bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thoracic splenosis: A diagnosis by history and imaging
Authors: KHAN Amir M. , MANZOOR Kamran , GORDON David , BERMAN Andrew
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Thoracic splenosis (TS) is autoimplantation of ectopic splenic tissue in the thoracic cavity that occurs following splenic injury. The majority of cases of TS are asymptomatic and are diagnosed in the course of an evaluation of incidentally discovered pulmonary lesions. Some cases may be difficult to diagnose, especially if features suggesting TS are not recognized. This may lead to an extensive work‐up and unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures including thoracotomy. This case report describes a 40‐year‐old man, who was diagnosed incidentally with TS, several years after the initial injury. Multiple, asymptomatic, left‐sided pleural based lesions associated with a history of thoracoabdominal injury and splenectomy are the key points that should alert suspicion of TS, which can then simply be confirmed by a Tc‐99m sulphur colloid radionuclide scan. Most patients are treated conservatively unless they are symptomatic. Physicians must recognize the key features suggesting a diagnosis of TS, order appropriate imaging studies and avoid unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures.
Exhaled nitric oxide levels in patients with atopic cough and cough variant asthma
Authors: FUJIMURA Masaki , OHKURA Noriyuki , ABO Miki , FURUSHO Shiho , WASEDA Yuko , ICHIKAWA Yukari , HARA Johsuke
Published: April 2008

Background and objective:  Atopic cough (AC) is an established clinical entity in Japan, in which patients present with a chronic persistent non‐productive cough. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. The present study examined whether exhaled NO levels were increased in AC in comparison with cough variant asthma (CVA) and bronchial asthma (BA).

Methods:  Consecutive patients presenting with an isolated cough lasting at least 8 weeks were enrolled in the study. The aetiology of the chronic cough was determined according to the Japanese Respiratory Society guidelines for management of cough. Exhaled NO, capsaicin cough sensitivity (capsaicin concentration eliciting five or more coughs (C5)) and bronchial reversibility were measured at the patients’ first visit. Bronchial responsiveness (PC20 to methacholine) was measured at their second visit following a 6‐day course of bronchodilator therapy.

Results:  There were 58 patients recruited and fully investigated; of these 9 and 11 patients were diagnosed with AC and CVA, respectively, as single causes of chronic cough. Ten patients with BA who had not received corticosteroid therapy in the previous 4 weeks and who attended the same clinic in the same time period acted as controls. Exhaled NO levels in patients with AC were significantly lower than those in patients with CVA and BA. There was no significant difference in the exhaled NO levels between patients with CVA and BA.

Conclusions:  Exhaled NO may reflect eosinophilic inflammation of peripheral airways and its measurement may be useful in differentiating CVA from AC and other causes of chronic non‐productive cough.
Solid‐organ malignancy as a risk factor for tuberculosis
Authors: KIM Hye‐Ryoun , HWANG Seung Sik , RO Yun Kwan , JEON Chang Ho , HA Dong Yeob , PARK Sung Joon , LEE Chang‐Hoon , LEE Sang‐Min , YOO Chul‐Gyu , KIM Young Whan , HAN Sung Koo , SHIM Young‐Soo , YIM Jae‐Joon
Published: April 2008

Background and objective:  The effective control of tuberculosis (TB) requires that people at high risk for the reactivation of TB are identified. Haematological malignancy has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of TB, either through immune suppression by the tumour or through the effects of chemotherapy. This study assessed the hypothesis that solid‐organ malignancy is a risk factor for the development of TB.

Methods:  A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the incidence of TB in patients with solid‐organ malignancy and in control subjects without malignancy. Risk factors for the development of TB among patients with cancer were also assessed.

Results:  The study recruited 1809 cases with cancer and 1809 control subjects and followed them for 3 years. The incidence of active TB per 1000 person‐years was 3.07 in patients with cancer and 0.77 in controls (P = 0.009). Compared with the control group, patients with cancer had an increased risk of developing TB (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 4.69, 95% CI: 1.52–14.46). Proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the risk factors for development of TB were chronic renal failure (IRR 9.91, 95% CI: 1.17–83.60), old healed TB on CXR (IRR 45.05, 95% CI: 5.74–353.88), and anticancer chemotherapy (IRR 4.32, 95% CI: 1.10–16.89). An interaction between old healed TB and anticancer chemotherapy was observed.

Conclusion:  These findings indicate that immune suppression by cancer or by anticancer chemotherapy increases vulnerability to reactivation of TB, especially in cancer patients with old healed TB.
Possible therapeutic effect of direct haemoperfusion with a polymyxin B immobilized fibre column (PMX‐DHP) on pulmonary oxygenation in acute exacerbations of interstitial pneumonia
Authors: ENOMOTO Noriyuki , SUDA Takafumi , UTO Tomohiro , KATO Masato , KAIDA Yusuke , OZAWA Yuichi , MIYAZAKI Hiroo , KUROISHI Shigeki , HASHIMOTO Dai , NAITO Tateaki , FUJISAWA Tomoyuki , MATSUI Takashi , INUI Naoki , NAKAMURA Yutaro , SATO June , MIZUGUCHI Tomoaki , KATO Akihiko , CHIDA Kingo
Published: April 2008

Background and objective:  Acute exacerbations of interstitial pneumonias (IP) can occasionally occur, and have an extremely poor prognosis. Recently, direct haemoperfusion with a polymyxin B immobilized fibre column (PMX‐DHP) was shown to have a beneficial effect in acute exacerbations of IPF. However, little is known about the efficacy of PMX‐DHP in acute exacerbations of other IP. This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of PMX‐DHP in acute exacerbations of IP.

Methods:  The study subjects consisted of five patients with an acute exacerbation of IP, including three with IPF, one with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) with atypical radiological findings of IPF, and one with myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO‐ANCA)‐related IP. The patients were treated with two courses of 3–12 h each of PMX‐DHP, concurrently with corticosteroids alone or plus cyclophosphamide.

Results:  After two courses of PMX‐DHP, the PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (P/F) ratio increased rapidly from an average of 93 to 260 mm Hg, and there was radiological improvement in all patients. However, one patient treated for 3 h each time eventually died of respiratory failure, and two patients treated for 6 h each time died from respiratory infections. The other two patients were treated for 12 h each time, and the therapeutic effects lasted longer, with both surviving longer than 48 days. No adverse effects were detected apart from thrombocytopaenia.

Conclusion:  PMX‐DHP therapy was safe and effective in improving oxygenation in acute exacerbations of IPs, either with corticosteroids alone or plus cyclophosphamide, and may be beneficial for the treatment of this condition.
Progress in Executive-Function Research
Authors: Aron Adam R.
Published: April 2008

It has long been observed that damage to the frontal cortex affects a person's ability to control thought, behavior, and emotion while sometimes leaving fundamental processes such as vision, hearing, and long-term memory intact. Such observations have led theoreticians to suppose that a set of executive control functions exists, at the top of the hierarchy of mental processes. To study these executive functions and their relation to the frontal cortex and its subregions, researchers have long employed several now-classic cognitive tests in patients with brain damage. Yet until recently it has proved difficult to reliably localize the putative executive functions to discrete regions. This article illustrates how recent progress in executive-functions research has been driven by the coupling of sophisticated neuroscience techniques with advances in experimental psychology. Taking examples from recent studies, it shows how experimental tasks may be decomposed into cognitive components that can be localized to discrete—but structurally connected—brain regions. What emerges is a new ontology for executive function in terms of which cognitive components exist and of how, and when, they are recruited during task performance.
Contributions of Neuroscience to Our Understanding of Cognitive Development
Authors: Diamond Adele , Amso Dima
Published: April 2008

One major contribution of neuroscience to understanding cognitive development has been in demonstrating that biology is not destiny—that is, demonstrating the remarkable role of experience in shaping the mind, brain, and body. Only rarely has neuroscience provided wholly new insights into cognitive development, but often it has provided evidence of mechanisms by which observations of developmental psychologists could be explained. Behavioral findings have often remained controversial until an underlying biological mechanism for them was offered. Neuroscience has demonstrated promise for detecting cognitive problems before they are behaviorally observable—and, hence, promise for early intervention. In this article, we discuss examples drawn from imitation and mirror neurons, phenylketonuria (PKU) and prefrontal dopamine, maternal touch and stress reactivity, and nongenetic (behavioral) intergenerational transmission of biological characteristics.
Cognitive Emotion Regulation
Authors: Ochsner Kevin N. , Gross James J.
Published: April 2008

Recent developments in the study of cognitive emotion regulation illustrate how functional imaging is extending behavioral analyses. Imaging studies have contributed to the development of a multilevel model of emotion regulation that describes the interactions between neural systems implicated in emotion generation and those implicated in emotional control. In this article, we review imaging studies of one type of cognitive emotion regulation: reappraisal. We show how imaging studies have contributed to the construction of this model, illustrate the interplay of psychological theory and neuroscience data in its development, and describe how this model can be used as the basis for future basic and translational research.
Are Humanitarian Military Interventions Obligatory?
Authors: DAVIDOVIC JOVANA
Published: April 2008

abstract

I argue here that certain species of war, namely humanitarian military interventions (HMIs), can be obligatory within particular contexts. Specifically, I look at the notion of HMIs through the lens of just war theory and argue that when a minimal account of jus ad bellum implies that an intervention is permissible, it also implies that it is obligatory. I begin by clarifying the jus ad bellum conditions (such as just cause, right intentions, etc.) under which an intervention is permissible. I then turn to the claim that permissibility necessitates obligation, by first showing that whenever an intervention is permissible, it is also minimally decent. Second, I show that minimally decent actions are morally obligatory by arguing that the notion of minimal decency is a conceptual bridge between negative and positive duties. Third, I argue that performing minimally decent actions is necessary for a state to be just. Ultimately, my conclusion arises from the following observation: if a humanitarian crisis is bad enough for one to hold that it is permissible to breach sovereignty of a nation, then it is bad enough to hold that there is an obligation to intervene.
Insect Sperm Motility
Authors: Werner Michael , Simmons Leigh W.
Published: April 2008

The flagellosperm of insects, although following a general ground plan, exhibit considerable variation in morphology and ultrastructure across taxa, consistent with a history of rapid and divergent evolution. Sperm competition, which occurs when sperm of two or more males compete for the fertilization of a female’s ova, has been recognized as a significant driving force in the evolution of insect sperm structure. Despite a considerable volume of data on sperm morphology, little is known about the motility of insect sperm. Understanding insect sperm motility would help to refine models of sexual selection on insect sperm, and would throw light on the selective mechanisms that shape insect sperm structure and function. This review updates our present knowledge of the proximate and ultimate aspects of insect sperm motility.
Minding the PS, queues, and PXQs: Uniformity of semantic processing across multiple stimulus types
Authors: Laszlo Sarah , Federmeier Kara D.
Published: April 2008

An assumption in the reading literature is that access to semantics is gated by stimulus properties such as orthographic regularity or familiarity. In the electrophysiological domain, this assumption has led to a debate about the features necessary to initiate semantic processing as indexed by the N400 event‐related potential (ERP) component. To examine this, we recorded ERPs to sentences with endings that were familiar and legal (words), familiar and illegal (acronyms), or unfamiliar and illegal (consonant or vowel strings). N400 congruency effects (reduced negativity to expected relative to unexpected endings) were observed for words and acronyms; these were identical in size, timing, and scalp distribution. Notably, clear N400 potentials were also elicited by unfamiliar, illegal strings, suggesting that, at least in a verbal context, semantic access may be attempted for any letter string, regardless of familiarity or regularity.
Autonomic and electrophysiological correlates of emotional intensity in older and younger adults
Authors: Dywan Jane , Mathewson Karen J. , Choma Becky L. , Rosenfeld Brianna , Segalowitz Sidney J.
Published: April 2008

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in the modulation of autonomic activity, emotional responsivity, and the monitoring of goal‐directed behavior. However, these functions are rarely studied together to determine how they relate or whether their pattern of relation changes with age. We recorded respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of autonomic activity, error‐related event related potentials (ERN/Pe), generated in ACC, and the self‐reported intensity of 5 basic emotions in older and younger adults. Emotional intensity did not differ with age. The ERN/Pe and RSA were reduced with age and related specifically to sadness intensity for both groups. When examined together, RSA accounted for the relation between ERN/Pe and sadness. This is consistent with a model of medial prefrontal function in which autonomic processes mediate the relation between cognitive control and affective regulation, a pattern that also did not differ with age.
Involvement of memory‐comparison‐based change detection in visual distraction
Authors: Kimura Motohiro , Katayama Jun'ichi , Murohashi Harumitsu
Published: April 2008

The involvement of memory‐comparison‐based change detection in visual distraction was elucidated. Not only luminance increments that engaged memory‐comparison‐based change detection and refractoriness‐based rareness detection but also luminance decrements that engaged only memory‐comparison‐based change detection caused behavioral distraction, which was mirrored by a posterior negativity (240–260 ms, posterior N2) and a broad positivity (420–460 ms, P3a) that reflected attentional capture. Preceding these effects, luminance increments elicited a posterior positivity (100–120 ms, change‐related positivity) and a posterior negativity (120–140 ms, change‐related negativity), whereas luminance decrements elicited only a posterior positivity (160–180 ms, change‐related positivity). These results suggest that memory‐comparison‐based change detection indexed by change‐related positivity is involved in visual distraction as a result of attentional capture.
The cognitive consequences of emotion regulation: An ERP investigation
Authors: Deveney C.M. , Pizzagalli D.A.
Published: April 2008

Increasing evidence suggests that emotion regulation (ER) strategies modulate encoding of information presented during regulation; however, no studies have assessed the impact of cognitive reappraisal ER strategies on the processing of stimuli presented after the ER period. Participants in the present study regulated emotions to unpleasant pictures and then judged whether a word was negative or neutral. Electromyographic measures (corrugator supercilli) confirmed that individuals increased and decreased negative affect according to ER condition. Event‐related potential analyses revealed smallest N400 amplitudes to negative and neutral words presented after decreasing unpleasant emotions and smallest P300 amplitudes to words presented after increasing unpleasant emotions whereas reaction time data failed to show ER modulations. Results are discussed in the context of the developing ER literature, as well as theories of emotional incongruity (N400) and resource allocation (P300).
The psychophysiology of generalized anxiety disorder: 2. Effects of applied relaxation
Authors: Conrad Ansgar , Isaac Linda , Roth Walton T.
Published: April 2008

Muscle relaxation therapy assumes that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients lack the ability to relax but can learn this in therapy. We tested this by randomizing 49 GAD patients to 12 weeks of Applied Relaxation (AR) or waiting. Before, during, and after treatment participants underwent relaxation tests. Before treatment, GAD patients were more worried than healthy controls (n=21) and had higher heart rates and lower end‐tidal pCO2, but not higher muscle tension (A. Conrad, L. Isaac, & W.T. Roth, 2008). AR resulted in greater symptomatic improvement than waiting. However, 28% of the AR group dropped out of treatment and some patients relapsed at the 6‐week follow‐up. There was little evidence that AR participants learned to relax in therapy or that a reduction in anxiety was associated with a decrease in activation. We conclude that the clinical effects of AR in improving GAD symptoms are moderate at most and cannot be attributed to reducing muscle tension or autonomic activation.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the lesser dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea)
Authors: SHAO W. W. , HUA P. Y. , ZHOU S. Y. , ZHANG S. Y. , CHEN J. P.
Published: April 2008

We constructed a genomic DNA library enriched for CA repeat motifs in Eonycteris spelaea. Nine microsatellite loci were isolated and tested on a population of 39 samples from Yunnan Province, China. These nine loci had three to 22 alleles per locus. Observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.079 to 0.963 and from 0.078 to 0.959. Two loci revealed significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and no linkage disequilibrium was found between loci pairs. These microsatellites can be a powerful molecular tool for population‐level studies of E. spelaea.
Microsatellite loci for the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, a nest parasite of honey bees
Authors: EVANS J. D. , SPIEWOK S. , TEIXEIRA E. W. , NEUMANN P.
Published: April 2008

Aethina tumida, a beetle parasite of honey bee colonies, has recently and dramatically expanded its range and now parasitizes honey bees on three continents. Polymorphic microsatellite loci for this beetle species will help map this continuing range expansion, and will also prove useful for exploring the mating system and local gene flow patterns for this important parasite. We describe 15 loci that are polymorphic in both the native and introduced ranges of this species, showing from two to 22 alleles.
Identification and characterization of simple sequence repeat markers from a glandular Origanum vulgare expressed sequence tag
Authors: NOVAK JOHANNES , LUKAS BRIGITTE , BOLZER KERSTIN , GRAUSGRUBER‐GRÖGER SABINE , DEGENHARDT JÖRG
Published: April 2008

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and marjoram (Origanum majorana) are two sensorial distinct spices within the genus Origanum (Lamiaceae). Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of essential oil glands of O. vulgare. Thirteen EST‐SSR loci were evaluated using 20 individual plants of O. vulgare and 19 plants of Origanum majorana. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to four. All loci developed from O. vulgare successfully cross‐amplified in O. majorana.
Divalproex Extended‐Release in Adolescent Migraine Prophylaxis: Results of a Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Study
Authors: Apostol George , Cady Roger K. , Laforet Genevieve A. , Robieson Weining Z. , Olson Evelyn , Abi‐Saab Walid M. , Saltarelli Mario
Published: April 2008

Objective.— To evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of 3 different doses of divalproex sodium extended‐release vs placebo in the prophylaxis of migraine headaches in adolescents.

Background.— Divalproex sodium has been approved for migraine prophylaxis in adults, and previous uncontrolled data suggest divalproex sodium may be effective in preventing migraine in children and adolescents with acceptable tolerability.

Methods.— This was a 12‐week, phase 3, randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, parallel‐group, multicenter study in approximately 300 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years with migraine headaches. At the end of the baseline phase, subjects still meeting study criteria were randomized in a 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 ratio to receive divalproex sodium extended‐release 250 mg, 500 mg, or 1000 mg once daily, or placebo. The primary efficacy variable was reduction from baseline in 4‐week migraine headache rate for each active treatment group vs placebo. Standard safety assessments were conducted and testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin levels were collected for postmenarchal females.

Results.— There was no statistically significant treatment difference between any divalproex sodium extended‐release dose group and placebo for the primary efficacy variable, reduction from baseline in 4‐week migraine headache rate. There were no statistically significant differences in adverse events between any active treatment group and placebo. A notable dose‐related decrease in platelets was observed, and individuals in all 4 treatment groups had increases in ammonia levels; treatment differences in other laboratory variables were generally small. Among postmenarchal female subjects who were not taking hormonal contraceptives or other steroids, there was no statistically significant change in testosterone levels, but a statistically significant dose‐related increase in sex hormone‐binding globulin was observed.

Conclusions.— In the current study, divalproex sodium extended‐release did not differentiate from placebo in the prophylactic treatment of migraine headaches but was generally well‐tolerated in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.
Suicidal status during antidepressant treatment in 789 Sardinian patients with major affective disorder
Authors: Tondo L. , Lepri B. , Baldessarini R. J.
Published: April 2008

Objective:  Relationships between antidepressant treatment and suicidality remain uncertain in major depressive disorder (MDD), and rarely evaluated in bipolar disorder (BPD).

Method:  We evaluated changes in suicidality ratings (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale item‐3) at the start and after 3.59 ± 2.57 months of sustained antidepressant treatment in a systematically assessed clinical sample (n = 789) of 605 patients with MDD, 103 patients with BPD‐II and 81 patients with BPD‐I (based on DSM‐IV; 68.1% women; aged 44.3 ± 16.1 years), comparing suicidal vs. non‐suicidal and recovered vs. unrecovered initially suicidal patients.

Results:  Suicidal patients (103/789, 16.5%; BPD/MDD risk: 2.2) were more depressed and were ill longer. During treatment, 81.5% of suicidal patients became non‐suicidal; 0.46% of 656 initially non‐suicidal patients reported new suicidal thoughts, with no new attempts. Becoming non‐suicidal was associated with greater depression severity and greater improvement.

Conclusion:  Suicidal ideation was prevalent in patients with depressed major affective disorder, but most of the initially suicidal patients became non‐suicidal with antidepressant treatment, independent of diagnosis, treatment type or dose.
Regulation of melanogenesis – controversies and new concepts
Authors: Schallreuter Karin U. , Kothari Sonal , Chavan Bhaven , Spencer Jennifer D.
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Despite many efforts, regulation of skin and hair pigmentation is still not fully understood. This article focuses mainly on controversial aspects in pigment cell biology which have emerged over the last decade. The central role of tyrosinase as the key enzyme in initiation of melanogenesis has been closely associated with the 6BH4 dependent phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) and tyrosine hydroxylase isoform I (THI) providing evidence for an old concept of the three enzyme theory in the initiation of the pigmentation process. In this context, it is noteworthy that intracellular L‐phenylalanine uptake and turnover to L‐tyrosine via PAH is vital for substrate supply of THI and tyrosinase. While PAH acts in the cytosol of melanocytes, THI and tyrosinase are sitting side by side in the melanosomal membrane. THI at low pH provides L‐3,4‐hydroxyphenylalanine L‐DOPA which in turn is required for activation of met‐tyrosinase. After an intramelanosomal pH change, possibly by the p‐protein, has taken place, tyrosinase is subject to control by 6/7BH4 and the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides α‐MSH melanocyte stimulating hormone and β‐MSH in a receptor independent manner. cAMP is required for the activation of microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor to induce expression of tyrosinase, for transcription of THI and for activation of PAH. The redundancy of the cAMP signal is discussed. Finally, we propose a novel mechanism involving H2O2 in the regulation of tyrosinase via p53 through transcription of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α which in turn can also affect the POMC response.
Human melanocytes express functional Toll‐like receptor 4
Authors: Ahn Joo Hee , Park Tae Jun , Jin Sun Hee , Kang Hee Young
Published: April 2008

Background:  Melanocytes are not simply pigment‐producing cells, but produce substances with a range of biological functions including antimicrobial defense. Recent studies suggest that Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the cellular response through the recognition of pathogens.

Objectives:  To investigate whether TLR4 and their adapter molecules are expressed in human melanocytes. The regulation and functional role of TLR4 on cell activation were also investigated.

Methods:  The expression of TLR4 in human melanocytes was determined by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, immunochemistry and flow cytometry. In vivo expression of TLR4 in melanocytes of normal human epidermis was detected by immunohistochemical double staining. The effects of gram‐negative bacterial derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on pigmentation were investigated with the measurement of melanin content.

Results:  TLR4 and its adaptor molecule CD14 and myeloid differentiation protein gene (MyD88) were constitutively expressed in cultured human melanocytes. Co‐staining of histological human skin sections with TLR4 and a melanocyte marker, gp100, confirmed the expression of TLR4 in melanocytes under physiological conditions. LPS upregulated the expression of TLR4 and MyD88 and induced NF‐κB nuclear translocation B nuclear translocation in melanocytes. Treatment of LPS increased pigmentation of human melanocytes.

Conclusions:  We demonstrated that functional TLR4 was expressed in human melanocytes. Our findings suggest that TLR4 may play a role in microbial‐induced melanogenesis.
The Stability of Child Physical Placements Following Divorce: Descriptive Evidence From Wisconsin
Authors: Berger Lawrence M. , Brown Patricia R. , Joung Eunhee , Melli Marygold S. , Wimer Lynn
Published: April 2008

This study uses administrative data from the Wisconsin Court Record Database, linked with survey data collected from mothers (n= 789) and fathers (n= 690), to describe the living arrangements of children with sole mother and shared child physical placement following parental divorce. Contrary to prior research, results provide little evidence that children with shared placement progressively spend less time in their father’s care. We find that, over (approximately) 3 years following a divorce, their living arrangements are as stable as those of children with sole mother placement or more so. To the extent that shared physical placement is associated with increased father involvement and positive developmental outcomes, recent increases in shared physical custody following divorce may benefit children.
Marital Conflict, Depressive Symptoms, and Functional Impairment
Authors: Choi Heejeong , Marks Nadine F
Published: April 2008

Guided by a stress process perspective, we investigated (a) whether marital conflict might directly lead to changes in depression and functional impairment, (b) whether marital conflict might indirectly lead to changes in functional impairment via depression, and (c) whether marital conflict might indirectly lead to changes in depression via functional impairment. We estimated a latent variable causal model using 3 waves of data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 1,832). Results indicated that marital conflict directly led to increases in depression and functional impairment and indirectly led to a rise in depression via functional impairment. Overall, findings suggest marital conflict is a significant risk factor for psychological and physical health among midlife and older adults.
Perceptions of Children’s Parental Preferences in Lesbian Two‐Mother Households
Authors: Goldberg Abbie E. , Downing Jordan B. , Sauck Christine C.
Published: April 2008

This study explores how lesbian mothers perceive their 3½‐year‐old children’s parental preferences in families in which one mother is genetically linked to the child. Thirty lesbian couples (60 women) were interviewed about their children’s parental preferences, their explanations of why preferences for one parent existed (or not), and their affective and behavioral reactions to such preferences. Many women acknowledged that their children, as infants, preferred their birth mothers due to biological factors (i.e., breastfeeding) or differential time spent with the child. Despite this initial preference, most women perceived little stability in children’s preferences over time, such that children preferred both mothers equally. Findings support the power of “social motherhood” in fostering maternal connections that transcend biological relatedness over time.
Heterogeneity in Two‐Parent Families and Adolescent Well‐Being
Authors: Halpern‐Meekin Sarah , Tach Laura
Published: April 2008

This study highlights the heterogeneity in two‐parent families and examines how adolescents fare when they reside in simple two‐parent, blended, and stepfamilies. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N= 1,769), we find that shared biological children in blended families have worse outcomes than children in simple two‐parent families, even though they reside with both of their biological parents. These differences occur for academic performance, delinquency, school detachment, and depression. Current explanations in the family literature do not account for the poorer outcomes of shared children in blended families. We suggest that the presence of half‐siblings creates a unique family situation that is not accurately represented in the current family literature.
The Decision to Remain in an Involuntarily Celibate Relationship
Authors: Donnelly Denise A , Burgess Elisabeth O
Published: April 2008

Based upon qualitative data from a sample of 77 married or long‐term cohabiting heterosexuals self‐defining as involuntarily celibate, we used social exchange theory to develop a model for understanding the causes and consequences of sexual inactivity in committed relationships. Although reported consequences of involuntary celibacy tended to be negative, most partnered celibates were in stable relationships and reluctant to leave. As a result, they developed diverse coping strategies, and most were still hopeful of resuming sexual activity. Based upon these findings, the paper concludes with a discussion of practical implications and directions for further research.
A novel bradykinin potentiating peptide isolated from Bothrops jararacussu venom using catallytically inactive oligopeptidase EP24.15
Authors: Rioli Vanessa , Prezoto Benedito C. , Konno Katsuhiro , Melo Robson L. , Klitzke Clécio F. , Ferro Emer S. , Ferreira‐Lopes Mônica , Camargo Antonio C. M. , Portaro Fernanda C. V.
Published: April 2008

Characterization of the peptide content of venoms has a number of potential benefits for basic research, clinical diagnosis, development of new therapeutic agents, and production of antiserum. Here, we use a substrate‐capture assay that employs a catalytically inactive mutant of thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15; EP24.15) to identify novel bioactive peptides in Bothrops jararacussu venom. Of the peptides captured with inactive EP24.15 and identified by mass spectrometry, three were previously identified bradykinin‐potentiating peptides (BPP), <ENWPHPQIPP (Xc), <EGGWPRPGPEIPP (XIIIa) and <EARPPHPPIPP (XIe) (where <E is a pyroglutamyl residue). In addition, we identified a novel BPP peptide containing additional AP amino acids in the C‐terminus (<EARPPHPPIPPAP); this novel peptide was named BPP‐AP. Next, dermal and muscle microcirculations were visualized using intravital microscopy to establish the roles of peptides BPP‐XIe and BPP‐AP in this process. After local administration of peptide BPP‐XIe (0.5 μg·μL−1), leukocyte rolling flux and adhesion were increased by fivefold in post‐capillary venules, without any increments in vasodilatation of arterioles compared to control experiments. In contrast, local administration of BPP‐AP (0.5 μg·μL−1) potently induced vasodilatation of arterioles (nearly 100% increase compared with the vehicle saline control), with only a small increase in leukocyte rolling flux. Therefore, the novel BPP‐AP described herein has pharmacological advantages compared to the BPP‐XIe. The present study further suggests that inactive oligopeptidase EP24.15 is a useful tool for the isolation of bioactive peptides from crude biological samples.
Does Educational Status Affect a Patient's Behavior Toward Erectile Dysfunction?
Authors: Salonia Andrea , Abdollah Firas , Gallina Andrea , Pellucchi Federico , Molina Ricardo Alonso Castillejos , Maccagnano Carmen , Rocchini Lorenzo , Zanni Giuseppe , Rigatti Patrizio , Montorsi Francesco
Published: April 2008

Introduction

Educational status has been investigated rarely as a potential factor affecting the behavior of patients with new onset erectile dysfunction (ED) toward seeking first medical help and subsequent compliance with prescribed phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5) therapy.

Aim

To test whether the educational status of patients with new onset ED and naïve to PDE5 therapy may have a significant impact on the delay before seeking first medical help (DSH) and compliance with the suggested PDE5.

Main Outcome Measures

Assessing DSH and compliance with PDE5 in new onset ED patients according to their educational status by means of detailed logistic regression analyses.

Methods

Data from 302 consecutive patients with new onset ED and naïve to PDE5s were comprehensively analyzed. Patients were segregated according to their educational status into low (elementary and/or secondary school education) and high (high school and/or university degrees) educational levels. Complete data were available for 231 assessable patients. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) logistic regression analyses addressed the association between educational status and DSH after adjusting for age, relationship status, and Sexual Health Inventory for Men score. Likewise, UVA and MVA were performed to test the association between educational status and patient compliance with PDE5 at the 9-month median follow-up.

Results

Median DSH was 24 months (range 1–350; mean 38.1 ± 42.8). The lower the educational status, the shorter the DSH (P = 0.03). In contrast, a significantly (P < 0.0001) greater proportion of patients with a higher educational status showed compliance with the suggested PDE5 at the 9-month follow-up. Overall, educational status was not an independent predictor of either DSH or patient compliance with PDE5 therapy.

Conclusion

After adjusting for other variables, our findings suggest that in new onset ED patients, educational status does not independently affect the DSH and patient compliance with PDE5 therapy.
Regulatory region polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor gene in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and normal healthy subjects of south india
Authors: Selvaraj P. , Alagarasu K. , Harishankar M. , Vidyarani M. , Narayanan P. R.
Published: April 2008

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants are associated with differential susceptibility or resistance to tuberculosis in different ethnic groups. We investigated the polymorphisms in the 5′ regulatory region of VDR gene in 206 normal healthy subjects and 166 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from south India. Cdx‐2 polymorphism was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele‐specific primers, while genotyping of A1012G was done by PCR‐based restriction fragment length polymorphism. A significantly decreased frequency of Cdx‐2 G allele (P = 0.016) and G/G genotype (P = 0.010) and an increased frequency of A‐A haplotype (A allele of Cdx‐2 and A allele of A1012G) (P = 0.015) were observed in patients compared to controls. The study suggests that Cdx‐2 G/G genotype may be associated with protection and A‐A haplotype with susceptibility to tuberculosis.
DFT‐based de novo QSAR of Phenoloxidase Inhibitors
Authors: Pasha Farhan Ahmad , Muddassar Muhhammad , Beg Yakub , Cho Seung Joo
Published: April 2008

The phenoloxidase or tyrosinase is a key enzyme in insects, which is responsible for hydroxylation of tyrosine into o‐quinones via o‐diphenols. A series of benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, benzaldehyde and benzoic acid families were taken with their pragmatic pIC50 values against phenoloxidase from pieris rapae (Lepidoptera) larvae. Density functional theory‐based quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) analyses were performed to speculate the key interaction. The most fitted four different QSAR models were identified and discussed. The softness, electrophilicity index, molar refractivity and log P were identified as best descriptors; however, the atomic values of softness and philicity obtained from Fukui function are more significant than global values. The study reveals that electrostatic and steric fields jointly contribute to activity. To gain further insight, the three‐dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D‐QSAR) analyses were performed using two molecular field techniques: comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). The successful 3D‐QSAR models were obtained from CoMFA (q2 = 0.94, r2 = 0.99,  = 0.92) and CoMSIA (q2 = 0.94, r2 = 0.98,  = 0/95). The CoMFA and CoMSIA results indicate that, a bulky and negative group around sulfur atom but a small and positive group around nitrogen atom might have good effects on activity. The ortho and meta positions of ring are favorable for small group. These QSAR models might be helpful to design the novel and potent inhibitors.
Solutions to the Problems of Chronic Disease Management in Rural Settings
Authors: Prate Dennis A. , Johnson Sidney A. , Sharpe Thomas R.
Published: April 2008

Recent changes in disease patterns in the Untied States from acute to chronic disorders and the maldistribution of medical manpower have disproportionately affected rural residents. Programmatic attempts to alter the medical care system in rural areas have traditionally centered on increasing the number of primary providers. In central Mississippi, two innovative alternative models of chronic disease management have been evaluated. The disease focus was high blood pressure and the two management models emphasized: (1) the use of local residents as health facilitators or health counselors, and (2) the use of self‐help groups in family and church settings. Eighteen months of outcome data indicated that the health facilitator model was controlling 80 percent of the hypertensives participating; the family‐based self‐help groups were controlling 90 percent; and, the church‐based self‐help groups were controlling 79.9 percent. These community‐based models of chronic disease management have broad implications for other geographic areas and other chronic disorders.
Characteristics of Rural Communities and the Changing Geographic Distribution of Physicians*
Authors: Langwell Kathryn , Nelson Shelly , Calvin Daniel , Drabek John
Published: April 2008

This research paper presents the results of a comparison of the characteristics of rural counties which attracted and failed to attract young physicians during the past decade. The data utilized in this research were from the Area Resource We which contains data on physicians for 1975 and 1979 and which permitted the examination of flows of physicians in counties over this period. Characteristics of rural counties examined included demographic and economic characteristics, population density, physical characteristics, health status measures, and the availability of health resources. Results from this preliminary analysis indicate that counties with at least 25,000 population were more likely to have gained a young physician and that, of all counties which added young physicians, the majority gained only one or two. Characteristics which best distinguished counties that gained or lost physicians included population and population growth rate, health resources, growth rate of per capita income, and the proportion of the population agriculture.
The Ability of Aggregate Data to Predict Self‐Sufficiency Levels in Subsidized Rural Primary Care Practices
Authors: Bradham Douglas D. , Mclaughlin Curtis P. , Ricketts Thomas C.
Published: April 2008

American rural health policy has as its long‐term goal the reallocation of health facilities and manpower to permit equitable access to primary care for all citizens. Rural health centers subsidized by governmental and philanthropic programs frequently have been placed in places of high need for their services. Yet both government and philanthropic policymakers expect these primary care practices to become economically self‐sufficient within a few years of practice. The problem is how to assign rural practices to communities with a planning process that will enhance the likelihood that these conflicting goals of serving need and financial self‐sufficiency will be achieved. This study uses actual 1980 self‐sufficiency data from 167 randomly selected rural primary care clinics as the dependent variable. Independent variables for the corresponding communities five or more years earlier were taken from a database often used by policymakers to make site evaluations. These data tend to be selected from aggregate county level measures. Regression analysis were used to determine how well these data could predict actual self‐sufficiency in later years. The result of the analysis is that these aggregate level data have little capacity to predict the ability of rural primary care practices to achieve self‐sufficiency. Much better predictions can be made on the basis of local, practice‐specific variables. Therefore, planning for economically viable rural practices calls for a much different forecasting approach.
Education of Health Care Providers for the Rural Setting: A Family Nurse Practitioner Demonstration Program*
Authors: Ryan Rebecca , Hanson Charlene M. , Hodnicki Donna , Dorroh Margaret Wyss
Published: April 2008

Spurred by mass concern over shortages of health care providers, the country's educational system has, over the past ten years, produced an ample supply (in some areas a near glut) of health care professionals. Studies demonstrate, however, that these professionals tend to cluster in the affluent metropolitan and suburban areas. Residents of rural areas are still significantly underserved. In the heavily rural southern half of Georgia, this problem has reached a critical peak. Georgia Southern College (GSC) is a rural based college located in the heart of rural south Georgia. In order to address some of the health care problems of its constituency, GSC, with federal support, established a Nursing Department and a Family Nurse Practitioner program with a commitment to recruit nursing students from the rural area, educate them in rural settings, and provide appropriate preparation for the unique experience of working in the rural environment. The program has been very successful in producing highly skilled graduates who do stay and work in the rural areas, providing health care at reasonable costs. This paper describes the setting (rural south Georgia), the need, the program implementation, and the impact (numbers of graduates actually working in rural settings, and innovative projects initiated by graduates).
Competition in Health Care and the Rural Poor: An Assessment from Arizona's Competitive Medicaid Experiment*
Authors: Kirkman‐Liff Bradford L.
Published: April 2008

Market competition has been advocated as a possible solution to the rapidly increasing cost of Medicaid programs. However, there have been no major assessments of the impact of this approach on the rural poor. Past efforts have been located in urban areas, where existing HMOs were used to enroll the Medicaid population that elected to join the plans. In 1981 the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS, pronounced “access”), a statewide Medicaid experiment involving prepayment and enrollment in health plans, was created. Data from two state‐wide, cross‐sectional telephone surveys indicate that competitive Medicaid programs may be a feasible strategy in rural areas, but without innovative solutions for those ineligible for Medicaid, many of the rural poor will continue to have in adequate access to medical care.
Utilization of a Migrant Outreach Nursing Service*
Authors: Mendelson Marilyn A. , Plews‐Ogan James , Johnson Jeffrey A.
Published: April 2008

The utilization of an outreach primary care health service provided by nurse practitioners to the migrant farm work population on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1984 was examined by migrants’ethnicity, gender, and age. Seventy percent of a population of Black, Mexican American, and Haitian workers and dependents were seen in 5,937 camp encounters. The population and first‐encounter patient distributions were equivalent except for gender: relatively more moles than females received service. First‐ and subsequent‐encounter distributions were disproportional for ethnicity, gènder, and age: subsequent service was provided more frequently to Blacks, females, and patients over 30 years of age. High penetration and subsequent rates were obtained for this comprehensive, readily accessible health service.