bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fracture risk in Danish men with prostate cancer: a nationwide register study
Authors: Abrahamsen Bo , Nielsen Morten F. , Eskildsen Peter , Andersen Jens Thorup , Walter Steen , Brixen Kim 
Published: August 2007

This section opens with a nationwide Danish study on the risk of fractures in prostate cancer, as well as assessing the impact of exposure to androgen deprivation. The authors found that there was a marked increase in the risk of fractures, especially of the hip.Authors from the USA address the outcome of cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic RCC, finding that it can be predicted by the fraction of tumour volume removed. They give an informative review of the topic and describe their experience in this type of surgery.Treatment options for hormonerefractory prostate cancer are rather limited and authors from the USA present the results of a phase II trial into the use of gefitinib as a single therapy in patients with non‐metastatic refractory disease. They found an absence of PSA response but confirmed the well‐established favourable tolerability profile of this agent.OBJECTIVETo assess the risk of fracture attributable to prostate cancer, and the impact of exposure to prescribed gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone agonists and antiandrogens on this risk in a nationwide, population‐based case‐control study.PATIENTS AND METHODSData from the Danish National Hospital Discharge Register, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the National Prescriptions Database were merged. The analysis covered 15 716 men aged >50 years presenting with a fracture at any hospital in Denmark in 2000, and 47 149 age‐matched control men. A previous diagnosis of prostate cancer had been recorded in 1.3% of controls and 2.5% of those with a fracture.RESULTSProstate cancer was associated with an increased odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for all fractures of 1.8 (1.6–2.1), for hip fractures of 3.7 (3.1–4.4), but no increased risk of vertebral fractures. The increased fracture risk became apparent early after diagnosis and remained pronounced even in long‐term survivors. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with an odds ratio of 1.7  (1.2–2.5; P < 0.01) and orchidectomy, at 1.7 (1.2–2.4; P < 0.01) added to the overall fracture risk. In all, 3.1% of hip fractures in Danish men aged >50 years are attributable to prostate cancer.CONCLUSIONProstate cancer, orchidectomy and the use of ADT are associated with a markedly greater risk of fractures, especially of the hip. The risk of hip fracture is not confined to the very old, neither is the risk made negligible by the excess mortality in patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Effects of landscape structure and land‐use intensity on similarity of plant and animal communities
Authors: Dormann Carsten F. , Schweiger Oliver , Augenstein Isabel , Bailey Debra , Billeter Regula , De Blust Geert , DeFilippi Riccardo , Frenzel Mark , Hendrickx Frederik , Herzog Felix , Klotz Stefan , Liira Jaan , Maelfait Jean‐Pierre , Schmidt Torsten , Speelmans Marjan , Van Wingerden Walter K. R. E. , Zobel Martin 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTAim  Species richness in itself is not always sufficient to evaluate land management strategies for nature conservation. The exchange of species between local communities may be affected by landscape structure and land‐use intensity. Thus, species turnover, and its inverse, community similarity, may be useful measures of landscape integrity from a diversity perspective.Location  A European transect from France to Estonia.Methods  We measured the similarity of plant, bird, wild bee, true bug, carabid beetle, hoverfly and spider communities sampled along gradients in landscape composition (e.g. total availability of semi‐natural habitat), landscape configuration (e.g. fragmentation) and land‐use intensity (e.g. pesticide loads).Results  Total availability of semi‐natural habitats had little effect on community similarity, except for bird communities, which were more homogeneous in more natural landscapes. Bee communities, in contrast, were less similar in landscapes with higher percentages of semi‐natural habitats. Increased landscape fragmentation decreased similarity of true bug communities, while plant communities showed a nonlinear, U‐shaped response. More intense land use, specifically increased pesticide burden, led to a homogenization of bee, bug and spider communities within sites. In these cases, habitat fragmentation interacted with pesticide load. Hoverfly and carabid beetle community similarity was differentially affected by higher pesticide levels: for carabid beetles similarity decreased, while for hoverflies we observed a U‐shaped relationship.Main conclusions  Our study demonstrates the effects of landscape composition, configuration and land‐use intensity on the similarity of communities. It indicates reduced exchange of species between communities in landscapes dominated by agricultural activities. Taxonomic groups differed in their responses to environmental drivers and using but one group as an indicator for ‘biodiversity’ as such would thus not be advisable.
Do leaf margins of the temperate forest flora of southern South America reflect a warmer past?
Authors: Aizen Marcelo A. , Ezcurra Cecilia 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTAim  Our aims were: (1) to characterize the linear relationship between the proportion of woody dicotyledonous species with entire‐margined leaves (E) and mean annual temperature (MAT) from a southern temperate flora that still harbours many lineages that originated under warmer climates; (2) to compare this relationship with those developed from floras of different regions of the world; and (3) to contrast temperature predictions based on leaf margins of the native southern flora versus the naturalized alien flora, mostly of boreal origin.Location  The temperate forest of southern South America (TFSA).Methods  At each 1° latitudinal band, we estimated E based on species latitudinal ranges and MAT from both an isotherm map and a global temperature grid. We also calculated E from five local floras located between 40 and 43° S, and from the naturalized alien flora of Nahuel Huapi National Park in southern Argentina.Results  We found a close relationship between E and MAT for the TFSA. Equations developed from floras of the Northern Hemisphere overestimated extant temperatures of this biome by 6–10 °C at both geographical and local spatial scales. On the other hand, MAT predictions from leaf margins of the alien flora were similar to the actual MAT. A published regression between E and MAT from tropical South America was remarkably similar to the one we estimated from the TFSA. This tropical equation predicted accurately the temperatures observed for this temperate biome based on leaf margins of the native flora.Main conclusions  Despite massive plant extinction due to environmental cooling and biogeographical isolation during the Tertiary, leaf‐margin analysis reveals that the flora of the TFSA still reflects its original development under the warmer conditions of western Gondwana and its past connections with low‐latitude forest floras of tropical South America.
Spatial heterogeneity of climate and land‐cover constraints on distributions of tick‐borne pathogens
Authors: Wimberly Michael C. , Yabsley Michael J. , Baer Adam D. , Dugan Vivien G. , Davidson William R. 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTAim To compare the geographical distributions of two tick‐borne pathogens vectored by different tick species, to examine the relative importance of climate, land cover and host density in structuring these distributions, and to assess the spatial variability of these environmental constraints across the species ranges.Location South‐central and south‐eastern North America.Methods Presence/absence data for two tick‐borne pathogens,Ehrlichia chaffeensisandAnaplasma phagocytophilum, were obtained for 567 counties from a regional data base based on white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serology. Environmental variables describing climate, land cover and deer density were calculated for these counties. Global logistic regression analysis was used to screen the environmental variables and select a parsimonious subset of predictors. Local analysis was carried out using geographically weighted regression (GWR) to explore spatial variability in the parameters of the regression models. Cluster analysis was applied to the GWR output to identify zones with distinctive species–habitat relationships.Results Global habitat models forE. chaffeensisandA. phagocytophilumincluded temperature, humidity, precipitation and forest cover as explanatory variables. TheE. chaffeensismodel also included forest fragmentation, whereas theA. phagocytophilummodel included deer density. Local analyses revealed that climate was the primary correlate of pathogen presence in the eastern portion of the study area, whereas forest cover and fragmentation constrained the western range boundaries. Habitat relationships for all variables were weak in and around the Mississippi Delta.Main conclusions Efforts to model pathogen and disease ranges, and to predict shifts in response to global change should consider future scenarios of land‐cover change as well as climate change, and should address the possibility of spatial heterogeneity in species–habitat relationships. The methods presented here outline an approach for objectively delineating geographical zones with similar species–environment relationships, which can then be used to stratify landscapes for the purposes of further explanatory and predictive modelling.
The effects of the coordination support on shared mental models and coordinated action
Authors: Kim Hyunsong , Kim Dongsik 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of coordination support (tool support and tutor support) on the development of shared mental models (SMMs) and coordinated action in a computer‐supported collaborative learning environment. Eighteen students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, including the tool condition, the tutor condition, and the control condition (two groups per condition). Groups in the tool condition were given the task management tools; groups in the tutor condition received assistance from a tutor about coordination; and the control groups did not receive any support. SMMs were assessed on a 5‐point Likert scale and coordinated action was analysed by examining learners' logfiles. The findings of this study suggest that tool support facilitates the development of SMMs and promotes coordinated action of each group.
Embedding blended learning in a university's teaching culture: Experiences and reflections
Authors: Davis Hugh C. , Fill Karen 
Published: August 2007

AbstractBlended learning, the combination of traditional face‐to‐face teaching methods with authentic online learning activities, has the potential to transform student‐learning experiences and outcomes. In spite of this advantage, university teachers often find it difficult to adopt new online techniques, in part because institutional practices are still geared to support more traditional approaches. This paper describes how a project, funded to support international collaboration to enhance learning and teaching in Geography, has allowed a university to explore models for change. It briefly examines the associated issues of sharing and repurposing resources; it reflects on the impact of the project on local strategy, and the importance of sustaining the collaborations and approaches to learning and teaching after the funding is completed.
Embedding e‐learning in geographical practice
Authors: Martin David , Treves Richard 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThis paper describes how two related e‐learning initiatives have led to school‐level virtual learning environment (VLE) adoption and commencement of several new teaching developments at the University of Southampton. These have engaged additional academic staff with online learning and increased the role of blended learning within the curriculum, in turn contributing to new strategies at the university level. The first e‐learning project was the Joint Information Systems Committee/National Science Foundation‐funded DialogPLUS project, and the second, a collaborative online masters programme. Barriers to embedding have been both technical and human, but among critical success factors, we especially identify the impetus provided by external funding, the size and composition of the project teams and, to a lesser degree, the creation of demonstrator materials. The specific details of VLE choice and learning object design have proved less significant. This work has been undertaken in collaboration with other schools in Southampton and other institutions within the Worldwide Universities Network.
KANTIAN REASONS FOR REASONS
Authors: Birondo Noell 
Published: August 2007

AbstractRüdiger Bittner has recently argued against a Kantian ‘maxims account’ of reasons for action. In this paper I argue – against Bittner – that Kantian maxims are not to be understood as reasons for action, but rather as reasons for reasons. On the interpretation presented here, Kantian maxims are the reasons for an agent's being motivated by whatever more immediate reasons actually motivate her. This understanding of Kantian maxims suggests a recognizably realist Kantian position in ethics.
NAGEL VS. NAGEL ON THE NATURE OF PHENOMENAL CONCEPTS
Authors: Levin Janet 
Published: August 2007

AbstractIn a footnote to his ‘What is it Like to be a Bat?’, Thomas Nagel sketches a promising account of phenomenal concepts that purports to explain why mind‐body identity statements, even if necessary, will always seem contingent. Christopher Hill and Brian McLaughlin have recently developed this sketch into a more robust theory. In Nagel's more recent work, however, he suggests that the only adequate theory of phenomenal concepts is one that makes the relation between phenomenal and physical states intelligible, or ‘transparent’. Developing such a theory, however, appears to be no easy task. In this paper I argue that the Nagel‐Hill‐McLaughlin proposal is preferable – and that a serious problem with it, noticed by Stephen Yablo, can be avoided by revising the proposal according to some further suggestions made by Nagel himself.
WHIMSICAL DESIRES
Authors: Milligan Tony 
Published: August 2007

AbstractTo desire is to want, but not necessarily to be disposed to do anything. That is to say, desiring does not necessarily involve having any disposition to act. To lend plausibility to this view I appeal to the example of whimsical desires that no action could help us to realise. What may lead us to view certain desires as whimsical is precisely the absence of any possibility of realizing them. While such desires might seem less than full‐blooded, I argue that we can have full‐blooded desires concerning such matters because of our (non‐whimsical) concern for others. That is to say, whimsical desires can have a borrowed seriousness. The article goes on to strengthen the separability of dispositions and desires by narrowing down the concept of triggering conditions for a disposition. If we allow the triggering conditions to be too broad then it will always make sense to say that someone with a desire simply must have a disposition because, all other things being equal, they would bring about what they desire if they were able to do so.
A new prey‐detection mechanism for kiwi (Apteryx spp.) suggests convergent evolution between paleognathous and neognathous birds
Authors: Cunningham Susan , Castro Isabel , Alley Maurice 
Published: August 2007

AbstractKiwi (Apterygidae: Apteryx spp.) are traditionally assumed to detect their soil‐dwelling invertebrate prey using their sense of smell. The unique position of the nares at the tip of the bill and the enlarged olfactory centres in the brain support this assumption. However, studies designed to show the importance of olfaction in prey‐detection by Apteryx have provided equivocal results. Another family of probing birds, the Scolopacidae, detect their buried prey using specialised vibration and pressure‐sensitive mechanoreceptors embedded in pits in the bill‐tip. We found that aspects of the foraging patterns of Apteryx mantelli are like those of scolopacid shorebirds, suggesting that Apteryx may be using a similar prey‐detection mechanism. We examined specimens of all five Apteryx species and conducted a morphological and histological examination of the bill of A. mantelli. We discovered that Apteryx possess an arrangement of mechanoreceptors within pits similar to that in Scolopacidae species and may therefore be able to localise prey using a similar vibrotactile sense. We suggest that this sense may function in conjunction with, or be dominant over, olfaction during prey‐detection. The Apterygidae and the Scolopacidae are members of the two different super‐orders of birds: the Paleognathae and the Neognathae, respectively. Therefore we cite the similar bill‐tip anatomy of these two families as an example of convergent evolution across a deep taxonomic divide.
Exploring consumer ethics in Ghana, West Africa
Authors: Bonsu Samuel K. , Zwick Detlev 
Published: August 2007

AbstractConsumer ethics is a growing area of research that focused almost exclusively on consumers in the United States and, to a lesser degree, Europe and Asia. In this paper, we introduce an African element to the consumer ethics discourse by drawing on survey responses from over 300 Ghanaian consumers to explore their ethical beliefs and judgements. We analysed these data using regression techniques. Our findings show that Ghanaian consumers exhibit lower levels of ethics compared with their America counterparts, especially when the unethical actions facilitate the achievement of their goals. While Ghanaian consumers recognize the value of moral rules, they are prone to suspending their ethical positions as they deem necessary in a particular context. Implications for marketing strategy and future research are discussed.
Journal usage in NHS hospitals: a comparison report of total usage at an acute NHS Trust and a specialist NHS Trust in the North West of England
Authors: Glover Steven William , Addison John , Gleghorn Colette , Bramwell John 
Published: August 2007

AbstractBackground:  Health care libraries spend a large amount of their non‐pay budgets on the purchase of scientific, technical and medical journals. In a typical hospital library in the National Health Service (NHS) North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA), this can represent between 80 and 90% of the collection development budget.Methods and results:  Data were collected from 1 December 2005 to 30 November 2006 using COUNTER‐generated usage statistics obtained from publishers’ administration tools. Between the two trusts included in the study, 93 376 full‐text article downloads were recorded; of these, 15 952 or 17.1% articles were downloaded from national core content journals via Proquest. Photocopies made by users for their own use were recorded whenever this data were available.Conclusions:  NHS staff at the sites included in this study recorded a high volume of journal usage. There was a marked difference in usage patterns between the acute and specialist trusts in the study. The journals provided by national core content represented a much higher proportion of total usage at the acute trust (29.9%) compared with the specialist cancer trust (4.5%). This study supports the view that the local purchasing of journal titles is an important component of the overall journal‐based information provision to NHS staff.
Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) regulates Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression in microglia
Authors: Syed Mohsin Md. , Phulwani Nirmal K. , Kielian Tammy 
Published: August 2007

AbstractMicroglia represent one effector arm of CNS innate immunity as evident by their role in pathogen recognition. We previously reported that exposure of microglia to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a prevalent CNS pathogen, led to elevated Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression, a pattern recognition receptor capable of recognizing conserved structural motifs associated with gram‐positive bacteria such as S. aureus. In this study, we demonstrate that the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) enhances TLR2 expression in microglia, whereas interleukin‐1β has no significant effect. To determine the downstream signaling events responsible for elevated microglial TLR2 expression in response to TNF‐α, a series of signal transduction inhibitors were employed. Treatment with caffeic acid phenethyl ester, an inhibitor of redox‐mediated nuclear factor‐kappa B activation, significantly attenuated TNF‐α‐induced TLR2 expression. Similar results were observed with the IKK‐2 and IκB‐α inhibitors SC‐514 and BAY 11‐7082, respectively. In contrast, no significant alterations in TLR2 expression were observed with protein kinase C or p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase inhibitors. A definitive role for TNF‐α was demonstrated by the inability of S. aureus to augment TLR2 expression in microglia isolated from TNF‐α knockout mice. In addition, TLR2 expression was significantly attenuated in brain abscesses of TNF‐α knockout mice. Collectively, these results indicate that in response to S. aureus, TNF‐α acts in an autocrine/paracrine manner to enhance TLR2 expression in microglia and that this effect is mediated, in part, by activation of the nuclear factor‐kappa B pathway.
Increased expression of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor protects against oxidative damage‐induced retinal degeneration
Authors: Dong Aling , Shen JiKui , Krause Melissa , Hackett Sean F. , Campochiaro Peter A. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractOxidative damage contributes to retinal cell death in patients with age‐related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. One approach to treatment is to identify and eliminate the sources of oxidative damage. Another approach is to identify treatments that protect cells from multiple sources of oxidative damage. In this study, we investigated the effect of increased expression of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in three models of oxidative damage‐induced retinal degeneration. Double transgenic mice with doxycycline‐inducible expression of GDNF in the retina were exposed to paraquat, FeSO4, or hyperoxia, all sources of oxidative damage and retinal cell death. Compared to controls, mice with increased expression of GDNF in the retina showed significant preservation of retinal function measured by electroretinograms, reduced thinning of retinal cell layers, and fewer TUNEL‐positive cells indicating less retinal cell death. Mice over‐expressing GDNF also showed less staining for acrolein, nitrotyrosine, and 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine, indicating less oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA. This suggests that GDNF did not act solely to allow cells to tolerate higher levels of oxidative damage before initiation of apoptosis, but also reduced damage from oxidative stress to critical macromolecules. These data suggest that gene transfer of Gdnf should be considered as a component of therapy for retinal degenerations in which oxidative damage plays a role.