bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Widespread impairment of cell proliferation in the neonate Ts65Dn mouse, a model for Down syndrome
Authors: Contestabile A. , Fila T. , Cappellini A. , Bartesaghi R. , Ciani E. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives: Among the many pathological aspects of Down syndrome, brain hypoplasia and mental retardation have been recently ascribed to defective proliferation of neural precursors during central nervous system development. By analogy, other features of Down syndrome, such as heart defects, gastrointestinal abnormalities, craniofacial dystrophy and reduced growth rate could be related, at least in theory, to similar proliferation impairment in peripheral tissues.Materials and methods: In order to test this hypothesis, we evaluated cell proliferation in peripheral tissues of the Ts65Dn mouse, one of the animal models most commonly used to investigate Down syndrome.Results: In fibroblast cultures from neonatal Ts65Dn mice, we found that cell proliferation was notably impaired. While length of the cell cycle was similar in fibroblasts from Ts65Dn and control mice, the number of actively proliferating cells was significantly smaller in Ts65Dn mice. Moreover, fibroblasts from Ts65Dn animals exhibited limited population‐doubling capacity, decreased proliferative lifespan and premature senescence. Analysis of cell proliferation in the skin of neonates, in vivo, showed that in Ts65Dn mice, cell proliferation was significantly reduced compared to control mice.Conclusions: Our results suggest that defective proliferation may be a generalized feature of trisomic mice. In view of the genetic and phenotypic similarities between Ts65Dn mice and individuals with Down syndrome, proliferation impairment in various organs may also occur in subjects with Down syndrome. Thus, perturbation of a basic developmental function, cell proliferation, may be a critical determinant that contributes to the many aspects of pathology of this condition.
Preparation and sensory perception of fat‐free foams – effect of matrix properties and level of aeration
Authors: Minor Marcel , Vingerhoeds Monique H. , Zoet Franklin D. , De Wijk René , Van Aken George A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe sensory perception of fat‐free model foams with a consistency between pourable (liquid; xanthan thickened) and spoonable (semi‐solid; gelled; carrageenan thickened) and varying level of aeration was studied. At low air contents (5, 10% v/v) perception is largely determined by the matrix properties; the presence of air is hardly experienced. On the other hand, at high levels of aeration (80% v/v) perception is determined by bubble characteristics and the matrix plays a negligible role in perception. Bubbles were better noticeable in a semi‐solid, i.e. carrageenan matrix, than in liquid, i.e. xanthan‐based foams. In semi‐solid sucrose–ester carrageenan foams, large bubbles were perceived as more airy and less creamy, compared with the same compositions with smaller bubbles.
Rheological properties of Josapine pineapple juice at different stages of maturity
Authors: Shamsudin Rosnah , Wan Daud Wan Ramli , Takrif Mohd Sobri , Hassan Osman , Ilicali Coskan 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe rheological behaviour of Josapine pineapple juice with at various maturity stages was studied at a wide range of temperature (5–65 °C) and concentration (4–14 °Brix) using a rotational rheometer as the measuring system. The results show that josapine pineapples juice demonstrated a Newtonian behavior and is influenced by maturity stage, temperature and concentration. The Arrhenius typed equation successfully describe the effect of temperature on the viscosity, on the other hand, the effect of concentration can be described better using exponential equation. Finally, an equation describing the combined effect of temperature and concentration on viscosity at different stages of maturity was successfully developed.
Stability and rheological behaviour of salad dressing obtained with whey and different combinations of stabilizers
Authors: De Cássia da Fonseca Vânia , Haminiuk Charles Windson Isidoro , Izydoro Dayane Rosalyn , Waszczynskyj Nina , De Paula Scheer Agnes , Sierakowski Maria‐Rita 
Published: March 2009

SummaryIn this work the stability and the rheological behaviour of salad dressing containing ‘Minas Frescal’ whey cheese was studied. The salad dressing was stabilised by xanthan gum (XG), propylene glycol alginate (PGA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). All samples were stable for a period of 4 months. The rheological model of Ostwald‐de‐Waelle (Power‐Law) was used in order to fit the data and to obtain the rheological parameters of flow behaviour index (n), consistency coefficient and apparent viscosity (ηap). All formulations showed a pseudoplastic behaviour and the PGA contributed to increase the values of flow behaviour index. Consistency coefficient was similarly affected by XG and PGA fractions. Apparent viscosity was highly influenced by the hydrocolloid CMC, with higher values of apparent viscosity in the proportion of 0.25/0.25/0.5% (PGA/XG/CMC). Hydrocolloid association (ternary mixtures) was statistically significant, resulting in an increase of K and ηap parameters. The results show that salad dressing with whey as aqueous phase and stabilised by a ternary combination of XG, PGA and CMC can be a technological alternative to the food industry.
Consumer evaluation of bakery product flavour as affected by incorporating the prebiotic tagatose
Authors: Armstrong Laura M. , Luecke Katherine J. , Bell Leonard N. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThis study evaluated whether incorporating tagatose, a monosaccharide with prebiotic properties, into bakery products affected their flavours. Cinnamon muffins, lemon cookies, and chocolate cakes were prepared; 1 or 2% tagatose was added to the experimental products while an equal amount of sucrose was added to the control products. Using triangle tests, untrained consumer panels (n=65–81) were unable to distinguish between the flavour of products with and without tagatose. In addition, the flavours of bakery products containing and not containing tagatose were liked similarly. Based on this data, bakery products may be formulated containing low levels of tagatose for its health benefits without altering the product’s flavour.
Fast laboratory test results alone cannot deliver the benefits of near patient testing: a follow‐up study after 3 years of extended laboratory service at a primary health care centre
Authors: Haglund Sofie , Transö Bente , Persson Lars‐Göran , Zafirova Tamara , Grodzinsky Ewa 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives  Technological development has progressed towards point‐of‐care testing (POCT) at primary health care centres (PHCs). However, to our knowledge, there has been no extensive evaluation of the effects on patient and clinical logistics when an extended laboratory service (ELS) is offered.Methods  Questionnaires were used to evaluate patient logistics before the introduction of ELS and after 6 months, as the proportion of consultations completed within one visit. That is, the patient is sampled, the test result is made available, and the patient is informed of the clinical decision. After 3 years of ELS, clinical logistics were followed up using questionnaires and by measuring turnaround time (TAT) from sampling to available test result (TATa) and from sampling to a clinical decision (TATd), and the proportion of laboratory test results reported back to the patient on the day of sampling (TATi).Results  After 6 months of ELS, the theoretical proportion of consultations which could be completed within 1 day had increased from 20% to 68%, while the proportion of patients desiring this situation had increased from 72% to 85%. After 3 years of ELS, the TATi was 56%. However, the majority of these tests were from the menu available before ELS. While 66% of patients wished to receive the laboratory test results at the consultation, this was achieved in 42% of cases. Patients below 65 years of age were more anxious than older patients to complete the consultation within a single PHC visit.Conclusions  The clinical logistics concerning TATi did not correspond to the patients' wishes. When the consultation was completed within 1 day, the majority of the laboratory analyses were from the menu available before ELS. An ELS alone cannot deliver all the desired benefits of POCT.
The subjective incremental cost of informed consent and documentation in hospital care: a multicentre questionnaire survey in Japan
Authors: Fukuda Haruhisa , Imanaka Yuichi , Kobuse Hiroe , Hayashida Kenshi , Murakami Genki 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective  To reveal the amount of time and financial cost required to obtain informed consent and to preserve documentation.Methods  The questionnaire was delivered to all staff in six acute care public hospitals in Japan. We examined health care staff perceptions of the time they spent obtaining informed consent and documenting information. All data were collected in 2006 and estimates in the past week in 2006 were compared to estimates of time spent in a week in 1999. We also calculated the economic costs of incremental amounts of time spent in these procedures.Results  In 2006, health care staff took about 3.89 hours [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.71–4.07] per week to obtain informed consent and 6.64 hours (95% CI 6.40–6.88) per week to write documentation on average. Between 1999 and 2006, the average amount of time for conducting informed consent was increased to 0.67 (P < 0.001) hours per person‐week, and the average amount of time for documentation was increased to 0.70 (P < 0.001) hours per person‐week. The annual economic cost of activities for informed consent and documentation in a 100‐bed hospital increased from 117 755 to 449 402 US dollars.Conclusions  We found a considerable increase in time spent on informed consent and documentation, and associated cost over a 7‐year time period. Although greater attention to the informed consent process should be paid to ensure the notions of patient autonomy and self‐determination, the increased resources devoted to these practices must be considered in light of current cost containment policies.
Preliminary reliability of an observer rating scale for assessing medication adherence on psychiatric wards
Authors: Byrne Mitchell K. , Deane Frank P. , Willis Aimee , Hawkins Barbara , Quinn Rebecca 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives  Medication non‐adherence is a major contributor to poor outcomes following discharge from psychiatric hospitals. It is therefore imperative that staff are able to accurately assess the extent to which patients have engaged with treatment. This study presents data on a new observer rating instrument of patient medication adherence.Methods  Staff participating in a medication adherence training programme (‘Medication Alliance’) were given a brief overview of the Observer Rating of Medication Taking (ORMT) scale. Participants then watched six video vignettes of patient adherence behaviour and provided a rating on their scale for each vignette. Participant ratings were then compared with ‘expert’ ratings.Results  Percentage agreement between ‘experts’ and participants ranged from a low of 68% through to 98% agreement. Only one vignette was rated significantly differently [Mdiff = 0.33, t(49) = 2.08, P = 0.007], with 32% of people falling outside the expert rating range (all of those ratings being higher). This difference was attributed to between group differences, [F(2,47) = 3.49, P < 0.05] and post hoc assessment suggested that the differences between expert and trainee ratings for the vignette may be explained by trainee characteristics, as distinct from inherent characteristics of the rating scale.Conclusion  The ORMT can help mental health professionals identify particular non‐adherent behaviours thus facilitating identification and treatment of likely non‐adherence before discharge. The scale appears to be accessible to a variety of professions with a range of experience and requires minimum training in order to be used reliably.
Harm caused by adverse events in primary care: a clinical observational study
Authors: Wetzels Raymond , Wolters Rene , Van Weel Chris , Wensing Michel 
Published: March 2009

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Patient safety in primary care is important, but not well studied. The aim of our study was to determine the actual and potential harm caused by adverse events in primary care.Method  Observational study in two general practices, including the patients of five doctors. Two methods were used to identify adverse events; (1) a prospective registration of adverse events by the general practitioner and (2) a retrospective audit of medical records. Actual harm was registered and a clinical analysis was made to estimate potential harm.Results  A total of 31 adverse events were collected and analysed. The adverse events were spread over different adverse event categories. About half of the events did not have health consequences, but a third led to worsening of symptoms and a few resulted in unplanned hospital admission. Potential negative health consequences were likely in three‐quarters of the events.Conclusions  The identified adverse events had some impact on health outcomes, but a risk for harm existed in a majority of the events. Patient safety programmes in primary care should focus on adverse events and not just on harm.
Supplemental perioperative oxygen for reducing surgical site infection: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Al‐Niaimi Ahmed , Safdar Nasia 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective  To assess the efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation for prevention of surgical site infection (SSI).Data sources  Computerized PUBMED and MEDLINE search supplemented by manual searches for relevant articles.Study selection  Randomized, controlled trials evaluating efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation versus standard care for prevention of SSI in patients’ undergoing colorectal surgery.Data synthesis  Data on incidence of SSI were abstracted as dichotomous variables. Pooled estimates of the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model and the Mantel‐Haenzel fixed effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q statistic and I2.Results  Four randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Supplemental perioperative oxygenation resulted in a reduced incidence of SSI [RR 0.70 (95% CI 0.52–0.94), P = 0.01], using a fixed effects model. Using the more conservative random effects model, the point estimate was similar [RR 0.74 (95% CI 0.39–1.43), P = 0.37], but the results failed to achieve statistical significance. The I2 test showed moderate heterogeneity.Conclusions  Our analysis showed that supplemental perioperative oxygenation is beneficial in preventing SSI in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Because of heterogeneity in study design and patient population, additional randomized trials are needed to determine whether this confers benefit in all patient populations undergoing other types of surgery. Supplemental perioperative oxygenation is a low‐cost intervention that we recommend be implemented in patients undergoing colorectal surgery pending the results of further studies. Further research is needed to determine whether or not supplemental hyperoxia may cause unanticipated adverse effects.
A specific deficit in visuospatial simultaneous working memory in Down syndrome
Authors: Lanfranchi S. , Carretti B. , Spanò G. , Cornoldi C. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground  Recent studies have demonstrated that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) present both central and verbal working memory deficits compared with controls matched for mental age, whereas evidence on visuospatial working memory (VSWM) has remained ambiguous. The present paper uses a battery of VSWM tasks to test the hypothesis that individuals with DS can also encounter specific difficulties in VSWM.Method  Four tasks were administered to 34 children and adolescents with DS and 34 controls matched for verbal mental age. In two of these tasks, participants had to remember a series of locations sequentially presented on a matrix (spatial‐sequential WM); in another two, they had to remember locations simultaneously presented (spatial‐simultaneous WM).Results and Conclusions  Results showed that individuals with DS are poorer than controls in the spatial‐simultaneous tasks, but not in the spatial‐sequential tasks. These findings were not due to a difference in speed of visuospatial processing. In fact, when performances of the two groups in VSWM were compared using speed measures as covariates, differences between groups remained. It is suggested that the simultaneous VSWM deficit of individuals with DS could be due to the request for processing more than one item at a time.
Optimum beam transfer in the environmental scanning electron microscope
Authors: DANILATOS G.D. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe gas density of argon along the axis of a pressure‐limiting aperture in an environmental scanning electron microscope is found by the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. The aperture is made on a thin material plate, producing the sharpest possible transition region between the specimen chamber and the differentially pumped region downstream of the gas flow. The entire regime from free molecule to continuum flow has been studied, which covers any size of aperture diameter and any pressure from vacuum to one atmosphere. The amount of electron beam transmitted without scattering at any point along the aperture axis is found in the range of accelerating voltage between 1 and 30 kV for argon. The electron beam transmission is further computed for helium, neon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and water vapour. This study constitutes the basis for the design and construction of an environmental scanning electron microscope having an optimum electron beam transfer, which is the primary requirement for an optimum performance instrument.
Diversity despite dispersal: colonization history and phylogeography of Hawaiian crab spiders inferred from multilocus genetic data
Authors: GARB JESSICA E , GILLESPIE ROSEMARY G 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Hawaiian archipelago is often cited as the premier setting to study biological diversification, yet the evolution and phylogeography of much of its biota remain poorly understood. We investigated crab spiders (Thomisidae,Mecaphesa) that demonstrate contradictory tendencies: (i) dramatic ecological diversity within the Hawaiian Islands, and (ii) accompanying widespread distribution of many species across the archipelago. We used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data sampled across six islands to generate phylogenetic hypotheses forMecaphesaspecies and populations, and included penalized likelihood molecular clock analyses to estimate arrival times on the different islands. We found that 17 of 18 HawaiianMecaphesaspecies were monophyletic and most closely related to thomisids from the Marquesas and Society Islands. Our results indicate that the Hawaiian species evolved from either one or two colonization events to the archipelago. Estimated divergence dates suggested that thomisids may have colonized the Hawaiian Islands as early as ~10 million years ago, but biogeographic analyses implied that the initial diversification of this group was restricted to the younger island of Oahu, followed by back‐colonizations to older islands. Within the Hawaiian radiation, our data revealed several well‐supported genetically distinct terminal clades corresponding to species previously delimited by morphological taxonomy. Many of these species are codistributed across multiple Hawaiian Islands and some exhibit genetic structure consistent with stepwise colonization of islands following their formation. These results indicate that dispersal has been sufficiently limited to allow extensive ecological diversification, yet frequent enough that interisland migration is more common than speciation.
SnRK1 (SNF1‐related kinase 1) has a central role in sugar and ABA signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Jossier Mathieu , Bouly Jean‐Pierre , Meimoun Patrice , Arjmand Alaleh , Lessard Philippe , Hawley Simon , Grahame Hardie D. , Thomas Martine 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe proteins kinases SNF1/AMPK/SnRK1 are a subfamily of serine/threonine kinases that act as metabolite sensors to constantly adapt metabolism to the supply of, and demand for, energy. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the SNF1 complex is a central component of the regulatory response to glucose starvation. AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) the mammalian homologue of SNF1, plays a central role in the regulation of energy homeostasis at the cellular as well as the whole‐body levels. In Arabidopsis thaliana, SnRK1.1 and SnRK1.2 have recently been described as central integrators of a transcription network for stress and energy signalling. In this study, biochemical analysis established SnRK1.1 as the major SnRK1 isoform both in isolated cells and leaves. In order to elucidate the function of SnRK1.1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, transgenic plants over‐expressing SnRK1.1 were produced. Genetic, biochemical, physiological and molecular analyses of these plants revealed that SnRK1.1 is implicated in sugar and ABA signalling pathways. Modifications of the starch and soluble sugar content were observed in the 35S:SnRK1.1 transgenic lines. Our studies also revealed modifications of the activity of essential enzymes such as nitrate reductase or ADP‐glucose pyrophosphorylase, and of the expression of several sugar‐regulated genes, confirming the central role of the protein kinase SnRK1 in the regulation of metabolism.
Nomenclature for factors of the SLA system, update 2008
Authors: Ho C.‐S. , Lunney J. K. , Ando A. , Rogel‐Gaillard C. , Lee J.‐H. , Schook L. B. , Smith D. M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis report summarizes the new swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) allele sequences and haplotypes designated by the SLA Nomenclature Committee of the International Society for Animal Genetics. There have been 74 new SLA alleles, comprising 18 SLA‐1 alleles, 11 SLA‐2 alleles, six SLA‐3 alleles, two SLA‐6 alleles, one SLA‐DRA allele, 20 SLA‐DRB1 alleles, three SLA‐DQA alleles and 13 SLA‐DQB1 alleles. Twelve new SLA class I and four new class II haplotypes have also been designated. This is the first official update since the 2005 reports on the nomenclature for factors of the SLA class I and II systems. This report also summarizes recent updates to the Immunopolymorphism Database–Major Histocompatibility Complex (IPD‐MHC) website (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ipd/mhc/sla/). All information has now been integrated to the SLA section of the IPD‐MHC database, which serves as the repository for maintaining a list of all recognized SLA genes and their allelic sequences.