bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of intraperitoneally injected lithium, imipramine and diazepam on nitrate levels in rat amygdala
Authors: MARUTA SHUJI , SUZUKI EIJI , YOKOYAMA MASAMOTO , SATO TAKU , INADA KEN , WATANABE SHIGERU , MIYAOKA HITOSHI
Published: May 2005

Abstract  Nitric oxide (NO) has been studied in relation to the etiologies of various neurologic and psychiatric diseases. However, little is known about whether clinically available psychotropic drugs affect the NO system in the brain. Using an in vivo brain microdialysis method, the effects of intraperitoneally administered lithium, imipramine and diazepam on levels of , a marker of in vivo NO production, were investigated in the rat amygdala. Lithium significantly reduced, while imipramine raised, levels as compared with controls. These observations suggest that lithium and imipramine induce opposite effects on NO‐related systems in the brain.
PREOPERATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY FOR LOCALLY ADVANCED RECTAL CANCER
Authors: Chao Michael , Gibbs Peter , Tjandra Joe , Cullinan Mark , McLaughlin Stephen , Faragher Ian , Skinner Iain , Jones Ian
Published: May 2005

Background:  The adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer is a rapidly evolving field. The standard approach is a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with the optimal treatment combination and sequencing yet to be determined. Here, we report our early experience of preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer at Radiation Oncology Victoria to determine its efficacy and the rate of sphincter preservation.

Methods:  Sixty‐nine patients (46 men and 23 women) with locally advanced rectal cancer (T3–4 or N1) were treated with preoperative CRT followed by surgical resection of disease. Chemotherapy consisted of either bolus or continuous venous infusion of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU). Radiotherapy to a dose of 45 Gy was delivered to the pelvis followed by a boost of 5.4–14.4 Gy in the majority of patients. Surgical resection was carried out 4–8 weeks following completion of preoperative CRT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine variables that may influence local recurrence and overall survival rates.

Results:  All patients underwent a complete macroscopic resection, including the three patients that had unrecognized distant metastases discovered at the time of operation. Only two patients had microscopic residual disease. Sphincter preservation was achieved in 16 of 25 patients who were thought to require an abdominoperineal resection. Tumour and/or nodal downstaging were achieved in 47 patients (68%), with a pathological complete response in 12 (17%). At a median follow up of 29 months post‐surgery, five patients (7.2%) have developed a local recurrence. Overall 21 patients (30%) have progressed and 12 (18%) have died. Treatment‐related toxicity was acceptable and there was no treatment‐related mortality. There was no significant relationship found between the pathological response to treatment and any clinical endpoint.

Conclusions:  Our results confirm the high response rates and acceptable toxicity of preoperative treatment. Further studies are required to better define the impact of preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy on long‐term outcomes.
ASSESSING LEG LENGTH DISCREPANCY AFTER FEMORAL FRACTURE: CLINICAL EXAMINATION OR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY?
Authors: Harris Ian , Hatfield Angela , Walton Judie
Published: May 2005

Introduction:  Femoral shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nailing often heal with a leg length discrepancy (LLD). LLD is commonly evaluated by clinical examination and computed tomography (CT) scanogram. We assessed the correlation between these two techniques of calculating LLD.

Methods:  We reviewed 35 skeletally mature patients who sustained a femoral shaft fracture between January 1997 and December 1999. Leg length was measured clinically with direct measurement and a block test. Each patient was asked whether they felt they walked with a limp and whether they felt they had a leg length discrepancy. Each patient underwent a CT scanogram to measure femoral and total leg length. The correlation between clinical examination and scanogram was analysed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation.

Results:  Of the 35 patients, 15 patients (43%) had a measurable LLD. There was a positive correlation between direct leg length measurement and the block test (P = 0.003), and between the block test and patient perception of limp and LLD. CT scanogram was performed on 29/35 patients. There was no correlation between CT scanogram and clinical measurement of leg length or between CT scanogram and patient perception of LLD or limp.

Discussion:  Leg length discrepancy commonly occurs following treatment of femoral shaft fractures. We found that there was a strong correlation between direct leg length measurement and the block test, and between both methods of clinical leg length measurement and patient perception of a limp or LLD. Our study found no correlation between CT scanogram and clinical leg length measurement or patient perception of limp or LLD.

Conclusion:  Our study shows that physical examination (direct measurement and the block test) is more reliable and clinically relevant than CT scanogram measurement in the assessment of LLD after femoral fracture.
SUBSEQUENT SURGERY AFTER INITIAL BREAST CONSERVING SURGERY: A POPULATION BASED STUDY
Authors: Spilsbury Katrina , Semmens James B. , Saunders Christobel M. , Hall Sonja E. , Holman C. D. J.
Published: May 2005

Background:  In line with current Australian early breast cancer management guidelines, more women are having breast conserving surgery to treat breast cancer when appropriate. Some women will undergo further surgery because of involved margins, early local relapse, or other factors including patient choice. The aim of this study was to investigate whether socio‐economic, demographic or hospital factors were associated with the risk of re‐excision or subsequent mastectomy.

Methods:  A record linkage population‐based study on 12 711 women diagnosed with breast cancer in Western Australia from 1982 to 2000 who underwent breast surgery within 12 months of diagnosis was performed. Logistic regression was used to identify social, demographic and hospital factors associated with the risk of undergoing further surgery following initial breast conserving surgery.

Results:  The proportion of women undergoing initial breast conserving surgery doubled from 33% in 1982–1985 to 72% in 1998–2000. The proportion of women who underwent further surgery following initial breast conserving surgery decreased from 50 to 30% over the same period. The risk of re‐excision or subsequent mastectomy was between 2.4 (95% CI 1.7–3.4) and 5.0 (95% CI 3.4–7.4) times greater if initial surgery was performed in a non‐metropolitan hospital compared to Perth hospitals. Younger women were between 1.7 (95% CI 1.4–2.0) and 2.1 (95% CI 1.5–3.0) times more likely to undergo re‐excisions compared to women aged 50–64 years of age.

Conclusions:  Young women and women initially treated in non‐metropolitan hospitals were at an increased risk of re‐excision or a subsequent mastectomy following initial breast conserving surgery to treat breast cancer. Efforts need to be directed towards improving specialist health services outside of Perth if women continue to be treated for breast cancer in non‐metropolitan hospitals.
CALCIPHYLAXIS AND ITS SURGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Authors: Bardsley Stephanie , Coutts Richard , Wilson Colin
Published: May 2005

Calciphylaxis is a rare but significant condition. It is associated with a high degree of morbidity and is fatal in between 60% and 80% of patients. It occurs most commonly in patients with endstage renal failure and is associated with hypercalcaemia or hyperphosphataemia or both (elevated calcium‐phosphate product). Secondary hyperparathyroidism is also common. Clinically, patients develop rapidly progressive, necrotic skin ulcers that are extremely painful. They, universally, respond poorly to usual ulcer therapies. Some surgeons advocate parathyroidectomy for patients with calciphylaxis. Evidence is inconclusive regarding this treatment; however, some trials have shown improved rates of ulcer healing and overall survival in patients treated with parathyroidectomy.
TUMOUR CELL FREQUENCY IN PLEURAL LAVAGE IN CASES WITH STAGE I EPIDERMOID LUNG CANCER WITH NO VISCERAL PLEURAL INVOLVEMENT
Authors: Oguzkaya Fahri , Akçali Yigit , Bilgin Mehmet , Haberal Arif , Akgün Hülya
Published: May 2005

Background:  The presence of tumour cells in the pleural lavage of lung cancer patients with no malignant pleural effusion is a negative prognosticator. In the present study we aimed to determine the lowest frequency of positive pleural lavage in lung cancer.

Methods:  The study included 26 consecutive patients who underwent thoracotomy for curative resection for Stage I epidermoid lung cancer. The cases had neither visceral pleural involvement nor obstructive pneumopathy. The patients were applied pleural lavage cytology immediately after thoracotomy.

Results:  The frequency of malignant cells in pleural lavage was 7.7% (Stage IA, n = 1, and IB, n = 1).

Conclusion:  Our series, in which we predicted the lowest probability of the presence of tumour cells in pleural lavage, had such a frequency of positive tumour cells that shouldn't be neglected. The present study concluded that pleural lavage cytology before pulmonary resection should routinely be performed in ‘all’ lung cancers and that pleural lavage cytology may also be included in the current staging system.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FINDING OF PORTAL VENOUS GAS IN A PATIENT WHO SURVIVED MESENTERIC INFARCTION
Authors: Dyer Evan J. , Faragher Ian G.
Published: May 2005

Hepatic portal venous gas can be a marker of serious intra‐abdominal pathology with mortality between 29% and 79%. We report a case of portal venous gas discovered on computerized tomography in a patient presenting with abdominal pain. The finding was unusual in that the patient was not critically unwell at presentation and made a good recovery after laparotomy with small bowel resection.
PERFORMING A COLONOSCOPY 12 MONTHS AFTER SURGERY FOR COLORECTAL NEOPLASIA
Authors: Platell Cameron , Salama Paul , Barwood Nigel , Makin Gregory
Published: May 2005

Background:  There appears to be acceptance that following up patients after surgery for colorectal neoplasia is of value. However, specific issues relating to which investigations to perform and how often remain unresolved. The aim of this project was to evaluate the clinical utility of performing a colonoscopy 12 months after curative surgery for colorectal neoplasia.

Methods:  Patients were selected if they had undergone a curative resection for colorectal neoplasia, and if they had had a completed colonoscopy prior to surgery. Study endpoints included: (i) compliance with follow up; (ii) the prevalence, total number, size, and histology of polyps; and (iii) identification of recurrent or metachronous cancer.

Results:  The study group included 253 patients of mean age 69.7 years (SD 11.6) and a male : female ratio of 1.4:1.0. Colonoscopies were completed on 90% of patients at a mean of 1.1 years following surgery. A total of 149 polyps were identified in 30% of patients. On histology, 42% were tubular adenomas, 6% tubulo‐villous adenomas, 7% were villous adenomas, and 37% were hyperplastic. Advanced adenomas were identified in 7.9% of patients (95% CI 4.8–12.1%). No recurrent or metachronous cancers were identified.

Conclusion:  We have observed a high prevalence of advanced adenomas in patients undergoing a 12‐month, follow‐up colonoscopy after curative surgery for colorectal neoplasia. The significance of these observations requires further evaluation.
DAMAGE CONTROL SURGERY AND ANGIOGRAPHY IN CASES OF ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHAEMIA
Authors: Freeman Anthony J. , Graham John C.
Published: May 2005

Background:  Acute mesenteric arterial occlusion typically presents late and has an estimated mortality of 60–80%. This report examines the evolution of a novel management approach to this difficult surgical problem at a teaching hospital in rural Australia.

Methods:  A retrospective review of 20 consecutive cases that presented to Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, between 1995 and 2003 was performed.

Results:  Of the 16 patients who were actively treated, 10 survived. Mortality was associated with attempting an emergency operative revascularisation and not performing a second‐look laparotomy. All three patients who had a damage control approach at the initial operation survived and in four cases endovascular intervention successfully achieved reperfusion of acutely ischaemic bowel.

Conclusions:  Evidence from the series of patients described suggests that damage control surgery and early angiography improve survival in patients suffering acute mesenteric ischaemia. A damage control approach involves emergency resection of ischaemic bowel with no attempt to restore gastrointestinal continuity and formation of a laparostomy. Patients are stabilised in the intensive care unit (ICU) and angiography can be arranged to either plan a definitive bypass procedure or alternatively endovascular therapies can be carried out in an attempt to arrest gastrointestinal infarction. Definitive surgery is then considered after 2–3 days. This approach is particularly attractive if immediate specialist vascular expertise is not available.
ENDOVASCULAR ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM REPAIR: A 7 YEAR EXPERIENCE AT THE LAUNCESTON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Authors: Borchard Kate L. A. , Birch Simone E. , Hewitt Peter M. , Stary David , Scott Alan R.
Published: May 2005

Background:  To review our 7 year experience of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVR) and to compare this to open repair (OR) during the same time period.

Methods:  One hundred and one EVR and 65 OR patients were studied. Parameters analysed included patient and procedure details, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital admission time, and morbidity and mortality with particular emphasis on procedure‐related problems.

Results:  Endovascular grafts were deployed with successful abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) exclusion in 100 patients. Primary technical success was achieved in 84%, clinical success in 86% and secondary success in 90% of cases. Complications occurred in 63% and 88% of EVR and OR patients, respectively. Early device‐related complications occurred in 40 EVR patients (40%); 24 (60%) were corrected immediately by further stenting. Late device‐related complications occurred in 15 EVR patients (15%); four (27%) required additional stenting. Most of the complications in the OR group were systemic (89%) resulting in longer ICU and hospital stays (median 48 vs 17 h and 13 vs 4 days for OR and EVR, respectively). Death within 30 days of the procedure occurred in three EVR patients. There was no perioperative mortality in the OR group.

Conclusion:  Endovascular AAA repair can be undertaken successfully in a district general hospital. The majority of local and device‐related complications can be corrected immediately, while those persisting beyond the initial procedure usually resolve spontaneously. EVR offers a minimally invasive approach to a problem that in the past has involved major surgery.
‘AO’ OR EPONYMS: THE CLASSIFICATION OF WRIST FRACTURES
Authors: Thurston Alan J.
Published: May 2005

Abraham Colles had the good fortune to describe the most common fracture about the wrist but, because its description was published in a provincial journal, it received little attention and was almost never referred to in his lifetime. The same can be said of Claude Pouteau who described the same fracture in another lesser‐known medical journal. Robert Smith described the fracture that bears his name in 1847 although it had already been described by Jean‐Gaspar‐Blaise Goyrand some years before. Galeazzi's fracture had been described nearly 90 years earlier by Sir Astley Cooper and is also known as Dupuytren's and Piedmont fracture. To add to the conflicting nomenclature it is sometimes not clear whether a Smith's II fracture is a Barton's fracture or a reversed Barton's fracture. In the presence of all of this confusion it is not surprising that a Swiss group, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen, has classified wrist fractures into groups of As, Bs and Cs.
Making and Remaking State Institutional Arrangements: The Case of U.S. Trade Policy in the 1970s*
Authors: CHOREV NITSAN
Published: May 2005

Abstract  The article describes the struggle between free‐trade advocates and protectionists in the early 1970s in the United States over the institutional arrangements governing trade policy formation and implementation. The analysis of the struggle and its impacts offers several modifications to historical institutionalist analysis of institutional dynamics and change. First, the uneven distribution of benefits by institutions is an intended outcome of institutional designers. Second, institutions are causally effective when they reflect a balance of forces that no longer exists. Third, unanticipated effects within given institutional arrangements are the outcome of intended counter‐strategies.
A Matter of Time: Examining Collective Memory in Historical Perspective in Postwar Berlin
Authors: JORDAN JENNIFER A.
Published: May 2005

Abstract  This article examines how officially designated memorial sites marking resistance to and persecution by the Nazi regime in Berlin have changed in the postwar era. Clearly the content of memorial culture changes over time. So, however, do the political and bureaucratic channels through which memorial landscapes themselves are created, and thus the avenues through which states (in this case the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic) construct landscapes of official collective memory. Such an analysis reveals not only the changes and continuities in the form and content of official representations, but also the changing relationship between a state, its people, and the collection of officially approved objects in the urban landscape designed to convey representations of a city's and a country's past. Looking closely at these intersections also makes clear that the landscape of official memorials must not be identical with collective memory understood more broadly.
Mental Deficiency: The Diagnosis and After‐Care of Special School Leavers in Early Twentieth Century Birmingham (UK)1
Authors: MYERS KEVIN , BROWN ANNA
Published: May 2005

Abstract  This article explores some issues concerning the development and implementation of mental deficiency as an organising principle of state education policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More specifically, and using the city of Birmingham as a case study, it explores three themes. First, it provides a critical narrative of policymaking at the local level with the emphasis on governance and the politics of knowledge. Second, it engages with emerging debates around the processes of identification and diagnosis of children deemed in need of special schooling. Third, it employs both descriptive and inferential statistical models to realise some issues about the impact of diagnosis on the immediate life chances of those identified as mentally deficient.
The Politics of Address in Early‐Modern England
Authors: POSTLES DAVE
Published: May 2005

Abstract  Whilst historians’ perceptions of the social organization of early‐modern England have recently been dichotomized – perceived from either national or local levels – both interpretations rely on sources that are inherently very rhetorical in their representation of self and others. Is there another way of approaching local social relations? Perhaps there is much to be appreciated by a return to questions of social interaction, in particular at that most basic level of how people addressed each other, demonstrating social distance and closeness, exclusion and inclusion.
Qualitative Linguistic Terms and Geographic Concepts: Quantifiers in Definitions
Authors: Tomai Eleni , Kavouras Marinos
Published: May 2005

Definitions of categories in existent geospatial ontologies are an invaluable source of information because they provide us with essential knowledge about concepts and their properties. A closer examination reveals that definitions also contain supplementary linguistic items, which are mainly qualitative expressions, such as quantifiers. This inclusion of modifiers in definitions affects the way values are assigned to the categories’ properties (semantic properties and relations). This paper introduces a methodology for: (1) representing the essence of qualitative information to clarify the identity relations among categories; and (2) assessing their semantic similarity in order to disambiguate the taxonomic structure of existent geospatial ontologies.
A Conceptual Framework for Uncertainty Investigation in Map‐based Land Cover Change Modelling
Authors: Leyk Stefan , Boesch Ruedi , Weibel Robert
Published: May 2005

Uncertainty research represents a research stream of high interest within the community of geographical information science. Its elements, terminology and typology are still under strong discussion and adopted methods for analysis are currently under intensive development. This paper presents a conceptual framework for systematic investigation of uncertainty which occurs in applications of land cover change modelling in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based on historical map data. Historical, in this context, means the map is old enough to allow identification of changes in landscape elements of interest, such as vegetation. To date such analyses are rarely conducted or not satisfactorily carried out, despite the fact that historical map data represent a potentially rich information source. The general validity and practicability of the framework for related applications is demonstrated with reference to one example in which forest cover change in Switzerland is investigated. The conceptual model consists of three domains in which main potential sources of uncertainty are systematically exposed. Existing links between data quality research and uncertainty are investigated to access the complex nature of uncertainty and to characterise the most suitable concepts for analysis. In accordance with these concepts appropriate methods and procedures are suggested to assess uncertainty in each domain. One domain is the production‐oriented amount of uncertainty which is inherent in the historical map. Vagueness and ambiguity represent suitable concepts for analysis. Transformation‐oriented uncertainty as the second domain occurs owing to editing and processing of digital data. Thereby, the suitable concept of uncertainty is error. The third domain is the application‐oriented uncertainty which occurs in comparing semantically different data. This domain relates to multi‐temporal discord which assumes the assessment of ‘equi‐temporal’ ambiguity and is thus connected to the production‐oriented domain. The framework provides an estimation of the overall amount of uncertainty. This can be linked to subsequent assessment of ‘fitness for use’. Thus the model provides a practicable and systematic approach to access the complex nature of uncertainty in the scope of land cover change modelling.
Buffer Operation on Spatial Data with Limited Accuracy
Authors: Sadahiro Yukio
Published: May 2005

The quality of spatial data is limited by the accuracy of their sources such as paper maps and satellite images. It is also reduced by errors in map digitization and photo interpretation. Spatial operations performed on spatial data such as map overlay, buffer operations and spatial smoothing, do not always work correctly because their accuracy depends on the quality of spatial data. The present paper evaluates the accuracy of the buffer operation on a point and a line segment in relation to the positional accuracy of spatial data. Two quantitative measures are introduced to assess the accuracy of the buffer operation. Their explicit forms are derived for a point, and a condition is presented where the measures can be evaluated efficiently by numerical calculation. Applications provide empirical findings that deepen our understanding of the relationship between the accuracy of spatial data and that of the buffer operation.
Spatial Analysis of 1991 Gulf War Troop Locations in Relationship with Postwar Health Symptom Reports Using GIS Techniques
Authors: Proctor Susan P , Gopal Sucharita , Imai Asuka , Wolfe Jessica , Ozonoff David , White Roberta F
Published: May 2005

Spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to identify spatial patterns of 1991 Gulf War (GW) troop locations in relationship to subsequent postwar diagnosis of chronic multisymptom illness (CMI). Criteria for the diagnosis of CMI include reporting from at least two of three symptom clusters: fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and mood and cognition. A GIS‐based methodology was used to examine associations between potential hazardous exposures or deployment situations and postwar health outcomes using troop location data as a surrogate. GW veterans from the Devens Cohort Study were queried about specific symptoms approximately four years after the 1991 deployment to the Persian Gulf. Global and local statistics were calculated using the Moran's I and G statistics for six selected date periods chosen a priori to mark important GW‐service events or exposure scenarios among 173 members of the cohort. Global Moran's I statistics did not detect global spatial patterns at any of the six specified data periods, thus, indicating there is no significant spatial autocorrelation of locations over the entire Gulf region for veterans meeting criteria for severe postwar CMI. However, when applying local G* and local Moran's I statistics, significant spatial clusters (primarily in the coastal Dammam/Dharhan and the central inland areas of Saudi Arabia) were identified for several of the selected time periods. Further study using GIS techniques, coupled with epidemiological methods, to examine spatial and temporal patterns with larger sample sizes of GW veterans is warranted to ascertain if the observed spatial patterns can be confirmed.
Impacts of Spatial Partitioning in Hydroecological Models: Predicting Grassland Productivity with RHESSys
Authors: Mitchell Scott W , Csillag Ferenc , Tague Christina
Published: May 2005

Environmental models constructed with a spatial domain require choices about the representation of space. Decisions in the adaptation of a spatial data model can have significant consequences on the ability to predict environmental function as a result of changes to levels of aggregation of input parameters and scaling issues in the processes being modelled. In some cases, it is possible to construct a systematic framework to evaluate the uncertainty in predictions using different spatial models; in other cases, the realm of possibilities plus the complexity of the environmental model in question may inhibit numeric uncertainty estimates. We demonstrate a range of potential spatial data models to parameterize a landscape‐level hydroecological model (RHESSys). The effects of data model choice are illustrated, both in terms of input parameter distributions and resulting ecophysiological predictions. Predicted productivity varied widely, as a function of both the number of modelling units, and of arbitrary decisions such as the origin of a raster grid. It is therefore important to use as much information about the modelled environment as possible. Combinations of adaptive methods to evaluate distributions of input data, plus knowledge of dominant controls of ecosystem processes, can help evaluate potential representations. In this case, variance‐based delineation of vegetation patches is shown to improve the ability to intelligently choose a patch distribution that minimizes the number of patches, while maintaining a degree of aggregation that does not overly bias the predictions.
Presence and Function of the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor on Rat Pial Arteries Investigated In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Petersen KA , Nilsson E , Olesen J , Edvinsson L
Published: May 2005

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and related peptides may be involved in migraine pathogenesis. To understand their vasomotor role in the cerebral circulation, we performed two studies, a pressurized arteriography study of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and a genuine closed cranial window (gCCW) in vivo study. Using the pressurized arteriography model rat MCAs were mounted on micropipettes, pressurized to 85 mmHg and luminally perfused. The diameter responses to luminally and abluminally applied rat-αCGRP, rat-βCGRP, amylin and adrenomedullin were compared with the resting diameter. Only abluminally applied CGRP induced dilation of the cerebral arteries; Emax for αCGRP and βCGRP were 35 ± 0.5% and 10.8 ± 0.2%. These responses were blocked by CGRP8-37. The gCCW model allowed videomicroscopic visualization of the pial vessels in anaesthetized rats. Changes in vessel diameter to intravenously administered αCGRP and βCGRP were compared with pre-infusion baseline. Intravenous infusion of αCGRP and βCGRP in the highest dose induced dilation of the cerebral cortical pial arteries/arterioles of 40.3 ± 7.5% and 49.1 ± 8.4%, respectively. However, this was probably secondary to a decrease in blood pressure of 44.8 ± 3.3 mmHg and 49.2 ± 3.3 mmHg. Our results suggest that CGRP receptors are probably functional on the smooth muscle cells and not on the endothelium of rat cerebral arteries.
Understanding Health Disparities and Inequities Faced by Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Ouellette‐Kuntz Hélène
Published: May 2005

Background There is an increasing interest in the notion of health disparities, inequities and inequalities in Canada and elsewhere. In Canada, individuals with disabilities represent one of six groups identified as particularly vulnerable to health disparities.

Method This paper combines the literature related to the concepts of inequity and inequality with the body of knowledge on health disparities faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Results The value of distinguishing inequity from inequality, particularly as it relates to the experience of individuals with intellectual disabilities, is highlighted.

Conclusions A framework for the study of health inequities based on intellectual impairment is proposed.
Patterns of Obesity among Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Jin‐Ding , Yen Chia‐Feng , Li Chi‐Wei , Wu Jia‐Ling
Published: May 2005

Background  Obesity and the health problems associated with it have substantial economic consequences for health care systems. Little information is available concerning obesity‐related problems among people with intellectual disabilities. The aims of this study were to analyse patterns of obesity among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan and to compare these data with existing national norms in an attempt to identify the scale of the problem of obesity among this population.

Methods  Information was collected by postal questionnaire on a total of 279 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (age 4–18 years).

Results  Sixty‐four per cent of participants in the study had multiple disabilities and 40% had additional health needs. In terms of general health status, most of the persons with intellectual disabilities were reported to be in fair or good health, with 9% of them being reported to be unhealthy or very unhealthy. Body mass index (BMI) was related to age, but not to gender, morbidity or prescribed medication at the time of the survey. However, average BMI was higher than relevant population norms reported in Taiwan's Third National Nutrition and Health Survey (1993–1996). The overall prevalence of obesity was 18%, with 14% of participants aged 4–6 years, 22% of participants aged 7–12 years and 16% of participants aged 13–18 years being obese. In a multiple regression analysis of BMI, age was the only significant predictor of obesity, accounting for 8% of variation.

Conclusions  The findings suggest that the problem of obesity among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities should be considered a major public health concern that warrants further attention in health care systems.
The Impact of Medical Conditions on the Support of Children with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
Authors: Zijlstra H.P. , Vlaskamp C.
Published: May 2005

Background The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of medical conditions of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities on the professional support they receive in centres for special education.

Method The medical files, the daily records and daily communication records between parents and professionals were reviewed for 48 children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in three centres for special education in the Netherlands. In addition, interviews were held with direct service professionals and medical doctors to complete the data collection.

Results Not only do major medical conditions, such as hospital admissions, but also minor medical conditions, such as an increase in body temperature or the drowsy state a child is in as a result of a seizure, have an impact on performing activities and therapies in a child's educational centre.

Conclusions As a result of the prevalence of the medical conditions, professionals may decide not to carry on actions that were planned or do not offer an alternative programme. The risk of many ‘empty’ hours despite the presence of highly specialized professional support is high.
Stay Well and Healthy! Pilot Study Findings from an Inhome Preventive Healthcare Programme for Persons Ageing with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Aronow Harriet Udin , Hahn Joan Earle
Published: May 2005

Background  While disparities in the health status for persons ageing with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been well documented, interventions that address individual risks in physical, emotional, social and environmental health among this population are lacking. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of two inhome interventions designed to reduce health risks and improve health outcomes among persons ageing with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Method  Interventions and assessment tools were developed. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, aged 32 and over (n = 201) living in non‐institutional settings were recruited and assigned to either an advance practice nurse (APN) intervention of inhome multidimensional assessment, targeted recommendations and follow‐up visits (n = 101) or an inhome health risk appraisal (HRA) with printed feedback only (n = 100).

Results  The development and pilot testing of the interventions, assessment tools and methods demonstrated feasibility in the population from mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition, high levels of health risks were identified (mean = 5.0; range 0–16) in the sample suggesting the need for effective interventions. Both pilot groups showed significant reduction in health risks between baseline and follow‐up. Further rigorous randomized field trials are required to test the effectiveness of each intervention.

Conclusions  Community‐based preventive interventions are feasible for randomized trials in this population.
Abstract no.: 2  The influence of clozapine on tone of isolated bovine retinal arteries
Authors: Boussery Koen , Lambrecht Stijn , Delaey Christophe , Van de Voorde Johan
Published: May 2005

Aims:  It has been suggested that the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine might be helpful in the development of new antiglaucoma agents, since it combines lowering of the intra‐ocular pressure after topical instillation with vasodilation. However, the vasoactive influence of clozapine on ocular blood vessels has never been analysed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether clozapine has direct vasodilatory effects in isolated bovine retinal arteries (BRA) and to characterise pharmacologically the mechanisms involved.

Methods:  Retinal arteries were isolated from bovine eyes and mounted in a wire‐myograph for isometric tension recording. Concentration‐response curves were generated by cumulative addition of clozapine (1 nM to 10 μM) to the organ bath.

Results:  Clozapine elicited a concentration‐dependent relaxation of the BRA. Removal of the endothelium of the BRA, inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with Nϖ‐nitro‐L‐arginine and inhibition of soluble guanylyl cyclase with ODQ (1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxalin‐1‐one) significantly attenuated the clozapine‐response, whereas cyclo‐oxygenase inhibition with indomethacin had no influence. The Ca2+ channel activator Bay k8644, the nonselective 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist methiothepin and the adenosine receptor antagonist 8‐(p‐sulfophenyl) theophylline also failed in affecting the clozapine‐induced relaxations.

Conclusion:  Clozapine clearly relaxes bovine retinal arteries in a direct way. Endothelium‐derived NO is involved in this response. However, prostanoids, calcium entry blockade, 5‐HT7 receptor stimulation and adenosine receptor stimulation all seem to be not involved.
Abstract no.: 4  Effect of statins on macrophage activation after platelet phagocytosis
Authors: Jans D.M. , De Keyzer W. , Martinet W. , Bult H. , Herman A.G. , De Meyer G.R.Y.
Published: May 2005

Statins, through HMGCoA reductase inhibition, are potent inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis and are widely used in cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence suggests that the beneficial effects of statins extend beyond their action on serum cholesterol levels. The so called pleiotropic effects can be attributed to reduced production of isoprenoid intermediates such as farnesylpyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate (GGPP). We investigated the effects of statins on macrophage activation after platelet phagocytosis. Platelet phagocytosis is known as an alternative mechanism for foam cell formation and macrophage activation in human atherosclerotic plaques. Processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), present in platelets, to amyloid‐β (Aβ) might be responsible for induction of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in macrophages. It has been reported that statins can affect APP processing not only through reduction of cholesterol levels, but also via other mechanisms such as reduced isoprenylation of small GTP binding proteins. Interferon‐γ primed murine J774 macrophages were incubated with washed human blood platelets for 18 h with or without different statins. Nitrite was quantified in the supernatant as a measure for iNOS activity. Macrophage activation following platelet phagocytosis was reduced in the presence of fluvastatin and atorvastatin, but not with simvastatin and rosuvastatin. Besides 30 μM of simvastatin, there was no effect of statins on LPS‐stimulated macrophages, indicating that LPS activates macrophages via a different pathway than platelets. The effect of fluvastatin could be reversed by mevalonic acid, FPP and GGPP. Our results show that some statins decrease macrophage activation after platelet phagocytosis. This effect may be explained by interference with cholesterol synthesis or through reduced isoprenylation of small GTP binding proteins. Diminished macrophage activation in an atherosclerotic plaque can contribute to plaque stabilisation.
Sensitivity analysis in the single‐machine scheduling problem with max–min criterion
Authors: Chanas Stefan , Kasperski Adam
Published: May 2005

In this paper, the single‐machine scheduling problem 1∣prec∣fmax is considered. It is one of the most general scheduling problems for which an efficient, polynomial algorithm has been developed. It is always possible to calculate quickly one optimal solution (a sequence of jobs) in that problem. However, the set of all optimal solutions may contain a lot of other sequences, so it is important to give a full characterization of that set. This paper consists of two parts. In the first part, some sufficient and necessary conditions of optimality of a given solution to the problem 1∣prec∣fmax are proved. In the second part, an application of these conditions to the sensitivity analysis is presented.
Metaheuristics for computing the forwarding index of a graph*
Authors: Arráiz Emely , Martínez Amadís , Meza Oscar , Ortega Maruja
Published: May 2005

In this paper we present two algorithms, based on Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure and Tabu Search, for computing upper bounds for the forwarding index of a graph. A typical problem in the design of communication networks is determining how to interconnect each pair of nodes, without overloading any one of them. The forwarding index of a graph is a parameter that measures the load or congestion of the network seen as the number of interconnecting paths that pass through each node. The proposed algorithms have been tested on different sets of graphs for which theoretical values are known and also on randomly generated graphs of variable size and density. Experiments show that the algorithms find the optimal solution or a solution very close to the optimum in all cases. Our results are furthermore compared with the other heuristics for which computational results are available in the literature, showing that our algorithms behave as well as or better than these.
Maximum diversity/similarity models with extension to part grouping
Authors: Adil Gajendra K. , Ghosh Jay B.
Published: May 2005

Maximum diversity/similarity models involve selecting a subset of desired size from a given pool of objects such that some measure of diversity or similarity among the selected objects is maximized. Such models have found application, among other places, in the formation of various groups, the location of obnoxious facilities and the identification of dense subgraphs. We present a mild generalization, which yields a stronger and more practical formulation and is seen to be solved effectively. As an extension, we consider the part‐grouping problem as encountered in manufacturing cell formation. We show how the enhanced diversity/similarity model can be used to form part families in a way that is both flexible and competitive with existing approaches. We provide an illustrative example and limited computational results.
A GRASP/VND heuristic for the phylogeny problem using a new neighborhood structure
Authors: Ribeiro Celso C. , Vianna Dalessandro S.
Published: May 2005

A phylogeny is a tree that relates taxonomic units, based on their similarity over a set of characters. The phylogeny problem consists in finding a phylogeny with the minimum number of evolutionary steps. We propose a new neighborhood structure for the phylogeny problem. A greedy randomized adaptive search procedure heuristic based on this neighborhood structure and using variable neighborhood descent for local search is described. Computational results on randomly generated and benchmark instances are reported, showing that the new heuristic is quite robust and outperforms the other algorithms in the literature in terms of solution quality and time‐to‐target value.
How unstable? Volatility and the genuinely new parties in Eastern Europe
Authors: SIKK ALLAN
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  Measuring of party system stability in Eastern Europe during the first decade of democratic elections presents problems. The traditional quantitative measure – volatility – does not distinguish between the dynamics among incumbent parties and the rise of genuinely new ones. I propose a new additional measure – success of genuinely new parties – and compare it to volatility. The subsequent performance of initially successful genuinely new parties is analysed. While volatility has been remarkably high in East European countries, the genuinely new parties have, in general, not been very successful. Instability of party systems in the region stems rather from the inner dynamics of incumbent actors than from the rise of new contenders.
The vulnerable populist right parties: No economic realignment fuelling their electoral success
Authors: IVARSFLATEN ELISABETH
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  The two occupational groups most likely to vote for populist right parties in Western Europe in the 1990s also disagree the most over issues relating to the economic dimension of politics. The two groups were: blue‐collar workers – who support extensive state intervention in the economy – and owners of small businesses – who are against such state intervention. Proponents of economic realignment theories have held that both groups voted for the populist right because their economic preferences became aligned in recent decades. This article analyzes more detailed comparative data than has previously been available in the two cases held to be most propitious for the realignment hypotheses – France and Denmark – and finds strong evidence against them. The key mechanism for bringing together voters who disagree on state intervention in the economy is the populist right's appeal on issues cross‐cutting the economic dimension, and these voters’ willingness to grant such issues pre‐eminence over economic ones. As a result, it is argued, populist right parties in Western Europe are limited by or vulnerable to the salience of the economic dimension.
Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis: Proton Pump Inhibitor vs. Ranitidine Bismuth Citrate Plus Two Antibiotics in Helicobacter pylori Eradication
Authors: Gisbert Javier P. , Gonzalez Leticia , Calvet Xavier
Published: May 2005

Objective.  To systematically review the Helicobacter pylori eradication efficacy with ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC) and two antibiotics, and to conduct a meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) vs. RBC with two antibiotics for 1 week.

Methods.  Selection of studies: Studies evaluating RBC plus two antibiotics were considered. For the meta‐analysis, randomized controlled trials comparing PPI vs. RBC plus two antibiotics for 1 week were included. Search strategy: Electronic and manual bibliographical searches. Assessment of study quality and data extraction: Independently done by two reviewers. Data synthesis: ‘Intention‐to‐treat’ eradication rate. Meta‐analysis was performed, combining the odds ratios (OR) of the individual studies. Subanalysis: Depending on the type of antibiotics and the quality of the studies.

Results.  Mean H. pylori eradication with 7‐day RBC–clarithromycin‐amoxicillin, RBC–clarithromycin‐nitroimidazole, and RBC–amoxicillin‐nitroimidazole was 83%, 86%, and 71%, respectively. The meta‐analysis showed comparable efficacy with RBC and PPI when they were combined with clarithromycin and amoxicillin (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.88–1.40), or with amoxicillin and metronidazole (OR = 0.92; 95%CI = 0.60–1.41). However, when comparing PPI vs. RBC plus clarithromycin and a nitroimidazole, higher cure rates with RBC than with PPI were demonstrated (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.15–2.37).

Conclusion.  The efficacy of RBC and PPI‐based triple regimens were comparable when using the clarithromycin‐amoxicillin or the amoxicillin‐metronidazole combination. However, RBC seems to have a higher efficacy than PPI when clarithromycin and a nitroimidazole are the antibiotics prescribed. Therefore, if one prefers to use the clarithromycin‐nitroimidazole regimen, RBC should be used instead of a PPI.