bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of maternal gut hormones in normal pregnancy: fasting plasma active glucagon-like peptide 1 level is a negative predictor of fetal abdomen circumference and maternal weight change
Authors: Valsamakis Georgios , Margeli Alexandra , Vitoratos Nikolaos , Boutsiadis Anastassios , Sakkas Evangelos G , Papadimitriou George , Al-Daghri Nasser M , Botsis Dimitrios , Kumar Sudhesh , Papassotiriou Ioannis , Creatsas George , Mastorakos George
Published: March 2010

Objective

Maternal weight in pregnancy contributes to a glycemic environment that affects fetal growth. Gut peptides (glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), ghrelin, and peptide YY (PYY)) have been related to insulin sensitivity and secretion, weight control, and adipose tissue metabolism. This study aimed at examining the associations of gut hormones during pregnancy with maternal glucose homeostasis, maternal weight, and fetal growth.

Methods

A total of 55 pregnant nonobese, nondiabetic Caucasian women were examined during the three trimesters of pregnancy, and anthropometric measurements, evaluation of fasting maternal plasma GLP1 (active), ghrelin (active), total PYY, total GIP, and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test were done in them. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-R), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and indices of insulin secretion were calculated. Fetal growth was estimated by ultrasound.

Results

Fasting GLP1 increased significantly from the second to the third trimester (P<0.05). Fasting GLP1 correlated positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.52,P=0.04). At the second trimester, fasting GLP1 levels correlated negatively with fetal abdomen circumference (r=−0.55,P=0.034), birth weight (r=−0.50,P=0.040), HOMA-R (r=−0.65,P=0.001), insulin secretion, and triglycerides. At the first trimester, fasting ghrelin levels correlated negatively with HOMA-R and insulin secretion, and positively with ISI. In backward multiple regression analysis, the first trimester GLP1 levels were the best negative predictors of the second trimester fetal abdomen circumference (β=−0.96,P=0.009). In longitudinal regression model, maternal fat and HOMA-R were the positive predictors of maternal weight change during pregnancy, and fasting GLP1 levels were the negative predictors of maternal weight change during pregnancy.

Conclusions

During pregnancy, maternal GLP1 might be involved in mechanisms that compensate for the pregnancy-related increase in glycemia and insulin resistance, suggesting a role of this peptide in maternal metabolism and weight and fetal growth.
Fast Transcriptional Responses to Domestication in the Brook CharrSalvelinus fontinalis
Authors: Sauvage Christopher , Derôme Nicolas , Normandeau Eric , St.-Cyr Jérôme , Audet Céline , Bernatchez Louis
Published: March 2010

Domestication has been practiced for centuries yet directed toward relatively few terrestrial crops and animals. While phenotypic and quantitative genetic changes associated with domestication have been amply documented, little is known about the molecular changes underlying the phenotypic evolution during the process. Here, we have investigated the brook charr (Salvelinus  fontinalis) responses to artificial selection by means of transcriptional analysis of ∼32,000 cDNA features performed in both selected and control populations reared under identical environmental conditions during four generations. Our results indicate that selective breeding led to significant changes in the transcription of genes at the juvenile stage, where we observed 4.16% (156/3750) of differentially expressed genes between the two lines. No significant genes were revealed at the earlier life stage. Moreover, when comparing our results to those of previous studies on Atlantic salmon that compared lines that were selected for five to seven generations for similar traits (e.g., growth), genes with similar biological functions were found to be under selection in both studies. These observations indicate that (1) four generations of selection caused substantial changes in regulation of gene transcription between selected and control populations and (2) selective breeding for improving the same phenotypic traits (e.g., rapid growth) in brook charr and Atlantic salmon tended to select for the same changes in transcription profiles as the expression of a small and similar set of genes was affected by selection.
Generalized Petechial Rashes in Children During a Parvovirus B19 Outbreak
Authors: Edmonson M. Bruce , Riedesel Erica L. , Williams Gary P. , DeMuri Gregory P.
Published: March 2010

Objectives:

Human parvovirus B19 infection is associated not only with erythema infectiosum (fifth disease) but also, rarely, with purpuric or petechial rashes. Most reports of these atypical rashes describe sporadic cases with skin lesions that have distinctively focal distributions. During a community outbreak of fifth disease, we investigated a cluster of illnesses in children with generalized petechial rashes to determine whether parvovirus was the causative agent and, if so, to describe more fully the clinical spectrum of petechial rashes that are associated with this virus.

METHODS:

Systematic evaluation was conducted by general pediatricians of children with petechial rashes for evidence of acute parvovirus infection.

RESULTS:

During the outbreak, acute parvovirus infection was confirmed in 13 (76%) of 17 children who were evaluated for petechial rash. Confirmed case patients typically had mild constitutional symptoms, and most (11 [85%] of 13) had fever. Petechiae were typically dense and widely distributed; sometimes accentuated in the distal extremities, axillae, or groin; and usually absent from the head/neck. Most case patients had leukopenia, and several had thrombocytopenia. Parvovirus immunoglobulin M was detected in 8 (73%) of 11 acute-phase serum specimens, and immunoglobulin G was detectable only in convalescent specimens. Parvovirus DNA was detected in all 7 tested serum specimens, including 2 acute-phase specimens that were immunoglobulin M–negative. All case patients had brief, uncomplicated illnesses, but 6 were briefly hospitalized and 1 underwent a bone marrow examination. Two case patients developed erythema infectiosum during convalescence.

CONCLUSIONS:

During an outbreak of fifth disease, parvovirus proved to be a common cause of petechial rash in children, and this rash was typically more generalized than described in case reports. Associated clinical features, hematologic abnormalities, and serologic test results are consistent with a viremia-associated illness that is distinct from and occasionally followed by erythema infectiosum.
Acute Periorbital Infections: Who Needs Emergent Imaging?
Authors: Rudloe Tiffany F. , Harper Marvin B. , Prabhu Sanjay P. , Rahbar Reza , VanderVeen Deborah , Kimia Amir A.
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVES:

Computed tomography (CT) is used often in the evaluation of orbital infections to identify children who are most likely to benefit from surgical intervention. Our objective was to identify predictors for intraorbital or intracranial abscess among children who present with signs or symptoms of periorbital infection. These predictors could be used to better target patients for emergent CT.

METHODS:

This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients admitted to an urban pediatric tertiary care emergency department between 1995 and 2008. We included otherwise healthy patients with suspected acute clinical periorbital or orbital cellulitis without a history of craniofacial surgery, trauma, or external source of infection. Immunocompromised patients and patients with noninfectious causes of periorbital swelling were excluded. Variables analyzed included age, duration of symptoms, highest recorded temperature, previous antibiotic therapy, physical examination findings, laboratory results, and interpretation of imaging. CT scans of the orbit were reread by a neuroradiologist.

RESULTS:

Nine hundred eighteen patients were included; 298 underwent a CT scan, and of those, 111 were shown to have an abscess. Although proptosis, pain with external ocular movement, and ophthalmoplegia were associated with presence of an abscess, 56 (50.5%) patients with abscess did not experience these symptoms. Other variables associated with the presence of an abscess in multivariate analysis were a peripheral blood neutrophil count greater than 10 000/μL, absence of infectious conjunctivitis, periorbital edema, age greater than 3 years, and previous antibiotic therapy (P < .05 for all). Our recursive partitioning model identified all high-risk (44%) patients as well as a low-risk (0.4%–2%) group (Rsq = 0.27).

CONCLUSIONS:

We confirmed that patients with proptosis and/or pain or limitation of extraocular movements are at high risk for intraorbital abscess, yet many do not have these predictors. Other features can identify patients who do not have such obvious predictors but do have significant risk of disease. A recursive partitioning model is presented.
Antibiotic-Associated Hemorrhagic Colitis Caused by Cytotoxin-Producing Klebsiella oxytoca
Authors: Hoffmann K. Martin , Deutschmann Andrea , Weitzer Christa , Joainig Martina , Zechner Ellen , Högenauer Christoph , Hauer Almuthe C.
Published: March 2010

Klebsiella oxytoca was recently described as the causative organism for antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis (AAHC). It is currently not known if this novel gastrointestinal infection exists in children. AAHC is usually preceded by antibiotic treatment with penicillins, which are frequently prescribed for pediatric patients. In contrast to colitis caused by Clostridium difficile, colitis caused by K oxytoca is usually segmental and located predominantly in the right colon. Patients with AAHC typically present with abdominal pain and almost always bloody diarrhea. We present here the case of an adolescent patient who developed acute abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea after antibiotic treatment for acute urinary infection with amoxicillin-clavulanate. Right-sided colitis was verified by abdominal sonography. Stool culture tested negative for common gastrointestinal pathogens but yielded K oxytoca. Toxin production of the isolated strain was verified in a cell-culture assay. Cessation of the causative antibiotic treatment led to rapid improvement and cessation of bloody diarrhea within 3 days. We report here the first (to our knowledge) pediatric case of K oxytoca infection causing AAHC. Establishing the diagnosis of AAHC by culturing K oxytoca and demonstrating right-sided colitis with noninvasive imaging studies might prevent unnecessary invasive procedures in children with bloody diarrhea.
A Novel Missense Mutation in MVK Associated With MK Deficiency and Dyserythropoietic Anemia
Authors: Samkari Ayman , Borzutzky Arturo , Fermo Elisa , Treaba Diana O. , Dedeoglu Fatma , Altura Rachel A.
Published: March 2010

Mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) is a rare inborn error of metabolism caused by mutations in the mevalonate kinase (MVK) gene. The clinical phenotype is variable, ranging from the hyperimmunoglobulinemia D and periodic fever syndrome (HIDS) to mevalonic aciduria (MA), a severe metabolic disease. We report here for the first time (to our knowledge) the case of a patient with MKD and congenital dyserythropoietic anemia. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of inflammatory attacks were compatible with HIDS, but mild dysmorphic features and elevated urinary mevalonic acid levels in the absence of an inflammatory attack suggested an intermediate phenotype between HIDS and MA. Genomic sequencing of the MVK gene revealed compound heterozygosity for a missense mutation previously described in MA (V310M) and a novel missense mutation (Y116H). By contrast, sequencing of the novel CDAII (SEC23B) gene revealed no mutations, suggesting that the bone marrow abnormalities were causally related to the MKD. Treatment with corticosteroids and colchicine directed at controlling the autoinflammatory disease resulted in improvement of the anemia.
Ethics Consultation in Children's Hospitals: Results From a Survey of Pediatric Clinical Ethicists
Authors: Kesselheim Jennifer C. , Johnson Judith , Joffe Steven
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVES:

Ethics consultation is a widely endorsed mechanism for resolving conflict, facilitating communication, and easing moral distress in health care. Although ethics consultation has been well characterized in the adult setting, little is known about ethics consultation or ethics programs in pediatrics. We conducted a national survey of ethicists at freestanding children's hospitals to explore the structures and processes of their ethics-consultation services and committees and to characterize their training and professional activities.

METHODS:

We contacted freestanding children's hospitals from the member list of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (N = 46) to identify the ethics leader at each institution. This individual was invited to complete an on-line survey instrument. The survey asked about ethicists' training to fulfill their ethics-related roles, their policies and methods for ethics consultation, and the structure and funding of their ethics committees. Thirty-three ethicists (72%) responded.

RESULTS:

On-the-job experience (73%) was the most frequently reported form of training; a minority of ethicists endorsed each other type of training. Although 60% of the respondents reported having a policy for ethics consultation, several elements recommended by national consensus statements were inconsistently included. In addition, respondents reported variable adherence to standard components of the consultation process, including meeting with the patient or family, following up with the clinical team, and providing a written report of the consultation. A minority of respondents reported having salary support (33%), administrative support (46%), or a budget (24%) for their work in ethics.

CONCLUSIONS:

Although ethics-consultation policies and practices at freestanding children's hospitals are generally well aligned with published norms, our data reveal imperfect adherence to consensus standards. Additional research is needed to determine how this practice variation, as well as the lack of salary support, budgets, and administrative assistance, affect the quality of ethics consultation at these institutions.
Injury Patterns in Obese Versus Nonobese Children Presenting to a Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Pomerantz Wendy J. , Timm Nathan L. , Gittelman Michael A.
Published: March 2010

BACKGROUND:

Two of the most prevalent problems facing youth in the United States are injury and obesity. Obesity increases the risk of injury, prolongs recovery time, and increases morbidity among injured children.

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics of injuries between obese and nonobese children who presented to a pediatric emergency department.

METHODS:

Electronic medical records for all patients aged 3 to 14 years who sustained a traumatic injury (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9] codes 800–899) and were seen in our hospital emergency department from January 1, 2005, to March 31, 2008, were obtained. Data collected included age, chief complaint, discharge diagnosis, gender, race, disposition, and weight. Patients with a weight at >95th percentile for age were considered obese. χ2 analysis was used in comparing the groups; odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.

RESULTS:

During the study period, 24 588 children had ICD-9 codes that met our inclusion criteria. Of these, 1239 had no weights recorded, leaving 23 349 patients in our study population. Of these children, the mean age was 8.2 years (SD: ±3.6 years), 60.7% were white, and 61.7% were male. Obese children represented 16.5% of the study population (n = 3861). Overall, obese and nonobese children had the same percentage of upper extremity injuries. However, obese children were significantly more likely to have lower extremity injuries compared with upper extremity injuries than were nonobese children (OR: 1.71 [95% confidence interval: 1.56–1.87]; P < .001). In addition, obese children had significantly fewer head and face injuries than nonobese children (OR: 0.54 [95% confidence interval: 0.50– 0.58]; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Obese children are significantly more likely to sustain lower extremity injuries than upper extremity injuries and less likely to sustain head and face injuries than nonobese children. Strategies for preventing lower extremity injuries among obese youth should be sought.
Vaccine-Associated Herpes Zoster Opthalmicus and Encephalitis in an Immunocompetent Child
Authors: Chouliaras Giorgos , Spoulou Vana , Quinlivan Mark , Breuer Judith , Theodoridou Maria
Published: March 2010

Varicella-zoster virus vaccine has diminished the consequences of chicken pox in terms of health and economical burden. The increasing number of doses administered worldwide has revealed rare but important adverse effects that had not occurred during clinical trials. We report here the case of an immunocompetent 3½-year-old girl who developed encephalitis and herpes zoster opthalmicus 20 months after her immunization with varicella-zoster virus vaccine. Molecular analysis confirmed the vaccine strain as the causative agent. After an intravenous course with acyclovir, the child made a full recovery with no neurologic sequelae.
Albian Eoradiolites (Bivalvia: Radiolitidae) from Jabal NaÏmia, Gafsa Region, Tunisia, with revisional studies on the Albian forms of the genus
Authors: Pons Jose Maria , Vicens Enric , Chikhi-Aouimeur Fettouma , Abdallah Hassen
Published: March 2010

The external morphology and its variability, myocardinal apparatus, and shell structure of both valves of the radiolitid rudist Eoradiolites plicatus (Conrad) are described, based on the examination of about one hundred well-preserved, fairly complete specimens that are free of sediment matrix, found in a single bed of an ammonite-bearing Albian succession ('Knemiceras beds', Zebbag Formation) in central Tunisia. This study provides the most nearly complete knowledge of any Eoradiolites species to date. With this background, all previous records of E. plicatus, as well as the taxonomic status of the other Albian species of the genus, are revised considering both original material, when available, and published papers. As a result, the systematics of Eoradiolites is simplified.
A corset-like fossil from the Cambrian Sirius Passet Lagerstätte of North Greenland and its implications for cycloneuralian evolution
Authors: Peel John S.
Published: March 2010

A large (maximum length 80 mm), tubular, corset-like problematic fossil from the early Cambrian (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3) Sirius Passet Lagerstätte of North Greenland is interpreted as the lorica of an ancestral loriciferan. in addition to the double circlet of 7 plates composing the lorica,Sirilorica carlsberginew genus, new species also preserves up to six multicuspidate cuticular denticles that are similar in shape to the pharyngeal teeth of priapulid worms, although their location is suggestive of scalids. Whilst traditionally placed as a sister group of priapulid worms within Vinctiplicata (Scalidophora), recent molecular sequence data suggest that loriciferans might be more closely related to nematomorphs. the limited morphological information available fromSiriloricais consistent with this interpretation, placing the Sirius Passet fossil within the total-group of Loricifera, within the Loricifera + Nematomorpha clade.
The forgotten stage of forest succession: early‐successional ecosystems on forest sites
Authors: Swanson Mark E , Franklin Jerry F , Beschta Robert L , Crisafulli Charles M , DellaSala Dominick A , Hutto Richard L , Lindenmayer David B , Swanson Frederick J
Published: March 2010

Early‐successional forest ecosystems that develop after stand‐replacing or partial disturbances are diverse in species, processes, and structure. Post‐disturbance ecosystems are also often rich in biological legacies, including surviving organisms and organically derived structures, such as woody debris. These legacies and post‐disturbance plant communities provide resources that attract and sustain high species diversity, including numerous early‐successional obligates, such as certain woodpeckers and arthropods. Early succession is the only period when tree canopies do not dominate the forest site, and so this stage can be characterized by high productivity of plant species (including herbs and shrubs), complex food webs, large nutrient fluxes, and high structural and spatial complexity. Different disturbances contrast markedly in terms of biological legacies, and this will influence the resultant physical and biological conditions, thus affecting successional pathways. Management activities, such as post‐disturbance logging and dense tree planting, can reduce the richness within and the duration of early‐successional ecosystems. Where maintenance of biodiversity is an objective, the importance and value of these natural early‐successional ecosystems are underappreciated.
Crestal Bone Changes Around Implants With Reduced Abutment Diameter Placed Non‐Submerged and at Subcrestal Positions: A 1‐Year Radiographic Evaluation
Authors: Donovan Ryan , Fetner Alan , Koutouzis Theofilos , Lundgren Tord
Published: March 2010

Background: There is limited information about two‐part implants placed in subcrestal positions. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the 1‐year outcome of implants placed non‐submerged and in a subcrestal position.

Methods: Records of 50 consecutive partially edentulous patients restored with dental implants were reviewed. For each implant, radiographs from the surgical appointment were compared to those from the 1‐year follow‐up visit and evaluated regarding: 1) the degree of subcrestal positioning of the implant, 2) changes of marginal hard tissue height over time, and 3) if the marginal hard tissue could be detected on the implant platform at the follow‐up visit.

Results: The overall survival rate from baseline to the last recorded follow‐up visit was 100%. At the surgery, the implants were placed, on average, 1.37 mm (mesial) and 1.28 mm (distal) subcrestally. The mean marginal loss of hard tissues was 0.11 ± 0.30 mm. There were no statistical significant differences regarding the loss of marginal hard tissues between mesial and distal surfaces or the maxilla versus the mandible. There was no statistical significant correlation regarding the degree of subcrestal implant position and loss of marginal mineralized hard tissue (r = 0.15; P >0.05). The mineralized hard tissue on the implant shoulder was found in 69% of the implants at the 1‐year follow‐up visit.

Conclusions: The present study reported a minimal loss of mineralized hard tissue around dental implants placed non‐submerged and at subcrestal positions. In addition, these implants had hard tissue healing that extended onto the implant shoulders on most of the observed implants.
The Effect of Metformin on Alveolar Bone in Ligature‐Induced Periodontitis in Rats: A Pilot Study
Authors: Bak Eun Jung , Park Hong Gyu , Kim Minyoung , Kim Sung Whan , Kim Sungwuk , Choi Seong‐Ho , Cha Jeong‐Heon , Yoo Yun‐Jung
Published: March 2010

Background: The use of metformin, an antidiabetic agent, is associated with a reduced risk of fractures in patients with diabetes, suggesting that metformin exerts a beneficial effect on bone tissues. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of metformin on alveolar bone loss in ligature‐induced periodontitis and osteoblast, osteoclast, and adipocyte differentiation.

Methods: Periodontitis was induced by a ligature around the mandibular first molar of each rat. The rats were divided into two groups: 1) rats with ligature receiving a vehicle (n = 5), and 2) rats with ligature receiving metformin (n = 5). On day 10, after the induction of periodontitis, the alveolar bone volume between the first and second molar was determined via microcomputed tomography. The effect of metformin on osteoblast, osteoclast, and adipocyte differentiation was assessed using MC3T3‐E1, cocultures of mouse bone marrow cells and calvaria‐derived osteoblasts, and 3T3‐L1/C3H10T1/2 cells, respectively. Osteoblast, osteoclast, and adipocyte differentiation was estimated by the degree of mineralization, the formation of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase–positive multinucleated cells, and the accumulation of triglycerides, respectively.

Results: In ligature‐induced periodontitis, the metformin treatment of rats induced a significant reduction in alveolar bone loss compared to vehicle‐treated rats. With regard to osteoblast differentiation, metformin augmented the mineralization of MC3T3‐E1 cells approximately two‐fold over the non‐treated cells. However, metformin was shown to exert no effects on osteoclast formation induced by 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, lipopolysaccharide, and prostaglandin E2. Moreover, metformin exerted no effect on adipocyte differentiation.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that metformin may exert a beneficial effect on alveolar bone in periodontitis by increasing osteoblast differentiation.
Fresh‐Socket Implants in Periapical Infected Sites in Humans
Authors: Crespi Roberto , Capparè Paolo , Gherlone Enrico
Published: March 2010

Background: The aim of the present study is to compare the outcome of the immediate placement of implants when used in the replacement of teeth with and without chronic periapical lesions.

Methods: Thirty patients requiring a single‐tooth extraction of a monoradicular or premolar tooth were selected. The control group (CG) included 15 patients without periapical lesions but with root caries and root fractures. The test group (TG) included 15 patients with periapical lesions, periapical radiolucencies, and no signs of pain, fistulas, or suppuration. Thirty teeth were extracted, and implants were immediately positioned in fresh sockets and loaded after 3 months in both groups. Clinical parameters (probing depth [PD], modified plaque index, modified bleeding index [mBI], marginal gingiva level [MGL], and keratinized mucosa [KM]) and marginal bone levels were evaluated at baseline and 12 and 24 months after implant placement. Comparisons between CG and TG values over time were performed by the Student two‐tailed t test.

Results: At the 24‐month follow‐up, a survival rate of 100% was reported for all implants. The mean bone loss was 0.82 ± 0.52 mm for the CG and 0.86 ± 0.54 for the TG. Plaque accumulation was 0.74 ± 0.29 for the CG and 0.69 ± 0.29 for the TG. The mBI was 0.77 ± 0.33 for the CG and 0.72 ± 0.36 for the TG. The soft tissue profile MGL and KM remained stable for up to 24 months for the CG and TG. The mean PD was 2.05 ± 0.66 mm for the CG and 1.99 ± 0.57 mm for the TG. Differences that were not statistically significant were reported between the CG and TG over time and between time points.

Conclusion: At the 24‐month follow‐up, endosseous implants placed immediately in extraction sites affected by periapical infection rendered an equally favorable soft and hard tissue integration of the implants, revealing a predictable outcome.
Human Periosteum‐Derived Cells Combined With Superporous Hydroxyapatite Blocks Used as an Osteogenic Bone Substitute for Periodontal Regenerative Therapy: An Animal Implantation Study Using Nude Mice
Authors: Kawase Tomoyuki , Okuda Kazuhiro , Kogami Hiroyuki , Nakayama Hitoshi , Nagata Masaki , Sato Tomokazu , Wolff Larry F. , Yoshie Hiromasa
Published: March 2010

Background: A superporous (85%) hydroxyapatite (HA) block was recently developed to improve osteoconductivity, but it was often not clinically successful when used to treat periodontal osseous defects. The primary purpose of this study is to develop a clinically applicable tissue‐engineered bone substitute using this HA block and human alveolar periosteum‐derived cells.

Methods: Commercially available superporous HA blocks were acid treated and subjected to a three‐dimensional (3D) culture for periosteal cell cultivation. Cells in the pore regions of the treated HA block were observed on the fracture surface by scanning electron microscopy. After osteogenic induction, the cell–HA complexes were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice. Osteoid formation was histologically evaluated.

Results: Acid treatment enlarged the interconnections among pores, resulting in the deep penetration of periosteal cells. Under these conditions, cells were maintained for >2 weeks without appreciable cell death in the deep pore regions of the HA block. The cell–HA complexes that received in vitro osteogenic induction formed osteoids in pore regions of the treated HA blocks in vivo. In contrast, most pore regions in the non‐pretreated, cell‐free HA blocks that were evaluated in vivo remained cell free.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an acid‐treated HA block could function as a better scaffold for the 3D high‐density culture of human periosteal cells in vitro, and this cell–HA complex had significant osteogenic potential at the site of implantation in vivo. Compared with the cell‐free HA block, our cell–HA complex using periosteal cells, which are the most accessible for clinical periodontists, showed promising results as a bone substitute in periodontal regenerative therapy.
Maternal Periodontal Disease and Preterm or Extreme Preterm Birth: An Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis
Authors: Guimarães Alessandra Neves , Silva‐Mato Agustín , Miranda Cota Luis Otavio , Siqueira Fernanda Mafra , Costa Fernando Oliveira
Published: March 2010

Background:Despite previous studies addressing the link between preterm or low birth weight infants and maternal periodontitis, extreme preterm births have received far less attention. This study is designed to address the possible association between maternal periodontal disease and preterm or extreme preterm birth.

Methods:Immediately after childbirth, 1,207 women underwent an examination in which periodontal disease was assessed according to two alternative definitions: 1) four or more teeth with at least one site showing probing depth (PD) ≥4 mm and clinical attachment loss (AL) ≥3 mm, and 2) at least one site showing PD and clinical AL ≥4 mm. For each of these definitions, two types of multivariate analysis were conducted: a linear regression analysis for the number of gestation weeks, and a more specific ordinal logistic regression analysis for the ordinal variable gestation time categorized as normal (term) (n = 1,046 women) or mild–moderate (n = 146 women) or extreme preterm (n = 15 women).

Results:Periodontal disease was associated with fewer weeks of gestation by linear regression (definition 1:P= 0.012; definition 2:P<0.001) and with preterm (n = 161; mild–moderate and extreme) or extreme preterm births (n = 15) by ordinal logistic regression (definition 1: odds ratio [OR] = 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28 to 2.62; definition 2: OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.62 to 3.46).

Conclusion:Our findings suggest that periodontal disease is associated with a premature or extremely premature birth.
Association of Periodontal Parameters With Metabolic Level and Systemic Inflammatory Markers in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chen Lei , Wei Bihong , Li Jing , Liu Fang , Xuan Dongying , Xie Baoyi , Zhang Jincai
Published: March 2010

Backgrounds: Although worldwide evidence tends to prove that diabetes adversely affects periodontal health, there are insufficient clues indicating whether periodontitis may aggravate metabolic control and systemic inflammation. This study, as a preliminary part of an ongoing research project, aims to clarify the relationship of periodontal parameters with metabolic levels and systemic inflammatory markers in patients with diabetes.

Methods: A total of 140 qualified, adult patients with type 2 diabetes and periodontitis were recruited into this study. Periodontal examinations, including a full‐mouth assessment of probing depths (PDs), bleeding on probing, gingival recession, and clinical attachment level, were determined. Blood analyses were carried out for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), and lipid profiles. Subjects were divided into three groups according to tertiles of the mean PD and compared.

Results: Upon an analysis of covariance, subjects with an increased mean PD had significantly higher levels of HbA1c and hsCRP (P <0.05). No significant difference was found among different groups in the levels of serum TNF‐α, fasting glucose, and lipid profiles (P >0.05). After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, duration of diabetes mellitus, smoking, regular physical exercise, and alcohol consumption, positive correlations were found between mean PD and HbA1c (r = 0.2272; P = 0.009) and between mean PD and hsCRP (r = 0.2336; P = 0.007). After adjustment for possible confounders, the mean PD emerged as a significant predictor variable for elevated levels of HbA1c and hsCRP (P <0.05).

Conclusion: Chronic periodontitis was associated with glycemic metabolic and serum hsCRP levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Study of the Bouillante Bay (West Basse-Terre Island shelf): contribution of geophysical surveys to the understanding of the structural context of Guadeloupe (French West Indies - Lesser Antilles)
Authors: Thinon Isabelle , Guennoc Pol , Bitri Adnand , Truffert Catherine
Published: March 2010

The need to understand the structural context of the Bouillante geothermal field (West Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, French West Indies) has led to onshore and offshore studies in the “high-energy geothermal fields” project, carried out by ADEME and BRGM. To ascertain the structural context of the island and the offshore continuation of the structures identified onshore, bathymetric, high-resolution reflection seismic and magnetic surveys were conducted on the shelf. The analyses of these detailed data show that the width of the present-day northwestern Basse-Terre shelf has been built by the accumulation of the Pleistocene detrital sediments over a volcanic substratum representing the prolongation on the shelf of an onshore volcanic edifice that bounds the Bouillante Bay on the south. The sedimentary cover has recorded two important regressive phases. Deciphering the structural frame has confirmed that the Bouillante sector is a key geodynamic area where the major tectonic and volcanic structures of the inner arc of the Lesser Antilles join. In this area, the N160° Basse-Terre volcanic axis, the N140° Montserrat-Bouillante volcanic and fault system, the EW Bouillante-Capesterre fault system, linked to the E-W-trending Marie-Galante graben, join up and their relationships have been specified. The N140°E Montserrat-Bouillante fault system ends on a N160° escarpment and basement high which would represent the relay of a major NNW-SSE- strike-slip fault system along the inner arc of the Lesser Antilles, linking the Montserrat-Bouillante fault to that of Les Saintes.
The Strength of Strong Ties for Older Rural Adults: Regional Distinctions in the Relationship between Social Interaction and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Mair Christine A. , Thivierge-Rikard R. V.
Published: March 2010

Classic and contemporary sociological theories suggest that social interaction differs in rural and urban areas. Intimate, informal interactions (strong ties) are theorized to characterize rural areas while urban areas may possess more formal and rationalized interactions (weak ties). Aging and social support literature stresses social interaction as a predictor of health among the aged. Using data from Wave III of the Americans' Changing Lives (ACL) study, this study examines the hypothesized differences between informal strong ties and formal weak ties on the subjective well-being of older adults in rural, urban, and suburban areas. Visiting with friends, neighbors, or relatives has a stronger positive effect on subjective well-being for rural older adults than urban. These findings highlight that: a) informal strong ties increase subjective well-being; and b) the effect of informal strong ties differs by region. We discuss the potential of our findings for policy and urge continued attention to regional variation in aging studies.
Bereavement in Very Old Age: Impact on Health and Relationships of the Loss of a Spouse, a Child, a Sibling, or a Close Friend
Authors: d'Epinay Christian J. Lalive , Cavalli Stefano , Guillet Luc A.
Published: March 2010

This article deals with the following two questions: In very old age, which are the main sources of bereavement? And what are the consequences of such losses on health and on relationships? The findings are based on the complete set of data compiled in the course of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old (SWILSOO), which provided a 10-year follow-up of a first cohort (1994–2004) and a 5-year follow-up of a second (1999–2004). The data revealed that, in very old age, the great majority of the dear ones who died were either siblings or close friends. Taken as a whole, the bereaved suffered a marked and lasting increase in depressive symptoms, together with a short-term deterioration in their functional status; those bereft of a spouse or a child saw their functional status worsen and exhibited enduring depressive symptoms but they also benefited from support in the form of increased interaction; those bereft of siblings only suffered from a mild, short-term deterioration in functional status; those who had lost a close friend suffered a very significant increase in depressive symptoms. In the medium term, most of these effects disappeared, lending weight to the claim that the survivors manage to cope with the misfortunes of life.
Death, Attractiveness, Moral Conduct, and Attitudes to Public Figures
Authors: North Adrian C. , Sheridan Lorraine P.
Published: March 2010

In this study, 2,894 participants rated attitudes toward their favorite public figure on the Celebrity Attitude Scale. It was noted whether each figure was alive or dead, and a panel of four independent judges assessed each in terms of their moral conduct and physical attractiveness. Dead figures appealed less and were subject to lower “intense personal” celebrity worship, and death was unrelated to “borderline pathological” and “deleterious imitation” celebrity worship. Physical attractiveness was positively related to overall celebrity worship and “intense personal” celebrity worship, but negatively related to “borderline pathological” and “deleterious imitation” celebrity worship. Moral conduct was associated negatively with “deleterious imitation” celebrity worship. Results are discussed briefly in terms of their implications for research on physical attractiveness and “copycat suicide.”
Attitudes toward Suicide: The Effect of Suicide Death in the Family
Authors: Zhang Jie , Jia Cun-Xian
Published: March 2010

There have been few reports on the effect of suicide death on family members' attitudes toward suicide. In order to estimate the extent to which suicide death affects attitudes toward suicide among family members of suicides, data of 264 informants from a case-control psychological autopsy study were analyzed. The results showed that there were no significant differences in attitudes toward suicide, measured by the General Social Survey's (GSS) four questions, between informants of suicides and informants of living controls, between family members of suicides and family members of living controls, or between family members of suicides and non-family members of suicides. Our findings did not support the hypothesis that suicide death affects the attitudes toward suicide in suicides' family members. However, some factors were found to be related to the pro-suicide attitudes measured by the four questions included in the GSS.
An Attempt to Improve the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ)
Authors: Lester David
Published: March 2010

Domino's Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was administered in three different answer formats. The original answer format used by Domino produced the highest reliabilities for five subscales. Correlates with measures of religiosity and manic-depressive tendencies indicated that the original format and a full Likert-type format gave similar results.
Voxel-specific brain arterial input functions from dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI and blind deconvolution in a group of healthy males
Authors: Nordli Håkon , Taxt Torfinn , Moen Gunnar , Grüner Renate
Published: March 2010

Background: Arterial input functions may differ between brain regions due to delay and dispersion effects in the vascular supply network. Unless corrected for, these differences may degrade quantitative estimations of cerebral blood flow in dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance perfusion imaging (DSC-MRI).

Purpose: To investigate in a healthy population ( n=44) the properties of voxel-specific arterial input functions that were obtained using a recently published blind estimation approach.

Material and Methods: The voxel-specific arterial input functions were qualitatively and quantitatively assessed, through visual inspection or by comparing time-to-peak (delays) and peak amplitude (dispersion) values between eight regions of the brain. Furthermore, they were compared to arterial input functions selected manually in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), where normally no delay or dispersion of the contrast agent was expected.

Results: The estimated voxel-specific arterial input functions varied between brain regions. Differences in delays and dispersion were larger within one brain region among all participants than between regions in one participant. A good correlation was typically found between the estimated voxel-specific arterial input functions and the manually selected arterial input functions in the MCA region.

Conclusion: Given knowledge of neurovascular anatomy, the current blind approach seemingly produced reasonable estimates of voxel-specific arterial input functions. In addition to potentially reducing quantification errors in DSC-MRI, these user-independent voxel-specific arterial input functions could be useful for visualizing abnormal blood supply patterns in patients.
Effect of sodium thiosulfate on cisplatin removal after intra-arterial embolization with a lipiodol-platinum suspension for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tamura Yoshitaka , Ikeda Osamu , Nakasone Yutaka , Iryo Yasuhiko , Yamashita Yasuyuki
Published: March 2010

Background: Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents against a variety of human cancers. Its usefulness is limited by its toxicity to normal tissues, including cells of kidney proximal tubules.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of sodium thiosulfate (STS) on cisplatin clearance after transcatheter embolization (TAE) with a lipiodol-platinum suspension (LPS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Material and Methods: The study was performed prospectively in a randomized manner. HCC patients underwent intra-arterial LPS embolization with ( n=17) and without ( n=15) an intravenous STS infusion. Renal toxicity was estimated and free and total platinum concentrations were assessed for 7 days after treatment.

Results: After treatment without STS, there was a mild elevation of serum creatinine and a decrease in creatinine clearance. With STS, there was no significant difference before and after treatment in mean serum creatinine and creatinine clearance; free platinum disappeared completely within 120 min. In patients treated without STS, free platinum decreased rapidly within 120 min; this was followed by a gradual decrease during the next 7 days.

Conclusion: STS seems effective against the renal toxicity of cisplatin. However, in the presence of STS, the anticancer effect of cisplatin may be decreased due to the accelerated disappearance of platinum.
Landschaft und Gesundheit – Theorie und Praxis zweier verbundener Konzepte (Essay) | Landscape and health – theory and practice of two allied concepts (essay)
Authors: Rodewald Raimund
Published: March 2010

The link between landscape and good health has a long historical tradition, stretching from ancient times to the present day. However, scientific evidence for the health-promoting effect of nature and the landscape is somewhat rare. In a literary study published in 2007 by the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation and the organization Doctors for Environmental Protection the importance of landscapes as a health resource was shown unmistakably. On the basis of the results of this study, 37 spatial factors were identified which have a positive influence on psychological, physical and social well-being. These spatial factors were tested in practice in two concrete examples of case histories. It was thus shown that the assessment of places and landscapes according to these spatial factors promises a successful and feasible approach. At the legislative level, this method could lead to a Health Impact Assessment as an extension of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The article postulates that the scientific recognition of landscapes as determinants for good health should be more seriously taken into account in the relevant political spheres.
Well-being and nature: policy convergence in forestry, health and rural development (essay) | Well-being and nature: policy convergence in forestry, health and rural development (essay)
Authors: Sangster Marcus
Published: March 2010

The importance of natural environments to human health was generally accepted until the early 20th century, but subsequently has been neglected. Today that traditional understanding is being rediscovered, but is now conceptualised in the language of science. For contributions in this field to have an impact today, therefore, they must be communicated in the language of medical and public health science. Concepts of well-being are now seen to be central to, and have been adopted in, policies relating to social sustainability. The emergence of lifestyle as a focus for concern both in health and sustainability is leading to convergence in policy and in practice and to the development of shared language.
Im Test: Wald als Ressource für psychisches Wohlbefinden | In Test: Forest serving as a resource for psychological well-being
Authors: Martens Dörte , Bauer Nicole
Published: March 2010

Physical environment influences human health and well-being. In comparison with urban environments, natural environments contribute towards psychological well-being, which has been shown in several studies. However, a comparison of the effects caused by different natural conditions has not been focused on much. Furthermore, experiments on this topic are dominated by visual stimulation modes. Our work addresses these shortcomings. First, the dichotomy of natural and urban environments is opened up by comparing different natural environments – wild and tended forest – analyzing their impact on well-being. Second, the presentation mode, possibly influencing well-being itself, is systematically varied. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, participants from Zurich, Switzerland (N = 196), were randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions: a walk in a wild or a tended forest area, presented by real exposure or in the laboratory by video. Self-reported well-being was assessed by standardized multidimensional scales in a pre-post design. The results demonstrate that the maintenance elicits different degrees of intensity in the influence on psychological well-being. The tended forest affected well-being more positively in some aspects, possibly due to a higher amount of dead wood arousing sadness in the wild forest. For designing urban natural areas, an appropriate degree of care should be visible for the visitor to increase the overall positive effect on well-being. Concerning the comparison of presentation modes, results show a stronger effect in the real exposure condition. However, the effect was unidirectional under both conditions, indicating the possibility to generalize laboratory results. This is important for conceptualizing further research on restoration and well-being elicited in laboratory settings.
Surveillance: The "Digital Trail of Breadcrumbs"
Authors: Miller Toby
Published: March 2010

No abstract available.