bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caspases and apoptosis in fish
Authors: Takle H. , Andersen Ø.
Published: December 2007

Apoptosis has a vital impact on the development and homeostasis of all multicellular organisms. Hence, all metazoan species seem to possess the necessary components of the apoptotic machinery, but in general, their numbers and complexity have increased during evolution. The key apoptotic factors are a cascade of cysteine proteases known as caspases. The fish homologous of almost all the mammalian caspases have also been identified, but several fish‐specific caspases with putative distinct functions have also been reported. Despite these differences, the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways have been remarkably well conserved throughout 500 million years of vertebrate evolution. Here, the authors review what is currently known about fish caspases and apoptosis and demonstrate the huge amount of sequence information available from a range of fish species by screening Atlantic salmon genome databases for apoptotic homologous.
Classical and molecular cytogenetics of Atherinella brasiliensis (Teleostei, Atheriniformes) from South coast of Brazil
Authors: Sczepanski T. S , Noleto R. B , Kantek D. L. Z , Cortinhas M. C. S , Cestari M. M
Published: December 2007

Cytogenetic studies were performed on specimens of Atherinella brasiliensis from Laranjeiras Bay (Paraná State, Brazil). All specimens had a diploid number of 48 chromosomes, with a karyotype constituted by 4m+14sm+18st+12a and fundamental number of 84. The C‐positive heterochromatin was distributed over the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in the centromeric regions and on short arms of metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. Most of this heterochromatin was AT‐rich, except in the NORs, which were rich in GC, as detected by double staining with chromomycin A3/4′‐6‐diamin‐2‐phenylindole. Single NORs were located at terminal positions of a submetacentric pair, as confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization with 18S rDNA probes. Both techniques showed a size heteromorphism between the homologous chromosomes. The 5S rDNA clusters were located in terminal positions on two chromosomal pairs and also displayed a size heteromorphism. Despite the conserved diploid number, the data on the karyotype microstructure help characterize the cytogenetic profile of this group.
The Development of National Qualifications and Quality Assurance Frameworks in the Context of the TVET Reform in Romania
Authors: HART JOHN , ROGOJINARU ADELA
Published: December 2007

Romania is reforming its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system and introducing a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) to create a new and comprehensive national quality assurance system for qualifications. These reforms have their origins in the social and economic restructuring which followed the fall of Communism, preparation for membership in the European Union, and developments in the field of education and training related to the Lisbon agenda. This article explains the background to the reforms and explores the purposes and scope of the NQF and the NQAF and the relationship between them. It argues that the way that the reforms are being undertaken should ensure that the NQF is developed in harmony with the NQAF and that, as a result, the NQF will be strongly supported by policies and processes which will secure the quality of the provision which it contains. The article looks at the way that the Romanian institutional structure is being used to implement the key functions and processes of the two frameworks and draws out some of the key issues which face the reformed Romanian system.
The French Vocational Education and Training System: like an unrecognised prototype?
Authors: BOUDER ANNIE , KIRSCH JEAN‐LOUIS
Published: December 2007

The genesis of this article is based on the observation by the authors that the French training system has witnessed an evolution since the 1970s that corresponds to the one that was later recommended by the European authorities, i.e.:

the creation of a national qualifications framework that integrates general and vocational training and initial and continuing education;

a description of qualifications in terms of occupational standards that corresponds to learning outcomes and includes the concept of competence.

Hence, the proposal of an article in two parts:

the first describes the construction process of a national qualifications framework in France. It gives the highlights of the debates that accompanied this construct and stresses the closeness one can find with the present discussions at the European level;

basing itself on this, the second part of the article assesses the results of the implementation of this system in relation to the European goals such as the shift from a system that is steered by supply to one that is steered by demand and the better coherence of qualifications and their transparency for the users.
Moving Mountains: will qualifications systems promote lifelong learning?
Authors: WERQUIN PATRICK
Published: December 2007

This article aims at providing a check list of possible mechanisms to trigger more and better lifelong learning from within the national qualifications system. It analyses the existing policy responses to the lifelong learning agenda in the countries under study and identifies possible mechanisms within the qualifications system that could impact on the behaviour of the many stakeholders. There are many other ways to impact on lifelong learning but they are not addressed in this article which focuses on the role of national qualifications systems.

Two mechanisms in particular are studied in more detail because they seem to be at the top of the research and policy agenda of many countries: qualifications frameworks and recognition of non‐formal and informal learning systems.
Convergence or National Specificity? Testing the CI Maturity Model across Multiple Countries
Authors: Dabhilkar Mandar , Bengtsson Lars , Bessant John
Published: December 2007

This study empirically tests the Continuous Improvement (CI) maturity model across multiple countries. The analysis is based on data from the 2nd International CINet Survey, limited to the situation in Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Despite some differences in Continuous Improvement maturity level between countries, findings lend support to the convergence argument. Regardless of national specificity, Continuous Improvement behaviour patterns emerge in a similar fashion, and furthermore, correspond to improved operational performance if adopted. In addition, findings show that other contextual variables such as company size and type of production system are of limited importance. This implies that Continuous Improvement is something that can be implemented and developed successfully if managed properly, irrespective of contextual influences such as those stemming from cultural and industrial factors.
Human Resource Management for Continuous Improvement
Authors: Jørgensen Frances , Laugen Bjørge Timenes , Boer Harry
Published: December 2007

This paper investigates the relationship between HRM practices and Continuous Improvement (CI) activities in order to gain an understanding of how the HRM function may be utilized to improve CI implementation success, and consequently, company performance. The paper begins with a brief review of the HRM and CI literature and then presents statistical analyses of data collected from the Continuous Improvement Network Survey (2003), which demonstrate that HRM has a significant effect on CI behaviour and company performance, with the strongest relationship between HRM, CI and performance occurring when companies align their CI activities with their strategic objectives and use systems, procedures and processes to measure the results of their CI activities.
Individual Inventors in the R&D Factory
Authors: Andersson Hans , Berggren Christian
Published: December 2007

Are individual inventors still important in today's lean R&D organizations? A study of three R&D organizations in two Swedish companies, both committed to increasingly leaner R&D and with an innovation focus, certainly indicates that a small group of extra innovative inventors in each organization outperform their colleagues in terms of patents applied for. In this paper we discuss how managers can leverage these important individuals and how the fragile inventive space needed for the growth of the next generation of key inventors can be nourished.
Testing for the Cointegrating Rank of a VAR Process with Level Shift and Trend Break
Authors: Trenkler Carsten , Saikkonen Pentti , Lütkepohl Helmut
Published: December 2007

Abstract. A test for the cointegrating rank of a vector autoregressive (VAR) process with a possible shift and broken linear trend is proposed. The break point is assumed to be known. Our test is not a likelihood ratio test but the deterministic terms including the broken trends are removed first by a generalized least squares procedure. Then, a likelihood ratio‐type test is applied to the adjusted series. The asymptotic null distribution of the test is derived and it is shown by a Monte Carlo experiment that the test has better small‐sample properties in many cases than a corresponding Gaussian likelihood ratio test for the cointegrating rank. Moreover, response surface techniques can be used to easily obtainp‐values of the test for any possible break date.
An Improvement of the Portmanteau Statistic
Authors: Katayama Naoya
Published: December 2007

Abstract. The portmanteau statistic is based on the firstm‐residual autocorrelations, and is used for diagnostic checks on the adequacy of fit of a model. In this article, we propose a modified portmanteau statistic with a correction term that allows for the use of small values ofmfor the chi‐squared test. For this modification, we take a different approach to that suggested by Ljung [Biometrika(1986), Vol. 73, pp. 725–30]. Their empirical behaviour is clarified using asymptotic theory.
THE COMMONPLACES OF “REVISION” AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR HISTORIOGRAPHICAL UNDERSTANDING
Authors: GORMAN JONATHAN
Published: December 2007

Recognizing the contingent entanglement between historiography's social and political roles and the conception of the discipline as purely factual, this essay provides a detailed analysis of “revision” and its connection to “revisionism.” This analysis uses a philosophical approach that begins with the commonplaces of our understanding as expressed in dictionaries, which are compared and contrasted to display relevant confusions. The essay then turns to examining the questions posed by History and Theory's Call for Papers announcing its Theme Issue on Revision in History, and, where philosophically relevant, answers them. The issue of paradigm change proved to be quite significant and required particular attention. A “paradigm” is analyzed in terms of Quine's “web of belief,” and that web is itself explained as an ongoing process of revision, in analogy with Rawls's concept of pure procedural justice. Adopting this approach helps clarify the entanglement between politics and historiographical revision.
THE LOST ATLANTIS OF OBJECTIVITY: THE REVISIONIST STRUGGLES BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC SPHERES1
Authors: ANTONIOU GIORGOS
Published: December 2007

This article examines the theoretical and methodological implications of the revisionist debates. It focuses on the political, academic, and moral dimensions of the process of rewriting history and its interrelation with the public sphere. The article examines the recent debate in Greece and compares it with case studies of Germany, Spain, Israel, the Soviet Union, and Ireland. It comments on the common elements of these cases and proposes a basic typology of the revisionist debates in terms of similarities and differences. It categorizes the revisionist endeavors into three types: the successful, the failed, and the bewildered.
HAUNTING HISTORY: DECONSTRUCTION AND THE SPIRIT OF REVISION1
Authors: KLEINBERG ETHAN
Published: December 2007

This essay explores the ways that the specter of deconstruction has been haunting history over the past thirty years, in particular this specter's effects on the revision of intellectual and cultural history. The essay uses the terms “specter” and “haunting” to express the fact that while deconstruction is repeatedly targeted in attacks against the dangers of postmodernism, poststructuralism, or the linguistic turn, very few historians actively use deconstruction as a historical methodology; in this regard the target has always been a phantom. However, some historians have employed the methods of deconstruction, and by examining their work as well as the attacks on it the essay attempts to explain the historiographical reasons behind these attacks. The goal of the essay is ultimately to indicate some of the ways that deconstruction is useful for the historian, as evidenced in the project of historical revision.
Efficacy of Pregabalin in the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Authors: Obermann M , Yoon MS , Sensen K , Maschke M , Diener HC , Katsarava Z
Published: December 2007

This prospective, open-label study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin treatment in patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia with and without concomitant facial pain. Fifty-three patients with trigeminal neuralgia (14 with concomitant chronic facial pain) received pregabalin (PGB) 150-600 mg daily and were prospectively followed for 1 year. The primary outcome was number of patients pain free or with reduction of pain intensity by > 50% and of attack frequency by > 50% after 8 weeks. Secondary outcome was sustained pain relief after 1 year. Thirty-nine patients (74%) improved after 8 weeks with a mean dose of 269.8 mg/day (range 150-600 mg/day) PGB: 13 (25%) experienced complete pain relief and 26 (49%) reported pain reduction > 50%, whereas 14 (26%) did not improve. Patients without concomitant facial pain showed better response rates (32 of 39, 82%) compared with patients with concomitant chronic facial pain (7 of 14, 50%, P = 0.020). Concomitant chronic facial pain appears to be a clinical predictor of poor treatment outcome. PGB appears to be effective in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.
Smile: First Observational Prospective Cohort Study of Migraine in Primary Care in France. Description of Methods and Study Population
Authors: Géraud G , Valade D , Lantéri-Minet M , Radat F , Lucas C , Vives E , Joubert JM , Mekies C
Published: December 2007

The SMILE study was conducted among migraine patients consulting in primary care in France. The first phase aimed to describe the study sample of patients at entry to the study, especially emotional dimension (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale), functional impact (abridged Migraine Specific Questionnaire), stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and coping behaviours (brief COPE inventory avoidance subscale, Coping Strategies Questionnaire catastrophizing subscale), as well as treatments used and their effectiveness and treatments prescribed at end of consultation. Results indicate that consulting migraine patients suffer frequent migraine attacks, exhibit substantial levels of anxiety, functional impact and stress, and often use maladaptive coping strategies. Abortive treatments appear ineffective in most patients (74%). Patients with more affected psychometric variables and treatment ineffectiveness are more likely to be deemed eligible for prophylactic treatment. These data highlight the seriousness of migraine and maladjustment of patients consulting in primary care.
Labeling of Abuse Experiences and Rates of Victimization
Authors: Hammond Charity B. , Calhoun Karen S.
Published: December 2007

Research has consistently found that a history of previous sexual victimization increases risk for future sexual assault, which might be due to women with a history of sexual victimization having difficulty identifying risky cues and not perceiving their own vulnerability for future assaults. This study investigated how acknowledgment of previous experiences with interpersonal violence is related to risk perception and rates of victimization. Participants were 198 college women who completed assessments of victimization, personal risk appraisal, and acknowledgment. Analyses indicated differences in rates of victimization based on labeling of experiences and differences in efforts to change behaviors to reduce risk for future assaults based on level of acknowledgment. Also, there were a number of situational factors significantly related to likelihood of acknowledgment. The findings differed for physical and sexual violence. This study suggests that acknowledgment is an important factor to consider in studies of sexual and physical revictimization.
Body Objectification, Social Pressure, and Disordered Eating Behavior in College Women: The Role of Sorority Membership
Authors: Basow Susan A. , Foran Kelly A. , Bookwala Jamila
Published: December 2007

Social pressure to conform to the thin ideal is believed to play a decisive role in the development of eating disorders. In this field study at a college with only sophomore rush, 99 sorority women, 80 nonsorority women past their first year, and 86 first-year women completed three subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 ( Garner, 1991 ), the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale ( McKinley & Hyde, 1996 ), and a measure of peer social pressure. It was hypothesized that women belonging to sororities as well as those who intended to join would score higher than nonsorority and first-year women with no intention to join on these measures of disordered eating, body objectification, and social pressure. It also was predicted that the amount of time spent living in a sorority house as well as degree of social pressure would correlate positively with higher scores on body objectification and disordered eating. Results supported nearly all hypotheses, suggesting both that sororities attract at-risk women and that living in a sorority house is associated with increased likelihood of disordered eating.
When the Relationship Becomes Her: Revisiting Women's Body Concerns from a Relationship Contingency Perspective
Authors: Sanchez Diana T. , Kwang Tracy
Published: December 2007

Given women's communally oriented socialization and social pressures to find romantic partners, many heterosexual women may derive self-worth from having romantic relationships (relationship contingency). Across two studies, we explored whether relationship contingency heightens women's body shame. Studies 1A and 1B found that relationship contingency causes body shame among women. In Study 2, relationship contingency predicted greater bulimic symptoms, which was mediated fully by greater body shame. Using both experimental methods and structural equation modeling, these studies demonstrate a link between relationship contingency and body shame that is not explained by appearance contingency (basing self-esteem on one's physical appearance). Results are discussed in terms of self-objectification theory, contingencies of self-worth, mate preferences, and close relationships.
Protest practice and (tree) cultures of conflict: understanding the spaces of ‘tree maiming’ in eighteenth‐ and early nineteenth‐century England
Authors: Griffin Carl
Published: December 2007

Developing understandings of protest and cultures of resistance has been a central theme of the ‘new’ cultural geography of the 1990s and 2000s. But whilst geographers of the here and now have been highly sensitive to the importance of acts of protest which occur outside of the context of broader social movements, geographers concerned with past protests have tended to focus overwhelmingly upon either understanding the development of social movements or highly specific place‐based studies. Through a focus upon the hitherto ignored practice of ‘tree maiming’, this paper demonstrates not only the value of examining specific protest practices in helping to better understand the complexity of conflict, but also how in periods of acute socio‐economic change the evolving relationship between humans and the non‐human – in this case trees – is a central discourse to the protest practices of the poor. Such attacks often involved complex cultural understandings about the ways in which trees should – and should not – be socially enrolled.
The rise of global work
Authors: Jones Andrew
Published: December 2007

Globalisation represents a set of transformations in the contemporary world that are having profound impacts on the nature of labour markets and work. However, most social scientific analysis in this area has focused on changes to labour markets as emerging consequences of the developing global economy. This paper argues that an analysis of what is happening to work itself as a consequence of globalisation has been neglected. It further contends that the nature of work as a practice in the contemporary world can be better understood through a new conceptual framework, centred on the concept of ‘global work’. It goes on to lay out a theoretical framework for conceptualising the emergence of ‘global work’, based around an analysis of the increasingly distanciated social relations that constitute what work ‘is’ in today's world. In this respect it contends that working practices, the experience of work, the nature of workplaces and the power relations in which people's working lives are entangled require a theoretical understanding of global‐scale interrelationships if they are to be properly understood. This ‘global work thesis’ is grounded in research into two contrasting forms of work in the contemporary world: transnational legal services in developed post‐industrial economies and overseas voluntary work in developing countries.
‘Sleep‐walking towards segregation’? The changing ethnic composition of English schools, 1997–2003: an entry cohort analysis
Authors: Johnston Ron , Burgess Simon , Harris Richard , Wilson Deborah
Published: December 2007

There has been considerable public debate recently in England regarding levels of segregation (and changes in those levels) not only by neighbourhood but also in schools. Few data are available to evaluate claims that such segregation has been increasing in the country's schools, however. This paper uses a data set released by the Department for Education and Skills which indicates the ethnic identity for every student in the entry cohorts for all English primary and secondary schools between 1997 and 1998 (for primary and secondary schools respectively) and 2003. Analysis indicates that there has been some increase in segregation levels in a few cities, but only to the expected extent given the changing relative size of the ethnic minority populations there. Segregation is relatively high in the country's schools, but has only increased if the minority groups’ share of the entry cohorts has been increasing.
Relationship between State Medicaid Policies, Nursing Home Racial Composition, and the Risk of Hospitalization for Black and White Residents
Authors: Gruneir Andrea , Miller Susan C. , Feng Zhanlian , Intrator Orna , Mor Vincent
Published: December 2007

Objective. To examine racial differences in the risk of hospitalization for nursing home (NH) residents.

Data Sources. National NH Minimum Data Set, Medicare claims, and Online Survey Certification and Reporting data from 2000 were merged with independently collected Medicaid policy data.

Study Design. One hundred and fifty day follow‐up of 516,082 long‐stay residents.

Principle Findings. 18.5 percent of white and 24.1 percent of black residents were hospitalized. Residents in NHs with high concentrations of blacks had 20 percent higher odds (95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.15–1.25) of hospitalization than residents in NHs with no blacks. Ten‐dollar increments in Medicaid rates reduced the odds of hospitalization by 4 percent (95 percent CI=0.93–1.00) for white residents and 22 percent (95 percent CI=0.69–0.87) for black residents.

Conclusions. Our findings illustrate the effect of contextual forces on racial disparities in NH care.
Medicaid Undercount and Bias to Estimates of Uninsurance: New Estimates and Existing Evidence
Authors: Call Kathleen Thiede , Davidson Gestur , Davern Michael , Nyman Rebecca
Published: December 2007

Objective. To examine whether known Medicaid enrollees misreport their health insurance coverage in surveys and the extent to which misreports of lack of coverage bias estimates of uninsurance.

Data Source. Primary survey data from the Medicaid Undercount Experiment.

Study Design. Analyze new data from surveys of Medicaid enrollees in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania and summarize existing research examining bias in coverage estimates due to misreports among Medicaid enrollees.

Data Collection Method. Subjects were randomly drawn from Medicaid administrative records and were surveyed by telephone.

Principal Findings and Conclusions. Cumulative evidence shows that a small percentage of Medicaid enrollees mistakenly report being uninsured, resulting in modest upward bias in estimates of uninsurance. A somewhat larger percentage of enrollees report having some other type of coverage than no coverage, biasing Medicaid enrollment estimates downward but not biasing estimates of uninsurance significantly upward. Implications for policy makers' confidence in survey estimates of coverage are discussed.
Selective changes in nocifensive behavior despite normal cutaneous axon innervation in leptin receptor–null mutant (db/db) mice
Authors: Wright Douglas E. , Johnson Megan S. , Arnett M. G. , Smittkamp Susan E. , Ryals Janelle M.
Published: December 2007

Abstract  Much of our understanding of the effects of diabetes on the peripheral nervous system is derived from models induced by streptozotocin in which hyperglycemia is rapidly caused by pancreatic beta‐cell destruction. Here, we have quantified sensory impairments over time in leptin receptor (lepr)–null mutant (−/−) mice, a type 2 model of diabetes in which the absence of leptin receptor signaling leads to obesity and chronic hyperglycemia by 4 weeks of age. To assess these mice as a model for peripheral neuropathy, we quantified the responsiveness of lepr (−/−) mice to mechanical, thermal, and chemogenic stimuli, as well as epidermal and dermal innervation of the hind paw. Compared with wild‐type (+/+) and heterozygous (+/−) mice, lepr (−/−) mice displayed reduced sensitivity to mechanical stimuli by 6 weeks of age, and however, responses to noxious heat were normal. Lepr (−/−) mice also devoted less activity to their injected paw during the second phase following formalin administration. However, epidermal and dermal innervation of lepr (−/−) mice was not different from that of lepr (+/+) and (+/−) mice even after 10 weeks of hyperglycemia, suggesting that cutaneous innervation is resistant to chronic hyperglycemia in these mice. These results suggest that certain rodent nocifensive behaviors may be linked to the abundance of cutaneous innervation, while others are not. Finally, these results reveal that the lepr (−/−) mice may not be useful to study neuropathy associated with distal axonal degeneration but may be better suited for studies of hyperglycemia‐induced sensory neuron dysfunction without distal nerve loss.
Diabetes does not accelerate neuronal loss following nerve injury
Authors: Severinsen Kaare , Jakobsen Johannes
Published: December 2007

Abstract  To determine the resistance of neuronal dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells in experimental diabetes, we studied the neuronal cell loss after severe axonal injury in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats with unilateral transection of the L5 spinal nerve for 12 weeks. Fifty 18‐week‐old inbred male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to three study groups. In study group 1 without spinal nerve injury, STZ diabetes was induced in 9 and 10 rats were kept as nondiabetic controls. In study group 2, spinal nerve injury was performed in 10 diabetic rats and in 10 nondiabetic controls. In study group 3, six nondiabetic control rats at 18 weeks and five nondiabetic control rats at 30 weeks were included to determine whether DRG cell changes occur without nerve injury during the study period. In group 1, the stereologically determined number of all neuronal DRG cells was unchanged after 12 weeks of diabetes. The mean perikaryal volume of neuronal DRG cells of the A and B subtypes was reduced by 10% each (p < 0.05). In group 2, spinal nerve injury led to neuronal cell loss, chromatolysis, and perikaryal shrinkage but without any acceleration of cell loss after 12 weeks of diabetes. In group 3, there were no changes indicating that the reduction of perikaryal volume in diabetic rats without nerve injury represents shrinkage. We conclude that neuronal DRG cells in rats are resistant to diabetes per se and that addition of diabetes for 12 weeks to spinal nerve injury does not further accelerate the cell loss.
Axonal Guillain‐Barré syndrome: carbohydrate mimicry and pathophysiology
Authors: Yuki Nobuhiro , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: December 2007

Abstract  Acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), an axonal subtype of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS), is characterized by pure motor involvement, frequent antecedent infection by Campylobacter jejuni, association with anti‐GM1 or anti‐GD1a immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, and the electrophysiological features of axonal degeneration and reversible conduction block. Molecular mimicry exists between GM1 and GD1a gangliosides and lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) of C. jejuni isolates from AMAN. Sensitization of rabbits with GM1 or C. jejuni LOS induces anti‐GM1 IgG antibodies and subsequent flaccid paralysis. Pathological changes seen in rabbit model peripheral nerves are identical to those in human AMAN. Immunohistochemistry of AMAN rabbits shows disruption of nodal sodium channel clusters and detachment of paranodal myelin terminal loops, similar to paranodal demyelination, which would significantly reduce the safety factor for impulse transmission and might be responsible for the rapidly reversible conduction block frequently present in human AMAN. C. jejuni sialyltransferase (Cst‐II), which functions in the biosynthesis of ganglioside‐like LOSs, determines the transferase activity. Strains with cst‐II (Thr51) express GM1 and GD1a epitopes, whereas GBS patients infected with cst‐II (Thr51) strains have anti‐GM1 or anti‐GD1a IgG antibodies. The cst‐II gene is responsible for the development of GBS. Immunological, pathological, electrophysiological, and bacteriological studies have provided strong evidence of carbohydrate mimicry being a cause of AMAN and clarified the mechanisms of nerve conduction failure in AMAN.
Routine fetalRHDgenotyping with maternal plasma: a four‐year experience in Belgium
Authors: Minon Jean‐Marc , Gerard Christiane , Senterre Jean‐Marc , Schaaps Jean‐Pierre , Foidart Jean‐Michel
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND:The objective was to evaluate the diagnostic value ofRHDfetal genotyping from the plasma of D– mothers as soon as 10 weeks' gestation in a routine clinical practice in Belgium.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:A prospective study was conducted between November 2002 and December 2006. DNA extraction was performed in an automated closed tube system. FetalRHD/SRYgenotypes were detected in the plasma of 563 pregnant mothers by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting multiple exons 4, 5, and 10 of theRHDgene and targeting anSRYgene sequence. These were compared to the D phenotypes determined in the 581 babies they delivered.

RESULTS:By combining amplification of three exons, the concordance rate of fetalRHDgenotypes in maternal plasma and newborn D phenotypes at delivery was 100 percent (99.8% including one unusual false‐positive). The presence of nonfunctionalRHDgenes and the absence of a universal fetal marker, irrespective of fetal sex, did not influence the accuracy of fetal RhD status prediction. TheRHDgenotyping from 18 twin pregnancies was also assessed. Five weak D women were excluded from theRHDfetal genotyping prediction. Three discrepant results (0.5%) between predicted fetal genotype and cord blood phenotype were not confirmed by the baby phenotypes from venipuncture blood.

CONCLUSION:Prenatal prediction of fetalRHDby targeting multiple exons from the maternal plasma with real‐time PCR is highly sensitive and accurate. Over 4 years, this experience has highly modified our management of D– pregnant women.
Intraocular pressure in an ophthalmologically normal Japanese population
Authors: Fukuoka Shima , Aihara Makoto , Iwase Aiko , Araie Makoto
Published: December 2007

Purpose:  To investigate the distribution of intraocular pressure (IOP) measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and factors correlating with IOP, with special attention to age, in a large sample of ophthalmologically normal Japanese subjects.

Methods:  A total of 7313 subjects (2847 male, 4466 female) were selected as a normal Japanese sample. The following exclusion criteria applied: abnormal results suggestive of any eye diseases in slit‐lamp examination, fundus photography or visual field testing using frequency‐doubling technology; corrected visual acuity < 0.7, and contact lens wear within 1 week of study examinations. All subjects were sourced from the Eye Disease Screening Service in Tajimi City, which carried out a screening programme between September 2000 and October 2001. All data, including subject age, gender, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (BP), laterality, refraction, corneal radius and IOP measured with GAT were collected from subject records. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured by SP‐2000P specular microscopy. Levels of IOP and correlating factors were statistically analysed.

Results:  Average IOP was 14.1 ± 2.3 mmHg (mean ± standard deviation; n = 7313 × 2). Mean IOP levels in male and female subjects were 14.1 ± 2.3 mmHg and 14.1 ± 2.2 mmHg, respectively. There was no difference in IOP between male and female subjects. Multiple regression analysis indicated that IOP had negative correlations with age, corneal radius and refraction (p < 0.0001), and positive correlations with CCT, systolic BP and BMI (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  In a large‐scale population of ophthalmologically normal Japanese subjects, IOP measured by GAT was significantly and negatively correlated with age. It was also negatively correlated with corneal radius and refraction, and positively with CCT, systolic BP and BMI.
Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome in a Greenlandic Inuit
Authors: Østergaard Jens , Goldschmidt Ernst , Andersen Nis
Published: December 2007

Purpose:  To report a case of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome (VKH) in an Inuit.

Methods:  We carried out a medical evaluation and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping.

Results:  A 36‐year‐old male Inuit developed severely decreased vision, intense headache and vertigo over a 3‐week period. Ocular examination revealed panuveitis with bilateral serous retinal detachment and optic nerve head oedema. There was no history of ocular trauma or evidence suggestive of other disease entities. The patient responded well to high‐dose systemic prednisolone. Vitiligo presented late in the course.

Conclusions:  This case report describes the first published case of VKH in a patient of Inuit ancestry. The patient was homozygous for HLA‐DR4, a genotype previously associated with VKH.
Success rates for switching to dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination in timolol responders who are insufficiently controlled by latanoprost monotherapy
Authors: Sonty Sriram , Henry J. Charles , Sharpe Elizabeth D. , Weiss Mark J. , Stewart Jeanette A. , Nelson Lindsay A. , Stewart William C.
Published: December 2007

Purpose:  We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination (DTFC) in timolol responders with ocular hypertension or open‐angle glaucoma who switched to DTFC because of insufficient control on latanoprost.

Methods:  We carried out a prospective, open‐label cohort study with an active‐historical control in which qualifying patients must have been treated with latanoprost monotherapy for at least 4 weeks, must have demonstrated insufficiently controlled intraocular pressure (IOP) (≥ 19 mmHg at 08.00 hours), and must have shown a decrease in IOP at 2 hours after timolol instillation of ≥ 3 mmHg or ≥ 15%. Patients then began DTFC dosed at 08.00 hours and 20.00 hours and discontinued latanoprost. Patients were evaluated again after 4 and 12 weeks.

Results:  In 57 patients IOP was further reduced by 2.4 ± 3.3 mmHg at 08.00 hours (p < 0.0001) and by 3.5 ± 3.3 mmHg at 10.00 hours (p < 0.0001) after switching to DTFC. Responses to the Comparison of Ophthalmic Medications for Tolerability (COMTol) questionnaire showed no difference between DTFC and latanoprost for in terms of overall preference, typical daily activities, limitation of activities, compliance, satisfaction or quality of life (p > 0.05). However, greater frequency in burning and/or stinging (p < 0.0001) and bitter taste (p < 0.0001) were observed with DTFC, whereas unusual taste (p = 0.02) and itchy eyes (p = 0.05) were associated with latanoprost.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that patients who are insufficiently controlled on latanoprost monotherapy, and who are timolol responders, can generally achieve further IOP reduction and similar tolerance levels when changed to DTFC.
Choroidal perfusion in eyes with untreated choroidal melanoma
Authors: Resch Hemma , Garhöfer Gerhard , Schmetterer Leopold , Zehetmayer Martin , Dorner Guido T.
Published: December 2007

Purpose: Previous studies indicate that ocular blood flow is altered in eyes with choroidal melanoma. In the present study pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) was assessed to investigate whether there exists a correlation between tumour size and ocular blood flow parameters.

Methods: Twenty‐two patients with unilateral untreated choroidal melanoma were studied using two measurement techniques: POBF was measured with a pneumotonometer and local foveal fundus pulsation amplitude (FPA) by laser interferometry, and results were correlated. Tumour volume was calculated using the ellipsoidal solid model and was correlated to POBF and FPA.

Results: Levels of POBF and FPAs tended to be higher in tumour eyes compared with unaffected eyes, but the differences did not reach the level of significance. Both methods showed a high degree of correlation in unaffected eyes. In tumour eyes the correlation was slightly less pronounced. There was no correlation between tumour and POBF or FPA.

Conclusions: Our results do not indicate choroidal hyperperfusion in patients with choroidal melanoma. The clinical usefulness of measuring POBF in tumour patients may be limited.
Building and ornamental stones of the Awam (Mahram Bilqis) Temple in Marib, Yemen
Authors: Harrell James A.
Published: December 2007

One of the most famous monuments of the ancient Kingdom of Saba is the first‐millennium BC Awam Temple in Marib, Yemen. Despite its fame, almost nothing has been published about the building and ornamental stones used in its construction, or the quarries that supplied these stones. This paper presents the results of the first geological study of the Awam Temple and its stone quarries.
A geochemical study of bituminous mixtures from Failaka and Umm an‐Namel (Kuwait), from the Early Dilmun to the Early Islamic period
Authors: Connan Jacques , Carter Robert
Published: December 2007

This paper is the last in a series presenting geochemical analyses of fragments of bituminous mixtures excavated from archaeological sites in Kuwait. The first was devoted to bituminous boat remains from the Ubaid‐related Neolithic site of H3, As‐Sabiyah, while the second dealt with bituminous amalgams from the Partho‐Sasanian site of cAkkaz, a former island now joined to the south side of Kuwait Bay. This, the third, refers to bitumen‐bearing samples from two other islands, Failaka and Umm an‐Namel, and covers a time span including the Early Dilmun period, the Kassite period and the Hellenistic to Early Islamic periods. The composition of the bituminous amalgams was studied in detail. The proportions of soluble and insoluble organic matter as well as vegetal organic matter were evaluated. Mineralogical composition by X‐Ray diffraction and thin‐section analysis was used to estimate the mineral input in the bituminous mixtures. It can be confirmed that the recipes used in the preparation of these bituminous amalgams comply with those traditionally used in antiquity, as seen at many sites in Mesopotamia and the Gulf. Analysis of the soluble organic matter, and especially its ‘‘saturates’’ fraction, provided sterane and terpane distributions and the measurement of diagnostic molecular ratios. These data, complemented by the isotopic composition of asphaltenes, allowed the identification of the sources of the bitumen, by calibration with numerous references from Iran and northern Iraq (oil seeps, bitumen from archaeological sites). It was established that the bitumen from Failaka and Umm an‐Namel was mainly imported from central Iraq (Hit‐Abu Jir) and northern Iraq (around Mosul). One sample of oil‐stained sand, dating to the Early Dilmun period, originated from Burgan and thus documents small‐scale imports from inland Kuwait. These results, and those of previous analyses, agree with the geopolitical context of the Early Dilmun, Kassite and Hellenistic periods, and the maritime trade routes that linked Mesopotamia to the settlements of the Gulf and beyond. The paper concludes with an overview of recent bitumen provenance analyses, and discerns chronological patterns in the distribution of Iraqi and Iranian bitumen in the Gulf and Indian Ocean, from the Neolithic to the Islamic periods.
Terracotta figurines from the National and Military Museums in Sana'a, Yemen
Authors: Yaseen G. T. , Shargabi Dhekra D.
Published: December 2007

This study focuses on sixty‐five terracotta figurines in the National Museum and the Military Museum in Sana'a, Yemen.
Bioarchaeology in the United Arab Emirates*
Authors: Martin Debra L.
Published: December 2007

Physical anthropology and bioarchaeology (one of the newer interdisciplinary sub‐disciplines) are alive and well in the U.A.E. Older analytical approaches that rely on subjective observations and non‐systematic study of human remains are being replaced with more biocultural and processual approaches that integrate biological data from human remains within a broader archaeological and cultural context. With the publication of a major synthetic work based on analysis of the human remains from Jebel al‐Buhais, a new era of skeletal analysis in the U.A.E. has been heralded. This short review examines the ways that skeletal analysis can be integrated within broader archaeological contexts.
Bone healing dynamics at buccal peri‐implant sites
Authors: Qahash Mohammed , Susin Cristiano , Polimeni Giuseppe , Hall Jan , Wikesjö Ulf M. E.
Published: December 2007

Background: It is common belief that immediate implant placement into extraction sites may act to preserve the alveolar process. The objective of this study was to evaluate healing dynamics at buccal peri‐implant sites in relation to the dimensions of the alveolar ridge.

Methods: Bilateral, critical‐size, supraalveolar, peri‐implant defects were created in 12 male Hound Labrador mongrel dogs following surgical horizontal cut‐down of the alveolar ridge. Each jaw quadrant received three 10‐mm titanium implants placed 5 mm into extraction sites of the third and fourth premolar teeth leaving 5 mm in a supraalveolar position. The mucoperiosteal flaps were advanced, adapted, and sutured for primary intention healing. Bone fluorescent markers were administered at weeks 3 and 4 postsurgery, and pre‐euthanasia. Incandescent, polarized, and fluorescent light microscopies were used to assess the width of the buccal wall of the alveolar ridge and local bone remodeling over the 8‐week healing interval.

Results: There was a significant association between the width of the buccal alveolar ridge and extent of bone resorption evaluated by incandescent and fluorescent light microscopy. A non‐linear association was observed between the buccal ridge width and resorption of the alveolar ridge. A 2‐mm threshold was established to account for this non‐linearity. The strength of this association was two times greater in specimens with a buccal ridge width <2 mm compared with a wider ridge (β=1.62 vs. 0.80) observed by fluorescent light microscopy. Accordingly, mean buccal resorption was significantly greater when the ridge width was <2 mm. Fluorescent light microscopy consistently showed greater buccal resorption compared with incandescent light microscopy (P<0.05). Agreement between the examination techniques was low (concordance correlation coefficient=0.49), especially for higher values of buccal resorption.

Conclusion: When implants are placed into extraction sites, proximity to the buccal alveolar crest appears a major consideration. The observations herein suggest that the width of the buccal alveolar ridge should be at least 2 mm to maintain the alveolar bone level. These observations likely have general implications for implant placement using most surgical protocols.
Re‐osseointegration on rough implant surfaces previously coated with bacterial biofilm: an experimental study in the dog
Authors: Alhag Mohamed , Renvert Stefan , Polyzois Ioannis , Claffey Noel
Published: December 2007

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether osseointegration can occur on rough implant surfaces that previously had been coated with bacterial biofilm.

Materials and methods: The premolars on both sides of the mandible in four beagle dogs were extracted. Following 3 months healing, three titanium implants Ti‐Unite™, Nobel Biocare® were partially inserted in the left side of each mandible. Some threads protruded from the tissues into the oral cavity. Plaque accumulated on the exposed part of the implant. Following a 5‐week healing period, the contaminated parts of each implant were treated using three different techniques: (1) swabbing with citric acid for 30 s followed by rinsing with physiological saline, (2) cleansing with a toothbrush and physiological saline for 1 min, and (3) swabbing with 10% hydrogen peroxide for 1 min followed by rinsing with physiological saline. The treated implants and one pristine implant (control) were installed to the full implant length on the contralateral sides of the mandibles. Following 11 weeks of healing, the dogs were sacrificed and biopsies were obtained. Ground sections were prepared for histomorphometric analysis.

Results: All treatment modalities were associated with direct bone‐to‐implant contact on the portion of implant surface previously exposed to the oral environment.

Conclusions: The results demonstrate that rough surfaces, which were plaque contaminated and cleaned by different methods, can re‐osseointegrate.