bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meta‐analysis: the efficacy, adverse events, and adherence related to first‐line anti‐Helicobacter pylori quadruple therapies
Authors: Fischbach L. A. , van Zanten S. V. , Dickason J.
Published: March 2005

Background : Owing to rising drug‐resistant Helicobacter pylori infections, currently recommended proton‐pump inhibitor‐based triple therapies are losing their efficacy, and regimens efficacious in the presence of drug resistance are needed.

Aims : To summarize the efficacy, safety and adherence of first‐line quadruple H. pylori therapies in adults.

Methods : Meta‐regression models identified factors explaining variation in the efficacy of first‐line quadruple therapies from 145 treatment arms. Estimates of average efficacy were calculated within homogeneous groups.

Results : Quadruple therapy containing a gastric acid inhibitor, bismuth, metronidazole and tetracycline was enhanced when omeprazole was included, treatment duration lasted 10–14 days, and when therapy took place in the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia. Treatment efficacy decreased as the prevalence of metronidazole resistance increased. Even in areas with a high prevalence of metronidazole resistance, this quadruple regimen eradicated more than 85% of H. pylori infections when it contained omeprazole and was given for 10–14 days. Furthermore, in the presence of clarithromycin resistance, this quadruple regimen eradicated 90–100% of H. pylori infections, while the currently recommended triple therapy containing clarithromycin, amoxicillin and a proton‐pump inhibitor eradicated only 25–61% (P < 0.001). Adherence and adverse events for quadruple therapy were similar to currently recommended triple therapies.

Conclusions : Guidelines should include quadruple therapy with a proton‐pump inhibitor, a bismuth compound, metronidazole and tetracycline among recommended first‐line anti‐H. pylori therapies.
Meta‐analysis: the diagnostic value of alarm symptoms for upper gastrointestinal malignancy
Authors: Fransen G. A. J. , Janssen M. J. R. , Muris J. W. M. , Laheij R. J. F. , Jansen J. B. M. J.
Published: March 2005

Background : With the advent of empirical treatment strategies for patients with dyspeptic symptoms, it becomes increasingly important to select patients with a high risk of having cancer for immediate endoscopy. Usually alarming symptoms are used for this matter, but their diagnostic value is by no means clear.

Aim : To investigate the diagnostic value of alarm symptoms for upper gastrointestinal malignancy.

Methods : Meta‐analysis of studies describing prevalence of alarm symptoms in patients with and without endoscopically verified upper gastrointestinal malignancy were identified through a Medline search. The prevalence, pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.

Results : About 17 case studies and nine cohort studies were selected. The mean prevalence of gastrointestinal malignancies in the cohort studies was 2.8% of 16 161 patients. Five cohort studies indicated that 25% of the patients diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal malignancy had no alarm symptoms. The pooled sensitivities of individual alarm symptoms varied from 9 to 41%, the pooled positive predictive value ranged from 4.6 to 7.9%, and was 5.9% for ‘having any alarm symptom’. The pooled negative predictive value was 99.4% for ‘having any alarm symptom’.

Conclusion : The risk of upper gastrointestinal malignancy in any individual without alarm symptoms is very low, but approximately one in four patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer have no alarm symptoms at the time of diagnosis.
Meta‐analysis: the detection of pancreatic malignancy with positron emission tomography
Authors: Orlando L. A. , Kulasingam S. L. , Matchar D. B.
Published: March 2005

Background : Several factors contribute to the high mortality of pancreatic cancer, including limitations of diagnostic imaging.

Aim : To perform a meta‐analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Fluro‐deoxy‐glucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography compared with computed tomography alone.

Methods : Articles were identified through a MEDLINE search and bibliography review. Summary estimates and receiver operating curves were calculated using Meta‐Test 0.6. Publication bias and heterogeneity were assessed with a funnel plot and chi‐squared test.

Results : The summary estimate and 95% confidence interval for sensitivity and specificity were as follows: computed tomography 81% (72–88%) and 66% (53–77%), PET after a positive computed tomography 92% (87–95%) and 68% (51–81%), PET after a negative computed tomography 73% (50–88%) and 86% (75–93%) and PET after an indeterminate computed tomography 100 and 68%. The area under the summary receiver operating curve was 0.82 for computed tomography and 0.94 for PET. There was no heterogeneity or publication bias.

Conclusions : Our results suggest that although adding Fluro‐deoxy‐glucose positron emission tomography to the diagnostic work‐up may enhance the diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy, its usefulness will vary depending upon the pretest probability of the patient, the results of computed tomography and the provider's testing thresholds. Further evaluation using a well‐designed prospective study with a cost‐effectiveness analysis is needed to clarify the appropriate role of Fluro‐deoxy‐glucose positron emission tomography.
Randomized placebo‐controlled trial assessing the effect of bifidobacteria‐fermented milk on active ulcerative colitis
Authors: Kato K. , Mizuno S. , Umesaki Y. , Ishii Y. , Sugitani M. , Imaoka A. , Otsuka M. , Hasunuma O. , Kurihara R. , Iwasaki A. , Arakawa Y.
Published: March 2005

Background : Probiotics are efficacious for treating and maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis.

Aim : To conduct a randomized placebo‐controlled trial of bifidobacteria‐fermented milk supplementation as a dietary adjunct in treating active ulcerative colitis.

Methods : Twenty patients with mild to moderate, active, ulcerative colitis randomly received 100 mL/day of bifidobacteria‐fermented milk or placebo for 12 weeks with conventional treatment.

Results : Clinical and endoscopic activity indices and histological scores were similar in the two groups before treatment. Although improvements were significant in both groups, the clinical activity index was significantly lower in the bifidobacteria‐fermented milk than in the placebo group after treatment. The post‐treatment endoscopic activity index and histological score were significantly reduced in the bifidobacteria‐fermented milk, but not the placebo group. Increases in faecal butyrate, propionate and short‐chain fatty acid concentrations were significant in the bifidobacteria‐fermented milk, but not the placebo group. No adverse effects were observed in either group.

Conclusion : Supplementation with this bifidobacteria‐fermented milk product is safe and more effective than conventional treatment alone, suggesting possible beneficial effects in managing active ulcerative colitis. This is a pilot study and further larger studies are required to confirm the result these preliminary results.
Systematic review: is ingestion of paracetamol or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs associated with exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease?
Authors: Forrest K. , Symmons D. , Foster P.
Published: March 2005

Aim : To examine the published evidence on the association between paracetamol or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and relapse in inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods : Medline searches were performed till June 2004 and Embase till April 2003. Abstracts published in Gut and Gastroenterology from 1999 to 2004 were hand‐searched. Twenty‐nine relevant abstracts and papers were identified.

Results : Twenty‐two patients with relapse of inflammatory bowel disease following exposure to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs have been described in case‐reports. Four patients were re‐exposed to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and relapsed again. Two had relapsed after taking a cyclo‐oxygenase 2 inhibitor. One study described increased inflammatory activity and clinical relapse in some patients after challenge with naproxen or nabumetone. Fifteen epidemiological studies were identified. All had small sample sizes and many had methodological problems. Six studies found evidence for an association between non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug use and relapse of inflammatory bowel disease, but the association was significant in only two. Three studies suggested a relationship between paracetamol use and exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease.

Conclusions : Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs may precipitate a relapse in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This may be an idiosyncratic reaction. The published evidence does not support the view that non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs are important in inducing relapse of inflammatory bowel disease. There is weak evidence that paracetamol may be more important.
Bacillus clausii therapy to reduce side‐effects of anti‐Helicobacter pylori treatment: randomized, double‐blind, placebo controlled trial
Authors: Nista E. C. , Candelli M. , Cremonini F. , Cazzato I. A. , Zocco M. A. , Franceschi F. , Cammarota G. , Gasbarrini G. , Gasbarrini A
Published: March 2005

Background : Helicobacter pylori eradication fails in about 10% of patients, particularly because of the occurrence of resistance to antibiotics and side‐effects. During anti‐H. pylori therapy, probiotics have been successfully used to reduce the incidence of side‐effects.

Aim : To evaluate the effect of Bacillus clausii, a probiotic, on incidence (primary variable) and severity of antibiotic‐associated side‐effects during anti‐H. pylori therapy.

Methods : One hundred and twenty H. pylori‐positive patients were randomly screened to receive: (i) a standard 7 days triple therapy with rabeprazole 20 mg b.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. and amoxicillin 1 g b.d. and B. clausii t.d.s. (each preparation containing 2 × 109 spores) for 14 days starting from the first day of treatment. (ii) The same 7 days triple therapy and placebo t.d.s. for 14 days starting from the first day of treatment. Side‐effects were assessed using a validated questionnaire and were recorded for 4 weeks from the start of therapy.

Results : The incidences of nausea, diarrhoea and epigastric pain in patients treated with B. clausii were significantly lower than in placebo group, in both PP and ITT analysis. Equally, intensity of nausea and diarrhoea in patients treated with B. clausii was significantly lower than in placebo group. There were no differences in adherence to treatment and H. pylori eradication rates between groups.

Conclusion : In symptom‐free, H. pylori‐positive subjects B. clausii bacteriotherapy reduces the incidence of the most common side‐effects related to anti‐H. pylori antibiotic therapy compared with placebo.
Genetic diversity and differentiation of Mongolian and Russian yak populations
Authors: Xuebin Q. , Jianlin H. , Lkhagva B. , Chekarova I. , Badamdorj D. , Rege J.E.O. , Hanotte O.
Published: March 2005

In this study we examined the genetic diversity of yak populations in the northernmost part of their current global distribution. Five Mongolian and one Russian yak populations as well as one Chinese yak population from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, the putative centre of yak domestication, were analysed with 15 microsatellite loci to determine the level of genetic variation within populations as well as the genetic differentiation and relationship between populations. A total of 116 microsatellite alleles were identified. The mean number of alleles per locus (MNA) across populations was 7.73 ± 1.98 and the mean expected heterozygosity (HE) was 0.696 ± 0.026. The relative magnitude of gene differentiation (FST) among populations was 4.1%, and all genetic differentiations (FST) between populations were significant (p < 0.001). A significant inbreeding effect (FIS) was detected in the Hovsgol yak (p < 0.01). There was no indication of a recent bottleneck in any of the populations studied. The results showed that yak populations in Mongolia and Russia have maintained high genetic diversity within populations and a low, although significant, genetic differentiation between populations. Both phylogenetic and principal component analyses support a close genetic relationship between the Gobi Altai, south Gobi and north Hangai populations, and between the Hovsgol and Buryatia populations respectively. Our results indicate that these yak populations should be considered as distinct genetic entities in respect of conservation and breeding programmes.
Estimates of genetic covariance functions for growth of Angus cattle
Authors: Meyer K.
Published: March 2005

Estimates of covariance functions and genetic parameters were obtained for growth of Angus cattle from birth to 820 days of age. Data comprised 84 533 records on 20 731 animals in 43 herds, with a high proportion of animals with 4 or more weights recorded. Changes in weights were modelled through random regression on orthogonal polynomials of age at recording. A total of 11 combinations of quadratic, cubic, quartic and quintic polynomials to model direct and maternal genetic effects and permanent environmental effects were considered. Results showed good agreement for all models at ages with many records, but differed at the highest ages and at very early ages with few weights available. Cubic polynomials appeared to be most problematic. The order of polynomial fit for permanent environmental effects of the animal dominated estimates of phenotypic variances and mean squares for residual errors. A model fitting a quartic polynomial for these effects and quadratic polynomials for the other random effects, appeared to be the best compromise between detailedness of the model which could be supported by the data, plausibility of results, and fit, measured as mean square error.
Conservation programmes for African cattle: design, cost and benefits
Authors: Reist‐Marti S.B. , Abdulai A. , Simianer H.
Published: March 2005

Information on costs and benefits of conservation programmes for cattle is scarce in the literature and mainly available for Europe. This study aims at simulating cost of and benefits from different kinds of conservation programmes designed for indigenous African cattle. The programmes include installation of a herdbook and activities to promote the breed (HB), in situ conservation with a sire rotation scheme (IS), cryoconservation of semen (CC) and CC combined with in situ conservation (IC). The results indicate that cost of the analysed conservation programmes was generally higher than those reported in the literature for comparable schemes. If cost per effective population size conserved is considered, programmes analysed in this study do not appear to be more expensive. The proposed rotation scheme in IS can be applied to many different production systems and prove to be effective with regard to low increase in kinship. Reduction in extinction probability is found to be higher for conservation programmes that strongly involve farmers and give them part of the responsibility for the breeding population. IC was most efficient with regard to cost per effective population size conserved. However, if cost per reduction in endangerment is considered as criterion for the efficiency of a programme, IS, HB and CC are superior to IC. These findings suggest that decisions on conservation programmes should be based on multiple criteria, and not just on cost per effective population size.
Testing the predictions of an evolutionary trade‐off model using Iris pumila plants from an open and a shaded habitat
Authors: TUCIĆ BRANKA , PEMAC DANIJELA , AVRAMOV STEVAN
Published: March 2005

In current quantitative genetic models, the trade‐off is viewed as a dynamic relationship between competing fitness components, which will evolve as a consequence of selection. Selection can change both the intercept and slope of the trade‐off function, although it changes the former more strongly than the latter. We tested these predictions by examining two relationships among three clonal life‐history traits (ramet number per plant and ramet production rate as a function of leaf number per ramet) in Iris pumila plants originating from an open and a shaded habitat. Our results support the hypothesis that the trade‐off function will vary over environments, but not the expectation that the changes in the intercept are more likely than in the slope.
Life‐history monographs of Japanese plants. 1: Erythronium japonicum Decne. (Liliaceae)
Authors: KAWANO SHOICHI
Published: March 2005

The life‐history characteristics and demography of Erythronium japonicum Decne. (Liliaceae) are described here. This is a typical prevernal species of temperate broad‐leaved deciduous forests in the Japanese Islands and adjacent Far East regions, and is one of the representative perennials of Arcto‐Tertiary origin. It flushes in early to late April (in May at higher elevations) on the deciduous forest floor in the lowlands to lower montane zone in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Flowering individuals bear a single but showy large purplish‐red flower, blooming downward from the top of the scape. This species is a typical polycarpic perennial and bumblebee‐pollinated outbreeder, with pollen/ovule ratios of 4800–6150, although occasional inbreeding is known in the northern populations of Hokkaido. Yellowish‐brown seeds, 2–3 mm long, with a tiny elaiosome, are susceptible to ant‐dispersal (i.e. myrmecochory). According to our long‐term monitoring study that has continued for the past 25 years, since 1979, its mean life expectancy is extremely long (approximately 40 years).
Short‐term combinational therapy of low‐dose estrogen with selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitor (fluvoxamine) for oophorectomized women with hot flashes and depressive tendencies
Authors: Nagata Hideaki , Nozaki Masahiro , Nakano Hitoo
Published: March 2005

Aim: To examine whether low‐dose and short‐term estrogen‐replacement therapy (ERT) plus selective serotonin  re‐uptake  inhibitor  (SSRI)  treatment  is  effective  or  not  in  the  treatment  of  climacteric  disorders,  hot flashes and depressive symptoms, in oophorectomized women.

Method: Forty‐two oophorectomized women with hot flashes and depressive symptoms were assigned randomly to two groups. We examined the efficacy rates of climacteric disorders, particularly hot flashes and depressive symptoms in 21 women on low‐dose ERT (conjugated equine estrogens [CEE] 0.3125 mg/day) and 21 women on low‐dose ERT (CEE 0.3125 mg/day) plus SSRI (fluvoxamine 50 mg/day) treated for 8 weeks. We used questionnaires to evaluate the efficacy for depression, namely the Self‐rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Self‐rating Questionnaire for Depression (SRQ‐D), and for anxiety with the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). In the statistical analysis, in the mixed‐effect model, for the score against time and adjusted with age, treatment and treatment as the fixed effects.

Results: The average scores on the SDS in both groups were decreased by the treatment (P < 0.001). But the efficacy of the ERT + SSRI group in the time × treatment SDS and SRQ‐D scores was significantly higher compared with those of ERT (P = 0.0025, 0.0162) and there was a significant difference in the decrease in the frequency of hot flashes by 8 weeks between the two groups (P = 0.036).

Conclusions: A combination of low‐dose and short‐term ERT + SSRI is more effective than low‐dose estrogen alone in relieving the depressive symptoms and hot flashes of oophorectomized women.
Laparoscopic ovarian drilling in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: How many punctures per ovary are needed to improve the reproductive outcome?
Authors: Malkawi Hasan Y. , Qublan Hussein S.
Published: March 2005

Aim: To evaluate the biochemical, clinical and reproductive results after laparoscopic ovarian drilling that carried out a different number of punctures in the ovaries.

Methods: Sixty‐three clomiphene‐citrate‐resistant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) underwent laparoscopic ovarian drilling using insulated needle cautery. Patients were allocated to two groups: group I (n = 26) had five punctures per ovary, and group II (n = 37) had 10 punctures per ovary. Biochemical and clinical data, before and after the procedure along with the reproductive outcome, were compared between the two groups.

Results: There were no significant differences in terms of body mass index, and insulin and glucose levels before and after the procedure between the two groups. Androgen levels and luteinizing hormone concentrations showed a statistically significant decrease after the treatment. The clinical and reproductive outcome, including menses cyclicity, ovulation, and pregnancy rates were similar in both groups.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic ovarian drilling is an effective treatment in clomiphene‐citrate‐resistant women with PCOS. Five, instead of ≥10, punctures per ovary are sufficient to ameliorate the hyperandrogenic status in these women, improving their clinical and reproductive outcome.
Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from one retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma in a postmenopausal woman*
Authors: Song Eun‐Seop , Choi Suk‐Jin , Kim Lucia , Choi Sun‐Keun , Ryu Jeong‐Seon , Lim Myung‐Kwan , Song Yun‐Seob , Im Moon‐Whan
Published: March 2005

Malignant degeneration of a retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma to adenocarcinoma at postmenopausal age is extremely rare. A 72‐year‐old woman with mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from a retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma is presented.
Are inner‐cities bad for your health? Comparisons of residents’ and third parties’ perceptions of the urban neighbourhood of Gospel Oak, London
Authors: Whitley Rob , Prince Martin
Published: March 2005

Abstract  This paper analyses representations of the neighbourhood of Gospel Oak (London, UK), by contrasting views of residents with views expressed by third parties. Data from residents were gathered through in‐depth qualitative methods. Data from third parties were gathered through documentary analysis.

Third parties’ descriptions of Gospel Oak were significantly more negative than residents’. In contrast, residents were overwhelmingly positive about the neighbourhood, often taking a diametrically opposed view to third parties on the same factor, for example, quality of housing.

We argue that third parties’ negative social construction of Gospel Oak is functional rather than descriptive; a pathological orientation is usually taken to assist efforts to win regeneration funding. Though this is sometimes successful, we discuss possible negative affects of this social construction, for example, stigmatisation. Finally, we warn against making assumptions of collective social and physical pathology in urban neighbourhoods, urging a more critical approach to the study of the inner‐city in the health sciences.
The phenomenology of death, embodiment and organ transplantation
Authors: Haddow Gillian
Published: March 2005

Abstract  Organ transplantation is an innovative 21st century medical therapy that offers the potential to enhance and save life. In order to do so it depends on a supply of organs, usually from cadaveric donors who have suffered brain stem death. Regardless of whether and how the deceased recorded their wishes about donation, health professionals will approach the bereaved relatives, before organs are removed. In this article, the results from 19 semi‐structured interviews with Scottish donor families will be presented. These accounts will focus exclusively on the families’ beliefs about death, the dead body and bonds with the deceased, and whether these affected the donation decision or the organs donated. What the families said about brain stem death (BSD); how and when they understood that death had occurred; and whether the families thought that death caused a ‘disembodiment’ (that the self was no longer embodied) will be explored. Finally, attention will turn to the bereaved's previous relationship with the embodied person. I conclude that the phenomenology of embodiment, death and organ transplantation offers new answers to the question of ‘Who am I’? That is, in order to understand what identity is, one might look for what it is that is lost at death; the body, the self and relationships with others.
Plant growth forms: an ecological and evolutionary perspective
Authors: Rowe Nick , Speck Thomas
Published: March 2005

Trees, shrubs, lianas and herbs have widely different mechanical architectures, which can also vary phenotypically with the environment. This review investigates how environmental effects, particularly mechanical perturbation, can influence biomechanical development in self‐supporting and climbing growth forms. The bifacial vascular cambium is discussed in terms of its significance to growth form variation, ecology and evolution among extant plants, and during its appearance and early evolution. A key aspect of this developmental innovation concerned its potential for architectural and mechanical variation in response to environmental effects as well as optimizing hydraulic supply before the appearance of laminate leaves. Growth form diversity and its importance to past and present ecosystems are discussed in relation to both evolutionary constraints and ecological factors such as climatic change and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We discuss how widely ranging growth forms such as climbers show a large range of developmental and phenotypic variation that has much to offer in understanding how the environment can modify plant development, particularly in terms of the bifacial vascular cambium. The broad approach we propose would benefit a wide range of studies from research into wood development to long‐term ecological censuses of today's potentially changing ecosystems.
Maternal effects provide phenotypic adaptation to local environmental conditions
Authors: Galloway Laura F.
Published: March 2005

In outcrossing plants, seed dispersal distance is often less than pollen movement. If the scale of environmental heterogeneity within a population is greater than typical seed dispersal distances but less than pollen movement, an individual's environment will be similar to that of its mother but not necessarily its father. Under these conditions, environmental maternal effects may evolve as a source of adaptive plasticity between generations, enhancing offspring fitness in the environment that they are likely to experience. This idea is illustrated usingCampanula americana, an herb that grows in understory and light‐gap habitats. Estimates of seed dispersal suggest that offspring typically experience the same light environment as their mother. In a field experiment testing the effect of open vs understory maternal light environments, maternal light directly influenced offspring germination rate and season, and indirectly affected germination season by altering maternal flowering time. Results to date indicate that these maternal effects are adaptive; further experimental tests are ongoing. Evaluating maternal environmental effects in an ecological context demonstrates that they may provide phenotypic adaptation to local environmental conditions.
Plant eco‐devo: the potential of poplar as a model organism
Authors: Cronk Q. C. B.
Published: March 2005

Ecological developmental genetics is the study of how ecologically significant traits originate in the genome and how the allelic combinations responsible are maintained in populations and species. Plant development involves a continuous feedback between growth and environment and the success of individual genotype × environment interactions determines the passage of alleles to the next generation: the adaptive recursion. Outbreeding plants contain a large amount of genetic variation, mostly in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). One of the challenges of eco‐devo is to distinguish neutral SNPs from those with ecological consequences. The complete genome sequence of Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray will be a significant aid in this endeavour. Occurring from California to Alaska, this is the first ecologically ‘keystone’ species to be sequenced. It has a rich natural history and is an obligate outbreeder. The individual sequenced, Nisqually‐1, appears to be heterozygous on average about every 100 bp over the c. 500 million bp of the genome. Overlaid on this within‐individual variation is some ecologically based between‐individual genotypic variation evident across the distribution of the species. The synthesis of information from genomics and ecology is now in prospect. This ‘ecomolecular synthesis’ is likely to provide a rich insight into the genomic basis of plant adaptation.
Does Continuity of Care Matter in a Universally Insured Population?
Authors: Menec Verena H. , Sirski Monica , Attawar Dhiwya
Published: March 2005

Objective.To examine the relation between continuity of care and preventive health care and emergency department (ED) use in a universal health care system.

Data Sources/Study Setting.Administrative data that capture health care use of the entire population of a midwestern Canadian city.

Study Design.A population‐based, retrospective study of all individuals who had a least one physician contact in 1998 or 1999 (totalN=536,893).

Methods.Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the relation between continuity of care, defined in terms of the proportion of total visits to family physicians (FPs) made to the same FP, and cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination, and ED visits, controlling for demographic variables, socioeconomic status (defined in terms of relative affluence of neighborhood of residence), and health status.

Principal Findings.Continuity of care was related to better preventive health care and reduced ED use. A consistent socioeconomic gradient also emerged. For instance, the odds of having a mammogram was double for individuals living in the wealthiest neighborhoods, relative to those in the poorest neighborhoods (adjusted odds ratio=2.31, 99 percent CI 2.13–2.50).

Conclusions.Having a long‐term relationship with a single physician makes a difference even in a universal health care system. Moreover, socioeconomic disparities remain, suggesting the need to target specifically individuals from lower socioeconomic strata for preventive health care.
Determination of P50 for feline hemoglobin
Authors: Herrmann Katja , Haskins Steve
Published: March 2005

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the PO2 at 50% hemoglobin oxygenation (P50) of feline hemoglobin (Hb).

Design: Prospective in vitro laboratory study.

Setting: Research laboratory.

Animals: Blood from 10 healthy cats.

Interventions: Individual blood samples were equilibrated with calibrated gases of 95, 21, 8, 5, 4, and 2.5% oxygen for tonometric analysis.

Measurements: Partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), oxygen content, oxyhemoglobin saturation, methemoglobin (MetHb), carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), Hb, packed cell volume, hydrogen ion concentration (pH), and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) were measured in duplicate for each blood sample by tonometry. The P50 was calculated from both PO2/oxyhemoglobin saturation and PO2/oxygen content (per gram of Hb) curves.

Main results: The P50 from the PO2/oxyhemoglobin saturation curve was 35.6 mmHg and from the PO2/oxygen content (per gram of Hb) curve was 36.2 mmHg.

Conclusions: The oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve for the cat is shifted to the right, and thus, feline Hb has lower oxygen affinity compared with human and canine Hb.
Characteristics of a Clinical Isolate of Urease‐Negative Helicobacter pylori and its Ability to Induce Gastric Ulcers in Mongolian Gerbils
Authors: Mine Tetsuya , Muraoka Hiroe , Saika Takeshi , Kobayashi Intetsu
Published: March 2005

Background.  We clinically obtained urease‐negative mutant strains of Helicobacter pylori. The goal of this study was to investigate the ability of the urease‐negative strain to colonize and subsequently damage the gastric mucosa in Mongolian gerbils. In addition, the genes encoding the urease production in the test strain were analyzed, and other genes encoding the virulence factors, cytotoxin‐associated protein and vacuolating‐cytotoxin were evaluated.

Materials and methods.  The character of urease‐negative isolates of H. pylori was defined. The identification of H. pylori was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The H. pylori isolate was transfected into Mongolian gerbils as previously described, which were followed up to 42 weeks, and the changes in their gastric mucosa were examined histologically.

Results and conclusion.  Fifteen Mongolian gerbils orally infected with 107 colony forming units of urease‐negative H. pylori were killed at 4, 12, 24, 36 and 42 weeks (n = 3) after infection. Culture medium without urease‐negative H. pylori was given to the Mongolian gerbils as control. H. pylori continued to exist in the subject's stomach and gastric ulceration was observed and compared with the control.

 Clinically obtained urease‐negative H. pylori continued to exist for at least 42 weeks in the subject's stomach and it induced gastric ulcers. These data demonstrated that the urease in H. pylori was not a necessary factor in the formation of gastric ulcers in the Mongolian gerbil model.
The chemokine system – a major regulator of angiogenesis in health and disease
Authors: ROSENKILDE METTE M. , SCHWARTZ THUE W.
Published: March 2005

The chemokine system controls leukocyte trafficking during homeostasis as well as during inflammation and is necessary for the linkage between innate and adaptive immunity. Tissue regulation outside the hematopoietic compartment, for instance, angiogenesis, organogenesis and tumor development, growth and metastasis, is another important function of the chemokine system. The chemokine‐mediated regulation of angiogenesis is highly sophisticated and fine tuned, and involves pro‐angiogenic chemokines, for instance, CXCL8/IL8 interacting with the CXCR2 receptor, and anti‐angiogenic (i.e. angiostatic) chemokines, for instance, CXCL10/IP10 interacting with the CXCR3 receptor. Chemokines also regulate angiogenesis in a receptor‐independent manner by means of a perturbation of bFGF and VEGF function. The current review focuses on the influence of the chemokine system in angiogenesis. Examples of the delicate angiogenesis regulation by the chemokine system in, for instance, wound healing and of the dysregulation in, for instance, tumor development are provided along with the interesting phenomenon of molecular piracy of host‐encoded genes within the chemokine system. This phenomenon is a general strategy to circumvent and exploit the immune system – and thereby improve survival – for many viruses. Yet, a certain group of herpesviruses – the γ2‐herpesviruses – encode a functional CXCR2 receptor homolog that is activated by angiogenic chemokines and antagonized by angiostatic chemokines, and this particular gene seems to cause the development of a vascular tumor – Kaposi's sarcoma – in the host.
Biology of the lymphatic marker LYVE‐1 and applications in research into lymphatic trafficking and lymphangiogenesis
Authors: JACKSON DAVID G.
Published: March 2005

The pace of research into the lymphatic system continues to accelerate with the availability of new molecular markers. One such marker, LYVE‐1, the lymphatic receptor for the extracellular matrix mucopolysaccharide hyaluronan, has been a key component of many important studies on embryonic and tumour‐induced lymphangiogenesis, and continues to be used for the detection and isolation of lymphatic endothelial cells. However, LYVE‐1 is interesting in its own right. Being a member of the Link protein family whose only other major hyaluronan receptor is directly involved in leukocyte migration and tumour metastasis, LYVE‐1 is already implicated in the trafficking of cells within lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes. The current challenge is to determine the precise roles played by LYVE‐1 and other scavenger type receptors in the immune functions of the lymphatics as well as to use LYVE‐1 and other markers to investigate the way in which tumours exploit lymphatic vessels for metastasis.
The contribution of vascular basement membranes and extracellular matrix to the mechanics of tumor angiogenesis
Authors: SUND MALIN , XIE LIANG , KALLURI RAGHU
Published: March 2005

The goal of this review is to highlight the contribution of extracellular matrix and vascular basement membranes to the regulation of angiogenesis and tumor progression. Here we present a new concept that vascular basement membrane influences endothelial cells and possibly other cell types in a solid state assembled form, and also in a degraded solution state form. Depending on the structural integrity, composition and exposure of cryptic sites, the vascular basement membrane proteome exerts functional influences on proliferating and resting endothelial cells. This review provides the reader with an appreciation of this newly evolved concept in the area of vascular biology.
Degradation of tyrosinase induced by phenylthiourea occurs following Golgi maturation
Authors: Hall Andrea M. , Orlow Seth J.
Published: March 2005

Tyrosinase, the rate‐limiting enzyme of melanin synthesis, is a di‐copper metalloprotein that catalyzes the conversion of l‐tyrosine to l‐DOPAquinone. Phenylthiourea (PTU) is a well‐known inhibitor of tyrosinase and melanin synthesis and is known to interact with sweet potato catechol oxidase, an enzyme possessing copper binding domain homology to tyrosinase. While PTU is frequently used to induce hypopigmentation in biological systems, little is known about its effects on tyrosinase and other melanogenic proteins. We have found that PTU induces degradation of tyrosinase but not of other melanogenic proteins including the tyrosinase‐related metalloproteins tyrosinase‐related protein (Tyrp)1 and Tyrp2. Using pulse‐chase analysis coupled with glycosidase digestion, we observed that tyrosinase degradation occurs following complete maturation of the protein and that degradation was reversed by cysteine protease inhibitor E64 but not proteasome inhibitor N‐acetyl‐l‐leucinyl‐l‐leucinyl‐l‐norleucinal. We conclude that PTU specifically induces tyrosinse degradation following Golgi maturation. Our data suggest that in addition to well‐known ER‐directed quality control, tyrosinase is also subject to post‐Golgi quality control.
Human placental lipid induces melanogenesis through p38 MAPK in B16F10 mouse melanoma
Authors: Singh Suman Kumar , Sarkar Chinmoy , Mallick Shampa , Saha Bidisha , Bera Rabindranath , Bhadra Ranjan
Published: March 2005

Melanogenesis is one of the characteristic functional activities of melanocyte/melanoma and is regulated via mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) pathways. Placental total lipid fraction (PTLF), prepared from a hydroalcoholic extract of fresh term human placenta contains sphingolipids and was recently shown to stimulate melanogenesis via up‐regulation of the key enzyme tyrosinase in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. How such lipids mediate their effects on pigmentation and tyrosinase expression is a particularly important aspect of melanogenesis. To study the signaling that leads to tyrosinase expression, we have investigated the roles of the MAPK and Akt/PKB pathways in B16F10 melanoma cells in melanogenesis in response to PTLF. Treatment of cells with PTLF led to the time dependent phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, completely blocked the PTLF‐induced melanogenesis by inhibiting promoter activity and subsequent expression of tyrosinase. Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002 a blocker of the Akt signaling pathway, or an inhibitor of MEK (MAPK/ERK Kinase), PD98059 when included along with PTLF was found to potentiate PTLF‐induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK together with tyrosinase expression and melanogenesis. The results suggest that the activation of p38 MAPK plays a crucial role in PTLF‐induced B16F10 melanogenesis by up‐regulating tyrosinase expression.
Experimental Genital Mycoplasmosis Causes Increased Levels of mRNA for IL‐6 and TNF‐α in the Placenta
Authors: Peltier Morgan R. , Brown Mary B.
Published: March 2005

Problem:  Previous studies with animal models have shown that injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) results in fetal loss and increases production of proinflammatory cytokines at the maternal–fetal interface. Most intrauterine infections, however, are associated with Ureaplasma urealyticum, a microorganism that lacks a cell wall and therefore does not contain LPS. Previous work in our laboratory with an animal model for genital infection with a similar organism, Mycoplasma pulmonis, revealed that widespread infection in maternal and fetal tissues can be experimentally induced with minimal manipulation of the animal. For this project, we tested the hypothesis that administration of the organism by a hematogenous route at gestational day (gd) 14 would result in increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐6 production by the placenta.

Study design:  Timed‐pregnant, Sprague–Dawley rats were anesthetized on gd 14 and 107 CFU of M. pulmonis strain X1048 or an equivalent volume of sterile medium was injected into the heart. Rats were necropsied on gd 18 or 21, and ex vivo production of TNF‐α and IL‐6 was evaluated from six randomly selected placentas from each litter. The remaining placentas were harvested and either snap‐frozen or placed in formalin. Frozen placentas were processed for real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis of TNF‐α and IL‐6 mRNA. Formalin‐fixed placentas were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for lesion analysis.

Results:  Concentrations of TNF‐α but not IL‐6 were significantly higher in conditioned medium from placentas harvested from infected dams at gd 21. Levels of mRNA for IL‐6 and TNF‐α, however, were increased by M. pulmonis at gd 18 and 21. Analysis of gd 21 placentas by light microscopy revealed that significant histological chorioamnionitis was present in infected animals with accumulations of neutrophils in the capsular decidua.

Conclusion:  These data indicate that experimental infection with M. pulmonis causes histological chorioamnionitis, elevated mRNA levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 in placental tissues, and the secretion of TNF‐α by the placenta during late gestation.
Late-season mortality during migration of radio-tagged adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Columbia River
Authors: Naughton George P , Caudill Christopher C , Keefer Matthew L , Bjornn Theodore C , Stuehrenberg Lowell C , Peery Christopher A
Published: March 2005

We radio-tagged 577 adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) returning to the Columbia River in 1997 to determine how migration behaviors were related to migration success in an altered river system. The probability of successful migration declined dramatically for late-entry individuals, concomitant with declines in discharge and the onset of stressful temperatures. Long dam passage times were not related to unsuccessful migration at most dams. However, when migration histories were analyzed across multiple dams or reservoirs, relatively slow migration was significantly associated with unsuccessful migration, suggesting potential cumulative effects. Median passage times at dams were rapid (7.933.4 h), although 0.2%8% of salmon took more than 5 days to pass. Reservoir passage was also rapid, averaging 36.861.3 km·day1, and appeared to compensate for slowed migration at dams. Rates observed in the unimpounded Hanford Reach suggest that total predam migration rates may have been similar to current rates. Overall, our results suggest that cumulative effects may be more important than negative effects of passage at single dams and that hydrosystem alteration of temperature regimes in the migration corridor may have an important indirect negative impact on adults.
Perturbative quantum gauge invariance: where the ghosts come from
Authors: Aste Andreas
Published: March 2005

A condensed introduction to quantum gauge theories is given in the perturbative S-matrix framework, with path-integral methods used nowhere. This approach emphasizes the fact that it is not necessary to start from classical gauge theories that are then subject to quantization: it is possible, instead, to recover the classical group structure and coupling properties from purely quantum-mechanical principles. As a main tool, we use a free-field version of the BecchiRouetStoraTyutin gauge transformation, which contains no interaction terms related to a coupling constant. This free gauge transformation can be formulated in an analogous way for quantum electrodynamics, YangMills theories with massless or massive gauge bosons, and quantum gravity. PACS Nos.: 11.10.z, 11.15.Bt, 12.20.Ds, 12.38.Bx
Exact expressions for the range and the optimal angle of a projectile with linear drag
Authors: Morales Daniel A
Published: March 2005

The analytical expressions for the range and the optimal angle of a projectile with linear drag are obtained for the first time. The analytical results are expressed in terms of the Lambert W function, and from those a number of mathematical and numerical results obtained previously with the implicit relation for the range are obtained more easily. The explicit solution for the range of the linear problem is then used as the zeroth-order term for the series solution of the range of the projectile with resistive force proportional to the nth power of the projectile's speed, in powers of δ = (n  1)/2. PACS Nos.: 02.30.Gp, 45.20.Dd, 45.30.+s, 45.50.Dd
Geotechnical parameters of reclaimed sandfill from the cone penetration test
Authors: Na Yung-Mook , Choa Victor , Teh Cee-Ing , Chang Ming-Fang
Published: March 2005

Sandfill at reclaimed sites is usually formed by more than one placement method. Reclaimed sandfill is often highly variable, and the cone penetration test is most commonly used for site characterization. Correlations among the cone resistance and geotechnical parameters for sand are influenced by the in situ stress level, and it is important to incorporate the stress-level effect. In this study, cone penetration tests were performed at several levels from the top of a 10 m high surcharge, which was later removed step by step, and in situ density was determined layer by layer at the Changi East reclamation site in Singapore. Different ways of normalizing the cone resistance by the corresponding in situ stress were investigated. Specialized in situ tests including the self-boring pressuremeter test, the cone pressure meter test, the seismic cone penetration test, and the plate load test were conducted to provide the reference deformation characteristics of sandfill. Results of the in situ tests indicate that the sand density and the cone resistance profiles vary between areas formed by different sand placement methods. Site-specific correlations developed based on comparison of normalized cone resistance with the reference data obtained from laboratory tests and other in situ tests are found to be suitable for the evaluation of relevant soil parameters.Key words: stress normalization, cone resistance, correlations, geotechnical parameter, in situ characterization, granular soil.