bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fish oil ameliorates the allograft arteriosclerosis of intestine on rats
Authors: Ma Hao , Wang Jinhua , Wang Jian , Li Yousheng , Li Jieshou
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  Fish oil had been shown to have an immunomodulating effect and had favorable effect on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of fish oil on the graft arteriosclerosis and graft immune response after rat allogenic small intestinal transplantation. Since two wk pretransplantation, the Lewis rats were supplemented by gavage with: (i) phosphate buffer saline, 0.6% volume of body weight (V/W), as control group; (ii) fish oil (0.6%, V/W); (iii) fish oil (0.3%, V/W). Total intestine from donor F344 was heterotopically transplanted into the Lewis recipient. The recipient rats were killed on the 60th day post‐transplantation. The cytokine levels, the activity of NF‐kappa B and the arteriosclerosis of grafts were analyzed. Intragastrical supplementation with 0.6% fish oil induced pronounced inhibition of the pro‐inflammtory cytokine expression of interleukin (IL)‐6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and the increase of anti‐inflammtory cytokine expression of IL‐10 in graft. Suppression of the TNF‐α and IL‐6 expression by fish oil was attributed to its inhibitory effect on NF‐κB activation. Intragastric 0.6% fish oil infusion ameliorated the development of graft arteriosclerosis. Fish oil was therefore considered to have an immunosuppressive effect on rat allogenic small intestinal transplant model based on the intra‐graft IL‐6, TNF‐α and IL‐10 levels. It might result in ameliorating the arteriosclerosis of the grafts.
Total steroid dose given to ventilated newborn infants with chronic lung disease
Authors: Jones Bryn Owen , Davies Mark William
Published: January 2007

Aim:  There are currently two dexamethasone regimes used in our nursery. We aimed to retrospectively compare the cumulative dose of dexamethasone that infants on each regime received and the requirement for further courses.

Methods:  Infants receiving dexamethasone between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2004, with a gestational age of <30 weeks or a birthweight of <1000 g, were identified and then a chart review of these infants was undertaken. Demographic data were obtained and compared as was the total dose of dexamethasone and number of courses that each infant received. Some clinical outcome measurements were also obtained.

Results:  A total of 119 infants were identified. The total dexamethasone dose received was 1.92 mg/kg less for infants commencing on the 2‐week course compared with the 6‐week course (difference between medians, Mann–Whitney test, P = 0.005). Infants having the 2‐week course had 17 days less steroid treatment (difference between medians, Mann–Whitney test, P = 0.0001). Seventeen (46%) subjects who started on a 2‐week course of steroids and 18 (22%) who started on a 6‐week course required at least one further course of steroids (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in the short‐term outcome measures of neonatal chronic lung disease.

Conclusion:  Infants who received the 2‐week course of dexamethasone had a 27% reduction in total steroid dose compared with infants receiving a 6‐week course with similar short‐term outcomes. However, our study was limited by its retrospective nature and possible confounding factors.
Retrospective analysis of patients attending a neurofibromatosis type 1 clinic
Authors: Noble Fiona , Kornberg Andrew J , Elder James E , Delatycki Martin B
Published: January 2007

Aim:  To undertake a retrospective analysis of the patients who attended the neurofibromatosis type 1 clinic (NF clinic) at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne between March 2001 and May 2004. From this analysis, we aimed to ascertain the frequency and nature of complications of NF1 in this cohort and compare this with other large series.

Methods:  Genetic files and hospital records of patients who attended the NF clinic were reviewed. Data regarding the clinical features and NF1‐related complications present in the patient population were entered into a database and then analysed.

Results:  Data were available for 121 patients with presumed or confirmed diagnoses of NF1 who attended the NF clinic between the study dates. While most patients were referred to the clinic for ‘routine surveillance’, complications of NF1 were common. Forty‐four per cent of patients had learning difficulties, 21% had optic gliomas and 17% had plexiform neurofibromas. Fifty‐five per cent of those with plexiform neurofibromas required at least one surgical procedure.

Conclusion:  The NF clinic was accessed by patients of all ages to assist with diagnosis, provide routine surveillance and manage complex complications of NF1. The prevalence and range of complications of NF1 of the patients attending this clinic is similar to other large retrospective studies in tertiary centres.
Strategies which aim to positively impact on weight, physical activity, diet and sedentary behaviours in children from zero to five years. A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Campbell K. J. , Hesketh K. D.
Published: January 2007

Preventing the development of obesity in children is an international health priority. To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity, promote healthy eating and/or physical activity and/or to reduce sedentary behaviours in 0–5‐year‐old children, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Literature searches were limited to articles published between January 1995 and June 2006, printed in English and sampling children aged 0–5‐years. Searches excluded literature concerned with breastfeeding, eating disorders, and interventions which were school‐based or concerned with obesity treatment. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study strengths and weaknesses. Nine included studies were grouped based on the settings in which they were delivered. Most studies involved multi‐approach interventions, were conducted in the USA and varied in study designs and quality. All showed some level of effectiveness on at least one obesity‐behaviour in young children. These studies support, at a range of levels, the premise that parents are receptive to and capable of some behavioural changes that may promote healthy weight in their young children. The small quantity of research heralds the need, particularly given the potential for early intervention to have long‐lasting impacts on individual and population health, to build in a substantial way upon this evidence base.
RACIST ORGAN DONORS AND SAVING LIVES
Authors: WILKINSON T.M.
Published: January 2007

This paper considers what should be done about offers of organs for transplant that come with racist strings attached. Saving lives or improving their quality seem powerful reasons to accept the offer. Fairness, justice, and rejecting racism seem like powerful reasons against. This paper argues that conditional allocation should occur when it would provide access to organs for at least one person without costing others their access to organs. The bulk of the paper concentrates on defending this claim against these objections: (i) that the good that might come about through conditional allocation does so through wrongful complicity in the racist's wrongdoing; (ii) that conditional allocation symbolizes support for racism; and (iii) that conditional allocation is unjust or unfair and is, for that reason, impermissible. The final section, on conditional allocation as a policy, considers the speculative possibility that conditional allocation would reduce access to organs for some, but it argues that, even then, conditional allocation could be justified.
PASCAL'S WAGER AND THE PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE
Authors: STONE JIM
Published: January 2007

I've argued that a version of Pascal's Wager applies to PVS so forcefully that no one who declines continued life without considering it makes a reasoned and informed decision. Thomas Mappes objects that my argument is much more limited than I realize. Of special interest is his appeal to an emerging diagnostic category, the ‘minimally conscious state’, to argue that there is much to lose in gambling on life. I will defend the Wager. Along the way I maintain that the chance of recovery from long‐term PVS is much better than represented (as is the prospect of regaining independence if one recovers consciousness), and that the 1994 Multi‐Society Task Force definitions of ‘permanent’ PVS are confused in ways that make crafting advance directives dangerously difficult. Valid advance directives require informed consent, I argue; the Wager needs to be part of the process. A consequence of my argument is that withdrawing medically‐delivered nutrition and hydration from PVS patients is much harder to justify.
Corporate social responsibility and employee commitment
Authors: Collier Jane , Esteban Rafael
Published: January 2007

Effective corporate social responsibility policies are a requirement for today's companies. Policies have not only to be formulated, they also have to be delivered by corporate employees. This paper uses existing research findings to identify two types of factors that may impact on employee motivation and commitment to CSR ‘buy‐in’. The first of these is contextual: employee attitudes and behaviours will be affected by organizational culture and climate, by whether CSR policies are couched in terms of compliance or in terms of values, and by whether such policies are integrated into business processes or simply an ‘add‐on’ that serves as window‐dressing. The second set of factors is perceptual. Motivation and commitment will be affected by the extent to which they can align personal identity and image with that of the organization, by their perceptions of justice and fairness both in general and in terms of how CSR performance is rewarded, and by their impressions concerning the attitude of top management to CSR issues and performance.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Management of Labour in Two Australian Mining Industry Companies
Authors: Jones Meredith , Marshall Shelley , Mitchell Richard
Published: January 2007

This paper undertakes an examination of the espoused commitment to CSR principles and its relationship with the labour management systems in two Australian mining companies. The paper explores the extent to which the adoption of a CSR strategy has affected the management of labour in three respects: “collective” relations with unions; “partnership‐style” relations with unions and workers; and the adoption of HPWS measures. The paper concludes that while each company has made substantial “in principle” commitments as a result of CSR, there is nothing to suggest that CSR considerations are sufficiently powerful in themselves to bring about systemic change in the management of labour.
Competitive Lobbying and Supermajorities in a Majority‐rule Institution
Authors: Baron David P.
Published: January 2007

This paper presents a complete information model of competitive lobbying in a majority‐rule institution where lobbying consists of providing politically‐valuable resources to legislators. Legislators have three roles. First, they act as allies or opponents in deciding whether to consider a lobbyist's offer. Second, they act as agenda‐setters in deciding whether to bring a policy alternative to a vote. Third, they vote on the agenda. The stationary equilibria include minimal majorities and supermajorities and involve unilateral, counteractive and preemptive lobbying. Supermajorities are recruited either to influence agenda formation or to preempt the opposing lobbyist.
Lobbying Bureaucrats*
Authors: Bennedsen Morten , Feldmann Sven E.
Published: January 2007

We study how interest group lobbying of the bureaucracy affects policy outcomes and how it changes the legislature's willingness to delegate decision‐making authority to the bureaucracy. We extend the standard model of delegation to account for interest group influence during the implementation stage of policy. We analyze how the decision to delegate changes when the bureaucratic agent is subject to external influence. The optimal degree of delegation as well as the extent to which interest groups influence policy outcomes differ depending on whether the system of government is characterized by unified or divided control. The result is a comparative theory of bureaucratic lobbying.
RORTY VERSUS HARTSHORNE, OR, POETRY VERSUS METAPHYSICS
Authors: DOMBROWSKI DANIEL A.
Published: January 2007

Abstract:The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between the thought of Richard Rorty and that of his former teacher, Charles Hartshorne. There are important similarities between the two, but ultimately the differences are more readily apparent, especially in terms of the battle between poetry (in the wide sense of the term conceived by Rorty) and (Hartshornian) metaphysics. Hartshorne is defended against Rorty.
A comparison of the glutamate release inhibition and anti‐allodynic effects of gabapentin, lamotrigine, and riluzole in a model of neuropathic pain
Authors: Coderre T. J. , Kumar N. , Lefebvre C. D. , Yu J. S. C.
Published: January 2007

The effects of treatment with the anti‐convulsant agents, lamotrigine and riluzole were compared with gabapentin in a rat experimental model of neuropathic pain. Rats were treated intraperitoneally, with gabapentin (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg), lamotrigine (2, 10 and 50 mg/kg) or riluzole (6 and 12 mg/kg) prior to, and every 12 h for 4 days following chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Mechanical and cold sensitivity were assessed prior to surgery (baseline) and then at 4, 8 and 12 days following CCI. The four‐day treatment with each of the agents was effective at producing reductions in the development of mechanical and cold hypersensitivity for periods ranging from the fourth to 12th day. The highest doses of each of the agents were also assessed on formalin‐induced nociceptive behaviors and on formalin‐induced increases in extracellular glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp) in the spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) of awake behaving rats usingin vivomicrodialysis. Nociceptive scores in formalin test were significantly decreased by gabapentin (300 mg/kg i.p.) and riluzole (12 mg/kg i.p.), but not by lamotrigine (50 mg/kg i.p.). Formalin‐induced increases in glutamate levels in SCDH were lowered significantly, as compared with the controls, with all drugs both in the first phase and second phases, with the greatest effects for riluzole and gabapentin. Similar suppressive effects of the drugs were observed on formalin‐induced increases in spinal aspartate, except that gabapentin and lamotrigine produced effects only during the second phase. Riluzole produced profound and prolonged reductions in the spinal levels of glutamate and aspartate both for basal and formalin‐stimulated release. In conclusion, the results suggest that the anti‐convulsant agents gabapentin, lamotrigine and riluzole may reduce the development of hyperalgesia in a rat model of neuropathic pain by reducing the spinal release of glutamate. Riluzole’s pronounced suppressive effects on spinal EAA levels is attributed to its established role as a glutamate release inhibitor and an enhancer of glutamate transporter activity.
Myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG): past, present and beyond
Authors: Quarles Richard H.
Published: January 2007

The myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein localized in periaxonal Schwann cell and oligodendroglial membranes of myelin sheaths where it functions in glia–axon interactions. It contains five immunoglobulin (Ig)‐like domains and is in the sialic acid‐binding subgroup of the Ig superfamily. It appears to function both as a ligand for an axonal receptor that is needed for the maintenance of myelinated axons and as a receptor for an axonal signal that promotes the differentiation, maintenance and survival of oligodendrocytes. Its function in the maintenance of myelinated axons may be related to its role as one of the white matter inhibitors of neurite outgrowth acting through a receptor complex involving the Nogo receptor and/or gangliosides containing 2,3‐linked sialic acid. MAG is expressed as two developmentally regulated isoforms with different cytoplasmic domains that may activate different signal transduction pathways in myelin‐forming cells. MAG contains a carbohydrate epitope shared with other glycoconjugates that is a target antigen in autoimmune peripheral neuropathy associated with IgM gammopathy and has been implicated in a dying back oligodendrogliopathy in multiple sclerosis.
Secretory vesicle aminopeptidase B related to neuropeptide processing: molecular identification and subcellular localization to enkephalin‐ and NPY‐containing chromaffin granules
Authors: Hwang Shin‐Rong , O’Neill Audrey , Bark Steven , Foulon Thierry , Hook Vivian
Published: January 2007

Biosynthesis of peptide hormones and neurotransmittters involves proteolysis of proprotein precursors by secretory vesicle cathepsin L. Cathepsin L generates peptide intermediates with basic residues at their NH2‐termini, indicating that Arg/Lys aminopeptidase is needed to generate the smaller biologically active peptide. Therefore, this study identified the Arg/Lys aminopeptidase that is present in secretory vesicles of adrenal medulla and neuroendocrine tissues, achieved by molecular cloning and localization in ‘model’ neuropeptide‐containing secretory vesicles (bovine). Molecular cloning of the bovine aminopeptidase B (AP‐B) cDNA defined its primary sequence that allowed selection of antisera for immunolocalization studies. AP‐B was present in secretory vesicles that contain cathepsin L with the neuropeptides enkephalin and neuropeptide Y. The AP‐B in several neuroendocrine tissues was detected by western blots. Recombinant bovine AP‐B showed preference for Arg‐methylcoumarinamide substrate. AP‐B was inhibited by arphamenine, an inhibitor of aminopeptidases. Bovine AP‐B showed similar activities for Arg‐(Met)enkephalin (ME) and Lys‐ME neuropeptide substrates to generate ME, while rat AP‐B preferred Arg‐ME. Furthermore, AP‐B possesses an acidic pH optimum of 5.5–6.5 that is similar to the internal pH of secretory vesicles. The significant finding of the secretory vesicle localization of AP‐B with neuropeptides and cathepsin L suggests a role for this exopeptidase in the biosynthesis of neuropeptides.
Alterations in lipid homeostasis of mouse dorsal root ganglia induced by apolipoprotein E deficiency: a shotgun lipidomics study
Authors: Cheng Hua , Jiang Xuntian , Han Xianlin
Published: January 2007

One of the fundamental goals of lipidomics research is to identify the linkage of an individual gene with a given lipidome, thereby revealing the role of that gene in lipid metabolism, transport, and homeostasis. In this study, we have identified four apolipoprotein E (apoE)‐induced alterations in the lipidome of mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) through utilizing the technology of shotgun lipidomics. First, apoE mediates sulfatide mass content in mouse DRG, which is comparable to its role in the CNS. Second, apoE contributes to galactosylceramide and ceramide homeostasis in mouse DRG. Third, apoE significantly modulates cholesterol levels in mouse DRG. The latter two functions of apoE are distinct from those in the CNS. Finally, mice null for apoE have dramatically less triacylglycerol mass content in DRG which are opposite to the effects observed in the peripheral organs and vascular system. Collectively, this study identifies the specific alterations in the DRG lipidome induced by apoE knockout and suggests the potential roles of apoE in lipid transport and homeostasis in a tissue specific manner, thereby providing insights into the biochemical mechanisms underlying the functions of apoE in the PNS.
Rough days in democracies: Comparing protests in democracies
Authors: NAM TAEHYUN
Published: January 2007

Abstract. Democratic political institutions are generally designed to channel public opinion; yet citizens often take to the streets in protest. Why would citizens, provided with formal mechanisms to affect the policy process, resort to extraordinary means? This article argues that the strength of representative institutions influences the likelihood of protest. The democratic institution literature does not address the issue of protest and in the protest literature effects of the democratic governmental structure have been largely underestimated. However, the diversity in government formats across democratic states and the corresponding variation in amount of protests leads one to question the relationship between them. This article identifies the variation in the scale of protests among democratic regimes in Western European countries using the European Protest and Coercion Data and explains protest using variation in the forms of government. Protesters in democratic countries with a weak legislature find it difficult to deliver their demands to government due to the institutional environment. Therefore, they are more inclined to protest than citizens in countries with a strong legislature. This argument is tested along with other structural variables and supported by results from testing models using ordinary least squares with panel‐corrected standard errors.
Periodic Lateralized Epileptiform Discharges in Neurosyphilis
Authors: Noone Mohan L. , Sinha Sanjib , Taly Arun B. , Chandrika Siddappa
Published: January 2007

Summary:  We report two patients of neurosyphilis with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) in the EEG. Patient 1, a 32‐yr‐old man manifested with rapidly progressive cognitive decline and abnormal behavior and recurrent generalized tonic–clonic seizures. EEG revealed periodic epileptiform discharges arising from the anterior temporal and frontal region, predominantly from the right. Diffusion weighted MRI of brain did not show any focal restricted diffusion. Patient 2, a 33‐yr‐old woman presented with 2‐year history of behavioral abnormalities, generalized tonic–clonic seizures and unconcerned urinary incontinence. EEG revealed PLEDS arising from the left anterior temporal region. Her CT scan showed gross cerebral atrophy. Both the patients improved partially with treatment and PLEDs resolved completely. PLEDs may be recorded in EEG of patients with neurosyphilis without imageological evidence of focal cerebral lesion.
Assessing Representation at Different Scales of Decision Making: Rethinking Local is Better
Authors: Rockloff Susan F. , Moore Susan A.
Published: January 2007

The nature and quality of representation in public participation is crucial to reaching acceptable environmental decisions that can be implemented. Ten case studies of natural resource management groups involved in agriculture in south western Australia were conducted at four spatial scales—state, regional, land conservation district (shire or county), and subcatchment. Qualitative analysis identified the desirable qualities of representatives, and then compared perceptions of current practice at the four scales against these ideals. Desirable qualities were being an active participant, competency (skills and knowledge), credibility, adopting the group identity and commitment, communicating outside the group, having established social networks, and an ability to function in multiple roles. Analysis across scales suggests that for groups at broader spatial scales of organizing, such as the state level, representation was closer to achieving the desired qualities than at other scales. This finding is contrary to much of the current rhetoric in natural resource management, and environmental management more generally, that “local is better.” The article concludes with some thoughts as to why this is the case, suggesting that the success or otherwise of representation, and the public participation in which representatives are involved, is influenced not only by the scale of decision making but also by how representatives are selected and what they are expected to achieve.
Four Perspectives on Public Participation Process in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making: Combined Results from 10 Case Studies
Authors: Webler Thomas , Tuler Seth
Published: January 2007

Knowing how people think about public participation processes and knowing what people want from these processes is essential to crafting a legitimate and effective process and delivering a program that is widely viewed as meaningful and successful. This article reports on research to investigate the nature of diversity among participants' perceptions of what is the most appropriate public participation process for environmental assessment and decision making in 10 different cases. Results show that there are clearly distinct perspectives on what an appropriate public participation process should be. We identified four perspectives: Science‐Centered Stakeholder Consultation, Egalitarian Deliberation, Efficient Cooperation, and Informed Collaboration. The literature on public participation tends to presume that there are clear and universal criteria on how to “do” public participation correctly or that context is the critical factor. This study has revealed that even within a specific assessment or decision‐making effort, there may be different perspectives about what is viewed as appropriate, which poses a challenge for both theorists and practitioners. Among the active participants in these 10 case studies, we found limited agreement and strong differences of opinions for what is a good process. Points of consensus across these cases are that good processes reach out to all stakeholders, share information openly and readily, engage people in meaningful interaction, and attempt to satisfy multiple interest positions. Differences appeared about how strongly to emphasize science and information, how much leadership and direction the process needs, what is the proper behavior of participants, how to tackle issues of power and trust, and what are the outcome‐related goals of the process. These results challenge researchers and practitioners to consider the diversity of participant needs in addition to the broad context when conceptualizing or carrying out participatory processes.
Nonparametric Tests for Two‐Group Comparisons of Dependent Observations Obtained at Varying Time Points
Authors: May Susanne , DeGruttola Victor
Published: January 2007

SummaryWe propose new tests for two‐group comparisons of repeated measures of a response where the repeated measures might be obtained at arbitrary time points that differ over individuals. The tests are almostU‐statistics in that the kernel contains some unknown parameters that need to be estimated from the data. Our methods are designed for settings in which response means of one group are strictly greater than the response means of the other group. The tests do not make any assumptions regarding the distribution of the repeated measures except that one of the tests assumes that the repeated measures can be grouped into distinct periods of observations (e.g., around fixed follow‐up time points) such that the covariance between scores only depends on the periods the observations belong to and that the covariance matrices are the same in the two groups. The tests are valid even if the probability that a response is observed depends on the level of response provided that the missing data mechanism is the same in both groups. Inference can conveniently be based on resampling. We provide asymptotic results for the test statistics. We investigate size and power of the tests and use them to assess differences in viral load decline for drug‐resistant and drug‐sensitive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 infected patients.
Antigenic Variation in Ciliates: Antigen Structure, Function, Expression1
Authors: SIMON MARTIN C. , SCHMIDT HELMUT J.
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT. In the past decades, the major focus of antigen variation research has been on parasitic protists. However, antigenic variation occurs also in free‐living protists. The antigenic systems of the ciliates Paramecium and Tetrahymena have been studied for more than 100 yr. In spite of different life strategies and distant phylogenetic relationships of free‐living ciliates and parasitic protists, their antigenic systems have features in common, such as the presence of repeated protein motifs and multigene families. The function of variable surface antigens in free‐living ciliates is still unknown. Up to now no detailed monitoring of antigen expression in free‐living ciliates in natural habitats has been performed. Unlike stochastic switching in parasites, antigen expression in ciliates can be directed, e.g. by temperature, which holds great advantages for research on the expression mechanism. Regulated expression of surface antigens occurs in an exclusive way and the responsible mechanism is complex, involving both transcriptional and post‐transcriptional features. The involvement of homology‐dependent effects has been proposed several times but has not been proved yet.
Prevalence ofCryptosporidiumInfection in Cattle in Isfahan, Iran
Authors: AZAMI MEHDI
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT.Cryptosporidiumare commonly identified as intestinal pathogens in humans and animals. Fecal samples from 480 cattle randomly selected from 30 regions in Isfahan, Iran, were examined to investigate the prevalence ofCryptosporidiuminfection.Cryptosporidiumoocysts were identified by using sheather's concentration and the Ziehl–Neelsen modified staining technique in 30 of 480 cattle ranging from less than 6 mo of age to older than 1 yr of age. Infected animals were found in 86.6% (26/30) of regions investigated. Overall prevalence of infection was 6.25%, but higher in cattle less than 6 mo of age (10.8%) and this was statistically significant (P<0.05). Both sexes of cattle were infected withCryptosporidiumparasites, but prevalences were higher in diarrheic (56.7%) than in non‐diarrheic (39%) cattle.Cryptosporidiumappears to be prevalent in cattle in Isfahan.
Development and characterization of a canine skin equivalent
Authors: Serra Montserrat , Brazís Pilar , Puigdemont Anna , Fondevila Dolors , Romano Víctor , Torre Celina , Ferrer Lluís
Published: January 2007

Abstract: The development of a complex cellular model, which incorporates the basic cell components of the dog skin, would be a useful tool to investigate the biology and pathology of canine skin and also to replace animal testing partially. The aim of the present study was to develop and characterize a canine skin equivalent. Epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts were freshly isolated from skin biopsies from healthy dogs. Fibroblasts were embedded into a bio‐matrix from collagen type I matrix protein; this built the scaffold where the keratinocytes were seeded, at air exposed conditions. At 3, 7, 15 and 21 days of culture in special growth media, skin equivalents were analysed by histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopical techniques. At 15 days, keratinocytes underwent differentiation to a multilayer epidermis withstratum basal,stratum spinosum,stratum granulosumandstratum corneum. Expression of epidermal cytokeratins in keratinocytes was detected by immunhistochemistry, and followed the same pattern than in the normal canine epidermis. Fibroblasts from the skin equivalent expressed vimentin as dermal fibroblasts do. A basement membrane (BM) was observed underneath the epidermis; ultrastructurally, it was similar to the normal canine BM and collagen IV and laminin 5 were detected immunohistochemically as major components of this structure. Skin equivalents developed from canine cutaneous cells presented a similar morphological structure than healthy canine skin. Moreover, the immunohistochemical analysis revealed the expression of the major markers of the epidermis (keratins), dermis (vimentin) and BM (collagen type IV, laminin 5).
Vardenafil Restores Erectile Function to Normal Range in Men with Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Padma-Nathan Harin , Montorsi Francesco , Giuliano François , Meuleman Eric , Auerbach Stephen , Eardley Ian , McCullough Andrew , Homering Martin , Segerson Thomas ,   for the North American and European Vardenafil Study Group
Published: January 2007

Introduction

The ability of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor therapy to restore erectile function to normal is an important attribute to men with erectile dysfunction (ED).

Aim

To assess the ability of vardenafil to restore normal erectile function in men with general ED.

Methods

In two fixed-dose, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pivotal studies, patients received vardenafil (5, 10, or 20 mg) or placebo for 12/26 weeks.

Main Outcome Measure

In this retrospective analysis, the percentage of patients “returning to normal” erectile function at week 12 (as defined by scores ≥26 on erectile function domain of International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-EF]) was determined, with further stratification by baseline ED severity, etiology, age, and duration of ED.

Results

Vardenafil 5, 10, and 20 mg returned 32%, 43%, and 49% of patients, respectively, to normal erectile function after 12 weeks, compared with 10% of patients receiving placebo (P <0.0001). Return to normal IIEF-EF domain scores was noted irrespective of severity, etiology, age, and duration of ED, and was observed even in challenging-to-treat subgroups. With vardenafil 20 mg, 39% of men with severe ED at baseline, 45–49% of men with ED of mixed or organic etiology, 35% of men aged ≥65 years, and 43% of men with ED of ≥3 years of duration returned to normal erectile function at week 12. Mean per-patient SEP3 (question 3 on the Sexual Encounter Profile) success rates in patients achieving IIEF-EF domain scores ≥26 ranged from 87% to 95%.

Conclusion

Vardenafil improves the IIEF-EF domain score to the normal range in a substantial proportion of men with ED.
Quality of Erection Questionnaire Correlates: Change in Erection Quality with Erectile Function, Hardness, and Psychosocial Measures in Men Treated with Sildenafil for Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Lowy Michael , Collins Suzanne , Bloch Mark , Gillman Michael , Lording Douglas , Sutherland Peter , Wang Hao , Stecher Vera
Published: January 2007

Introduction

The validated Quality of Erection Questionnaire (QEQ) is a six-question, patient-reported outcome measure for comprehensively evaluating satisfaction with the quality of erections in terms of hardness, onset, and duration, which can be used to develop and monitor individualized treatment goals.

Aims

To further validate the QEQ by determining responsiveness/sensitivity to change in erectile function, erection hardness grade, and psychosocial outcomes in men treated with sildenafil for erectile dysfunction (ED).

Methods

This open-label, noncomparative, multicenter trial of sildenafil (50 or 100 mg as needed for 10 weeks) enrolled men with ED who were in a stable, sexual relationship for at least 6 months. Previous phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor use must have been no more than 6 doses ever and no doses more recently than the previous 4 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

The baseline to week 10 change in the QEQ total score and its correlations with the end-of-treatment Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) score and with changes in: (i) International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) domain scores; (ii) Self-Esteem And Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire component scores; and (iii) the frequency of erections graded hard enough for penetration (grade 3) or completely hard (grade 4) on the event log Erectile Hardness Grading Scale.

Results

The mean ± standard deviation transformed QEQ total score tripled from 22.0 ± 21.1 to 69.9 ± 35.9 (P <0.0001), and correlated positively with the end-of-treatment EDITS index score (r = 0.71) and with changes in IIEF domain scores (r =0.29–0.86), SEAR component scores (r = 0.37–0.78), and the percentage of occasions that grade 3 or 4 erections were achieved (r =0.66).

Conclusion

The brief, easy-to-administer QEQ is responsive to the benefits of sildenafil treatment of men for ED and has convergent validity with measures of clinical and psychosocial outcomes.
GEOLOGICAL MODEL EVALUATION THROUGH WELL TEST SIMULATION: A CASE STUDY FROM THE WYTCH FARM OILFIELD, SOUTHERN ENGLAND
Authors: Zheng S.Y. , Legrand V. M. , Corbett P.W.M.
Published: January 2007

This paper presents an approach to the evaluation of reservoir models using transient pressure data. Braided fluvial sandstones exposed in cliffs in SW England were studied as the surface equivalent of the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone, a reservoir unit at the nearby Wytch Farm oilfield. Three reservoir models were built; each used a different modelling approach ranging in complexity from stochastic pixel‐based modelling using commercially available software, to a spreadsheet random number generator. In order to test these models, numerical well test simulations were conducted using sector models extracted from the geological models constructed. The simulation results were then evaluated against the actual well test data in order to find the model which best represented the field geology.

Two wells at Wytch Farm field were studied. The results suggested that for one of the sampled wells, the model built using the spreadsheet random number generator gave the best match to the well test data. In the well, the permeability from the test interpretation matched the geometric average permeability. This average is the “correct” upscaled permeability for a random system, and this was consistent with the random nature of the geological model. For the second well investigated, a more complex “channel object” model appeared to fit the dynamic data better.

All the models were built with stationary properties. However, the well test data suggested that some parts of the field have different statistical properties and hence show non‐stationarity. These differences would have to be built into the model representing the local geology.

This study presents a workflow that is not yet considered standard in the oil industry, and the use of dynamic data to evaluate geological models requires further development. The study highlights the fact that the comparison or matching of results from reservoir models and well‐test analyses is not always straightforward in that different models may match different wells. The study emphasises the need for integrated analyses of geological and engineering data. The methods and procedures presented are intended to form a feedback loop which can be used to evaluate the representivity of a geological model.
OILS FROM CENOZOIC RIFT‐BASINS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN THAILAND: SOURCE AND THERMAL MATURITY
Authors: Petersen H.I. , Nytoft H.P. , Ratanasthien B. , Foopatthanakamol A.
Published: January 2007

Oil is produced from the Suphan Buri, Phitsanulok and Fang Basins onshore central and northern Thailand. Most of the Cenozoic rift‐basins onshore Thailand are 2–4 km deep, but the Phitsanulok Basin is the deepest with a basin‐fill up to 8 km thick. In this basin, the Sirikit field produces ∼18,000–24,000 bbl/day of crude oil. In the Suphan Buri Basin, about 400 bbl/day of crude oil is produced from the U Thong and Sang Kajai fields. Approximately 800 bbl/day of crude oil is produced from the Fang field (Fang Basin), which in reality consists of a number of minor structures including Ban Thi, Pong Nok, San Sai, Nong Yao and Mae Soon. A total of eight oil samples were collected from these structures and from the Sirikit, U Thong and Sang Kajai fields. The oils were subjected to MPLC and HPLC separation and were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS and GC‐MS‐MS). The U Thong oil was investigated in more detail by separating the oil into a number of fractions suited for the analysis of various specific compounds.

The Sirikit oil appears to be the most mature, whereas the Suphan Buri oils and the oil from the San Sai structure (Fang Basin) are the least mature. Apart from the San Sai oil, the other oils in the Fang Basin are of similar maturity. The oils contain small amounts of asphaltenes and the asphaltene‐free fractions are completely dominated by saturated hydrocarbons (generally >60%). Long‐chain n‐alkanes extend to at least C40 and the oils are thus highly waxy. In general the oils were generated from freshwater lacustrine source rocks containing a large proportion of algal material, as indicated by the presence of long‐chain n‐alkanes, low C3122R/C30 hopane ratios, the presence of 28‐Nor‐spergulane, T26/T25 (tricyclic triterpanes) ratios of 1.07–1.57 and tetracyclic polyprenoid (TTP) ratios close to 1. Occasional saline conditions may have occurred during deposition of the Sirikit, Ban Thi and Pong Nok source rocks. The Fang Basin oils were sourced from two different kitchens, one feeding the Ban Thi and Pong Nok structures and one feeding the Mae Soon, Nong Yao and San Sai structures.

The presence ofcadalene, tetracyclic C24 compounds, oleanane, lupane, bicadinane and trace amounts ofnorpimarane or norisopimarane indicate a contribution from higher land plant organic matter to the oils. The terrestrial organic matter may occur disseminated in the lacustrine facies or concentrated in coal seams associated with the lacustrine mudstones. Thermally immature oil shales (lacustrine mudstones) and coals exposed in numerous basins in central and northern Thailand could upon maturation generate oils with a composition comparable to the investigated oils.
Design and Dynamics of Flying Height Control Slider With Piezoelectric Nanoactuator in Hard Disk Drives
Authors: Juang Jia-Yang , Bogy David B. , Bhatia C. Singh
Published: January 2007

To achieve the areal density goal in hard disk drives of 1Tbit∕in.2 the minimum physical spacing or flying height (FH) between the read/write element and disk must be reduced to ∼2nm. A brief review of several FH adjustment schemes is first presented and discussed. Previous research showed that the actuation efficiency (defined as the ratio of the FH reduction to the stroke) was low due to the significant air bearing coupling. In this paper, an air bearing surface design, Slider B, for a FH control slider with a piezoelectric nanoactuator is proposed to achieve virtually 100% efficiency and to increase dynamics stability by minimizing the nanoscale adhesion forces. A numerical study was conducted to investigate both the static and dynamic performances of the Slider B, such as uniformity of gap FH with near-zero roll over the entire disk, ultrahigh roll stiffness and damping, low nanoscale adhesion forces, uniform FH track-seeking motion, dynamic load/unload, and FH modulation. Slider B was found to exhibit an overall enhancement in performance, stability, and reliability in ultrahigh density magnetic recording.
Stability-Optimized Clearance Configuration of Fluid-Film Bearings
Authors: Matsuda Koichi , Kijimoto Shinya , Kanemitsu Yoichi
Published: January 2007

The whirl instability occurs at higher rotating speeds for a full circular fluid-film journal bearing, and many types of clearance configuration have been proposed to solve this instability problem. A clearance configuration of fluid-film journal bearings is optimized in a sense of enhancing the stability of the full circular bearing at high rotational speeds. A performance index is chosen as the sum of the squared whirl-frequency ratios over a wide range of eccentricity ratios, and a Fourier series is used to represent an arbitrary clearance configuration of fluid-film bearings. An optimization problem is then formulated to find the Fourier coefficients to minimize the index. The designed bearing has a clearance configuration similar to that of an offset two-lobe bearing for smaller length-to-diameter ratios. It is shown that the designed bearing cannot destabilize the Jeffcott rotor at any high rotating speed for a wide range of eccentricity ratio. The load capacity of the designed bearings is nearly in the same magnitude as that of the full circular bearing for smaller length-to-diameter ratios. The whirl-frequency ratios of the designed bearing are very sensitive to truncating higher terms of the Fourier series for some eccentricity ratio. The designed bearings successfully enhance the stability of a full circular bearing and are free from the whirl instability.
MCNP‐based computational model for the Leksell Gamma Knife
Authors: Trnka Jiri , Novotny Josef , Kluson Jaroslav
Published: January 2007

We have focused on the usage of MCNP code for calculation of Gamma Knife radiation field parameters with a homogenous polystyrene phantom. We have investigated several parameters of the Leksell Gamma Knife radiation field and compared the results with other studies based on EGS4 and PENELOPE code as well as the Leksell Gamma Knife treatment planning system Leksell GammaPlan (LGP). The current model describes all 201 radiation beams together and simulates all the sources in the same time. Within each beam, it considers the technical construction of the source, the source holder, collimator system, the spherical phantom, and surrounding material. We have calculated output factors for various sizes of scoring volumes, relative dose distributions along basic planes including linear dose profiles, integral doses in various volumes, and differential dose volume histograms. All the parameters have been calculated for each collimator size and for the isocentric configuration of the phantom. We have found the calculated output factors to be in agreement with other authors’ works except the case of collimator size, where averaging over the scoring volume and statistical uncertainties strongly influences the calculated results. In general, all the results are dependent on the choice of the scoring volume. The calculated linear dose profiles and relative dose distributions also match independent studies and the Leksell GammaPlan, but care must be taken about the fluctuations within the plateau, which can influence the normalization, and accuracy in determining the isocenter position, which is important for comparing different dose profiles. The calculated differential dose volume histograms and integral doses have been compared with data provided by the Leksell GammaPlan. The dose volume histograms are in good agreement as well as integral doses calculated in small calculation matrix volumes. However, deviations in integral doses up to 50% can be observed for large volumes such as for the total skull volume. The differences observed in treatment of scattered radiation between the MC method and the LGP may be important in this case. We have also studied the influence of differential direction sampling of primary photons and have found that, due to the anisotropic sampling, doses around the isocenter deviate from each other by up to 6%. With caution about the details of the calculation settings, it is possible to employ the MCNP Monte Carlo code for independent verification of the Leksell Gamma Knife radiation field properties.