bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical features and contemporary management of patients with low and preserved ejection fraction heart failure: baseline characteristics of patients in the Candesartan in Heart failure—Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) programme
Authors: McMurray J. , Östergren J. , Pfeffer M. , Swedberg K. , Granger C. , Yusuf S. , Held P. , Michelson E. , Olofsson B. ,   On behalf of the CHARM committees and investigators
Published: June 2003

AbstractAims:To describe the clinical characteristics and contemporary treatment of a broad spectrum of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) randomised in the Candesartan in Heart failure—Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) programme, consisting of three component studies comparing placebo to candesartan.Methods and results:CHARM Alternative, CHARM Added and CHARM Preserved enrolled 2028 low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ACE inhibitor intolerant patients, 2548 low LVEF ACE inhibitor treated patients and 3025 preserved LVEF patients, respectively. Patients in CHARM Preserved were more often female. The proportion of women in CHARM Preserved was 40% compared to 32% in CHARM Alternative and 21% in CHARM Added. Patients in CHARM Preserved were also more often hypertensive than in the other two trials (64% vs. 50% and 48%, respectively). Symptoms and signs (with the exception of a third heart sound) were similar in all three patient groups. Beta‐blockers were used in over half of patients in all three groups. Digoxin and spironolactone were used less frequently and calcium antagonists more frequently in CHARM Preserved. Spironolactone was used most frequently in CHARM Alternative, i.e. in ACE inhibitor intolerant patients.Conclusions:The CHARM Programme provides the largest and most detailed comparison to date of patients low‐ and preserved‐LVEF CHF. It also describes the causes of ACE‐inhibitor intolerance in a large cohort of patients and the other treatment which these patients receive.
Update of clinical trials from the American College of Cardiology 2003. EPHESUS, SPORTIF‐III, ASCOT, COMPANION, UK‐PACE and T‐wave alternans
Authors: Cleland John G.F. , Coletta Alison P. , Nikitin Nikolay , Louis Amala , Clark Andrew 
Published: June 2003

AbstractThe American College of Cardiology provided much useful new information to inform those who care for patients with heart failure about what they should and should not adopt into current clinical practice. The EPHESUS trial suggests a much wider role for aldosterone antagonists for the management of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. SPORTIF‐III indicates we may have a safer, simpler warfarin substitute soon. ASCOT reinforces the potential futility of statin therapy unless it is well targeted. The results of the COMPANION study investigating cardiac resynchronisation devices and implantable defibrillators were encouraging but inconclusive and/or hard to interpret. UK‐PACE again questions the use of dual chamber pacing. T‐wave alternans is an interesting experimental technique that may be useful in selecting which patients need an implantable defibrillator, although the technology needs testing in an appropriate patient population.
Introduction: International Symposium on Modern Trends in Malaria
Authors: Pasternak Charles A. 
Published: June 2003

Malaria continues to kill some two million people a year, half of whom are young children. We have no vaccine, the parasite has become resistant to the most effective drugs, and elimination of the mosquito vector through spraying with insecticide is being questioned. Yet research on malaria is — at last — being funded reasonably well. What has been achieved?
Scientists gathered at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi from 13-15 February 2003 to discuss these issues. Because many antima-larial strategies work at the cell surface (see the abstract on Membranes as future therapeutic targets) it seems appropriate to give readers of Bioscience Reports: Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Cell Surface an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the current situation through the (unedited) abstracts of the invited speakers.
Attitudes of Health Care Trainees About Genetics and Disability: Issues of Access, Health Care Communication, and Decision Making
Authors: Ormond Kelly E. , Gill Carol J. , Semik Patrick , Kirschner Kristi L. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractPrior studies suggest that knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals influence patient communication and medical decision making. To study this dynamic in the context of genetic disability, we developed a survey on health professionals' attitudes regarding disability and genetic screening and pilot‐tested it on a sample of medical students, residents, and genetic counseling students (N = 85). Despite minimal experience with disability or genetics, most respondents reported feeling comfortable dealing with genetics (59%) and disability (75%). The majority felt that disability caused significant suffering for both the person (51%) and family (64%), and that research should be directed toward preventing genetic disability (62%). Similar to prior literature, perceived “Quality of Life” was most often based on degrees of physical and cognitive functioning, pain, and social support. However, differences were found between genetic counseling trainees and other medical trainees in their relative emphasis of social versus medical issues in questions of disability and genetic testing, and these response patterns were associated with differences in the groups' priorities for offering information about social resources. Respondents agreed that access to genetic testing and information is personal and that testing should be available upon request for oneself (68%) and to a lesser degree for one's fetus (55%) or child (41%). However, the same individuals frequently stated that society should regulate access to such technologies. Although most felt that the patient and professional should jointly make such decisions on a case‐by‐case basis, it was also seen as appropriate for the health care professional to occasionally decline genetic testing. It seems apparent that training and experience influence knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, it is critical to document knowledge and attitudes of various health care providers and trainees, including differences between various specialties, to improve educational interventions geared to this area.
Community Science: Bridging the Gap between Science and Practice with Community‐Centered Models
Authors: Wandersman Abraham 
Published: June 2003

AbstractA major goal of community science is to improve the quality of life in our communities by improving the quality of the practice of treatment, prevention, health promotion, and education. Community science is an interdisciplinary field, which develops and researches community‐centered models that enable communities to use evidence‐based interventions more effectively and efficiently. In this article, the gap between science and practice and the need to bridge the gap with new models serve as an entry point and guide to the development of a community science. Therefore, the article describes (1) the “prevention science” model of bringing science to practice, (2) why this model is necessary but not sufficient for influencing the quality of interventions in our everyday world, (3) the gap between science and practice and the need to integrate “prevention science” models with community‐centered models in order to bridge the gap, and (4) features of community science.
Developing Standard Recommendations (Guidelines) for Genetic Counseling Practice: A Process of the National Society of Genetic Counselors
Authors: Bennett Robin L. , Pettersen Barbara J. , Niendorf Kristin B. , Anderson Rebecca Rae 
Published: June 2003

AbstractThe National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) supports the development of practice recommendations (guidelines) in the field of genetic counseling. This paper reviews the basic components of NSGC genetic counseling practice recommendations as well as the process for formal adoption of such documents, as approved by the Board of Directors of the NSGC.
Long‐term observation of reflux oesophagitis developing after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy
Authors: Sasaki A. , Haruma K. , Manabe N. , Tanaka S. , Yoshihara M. , Chayama K. 
Published: June 2003

SummaryBackground:  Development of reflux oesophagitis after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy has been reported, but the prognosis is not well known.Aim:  To evaluate the prognosis of patients with reflux oesophagitis that developed after eradication therapy by long‐term observation.Methods:  Forty‐five patients who developed reflux oesophagitis after successful H. pylori eradication therapy were followed up prospectively. All 45 patients were followed up by endoscopy more than 3 years after onset of reflux oesophagitis (3‐year follow‐up group) and nine were followed up more than 5 years after onset (5‐year follow‐up group). Endoscopic observations were performed yearly or when upper gastrointestinal symptoms recurred. Reflux oesophagitis was graded according to the Los Angeles Classification System. Presence of gastro‐oesophageal reflux symptoms and medication of proton pump inhibitors, H2‐blockers or prokinetics were investigated at final endoscopy.Results:  All patients were classified as grade A or B at initial endoscopy. At final observation, the grade of reflux oesophagitis improved in 35/45 (78.8%) patients from the 3‐year follow‐up group and 7/9 (78.8%) patients from the 5‐year follow‐up group. Reflux oesophagitis progressed from grade A to B in only four (8.9%) patients from the 3‐year follow‐up group and in no patients in the 5‐year follow‐up group. No patient progressed to grade C or D. Gastro‐oesophageal reflux symptoms were seen in 12 patients (26.7%) from the 3‐year follow‐up group and four patients (44.4%) from the 5‐year follow‐up group. Among them, medication was needed continuously in only six (13.3%) and two (22.2%) patients, respectively.Conclusions:  Reflux oesophagitis, which develops after H. pylori eradication therapy, rarely becomes a long‐term clinical problem among patients who complete therapy successfully.
Body sizes of carnivores commensal with humans have increased over the past 50 years
Authors: Yom‐Tov Y. 
Published: June 2003

Summary

Improved nutrition may cause an increase in body size in animals, while increased ambient temperature may result in a decrease in body size, as expected from Bergmann's rule. In Israel, during the last 50 years both food availability for animals commensal with humans and ambient temperature have increased.
Using museum data, temporal changes in body size of five species of carnivorous mammals commensal with humans were examined.
An increase in body length was found in four species, and appears to be related to improved nutrition owing to a substantial increase in the amount of garbage and agricultural crops available to commensal mammals that has occurred since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
The larger species were more affected than the smaller ones, apparently because of their higher position in the feeding hierarchy or because of having larger home ranges.
The increases are convergent with the increase in human body height observed during the past two centuries.
These changes illustrate the fast rate of animal response to changing environmental conditions.
Functional significance of photoblastic germination in neotropical pioneer trees: a seed's eye view
Authors: Pearson T. R. H. , Burslem D. F. R. P. , Mullins C. E. , Dalling J. W. 
Published: June 2003

Summary

We investigated the relationship between seed mass and the suitability of microsites for germination for five small‐seeded (< 2·4 mg fresh mass) photoblastic neotropical pioneer trees. We determined the germination response of these species to the ratio of red to far‐red irradiance (r:fr) and compared it to r:fr measured under varying conditions of canopy openness, litter and soil thickness.
At a constant temperature the germination percentage of each of the species increased sharply with increasing r:fr above a species‐specific threshold r:fr. The smallest‐seeded species, Miconia argentea, had the lowest r:fr threshold for germination (0·12) while the larger‐seeded Cecropia species and Solanum hayesii possessed higher values (0·21–0·27). The largest seeded species, Solanum hayesii, also showed a positive germination response to a 10 °C temperature fluctuation, which was independent of the response to r:fr.
The mean r:fr at ground level declined with decreasing gap size but not sufficiently to suppress the germination of these five species. However, a covering of one litter leaf in direct sunlight reduced the r:fr to between 0·18 and 0·83 depending on the species and leaf wetness. The top‐soil at our study site was aggregated and irradiance was transmitted or reflected between soil aggregates with little change in r:fr. Light did not penetrate the aggregates.
We suggest that photoblastic germination in neotropical pioneers has evolved to inhibit germination in response to conditions most likely to alter within the life of an individual seed (i.e. superficial burial by leaf litter or incorporation into the surface soil), rather than to fine scale variation in canopy openness. Among photoblastic species, the pattern of response to r:fr suggests that smaller‐seeded species would germinate in a broader range of microsites than larger‐seeded species. This lower degree of discrimination may be associated with their higher risk of mortality and therefore more limited persistence in the soil seed bank.
Is there an optimal root architecture for nitrate capture in leaching environments?
Authors: DUNBABIN V. , DIGGLE A. , RENGEL Z. 
Published: June 2003

ABSTRACTLittle is known about root architectural attributes that aid the capture of nitrate from coarse‐textured soil profiles of high leaching potential. In this study, a range of root architectures from the herringbone to the dichotomous structure were simulated, and their capacity to take up nitrate leaching through a sandy profile was recorded. All root systems had equal total volume at each point in time, and so were considered cost equivalent. These simulations showed that the root architecture likely to maximize nitrate capture from sandy soils (under the Mediterranean rainfall pattern experienced in Western Australia) is one that quickly produces a high density of roots in the top‐soil early in the season, thereby reducing total nitrate leached with opening season rains, but also has vigorous taproot growth, enabling access to deep‐stored water and leached nitrate later in the season. This is the first published, spatially explicit attempt to assess the ability of different root architectures equivalent in cost, to capture nitrate from a spatially and temporally heterogeneous soil environment.
Up‐regulation of the leaf mitochondrial and peroxisomal antioxidative systems in response to salt‐induced oxidative stress in the wild salt‐tolerant tomato species Lycopersicon pennellii
Authors: MITTOVA V. , TAL M. , VOLOKITA M. , GUY M. 
Published: June 2003

ABSTRACTThe response of the antioxidative systems of leaf cell mitochondria and peroxisomes of the cultivated tomato Lycopersicon esculentum (Lem) and its wild salt‐tolerant related species Lycopersicon pennellii (Lpa) to NaCl 100 mM stress was investigated. Salt‐dependent oxidative stress was evident in Lem mitochondria as indicated by their raised levels of lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content whereas their reduced ascorbate and reduced glutathione contents decreased. Concomitantly, SOD activity decreased whereas APX and GPX activities remained at control level. In contrast, the mitochondria of salt‐treated Lpa did not exhibit salt‐induced oxidative stress. In their case salinity induced an increase in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and glutathione‐dependent peroxidase (GPX). Lpa peroxisomes exhibited increased SOD, APX, MDHAR and catalase activity and their lipid peroxidation and H2O2 levels were not affected by the salt treatment. The activities of all these enzymes remained at control level in peroxisomes of salt‐treated Lem plants. The salt‐induced increase in the antioxidant enzyme activities in the Lpa plants conferred cross‐tolerance towards enhanced mitochondrial and peroxisomal reactive oxygen species production imposed by salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) and 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (3‐AT), respectively.
Cross‐talk between calcium and reactive oxygen species originated from NADPH oxidase in abscisic acid‐induced antioxidant defence in leaves of maize seedlings
Authors: JIANG M. , ZHANG J. 
Published: June 2003

ABSTRACTThe signal interactions between calcium (Ca2+) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) originated from plasma membrane NADPH oxidase in abscisic acid (ABA)‐induced antioxidant defence were investigated in leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings. Treatment with ABA led to significant increases in the activity of plasma membrane NADPH oxidase, the production of leaf O2–, and the activities of several antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR). However, such increases were blocked by the pretreatment with Ca2+ chelator EGTA or Ca2+ channel blockers La3+ and verapamil, and NADPH oxidase inhibitors such as diphenylene iodonium (DPI), imidazole and pyridine. Treatment with Ca2+ also significantly induced the increases in NADPH oxidase activity, O2– production and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and the increases were arrested by pretreatment with the NADPH oxidase inhibitors. Treatment with oxidative stress induced by paraquat, which generates O2–, led to the induction of antioxidant defence enzymes, and the up‐regulation was suppressed by the pretreatment of Ca2+ chelator and Ca2+ channel blockers. Our data suggest that a cross‐talk between Ca2+ and ROS originated from plasma membrane‐bound NADPH oxidase is involved in the ABA signal transduction pathway leading to the induction of antioxidant enzyme activity, and Ca2+ functions upstream as well as downstream of ROS production in the signal transduction event in plants.
Cell‐specific measurement of cytosolic glutathione in poplar leaves*
Authors: HARTMANN T. N. , FRICKER M. D. , RENNENBERG H. , MEYER A. J. 
Published: June 2003

ABSTRACTThe level of glutathione (GSH) in plants is important in defence reactions against biotic and abiotic stresses and can place considerable demand of the sulphur assimilation pathway. Enzymes involved in sulphur assimilation and GSH metabolism are not evenly distributed between different subcellular compartments or between different cell types in leaves or roots; however, there is little information on the effect that such asymmetries have on the actual GSH concentration in each compartment or cell type. In the present study in situ labelling with monochlorobimane (MCB) in combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to quantify GSH in each of the main cell types of poplar leaves from fluorescence of the GSB conjugate formed. Comparison of results from the in situ approach with total GSH levels measured in vitro by high‐performance liquid chromatography suggested that only the cytosolic GSH pool was labelled using this approach. This suggests that an appropriate GST was not present within the chloroplasts to catalyse the conjugation reaction and that chloroplastic GSH does not rapidly exchange with the cytoplasmic pool under the conditions of the assay. Cytosolic GSH levels were between 0.2 and 0.3 mm for both photosynthetic and non‐photosynthetic (epidermal) cell types in wild‐type poplar leaves. Cytosolic levels increased by around two‐fold in transgenic poplars over‐expressing bacterial γ‐glutamylsynthetase (γ‐ECS) in the cytosol of all cell types, but there was no concomitant increase in the chloroplastic GSH pool.
Dry Matter Production and Productivity as Influenced by Staggered Sowing of Mustard Intercropped at Different Row Ratios with Chickpea
Authors: Singh K. K. , Rathi K. S. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractIn a 2‐year experiment on Typic Ustochrept soils of the North Plain Zone of India, the effect of different row ratios (3 : 1, 6 : 2, 4 : 1 and 8 : 2) and staggered sowing of mustard (simultaneous and 15 days later) was studied in intercropping of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Nodule number, dry weight, grain yield, protein content and yield were higher in monocrop chickpea compared with intercropping. Among row ratios, except for protein content in grain, all the above parameters were significantly higher in the 4 : 1 intercropping of chickpea + mustard. Similarly, delayed sowing of mustard by 15 days also gave higher plant dry weight (1.80–2.36 g plant−1), nodule number (0.41–1.56 and 0.5–3.0 at 55‐ and 70‐day stages, respectively), protein yield (63 kg ha−1), grain yield (290 kg ha−1) and biological yield (1104 kg ha−1) than sowing with chickpea. Widening the row ratio and pairing of the rows of mustard were also found to be beneficial in increasing chickpea growth and yield. Like chickpea, sowing of mustard as a monocrop gave higher growth and yield. Delayed sowing by 15 days reduced the growth and yield of mustard drastically. Productivity, measured in terms of land equivalent ratio, was higher for intercropping of chickpea and mustard in the 4 : 1 row ratio than for sowing of chickpea and mustard in sole stands. Interestingly, the land equivalent ratio was also higher in the simultaneously sown crop than for staggered sowing.
Influence of Sowing and Harvest Time on Fibre Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) in the Mediterranean Environment
Authors: Rossini F. , Casa R. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractTriennial field trials were carried out at Viterbo, central Italy, to investigate the influence of the sowing time, nitrogen fertilization and harvest dates of the two fibre flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) varieties Belinka and Ariane. Our results showed that warm and dry weather conditions, prevailing from late spring onwards, caused excessive shortening of the growing cycle of spring crops, with negative consequences for seed and fibre yield and quality. However, autumn sowings gave interesting results. Stem dry weight ranged between 5.6 and 6.7 t ha−1 for autumn sowings and between 1.9 and 4.1 t ha−1 for spring sowings. In autumn sowings, plant height and seed yields were also increased. Seed germinability was good even for early harvest dates. Stem dry weight remained constant at harvest dates following yellow‐green ripening, indicating that biomass was no longer allocated to the stems after that phase.