bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Comorbidities on Low Back Pain and Low Back Related Leg Pain
Authors: Goode Adam , Cook Chad , Brown Christopher , Isaacs Robert , Roman Matthew , Richardson William
Published: July 2010

Objective:  Investigate the influence of external factors such as depression and BMI among subjects with primary severe low back pain (LBP) and low back related leg pain (LBLP).

Background:  The report of disability in patients with LBP may be significantly influenced by confounding and moderating variables. No similar studies have examined the influence of these factors on LBLP.

Methods:  This study included 1,448 consecutive subjects referred to a tertiary spine clinic. Unconditional binary logistic regression was used to determine the influence of comorbidities on the relationship between self‐reported back and leg pain. A change in estimate formula was used to quantify this relationship.

Results:  Among those subjects with primary LBP the unadjusted odds ratio was 8.58 (95% CI 4.87, 15.10) and when adjusting for BMI, depression and smoking was 5.94 (95% CI 3.04, 11.60) resulting in a 36.7% change due to confounding by these comorbidities. Among those with primary LBLP, the unadjusted odds ratio was 4.49 (95% CI 2.78, 7.27) and when adjusting for BMI and depression was 4.60 (95% CI 2.58, 8.19) resulting in a 1.7% change due to confounding by these comorbidities.

Conclusion:  The disability statuses of the patients with primary LBP in this study were more significantly affected by comorbidities of BMI, depression and smoking than patients with report of LBLP. However, these comorbidities contribute little to the relationship of primary low back related leg pain and Oswestry scores ≥ 40.
Absence of acute adverse in‐vitro effects on AS‐1 RBCs and whole blood–derived platelets following prolonged exposure to 13.56 MHz radio energy
Authors: Davis Rodeina , Gottschall Jerome , Gutierrez Alfonso , Hohberger Clive , Veeramani Dharmaraj , Holcombe Jerry
Published: July 2010

BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology application for tracking blood products to achieve higher productivity and safety in the transfusion medicine supply chain. We have conducted a limited study to assess the temperature and biological effects of 13.56 MHz RF radiation on RBCs and whole blood–derived platelets (WBDP) under extreme exposure conditions.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Using an FDA‐approved protocol, test units of both RBC and WBDP were subjected to approximately 100 watts of RF energy for an extended duration (23‐25 h) to assess worst‐case effects. Three replications of the test were performed.

RESULTS: Hemolysis after 23‐25 hours of RF energy exposure was 0.09% and 0.05%, respectively, for TEST and CONTROL RBC units and well within the ≤1% limit in the FDA‐approved acceptance criteria. For WBDP units, the mean pH of TEST and CONTROL units were 7.27 and 7.19, respectively, following 23‐25 hours of RF energy exposure, and well above the ≥6.2 acceptance limit. Further, there was no detectable acceleration in cellular degradation of RBC and WBDP products. While there was minimal temperature rise, the relative temperature increase between TEST and CONTROL units never exceeded the 1.5°C acceptance criterion.

CONCLUSIONS: 13.56 MHz‐based RFID technology is unlikely to have any significant temperature or biological effects on RBC and WBDP units under the normal operating conditions (a maximum of 4 watts RF power exposure for about 20 nonconsecutive minutes for RFID tracking during the life of the blood product).
Organization and management of an accredited specialist in blood bank (SBB) technology program
Authors: Byrne Karen M. , Sheldon Sherry L. , Flegel Willy A.
Published: July 2010

BACKGROUND: Specialists in blood bank (SBBs) technology play important roles in blood banks, transfusion services, regulatory agencies, educational institutions, and other facilities where expertise in blood banking, transfusion medicine, cellular therapy, and tissue transplantation is required.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of pathways that qualify applicants for a national examination administered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to become a certified specialist and outcomes of accredited programs. Description of a face‐to‐face, accredited program including review of management topics included in curriculum.

RESULTS: The first examination was administered in 1954. As of December 2009, the total number of certified SBBs was 5124. There are currently 16 accredited SBB programs in the United States. The programs vary in mode of delivery, length of program, number of students accepted, and organization of program officials and faculty, but all must follow specific standards and guidelines in order to be accredited.

CONCLUSION: Students who successfully complete SBB programs have a higher passing rate than those who attempt the certification examination and have not participated in a program. Students can choose among a variety of programs that differ widely in the way they are managed. The role of management in an SBB program ranges from attracting and retaining individuals and maintaining an accredited program to finally graduating individuals who not only pass the certification examination but who also confidently contribute to the field.
Validation of short‐term handling and storage conditions for marrow and peripheral blood stem cell products
Authors: Kao Grace S. , Kim Haesook T. , Daley Heather , Ritz Jerome , Burger Scott R. , Kelley Linda , Vierra‐Green Cynthia , Flesch Sue , Spellman Stephen , Miller John , Confer Dennis
Published: July 2010

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors are routinely used in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies. These cellular products are often collected off‐site and require transport from the collection site to transplantation centers. However, the effects of transport conditions and media on stem cell graft composition during short‐term storage have not been well described.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Five bone marrow (BM), four filgrastim‐mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC), and four nonmobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) products were collected from healthy volunteer donors and stored at 4 or 20°C for up to 72 hours in 10% PlasmaLyte A plus anticoagulants such as 10% acid citrate dextran‐A (ACD‐A) and/or 10 IU/mL heparin. Products were evaluated at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours for cellular content, viability, and metabolic activities.

RESULTS: BM products maintained equivalent cell viability when stored at either 4 or 20°C over 72 hours, but cell viability was better maintained for PBSC products stored at 4°C. The mean viable CD34+ cell recovery for PBSC and BM products stored over 72 hours at 4°C was higher than 75%. Significantly lower CD34+ cell and colony‐forming unit recoveries were seen in PBSC products but not BM products stored at room temperature. Faster lactic acid accumulation was observed in PBMNC and PBSC products stored without ACD‐A.

CONCLUSIONS: Seventy‐two‐hour storage of BM, PBSC, and PBMNC products at refrigerated temperature maintains optimal cell viability and recovery. Anticoagulation with ACD‐A is preferred over heparin to reduce lactic acid accumulation in the product media.
Adaptive Cell Tower Location Using Geostatistics. 基于地统计学的适应性基站发射塔选址研究
Authors: Akella Mohan R. , Delmelle Eric , Batta Rajan , Rogerson Peter , Blatt Alan
Published: July 2010

In this article, we address the problem of allocating an additional cell tower (or a set of towers) to an existing cellular network, maximizing the call completion probability. Our approach is derived from the adaptive spatial sampling problem using kriging, capitalizing on spatial correlation between cell phone signal strength data points and accounting for terrain morphology. Cell phone demand is reflected by population counts in the form of weights. The objective function, which is the weighted call completion probability, is highly nonlinear and complex (nondifferentiable and discontinuous). Sequential and simultaneous discrete optimization techniques are presented, and heuristics such as simulated annealing and Nelder–Mead are suggested to solve our problem. The adaptive spatial sampling problem is defined and related to the additional facility location problem. The approach is illustrated using data on cell phone call completion probability in a rural region of Erie County in western New York, and accounts for terrain variation using a line‐of‐sight approach. Finally, the computational results of sequential and simultaneous approaches are compared. Our model is also applicable to other facility location problems that aim to minimize the uncertainty associated with a customer visiting a new facility that has been added to an existing set of facilities.
Dealing with Timing and Synchronization in Opportunities for Joint Activity Participation. 公共活动参与机会中实时性与同步性处理
Authors: Neutens Tijs , Schwanen Tim , Miller Harvey J.
Published: July 2010

The ability of people to access opportunities offered by the built environment is circumscribed by various sets of space–time constraints, including the requirements to meet other persons at particular times and places to undertake activities together. While models of space–time accessibility recognize that joint activities may constrain the performance of activities in space and time, their specifications do not explicitly acknowledge the opportunities that individuals of a group have for joint activity participation. Therefore, this article focuses on joint activity participation and argues that collective activity decisions are the outcome of a complex process involving various aspects of timing, synchronization, and social hierarchy. The utility‐theoretic model proposed here quantifies the extent to which opportunities can be jointly accessed by a particular group of people within a specific time period. Central to the approach are three key variables: the attractiveness of an opportunity, the time available for activity participation, and the travel time to an activity location. Because of the multiperson character of joint activities, the determination of these variables is subject to individual preferences, privileges, and power differentials within a group. Specific attention is given to how time‐of‐day and synchronization effects influence the opportunities accessible to a group of individuals. The impact of these factors on joint accessibility is illustrated by a real‐world example of an everyday rendezvous scenario. The outcomes of a simulation exercise suggest that time‐of‐day and synchronization effects significantly affect the benefits that can be gained from opportunities for joint activities.
Inferences for Selected Location Quotients with Applications to Health Outcomes. 选择性区位商推断及其在医疗成效中的应用
Authors: Djira Gemechis Dilba , Schaarschmidt Frank , Fayissa Bichaka
Published: July 2010

The location quotient (LQ) is an index frequently used in geography and economics to measure the relative concentration of activities. This quotient is calculated in a variety of ways depending on which group is used as a reference. Here, we focus on a simultaneous inference for the ratios of the individual proportions to the overall proportion based on binomial data. This is a multiple comparison problem and inferences for LQs with adjustments for multiplicity have not been addressed before. The comparisons are negatively correlated. The quotients can be simultaneously tested against unity, and simultaneous confidence intervals can be constructed for the LQs based on existing probability inequalities and by directly using the asymptotic joint distribution of the associated test statistics. The proposed inferences are appropriate for analysis based on sample surveys. Two real data sets are used to demonstrate the application of multiplicity‐adjusted LQs. A simulation study is also carried out to assess the performance of the proposed methods to achieve a nominal coverage probability. For the LQs considered, the coverage of the simple Bonferroni‐adjusted Fieller intervals for LQs is observed to be almost as good as the coverage of the method that directly takes the correlations into account.
Growth and Convergence in a Multiregional Model with Space–Time Dynamics. 多区域时空动态模型的增长与收敛
Authors: Elhorst Paul , Piras Gianfranco , Arbia Giuseppe
Published: July 2010

The goal of this article is to test four distinct hypotheses about whether the relative location of an economy affects economic growth and economic well‐being using an extended Solow–Swan neoclassical growth model that incorporates both space and time dynamics. We show that the econometric specification takes the form of an unconstrained spatial Durbin model, and we investigate whether the results depend on some methodological issues, such as the choice of the time span and the inclusion of fixed effects. To estimate the fixed effects spatial Solow–Swan model, we adjust the Arrelano and Bond (1991) generalized method‐of‐moments (GMM) estimator to deal with endogeneity not only arising from the initial income level, as in the basic model, but also from the initial income levels and economic growth rates observed in neighboring economies.
Brain Drain and Brain Gain: Rising Educational Segregation in the United States, 1940–2000
Authors: Domina Thurston
Published: July 2010

The post‐industrialization of the American economy, combined with the expansion of American higher education, has created a new form of residential segregation. This paper examines recent trends in residential segregation between college graduates and high school graduates, demonstrating that America's educational geography became increasingly uneven between 1940 and 2000. During this period, educational inequality between American census divisions, metropolitan areas, counties, and census tracts increased dramatically. This trend is independent of recent developments in racial and economic segregation. Segregation between the highly educated and the less educated increased dramatically in the late 20th century, even as racial segregation declined, and economic segregation changed very little.
When pure is not so pure: Chloramine‐related hemolytic anemia in home hemodialysis patients
Authors: JUNGLEE Naushad A. , RAHMAN Saeed U. , WILD Mike , WILMS Anke , HIRST Sarah , JIBANI Mahdi , SEALE Jim R. C.
Published: July 2010

Worldwide, chloramines are used as the preferred disinfectant for city water supplies. Although they have distinct advantages compared with chlorine and are deemed harmless to the general population, hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk from chloramine‐induced hemolytic anemia. In recent years, this has been highlighted in regional dialysis units but not as frequently in the home HD group. We report on 2 home HD patients who succumbed to severe oxidative hemolysis due to high mains water chloramine concentrations. Both patients were extensively investigated for other cause of anemia before a definitive diagnosis was reached. Delays in diagnosing this uncommon condition can be costly in terms of significant morbidity and excessive usage of recombinant erythropoietin and blood transfusion. Prevention primarily involves enforcing strict water quality control and establishing regular communication with water supply boards and home HD patients. Double (inline) carbon filters should be installed in patient's homes as an effective means for removing high incoming chloramine concentrations.
Transient Viscous Flow During the Evolution of a Ceramic (Silicon Carbonitride) from a Polymer (Polysilazane)
Authors: Sánchez‐Jiménez Pedro E. , Downs John A. , Raj Rishi
Published: July 2010

The conversion of silicon‐based polymers into a ceramic occurs by the release of small organic molecules at intermediate temperatures, and hydrogen at the higher temperatures. The conversion is accompanied by significant densification. In order for the body to emerge without fracture damage, the shrinkage must be accommodated by viscous flow. In this paper we show that the viscosity changes during the conversion, going through a sharp minimum near 600°C. In the regime of hydrogen evolution, which begins near 700°C, fairly steady viscous flow leads to large shrinkage. The viscosity increases rapidly as 1000°C is approached, pointing to the exhaustion of hydrogen. The results presented here may be used to optimize the time–temperature protocol for achieving damage‐free specimens: heating quickly up to ∼700°C and then slowly at higher temperatures to allow time for viscous relaxation.
Processing and Properties of Eu3+‐Doped Transparent YAG (Y3Al5O12) Nanoglass–Ceramics
Authors: Tarafder Anal , Molla Atiar Rahaman , Karmakar Basudeb
Published: July 2010

An Eu3+‐doped novel mother glass in the K2O–SiO2–Y2O3–Al2O3 (KSYA) system was prepared by the melt‐quench technique. The transparent Y3Al5O12 (YAG) glass–ceramics were derived from this glass by a controlled crystallization process. The formation of YAG crystal phase, size and morphology with the progression of heat treatment was examined by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The crystallite sizes obtained from XRD are found to increase with heat‐treatment time and vary in the range of 35–45 nm. The photoluminescence spectra of Eu3+ ions exhibit emission transitions of 5D0→7Fj (j=0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) and its excitation spectra show a charge transfer band around 280 nm. From these emissions, the site symmetry in the vicinity of Eu3+ ions has been found to be Cs or lower than Cs in the nanoglass–ceramics. Absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal that the Eu3+ ions are entering into the YAG nanocrystals of the glass–ceramics. The present study indicates that the incorporation of Eu3+ ions into the YAG crystal lattice enhance the fluorescence performance of the nanoglass–ceramics. We believe that this work would generate new avenues in the exploration of YAG nanoglass–ceramics in particular and other glass–ceramics of very high‐temperature melting crystals in general.
Odour masking of tomato volatiles by coriander volatiles in host plant selection of Bemisia tabaci biotype B
Authors: Togni Pedro H. B. , Laumann Raúl A. , Medeiros Maria A. , Sujii Edison R.
Published: July 2010

The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is one of the most important pest insects in tomato crop systems worldwide. It has been previously demonstrated that intercropping tomato [Solanum lycopersicum L. Mill. (Solanaceae)] with coriander [Coriandrum sativum L. (Apiaceae)] reduces the incidence and severity of damage caused by B. tabaci. However, it is not yet known how coriander affects the insect′s behaviour. We evaluated the attractiveness of tomato constitutive volatiles to B. tabaci and what effect coriander constitutive volatiles have on the insect′s behaviour. To this end, we conducted three bioassays in a multiple‐choice four‐arm olfactometer (‘×’ type), measuring B. tabaci behaviour when offered tomato and coriander constitutive volatiles presented alone as well as together. We also evaluated the colonisation and establishment of B. tabaci in experimental plots with only single tomato plants and tomatoes intercropped with coriander in a greenhouse. Bemisia tabaci males and females recognised tomato constitutive volatiles as a positive stimulus (kairomonal effect), indicating that semiochemicals from this plant can play an important role in the insect’s host plant selection. Coriander constitutive volatiles reduced the attractiveness of tomato volatiles but no repellency to these volatiles was observed. Greater numbers of adults and nymphs of B. tabaci per plant were observed in tomato monoculture plots than in tomato intercropped with coriander. We suggest that coriander constitutive volatiles have an odour masking effect on tomato volatiles, thus interfering in the host plant selection of B. tabaci.
Effects of putrescine on diapause induction and intensity, and post‐diapause development of Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Wu Sheng‐Bing , Wang Man‐Qun , Zhang Guoan
Published: July 2010

Effects of putrescine on diapause induction and intensity, and post‐diapause development in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Wuhan, Hubei, China were studied in the laboratory at different temperatures and photoperiod conditions. The results showed a generally higher incidence of diapause in putrescine‐feeding groups. Putrescine feeding distinctly restricted the development of non‐diapause‐destined and diapause‐destined larvae, except at 0.01% putrescine concentration, which accelerated the development of larvae at 21 °C. Putrescine had no significant effect on the duration of diapause, although it inhibited the post‐diapause development of pupae. Photoperiod played a different role in diapause induction and post‐diapause development between 21 and 23 °C. Putrescine played a definite role in diapause induction and intensity, and post‐diapause development in H. armigera, and a significant interaction between putrescine, photophase, and temperature is to be expected.
Impact of spinosad on ichneumonid‐parasitized Choristoneura rosaceana larvae and subsequent parasitoid emergence
Authors: Cossentine J.E. , Zurowski C.L. , Smirle M.J.
Published: July 2010

The impact of low levels of spinosad on the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana Harris (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and the koinobiont endoparasitoid, Apophua simplicipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), was assessed when the parasitoid was in the larval stage within second‐ and fourth‐instar hosts. These are developmental stages that would be exposed to spring orchard treatments of the insecticide. Oral spinosad LC50 levels for unparasitized obliquebanded leafroller hosts were <1% of the recommended orchard treatment levels. Apophua simplicipes survival was significantly reduced within parasitized spinosad‐treated second‐ and fourth‐instar larval hosts. Both the leafroller host and parasitoid were much more susceptible (ca. 65‐fold) to spinosad when larval hosts fed on spinosad‐treated leaf material as opposed to being treated topically. When hosts were exposed to extremely low doses of spinosad, a small percentage of parasitoids was able to survive to emerge as adults. These laboratory trials predict that applications of spinosad may reduce biological control of C. rosaceana populations by ichneumonid endoparasitoids developing within treated hosts.
Molecular markers in circulating tumour cells from metastatic colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Gazzaniga Paola , Gradilone Angela , Petracca Arianna , Nicolazzo Chiara , Raimondi Cristina , Iacovelli Roberto , Naso Giuseppe , Cortesi Enrico
Published: July 2010

The prognosis of metastatic cancer patients is still largely affected by treatment failure, mainly due to drug resistance. The hypothesis that chemotherapy might miss circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and particularly a subpopulation of more aggressive, stem‐like CTCs, characterized by multidrug resistance, has been recently raised. We investigated the prognostic value of drug resistance and stemness markers in CTCs from metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin (L‐OHP) and 5‐fluoruracil (5‐FU) based regimens. Forty patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled. CTCs were isolated from peripheral blood and analysed for the expression of aldheyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), CD44, CD133 (used as markers of stemness), multidrug resistance related protein 5 (MRP5 used as marker of resistance to 5‐FU and L‐OHP) and survivin (used as a marker of apoptosis resistance). CTCs were found in 27/40 (67%) patients. No correlation was found between the expression of either CD44 and CD133 in CTCs and the outcome of patients, while a statistically significant shorter progression‐free survival was found in patients with CTCs positive for the expression of ALDH1, survivin and MRP5. These results support the idea that isolating survivin and MRP5+ CTCs may help in the selection of metastatic colorectal cancer patients resistant to standard 5‐FU and L‐OHP based chemotherapy, for which alternative regimens may be appropriate.
Triplex real‐time PCR assay for detection and differentiation of Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis
Authors: XU YINGHUA , XU YUNQIANG , HOU QIMING , YANG RUIFU , ZHANG SHUMIN
Published: July 2010

Xu Y, Xu Y, Hou Q, Yang R, Zhang S. Triplex real‐time PCR assay for detection and differentiation of Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis. APMIS 2010; 118: 685–91.

A triplex real‐time PCR assay for detection and differentiation of Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis was developed. Three targets were used for amplification in a single tube: the insertion sequence IS481 and the pertussis toxin promoter region (ptxP) for B. pertussis, and the insertion sequence IS1001 for B. parapertussis. The performance of this PCR assay was evaluated in parallel in three single‐target real‐time PCR assays using DNA extracted from B. pertussis and B. parapertussis reference strains and nasopharyngeal swabs taken from 105 patients who had been coughing for more than 7 days. The minimum detection limit of the triplex PCR was one to five colony‐forming units (CFU) of B. pertussis and 1 CFU of B. parapertussis per reaction, and the coefficients of both intra‐ and inter‐assay variation were less than 7%. Results were available within 4 h. Of the 105 nasopharyngeal samples, seven were culture positive and 23 were PCR positive for B. pertussis. All culture‐positive samples were also PCR positive. Our single‐tube triplex real‐time PCR assay proved to be sensitive, specific and suitable for simultaneous detection and discrimination of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis.
Generation of self‐renewing immature dendritic cells from mouse spleen that can take up mycobacteria and present antigens to T cells
Authors: PAL RUBINA , MARWAHA SARANDEEP , PEPPONI ILARIA , MANN JAMIE F.S. , PAUL MATTHEW J. , RELJIC RAJKO
Published: July 2010

Pal R, Marwaha S, Pepponi I, Mann JFS, Paul MJ, Reljic R. Generation of self‐renewing immature dendritic cells from mouse spleen that can take up mycobacteria and present antigens to T cells. APMIS 2010; 118: 729–38.

Dendritic cells (DC) play a key role in driving the adaptive immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the causative pathogen of tuberculosis (TB). However, studying these important yet very sparse immune cells in the context of MTB pathogenesis is severely restricted by the lack of suitable cell lines and the complexity of culturing of DC progenitors, usually obtained from the bone marrow. However, significant advances have been made towards generating long‐term DC cultures from various lymphoid tissues. Here, we report the evidence for generating a long‐term, self‐renewing DC culture from the Balb/c mouse spleen. We demonstrate that these cells, termed IDC‐3, have a myeloid DC origin, i.e. they are CD11c+CD11b++CD8‐α−F4/80+/− and that they also display a phenotype MHC‐II+CD16/32++CD80+/−CD86+, indicating that they are immature DC. Following incubation with Mycobacterium bovis BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin), the IDC‐3 efficiently took up bacteria and acquired the morphology of mature DC. Importantly though, when IDC‐3 were pre‐stimulated with a mycobacterial antigen in vitro, they were able to induce proliferation of T lymphocytes from mice immunized with the same antigen. The T‐cell stimulatory potential of IDC‐3 was further enhanced when the cells were co‐stimulated with an anti‐CD40 mAb. We therefore suggest that the IDC‐3 culture system could be a useful tool for studying the interaction of DC with mycobacteria.
A new cleavage site for elastase within the complement component 3
Authors: CLAESSON ROLF , KANASI ELENI , JOHANSSON ANDERS , KALFAS SOTIRIOS
Published: July 2010

Claesson R, Kanasi E, Johansson A, Kalfas S. A new cleavage site for elastase within the complement component 3. APMIS 2010; 118: 765–68.

The lysosomal enzyme elastase was earlier shown to cleave the complement molecule C3. During some preliminary experiments on the interactions of certain pathogenic bacteria with the innate defence mechanisms, we observed C3 cleavage, in the presence of elastase, to fragments not previously described. To elucidate this proteolytic reaction, the present study was conducted. Degradation of C3 in mixtures with elastase or cathepsin G was detected by an immunoblot procedure using anti‐C3c and anti‐C3d antibodies after separating the proteins by SDS‐PAGE. Certain C3 fragments were analysed for amino acid sequence. The results revealed the existence of a cleavage site for elastase at the position alanine1350/lysine1351 of the C3 molecule, which has not been previously described. The fragment resulted from this cleavage has a size of about 39 kDa and it contains a part or the whole of C3d. This cleavage was distinct from the one previously described at position 987/988, which gives a 34 kDa C3d‐containing fragment.
Growth/differentiation factor‐5 significantly enhances periodontal wound healing/regeneration compared with platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB in dogs
Authors: Kwon Hyuk‐Rak , Wikesjö Ulf M. E. , Park Jung‐Chul , Kim Young‐Taek , Bastone Patrizia , Pippig Susanne D. , Kim Chong‐Kwan
Published: July 2010

Kwon H‐R, Wikesjö UME, Park J‐C, Kim Y‐T, Bastone P, Pippig SD, Kim C‐K. Growth/differentiation factor‐5 significantly enhances periodontal wound healing/regeneration compared with platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB in dogs. J Clin Periodontol 2010; 37: 739‐746 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2010.01576.x.

Objective: Recombinant human growth/differentiation factor‐5 (rhGDF‐5) in a particulate β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) carrier is being evaluated to support periodontal regeneration. The objective of this study was to evaluate periodontal wound healing/regeneration following an established clinical (benchmark) protocol including surgical implantation of rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP in comparison with that following implantation of recombinant human platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (rhPDGF) combined with a particulate β‐TCP biomaterial using an established canine defect model.

Materials and Methods: Bilateral, 4 × 5 mm (width × depth), one‐wall, critical‐size, intrabony periodontal defects were surgically created at the mandibular second and fourth pre‐molar teeth in five adult Beagle dogs. Defect sites were randomized to receive rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP or the rhPDGF construct followed by wound closure for primary intention healing. The animals were sacrificed following an 8‐week healing interval for histological and histometric examination.

Results: Clinical healing was generally uneventful. Sites receiving rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP exhibited a significantly enhanced cementum formation compared with sites receiving the rhPDGF construct, averaging (±SD) 4.49±0.48 versus 2.72±0.91 mm (p<0.001). Similarly, bone regeneration height and area were significantly enhanced at sites receiving rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP versus that of the rhPDGF construct averaging, 3.08±0.74 versus 1.29±0.78 mm (p<0.001) and 6.03±1.28 versus 2.98±2.61 mm2 (p<0.01), respectively. Cementum regeneration included cellular/acellular mixed (extrinsic/intrinsic) fibre cementum at sites receiving rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP; sites receiving the rhPDGF/β‐TCP showed a pre‐dominantly acellular cementum. Newly formed cementum generally extended above the adjoining alveolar bone. Both protocols displayed β‐TCP residues apparently undergoing resorption. Application of both materials appears safe, as they were associated with limited, if any, adverse events.

Conclusion: rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP shows a significant potential to support/accelerate periodontal wound healing/regeneration. Application of rhGDF‐5/β‐TCP appears safe and should be further evaluated in human clinical trials.
Evidence for non‐functional Dickkopf‐1 (DKK‐1) signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Authors: Filipovich Alexandra , Gandhirajan Rajesh K. , Gehrke Iris , Poll‐Wolbeck Simon J. , Kreuzer Karl‐Anton
Published: July 2010

Purpose:  Wnt signaling was demonstrated to be activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is thought to be responsible for the extended survival of CLL cells in vivo. Dickkopf1 (DKK1) is known to antagonize Wnt signaling by direct high‐affinity binding to the extracellular domain of WNT coreceptor lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 6 (LRP6). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of DKK1 in B‐CLL cells in vitro.

Methods:  Expression of DKK1 was estimated by Western blot and real‐time PCR. B cells from patients with CLL and healthy donors were incubated with recombinant DKK1. Survival was measured by flow cytometry. Primers for real‐time PCR were designed for extracellular domain of LRP6, responsible for DKK1 binding, and the intracellular region, essential for inhibiting GSK3 β.

Results:  Healthy and CLL cells express equivalent mRNA levels of DKK1 and LRP6. After treatment of CLL cells with recombinant DKK1 (1 μg/mL) for 3 h, there was no change in the levels of phosphorylated β‐catenin and total β‐catenin. Healthy B cells proved to have significantly higher levels of extracellular, DKK1 binding domain of LRP6. We estimated that in CLL cells every 6th LRP6 receptor is lacking the extracellular domain.

Discussion:  For the first time we show the expression of DKK1 in CLL cells. Unlike in similar tumors, the addition of DKK1 to culture of CLL cells does not inactivate WNT pathway. The reason for this could be the absence of the binding domain of LRP6. On the other hand, a truncated LRP6 without extracellular DKK1 binding domain could lead to an uncontrollable activation of WNT signaling.
In acute pathogenic SIV infection plasmacytoid dendritic cells are depleted from blood and lymph nodes despite mobilization
Authors: Barratt‐Boyes Simon M. , Wijewardana Viskam , Brown Kevin N.
Published: July 2010

Background  Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are depleted from blood of individuals with HIV infection associated with progression to disease. It has been postulated but not proven that pDC accumulate in lymph nodes and induce sustained immune activation characteristic of disease.

Methods  The dynamics of the pDC response to acute pathogenic SIV infection of rhesus macaques were studied using methods to track recently divided cells.

Results  pDC were lost from blood and lymph nodes in acute SIV infection despite rapid mobilization and recruitment. pDC had a low frequency of infection, were uniformly activated and had increased levels of apoptosis, while maintaining normal function.

Conclusions  pDC mobilization into blood and lymph nodes in acute SIV infection does not keep pace with excessive pDC loss through activation and apoptosis. The depletion of pDC from lymphoid tissues in acutely infected rhesus macaques does not support a pathogenic role for pDC in disease.
An adult female patient with ring chromosome 21: behavioural phenotype and results of high-resolution molecular characterisation
Authors: Verhoeven Willem M.A. , Van Bon Bregje , Egger Jos I.M. , Hoischen Alexander , Doelman Jan C
Published: July 2010

Verhoeven WMA, Bon BV, Egger JIM, Hoischen A, Doelman JC. An adult female patient with ring chromosome 21: behavioural phenotype and results of high-resolution molecular characterisation.

Objective

A female adult patient with mild to moderate mental retardation and minor dysmorphisms was referred for neuropsychiatric examination because of psychotic and autistic symptoms and impulsive behaviours.

Methods

Standardized neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessment as well as detailed somatic and neurological examination was performed. For genetic analysis, karyotyping, whole genome array analysis, and high-resolution detailed analysis of chromosome 21 were carried through.

Results

Karyotyping showed a de novo ring chromosome 21: 46,XX,der(21)r(21)(p11q22.3). High-resolution array analysis demonstrated a complex aberration consisting of an interstitial duplication in 21q21.1, an interstitial deletion in 21q22.2q22.3, an interstitial deletion in 21q22.3 and a terminal deletion of 21q22.3. Apart from mild dysmorphisms, visual and auditory impairments, and infertility, no somatic or neurological abnormalities were found. A formal psychiatric diagnosis could not be established. The behavioural problems and the supposed psychiatric symptoms could be related to her disharmonic social cognitive profile. The behaviour normalized after the patient returned to a stable and structured living environment.

Conclusion

High-resolution micro-array analysis techniques are essential to substantiate the genotype–phenotype correlation in patients with r(21) and other genetic disorders. Moreover, the results of this study stress the importance of the recognition of alexithymia as a potential cause for behavioural problems and psychiatric symptoms in patients with mental retardation in general.
Can young people reliably rate side effects of low-dose antipsychotic medication using a self-report survey?
Authors: Walter Garry , Byrne Simon , Griffiths Oren , Hunt Glenn , Soh Nerissa , Cleary Michelle , Duffy Paul , Crawford Geoff , Krabman Peter , Concannon Patrick , Malhi Gin
Published: July 2010

Walter G, Byrne S, Griffiths O, Hunt G, Soh N, Cleary M, Duffy P, Crawford G, Krabman P, Concannon P, Malhi G. Can young people reliably rate side effects of low-dose antipsychotic medication using a self-report survey?
Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (Sanfilippo disease) in Sweden: clinical presentation of 22 children diagnosed during a 30‐year period
Authors: Malm G , Månsson J‐E
Published: July 2010

Aim:  The aim of this study was to present the natural clinical course in children and adolescents with MPS III diagnosed during a 30‐year period in Sweden.

Methods:  The patients were identified from metabolic laboratory records between 1975 and 2004. Patient data were assessed from interviews of parents and by clinical examination and records from the patients.

Results:  A total of 15 children, 68%, with MPS IIIA were diagnosed at a median age of 6.8 years (range 1.2–18.9 years). One boy had MPS IIIB and five children MPS IIIC, diagnosed at ages between 1.9 and 11.6 years. In one child the type was not determined. The median age of children with type IIIA who had deceased was 16.2 years (range 10.4–31.2 years). Ten individuals with MPS III are alive at ages between 5 and 29 years. In four families, two children were affected.

Conclusion:  In 22 Swedish children with Sanfilippo disease an early normal development followed by a delay in speech and an appearance of behaviour problems was found in most children during the early preschool period. Mental retardation was diagnosed in almost all individuals before starting school. Early diagnosis is important in this devastating, progressive disorder, not only for genetic counselling but also for participation in future treatments.
Extremely preterm infants tolerate skin‐to‐skin contact during the first weeks of life
Authors: Maastrup Ragnhild , Greisen Gorm
Published: July 2010

Aim:  To determine if clinically stable extremely preterm infants can maintain their temperature during skin‐to‐skin contact and to screen for other negative effects.

Methods:  Continuous measurement of 22 stable infants’ physical parameters 2 h before, during, and 2 h after skin‐to‐skin‐contact. Mean gestational age at birth was 25 weeks and 4 days, mean post‐natal age was 8 days, postmenstrual age was 26 weeks and 6 days, and mean actual weight 702 g. Mean duration of skin‐to‐skin‐contact was 98 min. 16 infants were skin‐to‐skin with the mother, five with the father and one with an older sister.

Results:  There were no significant differences in mean skin temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, or oxygen saturation before, during, and after skin‐to‐skin contact. While staying within normal range, the mean skin temperature increased 0.1°C during skin‐to‐skin contact with the mother and decreased 0.3°C during skin‐to‐skin contact with the father (p = 0.011) (without post‐hoc correction).

Conclusion:  Clinically stable, extremely preterm infants can keep adequate skin temperature and adequate physical stability during skin‐to‐skin contact with their parents.
Early Modern English Catholicism and the Rewriting of Literary History
Authors: Monta Susannah
Published: July 2010

This article considers the implications of the reinvigorated scholarly interest in early modern English Catholicism and its implications for early modern literary history. Surveying contemporary scholarship as well as little‐known or understudied early modern printed and manuscript texts, the article suggests ways in which the study of English Catholicism is reshaping our conceptions of early modern religious, political, and literary cultures.
Surveying the Eighteenth‐Century Anglo‐Indian Canon
Authors: Schürer Norbert
Published: July 2010

The canon of eighteenth‐century British literature has productively splintered into many canons, and one that should be added is the Anglo‐Indian canon. This postcolonial canon consists of literature exploring the relationship between Britain and India and performing cultural productions of ‘India’ in the process. The most important works in the Anglo‐Indian canon between about 1750 and 1850 include novels (Hartly House, Calcutta, The Missionary), drama (The Nabob, The Mogul Tale, The Sword of Peace, The Widow of Malabar), poetry (Bedukah, The Curse of Kehama), and travel narratives (by William Hodges, Georg Forster, Lord Valentia, and Bishop Heber). These authors address issues such as the characteristics of Indian religion, government, culture, and economics; the effects India has on British soldiers, administrators, merchants, and artists; the differences in gender roles; and the responsibilities Britain has toward India. The earlier work in the Anglo‐Indian canon (from the eighteenth century) is more open‐minded toward India, allowing for curiosity, engagement, and hybridity. In contrast, the later work (from the nineteenth century) envisions the encounter of cultures as a clash, asserts British superiority, and promotes Orientalism.
Mary Tighe and Literary History: The Making of a Critical Reputation
Authors: Linkin Harriet Kramer
Published: July 2010

This essay offers a survey of critical (and uncritical) responses to Mary Tighe from the initial private printing of her epic poem Psyche; or, the Legend of Love in 1805 to the present. It opens with a brief discussion of the problematic status of Tighe’s literary papers, reviews the curious fame she experienced before her death in 1810, and then provides a detailed analysis of her literary reception in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty‐first century after the 1811 publication of Psyche, with Other Poems. In addition to its extensive overview of the published scholarship that has shaped Tighe’s critical reputation, the essay also attends to the less prominent readers (or fans) who played a significant role in keeping what Thomas Moore once called Tighe’s ‘quiet fame’ alive.
The Reintroduction of Ethics to Eighteenth‐Century Literary Studies
Authors: Kraft Elizabeth
Published: July 2010

The 1980s and 1990s witnessed a ‘turn to ethics’ in literary criticism in general and in criticism of the literature of the long 18th century in particular. Wayne Booth’s The Company We Keep was instrumental in turning our attention to the relationship between books and readers, a relationship that he figured as a ‘friendship’ with the kinds of ethical demands that attend all friendships. A highly regarded work, Company influenced subsequent studies, such as my Character and Consciousness in Eighteenth‐Century Comic Fiction, but it was not until critics such as Melvyn New and Donald Wehrs began to situate literary analysis in terms drawn from the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas that ‘ethical criticism’ of the field would become an identifiable ‘school’ of 18th‐century studies. Building on, but diverging from, the political emphases of race, class, and gender, ethical critics insist on the ‘otherness’ of the text and its resistance to our ideologies and assumptions. My Women Novelists and the Ethics of Desire, for example, reads the works of women writers as statements of ethical agency rather than as evidence of political objectification. Edward Tomarken’s Genre and Ethics similarly attends to the voices of literary works in their own contexts, meeting them face‐to‐face (in Levinasian terms) before asking questions regarding political implications or assumptions. The ‘turn to ethics’ is not a turn away from politics, however, for the impact of the ethical encounter will have real‐world consequences. Therefore, ecocriticism and disability studies are likely to become growth areas in 18th‐century ethical readings in the near future as these concerns surfaced in the period itself and are two subjects that dominate our own social, political, and ethical lives as well.
Bioassay‐guided Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antinociceptive Activities of Carvacrol
Authors: Guimarães Adriana G. , Oliveira Geovana F. , Melo Mônica S. , Cavalcanti Sócrates C.H. , Antoniolli Angelo R. , Bonjardim Leonardo R. , Silva Francilene A. , Santos João Paulo A. , Rocha Ricardo F. , Moreira José Claudio F. , Araújo Adriano A.S. , Gelain Daniel P. , Quintans‐Júnior Lucindo J.
Published: July 2010

Abstract: We examined the antioxidant propertiesin vitroand the antinociceptive effect of carvacrol (CARV) in several models of pain in mice. CARV presented a strong antioxidant potential according to the TRAP/TAR evaluation; it also presented scavenger activity against nitric oxide and prevented lipid peroxidationin vitro. In mice, when evaluated against acetic acid‐induced abdominal writhing, CARV (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced (p < 0.001) the number of writhing compared to the control group, without opioid participation. In the formalin test, CARV also significantly inhibited both the early (neurogenic pain) and the late (inflammatory pain) phases of formalin‐induced licking, with inhibition percentage values of 56.8% (100 mg/kg) for the neurogenic phase and 41.2% (25 mg/kg), 73.8% (50 mg/kg) and 99.7% (100 mg/kg) for the inflammatory phase. CARV also produced a significant inhibition of the pain caused by capsaicin (63.1, 67.1 and 95.8%,p < 0.001) and glutamate (46.4, 61.4 and 97.9%,p < 0.01). When assessed in a thermal model of pain, CARV (100 mg/kg, i.p.) caused a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the latency response on the hot‐plate test. Such results were unlikely to be provoked by motor abnormality. Together, these results indicate that the properties of CARV should be more thoroughly examined in order to achieve newer tools for management and/or treatment of painful conditions, including those related to pro‐oxidant states.