bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Events in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients Randomly Assigned to Calcium Channel Blocker Versus Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor in the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial
Authors: Leenen Frans H.H. , Nwachuku Chuke E. , Black Henry R. , Cushman William C. , Davis Barry R. , Simpson Lara M. , Alderman Michael H. , Atlas Steven A. , Basile Jan N. , Cuyjet Aloysius B. , Dart Richard , Felicetta James V. , Grimm Richard H. , Haywood L. Julian , Jafri Syed Z.A. , Proschan Michael A. , Thadani Udho , Whelton Paul K. , Wright Jackson T.
Published: July 2006

The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering treatment to prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) provides a unique opportunity to compare the long-term relative safety and efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and calcium channel blocker–initiated therapy in older hypertensive individuals. Patients were randomized to amlodipine (n=9048) or lisinopril (n=9054). The primary outcome was combined fatal coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction, analyzed by intention-to-treat. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke, combined cardiovascular disease (CVD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cancer, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Mean follow-up was 4.9 years. Blood pressure control was similar in nonblacks, but not in blacks. No significant differences were found between treatment groups for the primary outcome, all-cause mortality, ESRD, or cancer. Stroke rates were higher on lisinopril in blacks (RR=1.51, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.86) but not in nonblacks (RR=1.07, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.28), and in women (RR=1.45, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.79), but not in men (RR=1.10, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.31). Rates of combined CVD were higher (RR=1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.12) because of higher rates for strokes, peripheral arterial disease, and angina, which were partly offset by lower rates for heart failure (RR=0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.96) on lisinopril compared with amlodipine. Gastrointestinal bleeds and angioedema were higher on lisinopril. Patients with and without baseline coronary heart disease showed similar outcome patterns. We conclude that in hypertensive patients, the risks for coronary events are similar, but for stroke, combined CVD, gastrointestinal bleeding, and angioedema are higher and for heart failure are lower for lisinopril-based compared with amlodipine-based therapy. Some, but not all, of these differences may be explained by less effective blood pressure control in the lisinopril arm.
Concomitant Impairment in Endothelial Function and Neural Cardiovascular Regulation in Offspring of Type 2 Diabetic Subjects
Authors: Iellamo Ferdinando , Tesauro Manfredi , Rizza Stefano , Aquilani Stefano , Cardillo Carmine , Iantorno Micaela , Turriziani Mario , Lauro Renato
Published: July 2006

Endothelial function is impaired in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with type 2 diabetes. Many states characterized by endothelial dysfunction are associated with increased cardiovascular sympathetic outflow. In this study, we investigated endothelial and autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning in FDRs and tested the hypothesis that in basal condition, impaired endothelial function is associated with impaired cardiovascular ANS regulation. Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation of the brachial artery was measured with high-resolution ultrasound in 27 otherwise healthy FDRs (14 men and 13 women; mean age 32 years) with normal oral glucose tolerance and in 15 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Cardiovascular ANS regulation was investigated by means of spectral analysis of heart rate and systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability. Baroreflex sensitivity was assessed by the spontaneous baroreflex sequences technique. Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation was 9.4±1.0% in FDRs and 17.0±2.3% in control subjects (
P
=0.001). Low-frequency oscillations in SBP variability were 8.6±2.8 and 2.8±0.6 mm Hg in FDRs and controls, respectively (
P
=0.04). Baroreflex sensitivity was significantly less in FDRs than controls (22.8±2.7 versus 37.0±5.8, respectively;
P
=0.01). Change in vessel diameter was inversely correlated with the low-frequency component of SBP variability (
r
=−0.40;
P
=0.014). In healthy FDRs of diabetic patients there is a concomitant, possibly related, impairment in endothelial and ANS functioning, which manifests, indirectly, with increase in vascular sympathetic outflow and a depressed baroreflex, vagal, control of heart rate.
Deletion of p47

phox

Attenuates Angiotensin II–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice
Authors: Thomas Manesh , Gavrila Dan , McCormick Michael L. , Miller Francis J. , Daugherty Alan , Cassis Lisa A. , Dellsperger Kevin C. , Weintraub Neal L.
Published: July 2006

Background—

Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to vascular pathology in part by stimulating NADPH oxidase activity, leading to increased formation of superoxide (O
2
−
). We reported that O
2
−
levels, NADPH oxidase activity, and expression of the p47

phox

subunit of NADPH oxidase are increased in human abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Here, we tested the hypothesis that deletion of p47

phox

will attenuate oxidative stress and AAA formation in Ang II–infused apoE
−/−
mice.

Methods and Results—

Male apoE
−/−
and apoE
−/−
p47

phox
−/−

mice received saline or Ang II (1000 ng · kg
−1
· min
−1
) infusion for 28 days, after which abdominal aortic weight and maximal diameter were determined. Aortic tissues and blood were examined for parameters of aneurysmal disease and oxidative stress. Ang II infusion induced AAAs in 90% of apoE
−/−
versus 16% of apo
−/−
p47

phox
−/−

mice (
P
<0.05). Abdominal aortic weight (14.1±3.2 versus 35.6±9.0 mg), maximal aortic diameter (1.5±0.2 versus 2.4±0.4 mm), aortic NADPH oxidase activity, and parameters of oxidative stress were reduced in apoE
−/−
p47

phox
−/−

mice compared with apoE
−/−
mice (
P
<0.05). In addition, aortic macrophage infiltration and matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity were reduced in apoE
−/−
p47

phox
−/−

mice compared with apoE
−/−
mice. Deletion of p47

phox

attenuated the pressor response to Ang II; however, coinfusion of phenylephrine with Ang II, which restored the Ang II pressor response, did not alter the protective effects of p47

phox

deletion on AAA formation.

Conclusions—

Deletion of p47

phox

attenuates Ang II–induced AAA formation in apoE
−/−
mice, suggesting that NADPH oxidase plays a critical role in AAA formation in this model.
How symbolic remuneration contributes to the legitimacy of the company: An institutional explanation
Authors: Fernandez-Alles Mariluz , Cuevas-Rodríguez Gloria , Valle-Cabrera Ramon
Published: July 2006

This research analyzes whether variable compensation is designed as an economically rational incentive to increase organizational performance, or whether it also responds to other factors such as the search for legitimacy. A case study demonstrates how the design of the variable compensation system, at both managerial and lower levels, takes into account the company's adoption of popular management practices that increase its legitimacy but not necessarily its performance.The results show that,in the design of their compensation policies, organizations do not always seek financial objectives, as agency theory maintains, but often have other social objectives such as the search for legitimacy, as institutional theory suggests. The management of incentives not only is used to align the interests of principal and agent, but also has a symbolic character, insofar as it signals that the company belongs to a particular social context.
Between asset and process: Developing competence by implementing a learning management system
Authors: Håland Erna , Tjora Aksel
Published: July 2006

Competence and competence development are ‘buzz words' widely used in organizations in Norway, as well as in other countries. Competence, as the company's most important and valuable resource, is constantly highlighted. But what does this imply for the organization and for the employees? What are comprised in the concept of competence? In this article we present different understandings of competence among employees in a large Norwegian oil company, Statoil, as well as some of the different views on competence found in the literature. Based on semi-structured interviews in two different stages of a process of implementing a netbased learning system, we find that the focus is more on competence as asset than competence as process. This leaves out important dimensions of competence in the complex society of today and as expressed by several of the employees in Statoil.
Race, Immigration and Politics in Britain
Authors: Small Stephen , Solomos John
Published: July 2006

This article provides a description and interpretation of a series of key issues, debates and questions around immigration and race in Britain between the 1940s and the early 2000s. We highlight these issues and characterize some of the major theoretical models (and concepts) that have been deployed to interpret and explain them. Our primary concern here is with the main policies that helped to construct and frame immigration policies and the key domestic ‘race relations’ policies that were linked to them. We also provide a critique of the ways in which some of the most prominent academics during this period have contributed to the unfolding of these processes, in particular, how their work has been used to frame government thinking and policy formulation and implementation. We hope that our characterization of the main trajectory of policy and academic discourse over the past few decades will provide an opportunity for a more intensive evaluation of particular moments in this trajectory.
There are no Minorities Here
Authors: Amiraux Valérie , Simon Patrick
Published: July 2006

Migration studies have long been characterized as an illegitimate field of research in the French social sciences. This results from the strong influence of the so-called ‘republican’ ideology on social sciences, the constant politicization of the subject in the public arena, the maintenance of a number of taboos revolving around the colonial experience, and a history of the concepts (race, ethnicity, minority) that makes their potential use in scientific analysis controversial. This difficulty of reflecting upon the ethnic fact or racial relations contributed to the implementation of a normative framework, which until recently gave priority to the analysis of integration, leaving the content of ‘racial and ethnic studies' little explored in France. This article offers a historical perspective on the way knowledge has been produced in this field. It highlights the ‘doxa’ of the French integration model in social sciences, elaborating on the controversy over the production and use of ethnic categories in statistics, the various taboos revolving around the role of ethnicity in politics, the discussions launched by the emergence of a post-colonial question and the transition from an analysis of racism to the understanding of a system of discriminations.
Factors Associated With Self-Reported Elder Mistreatment in Iowa’s Frailest Elders
Authors: Buri Hilary , Daly Jeanette M. , Hartz Arthur J. , Jogerst Gerald J.
Published: July 2006

The purposes of this study were to determine associated characteristics of community-dwelling older persons, their access to care and social provisions, and self-reported elder abuse, and to assess how having help in completing a questionnaire affected these associations. A questionnaire was mailed to 1,017 randomly selected elders in the Iowa Medicaid Waiver Program. The overall prevalence of self-reported abuse was 20.9%. Fifty-nine percent of respondents had help completing the questionnaire. Abuse was associated with low social provisions, more emergency room visits, being alone, and not having enough money. For those having help completing the questionnaire, abuse was associated with older age, low social provisions, being alone, and not having enough money. For those having no help completing the questionnaire, abuse was associated with depression, being alone, more emergency room visits, and low social provisions. Among community-living elders needing services in their homes, the prevalence of abuse was higher than that found in general population studies.
Criminal justice in post-devolutionary Scotland
Authors: Croall Hazel
Published: July 2006

This article reviews recent major developments in key areas in criminal justice policy in Scotland, including the renowned Children's Hearings System, the role of criminal justice social work, the use of imprisonment and the implementation of antisocial behaviour legislation. It explores the extent to which the welfarist approach that characterized Scottish criminal justice pre-devolution has been challenged by the politicization of criminal justice issues and increasing levels of popular punitivism more familiar in England and Wales under the New Labour government. It explores some of the reasons why there has been greater convergence with policy south of the border rather than the divergence which might have been expected.
Active labour market policy and the reduction of poverty in the ‘new’ Scotland
Authors: Scott Gill
Published: July 2006

Throughout Europe there is a view that social policy objectives can and should be achieved via the route of increased work participation. This is often fuelled by government assumptions that simultaneous progress on the employment and poverty front can be achieved. Employment activation and poverty reduction are central to the so-called active welfare state that lies at the heart of New Labour policies. In this article the relationship between devolution (another of New Labour's central policies) and active labour market policies is analysed. In particular a discussion of the decentralization of powers relating to employment is undertaken alongside an assessment of whether the ‘social policy’ focus of the devolved Scotland results in an effective integration of employment and poverty reduction policies.
From Ethnic to Interethnic
Authors: Kim Young Yun
Published: July 2006

The academic literature for the past several decades suggests an increased tendency to conceive “ethnic identity” as an a priori and morally inviolable human condition exclusively attributed to a social group identified by birth or ascription. Paralleling this trend is a gradual shift toward a more pluralistic ideology of interethnic relations and toward a greater emphasis on political activism in social research. In this historical context, the article identifies two interrelated problematics in the prevailing pluralistic conceptions of ethnic identity: positivity bias and oversimplification. These problematic aspects are examined against the well-documented individual and situational variations in ethnic identity. As a way to counterbalance and complement the pluralistic conceptions, a theoretical account for the process of identity transformation is offered. This dynamic theory highlights the experiences of many individuals who, through their communication activities of crisscrossing ethnic boundaries, have moved beyond the perimeters of a single ethnic category in their identity orientations.
Harry Potter with Chinese Characteristics
Authors: Henningsen Lena
Published: July 2006

Chinese bogus books are commonly treated as matters of copyright infringement. Using the example of two of the Harry Potter fakes that were published in the PRC in 2002, it is argued that there are sufficient grounds to consider these fakes as pieces of art in themselves. As fakes, they simultaneously employ two strategies: they use the value of the original (as a commercial tool to increase readership), but at the same time, they want to break out of this narrow frame in order to be recognized as a fake, that is, as an original that only appears as a counterfeit. On this basis, it becomes obvious that these Harry Potter texts mirror recent trends of both popular culture and elite discussions. Using the Orientalism/Occidentalism framework, this article shows how the different notions of “China” and “the West” employed can be seen as indications for the “Chineseness” of the text: the West is nothing but an image to convey a message on the state of affairs in China.
The formation of social insurance institutions of the Baltic States in the post-socialist era
Authors: Aidukaite Jolanta
Published: July 2006

This paper provides an overview of the differences that have emerged in the social insurance systems of the three Baltic countries since they regained their independence. It assesses how closely the institutional structures of social insurance in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania approximate to various ideal types of social security institutions to be found in the research literature. The findings indicate that, in general terms, the social security system of Estonia and Latvia can be labelled as a mix of the basic security and corporatist model, even if there are also some weak elements of the targeted model. In contrast, it appears that the institutional changes developing in the social security system of Lithuania have led to a combination of the basic security and targeted models of welfare. Even if they started with identical social security institutions inherited from the Soviet period, there is not only similarity, but also diversity in how these countries are now addressing problems in the social policy field.
Place and the Geography of Italian Export Performance
Authors: Shin Michael E. , Agnew John , Breau Sébastien , Richardson Paul
Published: July 2006

Studies of contemporary economic development within industrialized societies often focus upon the local scale of analysis. From the positive externalities linked with agglomeration to the role which local institutions can play in altering regional economic trajectories, there is a tendency within economic geography to ‘go local’. Though there is much to be gleaned from local, firm-based research, the fact that the local is situated within other spatial scales, and in many cases is contingent upon broader geographical contexts (e.g. regional, national, global) is sometimes understated. We expand the geographical frames of reference by which Italian economic development, and in particular understandings of local growth in Italy, are understood, by situating the local in Italy within other meso-scale relationships.Though certain areas and regions of Italy are famous for their particular brand of local economic development, these places are not isolated nor are they independent in a geographic sense.Through detailed spatial analyses of provincial export shares, which are used to gauge the external basis of a local economy, we show that understanding and explaining economic growth in Italy and elsewhere can benefit from an approach which appreciates the significance of extra-local linkages.
Mobile Networks and Place Making in Cultural Tourism
Authors: Bærenholdt Jørgen Ole , Haldrup Michael
Published: July 2006

Tourism has become an increasingly important asset for small and medium-sized cities. However, tourism is a vulnerable basis for the local economy of towns and cities as it depends on far-reaching, mobile and unstable networks of visitors, cultural industries and attractions, local authorities, voluntary associations, buildings, objects and so forth directing flows of people, money, information and images. These networks produce new cultural economies and policies, contingently committed to the projects of producing ‘tourist places’. This article challenges conventional understandings of territorial learning by comparing two cases of cultural tourism and their spin-off developments in Roskilde, Denmark: first the Viking Ship Museum, its development into a ‘Museum Island’ in the harbour area during the 1990s and its project ‘Return of the Viking Longship'; second, the Roskilde Festival with its still not fully developed projects ‘Musicon Valley’ and ‘Rock City’. We emphasize the role of local authorities and of international connections. In so doing we attempt to bridge the gap between contemporary discussions of tourism and cultural economy in cultural and economic geography, and ask how these attractions, events and projects have emerged and how the dynamics producing tourist places are organized in time and space.
Intersectionality
Authors: Bredström Anna
Published: July 2006

The aim of this article is to engage critically with feminist HIV/AIDS research from an ‘intersectional’ perspective. Focusing in particular on the work of Tamsin Wilton (1997) and Janet Holland et al. (1998), the article examines how ‘race’, ethnicity and class are theorized and conceptualized in this literature. Through a scrutiny of their empirical analyses, the article points to the pitfalls of a descriptive approach to ‘differences’ and problematizes Wilton's and Holland et al.'s theoretical focus on gender and sexuality. The benefit of including a critical perspective on ‘race’ and ethnicity and other axes of domination is illustrated further using some empirical examples from the Swedish HIV/AIDS policy context. The article concludes by arguing that an intersectional perspective poses a challenge to feminist HIV/AIDS research that needs to be addressed in order to produce an effective sexual health policy.
Differences Between Women? Intersecting Voices in a Female Narrative
Authors: Ludvig Alice
Published: July 2006

The ‘intersectionality’ approach in feminist theory postulates that differences between women, such as age, ethnicity, class, nationality, sexuality, etc. do intersect. However, intersectionality starts to get blurred when examined concretely because the list of differences is always endless. There is frequently silence about concrete questions such as: who defines when, where and which of these differences are rendered important in particular conceptions, and which are not? This article examines how categories of difference and identity interplay and intersect by analysing a narrative life-interview with a female migrant to Vienna. It aims to make visible some of her specific identifications and differentiations and how these are located in time and space, by focusing on her self-presentation and the categories of difference such as gender, class and ethnicity that she introduces. Through this the article aims to contribute to discussions of the dynamism of subjectivities and power relations.
Aesthetic surgery as false beauty
Authors: Holliday Ruth , Taylor Jacqueline Sanchez
Published: July 2006

This article identifies a prevalent strand of feminist writing on beauty and aesthetic surgery and explores some of the contradictions and inconsistencies inscribed within it. In particular, we concentrate on three central feminist claims: that living in a misogynist culture produces aesthetic surgery as an issue predominantly concerning women; that pain - both physical and psychic - is a central conceptual frame through which aesthetic surgery should be viewed; and that aesthetic surgery is inherently a normalizing technology. Engaging with these ‘myths’, we explore the tensions uncovered through a historical analysis of the practices of aesthetic surgery as well as the challenges to feminist claims offered by post-feminism. In particular we seek to destabilize the connection in feminist writing between beauty and passivity. We argue that through aesthetic references to denigrated black and working-class bodies, young women may mobilize aesthetic surgeries to reinscribe active sexuality on the feminine body.
‘This striking ornament of nature’
Authors: Conor Liz
Published: July 2006

Feminine beauty was implicated in colonial ways of seeing Indigenous peoples. The Australian ‘Native Belle’, as the feminine type of the noble savage, caught the European imagination at the time that European women such as Mary Wollstonecraft inaugurated a critique of feminine beauty as enslaving. Representations of the native belle were disseminated through new forms of communication and were implicated in prevailing discourses of Indigenous peoples such as ethnology. The native belle demonstrates a European longing for feminine beauty that was natural and unaffected. This type also demonstrates that ideas of visual identity as manifest in feminine beauty were important descriptors of racial difference.
‘I just want to be me again!’
Authors: Banet-Weiser Sarah , Portwood-Stacer Laura
Published: July 2006

This essay examines the connections between the Miss America pageant and reality makeover television shows. We argue that televised performances of gender have shifted focus from the intensely scripted, out-of-touch Miss America to reality makeover shows that normalize cosmetic surgery as a means to become the ‘ideal’ woman. While both spectacles offer their viewers performances of femininity, these performances need to be understood as emerging from the cultural and political conditions in which they are produced. This difference in presentation of the subjects of beauty pageants and makeover programmes speaks respectively to the changing role of media in the normalization of performances of femininity, as well as to the affiliation of many young women with post-feminist politics in the United States.
Finding function: evaluation methods for functional genomic data
Authors: Myers Chad L , Barrett Daniel R , Hibbs Matthew A , Huttenhower Curtis , Troyanskaya Olga G
Published: July 2006

Background

Accurate evaluation of the quality of genomic or proteomic data and computational methods is vital to our ability to use them for formulating novel biological hypotheses and directing further experiments. There is currently no standard approach to evaluation in functional genomics. Our analysis of existing approaches shows that they are inconsistent and contain substantial functional biases that render the resulting evaluations misleading both quantitatively and qualitatively. These problems make it essentially impossible to compare computational methods or large-scale experimental datasets and also result in conclusions that generalize poorly in most biological applications.

Results

We reveal issues with current evaluation methods here and suggest new approaches to evaluation that facilitate accurate and representative characterization of genomic methods and data. Specifically, we describe a functional genomics gold standard based on curation by expert biologists and demonstrate its use as an effective means of evaluation of genomic approaches. Our evaluation framework and gold standard are freely available to the community through our website.

Conclusion

Proper methods for evaluating genomic data and computational approaches will determine how much we, as a community, are able to learn from the wealth of available data. We propose one possible solution to this problem here but emphasize that this topic warrants broader community discussion.
Factors associated with disease evolution in Greek patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Chatzicostas Constantinos , Roussomoustakaki Maria , Potamianos Spiros , Paspatis Gregorios , Mouzas Ioannis , Romanos John , Mavrogeni Helen , Kouroumalis Elias
Published: July 2006

Background

The majority of Crohn's disease patients with B1 phenotype at diagnosis (i.e. non-stricturing non-penetrating disease) will develop over time a stricturing or a penetrating pattern. Conflicting data exist on the rate of proximal disease extension in ulcerative colitis patients with proctitis or left-sided colitis at diagnosis. We aimed to study disease evolution in Crohn's disease B1 patients and ulcerative colitis patients with proctitis and left-sided colitis at diagnosis.

Methods

116 Crohn's disease and 256 ulcerative colitis patients were followed-up for at least 5 years after diagnosis. Crohn's disease patients were classified according to the Vienna criteria. Data were analysed actuarially.

Results

B1 phenotype accounted for 68.9% of Crohn's disease patients at diagnosis. The cumulative probability of change in disease behaviour in B1 patients was 43.6% at 10 years after diagnosis. Active smoking (Hazard Ratio: 3.01) and non-colonic disease (non-L2) (Hazard Ratio: 3.01) were associated with behavioural change in B1 patients. Proctitis and left-sided colitis accounted for 24.2%, and 48.4% of ulcerative colitis patients at diagnosis. The 10 year cumulative probability of proximal disease extension in patients with proctitis and left-sided colitis was 36.8%, and 17.1%, respectively (p: 0.003). Among proctitis patients, proximal extension was more common in non-smokers (Hazard Ratio: 4.39).

Conclusion

Classification of Crohn's disease patients in B1 phenotype should be considered as temporary. Smoking and non-colonic disease are risk factors for behavioural change in B1 Crohn's disease patients. Proximal extension is more common in ulcerative colitis patients with proctitis than in those with left-sided colitis. Among proctitis patients, proximal extension is more common in non-smokers.
IMOP: randomised placebo controlled trial of outpatient cervical ripening with isosorbide mononitrate (IMN) prior to induction of labour – clinical trial with analyses of efficacy, cost effectiveness and acceptability
Authors: Bollapragada Shrikant , Mackenzie Fiona , Norrie John , Petrou Stavros , Reid Margaret , Greer Ian , Osman Inass , Norman Jane E
Published: July 2006

Background

There is increasing interest in carrying out pre-induction cervical ripening on an outpatient basis. However, there are concerns about the use of prostaglandins, the agents commonly used in hospital settings for this indication, because prostaglandins induce uterine contractions that may lead to fetal hypoxia. Indeed, in a recent study we demonstrated abnormalities in 9% of fetal heart rate tracings performed following prostaglandin induced cervical ripening at term. In contrast, we confirmed in the same study that isosorbide mononitrate (IMN) (administered on an inpatient basis) was both effective in inducing cervical ripening at term, and was associated with no associated fetal heart rate abnormalities.

Methods/design

The aim of this study is to determine whether IMN self administered by women on an outpatient basis improves the process of induction of labour. Specifically, we hypothesise that the use of outpatient IMN will result in a shorter inpatient stay before delivery, decreased costs to the health service and greater maternal satisfaction with ripening and induction of labour, compared with placebo treatment.

In the study described here (the "IMOP" study), women scheduled for induction of labour at term, and who require pre-induction cervical ripening will be randomised to self-administer at home either IMN 40 mg, or a placebo, each vaginally, at 48 hours, 32 hours and 16 hours before scheduled hospital admission.

After admission to hospital, treatment will revert to the usual induction of labour protocol. We will compare the primary outcomes of the elapsed time interval from hospital admission to vaginal delivery, the costs to the health service of induction of labour, and women's experience of induction of labour in the two groups.

Discussion

This trial will provide evidence on the efficacy of outpatient IMN for pre-induction cervical ripening at term. We will study a formulation of IMN which is cheap and widely available. If the treatment is effective, acceptable to women, and cost effective, it could be implemented into obstetric practice worldwide.

Trial registration

The trial has been registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN) and given the registration number ISRTN39772441.
Paclitaxel and concomitant radiotherapy in high-risk endometrial cancer patients: preliminary findings
Authors: Mangili Giorgia , De Marzi Patrizia , Beatrice Saverio , Rabaiotti Emanuela , Viganò Riccardo , Frigerio Luigi , Gentile Cinzia , Fazio Ferruccio
Published: July 2006

Background

There is still much debate about the best adjuvant therapy after surgery for endometrial cancer (EC) and there are no current guidelines. Radiotherapy (RT) alone does not seem to improve overall survival. We investigated whether concomitant Paclitaxel (P) and RT gave better clinical results.

Methods

Twenty-three patients with high-risk EC (stage IIB, IIIA, IIIC or IC G3 without lymphadenectomy or with aneuploid tumor) underwent primary surgery and were then referred for adjuvant therapy. P was given at a dose of 60 mg/m2 once weekly for five weeks during RT, which consisted of a total radiation dose of 50.4 Gy. Three further weekly cycles of P at a dose of 80 mg/m2 were given at the end of RT. Overall survival and disease-free survival were calculated from the time of surgery. Patterns of failure were recorded by the sites of failure.

Results

A total of 157 cycles of P were administered both during radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy.

Relapses occurred in five patients (21.7%). Median time to recurrence was 18.6 months (range 3–28). Survival rate for all the patients was 78.2%. Overall survival for the patients who completed chemo-radiation was of 81%. In this group median time to recurrence was 19.2 months (range 3–28). All recurrences were outside the radiation field. Mortality rate was 14.2%.

Conclusion

This small series demonstrates pelvic radiotherapy in combination with weakly P followed by three consolidation chemotherapy cycles as an effective combined approach in high risk endometrial carcinoma patients.
p53 protein accumulation predicts resistance to endocrine therapy and decreased post-relapse survival in metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Yamashita Hiroko , Toyama Tatsuya , Nishio Mariko , Ando Yoshiaki , Hamaguchi Maho , Zhang Zhenhuan , Kobayashi Shunzo , Fujii Yoshitaka , Iwase Hirotaka
Published: July 2006

Introduction

Endocrine therapy is the most important treatment option for women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The potential mechanisms for endocrine resistance involve estrogen receptor (ER)-coregulatory proteins and cross-talk between ER and other growth factor-signaling networks. However, the factors and pathways responsible for endocrine resistance are still poorly identified.

Materials and methods

The expression of HER2, p53, and Ki67 was examined by immunohistochemistry in primary breast tumour specimens from 73 metastatic breast cancer patients who received first-line treatment with endocrine therapy on relapse, and analysed to determine whether expression of these molecular markers affected the response to endocrine therapy.

Results

Of the 73 invasive ductal carcinomas, 12.3%, 21.9%, and 35.6% were positive for HER2 overexpression, p53 protein accumulation, and Ki67 expression, respectively. All patients received endocrine therapy as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer; 34 patients (46.6%) responded. Patients with primary breast tumours that had p53 protein accumulation and Ki67 expression showed significantly more resistance to endocrine therapy (P = 0.0049 and P = 0.024, respectively). There were also tendencies for HER2 overexpression to correlate with resistance to endocrine therapy, but this did not reach significance. p53 protein accumulation and HER2 overexpression significantly reduced post-relapse survival (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively), and these factors were also statistically significant in a multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

These data suggest that p53 protein accumulation is helpful in selecting patients who may benefit from endocrine therapy and is a prognostic marker in hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer.
Phylogenetically widespread alternative splicing at unusual GYNGYN donors
Authors: Hiller Michael , Huse Klaus , Szafranski Karol , Rosenstiel Philip , Schreiber Stefan , Backofen Rolf , Platzer Matthias
Published: July 2006

Background

Splice donor sites have a highly conserved GT or GC dinucleotide and an extended intronic consensus sequence GTRAGT that reflects the sequence complementarity to the U1 snRNA. Here, we focus on unusual donor sites with the motif GYNGYN (Y stands for C or T; N stands for A, C, G, or T).

Results

While only one GY functions as a splice donor for the majority of these splice sites in human, we provide computational and experimental evidence that 110 (1.3%) allow alternative splicing at both GY donors. The resulting splice forms differ in only three nucleotides, which results mostly in the insertion/deletion of one amino acid. However, we also report the insertion of a stop codon in four cases. Investigating what distinguishes alternatively from not alternatively spliced GYNGYN donors, we found differences in the binding to U1 snRNA, a strong correlation between U1 snRNA binding strength and the preferred donor, over-represented sequence motifs in the adjacent introns, and a higher conservation of the exonic and intronic flanks between human and mouse. Extending our genome-wide analysis to seven other eukaryotic species, we found alternatively spliced GYNGYN donors in all species from mouse to Caenorhabditis elegans and even in Arabidopsis thaliana. Experimental verification of a conserved GTAGTT donor of the STAT3 gene in human and mouse reveals a remarkably similar ratio of alternatively spliced transcripts in both species.

Conclusion

In contrast to alternative splicing in general, GYNGYN donors in addition to NAGNAG acceptors enable subtle protein variations.
Characterization, isolation, and differentiation of murine skin cells expressing hematopoietic stem cell markers
Authors: Meindl Simone , Schmidt Uwe , Vaculik Christine , Elbe-Bürger Adelheid
Published: July 2006

As the phenotype of adult dermal stem cells is still elusive, and the hematopoietic stem cell is one of the best-characterized stem cells in the body, we tested dermal cell suspensions, sections, and wholemounts in newborn and adult mice for hematopoietic stem cell marker expression. Phenotypic analysis revealed that a small population of CD45+ cells and a large population of CD45– cells expressed CD34, CD117, and stem cell antigen-1 molecules. When cultivated in selected media supplemented with hematopoietic cytokines, total dermal cells, lineage–, and/or highly enriched phenotypically defined cell subsets produced hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic colonies. When injected into lethally irradiated recipient mice, a small percentage of newborn dermal cells was able to migrate into hematopoietic tissues and the skin and survived through the 11-month monitoring period. Our ability to isolate a candidate autologous stem cell pool will make these cells ideal vehicles for genetic manipulation and gene therapy.
The Social Impacts and Consequences of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Observations from India and Sri Lanka
Authors: Wachtendorf Tricia , Kendra James M. , Rodríguez Havidán , Trainor Joseph
Published: July 2006

The 26 December 2004 tsunami is one of the most severe disasters of the last several decades. Less than one month after the disaster, a group of social science researchers from the University of Delaware and University of North Texas participated in an Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) reconnaissance team. This team traveled to some of the most heavily impacted areas in India and Sri Lanka. Focusing on the social impacts and consequences of the disaster, the team identified a number of emerging issues, including loss of life and destruction of property and infrastructure, impact on livelihoods, a persistent sense of uncertainty, variation in community-based response and recovery efforts, inequities in disaster relief distribution, gender and age vulnerability and capacities, temporary shelter and housing, and long-term relocation planning.
Tsunami Runup Survey along the Southeast Indian Coast
Authors: Yeh Harry , Chadha R. K. , Francis Mathew , Katada Toshitaka , Latha G. , Peterson Curt , Raghuraman G. , Singh J. P.
Published: July 2006

The 26 December Indian Ocean tsunami was an extraordinary event in the history of natural hazards. It severely affected many countries surrounding the Indian Ocean: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and African countries. Unlike the previous tsunami events in the last 40 years, the seriously affected areas are so vast that a traditional ground-level tsunami survey covering all the necessary areas by a single survey team was impractical. This destructive event will undoubtedly provide many opportunities to explore both basic and applied research in tsunami science and engineering fields and will lead to better preparedness for future disasters. A tsunami runup survey was conducted that spans Vedaranniyam (10° 23.5′ N) to Vodarevu (15° 47.6′ N)—more than 600 km of the southeast Indian coast—which suffered from the distant tsunami, whose source was more than 1,500 km away.
Lifeline Systems in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) after the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami
Authors: Tang Alex , Rai Durgesh C. , Ames David , Murty C. V. R. , Jain Sudhir K. , Dash Suresh R. , Kaushik Hemant B. , Mondal Goutam , Murugesh Ganapathy , Plant Graham , McLaughlin John , Yashinsky Mark , Eskijian Martin , Surrampalli Rao
Published: July 2006

Lifeline systems in the Andaman and Nicobar islands performed poorly during the December 2004 Great Sumatra earthquake and tsunami. Several power stations and transmission lines were damaged by the ground shaking, affecting the electric power supply to parts of the islands. Telecommunication services were severely affected because of destruction of several telephone exchanges. These services were restored quickly by government agencies. The dams and reservoirs, which supply potable water, sustained minor damage from ground shaking. However, segmented pipelines connecting the dams and reservoirs to various storage sites broke at several places, which significantly affected the water supply for a few days. Ground shaking damaged several elevated as well as ground-supported storage tanks. Damage related to tsunami waves was substantial in the 500–1,000- m strip immediately next to the coastline.
Performance of Structures in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) during the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami
Authors: Murty C. V. R. , Rai Durgesh C. , Jain Sudhir K. , Kaushik Hemant B. , Mondal Goutam , Dash Suresh R.
Published: July 2006

The damage sustained by buildings and structures in the Andaman and Nicobar islands area was due to earthquake shaking and/or giant tsunami waves. While damage on Little Andaman Island and all the Nicobar Islands was predominantly tsunami-related, damage on islands north of Little Andaman Island was primarily due to earthquake shaking even though tsunami waves and high tides were also a concern. In general, the building stock consists of a large number of traditional and non-engineered structures. Many traditional structures are made of wood, and they performed well under the intensity-VII earthquake shaking sustained along the islands. However, a number of new reinforced concrete (RC) structures suffered severe damage or even collapse. Also, extensive damage occurred to the coastal and harbor structures in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on the Indian Mainland
Authors: Sheth Alpa , Sanyal Snigdha , Jaiswal Arvind , Gandhi Prathibha
Published: July 2006

The 26 December 2004 tsunami significantly affected the coastal regions of southern peninsular India. About 8,835 human lives were lost in the tsunami in mainland India, with 86 persons reported missing. Two reconnaissance teams traveled by road to survey the damage across mainland India. Geographic and topological features affecting tsunami behavior on the mainland were observed. The housing stock along the coast, as well as bridges and roads, suffered extensive damage. Structures were damaged by direct pressure from tsunami waves, and scouring damage was induced by the receding waves. Many of the affected structures consisted of nonengineered, poorly constructed houses belonging to the fishing community.
Rodrigues, Mauritius, and Réunion Islands Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Authors: Okal Emile A. , Sladen Anthony , Okal Emily A-S.
Published: July 2006

The effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on the islands of Rodrigues, Mauritius, and Réunion were surveyed in March 2005. Runup and inundation were obtained at 35 sites. Measured runup ranges from 2.9 m on the southeastern coast of Rodrigues to negligible values further west on the same island, with most variations expressing the effect of differences in the structure of the coral reef. Most of the damage on Réunion was concentrated in harbors. At the main harbor of Le Port on Réunion, a 196-m vessel broke loose from its moorings and began drifting, inflicting damage on port infrastructure; this incident took place significantly later than the passage of the maximum-amplitude waves. There is a potential hazard to the Mascarene Islands from any future large earthquake in southern Sumatra.
Geologic and Geodetic Aspects of the December 2004 Great Sumatra-Andaman and 2005 Nias-Simeulue Earthquakes
Authors: Hudnut Kenneth W.
Published: July 2006

Geologic data from field observations and satellite imagery analysis contribute a constraint on the “pivot line” between uplift and subsidence of coral reefs, indicating the downdip rupture extent. Geodetic global positioning system (GPS) data contribute vector displacements of points on islands along the archipelago, indicating amount and direction of slip alongstrike of the rupture. Geodetic and geologic data are sensitive not only to rapid coseismic fault movement, but also to slower motion across the plate interface that occurs postseismically. Consequently, the source dimensions and slip pattern estimates based on various geodetic and geologic data differ from purely seismic estimates. A more complete understanding is emerging, based upon joint inversions that use various combinations of all available data, of ways in which sudden slip and gradual afterslip occurred in each of these two major plate boundary ruptures.
Disclosure of Candidate Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Complex Karyotypes Using Microarray-Based Molecular Characterization
Authors: Rücker Frank G. , Bullinger Lars , Schwaenen Carsten , Lipka Daniel B. , Wessendorf Swen , Fröhling Stefan , Bentz Martin , Miller Simone , Scholl Claudia , Schlenk Richard F. , Radlwimmer Bernhard , Kestler Hans A. , Pollack Jonathan R. , Lichter Peter , Döhner Konstanze , Döhner Hartmut
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To identify novel genomic regions of interest in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with complex karyotypes, we applied comparative genomic hybridization to microarrays (array-CGH), allowing high-resolution genome-wide screening of genomic imbalances.

Patients and Methods

Sixty AML cases with complex karyotypes were analyzed using array-CGH; parallel analysis of gene expression was performed in a subset of cases.

Results

Genomic losses were found more frequently than gains. The most frequent losses affected 5q (77%), 17p (55%), and 7q (45%), and the most frequent genomic gains 11q (40%) and 8q (38%). Critical segments could be delineated to genomic fragments of only 0.8 to a few megabase-pairs of DNA. In lost/gained regions, gene expression profiling detected a gene dosage effect with significant lower/higher average gene expression levels across the genes located in the respective regions. Furthermore, high-level DNA amplifications were identified in several regions: 11q23.3-q24.1 (n = 7), 21q22 (n = 6), 11q23.3 (n = 5), 13q12 (n = 3), 8q24 (n = 3), 9p24 (n = 2), 12p13 (n = 2), and 20q11 (n = 2). Parallel analysis of gene expression in critical amplicons displayed overexpressed candidate genes (eg, C8FW and MYC in 8q24).

Conclusion

In conclusion, a large spectrum of genomic imbalances, including novel recurring changes in AML with complex karyotypes, was identified using array-CGH. In addition, the combined analysis of array-CGH data with gene expression profiles allowed the detection of candidate genes involved in the pathogenesis of AML.