bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nitric oxide and nursing: a review
Authors: Stephens Caroline , Fawcett Tonks N 
Published: December 2006

Aims and objectives.  This paper, therefore, aimed to review published literature in this area of pharmacological exploitation, to look at the therapeutic applications and clinical relevance and, by so doing, provide an accessible source for nurses to gain insight into the role of nitric oxide in the clinical setting.Background.  Nitric oxide is a chemical mediator fundamental in the maintenance of adequate tissue perfusion and effective cardiovascular function; a major endogenous regulator of vascular tone. The use of nitrates are well established as pharmacological agents but it is only recently that it has been recognized that they act as a source of nitric oxide. Although widely addressed within the medical literature, there appears to be a paucity of nursing literature that explores either its physiological action, or its relevance to nursing practice.Conclusions.  This literature review provides an overview of the use of nitric oxide and its implications for nursing practice and patient outcomes.Relevance to clinical practice.  Knowledge of nitric oxide and its action is pertinent to nurses across diverse specialities. It helps in understanding the principles of many nitrogen‐derived medications which nurses administer to their patients on a daily basis. In terms of oral medication, this is demonstrated by greater insights into the action of nitrates, the appreciation of surprising developments in medications such as sildenafil and the development of new drug opportunities such as nitric oxide–non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs. Equally, the use of inhaled nitric oxide therapy in adult and neonatal critical care units appears to be an increasingly valuable source of treatment. A particular research challenge is found in the attempt at nitric oxide inhibition in the management of septic shock. The authors argue that understanding such esoteric areas of therapeutic developments is increasingly to be part of the repertoire of knowledge and skills for nurses in the 21st century.
Assessing the balance capabilities of people with profound intellectual disabilities who have experienced a fall
Authors: Hale L. , Bray A. , Littmann A. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground  Although it is common for people with intellectual disability (ID) to fall, the reasons for this have not yet been identified. This pilot study aimed to explore the balance capabilities of a sample of adults with profound ID who had experienced a fall, in order to identify possible reasons for falling and to identify potential tests that could be used to quantify balance capabilities in this population group.Methods  The neuromuscular systems and balance capabilities of 20 adults with profound ID were comprehensively assessed with a battery of tests, including computerized posturography.Results  Of the 20 participants, 15 described themselves as frequent fallers, and 10 participants reported serious injuries as a result of falling. Formalized assessment of the neuromuscular and balance capabilities proved to be challenging, with many participants unable to comprehend what was required of them in the performance of a number of the tests. All participants were observed to have an abnormal pattern of walking. Nine participants completed posturography testing, the main finding of which was that low motor control composite scores indicated a slowing of motor responses to postural perturbations. Other potential risk factors identified were concurrent medical problems, medication, the context and environment of falling, movement impulsiveness and distractibility, and visual deficits.Conclusion  The reason why people with ID frequently fall appears complex and multifactorial. Larger studies are required to verify the potential risk factors identified in this pilot study. Many of the standardized outcome measures commonly used in physiotherapy practice to quantify balance capabilities are not suitable for use in this population group, as participants found it difficult to comprehend what was required of them. Allowing the person to become familiarized with both the test and the tester may help to alleviate this problem. Videotaping and quantifying observations of strategies people use to perform common movements such as walking or turning maybe a more appropriate measurement tool of balance capabilities of people with ID than current standardized measures. This method would require rigorous development.
A preliminary study of screening for risk of autism in children with fragile X syndrome: testing two risk cut‐offs for the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers
Authors: Scambler D. J. , Hepburn S. L. , Hagerman R. J. , Rogers S. J. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractObjective  Risk criteria for the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) and modified risk criteria (i.e. the Denver Criteria) were compared in a group of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism.Method  Participants were 17 children aged 2–4 years with DNA confirmation of FXS. Four children had autism and 13 children did not.Results  Preliminary findings regarding the sensitivity and specificity of the CHAT for detecting risk for autism in children with FXS are as follows: using the original CHAT risk criteria, sensitivity and specificity were 50% and 100%, respectively; and using the Denver Criteria, sensitivity and specificity were 75% and 92%, respectively.Conclusions  The CHAT and the Denver Criteria resulted in preliminary findings suggesting high levels of sensitivity to autism in children with FXS.
Resource‐based adaptive divergence in the freshwater fishTelmatherinafrom Lake Matano, Indonesia
Authors: ROY DENIS , PATERSON GORD , HAMILTON PAUL B. , HEATH DANIEL D. , HAFFNER G. DOUGLAS 
Published: December 2006

AbstractAdaptive radiations are an important source of biodiversity, but resolving which ecological pressures seed these processes in natural systems remains difficult. Here the adaptive radiation amongTelmatherina, a genus of freshwater fish endemic to an ancient lake in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, was examined to determine its causal root. We demonstrate that allTelmatherinain this lake can be categorized into three lineages each possessing specialized skull shapes and pharyngeal jaw bones allowing them to exploit different resources. These data demonstrate a natural example of how resource partitioning has likely initiated adaptive radiation in a resource limited environment.
Phylogeography and environmental correlates of a cap on reproduction: teat number in a small marsupial, Antechinus agilis
Authors: BECKMAN J. , BANKS S. C. , SUNNUCKS P. , LILL A. , TAYLOR A. C. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractNatural selection should optimize litter size in response to the distribution and abundance of resources during breeding. In semelparous, litter‐bearing antechinuses, teat number limits litter size. Consequently adaptation has been inferred in explaining intraspecific, geographic variability in teat number for several Antechinus spp. The phylogeography of teat number variation and associated genetic divergence were assessed in A. agilis using nine microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data. Six‐teat Otway Range animals were divergent in microsatellite allele identity and frequencies: samples from three Otway six‐teat sites demonstrated significantly greater similarity genetically to those from six‐teat animals ∼250 km to the west, than to nearby Otway 10‐teat samples, or to the six‐teat animals at Wilsons Promontory. Gene flow between Otway phenotypes appears to have been limited for sufficient time to enable different microsatellite alleles to evolve. Nonetheless, nuclear genetic evidence suggested only incomplete reproductive isolation, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes showed no association with teat number. Other populations across the range were no more genetically differentiated from one another than expected from geographic separation. Principal components and distance‐based redundancy analyses found an association between environmental variables and geographic distribution of A. agilis teat number — six‐teat animals inhabit more temperate forests, whilst those with more teats experience greater seasonality. The apparent restricted breeding between phenotypically distinct animals, together with phylogenetically separate groups of six‐teat animals in different locations with similar environments, are consistent with the hypothesis that adaptation to different habitats drives teat number variation in A. agilis.
Understanding the genetic effects of recent habitat fragmentation in the context of evolutionary history: phylogeography and landscape genetics of a southern California endemic Jerusalem cricket (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae:Stenopelmatus)
Authors: VANDERGAST AMY G. , BOHONAK ANDREW J. , WEISSMAN DAVID B. , FISHER ROBERT N. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractHabitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization are the most pervasive threats to biodiversity in southern California. Loss of habitat and fragmentation can lower migration rates and genetic connectivity among remaining populations of native species, reducing genetic variability and increasing extinction risk. However, it may be difficult to separate the effects of recent anthropogenic fragmentation from the genetic signature of prehistoric fragmentation due to previous natural geological and climatic changes. To address these challenges, we examined the phylogenetic and population genetic structure of a flightless insect endemic to cismontane southern California,Stenopelmatus‘mahogani’ (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae). Analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data suggest that diversification across southern California began during the Pleistocene, with most haplotypes currently restricted to a single population. Patterns of genetic divergence correlate with contemporary urbanization, even after correcting for (geographical information system) GIS‐based reconstructions of fragmentation during the Pleistocene. Theoretical simulations confirm that contemporary patterns of genetic structure could be produced by recent urban fragmentation using biologically reasonable assumptions about model parameters. Diversity within populations was positively correlated with current fragment size, but not prehistoric fragment size, suggesting that the effects of increased drift following anthropogenic fragmentation are already being seen. Loss of genetic connectivity and diversity can hinder a population's ability to adapt to ecological perturbations commonly associated with urbanization, such as habitat degradation, climatic changes and introduced species. Consequently, our results underscore the importance of preserving and restoring landscape connectivity for long‐term persistence of low vagility native species.
Regulation of tylosin production: role of a TylP‐interactive ligand
Authors: Bignell Dawn R. D. , Bate Neil , Cundliffe Eric 
Published: December 2006

SummaryGamma‐butyrolactones regulate secondary metabolism and, sometimes, sporulation in actinomycetes by binding to specific receptor proteins, causing their dissociation from DNA targets and releasing the latter from transcriptional repression. Previously, in engineered strains of Streptomyces lividans, we showed that TylP, a deduced gamma‐butyrolactone receptor, downregulated reporter gene expression driven by tylP, tylQ or tylS promoter DNA. These genes all control tylosin production in Streptomyces fradiae. Thus, at early stages of fermentation, TylQ represses tylR whereas TylS is needed for transcriptional activation of tylR. Importantly, TylR is the key activator of tylosin‐biosynthetic genes. Here, we show that HIS‐tagged TylP binds to specific DNA sequences, similar to the targets for authentic gamma‐butyrolactone receptors, in the promoters of tylP, tylQ and tylS. Moreover, such binding is disrupted by material produced in S. fradiae and extractable by organic solvent. That putative gamma‐butyrolactone material was not produced when orf18 * was disrupted within the S. fradiae genome and only about 1% of that activity survived inactivation of orf16 *, suggesting roles for the respective gene products in gamma‐butyrolactone synthesis. Continued synthesis of tylosin by the disrupted strains contrasts with other reports that loss of gamma‐butyrolactones abolishes antibiotic production.
The ultraluminous and hyperluminous infrared galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and 6dF Galaxy Survey
Authors: Hwang Ho Seong , Serjeant Stephen , Lee Myung Gyoon , Lee Kang Hwan , White Glenn J. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract
We present a result of cross-correlating the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Faint Source Catalogue with the spectroscopic catalogues of galaxies in the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Final Data Release of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the Second Data Release of the 6dF Galaxy Survey. We have identified 324 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) including 190 newly discovered ULIRGs, and two hyperluminous infrared galaxies. Adding these new ULIRGs, we increase the number of known ULIRGs by about 30 per cent. The reliability of the cross-correlation is estimated using the likelihood ratio method. The incompleteness of our sample introduced by the identification procedure in this study is estimated to be about 5 per cent. Our sample covers the redshift range of z= 0.037–0.517 with a median redshift of , which is larger than that of the sample of previously known ULIRGs.
Components of resistance to fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat detected in a seed‐germination assay with Microdochium majus and the relationship to FHB disease development and mycotoxin accumulation from Fusarium graminearum infection
Authors: Browne R. A. 
Published: December 2006

Components of partial disease resistance (PDR) to fusarium head blight (FHB), detected in a seed‐germination assay, were compared with whole‐plant FHB resistance of 30 USA soft red winter wheat entries in the 2002 Uniform Southern FHB Nursery. Highly significant (P < 0·001) differences between cultivars in the in vitro seed‐germination assay inoculated with Microdochium majus were correlated to FHB disease incidence (r = −0·41; P < 0·05), severity (r = −0·47; P < 0·01), FHB index (r = −0·46; P < 0·01), damaged kernels (r = −0·52; P < 0·01), grain deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration (r = −0·40; P < 0·05) and incidence/severity/kernel‐damage index (ISK) (r = −0·45; P < 0·01) caused by Fusarium graminearum. Multiple linear regression analysis explained a greater percentage of variation in FHB resistance using the seed‐germination assay and the previously reported detached‐leaf assay PDR components as explanatory factors. Shorter incubation periods, longer latent periods, shorter lesion lengths in the detached‐leaf assay and higher germination rates in the seed‐germination assay were related to greater FHB resistance across all disease variables, collectively explaining 62% of variation for incidence, 49% for severity, 56% for F. graminearum‐damaged kernels (FDK), 39% for DON and 59% for ISK index. Incubation period was most strongly related to disease incidence and the early stages of infection, while resistance detected in the seed germination assay and latent period were more strongly related to FHB disease severity. Resistance detected using the seed‐germination assay was notable as it related to greater decline in the level of FDK and a smaller reduction in DON than would have been expected from the reduction in FHB disease assessed by visual symptoms.
Quantification of Cylindrocarpon destructans f. sp. panacis in soils by real‐time PCR
Authors: Kernaghan G. , Reeleder R. D. , Hoke S. M. T. 
Published: December 2006

Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is an important cash crop in various regions of North America, but yields are often reduced by various root pathogens. A quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) assay for Cylindrocarpon destructans f. sp. panacis (CDP), the cause of a root rot and replant disease which discourages successive cropping of ginseng on the same site, was developed to quantify the levels of this pathogen in soils previously cropped with ginseng. DNA was extracted from 5‐g samples of soil. In pasteurized soils which were re‐infested with varying levels of the pathogen, qPCR estimates of pathogen DNA were significantly correlated with disease severity (r = 0·494) and with counts of colony‐forming units (r = 0·620) obtained with an agar medium. In several naturally infested field soils, qPCR estimates of CDP‐DNA concentration were significantly correlated with disease severity (r = 0·765) and these concentrations were estimated to range from 0 to 1·48 ng g−1 dried soil. A principal components analysis did not show any strong relationships between soil chemistry factors and the concentration of pathogen DNA. The approach outlined here allows the quantification of current populations of CDP in soil many years after ginseng cultivation and the prediction of disease severity in future crops. The method should be generally applicable to root diseases of many crops.
Incidence of five viruses infecting sweetpotatoes in Uganda; the first evidence of Sweet potato caulimo‐like virus in Africa
Authors: Aritua V. , Bua B. , Barg E. , Vetten H. J. , Adipala E. , Gibson R. W. 
Published: December 2006

In a survey of most sweetpotato‐growing areas of Uganda, virus‐like diseases were observed in all districts surveyed. Out of 338 fields sampled in 35 of the then 42 districts, 219 (65%) had some plants with symptoms. The most common symptoms included vein clearing, mottling, leaf distortion, yellowing, stunting and leaf strapping. Particularly high virus‐like disease incidences (means of 34–86%) were encountered in districts around Lake Victoria and in the Rift Valley in southern and western parts of Uganda; particularly low incidences were encountered in the east and north of Uganda. Using four formats of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in combination with immunoelectron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction assays, five viruses were identified. Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) were most commonly detected, being found in about 90% of samples. Sweet potato mild mottle virus at 10%, Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV) at 8% and Sweet potato caulimo‐like virus (SPCaLV) at 0·07% were more rarely detected. Most infections were multiple, SPCSV + SPFMV constituting > 90% of all double infections. Triple infections, involving mainly SPFMV, SPCSV and either SPMMV or SPCFV, and quadruple infections of SPFMV + SPCSV + SPMMV + SPCFV were observed in < 10% of the diseased samples. The identification of SPCaLV is the first evidence of its occurrence in Africa.
Red colouration in apple fruit is due to the activity of the MYB transcription factor, MdMYB10
Authors: Espley Richard V. , Hellens Roger P. , Putterill Jo , Stevenson David E. , Kutty‐Amma Sumathi , Allan Andrew C. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryAnthocyanin concentration is an important determinant of the colour of many fruits. In apple (Malus × domestica), centuries of breeding have produced numerous varieties in which levels of anthocyanin pigment vary widely and change in response to environmental and developmental stimuli. The apple fruit cortex is usually colourless, although germplasm does exist where the cortex is highly pigmented due to the accumulation of either anthocyanins or carotenoids. From studies in a diverse array of plant species, it is apparent that anthocyanin biosynthesis is controlled at the level of transcription. Here we report the transcript levels of the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in a red‐fleshed apple compared with a white‐fleshed cultivar. We also describe an apple MYB transcription factor, MdMYB10, that is similar in sequence to known anthocyanin regulators in other species. We further show that this transcription factor can induce anthocyanin accumulation in both heterologous and homologous systems, generating pigmented patches in transient assays in tobacco leaves and highly pigmented apple plants following stable transformation with constitutively expressed MdMYB10. Efficient induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in transient assays by MdMYB10 was dependent on the co‐expression of two distinct bHLH proteins from apple, MdbHLH3 and MdbHLH33. The strong correlation between the expression of MdMYB10 and apple anthocyanin levels during fruit development suggests that this transcription factor is responsible for controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple fruit; in the red‐fleshed cultivar and in the skin of other varieties, there is an induction of MdMYB10 expression concurrent with colour formation during development. Characterization of MdMYB10 has implications for the development of new varieties through classical breeding or a biotechnological approach.
Human MHC region harbors both susceptibility and protective haplotypes for coronary artery disease
Authors: Palikhe A. , Sinisalo J. , Seppänen M. , Valtonen V. , Nieminen M. S. , Lokki M. L. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractAiming to study the role of human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region on coronary artery disease (CAD), we enrolled two separate patient materials and controls. First, heart transplantation recipients (n= 276) were divided into three subgroups according to the severity of atherosclerosis. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐A–B–DR haplotype and gene frequencies were compared between groups. Second, patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n= 100) and healthy controls (n= 74) were assessed by nine genetic MHC markers (HLA‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐DRB1, LTA+253(a/g), LTA+496(C/T), LTA+633(c/g), LTA+724(C/A), C4A and C4B), and the frequencies were compared. In the heart transplantation recipients, HLA‐DR1 was strongly associated with CAD [severe vs no evidence, odds ratio (OR) 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–4.25; P= 0.003]. Similarly, in the patients with ACS, HLA‐DRB1*01 was associated with CAD (patients vs controls, OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.25–4.44; P= 0.007). HLA‐DRB1*01 was associated with low‐density‐lipoprotein cholesterol (OR 5.32; 95% CI 1.64–17.26; P= 0.005) and smoking habit (OR 3.13; 95% CI 1.09–9.03; P= 0.035) as risk factors. The strongest protective gene was HLA‐B*07 alone (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.24–0.88; P= 0.02) or together with the haplotype LTA+253a−LTA+633g−C4A3−C4B1 (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.22–0.57; P= 0.00001). In conclusion, human MHC region harbors genes that protect from and predispose to CAD.
Rationalizing blood transfusion in cardiac surgery: preliminary findings with a red cell volume‐based model
Authors: Slight R. D. , Fung A. K. Y. , Alonzi C. , Bappu N. J. , McClelland D. B. L. , Mankad P. S. 
Published: December 2006

Background and Objectives  Cardiac surgery, utilizing extracorporeal circulation, is associated with a heavy fluid load that may significantly depress haemoglobin concentration. Thus, considering haemoglobin alone may be an inaccurate method of replacing red cell volume loss. This study was designed to examine the impact on red cell transfusion of a red cell volume‐based guideline.Materials and Methods  Patients were randomized to receive red cells as dictated by the red cell volume‐based guideline or a haemoglobin‐based protocol. End‐points considered were red cell transfusion and clinical outcome.Results  Patients transfused as per the red cell volume‐based guideline received significantly less red cells with no associated difference in clinical outcome.Conclusion  Considering haemoglobin concentration alone may significantly overestimate the requirement for red cell transfusion in elective cardiac surgery patients.