bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How accurate is weight estimation in the emergency department?
Authors: Menon Shyaman , Kelly Anne‐Maree
Published: March 2005

Objective:  To determine the accuracy of medical staff, nursing staff and patients for estimating weight in an ED population.

Methods:  This is a prospective, observational study. Medical staff, nursing staff and patients were asked to estimate patient weight that was then measured. The main outcome was average per cent error in weight estimation for each group.

Results:  Average per cent error in estimates was 3.9% for patients (95% CI 3.6–4.1%), 7.7% (95% CI 7.2–8.2%) for nurses and 11% (95% CI 10.2–11.7%) for physicians. Ninety‐one per cent of patients (95% CI 90–93%), 78% of nurses (95% CI 75–80%) and 59% of physicians (95% CI 56–63%) made weight estimates accurate to within 10% of actual weight.

Conclusion:  Patients are generally accurate in estimating their true weight and health care workers showed only moderate accuracy. Where possible, drug dose calculations should be based on measured weight and if this is not possible, patient estimate of weight should be sought. Health care worker estimation should be used only when this is not possible.
Challenges in arranging interhospital transfers from a small regional hospital: An observational study
Authors: Craig Simon S
Published: March 2005

Objective:  To describe the process of interhospital transfer from a small regional hospital ED.

Methods:  Prospective observational case series of patients transferred from the ED of West Gippsland Hospital (WGH), Victoria from February to August 2003. Outcome measures were expressed as the number of phone calls required to facilitate interhospital transfer, the time taken for a proposed transfer to be accepted and the total time a transferred patient spent in the ED.

Results:  Eighty‐one of 129 transferred patients had all data available. Those with missing data had similar ED length of stays, and were of similar age and acuity to those with complete data available. Mean (95% CI) values for the study population were number of phone calls: 4.7 (95% CI 3.96–5.43); time to transfer acceptance: 56.7 min (95% CI 19.1–94.8 min); and total time in ED: 307 min (95% CI 32.9–372.6 min). Men (P = 0.01), older patients (P = 0.02) and those for whom a centralized referral service were consulted (P = 0.006) were more likely to require four or more phone calls to facilitate transfer. The time until a transfer was accepted was more likely to be longer than an hour for patients who were transferred to critical care areas (P = 0.02) and those for whom a centralized referral service was consulted (P = 0.002). Patients referred to another ED spent less time in WGH ED than other transferred patients.

Conclusion:  There is wide variation in the time taken and the number of phone calls to arrange an interhospital transfer, with some patient groups requiring more effort to organize a transfer.
Boarder belly: Splenic injuries resulting from ski and snowboarding accidents
Authors: Geddes Ross , Irish Kevin
Published: March 2005

Objective:  Snowboarding has increased in popularity worldwide, with an associated increase in injuries suffered by its participants with a significant proportion of these injuries being severe. We sought to understand the risk of sustaining a splenic injury in snowboarders as compared to skiers, and whether there are noteworthy differences in their characteristics at hospital admission.

Methods:  A 10‐year retrospective review was conducted on patients with splenic injury resulting from snowboarding or skiing, who were admitted to the principle ED and referral hospital servicing several busy downhill skiing areas. Population‐based injury rates were calculated for our catchment area, using data provided by the Canadian Ski Council.

Results:  Controlling for gender, snowboarders were six times more likely to sustain a splenic injury than skiers (P < 0.0001). The risk of splenic injury was 21.7 times greater for male snowboarders than for female snowboarders (P = 0.002). By contrast, no gender differences were observed for skiers. Snowboarders admitted to hospital with a splenic injury were significantly younger, more likely to present with an isolated injury and to required a shorter hospital stay, as compared to skiers.

Conclusion:  The risk of sustaining an injury of the spleen resulting from blunt abdominal trauma while snowboarding is significantly greater than the risk while downhill skiing. Male snowboarders have a significantly higher risk of splenic injury than female snowboarders. In the majority of cases, snowboarders sustained their injuries as a result of falls or jumps.
The status of emergency medicine in Makira Ulawa Province, Solomon Islands
Authors: Ratu Sade Kenton
Published: March 2005

This Perspective reports on the challenges that face a solo doctor in a provincial hospital in the Solomon Islands following the civil disturbances of 1998–2003. The Health Service is seriously constrained by a paucity of funding, supplies and personnel. In spite of that, a rudimentary service can be provided and lives can be saved using simple techniques and basic resources. Further training of nurses, midwives and doctors is required. Emergency medicine, as a generalist discipline, provides a foundation to improve the delivery of care to the acutely ill and injured in these circumstances.
A mysterious case of chest pain
Authors: Gawthrope Ian C , Davidson Jennifer A
Published: March 2005

Atrial myxomas can present a diagnostic dilemma attributed to their broad spectrum of clinical presentations. We report the case of a 46‐year‐old woman in whom the diagnosis of atrial myxoma initially eluded cardiologists despite the large size of her tumour.
Nonlinear Space–Time Evolution of Wave Groups With a High Crest
Authors: Arena Felice , Fedele Francesco
Published: March 2005

The theory of quasi-determinism, for the mechanics of linear random wave groups was obtained by Boccotti in the eighties. The first formulation of the theory deals with the largest crest amplitude; the second formulation deals with the largest wave height. In this paper the first formulation of Boccotti’s theory, particularized for long-crested waves, is extended to the second-order. The analytical expressions of the nonlinear free surface displacement and velocity potential are obtained. The space–time evolution of the nonlinear wave group, when a very large crest occurs at a fixed time and location, is then shown. Finally the second-order probability of exceedance of the crest amplitude is obtained and validated by Monte Carlo simulation.
Sugar Rush
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: March 2005

An enzyme that lengthens yeast life span helps hungry mice boost dwindling sugar supplies, new results reveal. The protein teams with another molecule to ignite glucose manufacture and quash sugar destruction. The work illuminates how the molecule tweaks metabolism in mammals.
Pay at the Pump
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

Even with a full tank of gas, a car won't run if the fuel doesn't get to the engine. Similarly, a new study reveals that a breakdown in an energy delivery process might spur heart failure. The study uses a new method that tracks metabolism in humans and could provide a novel way to test therapies.
Apoptotic Killing of Fibroblasts by Matrix-Bound Advanced Glycation Endproducts
Authors: Obrenovich Mark E. , Monnier Vincent M.
Published: March 2005

The extracellular matrix accumulates biologically active advanced glycation endproducts such as carboxymethyl-lysine (CML). Alikhani
et al.
recently reported that CML-rich collagen, representing an artifically aged matrix protein, induces apoptosis in vivo and in fibroblasts. This observation may have profound implications for the biology of cell-matrix interactions during aging.
Lipofuscin and Aging: A Matter of Toxic Waste
Authors: Gray Douglas A. , Woulfe John
Published: March 2005

Lipofuscin is membrane-bound cellular waste that can be neither degraded nor ejected from the cell but can only be diluted through cell division and subsequent growth. The fate of postmitotic cells is to accumulate lipofuscin, which as an "aging pigment" has been considered a reliable biomarker for the age of cells such as neurons and, by extension, their hosts. In the aging human brain, deposits of lipofuscin are not uniformly distributed but are concentrated in specific regions of functional interest. The prevailing thought is that the major source of lipofuscin is incomplete lysosomal degradation of damaged mitochondria. Accumulating evidence suggests that lipofuscin is not benign but can impair the functioning of seemingly unrelated cellular systems, including the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. A damaging feedback loop of lysosomal and proteasomal inhibition may occur as lipofuscin accumulates, leading to what has been appropriately named a "garbage catastrophe." Reversing this catastrophe presents a formidable challenge.
Dosed to Death
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

Extra-small mice enjoy a supersized life span, and new results help clarify the hormone changes that are responsible. A dearth of thyroid hormone seems to play a crucial role, the work reveals. The study also indicates that animals don't have to be little to persist.
Meeting Report: 4th European Congress of Biogerontology
Authors: Gray Douglas A. , Bürkle Alexander
Published: March 2005

The 4th European Congress of Biogerontology took place in Newcastle upon Tyne in November 2004. Leading figures in the biology of aging presented their recent work, providing new insights into fundamental mechanisms of aging as it occurs in organisms ranging from yeast to the human species. Highlights of these presentations are presented here.
Will Humans Join the Club?
Authors: Davenport R. John
Published: March 2005

Most people don't crawl through the dirt or hover over rotten fruit, but a new study reveals one thing we might have in common with the worms and flies that do. Women with particular alterations in insulin-signaling genes live longer than normal, suggesting that similar pathways influence aging in humans, nematodes, and fruit flies. But some researchers express reservations about the results.
Cool La Niña During the Warmth of the Pliocene?
Authors: Rickaby R. E. M. , Halloran P.
Published: March 2005

The role of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in greenhouse warming and climate change remains controversial. During the warmth of the early-mid Pliocene, we find evidence for enhanced thermocline tilt and cold upwelling in the equatorial Pacific, consistent with the prevalence of a La Niña–like state, rather than the proposed persistent warm El Niño–like conditions. Our Pliocene paleothermometer supports the idea of a dynamic “ocean thermostat” in which heating of the tropical Pacific leads to a cooling of the east equatorial Pacific and a La Niña–like state, analogous to observations of a transient increasing east-west sea surface temperature gradient in the 20th-century tropical Pacific.
Self-Renewal and Cancer of the Gut: Two Sides of a Coin
Authors: Radtke Freddy , Clevers Hans
Published: March 2005

The intestinal epithelium follows the paradigms of stem cell biology established for other self-renewing tissues. With a unique topology, it constitutes a two-dimensional structure folded into valleys and hills: the proliferative crypts and the differentiated villi. Its unprecedented self-renewal rate appears reflected in a high susceptibility to malignant transformation. The molecular mechanisms that control homeostatic self-renewal and those that underlie colorectal cancer are remarkably symmetrical. Here, we discuss the biology of the intestinal epithelium, emphasizing the roles played by Wnt, bone morphogenic protein, and Notch signaling cascades in epithelial self-renewal and cancer.
RNA-Dependent Cysteine Biosynthesis in Archaea
Authors: Sauerwald Anselm , Zhu Wenhong , Major Tiffany A. , Roy Hervé , Palioura Sotiria , Jahn Dieter , Whitman William B. , Yates John R. , Ibba Michael , Söll Dieter
Published: March 2005

Several methanogenic archaea lack cysteinyl–transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetase (CysRS), the essential enzyme that provides Cys-tRNA
Cys
for translation in most organisms. Partial purification of the corresponding activity from
Methanocaldococcus jannaschii
indicated that tRNA
Cys
becomes acylated with
O
-phosphoserine (Sep) but not with cysteine. Further analyses identified a class II–type
O
-phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase (SepRS) and Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS). SepRS specifically forms Sep-tRNA
Cys
, which is then converted to Cys-tRNA
Cys
by SepCysS. Comparative genomic analyses suggest that this pathway, encoded in all organisms lacking CysRS, can also act as the sole route for cysteine biosynthesis. This was proven for
Methanococcus maripaludis
, where deletion of the SepRS-encoding gene resulted in cysteine auxotrophy. As the conversions of Sep-tRNA to Cys-tRNA or to selenocysteinyl-tRNA are chemically analogous, the catalytic activity of SepCysS provides a means by which both cysteine and selenocysteine may have originally been added to the genetic code.
No Organ Left Behind: Tales of Gut Development and Evolution
Authors: Stainier Didier Y. R.
Published: March 2005

The function of an organ is dependent on its cellular constituents as well as on their assembly into a cohesive unit. The developing gut faces unique challenges as one of the longest and largest organs in the body and also because it is constantly interfacing with external factors through the diet. Its location deep within the body has until recently hampered investigation into its formation. The patterning of the gut along its longitudinal, dorsoventral, left-right, and radial axes is one of the fascinating issues that pertain to the development, function, and homeostasis of this understudied organ.
Chemical Detection with a Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Capacitor
Authors: Snow E. S. , Perkins F. K. , Houser E. J. , Badescu S. C. , Reinecke T. L.
Published: March 2005

We show that the capacitance of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is highly sensitive to a broad class of chemical vapors and that this transduction mechanism can form the basis for a fast, low-power sorption-based chemical sensor. In the presence of a dilute chemical vapor, molecular adsorbates are polarized by the fringing electric fields radiating from the surface of a SWNT electrode, which causes an increase in its capacitance. We use this effect to construct a high-performance chemical sensor by thinly coating the SWNTs with chemoselective materials that provide a large, class-specific gain to the capacitance response. Such SWNT chemicapacitors are fast, highly sensitive, and completely reversible.
2004: Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year
Authors: Adler Elizabeth M. , Gough Nancy R. , Ray L. Bryan
Published: March 2005

Signaling experts nominated notable advances in basic science, as well as in the application of cell signaling research to medicine. Cancer research, neuroscience, and immunology emerged as key areas for major breakthroughs in cell signaling in 2004.
The Yins of T Cell Activation
Authors: Liu Jun O.
Published: March 2005

Transcription factors activated in response to T cell receptor (TCR) signaling include nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) family, which is highly phosphorylated and thereby maintained in the cytoplasm of resting T cells, the nuclear factor NF-κB, which is kept in the cytoplasm of resting cells through its association with the inhibitor protein IκB, and activating protein–1 (AP-1), which is only transcribed after TCR stimulation. Negative regulators of TCR signaling can be divided into two groups: Class 1 regulators help maintain the quiescent state of unstimulated T cells, whereas class 2 regulators are themselves transcriptionally induced in response to TCR signaling and serve to limit and terminate the activating signal. Class 1 regulators include the autoinhibitory domain of the phosphatase calcineurin; IκB and its transcriptional activators Foxj1 and Foxo3a; and various transcriptional coregulators that inhibit interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. Class 2 regulators include the calcipressins, which, like NFATp and NFAT4 are feedback inhibitors of calcineurin-NFAT signaling, IκB, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatases, which inhibit MAPK signaling and thus the nuclear localization of AP-1 components.
A Model for Fast-Track Exocytosis of Synaptic Vesicles
Authors: Galli Thierry , Haucke Volker
Published: March 2005

The animation illustrates one model for "kiss-and-run" or fast-track release of neurotransmitter through a calcium-triggered transient pore formed between the synaptic vesicle and plasma membrane. The vesicles remain attached to the plasma membrane throughout the cycle. The animation illustrates a role for SNARE proteins and dynamin in the formation and closure of the pore. The animation would be useful in both neurobiology courses, but also any cell biology course that explores calcium-regulated secretion events.
Teaching with STKE
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: March 2005

STKE has several mechanisms by which instructors and students can utilize the site as a teaching tool and resource. With the instructors of the "Cell Signaling Systems" course for graduate students, STKE explores using the various elements of STKE as a digital teaching aid. The resources that will be part of the STKE online supplement to the course as taught at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, include Teaching Resources starting with one that outlines the course structure and schedule and then one for each lecture. In addition, related resources at STKE will be highlighted in and linked to the Teaching Resources. The final component will be online discussion forums that allow students and instructors the world over to interact with the instructors of this course, which is offered in a traditional classroom format at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Reaching Out Beyond the Synapse: Glial Intercellular Waves Coordinate Metabolism
Authors: Charles Andrew
Published: March 2005

Neuronal activity can stimulate an increase in astrocyte intracellular calcium concentration, which is propagated through neighboring astrocytes as a "calcium wave"; these calcium waves are accompanied by the release of glutamate. Sodium-dependent glutamate uptake leads to a secondary astrocytic sodium wave, accompanied by a wave of increased glucose uptake and metabolism. This metabolic wave may enable astrocytes to provide lactate as an energy source to neighboring active neurons and perhaps to distant neurons as well. Thus, one function of long-range intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes may be to spatially coordinate their function in supporting neuronal metabolism.
Introduction: Overview of Pathways and Networks and GPCR Signaling
Authors: Iyengar Ravi
Published: March 2005

This Teaching Resource provides the overview to the course "Cell Signaling Systems: A Course for Graduate Students" and lays out the general principles that can be deduced from the current understanding of the organization of cell signaling pathways and networks and how information flows through these pathways and networks. In addition, the lecture provides an overview of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. A description of the lecture, along with a set of slides (
http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sigtrans;2005/270/tr4/DC1
) used to present this information, is provided.
Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Moon Randall T.
Published: March 2005

Wnts are secreted glycoproteins that act as ligands to stimulate receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Activation of Wnt pathways can modulate cell proliferation, survival, cell behavior, and cell fate in both embryos and adults. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is the best understood Wnt signaling pathway, and its core components are highly conserved during evolution, although tissue-specific or species-specific modifiers of the pathway are likely. In the absence of a Wnt signal, cytoplasmic β-catenin is phosphorylated and degraded in a complex of proteins. Wnt signaling through the Frizzled serpentine receptor and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-5 or -6 (LRP5 or 6) coreceptors activates the cytoplasmic phosphoprotein Dishevelled, which blocks the degradation of β-catenin. As the amount of β-catenin rises, it accumulates in the nucleus, where it interacts with specific transcription factors, leading to regulation of target genes. Inappropriate activation of the pathway in response to mutations is linked to a wide range of cancers, including colorectal cancer and melanoma. The pathway is linked to bone density syndromes and to neurodegenerative diseases, and the pathway may also be involved in the retinal disease familial exudative vitreoretinopathy.
The TRP Superfamily of Cation Channels
Authors: Montell Craig
Published: March 2005

The transient receptor potential (TRP) protein superfamily consists of a diverse group of cation channels that bear structural similarities to
Drosophila
TRP. TRP channels play important roles in nonexcitable cells; however, an emerging theme is that many TRP-related proteins are expressed predominantly in the nervous system and function in sensory physiology. The TRP superfamily is divided into seven subfamilies, the first of which is composed of the "classical" TRPs" (TRPC subfamily). Some TRPCs may be store-operated channels, whereas others appear to be activated by production of diacylglycerol or regulated through an exocytotic mechanism. Many members of a second subfamily (TRPV) function in sensory physiology and respond to heat, changes in osmolarity, odorants, and mechanical stimuli. Two members of the TRPM family function in sensory perception and three TRPM proteins are chanzymes, which contain C-terminal enzyme domains. The fourth and fifth subfamilies, TRPN and TRPA, include proteins with many ankyrin repeats. TRPN proteins function in mechanotransduction, whereas TRPA1 is activated by noxious cold and is also required for the auditory response. In addition to these five closely related TRP subfamilies, which comprise the Group 1 TRPs, members of the two Group 2 TRP subfamilies, TRPP and TRPML, are distantly related to the group 1 TRPs. Mutations in the founding members of these latter subfamilies are responsible for human diseases. Each of the TRP subfamilies are represented by members in worms and flies, providing the potential for using genetic approaches to characterize the normal functions and activation mechanisms of these channels.
Dasm1: A Receptor That Shapes Neuronal Dendrites and Turns On Silent Synapses?
Authors: Falls Douglas L.
Published: March 2005

Recent research suggests that mouse Dasm1, a protein likely to function as a neuronal cell-surface receptor, plays an important role in both shaping the dendritic tree and affecting the fraction of electrically active glutamatergic synapses. This Perspective considers the question of whether Dasm1 is indeed a receptor and the in vivo implications of the reported in vitro effects of Dasm1 on dendrite growth, AMPA receptor distribution, and synapse unsilencing.
Alone at Last! New Functions for Ca
2+
Channel β Subunits?
Authors: Rousset Matthieu , Cens Thierry , Charnet Pierre
Published: March 2005

New functions for voltage-gated Ca
2+
channel auxiliary β subunits have recently been identified. These functions appear to be regulated by the β subunit alone, independently of any effects on the Ca
2+
influx; hence, the β subunit may not be truly "auxiliary" and may play more fundamental roles in Ca
2+
homeostasis or gene regulation. These new findings raise important questions and open new, exciting research avenues.
Structure of G Protein–Coupled Receptors and G Proteins
Authors: Iyengar Ravi
Published: March 2005

This Teaching Resource provides lecture notes and slides for a class covering the structure and function of G protein–coupled receptors and is part of the course "Cell Signaling Systems: A Course for Graduate Students." The lecture begins with a discussion of the crystal structure of rhodopsin and G protein subunits and then proceeds to describe the molecular mechanisms of receptor activation and the subsequent release of G proteins.
The retroperitoneal surface in distal caecal and proximal ascending colon carcinoma: the Cinderella surgical margin?
Authors: Bateman A C , Carr N J , Warren B F
Published: March 2005

Background:Mesorectal margin tumour involvement is a predictor of local recurrence in rectal carcinoma and an indication for postoperative radiotherapy in suitable patients. However, the prevalence of non-peritonealised surgical margin involvement in ascending colon carcinoma is unknown.

Aims:To test the hypothesis that retroperitoneal surgical margin (RSM) tumour involvement occurs in distal caecal and proximal ascending colon carcinoma.

Methods/Results:One hundred right hemicolectomy specimens, removed for adenocarcinoma of the caecum or proximal ascending colon, were studied. During routine specimen dissection, at least one additional tissue block was taken to include the tumour and the RSM. The tumour distance from the RSM was recorded. RSM tumour involvement was present in seven cases (7%). Direct (non-nodal) RSM tumour involvement (five cases) only occurred in posterior or circumferential tumours.

Conclusions:RSM tumour involvement occurs within a considerable number of distal caecal and proximal ascending colon carcinomas. The rate of RSM tumour involvement identified here is similar to a previously published local recurrence rate of 10% in caecal carcinoma, suggesting that RSM tumour involvement may be a predictor of recurrence in these tumours. Therefore, patients with distal caecal or proximal ascending colon carcinoma and RSM tumour involvement may benefit from postoperative radiotherapy.
Coxsackievirus B3 sequences in the myocardium of fatal cases in a cluster of acute myocarditis in Greece: Figure 1
Authors: Spanakis N , Manolis E N , Tsakris A , Tsiodras S , Panagiotopoulos T , Saroglou G , Legakis N J
Published: March 2005

Aim:The investigation of three fatal cases during a nationwide cluster of cases of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) associated with myocarditis and/or pericarditis in Greece in 2002.

Methods:In the three women who died, necropsies were performed and tissue sections were taken for histological examination, antigen detection by immunohistochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), amplification of viral genomes by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and sequence analysis.

Results:All samples showed histological signs of active myocarditis. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of the enterovirus VP1 family of proteins and IFA revealed the presence of coxsackievirus B3 antigen. Nested RT-PCR amplified enteroviral alleles of the 5′-untranslated region which were identical to each other and to the coxsackievirus B3 sequences.

Conclusions:This study provides pathological evidence of enteroviral infection among fatal myocarditis cases in a nationwide URTI cluster of cases associated with myocarditis and/or pericarditis.
Segmental pulmonary veno-occlusive disease secondary to lung cancer
Authors: Ibrahim N B N , Burnley H , Gaber K A , Ormerod L J , Addis B , Capron F , McGavin C R
Published: March 2005

This report describes two cases of segmental pulmonary vein occlusion secondary to lung malignancy in which lung biopsies showed histological features of veno-occlusive disease. These are the first cases to be reported in the literature in which such lung parenchymal histological changes are described in association with lung malignancy.
Status of the p53, p16, RB1, and HER-2 genes and chromosomes 3, 7, 9, and 17 in advanced bladder cancer: correlation with adjacent mucosa and pathological parameters
Authors: Gallucci M , Guadagni F , Marzano R , Leonardo C , Merola R , Sentinelli S , Ruggeri E M , Cantiani R , Sperduti I , Lopez F de la I , Cianciulli A M
Published: March 2005

Aims:To evaluate a panel of well known genetic alterations for frequency of changes in bladder cancer that could be considered genomic instability determinants or adjunctive prognostic predictors.

Methods:Fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis was performed to evaluate chromosomes 3, 7, 9, and 17 and the 9p21 (p16), 17p13.1 (p53), 13q14 (RB1), and 17q11.2 (HER-2) chromosomal loci in 48 muscle invasive bladder cancer specimens and the adjacent normal mucosa.

Results:There were significant differences between the frequency of chromosome 7 monosomy/polysomy and 17 monosomy in the two groups (tumours and adjacent mucosa) (p  =  0.004, p  =  0.037, and p  =  0.015, respectively). There were no differences in the frequency of gene deletions between tumours and the adjacent mucosa. 17q11.2 amplification was found in 14.5% of tumours examined, but not in the non-malignant epithelium. Chromosome 3, 7, and 17 monosomy and the RB1 heterozygous deletion were significantly associated with stage T3–4 (p  =  0.03, p  =  0.04, p  =  0.04, and p  =  0.03, respectively).

Conclusions:These results demonstrate the importance of chromosomes 3, 7, and 17 and gene alterations in bladder cancer progression, highlighting their usefulness as prognostic markers. Larger studies with longterm follow up of these patients are needed to determine the validity and clinical relevance of these genetic findings, and molecular prognostic markers should be incorporated into phase II and III trials to define their roles in predicting clinical outcome.
High co-prevalence of genogroup 1 TT virus and human papillomavirus is associated with poor clinical outcome of laryngeal carcinoma
Authors: Szládek G , Juhász A , Kardos G , Szőke K , Major T , Sziklai I , Tar I , Márton I , Kónya J , Gergely L , Szarka K
Published: March 2005

Background:The aetiology and factors leading to the progression of laryngeal cancer are still unclear. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) has been suggested to play a role, reports concerning the effect of HPV infection on tumour development are controversial. Recently, transfusion transmitted virus (TTV) was suggested to play a role in certain infections as a causative or coinfecting agent.

Aims:To investigate whether the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with coinfection with TTV and HPV.

Methods:The prevalence of TTV and HPV was investigated using the polymerase chain reaction in tissue samples from 40 healthy individuals, 10 patients with recurrent papillomatosis, five patients with papillomatosis with malignant transformation, and 25 patients with laryngeal carcinoma. The obtained prevalence data were compared and analysed statistically.

Results:In the 11 patients with carcinoma who had metastasis or relapse there was a high rate of coinfection with genogroup 1 TTV and HPV (eight of 11), whereas in the 14 without tumour progression no coinfection was found. Coinfection was associated with significantly lower tumour free survival in patients with carcinoma (p < 0.001). Furthermore, four of five patients who had papillomatosis with malignant transformation were coinfected with genogroup 1 TTV and HPV.

Conclusions:Although the nature of cooperation between HPV and TTV needs to be investigated further, coinfection with genogroup 1 TTV and HPV appears to be associated with poor clinical outcome in laryngeal cancer.
Bacteraemia prediction in emergency medical admissions: role of C reactive protein
Authors: Wyllie D H , Bowler I C J W , Peto T E A
Published: March 2005

Aim:To define the contribution made by C reactive protein (CRP) measurement to bacteraemia prediction in adults with medical emergencies in the UK.

Methods:This two year cohort study involved 6234 patients admitted as emergency cases to the acute medical or infectious diseases services of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, in whom blood cultures were taken on arrival. The main outcome measures were bacteraemia risk associated with admission CRP concentrations, lymphocyte counts, and neutrophil counts.

Results:The quantitative associations between CRP concentration, admission lymphocyte count, and neutrophil count were defined. Risk of bacteraemia rose continuously as the CRP increased: no “cutoff” value was evident. Models examining combinations of CRP, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count were developed and validated using a split sample technique. CRP contributed to a model including lymphocyte and neutrophil counts, but its effect was small. CRP alone performed no better than either a model combining lymphopenia and neutrophilia, or than lymphopenia alone.

Conclusions:In patients with acute medical emergencies who are suspected of bacteraemia clinically, CRP concentrations, although associated with bacteraemia, have a limited role in bacteraemia prediction.
Results of a questionnaire regarding criteria for adequacy of endometrial biopsies
Authors: Phillips V , McCluggage W G
Published: March 2005

Aims:Pathologists are faced with increasing numbers of endometrial biopsies containing scant tissue. Anecdotal evidence points to significant variation among pathologists regarding criteria used to assess adequacy, and no standard recommendations exist. An initial audit showing variation in endometrial biopsy adequacy reporting prompted this assessment of the criteria used by specialist gynaecological pathologists for the classification of adequacy.

Methods:A questionnaire regarding criteria used for endometrial biopsy assessment adequacy was sent to members of the British Association of Gynaecological Pathologists and the National Gynaecological Pathology External Quality Assessment Scheme (UK). One hundred and thirty questionnaires were distributed and 61 pathologists responded.

Results:The responses showed great variation in criteria used to classify endometrial biopsies as adequate. Most respondents felt it would be useful if criteria were proposed to aid this assessment.

Conclusions:Wide variation exists among specialist gynaecological pathologists regarding what constitutes an adequate endometrial biopsy. The gynaecologist should interpret the biopsy report in the light of clinical, radiological, and hysteroscopic features. The presence of scanty tissue in postmenopausal women with a thin endometrium and no focal lesion is expected, and is not a reason for repeat biopsy. Pathologists should exercise caution before classifying endometrial biopsies as inadequate, because this may have medicolegal and management implications.
Co-expression and regulation of connexins 36 and 43 in cultured neonatal rat pancreatic islets
Authors: Leite A R , Carvalho C P.F , Furtado A G , Barbosa H C.L , Boschero A C , Collares-Buzato C B
Published: March 2005

Fetal and neonatal pancreatic islets present a lower insulin secretory response as compared with adult islets. Prolonged culturing leads to an improvement of the glucose-induced insulin secretion response in neonatal pancreatic islets that may involve regulation of gap junction mediated cell communication. In this study, we investigated the effect of culturing neonatal islet cells for varying periods of time and with different glucose medium concentrations on the cellular expression of the endocrine pancreatic gap junction associated connexin (Cx) 36 and Cx43. We report here that the 7-d culture induced upregulation of the expression of these junctional proteins in neonatal islets in a time-dependent manner. A correlation was observed between the increased mRNA and protein expression of Cx36 and Cx43 and the increased insulin secretion following islet culturing. In addition, increasing glucose concentration within the culture medium induced a concentration-dependent enhancement of Cx36 islet expression, but not of Cx43 expression in cultured neonatal islets. In conclusion, we suggest that the regulation of gap junctional proteins by culture medium containing factors and glucose may be an important event for the maturation process of β cells observed at in vitro conditions.Key words: connexin 36, connexin 43, gap junctions, insulin secretion, in vitro maturation, neonatal pancreatic islets.
Reductive effect of body weight in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet by Saesaengmyung Diet
Authors: An Hyo-Jin , Kim Na-Hyung , Kim Yun-Kyung , Lyu Yeoung-Su , Shin Taekyun , Hong Seung-Heon , Kim Hyung-Min
Published: March 2005

The Saesaengmyung Diet (SD) is a newly developed dietary product to help control weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether SD combined with a high-fat (HF) diet could influence body weight, fat accumulation, and glucose levels in blood. C57BL/6J mice were fed for 8 weeks with a standard diet, an HF diet, and an HF + 10% or HF + 20% SD diet. Body weight was recorded weekly, and plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and glucose were analyzed at the end of the study. Weight increases in the 10% or 20% SD group were significantly less than in the HF diet group (p < 0.05). Plasma total cholesterol level significantly decreased by 33.5% in the 10% SD group and 38.8% in the 20% SD group, but the LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and glucose levels in the SD groups were not significantly changed. Our findings indicate that SD may be beneficial to overweight individuals in the reduction of weight gain induced by an HF diet.Key words: Saesaengmyung Diet, high-fat diet, obesity, body weight, cholesterol, glucose.
Primary infection of mice with high titer inoculum respiratory syncytial virus: characterization and response to antiviral therapy
Authors: Bolger Gordon , Lapeyre Nicole , Dansereau Nathalie , Lagacé Lisette , Berry Gerald , Klosowski Katy , Mewhort Tracy , Liuzzi Michel
Published: March 2005

Intranasal infection of BALB/c mice with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-A2 (0.5 × 108– 2.0 × 108plaque-forming units, PFU) produced disease characterized by weight loss (2–3 g) and mortality (60%–100%) with the mean day of death ranging from 6–7 d after infection. The extent of RSV disease was inoculum titer-dependent and required a replication competent virus. Lung titers of virus peaked at 0.5-1 × 106PFU/g wet weight. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, INF-γ IL-12, IL-6, MIP-1α, RANTES, and protein were elevated, whereas IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-10 were unchanged. Histological assessment of lungs revealed marked inflammatory pathology characterized by bronchiolitis, vasculitis, and interstitial pneumonia. Whole-body plethysmography revealed significant disease-associated deficits of respiratory function. Therapy with ribavirin administered either by the intranasal, subcutaneous, or oral route significantly reduced disease in a dose-dependent manner. Delaying the initiation of therapy resulted in a loss of activity for ribavirin. Synagis®administered either intramuscularly as a single dose in prophylaxis or intranasally in prophylaxis, followed by therapy, also significantly reduced disease in a dose-dependent manner. Infection of mice with a high titer inoculum of RSV-A2 resulted in severe and fatal pulmonary disease that was responsive to treatment. This model may be useful to characterize the in vivo activity of experimental therapies for RSV infection.Key words: respiratory syncytial virus, disease, mortality, antiviral therapy.
SELF-ORGANIZATION OF AGING IN A MODIFIED PENNA MODEL
Authors: KIM GI OK , SHIM SUGIE
Published: March 2005

The Penna model for biological aging is modified so that the fertility of each individual is determined by means of the number of activated mutations at that time. A new concept of "good" mutation, which makes an individual to mature enough to reproduce, is introduced. It is assumed that each individual can reproduce only during adulthood, which is determined by the number of activated mutations. The results of Monte Carlo calculations using the modified model show that the ranges of the reproductive age are broadened as time goes by, thus showing self-organization in the biological aging to the direction of the maximum self-conservation. In addition, the population, the survival rate, and the average life span were calculated and analyzed by changing the number of new mutations at birth. It is observed that the higher is the considered number of new mutations at birth, the shorter is the obtained average life span. The mortality functions are also calculated and they showed the exponential increase in adulthood, satisfying the Gompertz law.
STEADY STATES OF EPIDEMIC SPREADING IN SMALL-WORLD NETWORKS
Authors: XU XIN-JIAN , WU ZHI-XI , CHEN YONG , WANG YING-HAI
Published: March 2005

We consider a standard susceptible–infected–susceptible (SIS) model to study the behaviors of steady states of epidemic spreading in small-world networks. Using analytical methods and large scale simulations, we recover the usual epidemic behavior with a critical threshold λc below which infectious diseases die out. For the spreading rate λ far above λc, it was found that the density of infected individuals ρ as a function of λ has the property ρ≈f(K)( ln λ- ln λc).
β-Adrenergic- and muscarinic receptor-induced changes in cAMP activity in adult cardiac myocytes detected with FRET-based biosensor
Authors: Warrier Sunita , Belevych Andriy E. , Ruse Monica , Eckert Richard L. , Zaccolo Manuela , Pozzan Tullio , Harvey Robert D.
Published: March 2005

β-Adrenergic receptor activation regulates cardiac myocyte function through the stimulation of cAMP production and subsequent activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Furthermore, muscarinic receptor activation inhibits as well as facilitates these cAMP-dependent effects. However, it has not always been possible to correlate the muscarinic responses with the direct measurement of changes in cellular cAMP activity. Genetically encoded biosensors have recently been developed, making it possible to monitor real-time changes in cAMP and PKA activity at the single cell level. One such biosensor consists of the regulatory and catalytic subunits of PKA labeled with cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins, respectively. Changes in cAMP activity affecting the association of these labeled PKA subunits can be detected as changes in fluorescence resonance energy transfer. In the present study, an adenovirus-based approach was developed to express this recombinant protein complex in adult cardiac myocytes and use it to monitor changes in cAMP activity produced by β-adrenergic and muscarinic receptor activation. The biosensor expressed with the use of this system is able to detect changes in cAMP activity produced by physiologically relevant levels of β-adrenergic receptor activation without disrupting normal functional responses. It was also possible to directly demonstrate the complex temporal pattern of inhibitory and stimulatory changes in cAMP activity produced by muscarinic receptor activation in these cells. The adenovirus-based approach we have developed should facilitate the use of this biosensor in studying cAMP and PKA-dependent signaling mechanisms in a wide variety of cell types.
Analysis of 5-HT–Induced Short-Term Facilitation atAplysiaSensorimotor Synapse During Bursts: Increased Synaptic Gain That Does Not Require ERK Activation
Authors: Phares Gregg A. , Byrne John H.
Published: March 2005

The 5-HT–induced synaptic plasticity of Aplysia sensorimotor synapses has typically been probed by firing a single presynaptic spike. In this study, 5-HT–induced synaptic plasticity was probed with brief bursts of spikes (10 Hz, 1 s), which are more behaviorally relevant stimuli. Because such bursts provide a greater challenge to the release machinery than single spikes, their use may reveal additional aspects of synaptic modulation, and, in particular, the role of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), which has recently been implicated in several examples of short- and long-term synaptic plasticity. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were characterized by their amplitudes. In addition, two kinetic measurements, time to peak and decay time constant, were determined for the initial and last EPSCs of each burst. Application of 5-HT produced a uniform increase in gain by facilitating each EPSC elicited during a burst of spikes without affecting the kinetics of the initial or last EPSC. These data suggest that short-term facilitation during a burst is mediated largely by processes such as those that affect the size of the releasable pool or rate of vesicle mobilization rather than by an increase in the duration of the presynaptic action potential. An ERK cascade inhibitor (U0126) had no effect on the 5-HT–mediated facilitation of either the initial EPSC or EPSCs elicited late in the burst.
The Intraparietal Sulcus and Perceptual Organization
Authors: Cusack Rhodri
Published: March 2005

The structuring of the sensory scene (perceptual organization) profoundly affects what we perceive, and is of increasing clinical interest. In both vision and audition, many cues have been identified that influence perceptual organization, but only a little is known about its neural basis. Previous studies have suggested that auditory cortex may play a role in auditory perceptual organization (also called auditory stream segregation). However, these studies were limited in that they just examined auditory cortex and that the stimuli they used to generate different organizations had different physical characteristics, which per se may have led to the differences in neural response. In the current study, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to test for an effect of perceptual organization across the whole brain. To avoid confounding physical changes to the stimuli with differences in perceptual organization, we exploited an ambiguous auditory figure that is sometimes perceived as a single auditory stream and sometimes as two streams. We found that regions in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) showed greater activity when 2 streams were perceived rather than 1. The specific involvement of this region in perceptual organization is exciting, as there is a growing literature that suggests a role for the IPS in binding in vision, touch, and cross-modally. This evidence is discussed, and a general role proposed for regions of the IPS in structuring sensory input.
Partially Distributed Representations of Objects and Faces in Ventral Temporal Cortex
Authors: O'Toole Alice J. , Jiang Fang , Abdi Hervé , Haxby James V.
Published: March 2005

Object and face representations in ventral temporal (VT) cortex were investigated by combining object confusability data from a computational model of object classification with neural response confusability data from a functional neuroimaging experiment. A pattern-based classification algorithm learned to categorize individual brain maps according to the object category being viewed by the subject. An identical algorithm learned to classify an image-based, view-dependent representation of the stimuli. High correlations were found between the confusability of object categories and the confusability of brain activity maps. This occurred even with the inclusion of multiple views of objects, and when the object classification model was tested with high spatial frequency “line drawings” of the stimuli. Consistent with a distributed representation of objects in VT cortex, the data indicate that object categories with shared image-based attributes have shared neural structure.