bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of Subclinical Arterial Disease Detection as a Screening Test for Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Simon Alain , Chironi Gilles , Levenson Jaime
Published: August 2006

Traditional risk factors are poor screening tests for coronary heart disease, whereas clinical arterial disease represents its strongest predictor. This raises the question whether subclinical arterial disease may also predict coronary disease. Using published data of prospective studies of subclinical arterial disease, we calculated the incidence of coronary event associated with the absence or presence of atherosclerosis as defined by dichotomous characterization of the following markers: low or high intima-media thickness or the absence or presence of plaque, assessed by carotid ultrasound; zero or high total coronary artery calcium score assessed by computed tomography; normal or decreased ankle-arm index pressure assessed by Doppler stethoscope; and low or high aortic pulse wave velocity assessed by mecanography. A dose-response relationship was found between the absence and presence of atherosclerosis and coronary event incidence. Yearly incidence was <1% in the absence of atherosclerosis regardless of the marker used. Coronary event incidence was >1% in the presence of atherosclerosis and increased in a gradual way, depending on the marker tested, to reach 3% maximum with massive coronary calcifications. The relation between clinically overt arterial disease, such as angina, transient ischemic attack, stroke, or myocardial infarct, and yearly incidence of subsequent events reported in the literature prolonged the dose-response curve of subclinical disease. Therefore, detection of arterial disease, not only clinically overt but also subclinical asymptomatic, is a worthwhile screening test for future coronary event.
Increased Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index Is Associated With Target Organ Damage in Primary Hypertension
Authors: Leoncini Giovanna , Ratto Elena , Viazzi Francesca , Vaccaro Valentina , Parodi Angelica , Falqui Valeria , Conti Novella , Tomolillo Cinzia , Deferrari Giacomo , Pontremoli Roberto
Published: August 2006

Increased arterial stiffness has been shown to predict cardiovascular mortality in patients with primary hypertension. Asymptomatic organ damage is known to precede cardiovascular events. We investigated the relationship between a recently proposed index of stiffness derived from ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and target organ damage in 188 untreated patients with primary hypertension. Ambulatory arterial stiffness index was defined as 1 minus the regression slope of diastolic over systolic BP readings obtained from 24-hour recordings. Albuminuria was measured as the albumin:creatinine ratio, left ventricular mass index was assessed by echocardiography, and carotid abnormalities were evaluated by ultrasonography. The prevalence of microalbuminuria, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and carotid abnormalities was 12%, 38%, and 19%, respectively. Ambulatory arterial stiffness index was positively related to age, triglycerides, office and 24-hour systolic BP, 24-hour pulse pressure, urinary albumin excretion, and carotid intima-media thickness. Patients with microalbuminuria, carotid abnormalities, or LVH showed higher ambulatory arterial stiffness index as compared with those without it. After adjusting for confounding factors, each SD increase in ambulatory arterial stiffness index entails an &2 times higher risk of microalbuminuria, carotid abnormalities, and LVH and doubles the risk of the occurrence of ≥1 sign of organ damage. Ambulatory arterial stiffness index is associated with organ damage in patients with primary hypertension. These data strengthen the role of this index as a marker of risk and help to explain the high cardiovascular mortality reported in patients with high ambulatory arterial stiffness index.
Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescent Boys Predicts Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Juonala Markus , Viikari Jorma S.A. , Rönnemaa Tapani , Helenius Hans , Taittonen Leena , Raitakari Olli T.
Published: August 2006

Hypertension is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. It may cause or be a consequence of endothelial dysfunction. We studied whether systolic blood pressure measured in childhood and adolescence predicts endothelial-dependent brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in adulthood. Brachial FMD was measured in 2109 white adults, aged 24 to 39 years, in the 21-year follow-up of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. These subjects have risk factor data available dating back to their childhood (baseline in 1980, ages 3 to 18 years). In male subjects, the level of systolic blood pressure measured in adolescence (at ages 12 to 18 years at baseline) was inversely related to adulthood FMD (
P
=0.004). This association was independent of brachial diameter and other childhood (
P
=0.003) and adulthood risk factors, including blood pressure (
P
=0.03). Childhood (age 3 to 9 years at baseline) systolic blood pressure did not correlate with adult FMD in men or in women (
P
always >0.2). In male subjects, elevated systolic blood pressure in adolescence predicts impaired brachial endothelial function 21 years later in adulthood. This association is independent of other childhood and adulthood cardiovascular risk factors suggesting that blood pressure elevation in adolescence may have an influence on biological processes that regulate endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation capacity.
Targeted Disruption of the Scavenger Receptor and Chemokine CXCL16 Accelerates Atherosclerosis
Authors: Aslanian Ara M. , Charo Israel F.
Published: August 2006

Background—

The uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) by macrophage scavenger receptors is thought to be a key process in the formation of foam cells, the hallmark of early atherosclerotic lesions. CXCL16/scavenger receptor for phosphatidylserine and OxLDL is a multifunctional chemokine that exhibits scavenger receptor activity toward oxidized lipids in a membrane-bound configuration and may be shed to serve as a chemoattractant for T helper 1–polarized T lymphocytes. These properties, as well as the expression of CXCL16 in human and mouse atheroma, suggest that CXCL16 plays a role in atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

To examine the role of CXCL16 in plaque formation, we created CXCL16-deficient mice (
CXCL16
−/−
) and bred them with mice deficient in the LDL receptor (
LDLR
−/−
). In vitro, macrophages from
CXCL16
−/−
mice have a significant reduction in the capacity to bind and internalize OxLDL. We found that
CXCL16
−/−
/
LDLR
−/−
mice have accelerated atherosclerosis, enhanced macrophage recruitment to the aortic arch, and more abundant mRNA for monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α.

Conclusions—

These data suggest that scavenger receptor activity mediated by CXCL16 in vivo is atheroprotective, and they contrast with studies that document protection from atherosclerosis in scavenger receptor class A- and CD36-deficient mice.
Performance of Top-Ranked Heart Care Hospitals on Evidence-Based Process Measures
Authors: Williams Scott C. , Koss Richard G. , Morton David J. , Loeb Jerod M.
Published: August 2006

Background—

Despite the increasing availability of evidence-based clinical performance measure data that compares the performances of US hospitals, the general public continues to rely on more popular resources such as the
US News & World Report
annual publication of “America’s Best Hospitals” for information on hospital quality. This study evaluated how well hospitals ranked on the
US News & World Report
list of top heart and heart surgery hospitals performed on acute myocardial infarction and heart failure measures derived from American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association clinical treatment guidelines.

Methods and Results—

This study identified 774 hospitals, including 41 of the
US News & World Report
top 50 heart and heart surgery hospitals. To compare hospitals, 10 rate-based performance measures (6 addressing processes of acute myocardial infarction care and 4 addressing heart failure care), were aggregated into a cardiovascular composite measure. As a group, the
US News & World Report
hospitals performed statistically better than their peers (mean, 86% versus 83%;
P
<0.05). Individually, however, only 23 of the
US News & World Report
hospitals achieved statistically better-than-average performance compared with the population average, whereas 9 performed significantly worse (
P
<0.05). One hundred sixty-seven hospitals in this study routinely implemented evidenced-based heart care ≥90% of the time.

Conclusions—

A number of the
US News & World Report
top hospitals fell short in regularly applying evidenced-based care for their heart patients. At the same time, many lesser known hospitals routinely provided cardiovascular care that was consistent with nationally established guidelines.
Evidence for Multiple Mechanisms in Human Ventricular Fibrillation
Authors: Nash Martyn P. , Mourad Ayman , Clayton Richard H. , Sutton Peter M. , Bradley Chris P. , Hayward Martin , Paterson David J. , Taggart Peter
Published: August 2006

Background—

The mechanisms that sustain ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the human heart remain unclear. Experimental models have demonstrated either a periodic source (mother rotor) or multiple wavelets as the mechanism underlying VF. The aim of this study was to map electrical activity from the entire ventricular epicardium of human hearts to establish the relative roles of these mechanisms in sustaining early human VF.

Methods and Results—

In 10 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, VF was induced by burst pacing, and 20 to 40 seconds of epicardial activity was sampled (1 kHz) with a sock containing 256 unipolar contact electrodes connected to a UnEmap system. Signals were interpolated from the electrode sites to a fine regular grid (100×100 points), and dominant frequencies (DFs) were calculated with a fast Fourier transform with a moving 4096-ms window (10-ms increments). Epicardial phase was calculated at each grid point with the Hilbert transform, and phase singularities and activation wavefronts were identified at 10-ms intervals. Early human VF was sustained by large coherent wavefronts punctuated by periods of disorganized wavelet behavior. The initial fitted DF intercept was 5.11±0.25 (mean±SE) Hz (
P
<0.0001), and DF increased at a rate of 0.018±0.005 Hz/s (
P
<0.01) during VF, whereas combinations of homogeneous, heterogeneous, static, and mobile DF domains were observed for each of the patients. Epicardial reentry was present in all fibrillating hearts, typically with low numbers of phase singularities. In some cases, persistent phase singularities interacted with multiple complex wavelets; in other cases, VF was driven at times by a single reentrant wave that swept the entire epicardium for several cycles.

Conclusions—

Our data support both the mother rotor and multiple wavelet mechanisms of VF, which do not appear to be mutually exclusive in the human heart.
Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Humans
Authors: Lichtenstein Samuel V. , Cheung Anson , Ye Jian , Thompson Christopher R. , Carere Ronald G. , Pasupati Sanjeevan , Webb John G.
Published: August 2006

Background—

Aortic valve replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass is currently the treatment of choice for symptomatic aortic stenosis but carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with comorbidities. Recently, percutaneous transfemoral aortic valve implantation has been proposed as a viable alternative in selected patients. We describe our experience with a new, minimally invasive, catheter-based approach to aortic valve implantation via left ventricular apical puncture without cardiopulmonary bypass or sternotomy.

Methods and Results—

A left anterolateral intercostal incision is used to expose the left ventricular apex. Direct needle puncture of the apex allows introduction of a hemostatic sheath into the left ventricle. The valve prosthesis, constructed from a stainless steel stent with an attached trileaflet equine pericardial valve, is crimped onto a valvuloplasty balloon. The prosthetic valve and balloon catheter are passed over a wire into the left ventricle. Positioning within the aortic annulus is confirmed by fluoroscopy, aortography, and echocardiography. Rapid ventricular pacing is used to reduce cardiac output while the balloon is inflated, deploying the prosthesis within the annulus. Transapical aortic valve implantation was successfully performed in 7 patients in whom surgical risk was deemed excessive because of comorbidities. Echocardiographic median aortic valve area increased from 0.7±0.1 cm
2
(interquartile range) to 1.8±0.8 cm
2
(interquartile range). There were no intraprocedural deaths. At a follow up of 87±56 days, 6 of 7 patients remain alive and well.

Conclusions—

This initial experience suggests that transapical aortic valve implantation without cardiopulmonary bypass is feasible in selected patients with aortic stenosis.
The Effects of Defined Benefit Pension Incentives and Working Conditions on Teacher Retirement Decisions
Authors: Furgeson Joshua , Strauss Robert P. , Vogt William B.
Published: August 2006

The retirement behavior of Pennsylvania public school teachers in 1997–98 and 1998–99, a period when state early retirement incentives were temporarily increased, is modeled using a choice framework that emphasizes both pecuniary and nonpecuniary factors of the retirement decision under a defined benefit retirement plan. We find each to have large and statistically significant effects on the decision to retire.

The present value of inflation-adjusted pension benefits of a public defined benefit plan is found to be an important and sizable determinant of retirement. A $1,000 (or .4 percent) increase in the real present value of pension benefits is estimated to increase the probability of retirement for female teachers by .02 to .08 percentage points; this implies an elasticity of retirement for female teachers with respect to the present value of real pensions of between 2.0 to 3.5. These estimated defined benefit pension elasticities for female teachers are higher than for male teachers, whose comparable retirement elasticity was 1.9 to 2.5.

A $1,000 increase in current salary is found to reduce themean probability of retirement by .1 percentage points, implying an elasticity of −1.4. Thus, substantial salary increases systematically reduce the probability of older teachers retiring.
"Fidelity to the Word ": Lonerganian Conversion Through Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Dante's Purgatorio
Authors: Maillet Gregory
Published: August 2006

Among the many elements in the thought of Bernard Lonergan, a twentieth-century Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian, one of the most important is his theory of authentic conversion. Lonergan himself subdivided this topic into intellectual, moral, and religious conversion, but his writings on the arts may also justify a further category, aesthetic conversion. The present essay demonstrates that all four elements of Lonerganian conversion, in diverse ways and in varying degrees, can be explored through the study of two classic works of literature: Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Dante's Purgatorio. Not only do the major characters in these texts undergo transformations, or conversions, that can be illuminated through Lonergan's concepts but, moreover, both texts as a whole use complex aesthetic methods to attempt a similar transformation in their readers. As such, from a Lonerganian standpoint, these works of literature both illuminate the meaning of authentic conversion and seek to enact its effects.
Some Natural Phenomena and Celestial Bodies in the Yezidi Folk Beliefs
Authors: Patgambar Perochak
Published: August 2006

The article deals with the folk interpretations of some natural phenomena (the lunar eclipse, earthquake, rainbow, thunderstorm, hail, etc.), and the popular perceptions of some celestial bodies among the Yezidis.
An Aryan in Išuwa
Authors: Kosyan Aram
Published: August 2006

The paper deals with an Aryan onomastic evidence in a Hittite cuneiform text concerning Išuwa, hitherto unnoticed. The author assumes the possibility of a mixed Hurrian-Aryan coexistence in this area, like in Mitanni, Kizzuwatna, and Syria-Palestine.
Armeno-Partho-Sogdica
Authors: Livshits Vladimir
Published: August 2006

The article deals with the Parthian lexical elements of East Iranian (Sogdian) origin in the Armenian language. The author gives a general outline of the problem and provides several new identifications.
Calibrating Differential Reflectivity on the WSR-88D
Authors: Zrnic Dusan S. , Melnikov Valery M. , Carter John K.
Published: August 2006

A calibration procedure of differential reflectivity on the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) is described. It has been tested on NOAA's modified WSR-88D research and development polarimetric radar and is directly applicable to radars that simultaneously transmit and receive waves having horizontal and vertical polarization.
A Monumental Legacy
Authors: Mix Philip J.
Published: August 2006

The field of Western human development owes a huge debt to the large number of scholar-practitioners who devoted their working lives to increasing the understanding of the individual and the individual in relation to others. Many pioneers of the field are celebrated in the literature through both their own published work and the acknowledgements of other scholars and scholar-practitioners. Largely unrecognized in the literature is the work of John and Joyce Weir. The Weirs' innovative and hugely popular self-differentiation laboratories, with John's percept orientation as the theoretical framework and his and Joyce's percept language as its self-empowering reporting accompaniment, attracted more than 8,000 participants between 1964 and 2000. Their work has impacted countless personal and professional lives. In this article, attention is called to the Weirs' monumental legacy of five unique and unheralded contributions to the field of Western human development.
Variation in Sexual Violence during War
Authors: Wood Elisabeth Jean
Published: August 2006

Sexual violence during war varies in extent and takes distinct forms. In some conflicts, sexual violence is widespread, yet in other conflicts—including some cases of ethnic conflict—it is quite limited. In some conflicts, sexual violence takes the form of sexual slavery; in others, torture in detention. I document this variation, particularly its absence in some conflicts and on the part of some groups. In the conclusion, I explore the relationship between strategic choices on the part of armed group leadership, the norms of combatants, dynamics within small units, and the effectiveness of military discipline.
Varieties of Institutional Investors and National Models of Capitalism: The Transformation of Corporate Governance in France and Germany
Authors: Goyer Michel
Published: August 2006

This article examines the rise of foreign ownership in France and Germany. I argue that the firm-level institutional arrangements of workplace organization constitute the most significant variable to account for the greater attractiveness of French firms over their German counterparts to short-term, impatient capital—namely, hedge and mutual funds. I demonstrate how key notions of the Varieties of Capitalism perspective—institutional interaction, institutional latency, and the distinction between institutional framework and the mode of coordination that follows from these institutions—provide important theoretical insights to account for the different structures of foreign ownership in France and Germany.
A Study Of Executive Budget-Balancing Decisions
Authors: Anderson Stephen H. , Smirnova Natalia V.
Published: August 2006

This article illustrates how chief executives approach deficit plan design. A decision model is developed that lays out the deficit-closing options and their cumulative impact on the multiple competing goals of minimizing political loss while maintaining long-term fiscal balance. The article analyzes the deficit-closing plans of New York City mayors from fiscal year 1981 to fiscal year 2004. The authors classify the nature of the deficit-closing options employed each year and the constraints associated with each option and investigate the political loss associated with alternative decisions. The findings suggest that in any given year, an attempt is made to achieve a balance between the long-term gains of structural budget balance and the loss of political support. Even in election years some semblance of balance is normally maintained, however, there is an attempt to hold down the total size of the deficit, thus reducing loss of political support.
Citizen Demand for Interactive E-Government
Authors: Streib Gregory , Navarro Ignacio
Published: August 2006

The possible benefits of e-government are currently generating far more interest than the limitations. The dominant view is that the Internet offers almost unlimited potential and that governments are not fully exploiting this opportunity. The authors' findings question this conclusion. They find a strong preference for in-person and telephone communication, even when these methods might actually be less convenient. The authors focus on a single public agency, but the circumstances they address are common in public organizations.
Mild Cognitive Impairment Should Be Considered for DSM-V
Authors: Petersen Ronald C. , O’Brien John
Published: August 2006

Mild cognitive impairment is a topic of great activity from both clinical and research perspectives. It represents a transitional state between the cognitive changes of aging and the earliest clinical manifestations of dementia. We present a case for its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed; DSM-V) based on clinical, outcome, epidemiological, neuroimaging, and pathophysiological data. The strongest case for inclusion can be made for the amnestic subtype, which is likely a clinical precursor of Alzheimer’s disease. Arguments are presented as to why mild cognitive impairment can be considered as an entity distinct from normal aging and from clinically probable Alzheimer’s disease and why it deserves consideration as a separate construct. In many respects, mild cognitive impairment fulfills criteria for inclusion more adequately than many other conditions currently codified in DSM-IV. Future research directions to help clarify some of the remaining uncertainties are proposed.
Diagnostic Issues in Dementia: Neuroimaging as a Surrogate Marker of Disease
Authors: Small Gary W.
Published: August 2006

Structural neuroimaging is a routine component of the diagnostic evaluation of dementia that is used to rule out potential causes of mental impairment, whereas functional imaging can differentiate different forms of dementia. Neuroimaging also offers promise as a surrogate marker for clinical trials, and new technologies have been developed to provide measures of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Combining imaging with genetic risk data will likely improve diagnostic accuracy. These new findings warrant reconsideration of current guidelines on the use of neuroimaging in diagnosis and research in dementia. ( J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2006;19:180-185)
The Relationship of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, Vocational Identity, and Career Exploration Behavior in African American High School Students
Authors: Gushue George V. , Scanlan Kolone R. L. , Pantzer Karen M. , Clarke Christine P.
Published: August 2006

This study explores the relationship between the social cognitive construct of career decision-making self-efficacy and the outcome variables of vocational identity and career exploration behaviors in a sample of 72 urban African American high school students. The results indicate that higher levels of career decision-making self-efficacy are related to both a more differentiated vocational self-concept and to greater engagement with career exploration activities. Implications for career guidance and future research are discussed.
Postwar Era Precedents and the Ambivalent Quest for International Students at the University of Florida
Authors: Terzian Sevan G. , Osborne Leigh Ann
Published: August 2006

The number of international students studying at U.S. institutions of higher education in the 2003-2004 academic year dropped for the first time in more than three decades. New visa restrictions and international tensions in the wake of September 11, 2001, have been cited as central factors. This article identifies historical precedents from the postwar era (1945 to 1960) as additionally significant causes of this decline. Highlighting competing advocates of altruism, cultural diplomacy, or exclusion, it recounts the conflicting priorities of one public research university in the post-war years—the University of Florida—as an exemplification of the nation’s ambivalent quest for international students at American colleges and universities.
Toward Improved Data on Student Mobility in Europe: Findings and Concepts of the Eurodata Study
Authors: Kelo Maria , Teichler Ulrich , Wächter Bernd
Published: August 2006

This article on student mobility data in Europe has a double objective: First, it investigates which data on international mobility of students are being compiled and made available—and which are not—both at the international, the national, and the programme level. Second, it presents some of the student mobility data identified, and—based on an analysis of these data—it tries to depict a picture of the main trends in international student mobility into and out of 32 European countries. Next to analysing and presenting the availability and quality of data on international student mobility, the article also makes recommendations for the improvement of student mobility statistics both at the national and international levels.
Associations between Peer Nominations, Teacher Ratings, Self-Reports, and Observations of Malicious and Disruptive Behavior
Authors: Henry David B. , Study Research Group The Metropolitan Area Child
Published: August 2006

This study evaluates the validity of two aggression scales for predicting observations of malicious or disruptive behavior at school. Subgroups of a sample of 1,560 children (age 8.6 ± 1.5 years) were assessed using (a) peer nominations of aggression, (b) teacher reports on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Aggression scale and the peer nomination items, or (c) self-reports on the peer nomination items. Criteria were observations of physical, verbal, initiated, retaliatory, malicious, and disruptive behaviors. Teacher report peer nominations predicted observed physical, verbal, initiated, and retaliatory aggression and disruptive behavior. Peer nominations predicted physical aggression, verbal aggression, initiation and disruptive behavior, and TRFs predicted verbal, initiated, and disruptive behavior. Self-reports did not significantly predict any behavior. Implications for assessment of aggression are discussed.
Intimate Partner Aggression Reporting Concordance and Correlates of Agreement Among Men With Alcohol use Disorders and Their Female Partners
Authors: Panuzio Jillian , O’Farrell Timothy J. , Marshall Amy D. , Murphy Christopher M. , Murphy Marie , Taft Casey T.
Published: August 2006

This study examined relationship aggression reporting concordance among 303 men with alcohol use disorders and their female partners enrolled in couples-based alcohol abuse treatment. Agreement for physical and psychological aggression was generally consistent with, or higher than, concordance rates reported among other populations. Men’s antisocial personality disorder characteristics were the strongest predictor of higher concordance for male- and female-perpetrated aggression. Higher alcohol problem severity, poorer relationship adjustment, and higher psychopathic personality features were associated with better concordance in some analyses. Women reported experiencing more physical aggression than men reported perpetrating, and women reported perpetrating more psychological aggression than men reported experiencing. Findings highlight the importance of obtaining aggression reports from both partners and the need for research investigating methods for improving concordance.
Facing the future
Authors: Moniz-Cook Esme , Manthorpe Jill , Carr Irene , Gibson Gillian , Vernooij-Dassen Myrra
Published: August 2006

This article describes a qualitative study of the understandings of dementia held by a sample of 48 older people and 48 family members, who were interviewed separately, prior to assessment at a UK memory clinic. Most of the older people awaiting assessment described their lives as having purpose, meaning and pleasure for themselves and others. However, these individuals, who later received a diagnosis of a dementia, and their family members, perceived dementia as a loss of mind, associated it with loss of bodily functions (continence and mobility) and considered that it would negatively affect personal relationships and pleasure. For many, the consequences of dementia were predicted to be family upset, inactivity and an inevitable relocation to a care home. Most of the individuals and their family members showed a mutual concern for the future well-being of each other. The findings are reported with reference to an Illness Representation model, which captures a participant's appraisal or perception of a ‘health threat', in other words, the possibility of a dementia diagnosis. Service developments are proposed that acknowledge the personal strengths and concerns of memory clinic attendees and their families during this liminal time of waiting for assessment and possible confirmation of dementia. Advice on the maintenance of pleasure and relationships, as well as information that addresses the fears identified, are important avenues for timely psychosocial support, since these have potential to shape positive attitudes and lifestyle following a dementia diagnosis.
Use of Complementary Therapies During Chemotherapy: Influence of Patients’ Satisfaction With Treatment Decision Making and the Treating Oncologist
Authors: Hann Danette , Allen Susan , Ciambrone Desirée , Shah Ann
Published: August 2006

The relationship between the use of complementary therapy (CT) and satisfaction with medical treatment decision making and with the treating oncologist was evaluated in a sample of 166 women who were undergoing an initial course of chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. At the beginning of chemotherapy, 39% indicated already trying CT and an additional 13% reported planning to try CT. These women mentioned a variety of vitamin, nutritional, herbal, physical, mental, and spiritual approaches. Four months later, when most patients had completed chemotherapy, more than half (53%) reported using CT, with another 8% planning to try it. Regression analysis controlling for psychosocial and medical variables revealed that women who were younger and less satisfied with their treatment decision-making experience were significantly more likely to use CT. When predicting use of CT at the conclusion of treatment, baseline utilization was the greatest predictor, but dissatisfaction with the oncologist was also a significant predictor. These findings suggest that patients who are dissatisfied with their medical care may be more likely to use CT during treatment. Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between satisfaction with medical decision making and the patient-physician relationship to CT use among cancer patients. The findings also highlight the importance of good patient-physician communication about CT use throughout the cancer treatment experience.
Comparison of formability of friction stir welded and laser welded dual phase 590 steel sheets
Authors: Miles M. P. , Pew J. , Nelson T. W. , Li M.
Published: August 2006

The formability of welded dual phase 590 (DP 590) steel sheets was investigated, using both friction stir welding and laser welding. Similar and dissimilar gauge sheets were joined using both processes. The laser welded sheets were produced under process conditions typical of industrial production of tailor welded blanks. The friction stir welded specimens were produced in a lab, where different tool rotational speeds and translation speeds were investigated in order to obtain good weld properties. The formability of the welded sheets was evaluated using a series of mechanical tests, including transverse tension and plane strain formability testing. Friction stir welded specimens performed about the same as laser welded specimens in transverse tension testing; however, hardness profiles showed that the laser welds had greater peak hardness than the friction stir welds. Therefore plane strain formability tests were performed with the welds oriented along the major strain direction. When this type of weld stretching was performed the friction stir welded sheets were shown to be ∼20% more formable than the laser welded sheets.
Properties and improvement of super fine grained steel friction welded joint
Authors: Kimura M. , Kusaka M. , Seo K. , Muramatsu Y.
Published: August 2006

This paper describes friction welded joint properties of super fine grained steel (SFGS) and discusses improvements in these joint properties. The average grain size diameter of the SFGS base metal is ∼0·6 μm, and its ultimate tensile strength is 660 MPa. The joint, made by a continuous drive friction welding machine (conventional method), fractured at the welded interface even though it possessed 100% joint efficiency. This was due to both the coarsening of the grain size and the softening of the welded interface with its adjacent region caused by heat input during braking times. The authors developed a joining method using a continuous drive friction welding machine that has an electromagnetic clutch to eliminate heat input during braking time, which was called the ‘low heat input friction welding method’ (LHI method). The joint obtained by the LHI method had the same tensile strength as the base metal at the friction time when the friction torque reached the initial peak. That is, the joint obtained 100% joint efficiency and fractured at the base metal, although the adjacent region of the welded interface softened only slightly. The grain size of this joint was smaller than that obtained by the conventional method. It was clarified that the optimum friction welded joint of the SFGS could be obtained by the LHI method in comparison with the conventional method.
Phase 1/2 study of the combination of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine with valproic acid in patients with leukemia
Authors: Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Sanchez-Gonzalez Blanca , Yang Hui , Rosner Gary , Verstovsek Srdan , Rytting Michael , Wierda William G. , Ravandi Farhad , Koller Charles , Xiao Lianchun , Faderl Stefan , Estrov Zeev , Cortes Jorge , O'Brien Susan , Estey Elihu , Bueso-Ramos Carlos , Fiorentino Jackie , Jabbour Elias , Issa Jean-Pierre
Published: August 2006

We conducted a phase 1/2 study of the combination of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (decitabine) and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) in patients with advanced leukemia, including older untreated patients. A group of 54 patients were treated with a fixed dose of decitabine (15 mg/m2 by IV daily for 10 days) administered concomitantly with escalating doses of VPA orally for 10 days. A 50 mg/kg daily dose of VPA was found to be safe. Twelve (22%) patients had objective response, including 10 (19%) complete remissions (CRs), and 2 (3%) CRs with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp). Among 10 elderly patients with acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome, 5 (50%) had a response (4CRs, 1CRp's). Induction mortality was observed in 1 (2%) patient. Major cytogenetic response was documented in 6 of 8 responders. Remission duration was 7.2 months (range, 1.3-12.6+ months). Overall survival was 15.3 months (range, 4.6-20.2+ months) in responders. Transient DNA hypomethylation and global histone H3 and H4 acetylation were induced, and were associated with p15 reactivation. Patients with lower pretreatment levels of p15 methylation had a significantly higher response rate. In summary, this combination of epigenetic therapy in leukemia was safe and active, and was associated with transient reversal of aberrant epigenetic marks. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00075010.
Respiratory-related evoked potential elicited in tracheostomised lung transplant patients
Authors: Davenport P. W. , Martin A. D. , Chou Y-L. , Alexander-Miller S.
Published: August 2006

The present study investigated the role of removal of upper airway and lung vagal afferents in the respiratory-related evoked potential (RREP) response to inspiratory occlusions in two patients with a tracheostomy, who had undergone double lung transplantation (DLT).

The patients were 1.5 and 3 months post-DLT and surgical placement of the tracheostomy. RREP recordings in response to inspiratory occlusions were obtained under four conditions: mouth breathing ignore trial; mouth breathing attend trial; tracheostomy breathing attend trial; and tracheostomy breathing ignore trial.

The RREP peak components, Nf, P1and N1, were present in both mouth and tracheostomy ignore breathing trials. The P300was present in both mouth and tracheostomy attend trials. RREP peak latencies were similar between conditions. The peak amplitudes were greater with mouth breathing due to greater occlusion-related inspiratory pressure.

These results demonstrate that the respiratory-related evoked potential can be elicited with inspiratory occlusion in the absence of mouth, upper airway and lung vagal afferent input. This suggests that inspiratory occlusion can elicit cortical activity with activation of inspiratory pump mechanoreceptors.
Evidence for association between the HLA-DQA locus and abdominal aortic aneurysms in the Belgian population: a case control study
Authors: Ogata Toru , Gregoire Lucie , Goddard Katrina AB , Skunca Magdalena , Tromp Gerard , Lancaster Wayne D , Parrado Antonio R , Lu Qing , Shibamura Hidenori , Sakalihasan Natzi , Limet Raymond , MacKean Gerald L , Arthur Claudette , Sueda Taijiro , Kuivaniemi Helena
Published: August 2006

Background

Chronic inflammation and autoimmunity likely contribute to the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of autoimmunity in the etiology of AAAs using a genetic association study approach with HLA polymorphisms.

Methods

HLA-DQA1, -DQB1, -DRB1 and -DRB3-5 alleles were determined in 387 AAA cases (180 Belgian and 207 Canadian) and 426 controls (269 Belgian and 157 Canadian) by a PCR and single-strand oligonucleotide probe hybridization assay.

Results

We observed a potential association with the HLA-DQA1 locus among Belgian males (empirical p = 0.027, asymptotic p = 0.071). Specifically, there was a significant difference in the HLA-DQA1*0102 allele frequencies between AAA cases (67/322 alleles, 20.8%) and controls (44/356 alleles, 12.4%) in Belgian males (empirical p = 0.019, asymptotic p = 0.003). In haplotype analyses, marginally significant association was found between AAA and haplotype HLA-DQA1-DRB1 (p = 0.049 with global score statistics and p = 0.002 with haplotype-specific score statistics).

Conclusion

This study showed potential evidence that the HLA-DQA1 locus harbors a genetic risk factor for AAAs suggesting that autoimmunity plays a role in the pathogenesis of AAAs.
Lymphadenovarix in the axilla – an unusual presentation of filariasis
Authors: Basu Adhish , Sistla Sarath Chandra , Verma Surendra Kumar , Jagdish S
Published: August 2006

Clinical manifestations of lymphatic filariasis depend on the area of lymphatic involvement and the duration of infection. A 21 year old man, resident in a filariasis endemic region, presented with multiple matted lymph nodes with cystic areas forming a large mass in his left axilla. An ultrasound scan of the axilla using a 7.5 MHz transducer revealed grossly dilated lymphatics but no filarial dance sign. Fine needle (21 G) aspiration cytology (FNAC) from the dilated lymphatics and solid areas in the lymph node mass revealed multiple microfilariae in a background of reactive lymphoid cells. Peripheral blood smears revealed microfilaremia with significant eosinophilia. Diagnosis of left axillary Bancroftian lymphadenovarix was made. On the administration of oral diethylcarbamazine, the diameter of the lymphatic vessels in the lymphadenovarix reduced considerably in size and microfilaremia disappeared. We report this case because axillary lymphadenovarix is a rare presentation of filariasis. This case is also unique since microfilariae were demonstrated in the fluid aspirated from the dilated lymphatics of the lymphadenovarix in the absence of live adult worms.
Identification and characterization of Smyd2: a split SET/MYND domain-containing histone H3 lysine 36-specific methyltransferase that interacts with the Sin3 histone deacetylase complex
Authors: Brown Mark A , Sims Robert J , Gottlieb Paul D , Tucker Philip W
Published: August 2006

Background

Disrupting the balance of histone lysine methylation alters the expression of genes involved in tumorigenesis including proto-oncogenes and cell cycle regulators. Methylation of lysine residues is commonly catalyzed by a family of proteins that contain the SET domain. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the SET domain-containing protein, Smyd2.

Results

Smyd2 mRNA is most highly expressed in heart and brain tissue, as demonstrated by northern analysis andin situhybridization. Over-expressed Smyd2 localizes to the cytoplasm and the nucleus in 293T cells. Although accumulating evidence suggests that methylation of histone 3, lysine 36 (H3K36) is associated with actively transcribed genes, we show that the SET domain of Smyd2 mediates H3K36 dimethylation and that Smyd2 represses transcription from an SV40-luciferase reporter. Smyd2 associates specifically with the Sin3A histone deacetylase complex, which was recently linked to H3K36 methylation within the coding regions of active genes in yeast. Finally, we report that exogenous expression of Smyd2 suppresses cell proliferation.

Conclusion

We propose that Sin3A-mediated deacetylation within the coding regions of active genes is directly linked to the histone methyltransferase activity of Smyd2. Moreover, Smyd2 appears to restrain cell proliferation, likely through direct modulation of chromatin structure.
An integrated telemedicine platform for the assessment of affective physiological states
Authors: Katsis Christos D , Ganiatsas George , Fotiadis Dimitrios I
Published: August 2006

AUBADE is an integrated platform built for the affective assessment of individuals. The system performs evaluation of the emotional state by classifying vectors of features extracted from: facial Electromyogram, Respiration, Electrodermal Activity and Electrocardiogram. The AUBADE system consists of: (a) a multisensorial wearable, (b) a data acquisition and wireless communication module, (c) a feature extraction module, (d) a 3D facial animation module which is used for the projection of the obtained data through a generic 3D face model; whereas the end-user will be able to view the facial expression of the subject in real time, (e) an intelligent emotion recognition module, and (f) the AUBADE databases where the acquired signals along with the subject's animation videos are saved. The system is designed to be applied to human subjects operating under extreme stress conditions, in particular car racing drivers, and also to patients suffering from neurological and psychological disorders. AUBADE's classification accuracy into five predefined emotional classes (high stress, low stress, disappointment, euphoria and neutral face) is 86.0%. The pilot system applications and components are being tested and evaluated on Maserati's car. racing drivers.
Contrasting ways of delivering adult psychiatric services
Authors: MacKirdy Catherine
Published: August 2006

In the mid-1990s the established pattern for adult psychiatric services in the Western Bay of Plenty, New Zealand was an in-patient/out-patient split. Psychiatrists either worked full-time on the in-patient unit or did only out-patient work.
Diary from Sri Lanka's east coast: arrival
Authors: Rose Nick
Published: August 2006

A 9-year-old girl with large moist eyes stares past the doctor. She had been admitted to a district hospital with fever the morning the tsunami struck. Many patients, nurses and doctors died there, and the girl still has night terrors. The doctor interviewing her lost a number of colleagues and was traumatised himself.
Reading about self-help books on depression
Authors: Whitfield Graeme , Williams Chris
Published: August 2006

Self-help resources for depression are widely available in bookshops and via the internet. They are increasingly being recommended for use by healthcare practitioners as part of a stepped care treatment package (Bower & Gilbody, 2005). Such materials provide key information and key skills to help readers tackle mild-to-moderate depression (National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2004). The recent review of self-help by the National Institute for Mental Health in England confirmed that it is cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) self-help that has an evidence base rather than self-help per se (Lewis et al, 2003).
Analysis of Connexin43 phosphorylated at S325, S328 and S330 in normoxic and ischemic heart
Authors: Lampe Paul D. , Cooper Cynthia D. , King Timothy J. , Burt Janis M.
Published: August 2006

The functional consequences of Connexin43 (Cx43) phosphorylation remain largely unexplored. Using an antibody that specifically recognizes Cx43 phosphorylated at serine residues 325, 328 and/or 330 (pS325/328/330-Cx43), we show that labeling of this form of Cx43 as well as of total Cx43 is restricted to the intercalated disk region of normal ventricular tissue. In ischemic heart, significant relocalization of total Cx43 to the lateral edges of myocytes was evident; however pS325/328/330-Cx43 remained predominately at the intercalated disk. Western blots indicated a eightfold decrease in pS325/328/330-Cx43 in ischemic tissue. Peptide-binding- and competition-experiments indicated that our antibody mainly detected Cx43 phosphorylated at S328 and/or S330 in heart tissue. To evaluate how this change in Cx43 phosphorylation contributes to ischemia-induced downregulation of intercellular communication, we stably transfected Cx43-/- cells with a Cx43 construct in which serine residues 325, 328 and 330 had been mutated to alanine (Cx43-TM). Cx43-TM was not efficiently processed to isoforms that have been correlated with gap junction assembly. Nevertheless, Cx43-TM cells were electrically coupled, although development of coupling was delayed. Fully opened channels were only rarely observed in Cx43-TM cells, and Lucifer-Yellow-dye-coupling was significantly reduced compared with wild-type cells. These data suggest that phosphorylation of Cx43 at serine residues 325, 328 and/or 330 influences channel permselectivity and regulates the efficiency of gap junction assembly.