bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A combination of a transforming growth factor-β antagonist and an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase is an effective treatment for murine pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Hernández-Pando R , Orozco-Esteves H , Maldonado H A , Aguilar-León D , Vilchis-Landeros M M , Mata-Espinosa D A , Mendoza V , López-Casillas F 
Published: March 2006

SummaryTransforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and prostaglandins (PG) regulate the cell-mediated immune response, so it has been proposed that they affect the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis. Here we report that the administration of soluble betaglycan, a potent TGF-β antagonist, and niflumic acid, a PG synthesis inhibitor, during the chronic phase of experimental murine tuberculosis enhanced Th1 and decreased Th2 cytokines, increased the expression of iNOS and reduced pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis and bacillary load. This immunotherapeutic approach resulted in significant control of the disease comparable to that achieved by anti-microbial treatment alone. Importantly, the combination of immunotherapy and anti-microbials resulted in an accelerated clearance of bacilli from the lung. These results confirm that TGF-β and PG have a central pathophysiological role in the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis in the mouse and suggest that the addition of immunotherapy to conventional anti-microbial drugs might result in improved treatment of the disease.
Presence of IgE+ cells in human placenta is independent of malaria infection or chorioamnionitis
Authors: Rindsjö E , Varli I Hulthén , Ofori M F , Lundquist M , Holmlund U , Papadogiannakis N , Scheynius A 
Published: March 2006

Summary
We have shown previously that numerous IgE+ macrophage-like cells are present in the villous stroma of full term placenta and that there was no difference in the amount of IgE+ cells between allergic and non-allergic mothers. The presence of such an abundant number of IgE+ cells in the placenta in allergic as well as non-allergic women suggests that the IgE is of some importance for a successful pregnancy outcome. Here we have investigated the IgE-pattern in 59 placentas from second and third trimesters from Sweden with different degrees of chorioamnionitis and 27 full term placentas from Ghana with and without malaria parasites. The immunohistochemical staining pattern for IgE looked similar to our previous study, with the IgE located on Hofbauer-like cells. We could not find any difference in the amount or distribution of IgE+ cells between malaria-infected and non-infected placentas, nor between different degrees of chorioamnionitis. The IgE score in the placenta did not correlate with the levels of IgE in maternal serum or plasma. However, the IgE score was significantly higher in second- compared to third-trimester placentas (P = 0·03). This might reflect a maturation time-point in the fetus and in the intrauterine environment during the second trimester, or it might be associated with the increased number of intrauterine fetal deaths in the second trimester.
Miller’s seminal studies on the role of thymus in immunity
Authors: Ribatti D , Crivellato E , Vacca A 
Published: March 2006

Summary
The thymus is one of the two primary lymphoid organs. It is responsible for the provision of T lymphocytes to the entire body, and provides a unique microenvironment in which T cell precursors (thymocytes) undergo development, differentiation and clonal expansion. This review article summarizes the seminal work of the Australian scientist Francis Albert Pierre Miller concerning the description for the first time of the crucial role of the thymus for normal development of the immune system.
Vertical habitat utilization by large pelagic animals: a quantitative framework and numerical method for use with pop‐up satellite tag data
Authors: LUO JIANGANG , PRINCE ERIC D. , GOODYEAR C. PHILLIP , LUCKHURST BRIAN E. , SERAFY JOSEPH E. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractA quantitative framework and numerical methodology were developed to characterize vertical habitat utilization by large pelagic animals and to estimate the probability of their capture by certain types of fishing gear. Described are the steps involved to build ‘vertical habitat envelopes’ from data recovered from an electronically tagged blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) as well as from a longline fishing gear experiment employing temperature–depth recording devices. The resulting vertical habitat envelopes, which integrate depth and temperature preferences of tagged fish, are conducive for comparative studies of animal behavior and for calculation (and visualization) of degrees of overlap – be it among individuals, species or fishing gear. Results of a computer simulation evaluation indicated our numerical procedure to be reliable for estimating vertical habitat use from data summaries. The approach appears to have utility for examining pelagic longline fishing impacts on both target and non‐target species and could point to ways of reducing bycatch via modification of fishing strategy or gear configuration.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection by testicular sperm in patients with aspermia or azoospermia after cancer treatment
Authors: Zorn B. , Virant‐Klun I. , Stanovnik M. , Drobnič S. , Meden‐Vrtovec H. 
Published: March 2006

SummaryThe aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficiency of testicular biopsy and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patients with aspermia or non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA) after cancer treatment. From 1996 to 2003, 30 men with a history of cancer, affected by aspermia or NOA and without sperm cryopreserved before cytotoxic treatment underwent testicular sperm extraction (TESE). In these men, clinical, hormonal and histological characteristics were compared; 13 underwent 39 TESE‐ICSI cycles using frozen‐thawed testicular spermatozoa (TESE‐ICSI group). In the same period, 31 ICSI cycles were performed in 20 men with aspermia or NOA using ejaculated sperm frozen before cancer treatment (ejaculated sperm‐ICSI group). Fertilization, blastocyst development, pregnancy and miscarriage rates were compared between the groups. Testicular volume, serum follicle‐stimulating hormone level and Johnsen score indicated complete although reduced spermatogenesis in men with aspermia and abnormal spermatogenesis in men with NOA. After TESE, sperm retrieval was positive in 92% of men with aspermia and 58% of men with NOA. In TESE‐ICSI patients with NOA a significantly lower proportion of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage than in patients with aspermia and in those after ICSI with frozen‐thawed ejaculated sperm (23% vs. 43% and 47%, p = 0.03 and p <  0.01 respectively). In all groups the miscarriage rates were high; in patients with aspermia and NOA, characterized by increased age, the miscarriage rate tended to be higher in spite of similar female age and female indications of infertility. In patients affected by aspermia or NOA after cancer treatment and without sperm cryopreserved before treatment, TESE‐ICSI using testicular sperm provide a chance to father a child.
Making the diagnosis of labour: midwives’ diagnostic judgement and management decisions
Authors: Cheyne Helen , Dowding Dawn W. , Hundley Vanora 
Published: March 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study examining midwives’ perceptions of the way in which they diagnose labour.Background.  Diagnosis of active labour is often problematic. A midwifery workforce planning tool identified that up to 30% of women admitted to United Kingdom labour wards subsequently turned out not to have been in labour. There is evidence that if a woman is admitted to a labour ward in early labour, she is more likely to have some form of medical intervention. However, despite the impact of misdiagnosis, there is little research on the process of decision‐making by midwives in relation to diagnosis of labour.Methods.  This was a qualitative study, employing focus group methods. Participants were a convenience sample of midwives working in a maternity unit in the North of England during 2002. They were asked to discuss their experience of admission of women in labour. Data were analysed using latent content analysis.Findings.  Thirteen midwives participated in one of two groups. They described using information cues, which could be separated into two categories: those arising from the woman (Physical signs, Distress and coping, Woman's expectations and Social factors) and those from the institution (Midwifery care, Organizational factors and Justifying actions). Midwives’ decision‐making process could be divided into two stages. The diagnostic judgement was based on the physical signs of labour: the management decision would then be made by considering the diagnostic judgement as well as cues such as how the woman was coping, her expectations and those of her family and the requirements of the institution.Conclusions.  Midwives may experience more difficulty with the management decision than with the initial diagnosis. It may be that the number of inappropriate admissions to labour wards could be reduced by supporting midwives to negotiate the complex management hurdles, which accompany diagnosis of labour.
Primary emotions in patients after myocardial infarction
Authors: Bowman Gerald , Watson Roger , Trotman‐Beasty Anita 
Published: March 2006

Aims. This paper reports a study testing the reliability and validity of the Emotion and Health Scale and to check convergent and discriminant validity against the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Background. Reactions to illness are often measured in the narrow terms of anxiety and depression. Primary emotions are claimed by the functionalist school of psychology to be adaptive and to produce specific behaviours for survival. The functionalist theory requires testing in the context of health threat and adaptation. This paper is concerned with the development of a 24‐item self‐assessment scale of eight primary emotions.Methods. A healthy cohort of 150 university students was enrolled to complete the Health and Emotion Scale. A cohort of 80 first‐time myocardial infarction patients was enrolled to complete the Emotion and Health Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale four days after the onset of myocardial infarction or when symptoms were controlled. The data were collected in 2002.Results. The Emotion and Health Scale was shown to have acceptable internal consistency. Significant differences were observed between the healthy and myocardial infarction cohorts in illness attributed sadness, anger, disgust and surprise. Healthy men had significantly more health fear than women.Conclusions. The Emotion and Health Scale is a valid and reliable instrument that could be used to study emotion and illness. This line of enquiry may improve understanding of illness reactions and the role primary emotions exert on adaptation to health change.
Nursing assistants’ behaviour during morning care: effects of the implementation of snoezelen, integrated in 24‐hour dementia care
Authors: Van Weert Julia C.M. , Janssen Bienke M. , Van Dulmen Alexandra M. , Spreeuwenberg Peter M.M. , Bensing Jozien M. , Ribbe Miel W. 
Published: March 2006

Aim.  This paper reports an investigation of the effects of the implementation of snoezelen, or multisensory stimulation, on the quality of nursing assistants’ behaviour during morning care.Background.  Nursing assistants in long‐term dementia care are often unaware of the impact of their behaviour on patient functioning. Snoezelen is a psychosocial intervention that might improve the quality of caregiver behaviour by combining a person‐centred approach with the integration of sensory stimuli.Methods.  A quasi‐experimental pre‐ and post‐test design was implemented in 12 wards for older mentally infirm patients at six nursing homes. The experimental group intervention was a 4‐day in‐house ‘snoezelen’ training, stimulus preference screening and supervision meetings. The control group received usual nursing home care. The effectiveness of the intervention was studied by analysing 250 video recordings, which were assessed by independent observers using a 4‐point measurement scale developed for this study and based on Kitwood's Dialectical Framework.Results.  The results showed a statistically significant increase in ‘Positive Person Work’ and decrease in ‘Malignant Social Psychology’ (total scores) after the implementation of snoezelen. Nursing assistants in the experimental group also improved by statistically significant amounts on all subitems of ‘Positive Person Work’. The mean number of sensory stimuli, offered explicitly, increased.Conclusion.  The implementation of snoezelen succeeded in effecting a change to a more person‐centred approach during morning care. The results indicate that nursing assistants’ behaviour can be positively changed provided that the new care model has been successfully implemented.
Effects of music on patients undergoing a C‐clamp procedure after percutaneous coronary interventions
Authors: Chan Moon Fai , Wong Oi Chi , Chan Hoi Lam , Fong Mei Chu , Lai Suet Yan , Lo Ching Wah , Ho Siu Mei , Ng Suk Ying , Leung Suk Kit 
Published: March 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study to determine the effect of music on physiological parameters and level of pain in patients undergoing application of a C‐clamp after percutaneous coronary interventions.Background.  Most percutaneous coronary interventions are performed through the femoral artery. In order to stop bleeding and achieve homeostasis, a C‐clamp is used after percutaneous coronary interventions. However, the experience is painful for patients and they inevitably suffer discomfort. Pain may lead to stress responses and may affect the physical and mental health of patients. One potential beneficial practice is having the patient listen to relaxing music, which might have the effect of reducing situational discomfort and pain.Methods.  A randomized controlled study was conducted during the period September 2004 to March 2005. Forty‐three people (20 experimental and 23 control) were recruited from the intensive care units of two acute care hospitals in Hong Kong. Physiological and psychological variables were collected at baseline and at 15, 30 and 45 minutes.Results.  In the music group, there were statistically significant reductions (P = 0·001) in heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation than the control participants at 45 minutes. In the music group, statistically significant reductions (P = 0·001) in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were found at the four time points, but not in the control group. No statistically significant differences were found at baseline comparison of the two groups, but statistically significant differences in pain scores were found at 45 minutes for participants in the music group compared with the control group (P = 0·003). Participants in the control group showed statistically significant increases in pain at 45 minutes compared with baseline (P < 0·001).Conclusions.  The benefits of preventing physiological reactions to pain were demonstrated. Music is a simple, safe and effective method of reducing potentially harmful physiological and psychological responses arising from pain.
Clarifying the concepts in knowledge transfer: a literature review
Authors: Thompson Genevieve N. , Estabrooks Carole A. , Degner Lesley F. 
Published: March 2006

Aim. The aim of this paper is to examine the concepts of opinion leaders, facilitators, champions, linking agents and change agents as described in health, education and management literature in order to determine the conceptual underpinnings of each.Background. The knowledge utilization and diffusion of innovation literature encompasses many different disciplines, from management to education to nursing. Due to the involvement of multiple specialties, concepts are often borrowed or used interchangeably and may lack standard definition. This contributes to confusion and ambiguity in the exactness of concepts.Methods. A critical analysis of the literature was undertaken of the concepts opinion leaders, facilitators, champions, linking agents and change agents. A literature search using the concepts as keywords was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, Proquest and ERIC from 1990 to March 2003. All papers that gave sufficient detail describing the various concepts were included in the review. Several ‘older’ papers were included as they were identified as seminal work or were frequently cited by other authors. In addition, reference lists were reviewed to identify books seen by authors as essential to the field.Findings. Two similarities cut across each of the five roles: the underlying assumption that increasing the availability of knowledge will lead to behaviour change, and that in essence each role is a form of change agent. There are, however, many differences that suggest that these concepts are conceptually unique.Conclusions. There is inconsistency in the use of the various terms, and this has implications for comparisons of intervention studies within the knowledge diffusion literature. From these comparisons, we concluded that considerable confusion and overlap continues to exist and these concepts may indeed be similar phenomena with different labels. All concepts appear to be based on the premise that interpersonal contact improves the likelihood of behavioural change when introducing new innovations into the health sector.
Vole population cycles in northern and southern Europe: Is there a need for different explanations for single pattern?
Authors: LAMBIN XAVIER , BRETAGNOLLE VINCENT , YOCCOZ NIGEL G. 
Published: March 2006

Summary

Students of population cycles in small rodents in Fennoscandia have accumulated support for the predation hypothesis, which states that the gradient in cycle length and amplitude running from southern to northern Fennoscandia reflects the relative influence of specialist and generalist predators on vole dynamics, itself modulated by the presence of snow cover. The hypothesized role of snow cover is to isolate linked specialist predators, primarily the least weasel, Mustela n. nivalis L. and their prey, primarily field voles Microtus agrestis L., from the stabilizing influence of generalist predators.
The predation hypothesis does not readily account for the high amplitude and regular 3‐year cycles of common voles documented in agricultural areas of western, central and eastern Europe. Such cycles are rarely mentioned in the literature pertaining to Fennoscandian cycles.
We consider new data on population cycles and demographic patterns of common voles Microtus arvalis Pallas in south‐west France. We show that the patterns are wholly consistent with five of six patterns that characterize rodent cycles in Fennoscandia and that are satisfactorily explained by the predation hypothesis. They include the: (a) existence of cycle; (b) the occurrence of long‐term changes in relative abundance and type of dynamics; (c) geographical synchrony over large areas; (d) interspecific synchrony; and (e) voles are large in the increase and peak phase and small in decline and low phase, namely. There is a striking similarity between the patterns shown by common vole populations in south‐west France and those from Fennoscandian cyclic rodent populations, although the former are not consistent with a geographical extension of the latitudinal gradient south of Fennoscandia.
It is possible that the dominant interaction leading to multiannual rodent oscillations is different in different regions. We argue, however, that advocates of the predation hypothesis should embrace the challenge of developing a widely applicable explanation to population cycles, including justifying any limits to its applicability on ecological and not geographical grounds.
Pollinator webs, plant communities and the conservation of rare plants: arable weeds as a case study
Authors: GIBSON R. H. , NELSON I. L. , HOPKINS G. W. , HAMLETT B. J. , MEMMOTT J. 
Published: March 2006

Summary

Little is known about the pollinators of rare plants, which is cause for concern given that pollination is essential for the long‐term survival of most plant species. The aim of this study was to determine the probable pollinators of three species of rare arable weed: red hemp‐nettle Galeopsis angustifolia, small‐flowered catchfly Silene gallica and spreading hedge‐parsley Torilis arvensis. Species of arable weed are among those suffering the greatest declines in the UK.
Five field sites were chosen, two of which were sampled in 2 years. Visitation and pollen transport webs were constructed for the entire plant–pollinator community at each site. Visitation webs described the frequency with which each insect species visited each plant species. Pollen transport webs quantified which insect species transported the pollen of which plant species.
A wide range of insect species visited the three plant species. A pollinator importance index was calculated that combined information on both the relative abundance of each insect carrying the pollen of the rare plant and its pollen fidelity. Using this method Galeopsis angustifolia was most likely to be pollinated by Bombus pascuorum at one site and Sphaerophoria scripta at another. Silene gallica was also likely be pollinated by Sphaerophoria scripta.
The pollinator fauna of the three plant species varied considerably across their geographical range, but less from one year to the next.
Synthesis and applications. All three species of rare plant were linked to other plant species in the community by shared pollinators. In many cases these other plant species constituted the primary food sources for the shared pollinators. Therefore, the long‐term survival of rare plant populations is likely to depend on the more common plant species in the community. We recommend that management of the rare plants studied here should also include the protection and management of populations of some of the more common plant species in their respective communities.