives were analysed using Colaizzi's framework.Results.  The meaning of the nurses’ experiences emerged as three themes: family and kinship ties, cultural and religious influences and nurse–patient relationship. The results indicated the importance of the role of the family and religion in providing care. In the process of caring, the participants felt stressed and frustrated and they all experienced emotional labour. Communicating with the patients and the families was a constant battle and this acted as a further stressor in meeting the needs of their patients.Conclusions.  The concept of the family and the importance and meaning of religion and culture were central in the provision of caring. The beliefs and practices of patients who follow Islam, as perceived by expatriate nurses, may have an effect on the patient's health care in ways that are not apparent to many health‐care professionals and policy makers internationally.Relevance to clinical practice.  Readers should be prompted to reflect on their clinical practice and to understand the impact of religious and cultural differences in their encounters with patients of Islam denomination. Policy and all actions, decisions and judgments should be culturally derived.
Supported employment improves cognitive performance in adults with Autism
Authors: García‐Villamisar D. , Hughes C. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground  The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a supported employment programme on measures of executive functions for 44 adults with autism, assessed at the beginning and the end of the programme period. The average length of time of the community employment was 30 months.Methods  Based on their predominant work activity over the study period, participants were classified into two groups: supported employment and unemployed. At the start of the programme, the groups did not differ on any of the cognitive measures.Results  Repeated measures analysis of variance (anova) demonstrated that by the end of the programme, the supported employment group showed higher scores for executive functions on variables of CANTAB (Spatial Span Task – span length recalled; Spatial Working Memory Task – strategy; Planning task ‘Stockings of Cambridge’– problems solved in minimum moves; Planning task ‘Stockings of Cambridge’– mean planning time) and other tasks such as Trail Making Test – part B, time; Matching Familiar Figures (first answer and errors). In contrast, the unemployed group showed no change over time in their cognitive performance.Conclusion  Results of this study suggested that vocational rehabilitation programmes have a beneficial impact upon cognitive performance in people with autism.
A chloroplast genealogy of myrmecophyticMacarangaspecies (Euphorbiaceae) in Southeast Asia reveals hybridization, vicariance and long‐distance dispersals
Authors: BÄNFER GUDRUN , MOOG UTE , FIALA BRIGITTE , MOHAMED MARYATI , WEISING KURT , BLATTNER FRANK R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractMacaranga(Euphorbiaceae) includes about 280 species with a palaeotropic distribution. The genus not only comprises some of the most prominent pioneer tree species in Southeast Asian lowland dipterocarp forests, it also exhibits a substantial radiation of ant‐plants (myrmecophytes). Obligate ant‐plant mutualisms are formed by about 30Macarangaspecies and 13 ant species of the generaCrematogasterorCamponotus. To improve our understanding of the co‐evolution of the ants and their host plants, we aim at reconstructing comparative organellar phylogeographies of both partners across their distributional range. Preliminary evidence indicated that chloroplast DNA introgression among closely relatedMacarangaspecies might occur. We therefore constructed a comprehensive chloroplast genealogy based on DNA sequence data from the noncoding ccmp2, ccmp6, andatpB‐rbcL regions for 144 individuals from 41Macarangaspecies, covering all major evolutionary lineages within the three sections that contain myrmecophytes. A total of 88 chloroplast haplotypes were identified, and grouped into a statistical parsimony network that clearly distinguished sections and well‐defined subsectional groups. Within these groups, the arrangement of haplotypes followed geographical rather than taxonomical criteria. Thus, up to six chloroplast haplotypes were found within single species, and up to seven species shared a single haplotype. The spatial distribution of the chloroplast types revealed several dispersals between the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, and a deep split between Sabah and the remainder of Borneo. Our large‐scale chloroplast genealogy highlights the complex history of migration, hybridization, and speciation in the myrmecophytes of the genusMacaranga. It will serve as a guideline for adequate sampling and data interpretation in phylogeographic studies of individualMacarangaspecies and species groups.