bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VITAMIN D IN HEALTH AND DISEASE: Vitamin D Treatment in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Andress Dennis L.
Published: July 2005

Activated vitamin D continues to be the major treatment for suppressing parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in dialysis patients who have secondary hyperparathyroidism. Active vitamin D compounds are distinguished by their ability to bind with high affinity to vitamin D receptors (VDRs) not only in the parathyroid glands, but in cells throughout the body. Because of recent data showing that pulsatile, intravenous vitamin D treatment (calcitriol or paricalcitol) confers a survival advantage in the dialysis population, there is new interest in understanding the systemic effects of VDR activation, particularly in the predialysis stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), where high mortality rates from cardiovascular disease have recently been documented. Previous underutilization of calcitriol treatment to control PTH levels in stages 3 and 4 CKD was often due to concerns about its potential for accelerating the progression of CKD as a consequence of hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, or hyperphosphatemia. Vitamin D analogs with selective VDR activity (such as paricalcitol) have great potential for preventing parathyroid hyperplasia and bone loss in early CKD without adversely affecting kidney function. Whether they also reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in early CKD, as they appear to do in dialysis patients, remains to be determined.
ASDIN Original Investigations: Salvage of a Severely Dysfunctional Arteriovenous Fistula with a Strictured and Occluded Outflow Tract
Authors: Achkar Katafan , Nassar George M.
Published: July 2005

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) created for the purpose of hemodialysis are frequently lost due to various vascular lesions. Endovascular therapies with percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty have become very valuable in treating AVF dysfunction due to vascular stenosis. Experience with these therapies is relatively limited. In this case report, we present a patient with a severely dysfunctional AVF. The vascular lesions affecting his AVF were numerous and severe. We show how the application of aggressive endovascular treatment succeeded in restoring use of his AVF. Throughout the discussion we share observations and personal experiences that may be useful for interventionalists and health care practitioners involved with the maintenance, use, and treatment of dialysis vascular accesses.
ASDIN Clinical Case Focus: Retrieval of a Fractured Piece of Tessio Catheter with a Snare Using a Transcutaneous Transvenous Approach
Authors: Zaman Fahim , Pervez Aslam , Murphy Sara , Abreo Kenneth D.
Published: July 2005

Approximately 20% of end‐stage renal disease patients requiring hemodialysis have central dialysis catheters as their vascular access. The major cause of central dialysis catheters removal or revision is infection or occlusion. Catheter occlusions may occur as a result of thrombosis or fibrin sheath formation. However, the presence of a fractured dialysis catheter tip requiring immediate extraction to prevent serious complications is rare. Herein we present the case of a central dialysis catheter referred to us for malfunction. An incidental finding was a piece of catheter that had broken off the venous port and was seen in the right atrium. The retrieval and subsequent placement of a new central dialysis catheter are outlined.
The Effects of Glibenclamide, a KATP Channel Blocker, on the Warm‐Up Phenomenon
Authors: Ferreira Beatriz M. A. , Moffa Paulo J. , Falcão Andrea , Uchida Augusto , Camargo Paulo , Pereyra Pascual , Soares Paulo R. , Hueb Whady , Ramires Jose A. F.
Published: July 2005

Background: The warm‐up phenomenon observed after the second of two sequential exercise tests is characterized by an increased time to ischemia and ischemic threshold, and the latter is related to ischemic preconditioning. Previous studies have demonstrated that a single dose of glibenclamide, a cardiac ATP‐sensitive K (KATP) channel blocker, prevents ischemic preconditioning. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with glibenclamide during two sequential exercise tests.

Methods: Forty patients with angina pectoris were divided into three groups: 20 nondiabetics (NDM), 10 patients with diabetes in treatment with glibenclamide (DMG) and 10 diabetic patients with other treatments (DMO). All patients underwent two consecutive exercise tests.

Results: Heart rate and rate‐pressure product at 1.0 mm ST‐segment depression significantly increased during the second exercise test in NDM group (121.3 ± 16.5 vs 127.3 ± 15.3 beats/min, P < 0.001, and 216.7 + 43.1 vs 232.1 ± 43.0 beats·min−1·mmHg·102, P < 0.001), and in DMO group (114.1 ± 19.6 vs 119.6 ± 18.1 beats/min, P = 0.001, and 199.8 ± 36.6 vs 222.2 ± 29.2 beats·min−1·mmHg·102, P = 0.019), but it did not change in patients in DMG group (130.7 ± 14.5 vs 132.1 ±14.7 beats/min, P = ns, and 251.7 ± 47.2 vs 250.3 ± 42.8 beats·min−1·mmHg·102, P = ns). In the three groups, NDM, DMO, and DMG, the time to 1.0 mm ST‐segment depression during the second exercise test was greater than during the first (225.0 ± 112.5 vs 267.0 ± 122.3 seconds, P = 0.006; 187.5 ± 54.0 vs 226.5 ± 74.6 seconds, P = 0.029 and 150.0 ± 78.7 vs 186.0 ± 81.9 seconds, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The chronic use of glibenclamide may have mediated the loss of preconditioning benefits in the warm‐up phenomenon, probably through its KATP channel‐blocker activity, but without acting upon the tolerance to exercise.
Simulated Microgravity Induces Microvolt T Wave Alternans
Authors: Grenon S. Marlene , Xiao Xinshu , Hurwitz Shelley , Ramsdell Craig D. , Sheynberg Natalie , Kim Christine , Williams Gordon H. , Cohen Richard J.
Published: July 2005

Background: There are numerous anecdotal reports of ventricular arrhythmias during spaceflight; however, it is not known whether spaceflight or microgravity systematically increases the risk of cardiac dysrhythmias. Microvolt T wave alternans (MTWA) testing compares favorably with other noninvasive risk stratifiers and invasive electrophysiological testing in patients as a predictor of sudden cardiac death, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. We hypothesized that simulated microgravity leads to an increase in MTWA.

Methods: Twenty‐four healthy male subjects underwent 9 to 16 days of head‐down tilt bed rest (HDTB). MTWA was measured before and after the bed rest period during bicycle exercise stress. For the purposes of this study, we defined MTWA outcome to be positive if sustained MTWA was present with an onset heart rate ≤125 bpm. During various phases of HDTB, the following were also performed: daily 24‐hour urine collections, serum electrolytes and catecholamines, and cardiovascular system identification (measure of autonomic function).

Results: Before HDTB, 17% of the subjects were MTWA positive [95%CI: (0.6%, 37%)]; after HDTB, 42% of the subjects were MTWA positive [95%CI: (23%, 63%)] (P = 0.03). The subjects who were MTWA positive after HDTB compared with MTWA negative subjects had an increased versus decreased sympathetic responsiveness (P = 0.03) and serum norepinephrine levels (P = 0.05), and a trend toward higher potassium excretion (P = 0.06) after bed rest compared to baseline.

Conclusions: HDTB leads to an increase in MTWA, providing the first evidence that simulated microgravity has a measurable effect on electrical repolarization processes. Possible contributing factors include loss in potassium and changes in sympathetic function.
Typical ECG Changes Unmasked by Ajmaline in a Patient with Brugada Syndrome and Left Bundle Branch Block
Authors: Özin Bülent , Atar İlyas , Altunkeser Bülent , Ertan Çağatay , Yildirir Aylin , Müderrisoğlu Haldun
Published: July 2005

Brugada syndrome is a channelopathy associated with right bundle branch block and ST segment elevation in the right precordial leads. These electrocardiographic signs may not be apparent most of the time but can be unmasked by certain antiarrhythmic agents. Until now, all of the reports on this syndrome have focused on patients with no significant intraventricular conduction delay at baseline electrograms. In this report, we describe a patient with Brugada syndrome with left bundle branch block at baseline ECG. After intravenous ajmaline, the patient developed right bundle branch block and ST segment elevations in the right precordial leads.
Searching behaviour of an omnivorous predator for novel and native host plants of its herbivores: a study on arthropod colonization of eucalyptus in Brazil
Authors: Grosman Amir H. , Van Breemen Marjolein , Holtz Anderson , Pallini Angelo , Rugama Adrian Molina , Pengel Harvey , Venzon Madelaine , Zanuncio Jose C. , Sabelis Maurice W. , Janssen Arne
Published: July 2005

Adaptation to novel host plants is a much‐studied process in arthropod herbivores, but not in their predators. This is surprising, considering the attention that has been given to the role of predators in host range expansion in herbivores; the enemy‐free space hypothesis suggests that plants may be included in the host range of herbivores because of lower predation and parasitism rates on the novel host plants. This effect can only be important if natural enemies do not follow their prey to the novel host plant, at least not immediately, thus allowing the herbivores to adapt to the novel host plant. Hence, depending on the speed with which natural enemies follow their prey to a new host plant, enemy‐free space on novel host plants may only exist for a limited period. This situation may presently be occurring in a system consisting of the herbivorous moth Thyrinteina arnobia Stoll (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) that attacks various species of Myrtaceae, such as guava (Psidium guajava L.) and jaboticaba (Myrciaria spp.), in Brazil. Since the introduction of eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) species into this country some 100 years ago, the moth has included this plant species in its host range and frequently causes outbreaks, a phenomenon that does not occur on the native host plant species. This suggests that the natural enemies that attack the herbivore on native species are not very effective on the novel host. We tested this hypothesis by studying the searching behaviour of one of the natural enemies, the omnivorous predatory bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). When offered a choice between plants of the two species, the predators (originally collected in eucalyptus plantations) preferred guava to eucalyptus when both plant species were clean, infested with herbivores, or damaged by herbivores but with herbivores removed prior to the experiments. The bugs preferred herbivore‐damaged to clean guava, and showed a slight preference for damaged to clean eucalyptus. These results may explain the lack of impact of predatory arthropods on herbivore populations on eucalyptus and suggests that eucalyptus may offer an enemy‐free space for herbivores.
Glare sensitivity and professional drivers' safety: a case of rod‐cone dystrophy with negative electroretinogram
Authors: Jägle Herbert , Besch Dorothea
Published: July 2005

Background:  To obtain a driver's licence certain requirements for visual acuity and visual field have to be fulfilled. Mesopic contrast and glare sensitivity are not regularly tested and are not crucial to passing the driving test.

Case report:  We report a case of a 39‐year‐old professional bus driver whose only complaint was increased glare sensitivity. After he had been involved in four traffic accidents, ophthalmological investigations revealed binocular annular scotomata and night blindness, leading to the diagnosis of rod‐cone dystrophy.

Discussion:  Enhanced glare sensitivity is a common complaint in elderly people or people with the beginnings of cataract but may also represent an initial symptom of a retinal disorder. It is therefore advisable for traffic safety if drivers with such complaints undergo a complete ophthalmological investigation including visual field testing.
Stromal architecture and immune tolerance in additive corneal xenografts in rodents
Authors: Quantock Andrew J. , Sano Yoichiro , Young Robert D. , Kinoshita Shigeru
Published: July 2005

Purpose:  To examine immune tolerance and corneal ultrastructure following additive corneal xenografts in rodents.

Methods:  We carried out surgical implantation of excised BALB/c mouse corneal tissue, either freshly isolated (n = 6) or after storage at −20°C for 1 week (n = 7), into the corneas of Wistar rats at approximately mid‐stromal depth. Corneal opacity and neovascularization were evaluated postoperatively, and stromal ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy.

Results:  Corneal opacification and neovascularization in the weeks after surgery were less prevalent in grafts of frozen‐then‐thawed tissue than in grafts of fresh tissue. In a well tolerated frozen‐then‐thawed xenograft, the matrix architecture was normal throughout most of the recipient and donor tissue, but pronounced fibrillar disorganization was evident adjacent to Descemet's membrane.

Conclusion:  We attribute the improved tolerance of frozen‐then‐thawed xenografts over fresh xenografts to a reduced cellular immune response.
Refraction, axial length and age‐related maculopathy
Authors: Ulvik Solveig Otteren , Seland Johan H. , Wentzel‐Larsen Tore
Published: July 2005

Purpose:  To study the relationship between age‐related maculopathy (ARM)/age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and phakic refraction and between ARM/AMD and axial length.

Methods:  The study was a point prevalence study that included 663 randomly selected persons aged over 65 years. We measured axial length and refraction. Fundus images were graded for ARM according to a modified Wisconsin Age‐related Maculopathy Grading System standard. Data from both eyes were available from most participants. We analysed the results for both individual eyes and pairs.

Results:  The mean axial length was 23.22 mm for right eyes and 23.21 mm for left eyes. Women had a 0.57‐mm shorter mean axial length than men. The mean refraction was +1.0 dioptres (D) for right eyes and +0.9 D for left eyes. At 70 years of age women were more hypermetropic than men by 0.66 D. There was no significant difference in refraction or axial length among the groups with different ARM stages.

Conclusion:  We found no statistically significant relationship between axial length/refraction and AMD/ARM. There was a statistically significant sex difference in axial length and refraction, where women had shorter axial lengths and were more hypermetropic than men.
Towards objective evaluation of the skin aspect: principles and instrumentation
Authors: Sandoz Patrick , Marsaut David , Armbruster Vincent , Humbert Philippe , Gharbi Tijani
Published: July 2005

Background/aims: The aim of this paper is to propose an objective procedure for the evaluation of the skin aspect. This work is based on light scattering phenomena and in‐vivo measurements of the skin profile and of the skin Bi‐directional Reflection Distribution Function (BRDF).

Methods: We consider the basic mechanisms of light reflection and scattering by a surface to extract the key surface‐parameters of aspect. It appears that the surface relief is determinant for the local surface orientation while the light scattering properties of the skin are responsible for the visibility of that skin relief. The first part presents the principles of skin‐image formation on the retina and describes the actual roles of the BRDF and of the skin relief. The second part is dedicated to experimental measurements on the skin in vivo. The 3D relief is reconstructed by a fringe projection method and numerical processing. The angular distribution of light reflected by the skin is also measured by means of a different set‐up.

Results: The knowledge of both the skin relief obtained by 3D optical profilometry and the skin scattering behavior measured for regularly distributed set angle values, allows an objective aspect evaluation as well as a prediction of the skin images that an observer will receive.

Conclusion: This paper presents both the principles and instrumentation elements suitable for the setting up of an objective evaluation procedure of the skin aspect.
Coping with mild inflammatory catamenial acne
Authors: Petit Ludivine , Piérard‐Franchimont Claudine , Uhoda Emmanuelle , Vroome Valérie , Cauwenbergh Geert , Piérard Gérald E.
Published: July 2005

Background: Acne is a multifactorial disease exhibiting distinct clinical presentations. Among them, the catamenial type is a matter of concern for young women. Some oral contraceptives may help without, however, clearing the skin condition.

Aim: The present open study aimed at evaluating the effect of overnight applications of a paste made of petrolatum, 15% zinc oxide and 0.25% miconazole nitrate.

Method: The split‐face trial was conducted in 35 women. A non‐medicated cream was used as control. Clinical evaluations and biometrological assessments on cyanoacrylate follicular biopsies were performed monthly for 3 months. Comedometry and the density in autofluorescent follicular casts were used as analytical parameters. In addition, the five most severe cases at inclusion were tested at the completion of the study for follicular bacterial viability using dual flow cytometry.

Results: Compared with baseline and to the control hemiface, the medicated paste brought significant improvement of acne. The number of papules and their redness were reduced beginning with the first treatment phase. A reduction in the follicular fluorescence was yielded beginning with the second treatment phase. The ratios between injured and dead bacteria, on the one hand, and live bacteria, on the other hand were significantly increased at completion of the study.

Conclusion: A miconazole paste applied for 1 week at the end of the ovarian cycle has a beneficial effect on catamenial acne.
Assessment of spray application of Saint GERVAIS® water effects on skin wettability by contact angle measurement comparison with bidistilled water
Authors: Elkhyat Ahmed , Courderot‐Masuyer Carol , Mac‐Mary Sophie , Courau Stéphanie , Gharbi Tijani , Humbert Philippe
Published: July 2005

Background: The skin is responsible for protecting the body from physical, chemical and microbial injuries. The stratum corneum is the top layer of the epidermis and it plays a key role in helping to contain moisture. When the skin becomes damaged, its ability to perform these functions is compromised. Dry skin is a common form of skin damage. Contact angle θ between a surface and water is a good indicator of hydrophobic or hydrophilic tendency of surfaces.

Objective: To quantify the influence of spray application of an isotonic mineral water (Saint GERVAIS® water) on the hydrophobic tendency of dry skin and to compare spreading of both types of water on the skin through θ measurement of each water drop on the skin before and after mineral spray application.

Materials and Methods: Contact angles θ between skin surface and the two types of water (bidistilled and mineral water) were measured before and after application of mineral water by a system allowing the measurement of θin vivo and in vitro. The cutaneous hydration, the temperature and pH were also measured before and after mineral water application.

Results: As for the application of mineral water, the cutaneous pH significantly increased so the strong skin acidity decreased. The cutaneous temperature was modified (a decrease of 2°C was noted) and the cutaneous hydration was also increased (+47 AU). The hydrophobic tendency of the dry skin tested in this study was strongly decreased after mineral water application. This parameter was illustrated by a decrease of contact angle θ value.

Conclusion: Saint GERVAIS® water application allowed a regulation of skin pH, a fresh sensation on the skin and an increase in the cutaneous hydration. Moreover, the contact angle measurement with bidistilled water illustrated the increased wettability of the skin.
Hemoperfusion With an Immobilized Polymyxin B Fiber Column Inhibits Activation of Vascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Kushi Hidehiko , Nakahara Jun , Miki Takahiro , Okamoto Kazuhiko , Saito Takeshi , Tanjo Kastuhisa
Published: July 2005

Abstract:  Involvement of the activation of neutrophils and vascular endothelial cells in the pathology of sepsis has recently been reported. We therefore investigated whether direct hemoperfusion (DHP) with a polymyxin B immobilized fiber column (PMX) could reduce the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1), an index of vascular endothelial cell activation. Twelve sepsis patients satisfying the following criteria were enrolled in the study: (i) stable global oxygen metabolism (oxygen delivery index > 500 mL/min/m2 and oxygen consumption index > 120 mL/min/m2); (ii) abnormal tissue oxygen metabolism (PCO2 gap: gastric mucosal PCO2 minus arterial PCO2 difference > 8 mm Hg); and (iii) mean blood pressure ≥ 60 mm Hg. Direct hemoperfusion with PMX was performed twice (for 3 h each time) within 24 h. Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 was measured a total of 5 times: before PMX‐DHP, immediately after the first DHP with PMX session (3 h after the start), and 24, 48, and 72 h afterward. The PAI‐1 value was 150 ± 30.0 ng/mL before DHP with PMX, 178 ± 60.0 ng/mL immediately after DHP with PMX, 90 ± 22.1 ng/mL at 24 h after, 65 ± 21.0 ng/mL at 48 h after, and 64 ± 18.3 ng/mL 72 h after. The values were significantly lower from 48 h onward compared with baseline. These data suggest that DHP with PMX inhibits vascular endothelial cell activation.
Role of Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in the Development of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Kazama Junichiro J , Gejyo Fumitake , Shigematsu Takashi , Fukagawa Masafumi
Published: July 2005

Abstract:  It would be useful to predict the future development of hyperparathyroidism before treatment with active vitamin D agents. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a newly identified humoral phosphaturic factor. Positive correlation was found between parathyroid function and serum FGF23 levels in dialysis patients. Interestingly, FGF23 levels showed even better correlation with intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels 2 years after the sample collection for the FGF23 measurement. In long‐term dialysis patients with mild secondary hyperparathyroidism, serum FGF23 level was the best screening test to discriminate patients with future advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism within 2 years. In dialysis patients with advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism, the pretreatment FGF23 levels, as well as iPTH levels, significantly affected the outcome of calcitriol therapy. Thus, the measurement of serum FGF23 level is a promising laboratory examination to predict the future development of secondary hyperparathyroidism. The mechanism of this phenomenon, however, remains to be revealed.
Prospective Randomized Multicenter Trial of Sevelamer Hydrochloride and Calcium Carbonate for the Treatment of Hyperphosphatemia in Hemodialysis Patients in Japan
Authors: Koiwa Fumihiko , Onoda Noritaka , Kato Hitoshi , Tokumoto Akihide , Okada Tomoyuki , Fukagawa Masashi , Shigematsu Takashi ,   ROD 21 Clinical Research Group
Published: July 2005

Abstract:  A prospective, randomized open‐label trial of sevelamer hydrochloride with or without calcium carbonate (CC) involved 86 hemodialysis patients in Japan. The dosage of CC was fixed at 3.0 g/day for the 12‐week study. After the first 4 weeks all subjects were changed from CC to sevelamer 3.0 g/day for another 4 weeks, then allocated randomly to three groups for the final 4 weeks: group A, sevelamer 6.0 g/day; group B, sevelamer 3.0 g/day and CC 3.0 g/day; group C, CC 3.0 g/day. The target serum phosphorous concentration (P) = 5.5 mg/dL and the corrected calcium concentration (Ca) was 9.0–10.0 mg/dL. Of the 86 patients, 62 finished the study without a change of dosage and their data were analyzed (group A, N = 16; group B, N = 26; group C, N = 20). At week 8 compared with week 4, the concentration of P increased from 5.7 ± 1.4 to 6.4 ± 1.7 mg/dL in group A, and decreased significantly in groups B and C, and in group B compared with groups A and C; groups A and C had similar concentrations at week 8. The Ca concentration decreased significantly from 9.7 ± 1.0 to 9.1 ± 0.7 mg/dL after the change to sevelamer. At week 8 Ca was not significantly changed in group A, whereas a significant increase occurred in groups B and C. Side‐effects with sevelamer administration occurred in 34 of the 86 patients and 24 dropped out of the study, with a high frequency in group A (13/29; 44.8%). In conclusion, there was an additive effect of sevelamer for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia with CC. The combination therapy was better tolerated and showed higher patient compliance than CC or sevelamer monotherapy.
Therapeutic Strategy and the Role of Apheresis Therapy for ABO Incompatible Living Donor Liver Transplantation
Authors: Kozaki Koichi , Egawa Hiroto , Kasahara Mureo , Oike Fumitaka , Yoshizawa Atsushi , Fukatsu Atsushi , Tanaka Koichi
Published: July 2005

Abstract:  Although in Japan, transplant organs obtained from brain‐dead donors (BDD) has been allowed since October 1997, to date only 27 liver grafts from BDD have been obtained. The severe shortage of transplantable organs is a big problem, not only in liver transplantation but also other organ transplants. Liver transplantation is a fundamental treatment for end‐stage liver disease. In order to perform living‐donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in a safer manner, apheresis (plasmapheresis) plays a major role in Japan because of the prevalence of LDLT wherein later re‐transplantation is difficult. Therefore, because of a limited donor supply and because the need of patients with end‐stage liver disease is critical, use of grafts from ABO‐incompatible donors may be the only available option.

From June 1990 to November 2004, 1010 patients underwent 1060 LDLT cases at Kyoto University Hospital. Of these, 139 LDLT cases (13.1%) received ABO‐incompatible living‐donor liver grafts. The role of apheresis in ABO‐incompatible LDLT is the reduction of antibody titers such as anti‐A or anti‐B antibody. We perform preoperative apheresis as a general rule for incompatible cases, and the recipient's antibody level against the donor's blood type is decreased to one eighth of the baseline value before LDLT. Up to the present, baseline antirejection regimens included steroids, tacrolimus and cyclophosphamide. At first, splenectomy was performed during operation to suppress antibody production, and intraportal infusion therapy was performed to control local disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occurring in ABO‐incompatible grafts. At that time, three agents—methylprednisolone, prostaglandin E1, and gabexate mesilate—were infused continuously for 3 weeks after LDLT. At present, instead of intraportal infusion therapy, hepatic artery infusion therapy without splenectomy is adopted because of portal thrombosis, and two agents—methylprednisolone and prostaglandin E1—are infused continuously for 3 weeks after LDLT. Recently, we introduced an anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody (Rituximab) instead of splenectomy for B cell deletion before ABO‐incompatible LDLT. In this article, we describe our therapeutic strategy and the role of apheresis around ABO‐incompatible LDLT.
Simulation of Thermal and Chemical Processes in Annular Layer of ZnO–C Mixtures
Authors: Vishnevetsky Irina , Epstein Michael , Rubin Rahamim
Published: July 2005

A special setup, electrically heated, enabling the simulation of the process conditions encountered in a solar chemical reactor, is described. The setup allows us to study the thermal and chemical processes in different solid (powder or granules) reactant layers from the beginning of the heating until the reaction is completed, in a heating condition typical for indirectly, externally heated solar reactors. The particular case of the ZnO carboreduction process is analyzed in this paper as an example. Tests were executed using different powder mixtures of ZnO–C to demonstrate the layer-wise nature of the process. The results show that the reactivity and the behavior of mixtures strongly depend on their components structures, impurities, and stoichiometry. This method can be generally applied for studying endothermic chemical reactions involving other solid reactants.
New Correlation to Estimate Global Solar Radiation on Horizontal Surfaces Using Sunshine Hour and Temperature Data for Indian Sites
Authors: Chandel S. S. , Aggarwal R. K. , Pandey A. N.
Published: July 2005

Solar radiation data, a prerequisite for the designing and sizing of solar energy systems, are not available in many Indian locations. However, the sunshine hour or temperature data are available for most sites from which solar radiation can be computed. New correlation models have been developed; incorporating the latitude and altitude of a site to estimate the monthly average global solar radiation on horizontal surfaces using the sunshine hour and temperature data. The models are used for computing values of six Indian stations with different geographical locations, based on 10-15years of data. The estimated values are found to be in close agreement with their measured values. The estimated data are also compared with the results using other models to test the accuracy of new models. It has been shown that the estimated values of global radiation using temperature data are also sufficiently accurate and can be utilized for sites for which even sunshine hour data are not measured. This will lead to better inputs for designing and evaluating the performance of solar energy systems including passive solar buildings.
Measured Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Panels—Round 2
Authors: Dougherty Brian P. , Fanney A. Hunter , Davis Mark W.
Published: July 2005

Architects, building designers, and building owners presently lack sufficient resources for thoroughly evaluating the economic impact of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is addressing this deficiency by evaluating computer models used to predict the electrical performance of BIPV components. To facilitate this evaluation, NIST is collecting long-term BIPV performance data that can be compared against predicted values. The long-term data, in addition, provides insight into the relative merits of different building integrated applications, helps to identify performance differences between cell technologies, and reveals seasonal variations. This paper adds to the slowly growing database of long-term performance data on BIPV components. Results from monitoring eight different building-integrated panels over a 12-month period are summarized. The panels are installed vertically, face true south, and are an integral part of the building’s shell. The eight panels comprise the second set of panels evaluated at the NIST test facility. Cell technologies evaluated as part of this second round of testing include single-crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and two thin film materials: tandem-junction amorphous silicon (2-a-Si) and copper-indium-diselenide (CIS). Two 2-a-Si panels and two CIS panels were monitored. For each pair of BIPV panels, one was insulated on its back side while the back side of the second panel was open to the indoor conditioned space. The panel with the back side thermal insulation experienced higher midday operating temperatures. The higher operating temperatures caused a greater dip in maximum power voltage. The maximum power current increased slightly for the 2-a-Si panel but remained virtually unchanged for the CIS panel. Three of the remaining four test specimens were custom-made panels having the same polycrystalline solar cells but different glazings. Two different polymer materials were tested along with 6 mm-thick, low-iron float glass. The two panels having the much thinner polymer front covers consistently outperformed the panel having the glass front. When compared on an annual basis, the energy production of each polymer-front panel was 8.5% higher than the glass-front panel. Comparison of panels of the same cell technology and comparisons between panels of different cell technologies are made on daily, monthly, and annual bases. Efficiency based on coverage area, which excludes the panel’s inactive border, is used for most “between” panel comparisons. Annual coverage-area conversion efficiencies for the vertically-installed BIPV panels range from a low of 4.6% for the 2-a-Si panels to a high of 12.2% for the two polycrystalline panels having the polymer front covers. The insulated single crystalline panel only slightly outperformed the insulated CIS panel, 10.1% versus 9.7%.
Ghrelin receptor agonist GHRP-2 prevents arthritis-induced increase in E3 ubiquitin-ligating enzymes MuRF1 and MAFbx gene expression in skeletal muscle
Authors: Granado Miriam , Priego Teresa , Martín Ana I. , Villanúa Mª Ángeles , López-Calderón Asunción
Published: July 2005

Chronic arthritis is a catabolic state associated with an inhibition of the IGF system and a decrease in body weight. Cachexia and muscular wasting is secondary to protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of adjuvant-induced arthritis on the muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases muscle ring finger 1 ( MuRF1) and muscle atrophy F-box ( MAFbx) as well as on IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-5 ( IGFBP-5) gene expression in the skeletal muscle. We also studied whether the synthetic ghrelin receptor agonist, growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), was able to prevent arthritis-induced changes in the skeletal muscle. Arthritis induced an increase in MuRF1, MAFbx ( P < 0.01), and tumor necrosis factor ( TNF)-α mRNA ( P < 0.05) in the skeletal muscle. Arthritis decreased the serum IGF-I and its gene expression in the liver ( P < 0.01), whereas it increased IGF-I and IGFBP-5 gene expression in the skeletal muscle ( P < 0.01). Administration of GHRP-2 for 8 days prevented the arthritis-induced increase in muscular MuRF1, MAFbx, and TNF-α gene expression. GHRP-2 treatment increased the serum concentrations of IGF-I and the IGF-I mRNA in the liver and in the cardiac muscle and decreased muscular IGFBP-5 mRNA both in control and in arthritic rats ( P < 0.05). GHRP-2 treatment increased muscular IGF-I mRNA in control rats ( P < 0.01), but it did not modify the muscular IGF-I gene expression in arthritic rats. These data indicate that arthritis induces an increase in the activity of the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway that is prevented by GHRP-2 administration. The parallel changes in muscular IGFBP-5 and TNF-α gene expression with the ubiquitin ligases suggest that they can participate in skeletal muscle alterations during chronic arthritis.
Topiramate treatment causes skeletal muscle insulin sensitization and increased Acrp30 secretion in high-fat-fed male Wistar rats
Authors: Wilkes Jason J. , Nguyen M. T. Audrey , Bandyopadhyay Gautam K. , Nelson Elizabeth , Olefsky Jerrold M.
Published: July 2005

We show that Topiramate (TPM) treatment normalizes whole body insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed male Wistar rats. Thus drug treatment markedly lowered glucose and insulin levels during glucose tolerance tests and caused increased insulin sensitization in adipose and muscle tissues as assessed by euglycemic clamp studies. The insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rate increased twofold (indicating enhanced muscle insulin sensitivity), and suppression of circulating FFAs increased by 200 to 300%, consistent with increased adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. There were no effects of TPM on hepatic insulin sensitivity in these TPM-treated HFD-fed rats. In addition, TPM administration resulted in a three- to fourfold increase in circulating levels of total and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin (Acrp30). Western blot analysis revealed normal AMPK (Thr172) phosphorylation in liver with a twofold increased phospho-AMPK in skeletal muscle in TPM-treated rats. In conclusion, 1) TPM treatment prevents overall insulin resistance in HFD male Wistar rats; 2) drug treatment improved insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue associated with enhanced AMPK phosphorylation; and 3) the tissue “specific” effects are associated with increased serum levels of adiponectin, particularly the HMW component.
Children and Adolescents With Chronic Cerebellar Lesions Show No Clinically Relevant Signs of Aphasia or Neglect
Authors: Richter S. , Schoch B. , Kaiser O. , Groetschel H. , Hein-Kropp C. , Maschke M. , Dimitrova A. , Gizewski E. , Ziegler W. , Karnath H.-O. , Timmann D.
Published: July 2005

We studied language and visuospatial functions of 12 children and adolescents who had undergone surgery for cerebellar astrocytoma without subsequent radiation or chemotherapy and compared them with 27 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy control subjects. To study possible lateralization of the functions of the left and right cerebellar hemispheres, subjects performed several language tasks including a verb-generation task as well as standard neglect and extinction tests. Three-dimensional-MR images confirmed that lesions affected cerebellar hemispheres in all children but one who had a pure vermal lesion. The right cerebellar hemisphere was affected in six, the left hemisphere in four children, and both hemispheres in one child. There were no signs of aphasia in the children or adolescents with cerebellar lesions. Language abilities did not differ between cerebellar patients and control subjects except for small increases in reaction times in verb generation in patients with left-sided lesions. Visuospatial functions were also intact in cerebellar subjects except for minor group differences in neglect tasks. In sum, chronic focal cerebellar lesions acquired in childhood or youth do not result in persistent language disorders or clinically significant signs of spatial neglect or extinction.
Asymptotic behavior for a nonlinear viscoelastic problem with avelocity‐dependent material density
Authors: Tatar Nasser-Eddine
Published: July 2005

We consider a nonlinear viscoelastic problem and prove that the solutions are uniformly bounded and decay exponentially to zero as time goes to infinity. This is established under weaker conditions on the relaxation function than the usually used ones. In particular, we remove the assumptions on the derivative of the kernel. In fact, our kernels are not necessarily differentiable.
Simplicity and stability of the first eigenvalue of a nonlinear elliptic system
Authors: El Khalil Abdelouahed , El Manouni Said , Ouanan Mohammed
Published: July 2005

We prove some properties of the first eigenvalue for the elliptic system −Δpu = λ|u|α|v|βv in Ω, −Δqv = λ|u|α|v|βu in Ω, . In particular, the first eigenvalue is shown to be simple. Moreover, the stability with respect to (p, q) is established.
On bandlimited signals with minimal product of effective spatial and spectral widths
Authors: Venkatesh Y. V. , Raja S. Kumar , Sagar G. Vidya
Published: July 2005

It is known that signals (which could be functions of space or time) belonging to 𝕃2‐space cannot be localized simultaneously in space/time and frequency domains. Alternatively, signals have a positive lower bound on the product of their effective spatial andeffective spectral widths, for simplicity, hereafter called the effective space-bandwidthproduct (ESBP). This is the classical uncertainty inequality (UI), attributed to many, but, from a signal processing perspective, to Gabor who, in his seminal paper, established the uncertainty relation and proposed a joint time‐frequency representation in which the basis functions have minimal ESBP. It is found that the Gaussian function is the only signal that has the lowest ESBP. Since the Gaussian function is not bandlimited, no bandlimited signal can have the lowest ESBP. We deal with the
problem of determining finite‐energy, bandlimited signals which have the lowest ESBP. The main result is as follows. By choosing the convolution product of a Gaussian signal (with σ as the variance parameter) and a bandlimited filter with a continuous spectrum, we demonstrate that there exists a finite‐energy, bandlimited signal whose ESBP can be made to be arbitrarily close (dependent on the choice of σ) to the optimal value specified by the UI.
Inequality for Ricci curvature of certain submanifolds in locally conformal almost cosymplectic manifolds
Authors: Yoon Dae Won
Published: July 2005

We establish inequalities between the Ricci curvature and the
squared mean curvature, and also between the k‐Ricci curvature and the scalar curvature for a slant, semi‐slant, and bi‐slant submanifold in a locally conformal almost cosymplectic manifold with arbitrary codimension.
Hybridity and Ambivalence
Authors: Papastergiadis Nikos
Published: July 2005

Today the movement of ideas, capital and people is faster and wilder than at any point in history. Globalization has made the world more interconnected. The flows of traffic in this new network have not only accelerated to new levels, but the directions of movement have multiplied and abandoned the well-worn paths. The cultural dynamics of globalization have presented new challenges to the existing models for explaining the forms of belonging and the patterns of exchange that are occurring in the world. Culture is no longer understood as the discrete and unique expression of activities and ideas that occur in particular places. No culture can exist in isolation. The process of hybridization in the deterritorialization of cultures and peoples demands new theories of flow and resistance and is compelling artists and intellectuals to rethink their methods. Cultural critics and curators are also in need of new conceptual frameworks. There is an urgent need for a new vocabulary in art discourse that is able to make sense of the complex forms of representation that are incorporating images from different locations and that simultaneously activate signs that contain within them a multiplicity of other signs, each embodying a series of contrary or competing codes. To do justice to both the complexity of the artwork and the intellectual potential of these new conceptual headings we need to develop frameworks that can address both these signs of difference and the process by which signs are made out of the plays with difference. The concept of translation can serve as a tool that can both make sense of the broader dynamic of cultural exchange and explain specific forms of cultural representation. I am particularly concerned with the ways in which contemporary artists and art writing deal with issues of mobility and attachment. What sort of place does art connote if it is constantly evoking the shuttling between places? In what language can the artist articulate the recognition that translations fail as often as they succeed? How does a bi-lingual or a bi-cultural person speak their mother-tongue and see the world, which operates in a different or hybrid language? These questions push the available conceptual frameworks for cross-cultural exchanges to the limits. In this article I re-examine the conceptual viability of the term hybridity in light of the new debates on creolization and globalization.
Revisioning the Pacific: Bernard Smith in the South Seas
Authors: Ryan Tom
Published: July 2005

European Vision and the South Pacific, first published in 1960, is the most acclaimed of all Bernard Smith’s many texts on art history and cultural theory. In conjunction with its 1992 companion-piece, Imagining the Pacific, and supported by collations of art and cartography from Cook’s and other voyages, this work also established his reputation as a major presence in Pacific-centred research. Likewise, the ongoing influence of European Vision and the South Pacific has seen Smith claimed as a foundational figure in post-colonial scholarship, as one who ‘anticipated’ aspects of Edward Said’s late-1970s analysis of orientalism. But while there are important parallels and overlaps in the thinking of this pair, their differences and divergences are at least as significant. Above all, Smith’s Pacific-centred writings need to be understood as the unique intellectual achievements they undeniably are.
Hegel or Darwin? The Role of Tendencies in Bernard Smith’s Historiography
Authors: McLean Ian
Published: July 2005

Tracing the relationship between Marxism and Darwinism in Bernard Smith’s writing, the article unpacks the meaning of Smith’s claim that ‘it is the business of the art historian to reveal tendencies’. While Smith tended towards Marxism his writing is not about Marxist tendencies in art. Smith was practising a type of genealogy rather than teleology, something, that is, more Darwinian than metaphysical, philosophical or ideological. I argue that Smith’s claim is more than methodological: it also shaped the content of his historiography and particularly his interpretation of Australian art.
‘A ticklish sort of affair’: Charles Mott, Haydock Lodge and the economics of asylumdom
Authors: Hirst David
Published: July 2005

In June 1846 complaints about the treatment of a Welsh clergyman at the privately run Haydock Lodge Asylum in England heralded a series of allegations about maltreatment of pauper patients at the institution. These prompted a number of Parliamentary reports on the institution. Allegations were also made about connections between the asylum and officials at the Poor Law Commission. This article demonstrates that many of the problems at Haydock Lodge relate to the character and personal circumstances of its first Superintendent, Charles Mott, a former Assistant Poor Law Commissioner. Despite this specific causation, the Haydock Lodge affair had a more general influence in raising once again questions about the propriety of entrusting the care of publicly funded patients to private institutions.
Chaos Control and Synchronization of a Class of Uncertain Chaotic Systems
Authors: Bowong S. , Kakmeni F. M. Moukam , Tchawoua C.
Published: July 2005

This paper deals with the control and synchronization of chaotic systems. First, a control strategy is developed to control a class of uncertain nonlinear systems. The proposed strategy is an input-output control scheme, which comprises an uncertainty estimator and an exponential linearizing feedback. Computer simulations are provided to illustrate the operation of the designed synchronization scheme.
The Validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales
Authors: Wallston Kenneth A.
Published: July 2005

This introductory article addresses the question,‘Are the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scales valid?’ The initial evidence for the validity of the family of MHLC scales is reviewed, followed by a discussion of the empirical evidence for the hypothesis linking MHLC scale scores to measures of health behavior. There is ample evidence in the literature that the MHLC scales validly assess health locus of control beliefs. Nevertheless, caution should be used when making generalizations regarding the validity of the MHLC scales to new theoretical or situational contexts. The theoretical relationships between these beliefs and other constructs are complex, making it necessary to thoughtfully consider the valid application of the MHLC scales in each new study.
Multidimensional Health Locus of Control: Comments on the Construct and its Measurement
Authors: Luszczynska Aleksandra , Schwarzer Ralf
Published: July 2005

In the present commentary, the theoretical construct of Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) is described and evaluated in terms of its contributions to health psychology. This concept is compared to other control beliefs, in particular to perceived self-efficacy. It is argued that MHLC has supplied health psychology with essential insights and has offered a great deal of intellectual stimulation. Nevertheless, for some applications, different constructs might be more promising, in particular when it comes to predicting health behavior change. MHLC measurement, specifically its factorial structure, its proximity to health outcomes and health behaviors and its cultural sensitivity are addressed. Further refinement of the instrument is recommended, and the range of promising applications needs to be clearly defined.