bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of intubation using the Airtraq® or Macintosh laryngoscope by anaesthetists in easy and simulated difficult laryngoscopy – a manikin study*
Authors: Maharaj C. H. , Higgins B. D. , Harte B. H. , Laffey J. G. 
Published: March 2006

SummaryThe Airtraq® Laryngoscope is a novel intubation device which allows visualisation of the vocal cords without alignment of the oral, pharyngeal and tracheal axes. We compared the Airtraq® with the Macintosh laryngoscope in simulated easy and difficult laryngoscopy. Twenty‐five anaesthetists were allowed up to three attempts to intubate the trachea in each of three laryngoscopy scenarios using a Laerdal® Intubation Trainer followed by five scenarios using a Laerdal SimMan® Manikin. Each anaesthetist then performed tracheal intubation of the normal airway a second time to characterise the learning curve. In the simulated easy laryngoscopy scenarios, there was no difference between the Airtraq® and the Macintosh in success of tracheal intubation. The time taken to intubate at the end of the protocol was significantly lower using the Airtraq® (9.5 (6.7) vs. 14.2 (7.4) s), demonstrating a rapid acquisition of skills. In the simulated difficult laryngoscopy scenarios, the Airtraq® was more successful in achieving tracheal intubation, required less time to intubate successfully, caused less dental trauma, and was considered by the anaesthetists to be easier to use.
Pyruvate kinase deficiency in France: a 3‐year study reveals 27 new mutations
Authors: Pissard Serge , Max‐Audit Isabelle , Skopinski Laurent , Vasson Aurélie , Vivien Pascal , Bimet Catherine , Goossens Michel , Galacteros Frederic , Wajcman Henri 
Published: March 2006

SummaryPyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is the most common enzyme defect affecting the glycolytic pathway of the erythrocyte. Usually, it is clinically silent in heterozygotes but serious disorders are described at birth in homozygotes or compound heterozygotes. Including the mutants herein reported, more than 180 mutations of the PK‐LR gene have now been identified. This 3‐year study was carried out to detect mutations associated with disease‐affecting families. Haematological indices, erythrocyte PK and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activities were measured. Molecular characterisation of the PK gene mutations included restriction enzyme analysis, mutation scanning and gene sequencing. Among the 56 families studied, nine homozygous cases and 41 different mutations were found. Eight mutations involved a splice site, 31 missense mutations were located in crucial domains of the molecule (catalytic site, cleft between the A and C domains, A/A’ interface) and two cases of insertion–deletion were found. In total, 20 new mutations modifying the structure of the enzyme and seven affecting a splice site are reported. PK deficiency is an under diagnosed disease. However, deficiency could be life threatening in perinatal period and we report two lethal cases. These results support the characterisation of PK mutations, and show that prenatal diagnosis can identify affected infants and prepare safer conditions for the birth.
Pain‐ and distress‐reducing interventions for venepuncture in children
Authors: Tak J. H. , Van Bon W. H. J. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjective  To compare the effect of eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) and a placebo cream on reported pain and observed distress associated with venepuncture, and to investigate effects of procedural information before and distraction during venepuncture.Methods  Children 3–12 years of age undergoing venepuncture under five experimental and a control condition reported their pain at venepuncture on visual scales. Distress was observed when the child entered the waiting room, just before, and during venepuncture.Results  Distress increased over the measurement occasions, but a distress‐reducing effect of EMLA only was found at the actual venepuncture. The placebo diminished the reported pain, but the effect of EMLA was larger. Procedural information and distraction showed no effects.Conclusions  EMLA reduces pain from venepuncture. The placebo effect probably results from desirable responding. Behavioural distress is a more direct measure than self‐reported pain. More sophisticated designs should be used for the provision of procedural information and distraction.
The effect of interviewing techniques on young children's responses to questions
Authors: Krähenbühl S. , Blades M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractBackground  Research into the effect of interviewing techniques has been predominantly within the paradigm of eyewitness testimony. This review focuses on the issues of questioning and examines whether children's responses are affected by questioning techniques, and whether these effects are generic to all interviewing contexts.Methods  Systematic literature searches were used to identify areas of concern and current findings in research on interviewing young children (aged 4–12).Results  The style and wording of questioning can affect children's responses and accuracy positively and negatively. These effects were especially apparent in interviews with the youngest children.Conclusions  The implications of these findings are relevant in all contexts where an adult questions a child. It has been demonstrated that interviewing techniques can affect responses from children and that it is therefore imperative that interviewers are aware of, understand and control their influence in order to elicit complete, accurate and reliable information from the child.
House dust mite‐specific T cells in healthy non‐atopic children
Authors: Bullens D. M. A. , De. Swerdt A. , Dilissen E. , Kasran A. , Kroczek R. A. , Cadot P. , Casaer P. , Ceuppens J. L. 
Published: March 2006

SummaryBackground
T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that allergen‐specific T cells can also be found in the blood of healthy individuals. Both IL‐10 and IFN‐γ might modulate the induction and maintenance of allergen‐specific tolerance.Aim
To study the phenotype and functional characteristics of allergen‐specific T cells in healthy non‐atopic children.Methods
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 13 symptomatic house dust mite (HDM)‐allergic children and from nine matched healthy control children were stimulated with recombinant (r)Der p 2, a major allergen from HDMs.Results
Stimulation with rDer p 2 resulted in Th2 cytokine production in cultures of PBMC from allergic but not from healthy children. In contrast, IL‐10 and IFN‐γ were induced in PBMC cultures from both healthy and HDM‐allergic children. Intracellular staining revealed that IL‐10 and IFN‐γ are largely produced by the same T cells. Stimulation of T cells from healthy children with rDer p 2 also induced expression of inducible costimulator (ICOS) on a small T cell subset.Conclusion
Allergen‐specific memory T cells from healthy non‐atopic children produce IL‐10 and IFN‐γ (but not Th2 cytokines) and express ICOS upon stimulation. These cells might be responsible for a normal immune balance after allergen encounter in non‐atopics.
The ‘microflora hypothesis’ of allergic diseases
Authors: Noverr M. C. , Huffnagle G. B. 
Published: March 2006

SummaryIncreasingly, epidemiologic and clinical data support the hypothesis that perturbations in the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota because of antibiotic use and dietary differences in ‘industrialized’ countries have disrupted the normal microbiota‐mediated mechanisms of immunological tolerance in the mucosa, leading to an increase in the incidence of allergic airway disease. The data supporting this ‘microflora hypothesis’ includes correlations between allergic airway disease and (1) antibiotic use early in life, (2) altered fecal microbiota and (3) dietary changes over the past two decades. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that mice can develop allergic airway responses to allergens if their endogenous microbiota is altered at the time of first allergen exposure. These experimental and clinical observations are consistent with other studies demonstrating that the endogenous microbiota plays a significant role in shaping the development of the immune system. Data are beginning to accumulate that a ‘balanced’ microbiota plays a positive role in maintaining mucosal immunologic tolerance long after post‐natal development. Other studies have demonstrated that even small volumes delivered to the nasopharynx largely end up in the GI tract, suggesting that airway tolerance and oral tolerance may operate simultaneously. The mechanism of microbiota modulation of host immunity is not known; however, host and microbial oxylipins are one potential set of immunomodulatory molecules that may control mucosal tolerance. The cumulative data are beginning to support the notion that probiotic and prebiotic strategies be considered for patients coming off of antibiotic therapy.
Association between first‐degree familial predisposition of asthma and atopy (total IgE) in newborns
Authors: Kuiper S. , Muris J. W. M. , Dompeling E. , Van Schayck C. P. , Schönberger H. J. A. M. , Wesseling G. , Knottnerus J. André 
Published: March 2006

SummaryBackgroundIt is generally thought that infants with a first‐degree familial predisposition of asthma are at higher risk of developing asthma than infants without predisposition.ObjectiveTo investigate whether there is an association between being at high risk for developing asthma and increased level of total IgE in newborns and whether total IgE is influenced by gender, family size, birth season, maternal smoking, birth weight, gestational age, and maternal diet.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty‐one high risk and 308 low‐risk infants were prenatally selected in a 5‐year‐period. Three to 5 days after birth, the total IgE was measured in capillary heel blood.ResultsData on total IgE and first‐degree familial predisposition were available for 170 high‐risk and 300 low‐risk infants. There was a statistically significant relationship between being at high‐risk (maternal asthma) and increased levels of total IgE in newborns (total IgE cut‐off levels: 0.6–0.9 IU/mL (odds ratio (OR)=2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–3.7 to 3.0, 95% CI: 1.5–5.9)), between being born in autumn and increased levels of total IgE in newborns [total IgE cut‐off levels: 0.5–0.6 IU/mL (OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.2–5.1 to 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2–5.4)] and between maternal vitamin supplements intake and decreased levels of total IgE in newborns (total IgE cut‐off level: 0.9 IU/mL (OR=0.5, 95% CI:0.3–1.0)). There was no interaction between the effects of maternal asthma and birth season on total IgE, as well as between the effects of maternal asthma and maternal vitamin supplements intake. Gender, family size, maternal smoking, birth weight, and gestational age did not influence the associations.Conclusion
Being at high‐risk of asthma (maternal asthma) and birth season are positively associated with the presence of increased levels of total IgE at birth, whereas maternal vitamin supplements intake is negatively associated with the presence of total IgE at birth.
Schwannoma of the gastrointestinal tract: a clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of 33 cases
Authors: Hou Y Y , Tan Y S , Xu J F , Wang X N , Lu S H , Ji Y , Wang J , Zhu X Z 
Published: March 2006

Aims : Thirty‐three cases of gastrointestinal schwannomas were analysed to elucidate their peculiar clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features.Methods and results : The patients were 16 men and 17 women, whose ages ranged from 27 to 81 years (median 52.6 years). Tumour size ranged from 10 to 120 mm in diameter. Follow‐up in 23 cases from 6 months to 13 years showed no recurrences or metastases. Microscopically, all tumours were composed of spindle cells with focal epithelioid cells in four cases. In all cases except one, there were peripheral cuff‐like lymphoid aggregates. Immunohistochemically, tumours were strongly positive for S100 protein and vimentin, the tumours were variably positive for nestin (78.8%, 26/33) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (63.6%, 21/33), three tumours had CD34+ cells, but all were negative for CD117, α‐smooth muscle actin and desmin. Ultrastructurally, the tumours were composed of elongated spindle shaped cells with prominent parallel membranous structures.Conclusions : Gastrointestinal schwannomas have characteristic histological features, especially the presence of a lymphoid cuff, that are different from their soft tissue and central nervous system counterparts. Gastrointestinal tract schwannomas behave in a benign fashion.
A new vision of tubular and tubulo‐lobular carcinomas of the breast, as revealed by 3‐D modelling
Authors: Marchiò C , Sapino A , Arisio R , Bussolati G 
Published: March 2006

Aims : To reveal architectural structure and growth patterns of tubular carcinomas (TC) and tubulo‐lobular carcinomas (TLC) of the breast.Methods and results : We studied a series of 20 pure TC and 22 TLC, evaluating the architectural features of the two entities by bi‐dimensional microscopy and by 3‐D modelling. We traced the spatial organization of three TCs and three TLCs on serial sections using AE1/AE3 cytokeratin as a marker of the epithelial structures and reconstructed 3‐D models of each histological type. The analysis of TC on serial cytokeratin‐stained sections showed that the form of the ‘tubules’ was related to the plane of sectioning and that often they were tear‐drop shaped, with a final tail of single cells connecting them together. 3‐D models corresponded to a necklace appearance and the tubules of TC appeared as blebs bridging through solid cords to other blebs. In TLC the structure was similar, but the connecting single‐cell files were usually longer. Both TC and TLC showed similar E‐cadherin positivity and an indolent clinical behaviour.Conclusions : TC and TLC share the same architectural and growth patterns and ultimately seem to represent variants of the same tumour type.
Condition‐dependent nesting in bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus
Authors: CARGNELLI LUCA M. , NEFF BRYAN D. 
Published: March 2006

Summary

There are two prominent, nonmutually exclusive hypotheses to explain the timing of reproduction in animals: energetic constraint and adaptive behaviour.
We tested these hypotheses by quantifying the costs and benefits of nesting at different times in the season for male bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus, a species with paternal care, in Lake Opinicon (Ontario, Canada).
The value of nesting at different times during the breeding season (RSb) was determined from spawning individuals as RSb = Pb × Cb × Sb × Ob, where Pb is the probability of spawning during each bout b, Cb is the expected brood size, Sb is the expected brood survivorship to ‘swim‐up’, and Ob is the survivorship of free‐swimming fry to age 1 year.
The results show that the value of nesting peaks during the middle of the season. However, nesting patterns varied with male condition and not all males nested at the peak.
Larger males, which were able to nest multiple times, first nested early in the season when overwinter survivorship of offspring and renesting opportunities later in the season were maximized. These males had the highest seasonal reproductive success.
Smaller males, which nested a single time, delayed nesting until the middle of the season when spawning opportunities and brood sizes were greatest.
These data suggest that both energetics and adaptive behaviour play roles in determining the timing of reproduction.
Incorporating movement into models of grey seal population dynamics
Authors: HARRISON PHILIP J. , BUCKLAND STEPHEN T. , THOMAS LEN , HARRIS ROB , POMEROY PADDY P. , HARWOOD JOHN 
Published: March 2006

Summary

One of the most difficult problems in developing spatially explicit models of population dynamics is the validation and parameterization of the movement process. We show how movement models derived from capture–recapture analysis can be improved by incorporating them into a spatially explicit metapopulation model that is fitted to a time series of abundance data.
We applied multisite capture–recapture analysis techniques to photo‐identification data collected from female grey seals at the four main breeding colonies in the North Sea between 1999 and 2001. The best‐fitting movement models were then incorporated into state‐space metapopulation models that explicitly accounted for demographic and observational stochasticity.
These metapopulation models were fitted to a 20‐year time series of pup production data for each colony using a Bayesian approach. The best‐fitting model, based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), had only a single movement parameter, whose confidence interval was 82% less than that obtained from the capture–recapture study, but there was some support for a model that included an effect of distance between colonies.
The state‐space modelling provided improved estimates of other demographic parameters.
The incorporation of movement, and the way in which it was modelled, affected both local and regional dynamics. These differences were most evident as colonies approached their carrying capacities, suggesting that our ability to discriminate between models should improve as the length of the grey seal time series increases.
Host resistance and the evolutionary response of plant viruses
Authors: VAN DEN BOSCH FRANK , AKUDIBILAH GORDON , SEAL SUE , JEGER MIKE 
Published: March 2006

Summary

Plant virus diseases severely constrain agricultural production world‐wide, especially in less developed countries. The use of resistant cultivars may put a selection pressure on the plant virus to evolve towards more aggressive types. We used a modelling approach to show the impact of resistance, expressed through different mechanisms, on selection for plant virus strains with a higher multiplication rate. Begomoviruses (Geminiviridae: Begomovirus) inducing leaf curl diseases on tomato were used as key examples.
A model for the epidemiology of the plant–virus–vector system was combined with a model for the within‐plant dynamics of the virus. Four types of resistance were defined, each expressing resistance through one or more model parameters. The evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) approach was used to study the effect of resistance on the evolution of within‐plant virus multiplication rate.
Resistance expressed through reduced virus acquisition by the vector, and resistance expressed through reduced inoculation of the plant, do not put a selection pressure on the virus to evolve towards a higher multiplication rate.
Resistance expressed through reducing within‐plant virus titre and symptom reducing resistance do put a selection pressure on the virus to evolve towards a higher multiplication rate.
Synthesis and applications. We have shown how to disentangle different types of plant resistance. We have also shown that each type of resistance puts a different type of selection pressure on the virus. Virologists and plant breeders can use these results to develop methods to characterize the combination of resistance mechanisms in the cultivars they breed and, on the basis of this, determine whether the cultivar will put a selection pressure on the virus to evolve more harmful types. This new approach to plant resistance against virus diseases has been made possible by combining ecological insight in virus–vector–plant interactions with ESS calculations.
Dynamics of forest–savanna mosaics in north‐eastern Ivory Coast from 1954 to 2002
Authors: Goetze Dethardt , Hörsch Bianca , Porembski Stefan 
Published: March 2006

AbstractAim  In the transition between the southern Sudanian and northern Guinean zones of West Africa, numerous islands of predominantly semi‐deciduous forests are interspersed in extensive savannas. During the past decades, human population and intensity of land use have increased. At the same time, almost nothing is known about the natural dynamics of this widespread forest–savanna mosaic and how they are altered by human activities. This was investigated with respect to past, present and future forest–savanna dynamics, which presumably influence northern Guinean biodiversity.Location  The Comoé National Park (CNP) region in north‐eastern Ivory Coast.Methods  Landscape dynamics and the rates of anthropogenic deforestation and natural reforestation were retrospectively analysed by means of historical and recent aerial photographs and satellite images, directly relating the semi‐natural conditions in the CNP to neighbouring, traditionally utilized countryside.Results  From 1954 to 1996, the studied forest–savanna pattern proved to be remarkably stable, even with extensive land utilization outside the CNP. The contour towards the surrounding savanna and, thus, the size of 95.4% of 653 forest islands remained unchanged. Unvegetated surfaces also remained remarkably constant during the period from 1967 to 1996. Although dynamics were clearly higher outside the CNP as a result of human activities, the 913 unvegetated surfaces studied showed no general trend of decrease or increase, i.e. there was no response over the study period to an identified climatic shift. Anthropogenic deforestation and subsequent natural reforestation within the contours of the existing forest have occurred to a noteworthy extent only outside the CNP. For the period 1988–2002, the extent of deforestation was greater than the extent of reforestation (40% vs. 14%). By 2002, 62% of the original gallery forest along a 75‐km section of the Comoé river had been cleared.Main conclusions  With its remarkable overall stability, the landscape pattern inside the CNP has responded with resilience to varying influences (in particular climatic variations) and disturbances (e.g. episodic mass herbivory). A possible natural succession from savanna to forest appears to proceed only very slowly due to the counteracting effects of annual savanna fires and the lower climatic humidity of the area compared to the southern Guinean zone. Consequently, the forests should be considered as habitat islands rather than as habitat fragments. As deforestation outside the CNP has increased considerably, the pre‐existing pattern of forest insularization is now becoming overlain in these non‐CNP areas by a pattern of forest fragmentation. This will aggravate the ecological and genetic isolation of the undisturbed forests in the CNP, which are among the last remaining natural forests of the entire Guineo‐Sudanian transition zone.