bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combined effects of elevated temperatures and reduced leaf litter quality on the life‐history parameters of a saprophagous macroarthropod
Authors: DAVID JEAN‐FRANCOIS , GILLON DOMINIQUE 
Published: November 2008

AbstractBecause soil macroinvertebrates strongly modify decomposition processes, it is important to know how their abundance will respond to global change. We investigated in laboratory microcosms, the effects of elevated temperatures and reduced leaf litter quality on the life‐history traits of a saprophagous macroarthropod (development time, growth, survival and reproduction). Millipedes (Polydesmus angustus) from an Atlantic temperate forest were reared throughout their life cycle (≥16 months) under two temperature regimes differing on average by 3.3 °C; in a factorial design, they were fed either on Atlantic leaf litter or on Mediterranean leaf litter with a higher C : N ratio; humidity was consistently high. The components of the population growth rate (r) were affected positively by the temperature rise and negatively by the switch from Atlantic to Mediterranean leaf litter. When both treatments were combined, litter effects offset temperature effects. These results show that the short‐term response of saprophagous macroarthropods to warming is positive but depends on the availability of high‐quality litter, which is difficult to predict in the global change context. In a parallel experiment, conspecific millipedes from a Mediterranean population, which have evolved for a long time in a warmer climate and on poor‐quality litter, were reared at elevated temperatures on Mediterranean leaf litter. All components ofrwere higher than in the Atlantic population under the same conditions. This suggests that in the longer term, macroarthropods can overcome detrimental trophic interactions. Based on our study and the literature, we conclude that for decades the positive effects of warming on saprophagous macrofauna should exceed the negative effects of changes in litter quality. The abundance of those organisms in temperate forests could increase, which is confirmed by latitudinal patterns in Europe. Studies aimed at predicting the impacts of global change on decomposition will need to consider interactions with soil macroinvertebrates.
Gene expression profiling: opening the black box of plant ecosystem responses to global change
Authors: LEAKEY ANDREW D. B. , AINSWORTH ELIZABETH A. , BERNARD STEPHANIE M. , MARKELZ R. J. CODY , ORT DONALD R. , PLACELLA SARAH A. , ROGERS ALISTAIR , SMITH MELINDA D. , SUDDERTH ERIKA A. , WESTON DAVID J. , WULLSCHLEGER STAN D. , YUAN SHENGHUA 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe use of genomic techniques to address ecological questions is emerging as the field of genomic ecology. Experimentation under environmentally realistic conditions to investigate the molecular response of plants to meaningful changes in growth conditions and ecological interactions is the defining feature of genomic ecology. Because the impact of global change factors on plant performance are mediated by direct effects at the molecular, biochemical, and physiological scales, gene expression analysis promises important advances in understanding factors that have previously been consigned to the ‘black box’ of unknown mechanism. Various tools and approaches are available for assessing gene expression in model and nonmodel species as part of global change biology studies. Each approach has its own unique advantages and constraints. A first generation of genomic ecology studies in managed ecosystems and mesocosms have provided a testbed for the approach and have begun to reveal how the experimental design and data analysis of gene expression studies can be tailored for use in an ecological context.
The hsp27 gene of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata: structural characterization, regulation and developmental expression
Authors: Kokolakis G. , Tatari M. , Zacharopoulou A. , Mintzas A. C. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractIn the present study, a genomic DNA clone encoding the medfly homolog of Drosophila melanogaster hsp27 gene, named Cchsp27, was isolated. We sequenced a part of the clone containing the coding region, the 5′ untranslated region and approximately 2.8 Kb of the 5′ flanking region of the gene. Phylogenetic analysis of several insect small heat shock proteins, suggested that CcHsp27 is orthologous to Drosophila Hsp27 and Sarcophaga crassipalpis Hsp25. The Cchsp27 gene was mapped at the 81A division of the sixth chromosome which coincides with one of the major heat shock puffs of medfly. Structural analysis of the 5′ flanking region of the Cchsp27 gene revealed the presence of five putative heat shock elements and one putative ecdysone response element. In addition to heat induction, the Cchsp27 gene was expressed at several stages of normal medfly development. In general, the developmental expression pattern of the Cchsp27 gene was similar to the respective pattern of Drosophila hsp27 gene. However, there were some important differences in certain developmental stages suggesting differential regulation of the hsp27 gene in the two dipterans species. Salivary gland culture experiments showed that the Cchsp27 gene is regulated by 20‐hydroxyecdysone.
Empowerment and its application in health promotion in acute care settings: nurses’ perceptions
Authors: Chambers Derek , Thompson Susan 
Published: November 2008

AbstractTitle.  Empowerment and its application in health promotion in acute care settings: nurses’ perceptions. Background.  Empowerment has long been a central tenet of health promotion theory. Globally, governments have advocated the use of empowerment in their public health policies. Nurses are seen as essential in the delivery of this agenda using the empowerment model to engage patients in self‐care and decision‐making.Method.  Six different vignettes requiring a health promotion intervention were shown to a convenience sample of 20 Registered Nurses in a United Kingdom acute care hospital. The nurses were asked to describe how they would meet the health promotion needs of the patients described in the vignettes. The data were collected between 2005 and 2006 and analysed using thematic analysis.Findings.  Two types of practitioner were identified: Type I divergent nurse health promotion practitioner and Type II convergent nurse health promotion practitioner. The main factor distinguishing the two types was the way in which they conceptualized the verb ‘to empower’.Conclusion.  The theory of health promotion taught to participants does not seem to be applied in acute care settings. This raises the possibility that Registered Nurses acting as mentors and role models are convergent rather than divergent thinkers.
Patient satisfaction with nursing care: a concept analysis within a nursing framework
Authors: Wagner Debra , Bear Mary 
Published: November 2008

AbstractTitle.  Patient satisfaction with nursing care: a concept analysis within a nursing framework. Background.  Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of quality of care, and healthcare facilities are interested in maintaining high levels of satisfaction in order to stay competitive in the healthcare market. Nursing care has a prominent role in patient satisfaction. Using a nursing model to measure patient satisfaction with nursing care helps define and clarify this concept.Data sources.  Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis provided the framework for this analysis. Data were retrieved from the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and MEDLINE databases and the ABI/INFORM global business database. The literature search used the keywords patient satisfaction, nursing care and hospital. The sample included 44 papers published in English, between 1998 and 2007.Results.  Cox’s Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior was used to analyse the concept of patient satisfaction with nursing care. The attributes leading to the health outcome of patient satisfaction with nursing care were categorized as affective support, health information, decisional control and professional/technical competencies. Antecedents embodied the uniqueness of the patient in terms of demographic data, social influence, previous healthcare experiences, environmental resources, intrinsic motivation, cognitive appraisal and affective response. Consequences of achieving patient satisfaction with nursing care included greater market share of healthcare finances, compliance with healthcare regimens and better health outcomes.Conclusion.  The meaning of patient satisfaction continues to evolve. Using a nursing model to measure patient satisfaction with nursing care delineates the concept from other measures of patient satisfaction.
Designing multimedia learning environments using animated pedagogical agents: factors and issues
Authors: Woo H.L. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAnimated pedagogical agents (APAs) are known to possess great potential in supporting learning because of their ability to simulate a real classroom learning environment. But research in this area has produced mixed results. The reason for this remains puzzling. This paper is written with two purposes: (1) to examine some recent research and organize the findings in terms of classroom characteristics, and (2) to discuss and reveal any uncovered issues pertaining to the findings and provide input whenever possible. A framework formed by using APA characteristics, APA presentation, and learners' characteristics is used to analyse past research findings. The findings from the analysis reveal that because APAs are regarded as social members similar to humans, they are more effective in engaging learners in environments that require social communication and interactions. They therefore produce more definitive results in terms of affective gain and group learning. But such conditions also impose greater demand on designers to create more complex learning environments that can provide interactions with several agents and yet maintain a mode of communication that is pedagogically effective. The challenges for creating such environment include using an agent's gestures to duplicate its speech in instruction, which is usually uncommon in human practice, overcoming the needs to use input–output interface for communication and taking into consideration the possible influence of the learners' characteristics such as their sensory preference. This paper suggests that APAs' application in instruction should be seen in the light of affordances and be designed within its own practical limits.
Monitoring indicators of health care quality by means of a hospital register of tumours
Authors: Redondo Maximino , Rivas‐Ruiz Francisco , Guzman‐Soler M. Carmen , Labajos Carlos 
Published: November 2008

AbstractRationale  Hospital registers of tumours provide, on a continuous basis, information on differences in patterns of neoplasias and the results of the treatment strategies employed.Objective  In view of the scant publications on measures of health care quality in hospital tumour registers, the aim of our paper is to present the outcome of a study to monitor the results related to health care quality in oncology.Methods  Data are presented for cases recorded at the Hospital Costa del Sol over a period of 8 years. The sources of information are fundamentally the patient's medical record and the database of the Pathology Department.Results  A high proportion of patients (mean 50%, range 45–68%) were admitted to the hospital by the Emergency Department; there was a notably long delay between the appearance of the first symptoms and the occasion of the first hospital visit (median 65 days; range 60–75 days). Particularly striking was the corresponding delay for breast cancer patients, in most cases superior to 3 months. As was the case for the percentage of admissions by the Emergency Department, most of the indicators evaluated in this study present a significant improvement compared with the initial years of the Hospital Register of Tumours. Thus, non anatomic‐pathological diagnoses represented around 7% (range 3–13%), while 43% of patients (range 28–57%) were given adjuvant treatment in the form of radiation therapy or chemotherapy. In 40% of cases (range 20–50%), the tumour stage was included in the clinical record by the doctor who was treating the patient (in the remaining cases, these data were recorded by the Tumour Registry); the date of appearance of the first symptoms was included in the medical record in 65% of cases (range 54–80%). According to the stage classification, the following 5‐year survival rates were recorded: (I) 98%, (II) 94%, (III) 69% and (IV) 39% for breast cancer; (I) 93%, (II) 83%, (III) 68% and (IV) 12% for cancer of the colon; and (I) 100%, (II) 94%, (III) 79% and (IV) 53% for prostate cancer.Conclusion  The high percentage of patients admitted by the Emergency Department and the long delay between the appearance of the first symptoms reflect the deficient attention paid to this problem by patients and by primary health care services. Our results suggest that the Hospital Register of Tumours could constitute an excellent tool for monitoring the quality of health care systems for oncological patients.
Optimizing patient flow in a large hospital surgical centre by means of discrete‐event computer simulation models
Authors: Ferreira Rodrigo B. , Coelli Fernando C. , Pereira Wagner C.A. , Almeida Renan M.V.R. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractObjective  This study used the discrete‐events computer simulation methodology to model a large hospital surgical centre (SC), in order to analyse the impact of increases in the number of post‐anaesthetic beds (PABs), of changes in surgical room scheduling strategies and of increases in surgery numbers.Methods  The used inputs were: number of surgeries per day, type of surgical room scheduling, anaesthesia and surgery duration, surgical teams' specialty and number of PABs, and the main outputs were: number of surgeries per day, surgical rooms' use rate and blocking rate, surgical teams' use rate, patients' blocking rate, surgery delays (minutes) and the occurrence of postponed surgeries. Two basic strategies were implemented: in the first strategy, the number of PABs was increased under two assumptions: (a) following the scheduling plan actually used by the hospital (the ‘rigid’ scheduling – surgical rooms were previously assigned and assignments could not be changed) and (b) following a ‘flexible’ scheduling (surgical rooms, when available, could be freely used by any surgical team). In the second, the same analysis was performed, increasing the number of patients (up to the system ‘feasible maximum’) but fixing the number of PABs, in order to evaluate the impact of the number of patients over surgery delays.Conclusion  It was observed that the introduction of a flexible scheduling/increase in PABs would lead to a significant improvement in the SC productivity.
Loss of Hda activity stimulates replication initiation from I‐box, but not R4 mutant origins in Escherichia coli
Authors: Riber Leise , Fujimitsu Kazuyuki , Katayama Tsutomu , Løbner‐Olesen Anders 
Published: November 2008

SummaryInitiation of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is limited by the initiator protein DnaA associated with ATP. Within the replication origin, binding sites for DnaA associated with ATP or ADP (R boxes) and the DnaAATP specific sites (I‐boxes, τ‐boxes and 6‐mer sites) are found. We analysed chromosome replication of cells carrying mutations in conserved regions of oriC. Cells carrying mutations in DnaA‐boxes I2, I3, R2, R3 and R5 as well as FIS and IHF binding sites resembled wild‐type cells with respect to origin concentration. Initiation of replication in these mutants occurred in synchrony or with slight asynchrony only. Furthermore, lack of Hda stimulated initiation in all these mutants. The DnaAATP containing complex that leads to initiation can therefore be formed in the absence of several of the origin DnaA binding sites including both DnaAATP specific I‐boxes. However, competition between I‐box mutant and wild‐type origins, revealed a positive role of I‐boxes on initiation. On the other hand, mutations affecting DnaA‐box R4 were found to be compromised for initiation and could not be augmented by an increase in cellular DnaAATP/DnaAADP ratio. Compared with the sites tested here, R4 therefore seems to contribute to initiation most critically.
DNA polymerase kappa from Trypanosoma cruzi localizes to the mitochondria, bypasses 8‐oxoguanine lesions and performs DNA synthesis in a recombination intermediate
Authors: Rajão M. A. , Passos‐Silva D. G. , DaRocha W. D. , Franco G. R. , Macedo A. M. , Pena S. D. J. , Teixeira S. M. , Machado C. R. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryDNA polymerase kappa (Polκ) is a low‐fidelity polymerase that has the ability to bypass several types of lesions. The biological role of this enzyme, a member of the DinB subfamily of Y‐family DNA polymerases, has remained elusive. In this report, we studied one of the two copies of Polκ from the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (TcPolκ). The role of this TcPolκ copy was investigated by analysing its subcellular localization, its activities in vitro, and performing experiments with parasites that overexpress this polymerase. The TcPOLK sequence has the N‐terminal extension which is present only in eukaryotic DinB members, but its C‐terminal region is more similar to prokaryotic and archaeal counterparts since it lacks C2HC motifs and PCNA interaction domain. Our results indicate that in contrast to its previously described orthologues, this polymerase is localized to mitochondria. The overexpression of TcPOLK increases T. cruzi resistance to hydrogen peroxide, and in vitro polymerization assays revealed that TcPolκ efficiently bypasses 8‐oxoguanine lesions. Remarkably, our results also demonstrate that the DinB subfamily of polymerases can participate in homologous recombination, based on our findings that TcPolκ increases T. cruzi resistance to high doses of gamma irradiation and zeocin and can catalyse DNA synthesis within recombination intermediates.
DYSREGULATION OF Ca2+ MOVEMENT IN PLATELETS FROM PATIENTS WITH ACUTE ISCHAEMIC STROKE
Authors: Tsai Nai‐Wen , Lu Cheng‐Hsien , Chang Wen‐Neng , Shaw Chen‐Fu , Huang Chi‐Ren , Chen Shang‐Der , Chuang Yao‐Chung , Lee Lian‐Hui , Jan Chung‐Ren 
Published: November 2008

SUMMARY

Platelets play a pivotal role during acute ischaemic stroke. An increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) triggers intracellular signal transduction, leading to platelet aggregation and thrombosis. In the present study, we examined the differences between platelets from acute ischaemic stroke patients and at‐risk controls in terms of the increase in platelet [Ca2+]i.
Thirty‐one patients with acute ischaemic stroke and 27 at‐risk controls were enrolled in the present study. Platelet [Ca2+]i was measured using the fluorescent dye fura‐2 after stimulation with 100 µmol/L arachidonic acid (AA), 10 µmol/L ADP, 1 µmol/L platelet‐activation factor (PAF) and 0.1 U/mL thrombin.
Basal [Ca2+]i was higher in the stroke group compared with at‐risk controls, irrespective of the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. In Ca2+‐containing medium, both PAF and ADP, but not AA and thrombin, significantly increased platelet [Ca2+]i in the stroke group compared with the at‐risk controls. However, in Ca2+‐free medium, only PAF significantly increased platelet [Ca2+]i in the stroke group compared with the at‐risk controls. Basal [Ca2+]i and PAF‐induced platelet [Ca2+]i increases were still higher in the stroke group at the subacute stage than in the at‐risk controls.
The results of the present study provide direct evidence that Ca2+ signalling in platelets from acute ischaemic stroke patients was altered in response to particular stimuli. The dysregulation of Ca2+ movement in platelets may persist up to the subacute stage of ischaemic stroke.
Tracking human faecal contamination in tropical reservoirs in Puerto Rico
Authors: Amador José A. , Sotomayor‐Ramírez David , Martínez Gustavo , Chen Lixian , Bachoon Dave 
Published: November 2008

AbstractUsing a combination of chemical and microbiological (culture‐dependent and ‐independent) approaches, sources of human faecal contamination were identified in two water reservoirs in Puerto Rico – Guajataca and La Plata. Fluorescence from optical brighteners (OB) – commonly found in laundry detergents – was used as an indicator of contamination from septic systems and other household discharges. Traditional indicators of faecal contamination (e.g. Escherichia coli; faecal enterococci) were enumerated, and human faecal contamination was confirmed through detection of Bifidobacterium adolescentis utilizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based analyses. For Guajataca Reservoir, four of 19 sampling sites (21%) were positive for the presence of B. adolescentis under baseflow conditions. The OB fluorescence data suggested that the most likely source for three of these sites was residential, whereas the source of contamination at the remaining site, although of human origin, was probably non‐residential. B. adolescentis was present in 83% (19 of 23) of the sampling sites in La Plata. The La Plata sources were more difficult to identify because samples were taken under stormflow conditions, although the presence of OB fluorescence suggested a residential origin in a number of instances. OB fluorescence and traditional bacterial indicators of faecal contamination produced a number of false positive and negative findings for both reservoirs, pointing to the importance of understanding the limitations of these tools for tropical freshwater systems. The results of this study should be useful in developing a weight‐of‐evidence approach for the identification of potential sources and extent of human faecal contamination in similar tropical reservoirs, a necessary step in the development of management plans to reduce or eliminate these sources.
Biomanipulating the drinking water reservoir of Estonia's capital city: Prospects for success
Authors: Pedusaar Tiia , Sammalkorpi Ilkka , Hautala Arto , Järvalt Ain 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe possibility of utilizing biomanipulation to improve the water quality of Tallinn's drinking water reservoir (Lake Ülemiste) was analysed on the basis of water quality data, test fishing by different methods, and earlier studies on aquatic plants, light climate and sediments. Eutrophic, polymictic Lake Ülemiste is characterized by a prevalence of high filamentous cyanobacteria biomass, rotifers in the zooplankton community, mature bream in the fish biomass, and a high density of planktivores (YOY perch). Several prerequisites for being a potential target for biomanipulation were identified, including (i) decreased external total phosphorus (TP) loading; and (ii) a sufficient stock of piscivorous fish in the lake. Prohibition of fishing should favour biomanipulation efforts. The potential for recolonization of macrophytes and large Daphnia species in Lake Ülemiste could be judged from historical data. The in‐lake TP concentrations are within the limits that facilitate successful restoration. As phytoplankton biomass was significantly limited by phosphorus in Lake Ülemiste, its water quality improvement will be driven primarily by reduced nutrient concentrations, and then by zooplankton grazing. Internal TP loading and a new phytoplankton species community were assessed as major challenges for successful implementation of biomanipulation as a means of improving the water quality of Lake Ülemiste.