bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does the type of hysterectomy affect the prognosis in clinical stage I endometrial cancer?
Authors: Han Chan Hee , Lee Keun Ho , Lee Hae Nam , Kim Chan Joo , Park Tae Chul , Park Jong Sup
Published: June 2010

Aim:  To determine whether clinical outcomes show a benefit from extended hysterectomy in patients with early endometrial cancer.

Methods:  We reviewed the medical records of 101 patients who had endometrial cancer with clinical stage I disease. All the patients were surgically staged, and two types of hysterectomy, simple hysterectomy (SH) or extended hysterectomy (EH), were performed by surgeon's preference. The postoperative pathology findings, recurrence rate and disease‐free survivals (DFS) between the two groups were compared.

Results:  Sixty‐six patients and thirty‐five patients underwent SH and EH, respectively. At subsequent surgical staging, seven patients (10.6%) in the SH and four (11.4%) in EH group were upgraded to stage II or III disease. The surgical and pathological features were not different between the groups. Though the recurrence rate was lower in the EH group (9.09% for SH vs 2.86% for EH), it showed no statistical significance (P = 0.241). The 5‐year DFS (88.2% for SH vs 96.0% for EH) showed no statistically significant difference between the groups either (P = 0.242).

Conclusion:  Compared to SH, EH did not have any prognostic benefit in clinical stage I endometrial cancer. Until the therapeutic role of the EH is determined by further studies using a larger sample size, SH remains the treatment of choice in patients with early endometrial cancer, and surgeons should not perform extended operation without definite evidence of the disease.
Expression of mucin antigens (MUC1 and MUC16) as a prognostic factor for mucinous adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix
Authors: Togami Shinichi , Nomoto Mitsuharu , Higashi Michiyo , Goto Masamichi , Yonezawa Suguru , Tsuji Takahiro , Batra Surinder K. , Douchi Tsutomu
Published: June 2010

Aim:  Only limited data are available regarding mucin antigen expression in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Methods:  Fifty‐two patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endocervical type were enrolled for making clear implication of the mucin antigens. The expression of mucin antigens in hysterectomized specimens were determined immunohistochemically. Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis included International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, histological grade, nodal and ovarian metastases, overall and disease‐free survivals. The relationships of the expression of mucin antigens to various variables were investigated using uni‐ and multivariate analyses.

Results:  The majority of mucinous adenocarcinoma showed overexpression of MUC1 and MUC16. Overexpression of both MUC1 and MUC16 was associated with lower survival rates. Particularly, overexpression of MUC1 was associated with a lower disease‐free survival rate and lymph node metastasis. However, absence of expression of MUC1 and/or MUC16 was associated with longer overall and disease‐free survival. In cases classified as FIGO stage Ib (n = 35), after adjusting for patient age at diagnosis and stratifying by histological grade, MUC1 and/or MUC 16 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–118.5, P < 0.05). After stratifying by ovarian metastasis, MUC1 and/or MUC 16 overexpression was also an independent prognostic factor for disease‐free survival (HR = 5.50, 95% CI = 0.82–87.4, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  The expressions of MUC1 and/or MUC16 may be available as independent prognostic factors for the endocervical type of mucinous adenocarcinoma.
Bilateral ovarian gonadoblastoma with coexisting dysgerminoma in a girl with 46, XX karyotype
Authors: Yilmaz Bulent , Gungor Tayfun , Bayramoglu Hatice , Soysal Sunullah , Mollamahmutoglu Leyla
Published: June 2010

Gonadoblastoma is a rare gonadal tumor with tumor cells arranged in nests surrounded by ovarian stroma containing Leydig or lutein‐type cells. In 50% of the cases, there is an overgrowth of germ cells with progression to dysgerminoma. A case of gonadoblastoma with coexisting dysgerminoma developing in both ovaries of a 20‐year‐old girl who had increased abdominal girth is presented here. A pelvic mass measuring 20 × 14 cm was detected by pelvic ultrasonography. Bilateral salphingo‐oophorectomy was performed. The histopathological report revealed bilateral gonadoblastoma with coexisting dysgerminoma. After surgery the patient received radiation and chemotherapy (BEP: bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) and was started on hormone replacement therapy. Five years and eight months after treatment, the patient is well and free of recurrence.
Retracted: Relationship of adiponectin and resistin levels in umbilical and maternal serum with fetal macrosomia
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Shu‐He , Shang Li‐Xin , Dong Xing , Wang Xin , Zhang Fang , Wu Nan , Xu Li‐Ming , Ye Yuan‐Yuan
Published: June 2010

The following article from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 2010; 36(3): 533–537, ‘Relationship of adiponectin and resistin levels in umbilical and maternal serum with fetal macrosomia’ by Jing Wang, Shu‐He Wang, Li‐Xin Shang, Xing Dong, Xin Wang, Fang Zhang, Nan Wu, Li‐Ming Xu and Yuan‐Yuan Ye, published online on 8 June 2010 in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Takashi Okai, and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. The retraction has been agreed to due to overlap between this article and the following article published in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ‘Relationship of adiponectin and resistin levels in umbilical serum, maternal serum and placenta with neonatal birth weight’ by Jing Wang, Li‐Xin Shang, Xing Dong, Nan Wu, Shu‐He Wang, Fang Shang, Li‐Ming Xu and Ying Xiao,Volume 50 Issue 5, 2010, pages 432–438.
Maternal blood and amniotic fluid levels of moxifloxacin, levofloxacin and cefixime
Authors: Özyüncü Özgür , Beksac Mehmet Sinan , Nemutlu Emirhan , Katlan Doruk , Kir Sedef
Published: June 2010

Aim:  Moxifloxacin and levofloxacin are wide spectrum quinolones and cefixime is a third‐generation cephalosporin with a wider spectrum of activity against gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria and anaerobics. Although they are widely used, little is known about the amniotic fluid levels of these antibiotics. The aim of the present investigation was to study and compare the maternal blood and amniotic fluid levels of these antibiotics in second trimester pregnancy.

Methods:  To assess the amniotic fluid levels of these antibiotics, 10 pregnant women were given moxifloxacin, 10 were given levofloxacin and 6 were given cefixime orally 2 h before amniocentesis as a single dose for prophylaxis. During amniocentesis, an extra 2 mL amniotic fluid sample and 2 mL maternal venous blood were drawn. The levels of these agents in samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography.

Results:  The amniotic fluid levels of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin were 0.27 ± 0.21 µg/mL and 0.60 ± 0.41 µg/mL, respectively. The maternal blood levels were 3.53 ± 0.65 µg/mL and 3.95 ± 0.77 µg/mL in the moxifloxacin and levofloxacin groups, respectively. The maternal blood level of cefixime was 2.59 ± 1.10 µg/mL and the amniotic fluid level was 0.85 ± 0.42 µg/mL. The amniotic fluid passage rates were 7.83% for moxifloxacin, 15.67% for levofloxacin and 37.55% for cefixime.

Conclusion:  Of these three antibiotics, cefixime has the highest transplacental passage rate and, therefore, can be used as a therapeutic agent in infectious conditions in which membranes and the placenta are involved. Moxifloxacin and levofloxacin have low passage rates, which should be considered when using as a therapeutic agent.
Fitness costs associated with mounting a social immune response
Authors: Cotter S. C. , Topham E. , Price A. J. P. , Kilner R. M.
Published: June 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 1114–1123

Social immune systems comprise immune defences mounted by individuals for the benefit of others (sensuCotter & Kilner 2010a). Just as with other forms of immunity, mounting a social immune response is expected to be costly but so far these fitness costs are unknown. We measured the costs of social immunity in a sub‐social burying beetle, a species in which two or more adults defend a carrion breeding resource for their young by smearing the flesh with antibacterial anal exudates. Our experiments on widowed females reveal that a bacterial challenge to the breeding resource upregulates the antibacterial activity of a female’s exudates, and this subsequently reduces her lifetime reproductive success. We suggest that the costliness of social immunity is a source of evolutionary conflict between breeding adults on a carcass, and that the phoretic communities that the beetles transport between carrion may assist the beetle by offsetting these costs.
The regulatory logic of m‐xylene biodegradation by Pseudomonas putida mt‐2 exposed by dynamic modelling of the principal node Ps/Pr of the TOL plasmid
Authors: Koutinas Michalis , Lam Ming‐Chi , Kiparissides Alexandros , Silva‐Rocha Rafael , Godinho Miguel , Livingston Andrew G. , Pistikopoulos Efstratios N. , De Lorenzo Victor , Dos Santos Vitor A. P. Martins , Mantalaris Athanasios
Published: June 2010

The structure of the extant transcriptional control network of the TOL plasmid pWW0 born by Pseudomonas putida mt‐2 for biodegradation of m‐xylene is far more complex than one would consider necessary from a mere engineering point of view. In order to penetrate the underlying logic of such a network, which controls a major environmental cleanup bioprocess, we have developed a dynamic model of the key regulatory node formed by the Ps/Pr promoters of pWW0, where the clustering of control elements is maximal. The model layout was validated with batch cultures estimating parameter values and its predictive capability was confirmed with independent sets of experimental data. The model revealed how regulatory outputs originated in the divergent and overlapping Ps/Pr segment, which expresses the transcription factors XylS and XylR respectively, are computed into distinct instructions to the upper and lower catabolic xyl operons for either simultaneous or stepwise consumption of m‐xylene and/or succinate. In this respect, the model reveals that the architecture of the Ps/Pr is poised to discriminate the abundance of alternative and competing C sources, in particular m‐xylene versus succinate. The proposed framework provides a first systemic understanding of the causality and connectivity of the regulatory elements that shape this exemplary regulatory network, facilitating the use of model analysis towards genetic circuit optimization.
Thiazolidinediones induce osteocyte apoptosis and increase sclerostin expression
Authors: Mabilleau G. , Mieczkowska A. , Edmonds M. E.
Published: June 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 925–932 (2010)

Aims  Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are associated with a higher risk of bone fracture in women compared with men. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether TZDs could influence osteocyte behaviour and contribute to the skeletal phenotype observed in TZD‐treated patients.

Methods  The murine MLO‐Y4 cell line was used as a source of osteocytes. These cells were cultured for 24 h with 0, 10−8 m, 10−7 m, 10−6 m, 10−5 m or 10−4 m of pioglitazone, rosiglitazone or troglitazone in the presence or absence of 17β‐oestradiol. The extent of osteocyte apoptosis was assessed, as was the expression of the bone formation inhibitor sclerostin and receptor activator for nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) also.

Results  In the absence of 17β‐oestradiol, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone and troglitazone induced osteocyte apoptosis dose‐dependently even at the lowest concentration of 10−8 m. Furthermore, the expression of sclerostin but not RANKL was significantly increased in TZD‐treated cultures compared with untreated cultures. The presence of 17β‐oestradiol significantly reduced TZD‐induced osteocyte apoptosis and also sclerostin up‐regulation.

Conclusions  These findings therefore raise the potential concern of using TZDs in post‐menopausal women where the lack of oestrogen would not prevent osteocyte apoptosis and sclerostin up‐regulation and may aggravate the reduction in bone mass in these patients.
The impact of sickle cell trait on glycated haemoglobin in diabetes mellitus
Authors: Bleyer A. J. , Vidya S. , Sujata L. , Russell G. B. , Akinnifesi D. , Hire D. , Shihabi Z. , Knovich M. A. , Daeihagh P. , Calles J. , Freedman B. I.
Published: June 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1012–1016 (2010)

Aims  To determine the effect of sickle cell trait on measurement of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in African American patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods  This is a retrospective study including 885 outpatients who underwent HbA1c testing. Medical record review and sickle cell trait determinations based on the HbA1c assay were performed in African American participants. The relationship between HbA1c and serum glucose measurements was analysed.

Results  Data were obtained from 385 AA (109 with SCT, 22 with haemoglobin C trait and 254 without haemoglobinopathy) and 500 European American patients. In a model created through multivariate repeated‐effects regression, the relationship between HbA1c and simultaneous serum glucose did not differ between African American subjects with and without the sickle cell trait, but differed between African American subjects without the sickle cell trait and European Americans (P = 0.0002).

Conclusions  Sickle cell trait does not impact the relationship between HbA1c and serum glucose concentration. In addition, it does not appear to account for ethnic difference in this relationship between African Americans and whites.
The views of patients with diabetes about nurse prescribing
Authors: Courtenay M. , Stenner K. , Carey N.
Published: June 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1049–1054 (2010)

Aims  To explore the views of patients with diabetes about nurse prescribing and the perceived advantages and disadvantages.

Methods  Patients were recruited from the case‐loads of seven nurse prescribers in six National Health Service sites in England. Sites reflected the key settings in which nurses typically prescribe for patients with diabetes within primary care. Forty‐one interviews were undertaken by trained qualitative researchers. Interviews addressed opinions and experiences of nurse prescribing; audiotapes were transcribed, coded, and themes identified.

Results  Patients were confident in nurse prescribing. Distinctions were made between the role of the nurse and that of the doctor, and views varied with regard to the extent patients felt nurses should work autonomously. Confidence in nurse prescribing was inspired by nurses’ specialist knowledge and experience, a mutual trusting relationship, a thorough consultation, and experience of the benefits of nurse prescribing. Communication between nurses and doctors about patient care, awareness by nurses of their area of competence, training and experience, specialist diabetes knowledge and access to training updates were considered important for safe prescribing. Patterns of attendance had changed in some cases, with patients tending to see doctors less often. Access to medicines was improved for patients during non‐routine/emergency situations.

Conclusions  Nurse prescribing is acceptable to patients and can increase the efficiency of diabetes service in primary care. Workforce planners need to include the services of nurse prescribers alongside those of doctors.
Drowning Protection in the Multilateral Bath: WTO Judicialisation and European Agriculture in the Doha Round
Authors: Poletti Arlo
Published: June 2010

The existing literature on the EU's participation in the agricultural negotiations of the Doha Round assumes that EU policy-makers develop autonomous preferences in favour of liberalising agricultural trade, thus going against the preferences of the agricultural sector. This article challenges this view and argues that WTO judicialisation—the strengthened enforcement of rules introduced with the creation of the WTO—affects the domestic politics of trade in WTO members. My key contention is that WTO judicialisation confronts societal interests and public authorities with legal vulnerability, and that this elicits a willingness to co-operate with other WTO members and thus pre-empt foreign challenges to domestic policies. Empirically, the article shows that negotiations centred on offsetting the potentially disruptive effects of foreign legal challenges to EU farm policies.
THE DEEP CONDITIONS OF SECULARITY
Authors: De VRIES HENT
Published: June 2010

In modern societies and cultures today, religion is widely perceived as basically even if not merely trivially “optional.” This is a contention strongly advocated by Charles Taylor, most notably in his monumental A Secular Age. Throughout his career, Taylor has made the question of religion in modernity the core of his interests. In his most recent work, A Secular Age, Taylor addresses challenging issues of what he calls the “contemporary spiritual experience” and speaks to “the spiritual hungers and tensions of secular modernity.” I critically consider three aspects of this immensely suggestive if not uncontroversial work: (1) I examine whether there is in fact a possible reversibility or revisability to the so‐called ‘optional’ nature of belief that Taylor thinks is characteristic of the secular age; (2) I scrutinize Taylor's notion of “immediacy” of belief in the same milieu; (3) I interrogate his use of the term “fullness” in delineating the temper of the secular age.
WHAT IS THE SELF? IMITATION AND SUBJECTIVITY IN BLAISE PASCAL'S PENSÉES
Authors: WOOD WILLIAM
Published: June 2010

I aim to develop a fully theological, yet still Pascalian account of human subjectivity. Exegetically, I argue that the Pensées themselves present two such accounts. The first account is a portrait of fallen subjectivity, selfhood under the reign of sin. The second account is a portrait of authentic subjectivity. This latter account is explicitly Christological and even Trinitarian. Constructively, I argue that Pascal's two accounts show that our subjectivity is performative and imitative: whether under sin or under grace, to be a self is to imitate God.
RETHINKING THE CHRISTOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF REINHOLD NIEBUHR'S CHRISTIAN REALISM
Authors: KOLBET PAUL R.
Published: June 2010

While Reinhold Niebuhr's realist political philosophy continues to find advocates in many quarters on account of its explanatory power, his Christian ideals have had difficulty gaining purchase in the material world. The tension between particular political interests and universal moral ideals threatens not only to undermine Niebuhr's efforts to preserve the ethical quality of politics but also his grounds for hope. The source of this problem can be traced to a weakness in the Christological foundations of Niebuhr's Christian realism—specifically to his intentional severing of classical Christology from politics in his appropriation of Augustine's realism. After examining the reasons for this rejection of classical reflections about Jesus, this article explains how the Christology of Niebuhr's favorite early Christian realist, Augustine, makes possible a theological reasoning that expands the social imagination, and promotes a deeply principled and hopeful material transformation, while not forfeiting its critical and explanatory capacity.
Spasmodic dysphonia and botulinum toxin: experience from the largest treatment series
Authors: Blitzer A.
Published: June 2010

Spasmodic dysphonia is a focal laryngeal dystonia, with adductor, abductor, mixed, respiratory and singer's types. Our series over 24 years includes 1300 patients. 82% are of the adductor type; 63% were female; 12% had a positive family history and 82.4% had a focal distribution. All of the patients were managed with varying degrees of success with individualised dosing of botulinum neurotoxin A injected into the laryngeal musculature under EMG guidance.
The role of torsinA in dystonia
Authors: Granata A. , Warner T. T.
Published: June 2010

DYT1 dystonia is an autosomal‐dominant movement disorder, characterised by early onset of involuntary sustained muscle contractions. It is caused by a 3‐bp deletion in the DYT1 gene, which results in the deletion of a single glutamate residue in the C‐terminus of the protein torsinA. TorsinA is a member of the AAA‐ATPase family of` chaperones with multiple functions in the cell. There is no evidence of neurodegeneration in DYT1 dystonia, which suggests that mutant torsinA leads to functional neuronal abnormalities leading to dystonic movements. In the recent years, different functional roles have been attributed to torsinA, including being a component of the cytoskeleton and the nuclear envelope, and involvement in the secretory pathway and synaptic vesicle machinery. The aim of this review is to summarise these findings and the different models proposed, which have contributed to our current understanding of the function of torsinA.
How often is a low Apgar score the result of substandard care during labour?
Authors: Berglund S , Pettersson H , Cnattingius S , Grunewald C
Published: June 2010

Please cite this paper as: Berglund S, Pettersson H, Cnattingius S, Grunewald C. How often is a low Apgar score the result of substandard care during labour? BJOG 2010;117:968–978.

Objective  To increase our knowledge of the occurrence of substandard care during labour.

Design  A population‐based case–control study.

Setting  Stockholm County.

Population  Infants born in the period 2004–2006 in Stockholm County.

Methods  Cases and controls were identified from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, had a gestational age of ≥33 complete weeks, had planned for a vaginal delivery, and had a normal cardiotocographic (CTG) recording on admission. We compared 313 infants with an Apgar score of <7 at 5 minutes of age with 313 randomly selected controls with a full Apgar score, matched for year of birth.

Main outcome measure  Substandard care during labour.

Results  We found that 62% of cases and 36% of controls were subject to some form of substandard care during labour. In half of the cases and in 12% of the controls, CTG was abnormal for ≥45 minutes before birth. Fetal blood sampling was not performed in 79% of both cases and controls, when indicated. Oxytocin was provided without signs of uterine inertia in 20% of both cases and controls. Uterine contractions were hyperstimulated by oxytocin in 29% of cases and in 9% of controls, and the dose of oxytocin was increased despite abnormal CTG in 19% and 6% of cases and controls, respectively. Assuming that substandard care is a risk factor for low Apgar score, we estimate that up to 42% of the cases could be prevented by avoiding substandard care.

Conclusions  There was substandard care during labour of two‐thirds of infants with a low Apgar score. The main reasons for substandard care were related to misinterpretation of CTG, not acting on an abnormal CTG in a timely fashion and incautious use of oxytocin.
Uterine artery embolisation combined with local methotrexate for treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy
Authors: Yang X‐Y , Yu H , Li K‐M , Chu Y‐X , Zheng A
Published: June 2010

Please cite this paper as: Yang X‐Y, Yu H, Li K‐M, Chu Y‐X, Zheng A. Uterine artery embolisation combined with local methotrexate for treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy. BJOG 2010;117:990–996.

Objective  The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) combined with local methotrexate (MTX) for the treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy, compared with other traditional modalities, and to investigate the complications associated with this treatment.

Design  A retrospective cohort study.

Setting  A large obstetrics and gynaecology unit within a university hospital in China.

Sample  Women who were diagnosed with a caesarean scar pregnancy between January 2003 and December 2008, and who had informative case records, were included in the study.

Methods  We reviewed the results for all women who received one of three treatments: dilation and curettage (D&C) (11 patients; group A), systemic MTX (17 patients; group B), and UAE and local MTX (38 patients; group C).

Main outcome measures  The main outcome measures were success rate, blood loss, time for β human chorionic gonadotrophin (β‐hCG) to decline to normal values, and the duration of hospital stay. Success was defined as a complete recovery with no severe complications and with the preservation of fertility.

Results  A total of 66 women diagnosed with caesarean scar pregnancy between January 2003 and December 2008 were identified, and their data were analysed. The success rate in group C was significantly higher than that in groups A and B after adjusting for β‐hCG level (89.5 versus 27.3 and 58.8%, respectively; P < 0.001). The mean blood loss in group C was lower than in the other two groups (240.5 versus 855.5 and 639.4 ml, respectively; P = 0.008 and 0.009, respectively). The average time for β‐hCG to decline to normal values was significantly shorter in group C than in group B (28.1 versus 44.3 days; P = 0.021). A significantly shorter duration of hospital stay was observed in group C compared with group B (12.5 versus 22.0 days; P = 0.024).

Conclusions  UAE combined with local MTX is of benefit to women wishing to preserve fertility, and is suitable for use as the primary treatment for caesarean scar pregnancy.
Randomised trial of structured antenatal training sessions to improve the birth process
Authors: Maimburg RD , Væth M , Dürr J , Hvidman L , Olsen J
Published: June 2010

Please cite this paper as: Maimburg R, Væth M, Dürr J, Hvidman L, Olsen J. Randomised trial of structured antenatal training sessions to improve the birth process. BJOG 2010;117:921–928.

Objective  To compare the birth process in nulliparous women enrolled in a structured antenatal training programme, ‘The Ready for Child’ programme, with women allocated to routine care.

Design  A randomised controlled trial.

Setting  A Danish university hospital.

Participants  Thousand hundred and ninety‐three nulliparous women, recruited before week 22 + 0.

Methods  Compliance to the protocol was monitored by questionnaires sent to the women by email, and by data from the local birth cohort database. Data were analysed according to the ‘intention‐to‐treat’ principle.

Intervention  Women were randomised to receive 9 hours of antenatal training or no formalised training. Of the 1193 women, 603 were randomised to the intervention group and 590 were allocated to the reference group.

Main outcome measures  Cervix dilatation on arrival at the maternity ward, use of pain relief and medical interventions during the birth process, and the women’s birth experience.

Results  Women who attended the ‘Ready for Child’ programme arrived at the maternity ward in active labour more often than the reference group [relative risk (RR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.26–1.65, P < 0.01], and they used less epidural analgesia during labour (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73–0.97, P < 0.01) but not less pain relief overall (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94–1.04, P < 0.72). Medical interventions and the women’s self‐reported birth experiences were similar in the two groups. We found no adverse effects of the intervention.

Conclusion  Attending the ‘Ready for Child’ programme may help women to cope better with the birth process. Adverse effects are few, if any.
Activation of mGluR7s inhibits cocaine‐induced reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior by a nucleus accumbens glutamate‐mGluR2/3 mechanism in rats
Authors: Li Xia , Li Jie , Gardner Eliot L. , Xi Zheng‐Xiong
Published: June 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 1368–1380.

The metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) has been reported to be involved in cocaine and alcohol self‐administration. However, the role of mGluR7 in relapse to drug seeking is unknown. Using a rat relapse model, we found that systemic administration of AMN082, a selective mGluR7 allosteric agonist, dose‐dependently inhibits cocaine‐induced reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior. Intracranial microinjections of AMN082 into the nucleus accumbens (NAc) or ventral pallidum, but not the dorsal striatum, also inhibited cocaine‐primed reinstatement, an effect that was blocked by local co‐administration of MMPIP, a selective mGluR7 antagonist. In vivo microdialysis demonstrated that cocaine priming significantly increased extracellular dopamine in the NAc, ventral pallidum and dorsal striatum, while increasing extracellular glutamate in the NAc only. AMN082 alone failed to alter extracellular dopamine, but produced a slow‐onset long‐lasting increase in extracellular glutamate in the NAc only. Pre‐treatment with AMN082 dose‐dependently blocked both cocaine‐enhanced NAc glutamate and cocaine‐induced reinstatement, an effect that was blocked by MMPIP or LY341497 (a selective mGluR2/3 antagonist). These data suggest that mGluR7 activation inhibits cocaine‐induced reinstatement of drug‐seeking behavior by a glutamate‐mGluR2/3 mechanism in the NAc. The present findings support the potential use of mGluR7 agonists for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
High‐mobility group box 1 as a surrogate prognostic marker in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome
Authors: Yu Do‐Hyeon , Nho Dong‐Ho , Song Ru‐Hui , Kim Sue‐Hee , Lee Mi‐Jin , Nemzek Jean A. , Park Jinho
Published: June 2010

Objective
–
To evaluate various surrogate markers associated with the inflammatory and counter‐inflammatory responses with respect to mortality in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Design
–
Prospective observational study.

Setting
–
Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Animals
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Twenty‐eight dogs with naturally occurring diseases and SIRS from January 2007 to May 2009.

Interventions
–
Upon admission to the veterinary hospital, history and baseline data from the physical examination, including parameters previously defined for meeting SIRS criteria, were documented. Heparinized blood samples were collected and plasma cytokines interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐10, and high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were measured by sandwich ELISA.

Measurements and Main Results
–
In nonsurvivors, median plasma HMGB1 concentrations (0.718 μg/L, interquartile range [IQR]; 0.300–1.626 μg/L) and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 (2.236, IQR; 0.972–5.367) were significantly increased as compared with those found in survivors (0.300 μg/L, IQR; 0.300–0.312 μg/L for HMGB1; 1.017, IQR; 0.862–1.126 for the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10, P=0.007 and 0.024, respectively). Plasma IL‐6, IL‐10, and the ratio of IL‐6 to IL‐10 were not significantly different between groups. Among the parameters studied, HMGB1 and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 performed the best in discriminating outcome in dogs with SIRS according to receiver operator characteristic curve analysis.

Conclusions
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Increases in plasma HMGB1 concentration and the ratio of HMGB1 to IL‐10 may predict poorer outcomes in dogs with SIRS. The approach described may lead to reliable prognostic biomarkers and new therapeutic concepts in the study of SIRS in dogs.
Presumptive hepatotoxicity and rhabdomyolysis secondary to phenazopyridine toxicity in a dog
Authors: Holahan Melissa L. , Littman Meryl P. , Hayes Cristine L.
Published: June 2010

Objective –To describe a rare, but potential clinical manifestation of phenazopyridine (PAP) toxicity in a dog.

Case Summary –A 6‐year‐old spayed female Chihuahua was evaluated for ataxia and dysphagia after ingestion of 200 mg (66 mg/kg) of PAP hydrochloride. The dog was presented to the hospital with shifting leg lameness involving all 4 limbs, which progressed to reluctance to walk and severe diffuse muscle hyperesthesia. Clinical laboratory abnormalities included marked increases in serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, mild increases in alkaline phosphatase, and increased c‐Tnl‐troponin concentration. Treatment included administration of intravenous fluids, muscle relaxants, pain medications, and hepatoprotectants for 5 days in the hospital, and medical management at home for an additional 5 days. Follow‐up examinations performed 1 and 6 months after initial presentation revealed the dog to be clinically healthy with serum biochemical profiles within reference intervals.

New or Unique Information Provided –The purpose of this report is to describe an unusual manifestation of PAP toxicosis in a dog, which has not been previously reported in the literature. A review of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center database revealed 347 cases of PAP exposure in dogs during 2000–2009 underscoring the importance of being aware of this toxicity in the dog.
A technique for improving webcam precision in biological plant measurement
Authors: Chong Albert K. , Brownstein Gretchen
Published: June 2010

In an attempt to harness webcam technology for the biological monitoring of grassland plants, a Microsoft LifeCam‐based photogrammetric system was developed for the remote capture of 3D measurements of plants. Research was necessary to determine the metric quality of this webcam imagery for photogrammetric 3D measurement. This paper presents the details of a qualitative evaluation of a LifeCam VX‐3000 for indoor and outdoor photogrammetric measurement together with the results of a case study involving two common small grassland plants. In the evaluation, laboratory and in‐situ principal distance (PD) determination techniques were performed, thus evaluating the significance of the latter for improving measurement accuracy in an uncontrolled environment despite the ineffective focusing of this imaging sensor. The effect of outdoor ambient temperature on the PD was investigated. Results show that sharp focusing is a problem with this webcam, as shown by the disparity of the laboratory‐determined PD of various object distances. However, the determination of the PD using field images improves the measurement accuracy. Using this approach, 3D measurement accuracy of between 0·3 ± 0·2 and 1·7 ± 0·4 mm was achieved, depending on the type of grass observed and the digitising technique used.
Camera Calibration with Baseline Distance Constraints
Authors: Lerma José L. , Navarro Santiago , Cabrelles Miriam , Seguí Ana E.
Published: June 2010

This paper presents a distance‐constrained bundle adjustment approach which was used to calibrate a multi‐sensor system. The multi‐sensor system integrates three rigidly fixed cameras, two visible and one thermal infrared. The influence of the number of camera base constraints is empirically analysed through the process of self‐calibration bundle adjustment. The successful calibration of the multi‐sensor system requires the incorporation of a full set of baseline distance constraints into the adjustment to obtain satisfactory computations of the camera bases and relative rotations between cameras. The improvement in the precision of the calibration is outstanding; its maximum is achieved with the low‐resolution thermal camera. This constrained solution is recommended for multi‐sensor systems that integrate rigidly fixed cameras.
Friendship and Politics
Authors: Devere Heather , Smith Graham M.
Published: June 2010

Over the past two decades interest in ‘friendship’ shown by scholars of politics has been intensifying. This review highlights some of this literature and research. The first section sets the scene and discusses the foundations for the engagement with friendship, outlining the analytical, descriptive and normative dimensions of the concept. The second section examines both published work and conference papers on this topic. The flavour and scope of a representative sample of this body of work is arranged into three categories: (a) political ideas; (b) national and international politics; (c) feminism and gender. The concluding section offers a brief sketch of the contours of the research trajectory of this idea in politics, suggesting that the study of friendship will help to illuminate reciprocal horizontal relations that can transform our view of the political.
Formation of gold deposits: a metamorphic devolatilization model
Authors: PHILLIPS G. N. , POWELL R.
Published: June 2010

A metamorphic devolatilization model can explain the enrichment, segregation, timing, distribution and character of many goldfields such as those found in Archean greenstone belts, slate‐belts and other gold‐only provinces. In this genetic model, hydrated and carbonated greenschist facies rocks, particularly metabasic rocks, are devolatilized primarily across the greenschist–amphibolite facies boundary in an orogenic setting. Devolatilization operates on the scale of individual mineral grains, extracting not just H2O and CO2 but also S and, in turn, Au. Elevated gold in solution is achieved by complexing with reduced S, and by H2CO3 weak acid buffering near the optimal fluid pH for gold solubility (the buffering is more important than being at the point of maximum gold solubility). Low salinity ensures low base metal concentrations in the auriferous metamorphic fluid. Migration of this fluid upwards is via shear zones and/or into hydraulic fracture zones in rocks of low tensile strength. The geometry of the shear zones dictates the kilometre‐scale fluid migration paths and the degree of fluid focusing into small enough volumes to form economic accumulations of gold. Deposition of gold from solution necessitates breakdown of the gold–thiosulphide complex and is especially facilitated by fluid reduction in contact with reduced carbon‐bearing host rocks and/or by sulphidation of wallrocks to generate iron‐bearing sulphide and precipitated gold. As such, black slate, carbon seams, banded iron formation, tholeiitic basalt, magnetite‐bearing diorite and differentiated tholeiitic dolerite sills are some of the important hosts to major goldfields. Gold deposition is accompanied by carbonation, sulphidation and muscovite/biotite alteration where the host rock is of suitable bulk composition. The correlation of major gold deposits with rock type, even when the gold is primarily in veins, argues for rock‐dominated depositional systems, not fluid‐dominated ones. As a consequence, a general role in gold deposition for fluid mixing, temperature decrease and/or fluid pressure decrease and boiling is unlikely, although such effects may be involved locally. Several geological features that are recorded at gold‐only deposits today reflect subsequent modifications superimposed upon the products of this generic metamorphic devolatilization process. Overprinting by higher‐grade metamorphism and deformation, and/or (palaeo)‐weathering may provide many of the most‐obvious features of goldfields including their mineralogy, geochemistry, geometry, small‐scale timing features, geophysical response and even mesoscopic gold distribution.
Effect of Veneering Techniques on Color and Translucency of Y‐TZP
Authors: Luo Xiao Ping , Zhang Lei
Published: June 2010

Purpose: This study compared the color parameters and total luminous transmittance of disc specimens by different veneering techniques in order to examine the effect of veneering technique on esthetics of yttria‐stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y‐TZP) all‐ceramic restorations.

Materials and Methods: Thirty disc specimens (10‐mm diameter, 0.50 ± 0.01 mm thick) were fabricated of IPS e.max ZirCAD core material, and ZL1 IPS e.max ZirLiner (0.10‐mm thick) was layered. The specimens were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10/group). Group ZP (fully anatomical technique) was veneered 0.60 mm by heat‐pressing IPS e.max ZirPress fluorapatite glass‐ceramic ingots; Group ZC (traditional layering technique) was veneered 0.60 mm by condensing and sintering IPS e.max Ceram low‐fusing nano‐fluorapatite veneering porcelain; Group ZPC (cutback technique) was veneered by partially pressed ingots and subsequently layered 0.30 mm with veneering porcelain. Color parameters (L*, a*, b*) and total luminous transmittance (τ) of zirconia core discs and core and veneer specimens were measured with ShadeEye NCC dental colorimeter and spectrophotometer, respectively. Color saturation (C*ab) and color difference (ΔE) were calculated using color difference formula. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) combined with a Tukey multiple‐range test were used to analyze the data (α= 0.05).

Results: As to ZP, ZPC, and ZC groups, the value of a* increased (−1.35 ± 0.07, −0.64 ± 0.06, −0.36 ± 0.05, respectively) (p < 0.05); b* decreased (27.01 ± 0.07, 25.48 ± 0.11, 23.28 ± 0.25, respectively) (p < 0.05); and C*ab decreased (27.04 ± 0.08, 25.49 ± 0.11, 23.28 ± 0.25, respectively) (p < 0.05). L* value and total luminous transmittance were highest in ZP group (87.53 ± 0.48, 1.64 ± 0.03, respectively), and lowest in ZPC group (82.14 ± 0.18, 1.47 ± 0.01, respectively) (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Y‐TZP all‐ceramic restoration veneered by fully anatomical technique was the most transparent and lightest, while restorations veneered by cutback technique were the least translucent and the darkest.
Influence of Material of Overdenture‐Retaining Bar with Vertical Misfit on Three‐Dimensional Stress Distribution
Authors: Abreu Ricardo T. , Spazzin Aloísio O. , Noritomi Pedro Y. , Consani Rafael Leonardo X. , Mesquita Marcelo F.
Published: June 2010

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of different bar materials on stress distribution in an overdenture‐retaining bar system with a vertical misfit between implant and bar framework.

Materials and Methods: A three‐dimentional finite element model was created including two titanium implants and a bar framework placed in the anterior part of a severely reabsorbed jaw. The model set was exported to mechanical simulation software, where displacement was applied to simulate the screw torque limited by 100‐μm vertical misfit. Four bar materials (gold alloy, silver‐palladium alloy, commercially pure titanium, cobalt‐chromium alloy) were simulated in the analysis. Data were qualitatively evaluated using Von Mises stress given by the software.

Results: The models showed stress concentration in cortical bone corresponding to the cervical part of the implant, and in cancellous bone corresponding to the apical part of the implant; however, in these regions few changes were observed in the levels of stress on the different bar materials analyzed. In the bar framework, screw, and implant, considerable increase in stress was observed when the elastic modulus of the bar material was increased.

Conclusions: The different materials of the overdenture‐retaining bar did not present considerable influence on the stress levels in the periimplant bone tissue, while the mechanical components of the system were more sensitive to the material stiffness.
Direct Measurement of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Area Using Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography in Biplane Mode Improves Accuracy of Stroke Volume Assessment
Authors: Shahgaldi Kambiz , Manouras Aristomenis , Brodin Lars‐Åke , Winter Reidar
Published: June 2010

Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate whether left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV) assessment using direct measurement of left ventricular outflow tract area (LVOTA) is superior to conventional methods for SV calculation. Methods and results: Thirty patients were included in the study (39 ± 12 years). LVSV was assessed by multiplying LVOT velocity time integral (VTI) by LVOTA provided by direct planimetrical measurements from real time three‐dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in biplane mode (SV2). These measurements were compared to conventional methods using either the LVOT diameter for LVOTA multiplied with VTI (SV1) or biplane Simpson (SV3). Direct SV measurements by RT3DE were used as gold standard (SVref). There was an excellent correlation and agreement between SV determined by SV2 and 3DE (r = 0.98, mean difference 0.5 ± 3.3 mL). However, the concordance of the traditional methods (SV1 and SV3) with 3DE was weaker (r = 0.38, mean difference −2.0 ± 17.6 mL, r = 0.84, mean difference −7.6 ± 8.7 mL, respectively). Furthermore, cardiac output (CO) measurements performed by the different modalities were not concordant with wide limits of agreement, except by SV2 the mean difference of CO by SV1 was −0.12 ± 1.05 L/min, 0.03 ± 0.20 L/min by SV2, and −0.45 ± 0.52 L/min by SV3. Conclusions: SV and CO calculations using direct measurement of LVOT area is a feasible, accurate and reproducible method and correlates extremely well with 3DE volume measurements. SV and CO calculation by LVOTA is therefore an appealing method for LVSV assessment in clinical routine. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1078‐1085)
Dynamic Change of Mitral Annular Geometry and Motion in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Assessed by a Computerized 3D Echo Method
Authors: Daimon Masao , Saracino Giuseppe , Fukuda Shota , Koyama Yasushi , Kwan Jun , Song Jong‐Min , Agler Deborah A. , Gillinov A. Marc , Thomas James D. , Shiota Takahiro
Published: June 2010

Objective: In patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), we assessed dynamic changes in mitral annular geometry and motion during the cardiac cycle, and examined their association with the severity of IMR, using our computerized three‐dimensional (3D) echo method. Methods: Real‐time 3D echo was performed in 12 normal controls and 25 patients with IMR. The saddle‐shaped annulus was reconstructed in every 3D volume/frame during a cardiac cycle. For each 3D volume/frame, we assessed the mitral annular area (MAA) and the annular contraction that was expressed as the percentage of the largest MAA accounted for by the change in MAA from largest to smallest calculated value. Results: In IMR patients, the minimum MAA occurred in late‐systole, while it occurred in early‐systole in the controls. IMR patients had a larger minimum MAA (6.7 ± 1.3 vs. 3.6 ± 0.8 cm2, P < 0.001) and reduced annular contraction (23.0 ± 6.5 vs. 42.6 ± 7.0%, P < 0.001) when compared to controls. Both minimum MAA and annular contraction had significant correlations with IMR severity (r = 0.67 and r = 0.78, P < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: The contraction of the dilated mitral annulus occurred in late‐systole in patients with IMR. The alterations of annular geometry and motion may be associated with the development of IMR. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1069‐1077)
Temperature Dependence of Dielectric/Piezoelectric Properties of (1−x)Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–xPbTiO3Ceramics with an MPB Composition
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Li Zhenrong , Li Fei , Xu Zhuo , Yao Xi
Published: June 2010

(1−x)Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–xPbTiO3(BMT–PT) piezoelectric ceramics with a composition around the morphotropic phase boundary, exhibited a high Curie temperature (Tc) of 430°C and good piezoelectric properties,d33∼220 pC/N andkp∼40%. The detailed temperature‐dependent piezoelectric properties of BMT–PT ceramics, including piezoelectric coefficientsd33,d31, andd15, as well as electromechanical coupling factorsk33,k31,k15,kP, andkt, were investigated systematically by the resonance method. It was found that the piezoelectric properties of BMT–0.38PT ceramics were stable in the temperature range of 20°–330°C, which showed an improved temperature usage range compared with PZT5 ceramics. Good temperature stability, together with high piezoelectric properties and high Curie temperature make BMT–PT ceramics promising candidates for high‐temperature transducers.
Unusual Curie Point Independence of Thickness and Interfacial Properties for Perfectly (111)‐Oriented Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 Thin Films
Authors: Yang Lihui , Wang Genshui , Dong Xianlin , Rémiens Denis
Published: June 2010

This study investigated the variations in the permittivity with film thickness and measurement temperature of perfectly (111)‐oriented Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films with thicknesses ranging from 45 to 800 nm, which were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Pt/TiOx/SiO2/Si substrates. All the films showed elongations in the lattice parameter, suggesting the presence of residual strains but which were insensitive to the film thickness. The temperature‐dependent measurement of the permittivity revealed an unusual Curie point independent of thickness, about 305±5 K, where the phase transition appeared frustrated. The thickness‐dependent permittivity at a given temperature was explained by using the interfacial intrinsic low‐permittivity layer model reported previously.