bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term clinical experience with weekly interferon beta‐1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis
Authors: Coppola G. , Lanzillo R. , Florio C. , Orefice G. , Vivo P. , Ascione S. , Schiavone V. , Pagano A. , Vacca G. , De Michele G. , Morra V. Brescia
Published: June 2006

Post‐marketing surveillance studies are needed to assess the long‐term safety, compliance and clinical efficacy of interferon beta‐1a (IFNβ‐1a) therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The goals of this study were to (i) assess the safety, compliance and clinical efficacy of long‐term intramuscular (i.m.) IFNβ‐1a therapy in a large cohort of patients, and (ii) suggest possible predictors of therapeutic response. A total of 255 patients were included in the study. Mean time on therapy was 31.7 ± 19.3 months. Within 3 years, 31% of patients discontinued treatment, mainly for disease activity. No significant sustained blood analysis alteration was observed over time, apart from a decrease of cholesterol levels. After 3 years of treatment, mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores increased by 0.4 points compared with baseline. The mean annual relapse rate was reduced compared with baseline. Patients with ≤2 relapses in the previous 2 years and with baseline EDSS scores of ≤2 had a longer estimated time to first relapse and to progression and first relapse, respectively. These results confirm the safety and suggest a sustained effectiveness of i.m. IFNβ‐1a, extending the reported follow‐up period to 6.3 years, and hypothesize the presence of possible predictors of clinical outcome.
Mating patterns and reproductive success in captive koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Authors: Bercovitch F. B. , Tobey J. R. , Andrus C. H. , Doyle L.
Published: June 2006

We analyzed 18 years of data collected from a breeding colony of captive koalas Phascolarctos cinereus in order to identify factors regulating mating success and to generate expectations about the behavioral ecology of wild koalas. Short‐term mate fidelity was associated with reproductive success, but familiarity appeared to diminish reproductive output with time. Male body mass had no effect on reproductive success. Reproductive output was highest when males were slightly older than females. Survivorship of joeys was not dependent on either male or female age. We suggest that sexual selection regulates koala mating tactics primarily in the context of non‐agonistic male competition. We hypothesize that field studies will reveal that females in the wild probably capitalize on the link between male vocal and olfactory advertisements and male age as a mechanism to foster positive assortative mating by age.
A rationale for beach selection by the public on the coast of Wales, UK
Authors: Tudor D T , Williams A T
Published: June 2006

Questionnaires were completed by 2306 beach users at 19 Welsh beaches with respect to beach selection parameters. The modal group of respondents was female aged 30–39. Beach choice was primarily determined by clean litter‐free sand and seawater, followed by safety. Refreshment facilities and beach awards were deemed minor considerations by the public when choosing a beach to visit. Approximately 58 per cent of respondents were aware of beach award and rating schemes. Of coastal visitors interviewed for this paper, 67 per cent rated a beach as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to their holiday, with just 2 per cent replying that they were unimportant.
Effect of Er:YAG and Diode lasers on the adhesion of blood components and on the morphology of irradiated root surfaces
Authors: Theodoro Letícia Helena , Sampaio José Eduardo C. , Haypek Patrícia , Bachmann Luciano , Zezell Denise Maria , Garcia Valdir Gouveia
Published: June 2006

Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the adhesion of blood components on root surfaces irradiated with Er:YAG (2.94 µm) and GaAlAs Diode (808 nm) lasers and the effects on the morphology of irradiated root surfaces.

Methods:  One hundred samples of human teeth were obtained. They were previously planed and scaled with manual instruments and divided into five groups of 20 samples each: G1 (control group) – absence of treatment; G2 – Er:YAG laser (7.6 J/cm2); G3 – Er:YAG laser (12.9 J/cm2); G4 – Diode laser (90 J/cm2) and G5 – Diode laser (108 J/cm2). After these treatments, 10 samples of each group received a blood tissue but the remaining 10 did not. After laboratory treatments, the samples were obtained by SEM, the photomicrographs were analysed by the score of adhesion of blood components and the results were statistically analysed (Kruskall–Wallis and Mann–Whitney test).

Results:  In relation to the adhesion of blood components, the study showed no significant differences between the control group and the groups treated with Er:YAG laser (p = 0.9633 and 0.6229). Diode laser radiation was less effective than control group and Er:YAG laser radiation (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:  None of the proposed treatments increased the adhesion of blood components in a significant way when compared to the control group. Although the Er:YAG laser did not interfere in the adhesion of blood components, it caused more changes on the root surface, whereas the Diode laser inhibited the adhesion.
Changing Paradigms from a Historical DSM-III and DSM-IV View Toward an Evidence-Based Definition of Premature Ejaculation. Part I—Validity of DSM-IV-TR
Authors: Waldinger Marcel D. , Schweitzer Dave H.
Published: June 2006

Background

In former days, information obtained from randomized well-controlled clinical trials and epidemiological studies on premature ejaculation (PE) was not available, thereby hampering the efforts of the consecutive DSM Work Groups on Sexual Disorders to formulate an evidence-based definition of PE. The current DSM-IV-TR definition of PE is still nonevidence based. In addition, the requirement that persistent self-perceived PE, distress, and interpersonal difficulties, in absence of a quantified ejaculation time, are necessary to establish the diagnosis remains disputable.

Aim

To investigate the validity and reliability of DSM and ICD diagnosis of premature ejaculation.

Methods

The historical development of DSM and ICD classification of mental disorders is critically reviewed, and two studies using the DSM-IV-TR definition of PE is critically reanalyzed.

Results

Reanalysis of two studies using the DSM-IV-TR definition of PE has shown that DSM-diagnosed PE can be accompanied by long intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) values. The reanalysis revealed a low positive predictive value for the DSM-IV-TR definition when used as a diagnostic test. A similar situation pertains to the American Urological Association (AUA) definition of PE, which is practically a copy of the DSM-IV-TR definition.

Conclusion

It should be emphasized that any evidence-based definition of PE needs objectively collected patient-reported outcome (PRO) data from epidemiological studies, as well as reproducible quantifications of the IELT.
Dispersal of gaseous circumstellar discs around high-mass stars
Authors: Shen Yue , Lou Yu-Qing
Published: June 2006

We study the dispersal of a gaseous disc surrounding a central high-mass stellar core once this circumstellar disc becomes fully ionized. If the stellar and surrounding extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray radiation are so strong as to rapidly heat up and ionize the entire circumstellar disc as further facilitated by disc magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, a shock can be driven to travel outward in the fully ionized disc, behind which the disc expands and thins. For an extremely massive and powerful stellar core, the ionized gas pressure overwhelms the centrifugal and gravitational forces in the disc. In this limit, we construct self-similar shock solutions for such an expansion and depletion phase. As a significant amount of circumstellar gas is removed, the relic disc becomes vulnerable to strong stellar winds and fragments into clumps. We speculate that disc disappearance happens rapidly, perhaps on a time-scale of ∼103-104 yr, once the disc becomes entirely ionized sometime after the onset of thermal nuclear burning in a high-mass stellar core.
The Expanding Use of DNA in Law Enforcement: What Role for Privacy?
Authors: Rothstein Mark A. , Talbott Meghan K.
Published: June 2006

DNA identification methods are such an established part of our law enforcement and criminal justice systems it is hard to believe that the technologies were developed as recently as the mid-1980s, and that the databases of law enforcement profiles were established in the 1990s. Although the first databases were limited to the DNA profiles of convicted rapists and murderers, the success of these databases in solving violent crimes provided the impetus for Congress and state legislatures to expand the scope of the databases with little critical examination of each expansion's value to law enforcement or cost to privacy and civil liberties.

We are now entering a new stage of DNA forensics, in which successive database expansions over the last decade have raised the possibility of creating a population-wide repository. In addition, new applications of DNA profiling, including familial and low stringency searches, have been added to DNA dragnets, the use of medical samples for forensic analysis, and other measures to create a series of crucial, yet largely unexplored, second-generation legal and policy issues.
Inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Intrusiveness: Issues in the Developing Uses of DNA Profiling in Support of Criminal Investigations
Authors: Williams Robin , Johnson Paul
Published: June 2006

Current methods of forensic DNA profiling (known also as DNA fingerprinting and DNA typing), based on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplifications of a varying number of Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci found at different locations on the human genome, are regularly described as constituting the “gold standard for identification” in contemporary society. At a time when criminal justice systems in Europe and North America increasingly seek to utilize the epistemic authority of a variety of sciences in support of the apprehension and prosecution of suspects and offenders, genetic science and recombinant DNA technology are often singled out for particular approbation. Indeed, the development and application of DNA profiling has been widely described as the “greatest breakthrough in forensic science since fingerprinting.”
Retention of Offender DNA Samples Necessary to Ensure and Monitor Quality of Forensic DNA Efforts: Appropriate Safeguards Exist to Protect the DNA Samples from Misuse
Authors: Herkenham M. Dawn
Published: June 2006

The topic of offender DNA databases and the retention of offender's DNA samples are issues that continue to generate debate between privacy advocates and forensic DNA scientists. Considered previously by both the Federal DNA Advisory Board and the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, recommendations were made that the existing statutory frameworks were sufficient to protect the confidentiality and use of the DNA samples solely for forensic identification purposes and that the issue be revisited. Now, approximately five years since these debates, privacy advocates and forensic scientists retain divergent views on this issue. This brief essay is not intended to fuel the debate, but rather, to describe the protections and safeguards currently in place for the protection of the offender DNA samples.

Surrounding the discussion of the sample retention issue are the underlying principles for the establishment of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) Program and the National DNA Index System (NDIS).
Closing the Organ Gap: A Reciprocity-Based Social Contract Approach
Authors: Siegal Gil , Bonnie Richard J.
Published: June 2006

Organ transplantation remains one of modern medicine's remarkable achievements. It saves lives, improves quality of life, diminishes healthcare expenditures in end-stage renal patients, and enjoys high success rates. Yet the promise of transplantation is substantially compromised by the scarcity of organs. The gap between the number of patients on waiting lists and the number of available organs continues to grow. As of January 2006, the combined waiting list for all organs in the United States was 90,284 (64,933, 17,269, and 3,006 for kidney, liver, and heart respectively). Unfortunately, thousands of potential organs are lost each year, primarily due to lack of consent to donation from the deceased before death, or from the family thereafter. Only fifty percent of potential donors – the “conversion” rate – become actual donors. The costs attributed to organ shortage are substantial – Medicare paid over $15.5 billion in 2002 for treating patients with end-stage renal-disease, who predominate on organ waiting lists.
Fiduciary Obligation in Clinical Research
Authors: Miller Paul B. , Weijer Charles
Published: June 2006

Bioethics is currently witnessing unprecedented debate over the moral and legal norms governing the conduct of clinical research. At the center of this debate is the duty of care in clinical research, and its most widely accepted specification, clinical equipoise. In recent work, we have argued that equipoise and cognate concepts central to the ethics of clinical research have been left unnecessarily vulnerable to criticism. We have suggested that the vulnerability lies in the conspicuous absence of an articulated foundation in moral and legal theory of the physician-researcher's duty of care to the patient-subject. We have repeatedly suggested that the requisite foundation is in the ethics of trust and the law of fiduciaries.

Curiously, despite the absence of a published thorough exposition of our position, some have preemptively criticized our suggestion that the relationship between physician-researcher and patient-subject is fiduciary. Others have offered their own accounts of the implications of fiduciary law for the relationship.
Drink temperature influences fluid intake and endurance capacity in men during exercise in a hot, dry environment
Authors: Mündel Toby , King Jenny , Collacott Esther , Jones David A.
Published: June 2006

The effect of different drink temperatures on the perception of exertion and exercise endurance has not been extensively investigated. Consequently, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of drink temperature on fluid intake and endurance during cycling in the heat. Eight healthy, non‐acclimated males (26 ± 7 years; maximum oxygen uptake, 54 ± 5 ml kg−1 min−1; mean ±s.d.) cycled to exhaustion at 34°C and at 65% of their peak aerobic power, consuming a drink at either 19°C (CON) or 4°C (COLD). Six of the eight subjects cycled for longer during COLD, with exhaustion occurring at 62 ± 4 min, compared to 55 ± 4 min for CON (P < 0.05; mean ±s.e.m.). Subjects consumed significantly more fluid during COLD compared to CON (1.3 ± 0.3 l h−1 compared to 1.0 ± 0.2 l h−1; P < 0.05). Heart rate tended to be lower by ∼5 beats min−1 during COLD, and rectal temperature during the second half of the exercise period was ∼0.25°C lower during the COLD trial; however, these trends were not significant (P= 0.08 and P= 0.07, respectively). No differences were observed between trials for ventilation, concentrations of prolactin, glucose and lactate or perceived exertion. It is concluded that a drink at 4°C during exercise in the heat enhances fluid consumption and improves endurance by acting as a heat sink, attenuating the rise in body temperature and therefore reducing the effects of heat stress.
A Formal Approach to Handling Conflicts in Multiattribute Group Decision Making
Authors: See Tung-King , Lewis Kemper
Published: June 2006

Supporting the decision of a group in engineering design is a challenging and complicated problem when issues like consensus and compromise must be taken into account. In this paper, we present the foundations of the group hypothetical equivalents and inequivalents method and two fundamental extensions making it applicable to new classes of group decision problems. The first extension focuses on updating the formulation to place unequal importance on the preferences of the group members. The formulation presented in this paper allows team leaders to emphasize the input from certain group members based on experience or other factors. The second extension focuses on the theoretical implications of using a general class of aggregation functions. Illustration and validation of the developments are presented using a vehicle selection problem. Data from ten engineering design groups are used to demonstrate the application of the method.
Compliance Analysis of a Three-Legged Rigidly-Connected Platform
Device
Authors: Dai Jian S. , Ding Xilun
Published: June 2006

The platform based vibratory bowl feeders are essential elements in automatic assembly. Taking the bowl feeder as a typical three-legged rigidly connected compliant platform device, this paper applies von Mises’ compliance matrix to each of the leaf-spring legs, establishes screw systems of the legs and develops the Jacobian of the platform using the adjoint transformation. Based on the force equilibrium between the supporting and external wrenches and the twist deflection, a platform compliance matrix is proposed as a congruence transformation of the legs’ compliance matrices. The matrix is then decomposed into a central compliance matrix and an adjoint transformation, leading to the decomposition of the legs’ parameter effect from the platform assembly influence. The analysis presents the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of the twist deflection that is equivalent to the characteristics equation of the compliant platform. Further based on the eigencompliances and eigentwist decomposition, the legs’ parameter effect and the platform assembly parameter influence are identified. This reveals the compliance characteristics of this type of devices and the parameters’ effect on the compliance and presents a suitable parameter range for design of the compliant platform device.
Profiling Rotors for Limaçon-to-Limaçon Compression-Expansion Machines
Authors: Sultan Ibrahim A.
Published: June 2006

Limaçon-to-limaçon compression-expansion machines have housings and rotors whose profiles are manufactured of limaçon curves. For these machines to perform satisfactorily, extreme care should be given to the geometric particulars of their rotor profile. The main characteristics that govern the quality of the rotor profile are the volumetric efficiency and the prevention of interference. In this work, the interference problem is handled from two different mathematical standpoints: the slope of tangents to both the rotor and housing curves at the apices; and the value of the minimum radial clearance that separates the two limaçon curves. In the first case, mathematical expressions, relating the radii of the limaçon base circles is presented to ensure that interference would not take place during normal operations of the limaçon-to-limaçon machine. The second mode of analysis produces a set of nonlinear equations that can be solved to obtain a value of the radial clearance. This value has to be machined off the rotor profile to prevent interference. A numerical example is given at the end of the paper to prove the validity of the models proposed and graphs are produced to support the claims presented.
Robust Design for Multiscale and Multidisciplinary Applications
Authors: Allen Janet K. , Seepersad Carolyn , Choi HaeJin , Mistree Farrokh
Published: June 2006

The intent in robust design is to improve the quality of products and processes by reducing their sensitivity to variations, thereby reducing the effects of variability without removing its sources. Robust design is especially useful for integrating information from designers working at multiple length and time scales. Inevitably this involves the integration of uncertain information. This uncertainty is derived from many sources and robust design may be classified based on these sources—uncertainty in noise or environmental and other noise factors (type I); uncertainty in design variables or control factors (type II); and uncertainty introduce by modeling methods (type III). Each of these types of uncertainty can be mitigated by robust design. Of particular interest are the challenges associated with the design of multidisciplinary and multiscale systems; these challenges and opportunities are examined in the context of materials design.
Understanding the Effects of Model Uncertainty in Robust Design With Computer Experiments
Authors: Apley Daniel W. , Liu Jun , Chen Wei
Published: June 2006

The use of computer experiments and surrogate approximations (metamodels) introduces a source of uncertainty in simulation-based design that we term model interpolation uncertainty. Most existing approaches for treating interpolation uncertainty in computer experiments have been developed for deterministic optimization and are not applicable to design under uncertainty in which randomness is present in noise and/or design variables. Because the random noise and/or design variables are also inputs to the metamodel, the effects of metamodel interpolation uncertainty are not nearly as transparent as in deterministic optimization. In this work, a methodology is developed within a Bayesian framework for quantifying the impact of interpolation uncertainty on the robust design objective, under consideration of uncertain noise variables. By viewing the true response surface as a realization of a random process, as is common in kriging and other Bayesian analyses of computer experiments, we derive a closed-form analytical expression for a Bayesian prediction interval on the robust design objective function. This provides a simple, intuitively appealing tool for distinguishing the best design alternative and conducting more efficient computer experiments. We illustrate the proposed methodology with two robust design examples—a simple container design and an automotive engine piston design with more nonlinear response behavior and mixed continuous-discrete design variables.
Probabilistic Analytical Target Cascading: A Moment Matching
Formulation for Multilevel Optimization Under Uncertainty
Authors: Liu Huibin , Chen Wei , Kokkolaras Michael , Papalambros Panos Y. , Kim Harrison M.
Published: June 2006

Analytical target cascading (ATC) is a methodology for hierarchical multilevel system design optimization. In previous work, the deterministic ATC formulation was extended to account for random variables represented by expected values to be matched among subproblems and thus ensure design consistency. In this work, the probabilistic formulation is augmented to allow the introduction and matching of additional probabilistic characteristics. A particular probabilistic analytical target cascading (PATC) formulation is proposed that matches the first two moments of interrelated responses and linking variables. Several implementation issues are addressed, including representation of probabilistic design targets, matching responses and linking variables under uncertainty, and coordination strategies. Analytical and simulation-based optimal design examples are used to illustrate the new formulation. The accuracy of the proposed PATC formulation is demonstrated by comparing PATC results to those obtained using a probabilistic all-in-one formulation.
Multi-position Dimensional Synthesis of a Spatial 3-RPS Parallel Manipulator
Authors: Mohan Rao Nalluri , Mallikarjuna Rao K.
Published: June 2006

This paper presents dimensional synthesis of a 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) spatial 3-revolute-prismatic-spherical (RPS) parallel manipulator. Tsai and Kim ((2003) ASME J. Mech. Des., 125, pp. 92–97) have shown that the dimensional synthesis can be carried out for at the most six prescribed positions and orientations of the moving platform. The method of synthesis is modified (least-square technique) to make it possible to synthesize the 3-RPS manipulator for any number of positions and orientations of the moving platform. The effectiveness of the modified method of synthesis is demonstrated by considering an example for ten-position synthesis. The modified method of synthesis is an approximation method.
BIFURCATIONS OF LIMIT CYCLES IN A Z2-EQUIVARIANT PLANAR POLYNOMIAL VECTOR FIELD OF DEGREE 7
Authors: LI JIBIN , ZHANG MINGJI , LI SHUMIN
Published: June 2006

By using the bifurcation theory of planar dynamical systems and the method of detection functions, the bifurcations of limit cycles in a Z2-equivariant planar perturbed Hamiltonian polynomial vector fields of degree 7 are studied. An example of a special Z2-equivariant vector field having 50 limit cycles with a configuration of compound eyes are given.
AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF SELF-REPLICATING PATTERNS IN GRAPH AUTOMATA
Authors: TOMITA KOHJI , KUROKAWA HARUHISA , MURATA SATOSHI
Published: June 2006

Graph automata define symbol dynamics of graph structures, which are capable of generating structures in addition to describing state transition. Rules of the graph automata are uniform and are therefore suitable for evolutionary computation. This paper shows that various self-replications are possible in graph automata, and that evolutionary computation is applicable to automatic rule generation to obtain self-replicating patterns of graph automata.
A NEW CLASS OF CHAOTIC SIMPLE THREE-NEURON CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: YANG XIAO-SONG , HUANG YAN
Published: June 2006

In this letter we report a new class of chaotic three-neuron cellular neural networks that are described by special three-dimensional autonomous ordinary differential equations.
ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF CHAOTIC n-SCROLL CHUA'S CIRCUIT
Authors: ZOU YAN-LI , ZHU JIE , CHEN GUANRONG
Published: June 2006

In this paper, stabilization of fixed points of n-scroll Chua's circuit is investigated. Two adaptive control methods are proposed. One is based on an unstable low pass filter; the other is based on a stable and an unstable low pass filter. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the two proposed control methods and performance comparisons show that the second control method is superior to the first one with regard to control speed and attraction basins.
Abnormal arterial flows by a distributed model of the fetal circulation
Authors: van den Wijngaard Jeroen P. H. M. , Westerhof Berend E. , Faber Dirk J. , Ramsay Margaret M. , Westerhof Nico , van Gemert Martin J. C.
Published: June 2006

Modeling the propagation of blood pressure and flow along the fetoplacental arterial tree may improve interpretation of abnormal flow velocity waveforms in fetuses. The current models, however, either do not include a wide range of gestational ages or do not account for variation in anatomical, vascular, or rheological parameters. We developed a mathematical model of the pulsating fetoumbilical arterial circulation using Womersley's oscillatory flow theory and viscoelastic arterial wall properties. Arterial flow waves are calculated at different arterial locations from which the pulsatility index (PI) can be determined. We varied blood viscosity, placental and brain resistances, placental compliance, heart rate, stiffness of the arterial wall, and length of the umbilical arteries. The PI increases in the umbilical artery and decreases in the cerebral arteries, as a result of increasing placental resistance or decreasing brain resistance. Both changes in resistance decrease the flow through the placenta. An increased arterial stiffness increases the PIs in the entire fetoplacental circulation. Blood viscosity and peripheral bed compliance have limited influence on the flow profiles. Bradycardia and tachycardia increase and decrease the PI in all arteries, respectively. Umbilical arterial length has limited influence on the PI but affects the mean arterial pressure at the placental cord insertion. The model may improve the interpretation of arterial flow pulsations and thus may advance both the understanding of pathophysiological processes and clinical management.
Expression of insulin-like growth factor I, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, and collagen mRNA in mechanically loaded plantaris tendon
Authors: Olesen Jens L. , Heinemeier Katja M. , Haddad Fadia , Langberg Henning , Flyvbjerg Allan , Kjær Michael , Baldwin Kenneth M.
Published: June 2006

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is known to exert an anabolic effect on tendon fibroblast production of collagen. IGF-I's regulation is complex and involves six different IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). Of these, IGFBP-4 and -5 could potentially influence the effect of IGF-I in the tendon because they both are produced in fibroblast; however, the response of IGFBP-4 and -5 to mechanical loading and their role in IGF-I regulation in tendinous tissue are unknown. A splice variant of IGF-I, mechano-growth factor (MGF) is upregulated and known to be important for adaptation in loaded muscle. However, it is not known whether MGF is expressed and upregulated in mechanically loaded tendon. This study examined the effect of mechanical load on tendon collagen mRNA in relation to changes in the IGF-I systems mRNA expression. Data were collected at 2, 4, 8 and 16 days after surgical removal of synergistic muscle to the plantaris muscle of the rat, thus increasing the load to plantaris muscle and tendon. Nearly a doubling of the tendon mass was observed after 16 days of loading. A rapid rise in tendon procollagen III mRNA was seen after 2 days whereas the increase in procollagen I mRNA was significant from day 8. MGF was expressed and upregulated in loaded tendon tissue with a faster response than IGF-I, which was increased from day 8. Finally, IGFBP-4 mRNA was increased with a time pattern similar to procollagen III, whereas IGFBP-5 decreased at day 8. In conclusion, loading of tendon tissue results in an upregulation of IGF-I, IGFBP-4, and procollagen and is associated with an increase in tendon mass. Also, MGF is expressed with an early upregulation in loaded tendon tissue. We suggest that the IGF-I system could be involved in collagen synthesis in tendon in response to mechanical loading.
Problem Severity Profiles of Clients in European Therapeutic Communities: Gender Differences in Various Areas of Functioning
Authors: De Wilde Joke , Broekaert Eric , Rosseel Yves
Published: June 2006

The BIOMED II ‘Improving Psychiatric Treatment in Residential Programmes for Emerging Dependency Groups’ project provided a relatively large sample (n = 863) of men (77%) and women (23%) in therapeutic community treatment in nine European countries. This paper’s aim is to search for gender differences in profiles of therapeutic community clients on the basis of the different areas of functioning of the EuropASI. A binary logistic regression model was used to avoid the confounding effects of country and age. Our findings confirm what is found in the American literature: compared to men, women have a much worse profile in various areas of functioning when entering treatment. In response, they may require a gender-adapted set of therapeutic interventions at the moment they enter treatment.
Replication and Validation of the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised (DMQ-R, Cooper, 1994) among Adolescents in Switzerland
Authors: Kuntsche Emmanuel , Knibbe Ronald , Gmel Gerhard , Engels Rutger
Published: June 2006

This paper has two aims: (1) to replicate the four-dimensional structure of the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised (DMQ-R) in a national representative sample from Switzerland, and (2) to validate the relevance of distinguishing drinking motives by inspecting the relations with expected consequences, alcohol use, and alcohol-related and other problems. Confirmatory factor analysis and linear structural equation models were estimated based on answers of 5,617 8th to 10th graders (mean 15.1 years; SD = 0.95). The results confirm the four-dimensional factor structure in general and among subpopulations defined by gender, age, and linguistic region. It could also be confirmed that enhancement motives followed by coping motives were strongly related to alcohol use and heavy drinking, whereas conformity motives were negatively related. Coping motives were related to problems independent of whether they were assessed as alcohol-related or not, while enhancement motives were associated solely with alcohol-related problems. In sum, the results demonstrate the robustness of the DMQ-R and its usefulness for assessing drinking motives among European adolescents from different cultural backgrounds.
Overactive Bladder Syndrome: Considerations in Pharmacotherapy and New Perspectives
Authors: Salvatore Stefano , Serati Maurizio , Zanfrà Matteo , Bertelli Evelina , Bolis Pierfrancesco
Published: June 2006

The important epidemiological relevance of the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome and its impact on the quality of life of sufferers have increased research both in basic science and in clinical fields, with the pharmacological treatment of OAB syndrome being particularly investigated. Recently a new perspective for the use of α-adrenolytic drugs in the treatment of OAB syndrome has been gained due to encouraging anecdotal data and to the identification of different adrenoceptor subtypes in the female lower urinary tract. Starting with a survey of female lower urinary tract disorders, the authors review the present pharmacological treatment of these disorders and delineate the new perspectives acquired from recent studies of adrenoceptor subtypes.
Earlier Occurrence of Severe Alopecia Areata in HLA-DRB1*11-Positive Patients
Authors: Marques Da Costa C. , Dupont E. , van der Cruys M. , Andrien M. , Hidajat M. , Song M. , Stene J.J.
Published: June 2006

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a polygenic immune-mediated disorder affecting the hair follicle for which an association with human leukocyte antigen HLA-DRB1*11 has been described. Objective: Two parameters including age of onset and extent of the disease (patchy AA and AT/AU forms) were correlated with the presence or absence of HLA-DRB1*11 and its alleles in 88 severe AA patients. Methods: Patients and healthy controls were typed for HLA-DR and -DQ by molecular method. Results: Among AA patients, 37.5% (a proportion rising to 72% when taking patients who began their first patch before the age of 20 years) were positive for HLA-DRB1*11 compared to 21.2% healthy controls (p = 0.004, RR = 2.1). DRB1*11-positive status was associated with earlier development of the first AA patch, at the mean age of 16 years compared to 27 years (p = 0.003) in DRB1*11-negative patients. Among the DRB1*11 alleles, the presence of DRB1*1104 was associated with the earliest occurrence of AA. Conclusion: Our data indicate that the HLA system largely through DRB1*1104 allele influences AA onset rather than extension considering patchy AA and AT/AU.
Preclinical Comparison of mTHPC and Verteporfin for Intracavitary Photodynamic Therapy of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Authors: Opitz Isabelle , Krueger Thorsten , Pan Youmin , Altermatt Hans-Jörg , Wagnières Georges , Ris Hans-Beat
Published: June 2006

Efficacy and tumour selectivity of photodynamic therapy with two clinically approved sensitizers (mTHPC, verteporfin) were assessed for focal intracavitary photodynamic therapy (PDT) in rodents with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) at recommended drug-light conditions and at escalating sensitizer dosages. MPM tumours were generated in 15 Fischer rats by subpleural mediastinal tumour cell injection followed after 5 days by intracavitary PDT with light delivery monitored by in situ dosimetry. Animals were intravenously sensitized either with mTHPC (0.1 mg/kg, n = 3; 0.2 mg/kg, n = 3) followed after 4 days by illumination with 20 J/cm2 at 652 nm, or with verteporfin (0.6 mg/kg, n = 3; 1.2 mg/kg, n = 3) followed after 20 min by illumination with 100 J/cm2 at 689 nm. Three untreated tumour-bearing animals served as controls. Histological evaluation of the treated tumour and of adjacent normal organs was performed 10 days after tumour implantation. The extent of PDT-induced tumour necrosis was compared to the non-necrosed area and expressed in percentage. A locally invasive growing MPM tumour (3.1 ± 1 mm diameter) without spontaneous necrosis diameter was found in all animals. For both sensitizers, focal intracavitary PDT was well tolerated at drug-light conditions recommended for clinical applications. Mediastinal organs were spared for both sensitizers but verteporfin resulted in a higher extent of tumour necrosis (80%) than mTHPC (50%). Drug dose escalation revealed a higher extent of PDT-related tumour necrosis for both sensitizers (mTHPC 55%, verteporfin 88%), however, verteporfin-PDT was associated with a higher toxicity than mTHPC-PDT.
Transcriptional Regulators of Angiogenesis
Authors: Hamik Anne , Wang Baiqiu , Jain Mukesh K.
Published: June 2006

Angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels develop from a pre-existing vascular network, is essential for normal development and in certain physiological states. Inadequate or excessive angiogenesis has been incriminated in a number of pathologic states. For example, vaso-occlusive disease arising from atherosclerosis can lead to ischemia, a situation in which enhanced angiogenesis would be beneficial. Conversely, overzealous angiogenesis can contribute to tumor development and in this case inhibition of angiogenesis is desirable. Thus, strategies to induce or inhibit angiogenesis are of considerable therapeutic interest.
Intravenous Administration of Acetylsalicylic Acid During Endovascular Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms Reduces the Rate of Thromboembolic Events
Authors: Ries Thorsten , Buhk Jan-Hendrik , Kucinski Thomas , Goebell Einar , Grzyska Ulrich , Zeumer Hermann , Fiehler Jens
Published: June 2006

Background and Purpose—

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of a modified intraoperative anticoagulation strategy including acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on complication rates during endovascular coil embolization.

Methods—

Two hundred and sixty-one cerebral aneurysms were treated in 247 patients by endovascular coil embolization from January 2001 to September 2004. Additional intravenous administration of 250 mg ASA was applied since January 2003. Patients treated before (−ASA; n=102 aneurysms) and after that date (+ASA; n=159 aneurysms) were compared. End points were rates of thromboembolism and severity of hemorrhages after intraoperative aneurysm rupture.

Results—

Thromboembolic events during the procedure were observed more often in the −ASA group (18/102 aneurysms, 17.6%) in comparison with the +ASA group (14/159 aneurysms, 8.8%;
P
=0.028; Fisher exact test). Aneurysm perforation events occurring during or immediately after the procedure were observed equally often in the −ASA group (7/102 aneurysms, 6.9%) in comparison with the +ASA group (10/159 aneurysms, 6.3%).

Conclusion—

Intravenous application of ASA is feasible and safe during interventional aneurysm embolization. ASA seems to be associated with a significant reduction in the rate of thromboembolic events without increase in the rate or severity of intraoperative bleedings.
Precipitation and Latent Heating Distributions from Satellite Passive Microwave Radiometry. Part I: Improved Method and Uncertainties
Authors: Olson William S. , Kummerow Christian D. , Yang Song , Petty Grant W. , Tao Wei-Kuo , Bell Thomas L. , Braun Scott A. , Wang Yansen , Lang Stephen E. , Johnson Daniel E. , Chiu Christine
Published: June 2006

A revised Bayesian algorithm for estimating surface rain rate, convective rain proportion, and latent heating profiles from satellite-borne passive microwave radiometer observations over ocean backgrounds is described. The algorithm searches a large database of cloud-radiative model simulations to find cloud profiles that are radiatively consistent with a given set of microwave radiance measurements. The properties of these radiatively consistent profiles are then composited to obtain best estimates of the observed properties. The revised algorithm is supported by an expanded and more physically consistent database of cloud-radiative model simulations. The algorithm also features a better quantification of the convective and nonconvective contributions to total rainfall, a new geographic database, and an improved representation of background radiances in rain-free regions. Bias and random error estimates are derived from applications of the algorithm to synthetic radiance data, based upon a subset of cloud-resolving model simulations, and from the Bayesian formulation itself. Synthetic rain-rate and latent heating estimates exhibit a trend of high (low) bias for low (high) retrieved values. The Bayesian estimates of random error are propagated to represent errors at coarser time and space resolutions, based upon applications of the algorithm to TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data. Errors in TMI instantaneous rain-rate estimates at 0.5°-resolution range from approximately 50% at 1 mm h−1 to 20% at 14 mm h−1. Errors in collocated spaceborne radar rain-rate estimates are roughly 50%–80% of the TMI errors at this resolution. The estimated algorithm random error in TMI rain rates at monthly, 2.5° resolution is relatively small (less than 6% at 5 mm day−1) in comparison with the random error resulting from infrequent satellite temporal sampling (8%–35% at the same rain rate). Percentage errors resulting from sampling decrease with increasing rain rate, and sampling errors in latent heating rates follow the same trend. Averaging over 3 months reduces sampling errors in rain rates to 6%–15% at 5 mm day−1, with proportionate reductions in latent heating sampling errors.
Precipitation and Latent Heating Distributions from Satellite Passive Microwave Radiometry. Part II: Evaluation of Estimates Using Independent Data
Authors: Yang Song , Olson William S. , Wang Jian-Jian , Bell Thomas L. , Smith Eric A. , Kummerow Christian D.
Published: June 2006

Rainfall rate estimates from spaceborne microwave radiometers are generally accepted as reliable by a majority of the atmospheric science community. One of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) facility rain-rate algorithms is based upon passive microwave observations from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). In Part I of this series, improvements of the TMI algorithm that are required to introduce latent heating as an additional algorithm product are described. Here, estimates of surface rain rate, convective proportion, and latent heating are evaluated using independent ground-based estimates and satellite products. Instantaneous, 0.5°-resolution estimates of surface rain rate over ocean from the improved TMI algorithm are well correlated with independent radar estimates (r ∼0.88 over the Tropics), but bias reduction is the most significant improvement over earlier algorithms. The bias reduction is attributed to the greater breadth of cloud-resolving model simulations that support the improved algorithm and the more consistent and specific convective/stratiform rain separation method utilized. The bias of monthly 2.5°-resolution estimates is similarly reduced, with comparable correlations to radar estimates. Although the amount of independent latent heating data is limited, TMI-estimated latent heating profiles compare favorably with instantaneous estimates based upon dual-Doppler radar observations, and time series of surface rain-rate and heating profiles are generally consistent with those derived from rawinsonde analyses. Still, some biases in profile shape are evident, and these may be resolved with (a) additional contextual information brought to the estimation problem and/or (b) physically consistent and representative databases supporting the algorithm. A model of the random error in instantaneous 0.5°-resolution rain-rate estimates appears to be consistent with the levels of error determined from TMI comparisons with collocated radar. Error model modifications for nonraining situations will be required, however. Sampling error represents only a portion of the total error in monthly 2.5°-resolution TMI estimates; the remaining error is attributed to random and systematic algorithm errors arising from the physical inconsistency and/or nonrepresentativeness of cloud-resolving-model-simulated profiles that support the algorithm.
Separation/Divorce Sexual Assault
Authors: DeKeseredy Walter S. , Schwartz Martin D. , Fagen Danielle , Hall Mandy
Published: June 2006

Although several studies find that the most dangerous part of an intimate relationship for women is when it breaks up, relatively few studies look at women who want to break up a relationship, are in the process of leaving, or who have left a relationship. This qualitative exploratory study looks at incidents of sexual assault committed by former husbands or cohabitants in the lives of rural women in Ohio. Male peer support, which has previously been examined only in studies of college men and men in urban areas, was a constant theme among this study’s respondents, in addition to patriarchal control and the use of alcohol and drugs. These women suffered multiple serious sexual assaults and experienced other harms, including psychological assaults and the destruction of prized objects
TLR agonists promote ERK-mediated preferential IL-10 production of regulatory dendritic cells (diffDCs), leading to NK-cell activation
Authors: Qian Cheng , Jiang Xiaodong , An Huazhang , Yu Yizhi , Guo Zhenhong , Liu Shuxun , Xu Hongmei , Cao Xuetao
Published: June 2006

Regulatory dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in maintaining peripheral tolerance or immune homeostasis. Our previous study demonstrated that mature DCs could be driven by splenic stroma to proliferate and differentiate into a novel subset of regulatory DCs (diffDCs) displaying a Th2-biased cytokine profile. However, the underlying mechanisms for the unique cytokine profile of diffDCs and how diffDCs regulate the innate and adaptive immunity in response to toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists remain unclear. Here, we report that unlike immature DCs, diffDCs secrete more interleukin 10 (IL-10) but little IL-12p70 in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or other TLR agonists. Up-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activation was shown to be responsible for IL-10 preferential production, and suppression of p38 activation was for impaired IL-12p70 production in diffDCs. Interestingly, LPS treatment could not reverse the inhibitory effect of diffDCs on the proliferation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. However, diffDCs could activate natural killer (NK) cells through diffDC-derived IL-10, and even more markedly after stimulation of TLR agonists. These diffDC-activated NK cells could in turn kill surrounding diffDCs. Our results illuminate signal pathways for the unique cytokine profile of diffDCs, and diffDCs can exert their regulatory function even after inflammatory stimuli, thus reflecting one way for strict regulation of immune response.
Current concepts in the pathophysiology and treatment of aplastic anemia
Authors: Young Neal S. , Calado Rodrigo T. , Scheinberg Phillip
Published: June 2006

Aplastic anemia, an unusual hematologic disease, is the paradigm of the human bone marrow failure syndromes. Almost universally fatal just a few decades ago, aplastic anemia can now be cured or ameliorated by stem-cell transplantation or immunosuppressive drug therapy. The pathophysiology is immune mediated in most cases, with activated type 1 cytotoxic T cells implicated. The molecular basis of the aberrant immune response and deficiencies in hematopoietic cells is now being defined genetically; examples are telomere repair gene mutations in the target cells and dysregulated T-cell activation pathways. Immunosuppression with antithymocyte globulins and cyclosporine is effective at restoring blood-cell production in the majority of patients, but relapse and especially evolution of clonal hematologic diseases remain problematic. Allogeneic stem-cell transplant from histocompatible sibling donors is curative in the great majority of young patients with severe aplastic anemia; the major challenges are extending the benefits of transplantation to patients who are older or who lack family donors. Recent results with alternative sources of stem cells and a variety of conditioning regimens to achieve their engraftment have been promising, with survival in small pediatric case series rivaling conventional transplantation results.