bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case-by-Case Comparison of the Classification of Law Enforcement and Vital Statistics Data on Homicide
Authors: Riedel Marc , Regoeczi Wendy C.
Published: March 2006

This study uses data from the California Linked Homicide File as a basis for evaluating the validity and reliability of homicide data. Case-by-case comparisons of variables reported by both agencies indicate that agreement between law enforcement and vital statistics data is highest with classifying homicides and victim gender and race and lowest with classifying victim age, manslaughters, and police justifiable homicides. The findings from a multilevel analysis examining what types of cases are unable to be linked over the two data-collection systems reveal that homicides involving Hispanic victims, weapons other than handguns, and family members other than intimate partners and homicides involving felonies, other nonfelonies, and negligent manslaughters have a greater likelihood of not being matched across the agencies. Death investigation systems that use medical examiners also decrease matching. The need for qualitative research examining how classification decisions are made by police and medical examiners or coroners is discussed.
Are Sex Offenders Different? An Examination of Rearrest Patterns
Authors: Sample Lisa L. , Bray Timothy M.
Published: March 2006

Sex offender registration and community notification requirements are universally applied to all sex offenders irrespective of their type. In this way, these policies treat sex offenders as a homogenous group, assuming that they exhibit similar reoffending patterns regardless of the age of their victims or the nature of their crimes. In this article, the authors highlight the assumption of homogeneity underlying sex offender laws and reviewit in light of current empirical evidence. They also offer a case study of recidivism rates for sex offenders in Illinois. The authors find that sex offenders are not the homogenous group that our policies assume, and they discuss the implication of this finding for the application of sex offender laws.
Postabortion Research: Methodological and Ethical Issues
Authors: Hess Rosanna F.
Published: March 2006

The author conducted research on long-term postabortion experience guided by the principles of phenomenology, and she describes the ethical and methodological issues encountered during the study, in which she interviewed 17 women who were more than 5 years postabortion, in this article. Discussed here, in the context of abortion as a sensitive topic for researcher and participant, are personal bias; recruitment, protection, and interviewing of participants; data analysis; and communication of findings. During the research process, the author gave particular attention to the formulation of the consent form, contact with the participants, the interview technique, the choice of a transcriptionist, and the use of a second reader. She also acknowledged her personal position on abortion, the reality of role conflict, and the importance of debriefing.
Mixed-Methods and Evaluation Research: Trends and Issues
Authors: Miller Steven I. , Fredericks Marcel
Published: March 2006

In this article, the authors attempt an initial exploration of the relevancy of the newly emerging field of mixed-methods research for educational evaluation. They give a brief introduction concerning the intent and variety of mixed-methods designs and models. They focus the analysis on some of the general issues and problems of this emerging field, including the lack of clear-cut procedural rules and differing ontological commitments. However, they argue that a particular form of mixed-methods design called quantitative-dominant sequential analysis might prove useful for some educational evaluation and policy studies.
The Internet as a Source of Data to Support the Development of a Quality-of-Life Measure for Eating Disorders
Authors: Adair Carol E. , Marcoux Gisele , Williams Amy , Reimer Marlene
Published: March 2006

Despite the attractiveness of the Internet as a data source on individuals' experiences with health conditions, few have studied its use in quality-of-life instrument development. In this article, the authors describe the use of Internet-based unsolicited first-person narratives to supplement qualitative material derived from other sources (published articles and interviews) in the early stages of development of a quality-of-life instrument for eating disorders. In a systematic Internet search, they identified 31 posted first-person narratives. Sixteen (52%) authors had anorexia nervosa, 11 (35%) had bulimia nervosa, and 4 (13%) had either eating disorders not otherwise specified or both diagnoses. Themes arising from the narratives were very similar to those from other sources; however, some specific sensitive topics uniquely expressed in the narratives produced items that the authors later validated in focus groups. Despite some limitations, the Internet was an efficient, inexpensive, and fruitful source of supplementary information for item generation.
Pentadic Cartography: Mapping Birth Trauma Narratives
Authors: Beck Cheryl Tatano
Published: March 2006

The reported prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder due to childbirth ranges from 1.5 to 6%. The purpose of this qualitative study is to conduct a narrative analysis of 11 mothers' birth trauma stories. The dramatistic pentad provided the overall structure for this narrative analysis. Using pentadic cartography, the author mapped the verbal terrain of each narrative using the pentad's five terms of scene, act, purpose, agent, and agency. The ratio imbalance between act and agency appeared most prominently on the pentadic map. Viewing the mothers' narratives through the act:agency ratio offered a terministic screen that helped pinpoint where the trauma that women experienced occurred during labor and delivery. Implications for clinical practice focus on the How (agency), the way clinicians provide care to women during childbirth.
Factors That Influence Physical Activity Participation Among High- and Low-SES Youth
Authors: Humbert M. Louise , Chad Karen E. , Spink Kevin S. , Muhajarine Nazeem , Anderson Kristal D. , Bruner Mark W. , Girolami Tammy M. , Odnokon Patrick , Gryba Catherine R.
Published: March 2006

Researchers have rarely addressed the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical activity fromthe perspective of youth. To illuminate the factors that youth fromlowand high-SES areas consider important to increase physical activity participation among their peers, 160 youth (12-18 years) participated in small focus group interviews. Guiding questions centered on the general theme, “If you were the one in charge of increasing the physical activity levels of kids your age, what would you do?” Findings show that environmental factors (i.e., proximity, cost, facilities, and safety) are very important for youth living in low-SES areas to ensure participation in physical activity. Results also show that intrapersonal (i.e., perceived skill, competence, time) and social factors (i.e., friends, adult support) must be considered to help improve participation rates among both high- and low-SES youth.
Body-Related Emotional Experiences of Young Aboriginal Women
Authors: Fleming Tara-Leigh , Kowalski Kent C. , Humbert M. Louise , Fagan Kristina R. , Cannon Martin J. , Girolami Tammy M.
Published: March 2006

Concerns related to the body are associated with health-compromising behaviors, and although research has indicated that young Aboriginal women are dissatisfied with their bodies, their voices have typically been absent from the literature. The purpose of this case study was to provide insight into the body-related emotional experiences of young, Canadian, urban Aboriginal women. Four young women participated; 3 identified themselves as Aboriginal (one 14-year-old, two 18-year-olds) and 1 as non-Aboriginal (18 years old). Multiple methods (focus group, one-on-one interviews, and artwork) provided the authors the opportunity to listen to the young women's stories. Five themes emerged: (a) conflicting cultures, (b) need to belong, (c) the beauty of difference, (d) journey to acceptance of the body, and (e) the body affects everything. This research highlights the complexity of young Aboriginal women's body-related emotional experiences and indicates that their experiences might not be as negative as previous research has led us to believe.
Brain Corticosteroid Receptor Dynamics and Trafficking: Implications from Live Cell Imaging
Authors: Nishi Mayumi , Kawata Mitsuhiro
Published: March 2006

Adrenal corticosteroids (cortisol in humans or corticosterone in rodents) exert numerous effects in the central nervous system that regulate the stress response, mood, learning and memory, and various neuroendocrine functions. Corticosterone actions in the brain are mediated by two corticosteroid receptors, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and they show a high degree of colocalization in the hippocampal region. These receptors predominantly reside in the cytoplasm without ligand and are translocated into the nucleus upon ligand binding to act as transcriptional factors. Thus, their subcellualr localizations are an important component of their biological activity. Given the differential action of MR and GR in the central nervous system, it is important to elucidate how the trafficking of these receptors between the cytoplasm and the nucleus and their interactions are regulated by ligand or other molecules to exert transcriptional activity. In this review, the authors focus on the nucleocytoplasmic and subnuclear trafficking of GR and MR in neural cells and nonneural cells and discuss various factors affecting the dynamics of these receptors.
The Control of Neuromuscular Transmission in Health and Disease
Authors: Rich Mark M.
Published: March 2006

Multiple techniques are available to study failure of neuromuscular transmission. Electrophysiological techniques used in patients are well suited to detect failure of neuromuscular transmission; however, these methods offer little insight into the mechanisms underlying failure of transmission. More detailed techniques that are better suited for studying the underlying mechanisms can be performed in animal models of neuromuscular disease. However, it is often difficult to compare studies using different techniques to measure neuromuscular transmission. In this review, I discuss different techniques that are available to study failure of neuromuscular transmission. The strengths and weaknesses of various techniques are compared using several diseases as examples. The review concludes with a discussion of mechanisms that may contribute to failure of neuromuscular transmission during repetitive stimulation.
Neurobiology of Unilateral Spatial Neglect
Authors: Hillis Argye E.
Published: March 2006

Hemispatial neglect is a common and disabling consequence of stroke. Earlier studies aimed to identify a single area of the brain where damage caused neglect and sought a single disrupted process that could account for the symptoms. Recent studies have shifted toward identifying component processes and representations underlying spatial attention required for various tasks and identifying areas of the brain responsible for each component that together constitute the network of regions responsible for neglect. This review focuses on recent insights into the mechanisms of neglect, regions of neural dysfunction that cause disruption of particular components or forms of neglect, and potential means of ameliorating neglect. Converging evidence supporting these insights comes from new imaging modalities in acute stroke, functional imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, electrophysiological studies in humans, and single-cell recording studies in nonhuman primates.
Redesigning a Telehealth Diabetes Management Program for a Digital Divide Seniors Population
Authors: Kaufman David R. , Pevzner Jenia , Hilliman Charlyn , Weinstock Ruth S. , Teresi Jeanne , Shea Steven , Starren Justin
Published: March 2006

Recent advances in health information technologies promise to significantly improve the quality of care and quality of life for individuals who are chronically ill. However, significant challenges exist in targeting Digital Divide populations who are likely to be older, less educated, and novice computer users. This article presents a framework for understanding and reducing barriers for older adults to effectively use health information systems designed for disease management. The research is illustrated in the context of the IDEATel project, a large-scale telemedicine diabetes management and education program. The framework has three interdependent foci: hardware and software systems, tasks supported by the system, and user profiles. These foci are addressed in the context of usability and training studies. The studies document the challenges faced in facilitating patients’ access to Web resources supporting disease management. The article discusses system design changes that are intended to increase participants’ productive use of system resources.
Disease Management: A Mid-Decade Evolution Toward Patient Safety
Authors: Heckinger Elizabeth , Chappell Heather , Downes Dorothy , Fitzner Karen
Published: March 2006

Chronic medical condition management challenges health care systems, which increasingly lack tools to resolve clinical, quality, and cost impacts of this population. Demand for care management increases as populations age and chronic illnesses increase. The chronically ill are vulnerable to safety errors, leading to poor health status and increased health care costs. Patient safety, the risk from errors of omission or commission, is an integral component of disease management (DM). DM programs address the dual problems of safety and affordability by keeping individuals in their homes, empowering self-management of chronic condition(s), reducing complications, and forestalling safety concerns. Within home health, the evolution of patient safety in chronic care management has moved from conception to a definition stage, allowing noting and “cataloguing” of best practices. Metrics will be developed promoting rigorous evaluation of DM program performance and fostering optimal wellness for the chronically ill in a cost-effective and satisfying home setting.
Old Age, New Technology, and Future Innovations in Disease Management and Home Health Care
Authors: Coughlin Joseph F. , Pope James E. , Leedle Ben R.
Published: March 2006

The nation’s nearly 80 million baby boomers are about to enter their peak years of chronic disease and are set to become an unprecedented driver of health care costs. New technology, however, promises to enable a transformation in the delivery of care, putting patients at the center of care systems that engage and empower them and their families, directly connecting patients to care-givers, and personalizing services in response to patients’ unique needs, preferences, and values. Such care systems also offer the promise of strengthening an understaffed, underresourced home health care industry. Leveraging technology, disease management (DM), and home health have the opportunity to work together to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of a rapidly aging society through better coordinated care that reduces avoidable hospital readmissions and other adverse events. This is achieved by positively affecting such things as home safety (e.g., falls), medication adherence, nutrition, and heart failure.
Bio-politics and the promotion of traditional herbal medicine in Vietnam
Authors: Wahlberg Ayo
Published: March 2006

It is often suggested that, in the past 50 years, Vietnam has experienced a traditional medicine ‘revival’ that can be traced back to late President Ho Chi Minh's 1955 appeal ‘to study means of uniting the effects of oriental remedies with those of Europe’. In this article, I demonstrate how traditional herbal medicine came to be recruited as an important component of national efforts to promote the public health of urban and rural populations in Vietnam. Importantly, this has entailed a rejection of a colonial biopolitics that sought to marginalize ‘quackery’ in favour of a postcolonial bio-politics that aims to promote the ‘appropriate’ use of traditional herbal medicines. While the Vietnamese case bears many parallels to other countries in this respect, notably China, Vietnam's ancient history of medicine, postcolonial isolation and extensive health delivery network have resulted in a unique strategy that encourages rural populations to become self-sufficient in the herbal treatment of their most common illnesses.
‘Not living life in too much of an excess’: lay men understanding health and well-being
Authors: Robertson Steve
Published: March 2006

While research on lay perspectives of health now has a wellestablished history, specific empirical data on male lay perspectives of health and well-being are largely absent. Drawing on focus group data and in-depth interviews with 20 lay men (including sub-samples of gay men and disabled men), and seven health professionals, this article explores how the men conceptualized ‘health’ and the gendered nature of such conceptualizations. Specific emphasis is given to considering notions of ‘control’ and ‘release’, and the associated issues of ‘risk’ and ‘responsibility’, in the participants’ health narratives. A conceptual model for understanding ‘masculinity’ and ‘health’ is presented.
‘We just don’t know’: ambivalence about treatment strategies in the Australian community-based HIV media
Authors: Newman Christy , Persson Asha , Ellard Jeanne
Published: March 2006

The community-based HIV media in Australia provide a unique arena for the negotiation of competing models of medicine between activists, clinicians, government and people living with HIV/AIDS. This article examines how these media have interpreted developments in HIV treatment strategies since the introduction of new treatments in 1996, and identifies the discursive elements employed in journalistic constructions of the temporality and character of HIV medicine. A discourse of ambivalence recurs throughout this journalism, framing the negotiated shifts in treatment strategies as evidence of the uncertainty and unpredictability of HIV medicine. Associated with this discourse are metaphors of medical ambivalence that employ provocative imagery such as fashion, rollercoaster, obstacle course and guessing game to shore up a notion of the volatility of HIV medicine. This article participates in ongoing engagements between the communities and clinicians affected by HIV/AIDS and, more broadly, in the production of knowledge around medicine and the media.
From manila to monitor: biographies of general practitioner workspaces
Authors: Rapport Frances , Doel Marcus A. , Greaves David , Elwyn Glyn
Published: March 2006

This article presents a study that explores how general practitioners (GPs) reflect on their workspaces and what that tells us about how professional practice is enacted. The study employed biography as its data collection method to enable three pilot and nine other GPs from the Swansea Region in the UK to write about their consulting rooms. Thematic analysis of biographies, employing individual and group analysis sessions, revealed eleven themes of GP workspace. These indicated that although a minority of the group were totally satisfied with their environments, most of the group spent time and energy finding ways of creating environments of ‘best fit’, thus enabling lack of function to become part of their daily routine.
Treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis and its effects on asthma
Authors: Ragab S. , Scadding G. K. , Lund V. J. , Saleh H.
Published: March 2006

The effects of rhinosinusitis treatment upon asthma are disputed.

The first randomised prospective study of surgical compared with medical therapy of chronic rhinosinusitis in 90 patients with and without nasal polyps was previously reported. Asthma symptoms, control, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak flow, exhaled nitric oxide, medication use and hospitalisation at 6 and 12 months from the start of the study were also monitored. This paper reports these results in 43 of those patients with concomitant asthma.

Both medical and surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis were associated with subjective and objective improvements in asthma. Overall asthma control improved significantly following both treatment modalities, but was better maintained after medical therapy, where improvement could also be demonstrated in the subgroup with nasal polyps. Medicine was superior to surgery with respect to a decrease in exhaled nitric oxide and increase in FEV1in the polyp patients. Two patients noted worsening of asthma post-operatively.

Improvement in upper airway symptoms, as assessed using a visual analogue scale, correlated with improvement in asthma symptoms and control. Treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, medical or surgical, benefits concomitant asthma; that associated with nasal polyposis benefits more from medical therapy.
Upregulation of basic fibroblast growth factor in smokers with chronic bronchitis
Authors: Guddo F. , Vignola A. M. , Saetta M. , Baraldo S. , Siena L. , Balestro E. , Zuin R. , Papi A. , Maestrelli P. , Fabbri L. M. , Bonsignore G. , Turato G.
Published: March 2006

The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-1, in the central airways of smokers with chronic bronchitis.

The lobar bronchi from 17 subjects undergoing thoracotomy for solitary nodules were examined. All had a history of cigarette smoking, nine had symptoms of chronic bronchitis and airflow limitation, and eight were asymptomatic with normal lung function. Using immunohistochemical methods, bFGF and FGFR-1 expression in the total airway wall and the different airway compartments,i.e.bronchial glands, submucosal vessels and smooth muscle, was quantified. Moreover, to investigate the role of bFGF in angiogenesis, the number of submucosal vessels was quantified.

Smokers with chronic bronchitis had an increased bFGF expression in the total airway wall compared with asymptomatic smokers, which was mainly due to bFGF upregulation in bronchial glands. By contrast, the expression of FGFR-1 and the number of submucosal vessels was similar in the two groups of subjects examined.

In conclusion, smokers with chronic bronchitis have an increased expression of basic fibroblast growth factor in the central airways, which is mainly due to an increased expression in bronchial glands, suggesting the involvement of this growth factor in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis.
Enhanced chemo-responsiveness in patients with sleep apnoea and end-stage renal disease
Authors: Beecroft J. , Duffin J. , Pierratos A. , Chan C. T. , McFarlane P. , Hanly P. J.
Published: March 2006

Although sleep apnoea is very common in patients with end-stage renal disease, the physiological mechanisms for this association have not yet been determined. The current authors hypothesised that altered respiratory chemo-responsiveness may play an important role.

In total, 58 patients receiving treatment with chronic dialysis were recruited for overnight polysomnography. A modified Read rebreathing technique, which is used to assess basal ventilation, ventilatory sensitivity and threshold, was completed before and after overnight polysomnography. Patients were divided into apnoeic (n = 38; apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) 35±22 events·h-1) and nonapnoeic (n = 20; AHI 3±3 events·h-1) groups, with the presence of sleep apnoea defined as an AHI >10 events·h-1. While basal ventilation and the ventilatory recruitment threshold were similar between groups, ventilatory sensitivity during isoxic hypoxia (partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) 6.65 kPa) and hyperoxia (PO219.95 kPa) was significantly greater in apnoeic patients. Overnight changes in chemoreflex responsiveness were similar between groups.

In conclusion, these data indicate that the responsiveness of both the central and peripheral chemoreflexes is augmented in patients with sleep apnoea and end-stage renal disease. Since increased ventilatory sensitivity to hypercapnia destabilises respiratory control, the current authors suggest this contributes to the pathogenesis of sleep apnoea in this patient population.
Involvement of MMP-12 and phosphodiesterase type 4 in cigarette smoke-induced inflammation in mice
Authors: Leclerc O. , Lagente V. , Planquois J-M. , Berthelier C. , Artola M. , Eichholtz T. , Bertrand C. P. , Schmidlin F.
Published: March 2006

The aim of the present study was to characterise a mouse model of airways inflammation induced by cigarette smoke and to compare it with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model with regards to the efficacy of a PDE4 inhibitor (cilomilast), a corticosteroid (dexamethasone) and macrophage metalloelastase (MMP)-12 gene deletion.

Cigarette smoke exposure for 3 days induced a time-dependent airway neutrophilia associated with an increased level of keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, MIP-1α and MMP-9 in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). LPS exposure also induced an increase in the number of neutrophils in BAL. Studies in MMP-12-/- mice showed that in contrast to the smoking model, MMP-12 did not have a critical role in LPS-induced inflammation. Both cilomilast and dexamethasone blocked LPS-induced neutrophilia in a dose-dependent manner. Cilomilast inhibited cigarette smoke-induced neutrophilia and MIP-1α, but only 10 mg·kg−1of dexamethasone was effective. Both anti-inflammatory treatments had no effect on the levels of KC and MIP-2 in the BAL.

Although the inflammatory response was very similar in the smoking model and LPS, the pharmacological modulation and the MMP-12 gene deletion highlighted the differences in the mechanisms involved. Furthermore, the cigarette smoke model seemed to better represent the situation described in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

In conclusion, these differences underline the importance of using an acute smoke-exposure model to investigate potential new treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Dexamethasone can stimulate G1-S phase transition in human airway fibroblasts in asthma
Authors: Fouty B. , Moss T. , Solodushko V. , Kraft M.
Published: March 2006

Corticosteroids are the first line of therapy for asthma. Whether they alter the progression of airway remodelling in asthma is, as yet, unknown.

To determine whether corticosteroids could alter the fibroblast cell cycle the current authors studied the effect of dexamethasone on cultured airway fibroblasts obtained from nine mild-to-moderate, steroid-naïve asthmatics (forced expiratory volume in one second 78±4% predicted), and seven normal controls. Fibroblasts were cultured from endobronchial biopsies obtainedviabronchoscopy. Cells were exposed to dexamethasone (10-9–10-7 M) and studied at 72 h to determine differences in progression through the cell cycle.

In asthmatic fibroblasts, dexamethasone, at concentrations of 10-8M and 10-7M, nearly doubled the number of cells in the S phase (17.8±3.0% and 18.4±3.1%, respectively) compared with untreated fibroblasts (10.3±1.4%). There was no significant effect in normal control fibroblasts. Dexamethasone induced hyperphosphorylation of the tumour suppressor, retinoblastoma (RB) in asthmatic fibroblasts; fibroblasts from normal controls had significantly less hyperphosphorylation of RB. No difference in protein expression of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α between the two groups was detected.

This study suggests that dexamethasone can stimulate G1-S phase cell cycle transition in human airway fibroblasts obtained from asthmatics. Whether this leads to enhanced airway remodelling in some individuals remains to be determined.
Short-term respiratory effects of cleaning exposures in female domestic cleaners
Authors: Medina-Ramón M. , Zock J. P. , Kogevinas M. , Sunyer J. , Basagaña X. , Schwartz J. , Burge P. S. , Moore V. , Antó J. M.
Published: March 2006

Symptoms of obstructive lung disease in domestic cleaners have been related to the use of bleach and other irritant cleaning products. The short-term effects of cleaning exposures on respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were investigated in domestic cleaners with respiratory disorders.

In a panel study, 43 female domestic cleaners with a recent history of asthma and/or chronic bronchitis completed a 2-week diary, collecting information on respiratory symptoms, PEF and cleaning exposures. Mixed regression models were used to assess daily changes in symptoms and PEF associated with specific cleaning exposures. The probability of having work-related asthma was individually assessed by a computerised diagnostic system and an occupational asthma expert.

Lower respiratory tract symptoms were more common on working days and were predominantly associated with exposure to diluted bleach, degreasing sprays/atomisers and air fresheners. Associations with upper respiratory tract symptoms and PEF were less apparent. Eleven (30%) subjects scored positively for work-related asthma.

It is concluded that exposure to certain irritant cleaning products aggravates lower respiratory tract symptoms in female domestic cleaners with asthma or chronic bronchitis.
Biomonitoring for assessment of organic dust-induced lung inflammation
Authors: Mueller-Anneling L. J. , O'Neill M. E. , Thorne P. S.
Published: March 2006

Inhalation exposure to particulate matter containing endotoxin (or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) occurs in a variety of occupations. Nasal lavage and induced sputum have been used to evaluate lung inflammation resulting from such exposures. Whole blood assay (WBA) measures cytokine production of leukocytes afterex vivostimulation with LPS. The present study examined the effectiveness of WBA for evaluating inflammatory responses and susceptibility.

C3HeB/FEJ mice were tolerised by LPS injection or sham tolerised with saline. Animals then inhaled either swine barn dust extract containing endotoxin or saline. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was assayed for leukocyte counts and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α). Whole blood was stimulated with 10 or 100 ng·mL-1of LPS, incubated for 5 or 18 h and assayed for cytokines.

Barn dust-exposed groups revealed significantly higher total cells, neutrophils and cytokines in BAL compared with saline-exposed groups. Animals tolerised to LPS and exposed to barn dust demonstrated lower cellular and cytokine BAL responses. Similarly, WBA yielded significantly elevated cytokines with barn dust exposure and reduced responses with tolerisation.

This study demonstrates the efficacy of whole blood assay as a biomarker of inhalation exposure to inflammatory agents and its use for assessing susceptibility to organic dust-induced lung inflammation.
A single-season prospective study of respiratory viral infections in lung transplant recipients
Authors: Milstone A. P. , Brumble L. M. , Barnes J. , Estes W. , Loyd J. E. , Pierson R. N. , Dummer S.
Published: March 2006

The frequency and complications of respiratory viral infections (RVI) were studied in 50 ambulatory lung transplant patients during a single winter season, using viral antigens, viral cultures and PCR of nasal washes or bronchoalveolar lavages. Patients' survival, episodes of acute rejection and occurrence of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) or BO syndrome (BOS) were monitored for 1 yr after the study.

Overall, 32 (64%) patients had 49 symptomatic episodes. Documented infections included eight due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), one due to parainfluenza virus (PIV) and 10 due to influenza (FLU). Four of the FLU infections were serological rises without symptoms. Overall, 17 (34%) patients had documented viral infection; four patients had lower respiratory involvement and two (one RSV, one PIV) were hospitalised for aerosolised ribavirin treatment.

After 1 yr there were three (6%) deaths unrelated to RVI. BO or BOS had occurred in one (6%) out of 17 patients with and three (12%) out of 33 without RVI. Respiratory viruses infected one-third of ambulatory lung transplant recipients in a single season.

In conclusion, respiratory viral infection was not associated with subsequent graft dysfunction. Larger prospective studies are required to better define the acute and long-term morbidity of these infections.
Direct evidence of secondary necrosis of neutrophils during intense lung inflammation
Authors: Rydell-Törmänen K. , Uller L. , Erjefält J. S.
Published: March 2006

Several pulmonary inflammatory conditions are characterised by infiltration of neutrophils. Normally, neutrophils are silently removed by apoptosis, followed by phagocytosis. However, if phagocytosis fails, apoptotic cells undergo secondary necrosis. Recent findings of increased levels of the pan-necrosis marker lactate dehydrogenase in bronchoalveolar lavage from lipopolysaccharide-exposed mice implies potential involvement of secondary necrosis. Using a similar model, this study aimed to identify the source of lactate dehydrogenase and to search for direct histological evidence of secondary necrosis.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered to the lungs of BALB/c mice, and bronchoalveolar lavage and tissue samples were collected 4, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h after administration. LPS induced a patchy neutrophil-rich lung inflammation, where the numbers of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling-positive neutrophils were increased at 12 h and onwards. Lavage levels of neutrophils and lactate dehydrogenase increased significantly at 4 and 24 h, respectively. Detailed electron microscopic assessment of neutrophil activation and death modes revealed that up to 14% of the neutrophils were undergoing secondary necrosis, whereas apoptotic or primary necrotic structural cells were rarely found.

In summary, this study provides direct evidence that secondary necrosis of neutrophils is a common process during intense lung inflammation. This implies that neutrophil apoptosis may cause rather than resolve airway inflammation.
Early rise in exhaled nitric oxide and mast cell activation in repeated low-dose allergen challenge
Authors: Ihre E. , Gyllfors P. , Gustafsson L. E. , Kumlin M. , Dahlén B.
Published: March 2006

Repeated low-dose allergen inhalation challenge mimics natural allergen exposure, providing a model for early mechanisms in the triggering of asthma. The current authors performed a controlled study to evaluate the time course of changes in exhaled nitric oxide fraction (Fe,NO) and urinary biomarkers of airway inflammation.

Eight subjects with mild allergic asthma completed two 7-day repeated low-dose challenge periods, with diluent and allergen, respectively. Subjects were symptom free at inclusion and were investigated when not exposed to specific allergen. Pulmonary function and symptoms were followed, andFe,NOand urinary mediators were correlated to changes in airway responsiveness to histamine and adenosine.

Despite no change in pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in one second mean±semfall 0.3±0.7versus0.6±1.0%, for diluent and allergen, respectively) and no asthma symptoms, repeated allergen exposure, in contrast to diluent, caused significant increases in histamine responsiveness (2.3 doubling doses), an early and gradual increase inFe,NO(up to a doubling from baseline) and a small increase in the mast cell marker 9α11β-prostaglandin F2after adenosine challenge.

In conclusion, serial measurements of exhaled nitric oxide fraction have the potential to provide a very sensitive strategy for early detection of emerging airway inflammation and subsequent changes in airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine.
Redistributive land reform in ‘public’ (forest) lands? Lessons from the Philippines and their implications for land reform theory and practice
Authors: Borras Saturnino M.
Published: March 2006

The conventional view in the land reform literature does not consider distribution of ‘public’ lands to landless and near-landless peasants as redistributive land reform. Questioning the (formal) private property bias in land reform theory and practice, this paper rethinks some fundamental concepts and re-examines actual distribution in public lands in the Philippines. It concludes that redistributive reform can, in fact, occur in this type of land and the political process through which this outcome can be achieved could be highly contentious.
The United Nations International Year of Ecotourism: a critical analysis of development implications
Authors: Butcher Jim
Published: March 2006

The United Nations International Year of Ecotourism (IYE) of 2002 marked out the rise of ecotourism from new niche market opportunity in the 1980s to being regarded by its advocates as an exemplary form of sustainable development in the rural developing world. This paper briefly situates the IYE in the context of wider ideas on development and conservation. It identifies and critically considers three key themes featured in the documentation from the IYE: community participation, traditional knowledge and natural capital. Further, it is argued that the IYE reflects a diminished and constrained vision of the possibilities for rural development.
The Bali bombs and the tourism development cycle
Authors: Putra I Nyoman Darma , Hitchcock Michael
Published: March 2006

This paper analyses the impact of the Bali bombings on international visitor arrivals in Bali and compares this crisis with previous crises with reference to Butler’s hypothetical tourism area life cycle. The paper demonstrates that the Bali bombings had by far the greatest impact on international tourism visitation than any other crisis in the island’s history. Such was the severity of the decline in Bali that both national and local measures were taken to restore confidence. Important though these measures were, they do not fully account for the strong resurgence in international arrivals, suggesting that the destination has not yet reached consolidation in accordance with Butler’s hypothesis and that the strength of the resurgence owes much to the underlying trend of the development phase associated with the general picture proposed by Butler.
Cognitive versus Technical Debriefing after Simulation Training
Authors: Bond William F. , Deitrick Lynn M. , Eberhardt Mary , Barr Gavin C. , Kane Bryan G. , Worrilow Charles C. , Arnold Darryl C. , Croskerry Pat
Published: March 2006

Background:
Recent literature describes “cognitive dispositions to respond” (CDRs) that may lead physicians to err in their clinical reasoning.

Objectives:
To assess learner perception of high‐fidelity mannequin‐based simulation and debriefing to improve understanding of CDRs.

Methods:
Emergency medicine (EM) residents were exposed to two simulations designed to bring out the CDR concept known as “vertical line failure.” Residents were then block‐randomized to a technical/knowledge debriefing covering the medical subject matter or a CDR debriefing covering vertical line failure. They then completed a written survey and were interviewed by an ethnographer. Four investigators blinded to group assignment reviewed the interview transcripts and coded the comments. The comments were qualitatively analyzed and those upon which three out of four raters agreed were quantified. A random sample of 84 comments was assessed for interrater reliability using a kappa statistic.

Results:
Sixty‐two residents from two EM residencies participated. Survey results were compared by technical (group A, n= 32) or cognitive (group B, n= 30) debriefing. There were 255 group A and 176 group B comments quantified. The kappa statistic for coding the interview comments was 0.42. The CDR debriefing group made more, and qualitatively richer, comments regarding CDR concepts. The technical debriefing group made more comments on the medical subjects of cases. Both groups showed an appreciation for the risk of diagnostic error.

Conclusions:
Survey data indicate that technical debriefing was better received than cognitive debriefing. The authors theorize that an understanding of CDRs can be facilitated through simulation training based on the analysis of interview comments.
Notch1 functions to suppress cone-photoreceptor fate specification in the developing mouse retina
Authors: Yaron Orly , Farhy Chen , Marquardt Till , Applebury Meredithe , Ashery-Padan Ruth
Published: March 2006

Notch receptor-mediated cell-cell signaling is known to negatively regulate neurogenesis in both vertebrate and invertebrate species, while being implicated in promoting the acquisition of glial fates. We studied Notch1 function directly during retinal neurogenesis by selective Cre/loxP-triggered Notch1 gene inactivation in peripheral retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) prior to the onset of cell differentiation. Consistent with its previously established role, Notch1 inactivation led to dramatic alteration in the expression profile of multiple basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, consequently prompting premature cell-cycle exit and neuronal specification. Surprisingly, however, Notch1 inactivation led to a striking change in retinal cell composition, with cone-photoreceptor precursors expanding at the expense of other early- as well as late-born cell fates. Intriguingly, the Notch1-deficient precursors adhered to the normal chronological sequence of the cone-photoreceptor differentiation program. Together, these findings reveal an unexpected role of Notch signaling in directly controlling neuronal cell-type composition, and suggest a model by which, during normal retinogenesis, Notch1 functions to suppress cone-photoreceptor fate, allowing for the specification of the diversity of retinal cell types.
Dorsally derived netrin 1 provides an inhibitory cue and elaborates the`waiting period' for primary sensory axons in the developing spinal cord
Authors: Watanabe Keisuke , Tamamaki Nobuaki , Furuta Takahiro , Ackerman Susan L. , Ikenaka Kazuhiro , Ono Katsuhiko
Published: March 2006

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons extend axons to specific targets in the gray matter of the spinal cord. During development, DRG axons grow into the dorsolateral margin of the spinal cord and projection into the dorsal mantle layer occurs after a `waiting period' of a few days. Netrin 1 is a long-range diffusible factor expressed in the ventral midline of the developing neural tube, and has chemoattractive and chemorepulsive effects on growing axons. Netrin 1 is also expressed in the dorsal spinal cord. However, the roles of dorsally derived netrin 1 remain totally unknown. Here, we show that dorsal netrin 1 controls the correct guidance of primary sensory axons. During the waiting period, netrin 1 is transiently expressed or upregulated in the dorsal spinal cord, and the absence of netrin 1 results in the aberrant projection of sensory axons, including both cutaneous and proprioceptive afferents, into the dorsal mantle layer. Netrin 1 derived from the dorsal spinal cord, but not the floor plate, is involved in the correct projection of DRG axons. Furthermore,netrin 1 suppresses axon outgrowth from DRG in vitro. Unc5crcm mutant shows abnormal invasion of DRG axons as observed in netrin 1 mutants. These results are the first direct evidence that netrin 1 in the dorsal spinal cord acts as an inhibitory cue for primary sensory axons and is a crucial signal for the formation of sensory afferent neural networks.
Temperature regulates hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in a poikilothermic vertebrate, crucian carp (Carassius carassius)
Authors: Rissanen Eeva , Tranberg Hanna K. , Sollid Jørund , Nilsson Göran E. , Nikinmaa Mikko
Published: March 2006

Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of hypoxia-induced gene responses. To find out whether HIF-1 function is involved in gene expression changes associated with temperature acclimation as well as in hypoxia adaptation in poikilotherms, we studied HIF-1 DNA binding activity and HIF-1α expression in normoxia and during hypoxia (0.7 mg l–1 O2) in crucian carp at temperatures of 26, 18 and 8°C. Temperature had a marked influence on HIF-1 in normoxia. Although HIF-1α mRNA levels remained unaltered, cold acclimation (8°C)increased HIF-1α protein amounts in the liver, gills and heart and HIF-1 DNA binding activity in the heart, gills and kidney of crucian carp by two- to threefold compared to warm acclimated fish (26°C). In the heart and kidney HIF-1 activity was already significantly increased in the 18°C acclimated fish. Temperature also affected hypoxic regulation of HIF-1. Although hypoxia initially increased amounts of HIF-1α protein in all studied tissues at every temperature, except for liver at 18°C, HIF-1 activity increased only in the heart of 8°C acclimated and in the gills of 18°C acclimated fish. At 8°C HIF-1α mRNA levels increased transiently in the gills after 6 h of hypoxia and in the kidney after 48 h of hypoxia. In the gills at 26°C HIF-1α mRNA levels increased after 6 h of hypoxia and remained above normoxic levels for up to 48 h of hypoxia. These results show that HIF-1 is involved in controlling gene responses to both oxygen and temperature in crucian carp. No overall transcriptional control mechanism has been described for low temperature acclimation in poikilotherms, but the present results suggest that HIF-1 could have a role in such regulation. Moreover, this study highlights interaction of the two prime factors defining metabolism,temperature and oxygen, in the transcriptional control of metabolic homeostasis in animals.
Development of the sympatho-vagal balance in the cardiovascular system in zebrafish (Danio rerio) characterized by power spectrum and classical signal analysis
Authors: Schwerte Thorsten , Prem Caroline , Mairösl Anita , Pelster Bernd
Published: March 2006

The development of sympatho-vagal control of cardiac activity was analyzed in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae from 2 to 15 days post fertilization (d.p.f.) by pharmacological studies as well as by assessing short term heart rate variability. Changes in heart rate in response to cholinergic and adrenergic receptor stimulation or inhibition were investigated using in situ preparations and digital video-microscopic techniques. The data revealed that the heart responded to adrenergic stimulation starting at 4 d.p.f. and to cholinergic stimulation starting at 5 d.p.f. Atropine application resulted in an increase in heart rate beyond 12 d.p.f., while the inhibitory effect of cholinergic stimulation ceased at this time of development. Adrenergic inhibition (propranolol) reduced heart rate for the first time at 5 d.p.f., but the reduction was only very small (3.8%). Between 5 and 12 d.p.f. propranolol application always resulted in a minor reduction in heart rate, but because the effect was so small it was not always significant. Because the presence of an adrenergic or cholinergic tone may influence the stability of heart rate, we analyzed short-term heart rate variability (HRV). The frequency band width of heart rate variability revealed that HRV increased between 4 d.p.f. and 15 d.p.f. From 13 to 15 d.p.f. atropine reduced the frequency band width of HRV, whereas the combination of atropine and propranolol effectively reduced the frequency band width between 11 and 15 d.p.f. Classical power spectrum analysis using electrocardiograms is not possible in tiny zebrafish larvae and juveniles. It was therefore performed using optical methods, recording cardiac movement and cardiotachograms calculated from these measurements. Whereas heart movements contained frequency components characterizing HRV, the cardiotachogram did not show typical frequency spectra as known from other species.