bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performance of four carbon dioxide absorbents in experimental and clinical settings
Authors: Yamakage M. , Takahashi K. , Takahashi M. , Satoh J.‐I. , Namiki A. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryTo evaluate the performance of four kinds of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbents (Medisorb® GE Healthcare, Amsorb® Plus Armstrong Medical, YabashiLime® Yabashi Industries, and Sodasorb® LF Grace Performance Chemicals), we measured their dust production, acceptability of colour indicator, and CO2 absorption capacity in in vitro experimental settings and the concentration of compound A in an inspired anaesthetic circuit during in vivo clinical practice. In vitro, the order of the dust amount was Sodasorb LF > Medisorb > Amsorb Plus = YabashiLime both before and after shaking. The order of the color acceptability was similar: Sodasorb LF > Amsorb Plus = Medisorb > YabashiLime both initially and 16 h after CO2 exhaustion. During exposure to 200 ml.min−1 CO2 in vitro, the period until 1 kg of fresh soda lime allowed inspired CO2 to increase to 0.7 kPa (as a mark of utilisation of the absorbent) was longer with Medisorb (1978 min) than with the other absorbents (1270–1375 min). In vivo, compound A (1.0% inspired sevoflurane) was detected only when using Medisorb. While Medisorb has the best ability to absorb CO2, it alone produces compound A.
Comparison of the Glidescope® and Airtraq® optical laryngoscopes in patients undergoing direct microlaryngoscopy
Authors: Lange M. , Frommer M. , Redel A. , Trautner H. , Hampel J. , Kranke P. , Kehl F. , Scholtz L. U. , Roewer N. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryOptical laryngoscopes have been developed to facilitate difficult airway management. The Airtraq® is a single‐use device and the GlideScope® is reusable. In this study, the Airtraq and the Glidescope were compared in 60 ASA I‐III patients with tumours of the upper airway undergoing direct endoscopic microlaryngoscopy. Patients were randomly assigned to the Airtraq or the Glidescope group and the Cormack and Lehane grade was assessed by Macintosh laryngoscopy prior to tracheal intubation. There were no differences in tracheal intubation success rates or duration of intubation attempts between both devices. The Cormack and Lehane grade was improved in 77% and 82% of cases in the Airtraq and Glidescope group, respectively. Blood traces on the device and traumatic pharyngeal lesions were found more frequently in the Airtraq group. The Airtraq and Glidescope laryngoscopes are valuable tools for the management of patients with potentially difficult airways with the Glidescope appearing to be less traumatic.
Ketamine or alfentanil administration prior to propofol anaesthesia: the effects on ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway insertion conditions and haemodynamic changes in children
Authors: Begec Z. , Demirbilek S. , Onal D. , Erdil F. , Ilksen Toprak H. , Ozcan Ersoy M. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryThis study was designed to compare the effects of ketamine and alfentanil administered prior to induction of anaesthesia with propofol, on the haemodynamic changes and ProSeal laryngeal mask airway® (PLMA) insertion conditions in children. Eighty children, aged between 3–132 months, were randomly allocated to receive either alfentanil 20 μg.kg−1 (alfentanil group) or ketamine 0.5 mg.kg−1 (ketamine group) before induction of anaesthesia. Ninety seconds following the administration of propofol 4 mg.kg−1, a PLMA was inserted. In the ketamine group, heart rate and mean arterial pressure were higher during the study period compared with the alfentanil group (p < 0.05). The time for the return of spontaneous ventilation was prolonged in the alfentanil group (p = 0.004). In conclusion, we found that the administration of ketamine 0.5 mg.kg−1 with propofol 4 mg.kg−1 preserved haemodynamic stability, and reduced the time to the return of spontaneous ventilation, compared with alfentanil 20 μg.kg−1 during PLMA placement. In addition, the conditions for insertion of the PLMA with ketamine were similar to those found with alfentanil.
Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single/multiple doses of the oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban in healthy Chinese subjects
Authors: Zhao Xia , Sun Peihong , Zhou Ying , Liu Yuwang , Zhang Huilin , Mueck Wolfgang , Kubitza Dagmar , Bauer Richard J. , Zhang Hong , Cui Yimin 
Published: February 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Rivaroxaban is an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor in advanced clinical development for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders.• In single‐ and multiple‐dose Phase I studies in White subjects, rivaroxaban was safe and demonstrated predictable, dose‐dependent pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • The Phase III programme with rivaroxaban is being conducted worldwide.• Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tolerability of rivaroxaban are altered in patients of different ethnic origins.• Dose‐escalation studies were conducted to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of rivaroxaban in healthy Chinese subjects.AIMSTo investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rivaroxaban, an oral, direct Factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor, in healthy, male Chinese subjects.METHODSTwo randomized, single‐blind, placebo‐controlled, dose‐escalation studies were conducted in healthy Chinese men aged 18–45 years. In the single‐dose study, subjects received single, oral doses of rivaroxaban 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg. In the multiple‐dose study, oral rivaroxaban was administered in doses of 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg twice daily for 6 days.RESULTSRivaroxaban, in single and multiple doses up to 60 mg, was well tolerated. Rapid absorption was observed in both studies (time to Cmax 1.25–2.5 h). In the multiple‐dose study, rivaroxaban exposure increased dose‐proportionally after the first dose and at steady state (for the 5–20‐mg doses). The half‐life of rivaroxaban was up to 7.9 h in the single‐dose study. Maximal inhibition of FXa activity was achieved within 1–3 h of dosing in the single‐dose study [at 20 mg FXa inhibition as a median percentage change from baseline, 45.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 44.64, 50.70] and 2–3 h after administration at steady state in the multiple‐dose study (at 20 mg median FXa inhibition as a median percentage change from baseline, 60.25; 95% CI 56.16, 63.05), in line with maximum rivaroxaban plasma concentrations.CONCLUSIONSRivaroxaban demonstrated predictable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy Chinese subjects, in line with findings observed previously in White subjects. This suggests that fixed doses of rivaroxaban may be administered to all patients, regardless of their ethnic origin.
Tumour necrosis factor-α processing in interstitial lung disease: a potential role for exogenous proteinase-3
Authors: Armstrong L , Godinho S I H , Uppington K M , Whittington H A , Millar A B 
Published: February 2009

SummaryTumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockade has become an important immunomodulatory therapy, particularly in patients refractory to conventional immunosuppression, but responses can be unpredictable. Understanding the complex biology of TNF processing may be key to predicting such responses and reduce unwanted side effects. TNF bioavailability is regulated partly by TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) cleavage; however, it can also be cleaved by proteinase-3 (PR-3). We have demonstrated this mechanism previously in healthy human alveolar macrophages (AM), leading us to hypothesize that PR-3-mediated TNF processing may be an important mechanism in inflammatory lung disease. Furthermore, this may be more apparent in diseases with a neutrophil component typical of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), compared with sarcoidosis, where lymphocytes predominate. We isolated AM from patients with UIP and sarcoidosis and healthy subjects. We found increased TACE expression on AM in sarcoidosis. In contrast, TACE was not increased in UIP; we found increased cleavage of glutathione S-transferase-proTNF) substrate, relative to both sarcoidosis and healthy controls. Furthermore, cleavage was subject to inhibition by serine protease inhibitor, rather than a TACE inhibitor BB-3103. Cleavage was proportional to the number of neutrophils isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage, whereas there was an inverse relationship between neutrophils and BB-3103 inhibition. There was also increased PR-3 on the AM surface in UIP relative to healthy controls. These data provide evidence for PR-3-mediated cleavage in UIP, which may have implications for future therapeutic targeting of TACE.
Estimation of total erosion in cultivated Black soils in northeast China from vertical profiles of soil organic carbon
Authors: Liang A. Z. , Zhang X. P. , Yang X. M. , Mclaughlin N. B. , Shen Y. , Li W. F. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryIt is difficult to estimate soil thickness eroded from annual erosion rates in cultivated Black soils in northeast China because of the uncertainty of the time when the soil was first cultivated for agricultural crops. Assuming soil organic carbon (SOC) profile curves for cultivated sites are the same as virgin sites before cultivation, it may be possible to estimate the total thickness of surface soils lost by erosion by vertical movement of plotted SOC profiles until those for the virgin and cultivated soils are superimposed. We collected pairs of soil samples (0–1 m) with one sample in each pair from a virgin site and the other from a nearby cultivated site in Heilongjiang province, northeast China. In undulating areas where soil erosion was moderate, the shapes of SOC distribution curves below 40 cm depth were nearly identical for both cultivated and virgin soils, but were offset vertically. This offset was attributed to the loss of surface soil by erosion in the cultivated land. By moving the distribution curve of SOC in cultivated soil downwards by 12.7 cm, we found nearly coincident curves below 45 cm for the virgin and cultivated soils. This thickness (12.7 cm) was believed to be the depth of soils that had been eroded since the onset of cultivation in Black soils in northeast China. We concluded that the amount of surface soil lost by erosion could be estimated from comparison of the vertical distribution of SOC in cultivated and virgin soils.
Land use, tillage, texture and organic matter stock and composition in tropical and subtropical Brazilian soils
Authors: Dieckow J. , Bayer C. , Conceição P. C. , Zanatta J. A. , Martin‐Neto L. , Milori D. B. M. , Salton J. C. , Macedo M. M. , Mielniczuk J. , Hernani L. C. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryWe examined the influence of land use change, tillage system and soil texture on organic carbon (C) stocks and on organic matter composition of tropical and subtropical soils from Brazil at four long‐term experiments (11–25 years) based on fine‐ and coarse‐textured soils. Soil samples were collected from the 0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm layers of conventional tillage (CT) and no‐till (NT) plots, and of the adjoining soil under native vegetation (NV) of Cerrado (tropical) or grassland (subtropical). Conversion of NV to CT resulted in losses of 7–29% of the original C stock of 0–20 cm; conversion to NT increased this C stock by 0–12% compared with CT. Organic matter composition of the 0–5 cm layer, assessed by solid state CPMAS‐13C‐NMR, ESR and laser induced fluorescence spectroscopies, was affected by land use and tillage systems. Conversion of NV to CT decreased O‐alkyl and increased aromatic, carbonyl, aromatic/O‐alkyl ratio, free radicals concentration and fluorescence signal. The opposite trend was observed when NT replaced CT. The relative losses and gains of C and qualitative changes resulting from land use and tillage were less evident in fine‐ than in coarse‐textured soils, suggesting a greater resistance and a smaller resilience of fine‐ compared with coarse‐textured soils. The direct relation between increase in C stock and increase in potentially labile moieties (e.g. O‐alkyl) and the decrease in more recalcitrant moieties (e.g. aromatics) in NT soils suggests that spatial inaccessibility by aggregates is playing a major role, compared with selective preservation, in promoting C accumulation in NT soils.
Age and functional ability are associated with self‐care practices used by women with metastatic breast cancer: an exploratory study
Authors: Norris Rebecca L , Liu Qin , Bauer‐Wu Susan 
Published: February 2009

Aim.  To describe self‐care practices used by women with metastatic breast cancer and to examine relationships between self‐care practices and patient characteristics.Background.  Self‐care involves the voluntary use of activities to promote one’s own well‐being. Individuals with advanced cancer are faced with multiple psychological and physical stressors. It is important to identify personal characteristics that are likely to influence patients’ preferred self‐care strategies.Design.  This cross‐sectional descriptive study was a secondary analysis of baseline data obtained from a longitudinal intervention trial. A convenience sample of stage IV breast cancer patients (N = 173) completed self‐administered questionnaires. Recruitment and data collection took place between April 2000–March 2003.Results.  This study demonstrates a high use and variety of self‐care practices in this sample of women with advanced‐stage breast cancer: confiding in family and friends, spiritual practices, physical exercise, group support activities and journal writing. Multivariate logistical regression analyses revealed that functional ability and age significantly predicted participation in self‐care activities. Higher levels of physical functioning were associated with use of physical exercise and lower levels of physical functioning were associated with journal writing. Additionally, younger age predicted participation in yoga/meditation, cancer retreats, cancer support and web‐based programmes.Conclusions.  Findings from this study suggest that metastatic breast cancer patients frequently engage in a variety of self‐care practices that may be influenced by personal characteristics. Future clinical self‐care interventions could be tailored according to patients’ characteristics, functional ability, needs and interests.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses and other healthcare professionals who promote the use of self‐care practices to enhance quality of life for patients with advanced stage breast cancer may find this information useful to direct patients to appropriate resources.
Insulin initiation in adults: evidence based or context driven?
Authors: Coates Vivien E , Dromgoole Paul , Turner Eileen ,   On behalf of the UK Initiation of Insulin Study Group
Published: February 2009

Aim.  To describe insulin initiation practices across the United Kingdom (UK) and identify factors influencing current practice.Background.  The number of people commencing insulin therapy has escalated in recent years; due to increased incidence of diabetes and the evidence that improvements in glycaemic control can reduce and delay the onset of diabetic complications. However, the process of insulin initiation is not well described and the optimal way to start insulin therapy is unclear. There is currently a strong emphasis on moving diabetes care from secondary to primary care and this change in policy may also influence insulin initiation.Methods.  A quantitative, cross‐sectional, nationwide survey of diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs) and practice nurses (PNs) was completed in 2006. Data were gathered using a postal questionnaire, 1310 were returned (37·7% response rate).Results.  Almost all DSNs working in secondary, or across primary and secondary, care initiate insulin in people with type 1 diabetes, but only 37·7% of DSNs working in primary care or 2·5% of PNs (p < 0·001). Most DSNs initiate insulin in adults with type 2 diabetes compared with only 37·7% of PNs (p < 0·001). Only 23·5% of respondents initiate insulin for those with gestational diabetes (GD), most working in secondary care (p < 0·001). The most commonly used insulin regimen was multiple injection in type 1 diabetes (43·9%), a twice‐daily mixture (19·2%) and night only basal insulin (17·9%) in type 2 diabetes and multiple injection in GD (46·8%). Analogue insulins were more frequently used than non‐analogues in type 1 and 2 diabetes but almost equally in those with GD.Conclusion.  Despite the drive for much more diabetes care to be delivered in primary care insulin initiation remains largely the province of secondary care, and regardless of the contested nature of the evidence base, analogue insulins are widely used.Relevance to clinical practice.  The focus of this study was on one aspect of diabetes care (insulin initiation), however the findings illustrate that whilst policy relating to the care of people with a long‐term condition such as diabetes may change, the practice implications in terms of community provision and availability of appropriate expertise are complex.
CtrA response regulator binding to the Caulobacter chromosome replication origin is required during nutrient and antibiotic stress as well as during cell cycle progression
Authors: Bastedo D. Patrick , Marczynski Gregory T. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryThe Caulobacter crescentus chromosome replication origin (Cori) has five binding sites for CtrA, an OmpR/PhoB family ‘response regulator’. CtrA is degraded in replicating ‘stalked’ cells but is abundant in the non‐replicating ‘swarmer’ cells, where it was proposed to repress replication by binding to Cori. We systematically mutated all Cori CtrA binding sites, and examined their consequences in the contexts of autonomous Cori‐plasmid replication and in the natural chromosome locus. Remarkably, the C. crescentus chromosome tolerates severe mutations in all five CtrA binding sites, demonstrating that CtrA is not essential for replication. Further physiological and cell cycle experiments more rigorously supported the original hypothesis that CtrA represses replication. However, our experiments argued against another hypothesis that residual and/or replenished CtrA protein in stalked cells might prevent extra or unscheduled chromosome replication before cell division. Surprisingly, we also demonstrated that Cori CtrA binding sites are very advantageous and can become essential when cells encounter nutrients and antibiotics. Therefore, the CtrA cell cycle regulator co‐ordinates replication with viable cell growth in stressful and rapidly changing environments. We argue that this new role for CtrA provided the primary selective pressure for evolving control by CtrA.
Airway wall geometry in asthma and nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis
Authors: Siddiqui S. , Gupta S. , Cruse G. , Haldar P. , Entwisle J. , Mcdonald S. , Whithers P. J. , Hainsworth S. V. , Coxson H. O. , Brightling C. 
Published: February 2009

Background:  Variable airflow obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) are features of asthma, which are absent in nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (EB). Airway remodelling is characteristic of both conditions suggesting that remodelling and airway dysfunction are disassociated, but whether the airway geometry differs between asthma and nonasthmatic EB is uncertain.Methods:  We assessed airway geometry by computed tomography (CT) imaging in asthma vs EB. A total of 12 subjects with mild–moderate asthma, 14 subjects with refractory asthma, 10 subjects with EB and 11 healthy volunteers were recruited. Subjects had a narrow collimation (0.75 mm) CT scan from the aortic arch to the carina to capture the right upper lobe apical segmental bronchus (RB1). In subjects with asthma and EB, CT scans were performed before and after a 2‐week course of oral prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg).Results:  Mild–moderate and refractory asthma were associated with RB1 wall thickening in contrast to subjects with nonasthmatic EB who had maintained RB1 patency without wall thickening [mean (SD) % wall area and luminal area mild‐t0‐moderate asthma 67.7 (7.3)% and 6.6 (2.8) mm2/m2, refractory asthma 67.3 (5.6)% and 6.7 (3.4) mm2/m2, healthy control group 59.7 (6.3)% and 8.7 (3.8) mm2/m2, EB 61.4 (7.8)% and 11.1 (4.6) mm2/m2 respectively; P < 0.05]. Airway wall thickening of non‐RB1 airways generation three to six was a feature of asthma only. There was no change in airway geometry of RB1 after prednisolone. Proximal airway wall thickening was associated with AHR in asthma (r = −0.56; P = 0.02).Conclusions:  Maintained airway patency in EB may protect against the development of AHR, whereas airway wall thickening may promote AHR in asthma.
Resource specialization in a phytophagous insect: no evidence for genetically based performance trade‐offs across hosts in the field or laboratory
Authors: AGOSTA S. J. , KLEMENS J. A. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe present a field test of the genetically based performance trade‐off hypothesis for resource specialization in a population of the moth Rothschildia lebeau whose larvae primarily feed on three host plant species. Pairwise correlations between growth vs. growth, survival vs. survival and growth vs. survival across the different hosts were calculated, using families (sibships) as the units of analysis. Of 15 pairwise correlations, 14 were positive, 5 significantly so and none were negative. The same pattern was found using complementary growth and survival data from the laboratory. Overall, we found no evidence of negative genetic correlations in cross‐host performance that would be indicative of performance trade‐offs in this population. Rather, variation among families in performance appears to reflect ‘general vigour’ whereby families that perform well on one host perform well across multiple hosts. We discuss the implications of positive genetic correlations in cross‐host performance in terms of the ecology and evolution of host range. We argue that this genetic architecture facilitates colonization of novel hosts and recolonization of historical hosts, therefore contributing to host shifts, host range expansions, biological invasions and introductions, and host ranges that are regionally broad but locally narrow.
High embryo sac fertility and diversity of abnormal embryo sacs detected in autotetraploid indica/japonica hybrids in rice by whole‐mount eosin B‐staining confocal laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Hu C. Y. , Zeng Y. X. , Lu Y. G. , Li J. Q. , Liu X. D. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAn eosin B staining procedure for use with confocal microscopy (WE‐CLSM) was used to examine the mature embryo sacs in 24 typical autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 48) indica/japonica hybrids and to compare with their original diploid (2n = 2x = 24) indica/japonica hybrids in rice. Four of the 24 hybrids showed >80% embryo sac fertility, and 13 hybrids over 70%. The average embryo sac fertility of the 24 autotetraploid indica/japonica hybrids was 68.08%, which was 17.33% higher than that in diploid hybrids. When compared with the diploid hybrids, 79.17% of the autotetraploid hybrids had higher embryo sac fertility. A diversity of abnormal embryo sacs occurred in autotetraploid indica/japonica hybrids. Embryo sac abnormalities were similar for both autotetraploid and diploid hybrid, but their frequencies were different. Some novel abnormal types were found in autotetraploid hybrids, such as enlarged egg apparatus. The embryo sac fertilities and frequencies of various abnormalities in autotetraploid hybrids varied with parental genotype and environment. The average seed set of the autotetraploid hybrids were higher than their diploid hybrids in different growing seasons.