bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate, climate change and human health in Asian cities
Authors: Kovats Sari , Akhtar Rais
Published: April 2008

Climate change will affect the health of urban populations. It represents a range of environmental hazards and will affect populations where the current burden of climate-sensitive disease is high — such as the urban poor in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the current impact of weather and climate variability on the health of urban populations is the first step towards assessing future impacts. In this paper, we have reviewed the scientific evidence for the effects of temperature, rainfall and extreme events on human health, in particular the impacts of heat waves and floods. The methods for assessing the risks of climate change are undergoing development, and there is a need to shift the focus from global and regional to local studies. Sectoral approaches to climate change impact assessments often ignore the effects on health. There is a need to better describe the risks to health from extreme weather events as well as improve the effectiveness of public health interventions. Improving the resilience of cities to climate change also requires improvements in the urban infrastructure, but such improvements may not be achieved quickly enough to avoid an increased burden of disease due to global climate change.
Plans for Dharavi: negotiating a reconciliation between a state-driven market redevelopment and residents' aspirations
Authors: Patel Sheela , Arputham Jockin
Published: April 2008

This paper describes and discusses the changes in the government's plans to redevelop Dharavi in Mumbai in response to pressure and protest by Dharavi residents, grassroots organizations and a local group of eminent citizens (Concerned Citizens for Dharavi), and as a result of international pressure.
Cash transfers to tackle childhood poverty and vulnerability: an analysis of Peru's Juntos programme
Authors: Jones Nicola , Vargas Rosana , Villar Eliana
Published: April 2008

Social programmes in Peru have been plagued historically by a culture of dependency, clientelism and corruption. Juntos, a conditional cash transfer programme targeting children under the age of 14, was initiated in 2005 to provide a new model for social protection provision and tackle the country's widespread childhood poverty. Its design largely follows that of counterpart Latin American programmes and seeks to address the risks to children's future human capital development that stem from inadequate access to basic services and various forms of social exclusion. An innovative dimension of Juntos is its explicit focus on populations most affected by the country's political violence during the 1980s and 1990s. Drawing on document analysis and qualitative field research, this independent assessment considers the impacts of the programme on childhood poverty, the strengths and weaknesses of a conditional approach, and changes in intra-household and community dynamics as well as state—citizen relations. It concludes by discussing policy challenges and directions for future research.
Mobilizing projects in community organizations with a long-term perspective: neighbourhood credit funds in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Authors: Almansi Florencia , Tammarazio Andrea
Published: April 2008

This paper describes the development of a credit fund programme in informal settlements in Buenos Aires, Argentina, over a 15-year period from 1993 to 2007. It focuses on the creation, implementation and sustainability of credit funds for housing improvement and how these developed and changed in response to both external factors and programme dynamics. It pays particular attention to the programme's most recent phase, in which the management of the funds was decentralized into separate neighbourhood funds in three communities. It explains how each neighbourhood fund is managed, especially the role of the women who administer them. It also analyzes their respective levels of performance and considers prospects and challenges for the future. The authors conclude that credit fund initiatives based on modest financial resources have the potential not only to catalyze housing improvements but also to strengthen community capacity by delegating project management to the grassroots. In this way, when supported by a partner civil society organization with experience of intervention in the area, such initiatives can be more flexible and more sustainable than top-down interventions. The paper recommends that project funding decisions for microcredit programmes should take account of their potential to build social capacity, strengthen grassroots organizations, engage community participation and complement other local programmes (including improving relations with local government agencies), rather than focus only on financial sustainability.
Mixed-Methods Exploration of Parents' Health Information Understanding
Authors: Lehna Carlee , McNeil Jack
Published: April 2008

Health literacy—the ability to read, understand, and use health information to make health care decisions—affects health care outcomes, hospitalization costs, and readmission. The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study is to determine how two different parent groups (English speaking and Spanish speaking) understand medical care for their children and the procedural and research consent forms required by that care. Quantitative and qualitative data are gathered and compared concurrently. Differences between groups are found in age, grade completed, Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults scores, and ways of understanding health information. Identifying how parents understand health information is the first step in providing effective family-centered health care education.
Persistent Inward Currents in Spinal Motoneurons and Their Influence on Human Motoneuron Firing Patterns
Authors: Heckman C.J. , Johnson Michael , Mottram Carol , Schuster Jenna
Published: April 2008

Persistent inward currents (PICs) are present in many types of neurons and likely have diverse functions. In spinal motoneurons, PICs are especially strong, primarily located in dendritic regions, and subject to particularly strong neuromodulation by the monoamines serotonin and norepinephrine. Because motoneurons drive muscle fibers, it has been possible to study the functional role of their PICs in motor output and to identify PIC-mediated effects on motoneuron firing patterns in human subjects. The PIC markedly amplifies synaptic input, up to fivefold or more, depending on the level of monoaminergic input. PICs also tend to greatly prolong input time course, allowing brief inputs to initiate long-lasting self-sustained firing (i.e., bistable behavior). PIC deactivation usually requires inhibitory input and PIC amplitude can increase to repeated activation. All of these behaviors markedly increase motoneuron excitability. Thus, in the absence of monoaminergic input, motoneuron excitability is very low. Yet PICs have another effect: once active, they tend to sharply limit efficacy of additional synaptic input. All of these PIC effects have been detected in motoneuron firing patterns in human subjects and, hence, PICs are likely a fundamental component of normal motor output. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(3):264–275, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858408314986
The social context of the emergence, development and abandonment of the Varna cemetery, Bulgaria
Authors: Chapman John , Higham Tom , Slavchev Vladimir , Gaydarska Bisserka , Honch Noah
Published: April 2008

In this article we outline some of the key characteristics of the social structure of the Climax Copper Age in the eastern Balkans and the contributions of the Varna cemetery to those developments. We continue by examining the implications of the new series of 21 AMS dates from the Oxford Radiocarbon Laboratory, which represent the first dates for the Varna Eneolithic cemetery on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Representing the first phase of the AMS dating project for the Varna I cemetery, these dates have been selected to provide a range of different grave locations, ranges of grave goods, and age/gender associations. We conclude by addressing the question of the unexpectedly early start of the cemetery, as well as its apparently short duration and relatively rapid demise.
The role of the house in early Neolithic Ireland
Authors: Smyth Jessica
Published: April 2008

The focus of this article is the use and abandonment of the rectangular timber buildings of the Irish early Neolithic, a period that corresponds roughly with the first half of the fourth millennium cal BC. While they do not represent the only remains of occupation at this time, the fact that they display a striking degree of homogeneity of size, shape and materials makes them an especially interesting part of settlement activity on the island. One particular feature of this patterning is the frequency with which early Neolithic timber buildings have been substantially or completely destroyed by fire. It will be argued below that this burning was deliberate and played an important role in the lifecycle – the creation, maintenance and destruction – of these buildings. To provide a context for this discussion, a more in-depth look will be taken at these distinctive buildings and at their form and function.
Reclaiming Information and Communication Technologies for Empowering Social Work Practice
Authors: Parrott Lester , Madoc-Jones Iolo
Published: April 2008

• Summary: This article argues that ICT has been viewed with suspicion and has been narrowly used in social work primarily for managerial and monitoring purposes. In light of the emphasis within social work on empowerment, the potential of ICT to facilitate empowering practice is explored

• Findings: The article argues the social work profession should more actively challenge and resist the limited use made of ICT, and promote the appropriate use of ICT to improve social work practice and empower service users.

• Applications : The article provides a rationale for using ICT in social work to address issues of service user powerlessness and economic and social exclusion. The potential uses to which ICT might be put within social work are discussed and examples are given of innovative social practice using ICT that could be usefully developed more widely.
Personal Approaches to Treatment among Staff in Residential Care
Authors: Andersson Bengt , Johansson Jan
Published: April 2008

• Summary: Working in residential group care is a complex task. There is a wide gap between principles and guidelines and daily practice. This qualitative case study in a home for the long-term care and treatment of young persons in Sweden is an attempt to explore and systematize careworkers' ideas about the treatment of individual young persons. The aims were to examine personal approaches to treatment and to explore the consistency and individualization in the perceptions of the treatment of each young person. Each careworker was interviewed about each young person in two different occasions. Statements were coded and grouped into categories.

• Findings: It was possible to find a model in which careworkers' treatment perceptions could be studied and compared. Each careworker had a unique and stable pattern of treatment perceptions. These perceptions of treatment were however consistent enough to create different patterns in the cases of different young persons, that is, the perception of treatment was individualized.

• Applications : A well-functioning system or model of treatment ideas may be a means to enhance the quality of residential care on the assumption that the system or model is close to the real world of careworkers. It could also be means for defining treatment components and measuring treatment fidelity.
Accountability, Evidence, and the Use of Information Systems in Social Service Programs
Authors: Carrilio Terry E.
Published: April 2008

• Summary: As social work engages with the ideology of evidence-based practice it becomes important to accurately document service activities and outcomes. This often proves problematic, as utilization of systems to collect data for evaluation is fraught with ideological, epistemological, and skill-based difficulties. This article describes a `multiple case study' consisting of: ) a multi-agency evaluation with inconsistent implementation of a data collection system; and 2) a follow-up cross-sectional study of social workers' use of computers and data systems.

• Findings: Four components related to practitioner utilization of data systems were identified: skills and experience with using computers, perceived ease of use, utility of the data, and attitudes about data. The latter may point to underlying epistemological and ontological issues regarding evidence-based practice in direct service settings.

• Applications : It is important to understand the interacting personal, professional, and organizational factors that influence social workers' use of information systems. The findings suggest that improving worker skill and comfort with data systems as well as maintaining an open dialogue about how data will be used may be key components of efforts to improve practitioner utilization of data systems.
Health Monitoring of a Thermal Protection System using Lamb Waves
Authors: Kundu Tribikram , Das Samik , Jata Kumar V.
Published: April 2008

The applicability of guided waves as a structural health monitoring (SHM) tool to predict the point of impact and detect delamination in a thermal protection system (TPS) is studied. A model TPS was designed by bonding ceramic porous tiles to a 2.2 mm thick 2124-T351 aluminum alloy plate. The delamination defect may be caused by the impact phenomenon or due to other reasons such as manufacturing defect, thermal, or mechanical fatigue, etc. Impact phenomenon is simulated by dropping a ping pong ball on the tiled structure. The delamination at the interface between the ceramic tile and the aluminum plate is simulated by removing the adhesive bond at the selected interface regions during the specimen fabrication process. The conventional triangulation technique cannot predict the point of impact in a tiled plate structure because the triangulation technique assumes that the wave speed is independent of the direction of propagation which is not the case for ceramic tile mounted plates. An alternative method based on the optimization scheme was proposed by Kundu et al. [1] to locate the point of impact in plates by analyzing the time of arrival of the ultrasonic signals received by passive sensors attached to the plate. This objective function based method is used to locate the impact point on the tiled plate. Experiments are carried out by dropping a ping pong ball on the tiled structure and recording acoustic signals by passive transducers adhesively bonded to the plate at three different locations. The impact point is predicted and compared with the actual location of impact. Delamination detection studies were conducted in the pitch-catch mode, by changing the angle of strike and the frequency of the transducer excitation to generate the appropriate guided wave mode. The delamination defect could be detected and the impact point could be identified underlining the importance of the use of guided waves as an SHM tool for TPS.
Learning about System Renewal
Authors: Levin Ben , Fullan Michael
Published: April 2008

Our focus in this article is on the lessons learned about effective change from international experience with large-scale reform over the last 20 years. The central lesson now evident is that sustained improvement in student outcomes requires a sustained effort to change teaching and learning practices in thousands and thousands of classrooms, and this requires focused and sustained effort by all parts of the education system and its partners. Key components of this work include a small number of ambitious yet achievable goals, publicly stated; a positive stance with a focus on motivation; multi-level engagement with strong leadership and a `guiding coalition'; emphasis on capacity building with a focus on results; keeping a focus on key strategies while also managing other interests and issues; effective use of resources; and constant and growing transparency including public and stakeholder communication and feedback. Although we believe the use of change knowledge is increasing internationally, future prospects remain mixed because the work is hard to do.
Clinical Research: A New Concept in the Topical Treatment of Onychomycosis With Cyanoacrylate, Undecylenic Acid, and Hydroquinone
Authors: Rehder Paul , Nguyen Tim T.
Published: April 2008

The authors report a pilot study of a new approach for the topical treatment of onychomycosis using physiologic principles of fungal growth and serial debridement. In total, 154 patients were studied for 1 year with mild, moderate, and severe nail disease. Negative mycologic cultures in these 3 groups were 100%, 65%, and 35%, respectively. All patients reported subjective improvement in the first 3 months.
Influence of cobalt ions on the precipitation of goethite in highly alkaline media
Authors: Krehula S. , Musić S.
Published: April 2008

The effects of cobalt ions on the precipitation of goethite in highly alkaline media were monitored using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectroscopies and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide was used as a precipitating agent. The precipitates were collected after heating of the precipitation systems at 160ºC for 2 h. The XRD results showed the formation of goethite structure as a single phase up tor= 6.98 (wherer= 100·[Co]/([Co]+[Fe])). Cobalt ferrite was found as an additional phase in the precipitates obtained atr= 9.09 and 13.04. Mössbauer spectroscopy showed the formation of solid solutions of α-(Fe,Co)OOH. The incorporation of cobalt ions into the goethite crystal structure was monitored by a decrease in the average hyperfine magnetic field (⟨Bhf⟩). The value ⟨Bhf⟩ decreased linearly up tor= 5.66, whereas a nonlinear dependence was obtained atr= 6.98 to 13.04. Infrared (IR) bands corresponding to the bending vibrations δOHand γOHwere shifted from 892 to 903 cm–1and from 797 to 800 cm–1, respectively, up tor= 6.98. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy lacked the sensitivity to monitor the effects of cobalt ions, demonstrated by the Mössbauer analysis. Cobalt incorporation into the crystal structure of goethite induced a gradual elongation of α-(Fe,Co)OOH particles along the crystallographiccaxis. The formation of α-(Fe,Co)OOH nanowires was shown atr⩾6.98. These nanowires were ~700 nm long, whereas their diameter was ~15–20 nm. The majority of the cobalt ferrite particles were in the nanosize range, as observed by FE-SEM. On the basis of the Co/Fe ratio measured by EDS, it appears that the cobalt ferrite particles were not fully stoichiometric.
Characterization by Mössbauer spectroscopy of Fe phases in highly weathered serpentinitic soil from southern Cameroon
Authors: Van Cromphaut C. , Van Ranst E. , De Resende V. G. , Vandenberghe R. E. , De Grave E. , Lambiv Dzemua G.
Published: April 2008

Weathered soil material derived from tectonically emplaced serpentinized ultrabasic intrusive rocks of southern Cameroon has received considerable attention from mining companies due to its extractable-metal (i.e. Ni, Co) potential. As these cations can be incorporated into Fe oxides, it was deemed appropriate to study the mineralogical assemblage of a highly weathered serpentinite soil profile from the area. This study focuses on the different Fe-oxide phases, which were investigated using57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, showing goethite and hematite as the dominant Fe oxides throughout the weathering profile. These minerals, in association with gibbsite and kaolinite, indicate an advanced degree of weathering. The clay fraction of the ‘Lower Limonite’ layer, above the saprolite and at a depth of 7 m, is very rich in goethite, whereas hematite and magnetite are almost absent. Above this layer, the hematite content in the fine-earth and clay fractions increases upwards, while the goethite content remains constant. The significant substitution and change in the particle size of the goethite and the poor crystallinity of hematite, as indicated by the hyperfine parameters and XRD, suggest that the upper material evolved under different pedological conditions compared to the deeper layers. The mixed composition of the upper layers (above 7 m), which contain muscovite and a relatively chaotic distribution of trace elements, suggests ancient mica-schist capping and possibly different cycles of erosion and pedimentation.
Ornithine decarboxylase antizyme finder (OAF): Fast and reliable detection of antizymes with frameshifts in mRNAs
Authors: Bekaert Michaël , Ivanov Ivaylo P , Atkins John F , Baranov Pavel V
Published: April 2008

Background

Ornithine decarboxylase antizymes are proteins which negatively regulate cellular polyamine levels via their affects on polyamine synthesis and cellular uptake. In virtually all organisms from yeast to mammals, antizymes are encoded by two partially overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). A +1 frameshift between frames is required for the synthesis of antizyme. Ribosomes change translation phase at the end of the first ORF in response to stimulatory signals embedded in mRNA. Since standard sequence analysis pipelines are currently unable to recognise sites of programmed ribosomal frameshifting, proper detection of full length antizyme coding sequences (CDS) requires conscientious manual evaluation by a human expert. The rapid growth of sequence information demands less laborious and more cost efficient solutions for this problem. This manuscript describes a rapid and accurate computer tool for antizyme CDS detection that requires minimal human involvement.

Results

We have developed a computer tool, OAF (ODCantizymefinder) for identifying antizyme encoding sequences in spliced or intronless nucleic acid sequenes. OAF utilizes a combination of profile hidden Markov models (HMM) built separately for the products of each open reading frame constituting the entire antizyme coding sequence. Profile HMMs are based on a set of 218 manually assembled antizyme sequences. To distinguish between antizyme paralogs and orthologs from major phyla, antizyme sequences were clustered into twelve groups and specific combinations of profile HMMs were designed for each group. OAF has been tested on the current version of dbEST, where it identified over six thousand Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) sequences encoding antizyme proteins (over two thousand antizyme CDS in these ESTs are non redundant).

Conclusion

OAF performs well on raw EST sequences and mRNA sequences derived from genomic annotations. OAF will be used for the future updates of the RECODE database. OAF can also be useful for identifying novel antizyme sequences when run with relaxed parameters. It is anticipated that OAF will be used for EST and genome annotation purposes. OAF outputs sequence annotations in fasta, genbank flat file or XML format. The OAF web interface and the source code are freely available athttp://recode.ucc.ie/oaf/and at a mirror sitehttp://recode.genetics.utah.edu/oaf/.
Evolution of pharmacologic specificity in the pregnane X receptor
Authors: Ekins Sean , Reschly Erica J , Hagey Lee R , Krasowski Matthew D
Published: April 2008

Background

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) shows the highest degree of cross-species sequence diversity of any of the vertebrate nuclear hormone receptors. In this study, we determined the pharmacophores for activation of human, mouse, rat, rabbit, chicken, and zebrafish PXRs, using a common set of sixteen ligands. In addition, we compared in detail the selectivity of human and zebrafish PXRs for steroidal compounds and xenobiotics. The ligand activation properties of the Western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis) PXR and that of a putative vitamin D receptor (VDR)/PXR cloned in this study from the chordate invertebrate sea squirt (Ciona intestinalis) were also investigated.

Results

Using a common set of ligands, human, mouse, and rat PXRs share structurally similar pharmacophores consisting of hydrophobic features and widely spaced excluded volumes indicative of large binding pockets. Zebrafish PXR has the most sterically constrained pharmacophore of the PXRs analyzed, suggesting a smaller ligand-binding pocket than the other PXRs. Chicken PXR possesses a symmetrical pharmacophore with four hydrophobes, a hydrogen bond acceptor, as well as excluded volumes. Comparison of human and zebrafish PXRs for a wide range of possible activators revealed that zebrafish PXR is activated by a subset of human PXR agonists. The Ciona VDR/PXR showed low sequence identity to vertebrate VDRs and PXRs in the ligand-binding domain and was preferentially activated by planar xenobiotics including 6-formylindolo-[3,2-b]carbazole. Lastly, the Western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis) PXR was insensitive to vitamins and steroidal compounds and was activated only by benzoates.

Conclusion

In contrast to other nuclear hormone receptors, PXRs show significant differences in ligand specificity across species. By pharmacophore analysis, certain PXRs share similar features such as human, mouse, and rat PXRs, suggesting overlap of function and perhaps common evolutionary forces. The Western clawed frog PXR, like that described for African clawed frog PXRs, has diverged considerably in ligand selectivity from fish, bird, and mammalian PXRs.
Evaluation of immune responses in HIV infected patients with pleural tuberculosis by the QuantiFERON®TB-Gold interferon-gamma assay
Authors: Baba Kamaldeen , Sørnes Steinar , Hoosen Anwar A , Lekabe Jacob M , Mpe Mathew J , Langeland Nina , Dyrhol-Riise Anne M
Published: April 2008

Background

Diagnosis of tuberculous (TB) pleuritis is difficult and better diagnostic tools are needed. New blood based interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) tests are promising, but sensitivity could be low in HIV positive patients. The IFN-γ tests have not yet been validated for use in pleural fluid, a compartment with higher level of immune activation than in blood.

Methods

The QuantiFERON TB®-Gold (QFT-TB) test was analysed in blood and pleural fluid from 34 patients presenting with clinically suspected pleural TB. Clinical data, HIV status and CD4 cell counts were recorded. Adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) analysis and TB culture were performed on pleural fluid.

Results

The patients were categorised as 'confirmed TB' (n = 12), 'probable TB' (n = 16) and 'non-TB' pleuritis (n = 6) based on TB culture results and clinical and biochemical criteria. The majority of the TB patients were HIV infected (82%). The QFT-TB in pleural fluid was positive in 27% and 56% of the 'confirmed TB' and 'probable TB' cases, respectively, whereas the corresponding sensitivities in blood were 58% and 83%. Indeterminate results in blood (25%) were caused by low phytohemagglutinin (PHA = positive control) IFN-γ responses, significantly lower in the TB patients as compared to the 'non-TB' cases (p = 0.02). Blood PHA responses correlated with CD4 cell count (r = 0.600, p = 0.028). In contrast, in pleural fluid indeterminate results (52%) were caused by high Nil (negative control) IFN-γ responses in both TB groups. Still, the Nil IFN-γ responses were lower than the TB antigen responses (p < 0.01), offering a conclusive test for half of the patients. We did not find any correlation between blood CD4 cell count and IFN-γ responses in pleural fluid.

Conclusion

The QFT-TB test in blood could contribute to the diagnosis of TB pleuritis in the HIV positive population. Still, the number of inconclusive results is too high to recommend the commercial QFT-TB test for routine use in pleural fluid in a TB/HIV endemic resource-limited setting.
Food intake regulating-neuropeptides are expressed and regulated through pregnancy and following food restriction in rat placenta
Authors: Caminos Jorge E , Bravo Susana B , González C Ruth , Garcés Maria F , Cepeda Libia A , González Adriana C , Cordido Fernando , López Miguel , Diéguez Carlos
Published: April 2008

Background

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti related peptide (AgRP), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and melanocortins, the products of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC), are hypothalamic peptides involved in feeding regulation and energy homeostasis. Recent evidence has demonstrated their expression in rat and human placenta.

Methods

In the current study, we have investigated the expression of those neuropeptides in the rat placenta by real-time PCR using a model of maternal food restriction.

Results

Our results showed that placental-derived neuropeptides were regulated through pregnancy and following food restriction.

Conclusion

These data could indicate that placental-derived neuropeptides represent a local regulatory circuit that may fine-tune control of energy balance during pregnancy.
Chronic Morphine Administration Enhances Nociceptive Sensitivity and Local Cytokine Production after Incision
Authors: Liang DeYong , Shi Xiaoyou , Qiao Yanli , Angst Martin S , Yeomans David C , Clark J David
Published: April 2008

Background -:

The chronic use of opioids prior to surgery leads to lowered pain thresholds and exaggerated pain levels after these procedures. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this heightened sensitivity commonly termed opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Most of these proposed mechanisms involve plastic events in the central or peripheral nervous systems. Alterations in the abundance of peripheral mediators of nociception have not previously been explored.

Results -:

In these experiments mice were treated with saline (control) or ascending daily doses of morphine to generate a state of OIH followed by hind paw incision. In other experiments morphine treatment was initiated at the time of incision. Both mechanical allodynia and peri-incisional skin cytokine levels were measured. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) assays were used to determine neutrophil activity near the wounds. The cytokine production inhibitor pentoxifylline was used to determine the functional significance of the excess cytokines in previously morphine treated animals. Mice treated chronically treated with morphine prior to incision were found to have enhanced skin levels of IL-1β, IL-6, G-CSF, KC and TNFα after incision at one or more time points compared to saline pretreated controls. The time courses of individual cytokines followed different patterns. There was no discernable effect of chronic morphine treatment on wound area neutrophil infiltration. Pentoxifylline reduced cytokine levels and reversed the excess mechanical sensitization caused by chronic morphine administration prior to incision. Morphine treatment initiated at the time of incision did not lead to a generalized enhancement of cytokine production or nociceptive sensitization in excess of the levels observed after incision alone.

Conclusion -:

The enhanced level of nociceptive sensitization seen after incision in animals chronically exposed to morphine is associated with elevated levels of several cytokines previously reported to be relevant to this incisional pain model. The cytokines may be functional in supporting nociceptive sensitization because pentoxifylline reverses both peri-incisional skin cytokine levels and OIH. Opioid administration beginning at the time of incision does not seem to have the same cytokine enhancing effect. Approaches to postoperative pain control involving a reduction of cytokines may be an effective way to control excessive pain in patients chronically using opioids prior to surgical procedures.
No Greater Incidence or Worsening of Cardiac Valve Regurgitation with Somatostatin Analog Treatment of Acromegaly
Authors: Colao Annamaria , Marek Josef , Goth Miklos I. , Caron Philippe , Kuhn Jean Marc , Minuto Francesco M. , Weissman Neil J.
Published: April 2008

Context: Excess GH and IGF-I in acromegaly are associated with reduced life expectancy due to cardiovascular complications.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence, incidence, and severity of cardiac valve regurgitation before and after somatostatin-analog treatment in acromegaly.

Design: This was a prospective, observer-blinded, multicenter, 12-month study.

Setting: The study was conducted at 33 specialist centers.

Patients: The study population consisted of 225 adult patients with acromegaly without significant cardiac valve abnormalities or prior valve-replacement surgery, matched for age, sex, and center/country/study.

Interventions: Interventions included initiation/continuation of lanreotide (n = 107) or octreotide treatment (n = 118), tailored for optimal disease control.

Main Outcome Measures: Relative risk of new/worsening regurgitation in any valve at 12 months compared with baseline, was measured.

Results: At baseline, almost 80% of patients had some degree of cardiac valve regurgitation, although none was severe. The risk of developing new/worsening regurgitation in any valve at 12 months was nonsignificant and similar for the cohorts [adjusted odds ratio 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–1.82; P = 0.694; relative risk 1.04; 95% CI 0.67–1.60; risk difference 0.01; 95% CI −0.13 to 0.16]. For 54% of patients, the severity of regurgitation stayed the same during the study. At baseline, significant valve regurgitation occurred in 18% of patients (lanreotide cohort) and 13% (octreotide cohort) and at 12 months in 18% of each cohort.

Conclusions: The incidence of valve regurgitation did not change over 12 months of treatment with somatostatin analogs, and most cases were physiologic or mild in severity. There was no significant difference between somatostatin analogs in the risk of developing new/worsening valve regurgitation or significant regurgitation after 1 yr.
Serum Ghrelin Levels Are Increased in Hypothyroid Patients and Become Normalized by l-Thyroxine Treatment
Authors: Gjedde Signe , Vestergaard Esben Thyssen , Gormsen Lars Christian , Riis Anne Lene Dalkjær , Rungby Jørgen , Møller Niels , Weeke Jørgen , Jørgensen Jens Otto Lunde
Published: April 2008

Context: An interaction between ghrelin, which is implicated in the regulation of short- and long-term energy balance, and thyroid function has been reported in hyperthyroidism in which ghrelin levels are reversibly suppressed. We measured serum ghrelin levels and metabolic indices in hypothyroid patients before and after l-thyroxine replacement.

Patients and Methods: Eleven patients were examined twice: 1) in the hypothyroid state and 2) after at least 2 months of euthyroidism. Ten healthy subjects served as a control group. Ghrelin was measured in conjunction with indirect calorimetry and a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp.

Results: Serum ghrelin levels were increased by 32% under basal conditions in the hypothyroid state (PRE) as compared with posttreatment (POST) (picograms per milliliter): 976.4 ± 80.8 vs. 736.8 ± 67.1 (P < 0.001). This difference prevailed during the clamp, but a decline was observed in both states: 641.4 ± 82.2 vs. 444.3 ± 66.8 μg/ml (P = 0.005). The hypothyroid state was associated with decreased resting energy expenditure, increased respiratory quotient, and insulin resistance. Serum ghrelin levels as well as the metabolic aberrations became normalized after l-thyroxine replacement as compared with the control subjects.

Conclusion: Serum ghrelin levels are reversibly increased in hypothyroid patients. It remains to be investigated whether this represents a direct effect of iodothyronines on ghrelin secretion or clearance or a compensatory response to the abnormal energy metabolism in hypothyroid patients.
Reciprocal Relation between Marrow Adiposity and the Amount of Bone in the Axial and Appendicular Skeleton of Young Adults
Authors: Di Iorgi Natascia , Rosol Michael , Mittelman Steven D. , Gilsanz Vicente
Published: April 2008

Background: Studies in the elderly suggest a reciprocal relation between increased marrow adiposity and bone loss, supporting basic research data indicating that osteoblasts and adipocytes share a common progenitor cell. However, whether this relation represents a preferential differentiation of stromal cells from osteoblasts to adipocytes or whether a passive accumulation of fat as bone is lost and marrow space increases with aging is unknown. To address this question and avoid the confounding effect of bone loss, we examined teenagers and young adults.

Methods: Using computed tomography, we obtained measurements of bone density and cross-sectional area of the lumbar vertebral bodies and cortical bone area, cross-sectional area, marrow canal area, and fat density in the marrow of the femurs in 255 sexually mature subjects (126 females, 129 males; 15–24.9 yr of age). Additionally, values for total body fat were obtained with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Results: Regardless of gender, reciprocal relations were found between fat density and measures of vertebral bone density and femoral cortical bone area (r = 0.19–0.39; all P values ≤ .03). In contrast, there was no relation between marrow canal area and cortical bone area in the femurs, neither between fat density and the cross-sectional dimensions of the bones. We also found no relation between anthropometric or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry fat values and measures for marrow fat density.

Conclusions: Our results indicate an inverse relation between bone marrow adiposity and the amount of bone in the axial and appendicular skeleton and support the notion of a common progenitor cell capable of mutually exclusive differentiation into the cell lineages responsible for bone and fat formation.
Expression of Six Transmembrane Protein of Prostate 2 in Human Adipose Tissue Associates with Adiposity and Insulin Resistance
Authors: Arner Peter , Stenson Britta M. , Dungner Elisabeth , Näslund Erik , Hoffstedt Johan , Ryden Mikael , Dahlman Ingrid
Published: April 2008

Context: Six transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2) is a counterregulator of adipose inflammation and insulin resistance in mice. Our hypothesis was that STAMP2 could be involved in human obesity and insulin resistance.

Objective: The objective of the study was to elucidate the role of adipose STAMP2 expression in human obesity and insulin resistance.

Design: The design was to quantify STAMP2 in human abdominal sc and omental white adipose tissue (WAT), isolated adipocytes, and stroma and in vitro differentiated preadipocytes and relate levels of STAMP2 in sc WAT to clinical and adipocyte phenotypes involved in insulin resistance.

Participants: Nonobese and obese women and men (n = 236) recruited from an obesity clinic or through local advertisement.

Main Outcome Measurement: Clinical measures included body mass index, body fat, total adiponectin, and homeostasis model assessment as measure of overall insulin resistance. In adipocytes we determined cell size, sensitivity of lipolysis and lipogenesis to insulin, adiponectin secretion, and inflammatory gene expression.

Results: STAMP2 levels in sc and visceral WAT and adipocytes were increased in obesity (P = 0.0008–0.05) but not influenced by weight loss. Increased WAT STAMP2 levels associated with a high amount of body fat (P = 0.04), high homeostasis model assessment (P = 0.01), and large adipocytes (P = 0.02). Subjects with high STAMP2 levels displayed reduced sensitivity of adipocyte lipogenesis (P = 0.04) and lipolysis (P = 0.03) to insulin but had normal adiponectin levels. WAT STAMP2 levels correlated with expression of the macrophage marker CD68 (P = 0.0006).

Conclusion: Human WAT STAMP2 associates with obesity and insulin resistance independently of adiponectin, but the role of STAMP2 in obesity and its complications seems different from that in mice.
Necessary conditions for the effective transposition of EU legislation
Authors: Kaeding Michael
Published: April 2008

Based on determinants of the duration of national policy making derived from large-scale national transposition records in nine member states, this paper demonstrates that a mixed-method approach, including the so-called fuzzy set technique, can shed helpful light on scholarly findings of the European Union implementation literature. Whereas regression analysis is concerned more with the ‘effects of a cause’, the diversity-oriented fuzzy set method allows for asking under which assumptions a given causal factor might be necessary for the outcome. This paper also identifies four conditions that are usually necessary for the timeliness of legally, administratively and politically motivated national transposition processes.
Intersectoral partnerships, the knowledge economy and intangible assets
Authors: Boydell Leslie , Hoggett Paul , Rugkåsa Jorun , Cummins Anne-Marie
Published: April 2008

Arguably, partnerships emerged to address knowledge deficits inherent in other modes of coordination, in understanding between different agencies and arms of government (‘silo mentality’), and between government and the people it serves. As an increasingly prevalent form of governance, there is concern about whether partnerships produce benefits that contribute to the public good. This article considers their value in producing intangible assets in the form of knowledge. Tacit, embodied knowledge enhances an individual's capacity to act. Using the concept of intangible assets, we propose a more relational approach to understanding governance that challenges the current instrumentalist thinking within the UK Labour government's modernisation agenda.
The role of civil society in immigration policy making in Italy: changing patterns of conflictual cooperation
Authors: Bozzini Emanuela , Fella Stefano
Published: April 2008

This article seeks to explain models of inclusion of civil society actors in the immigration policy process (and particularly matters related to the social integration of immigrants) in Italy in terms of a model of ‘conflictual cooperation’ that has developed out of the theoretical literature on social movements and on interest intermediation. The article explores how the model of conflictual cooperation that appeared to have been established under the centre-left government in the second half of the 1990s was affected by the election of a centre-right government in 2001, with the latter downgrading relations with civil society and appealing directly to popular opinion on this issue.
Aging Results in Increased Autophagy of Mitochondria and Protein Nitration in Rat Hepatocytes Following Heat Stress
Authors: Oberley Terry D. , Swanlund Jamie M. , Zhang Hannah J. , Kregel Kevin C.
Published: April 2008

The natural breakdown of cells, tissues, and organ systems is a significant consequence of aging and is at least partially caused by a decreased ability to tolerate environmental stressors. Based on quantitative ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy and computer imaging, we show significant differences in hepatocyte morphology between young and old rats during a 48-hr recovery period following a 2-day heat stress protocol. Mitochondrial injury was greater overall in old compared with young rats. Autophagy was observed in both young and old rats, with autophagy greater overall in old compared with young hepatocytes. Lipid peroxidation and protein nitration were evaluated by localization and quantification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE)–modified protein adducts and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) levels, respectively. Levels of 3-NT but not 4-HNE-protein adducts were significantly elevated in hepatocytes of old rats in comparison with young at 90 min after heat stress, suggesting a major role for reactive nitrogen species in the pathology observed at this time point. These results show a differential response of hepatocyte mitochondria to heat stress with aging, as well as greater levels of both autophagic and nitrative damage in old vs young hepatocytes. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org . Please visit this article online to view these materials.
Fracture Toughness Evaluation of Eurofer97 by Testing Small Specimens
Authors: Serrano Marta , Fernández Pilar , Lapeña Jesús
Published: April 2008

Eurofer’97 is the structural reference material that will be tested in the ITER modules. Its metallurgical properties have been well characterized during the last years. However, more investigations related to the fracture toughness of this material are needed to assess its integrity because this property is one of the most important to design structural components. In the case of structural materials for fusion reactors, the small specimen test technology is being actively developed to investigate the fracture toughness among other mechanical properties. The use of small specimens is due to the small available irradiation volume of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) and also due to the high fluence expected in the fusion reactor. The aim of this paper is to determine the fracture toughness of the Eurofer’97 steel by testing small specimens of different geometry in the ductile-to-brittle transition region with the application of the Master Curve methodology. The tests and data analysis have been performed following the Master Curve approach included in the ASTM Standard E1921-05, “Standard Test Method for Determination of Reference Temperature, T0, for Ferritic Steels in the Transition Range.” Specimen size effects and comparison of the fracture toughness results with available data in the literature are also discussed.
Fretting Fatigue Behavior of Shot-Peened Ti-6Al-4V and IN100
Authors: Mall Shankar , Ng J. L. , Madhi E.
Published: April 2008

Shot-peened titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V and nickel-based super alloy IN100 were subjected to plain and fretting fatigue under cylinder-on-flat contact condition at room temperature. Measurement of compressive residual surface stress from shot-peening before and after fretting showed relaxation, which was significant in IN100 and near the contact surface. The fretting fatigue life of IN100 did not improve significantly due to shot-peening, while there was considerable improvement for Ti-6Al-4V and relatively less relaxation of the residual surface stress. Further, fretting had a relatively more detrimental effect on the fatigue performance of Ti-6Al-4V than in the case of IN100. A critical plane-based fatigue crack initiation model, a modified shear stress range parameter, was computed from finite element analysis for two levels of residual surface stress relaxation: no relaxation and complete relaxation. This analysis suggested that not only crack initiation but also propagation should be considered to characterize fretting fatigue behavior of shot-peened specimens; however, it showed an appropriate trend with the measured fretting fatigue life and agreement with several other experimental observations.
Self-Assembling Nanofibers Inhibit Glial Scar Formation and Promote Axon Elongation after Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Tysseling-Mattiace Vicki M. , Sahni Vibhu , Niece Krista L. , Birch Derin , Czeisler Catherine , Fehlings Michael G. , Stupp Samuel I. , Kessler John A.
Published: April 2008

Peptide amphiphile (PA) molecules that self-assemblein vivointo supramolecular nanofibers were used as a therapy in a mouse model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Because self-assembly of these molecules is triggered by the ionic strength of thein vivoenvironment, nanoscale structures can be created within the extracellular spaces of the spinal cord by simply injecting a liquid. The molecules are designed to form cylindrical nanofibers that display to cells in the spinal cord the laminin epitope IKVAV at nearly van der Waals density. IKVAV PA nanofibers are known to inhibit glial differentiation of cultured neural stem cells and to promote neurite outgrowth from cultured neurons. In this work,in vivotreatment with the PA after SCI reduced astrogliosis, reduced cell death, and increased the number of oligodendroglia at the site of injury. Furthermore, the nanofibers promoted regeneration of both descending motor fibers and ascending sensory fibers through the lesion site. Treatment with the PA also resulted in significant behavioral improvement. These observations demonstrate that it is possible to inhibit glial scar formation and to facilitate regeneration after SCI using bioactive three-dimensional nanostructures displaying high densities of neuroactive epitopes on their surfaces.