bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intravitreal Cortisone Injection for Refractory Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Er Hamdi , Yilmaz Harun
Published: November 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection in patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema. We also compared the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone with macular grid laser photocoagulation in macular edema. Patients and Methods: Thirty patients with diabetic diffuse macular edema unresponsive to grid laser photocoagulation for at least 4 months received 0.1 ml (4 mg/ml) intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (Kenakort-A) injection as treatment. This study group was compared with a control group of 30 patients (30 eyes) who had undergone grid laser macular coagulation. Mean follow-up time was 17 months (range 14–24 months) in the study group and 19 months (range 16–24 months) in the control group. Results: In the study group, mean improvement in visual acuity measured 3.8, 3.4, 0.9 and 0.2 Snellen lines at the follow-up intervals of 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Improvement in visual acuity was statistically significant only at 1 month (p = 0.002) and 3 months (p = 0.003) after injection. Visual acuity was significantly (p < 0.05) better in the study group than the control group at 1 and 3 months. Overall, 6 of 30 eyes (20%) required a second injection and 3 eyes (10%) a third due to regression in visual acuity. Towards the end of the follow-up period, the visual acuity decreased to almost baseline levels. Elevation of intraocular pressure was found in 4 patients and controlled with topical antiglaucomatosis treatment. Sterile endophthalmitis was detected in only one eye. No eye exhibited cataract progression during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone may be beneficial for temporarily increasing visual acuity in patients with diabetic diffuse macular edema who are unresponsive even to grid laser photocoagulation. But the regression of visual acuity looks inevitable in the long term after injection. Therefore, repeated injections with/without increasing doses might be required for the stabilization of visual acuity.
A Case of Coats’ Disease in a Low-Birth-Weight Infant
Authors: Maruoka Keiko , Yamamoto Masahiro , Fujita Hikaru , Tahara Yoshihisa , Ishibashi Tatsuro
Published: November 2005

Purpose: To report a rare case of Coats’ disease in a 3-month-old male infant. Method: Interventional case report. We examined a male infant, born at 33 weeks of gestation, who did not receive ventilation with oxygen after birth. Result: In this patient, the left fundus showed telangiectasia and tortuosity at 3 months of age. His right eye showed no abnormality in the fundus. A month later, in addition to the presence of abnormal vessels, microaneurysms and exudation also appeared. The patient was diagnosed to have Coats’ disease and both the abnormal vessels and microaneurysms in the temporal fundus were treated by laser photocoagulation. Six months later, the left fundus showed a resolution of the abnormal vessels and exudation. Conclusion: Most instances of Coats’ disease occurring in an infant tend to already be severely advanced when diagnosed. Early and appropriate treatment of patients with Coats’ disease makes it possible to stabilize and thus improve the outcome.
Refractory Severe Ocular Hypertension after Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection
Authors: Yang Chang-Sue , Chen Mei-Ju , Chou Ching-Kuang , Hsu Wen-Ming
Published: November 2005

Purpose: To report a serious complication following intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. Methods: Observational case report. Results: In 2 patients, secondary intractable severe ocular hypertension occurred 2 months after a single 4-mg intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema. Both patients required trabeculectomy intervention to control intraocular pressure (IOP). Conclusion: We highlight the occurrence of intractable high IOP elevation as a serious complication 2 months after intravitreal triamcinolone ace- tonide. Cautious monitoring of IOP for several months after this therapy is recommended. The risks of this potentially devastating complication need to be weighed against the benefits of intravitreal triamcinolone in the individual patient.
Cetuximab-Induced Acne
Authors: Molinari Emmanuel , De Quatrebarbes Julie , André Thierry , Aractingi Sélim
Published: November 2005

Background: Cetuximab is a member of a new family of antineoplastic agents that inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). These molecules may induce acneiform eruptions. In this study, we aimed at evaluating (a) the characteristics of acne and (b) whether these acneiform eruptions could be improved by classical anti-acne treatments. Methods: All patients treated with cetuximab in a single institution from October 2003 to May 2004 were prospectively evaluated. The presence of acne, its severity, need for a treatment and response to this treatment were recorded. Results: 13 patients were included: 11 (85%) developed acneiform eruptions after a mean interval of 10 days. It was severe in 4/13 (31%). Comedones were never found and acne involved nonclassical sites in 3/11. Antibiotic treatment was given to 4 and local treatment to 2 patients: it was always efficient. Conclusion: Cetuximab-induced acne is frequent, differs from classical acne and may be treated effectively with classical modalities.
Low-Dose Triamcinolone Acetonide in the Phytocosmetic Lichtena® Reduces Inflammation in Mild to Moderate Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Pellanda Carolina , Weber Monika , Bircher Andreas , Surber Christian
Published: November 2005

Background: Previously, we reported the efficacy of Lichtena® – a phytocosmetic cream product – in atopic dermatitis (AD). Later, fraudulent triamcinolone acetonide (TACA) was detected at low doses (16–40 µg/g) in Lichtena. This suggested that TACA may be effective at much lower concentrations than used in commercial products (1,000 µg/g). Objectives: To investigate the efficacy in AD of low-dose TACA in Lichtena compared to plain Lichtena. Methods: Fourteen patients presenting symmetrical lesions of AD were treated for 1 month with Lichtena plus 25 µg/g TACA (= verum) and plain Lichtena (= placebo). The severity of the lesions was assessed by the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) on days 0 (= baseline), 7, 14 and 28. Results: Already after 1 week of treatment, significant SCORAD differences to baseline were observed comparing verum- and placebo-treated areas. No improvement was observed using plain Lichtena. Conclusions: TACA displayed a significant improvement of AD at doses up to 40 times lower than in commercial products.
Sirolimus-Induced Acneiform Eruption
Authors: Kunzle N. , Venetz J.-P. , Pascual M. , Panizzon R.G. , Laffitte E.
Published: November 2005

Sirolimus is a new immunosuppressive agent used to prevent rejection in renal allograft recipients in order to reduce the need of potentially nephrotoxic calcineurin inhibitors (cyclosporine, tacrolimus). The cutaneous side effects of sirolimus are not well known and they may have been underestimated. We report 2 cases of follicular acneiform eruptions induced by sirolimus in renal allograft recipients. This dermatologic complication was severe and difficult to treat, and resolved only after discontinuation of sirolimus.
Mycophenolate Mofetil in Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasm Antibodies-Associated Systemic Vasculitis
Authors: Koukoulaki Maria , Jayne David R.W.
Published: November 2005

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immune suppressive initially introduced for the prevention of solid organ allograft rejection that is increasingly used in autoimmune conditions, including vasculitis. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of MMF in 51 sequential patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies-associated systemic vasculitis (AASV) treated in a single centre between 2001 and 2004. Results: The mean age was 54 years and median disease duration was 36 months. A mean of 3.5 systems were involved and the previous median exposure to cyclophosphamide was 9 g. MMF was administered either as remission maintenance therapy (29/51, 56.9%) or as treatment for active disease (22/51, 43.1%). The mean duration of MMF therapy was 20 months and the mean MMF dose during the first year was 1.6 g/day. 14/29 (48.3%) of those receiving MMF for remission maintenance therapy eventually relapsed with a mean time to relapse of 14 months. Of those receiving MMF for relapsing disease, 3 failed to respond to therapy while the rest achieved remission by 3.9 months. However, 9 of these subsequently flared; mean time to disease flare was also 14 months. MMF was withdrawn in 28 patients (54.9%) because of treatment inefficacy in 21, severe adverse events in 5 and intolerance in 2. Of the 51 treated, 36 (70.6%) experienced at least 1 side effect, namely infections in 24, gastrointestinal side effects in 12 and psychological events in 6 patients. Conclusions: We have observed varying efficacy of MMF in AASV, with over 50% of patients with relapsing disease achieving remission and marked falls in concomitant steroid doses. However, longer follow-up indicates a subsequent relapse rate of over 50% that may be associated with low MMF dosing.
Serum Levels of 1–84 and 7–84 Parathyroid Hormone in Predialysis Patients with Chronic Renal Failure Measured by the Intact and Bio-PTH Assay
Authors: Tsuchida Takao , Ishimura Eiji , Hirowatari Kaname , Matsumoto Naoki , Imanishi Yasuo , Jono Shuichi , Miki Takami , Inaba Masaaki , Nishizawa Yoshiki
Published: November 2005

Background: The intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay detects both PTH(1–84) and the PTH(7–84)-like fragment, which is reported to be an antagonist of the biological action of PTH(1–84). It is debatable which of the two assays is clinically more useful, the intact or bio-PTH assay, the latter of which only detects PTH(1–84). It is also unknown whether serum levels of the PTH(7–84)-like fragment have clinical significance. Methods: Serum PTH concentrations in 104 predialysis patients with chronic renal failure (CRF; serum creatinine 3.53 ± 1.93; 62 males and 42 females; 61.0 ± 11.5 years old) were measured using both the intact and bio-PTH assays, and the concentration of the PTH(7–84)-like fragment was calculated by subtracting bio-PTH from intact PTH. Three bone formation and three bone resorption markers were measured simultaneously. Results: The PTH values measured using the two assays were strongly positively correlated (r = 0.959, p < 0.0001), and were also significantly positively correlated with the three bone formation and three bone resorption markers to a similar degree. The PTH(7–84)-like fragment was significantly positively correlated with both the intact and bio-PTH (r = 0.855, p < 0.0001 for intact PTH; r = 0.672, p < 0.0001 for bio-PTH), and was also significantly positively correlated with each of the six bone metabolism markers. There is no significant relationship between the bio-PTH/PTH(7–84)-like fragment ratio and clinical parameters including bone metabolic markers. Conclusion: From the strong relationship between the two assays, and the similar degree of the relationship between each PTH assay and each of the six bone metabolism markers, it is considered that the bio-PTH and intact PTH assays have similar clinical significance in predialysis CRF patients. Serum levels of the PTH(7–84)-like fragment seem to increase as serum PTH(1–84) increases. The results suggest that the serum PTH(7–84)-like fragment has little specific clinical effect on bone metabolism, even when assessed by the ratio of bio-PTH/PTH(7–84)-like fragment.
Antioxidant Potential of Thymol Determined by Chemiluminescence Inhibition in Human Neutrophils and Cell-Free Systems
Authors: Braga Pier Carlo , Dal Sasso Monica , Culici Maria , Galastri Laura , Marceca Maria Teresa , Guffanti Enrico Eugenio
Published: November 2005

Thyme essential oil and thymol have antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. Their antioxidant activity has been studied almost exclusively by means of chemical testing in order to be able to use it for food preservation purposes. The aim of this luminol amplified chemiluminescence (LACL) study was to investigate whether thymol can interfere with the production of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and the nitric oxide-derived peroxynitrite released by human neutrophils after activation by fMLP and PMA with and without the addition of the L-arginine (L-Arg) nitric oxide donor to the medium. The lowest thymol concentration that was still active in reducing LACL was 2.73 µg/ml, and there was a progressive linear inhibition of LACL from this concentration to 21.87 µg/ml, the highest thymol concentration investigated. This was also observed in the case of both fMLP and PMA stimulation with or without L-Arg. In cell-free systems using H2O2/HOCl– and SIN-1 as radical producers, a significant scavenging activity of thymol was present already at 0.08 and 0.68 µg/ml respectively, and these are very low concentrations. These findings can be related to the phenolic structure of thymol, because phenolic compounds have redox properties and play an important role in adsorbing and neutralizing free radicals and peroxynitrite, and in decomposing peroxides. Our findings in human neutrophils are pharmacologically relevant as they imply that thymol is a potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in human cells.
Epistasis, Not Numbers, Regulates Functions of Clustered Dahl Rat Quantitative Trait Loci Applicable to Human Hypertension
Authors: Charron Sophie , Duong Chenda , Ménard Annie , Roy Julie , Eliopoulos Vasiliki , Lambert Raphaëlle , Deng Alan Y.
Published: November 2005

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for blood pressure (BP) were found on chromosome 10 of Dahl salt-sensitive rats and are potentially important to human essential hypertension. But their identities and how they influence BP together were not known. Presently, we first fine mapped existing QTLs, C10QTL1, C10QTL2, and C10QTL3, by constructing congenic strains. In the process, a new QTL, C10QTL4, was identified. Because the intervals harboring C10QTL1 and C10QTL4 contain a maximum of 16 and 10 possible genes, respectively, a limited number of specific gene targets has been identified to be QTLs residing in human homologous regions on chromosome 17. Moreover, because none of these candidates encodes a gene known to influence BP, the 2 QTLs will represent novel genes for BP regulations. Second, we used congenic strains with QTL combinations to analyze the interactions between the QTLs. Consequently, a double combination of C10QTL4 and C10QTL1 possessed the same BP as each of the 2 QTLs alone. BP of a triple combination of C10QTL4, C10QTL1, and C10QTL3 was not different from BP of the C10QTL4 and C10QTL1 double combination. These results demonstrate that C10QTL4, C10QTL1, and C10QTL3 are epistatic to one another in their BP effects. In contrast, when adding C10QTL2 into the triple formation of the 3 QTLs above to create a quadruple QTL combination, BP increased proportionately, indicating that C10QTL2 acts independently of C10QTL4, C10QTL1, and C10QTL3. The epistatic and additive interactions uncovered in the animal model will help elucidate similar interactions playing a role in human essential hypertension.
Lack of Inducible NO Synthase Reduces Oxidative Stress and Enhances Cardiac Response to Isoproterenol in Mice With Deoxycorticosterone Acetate–Salt Hypertension
Authors: Sun Ying , Carretero Oscar A. , Xu Jiang , Rhaleb Nour-Eddine , Wang Fangfei , Lin Chunxia , Yang James J. , Pagano Patrick J. , Yang Xiao-Ping
Published: November 2005

Although NO derived from endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is thought to be cardioprotective, the role of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) remains controversial. Using mice lacking iNOS (iNOS−/−), we studied (1) whether development of hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and dysfunction after deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)–salt would be less severe compared with wild-type controls (WT; C57BL/6J), and (2) whether the cardioprotection attributable to lack of iNOS is mediated by reduced oxidative stress. Mice were uninephrectomized and received either DOCA-salt (30 mg/mouse SC and 1% NaCl+0.2% KCl in drinking water) or vehicle (tap water) for 12 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured weekly. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) by echocardiography and cardiac response to isoproterenol (50 ng/mouse IV) were studied at the end of the experiment. Expression of eNOS and iNOS as well as the oxidative stress markers 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE, a marker of lipid peroxidation) and nitrotyrosine (a marker for peroxynitrite) were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. DOCA-salt increased SBP and LV weight similarly in both strains and decreased EF in WT but not in iNOS−/−. Cardiac contractile and relaxation responses to isoproterenol were greater, 4-HNE and nitrotyrosine levels were lower, and eNOS expression tended to be higher in iNOS−/−. We conclude that lack of iNOS leads to better preservation of cardiac function, which may be mediated by reduced oxidative stress and increased eNOS; however, it does not seem to play a significant role in preventing DOCA-salt–induced hypertension and hypertrophy.
Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity During Wakefulness in Heart Failure Patients With and Without Sleep Apnea
Authors: Spaak Jonas , Egri Zoltan J. , Kubo Toshihiko , Yu Eric , Ando Shin-Ichi , Kaneko Yasuyuki , Usui Kengo , Bradley T. Douglas , Floras John S.
Published: November 2005

Sympathetic activation and sleep apnea are present in most patients with symptomatic systolic heart failure (HF). Acutely, obstructive and central apneas increase muscle sympathetic activity (MSNA) during sleep by eliciting recurrent hypoxia, hypercapnia, and arousal. In obstructive sleep apnea patients with normal systolic function, this increase persists after waking. Whether coexisting sleep apnea augments daytime MSNA in HF is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that its presence exerts additive effects on MSNA during wakefulness. Overnight sleep studies and morning MSNA recordings were performed on 60 subjects with ejection fraction <45%. Of these, 43 had an apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 per hour. Subjects with and subjects without sleep apnea were similar for age, ejection fraction, HF etiology, body mass index, blood pressure, and heart rate. Daytime MSNA was significantly higher in those with sleep apnea (76±2 versus 63±4 bursts per 100 heartbeats [mean±SEM],
P
=0.005; 58±2 versus 50±3 bursts/min,
P
=0.037), irrespective of its etiology (the mean difference for central sleep apnea was 17 bursts per 100 heartbeats; n=14;
P
=0.006; and for obstructive sleep apnea, 11 bursts per 100 heartbeats; n=29;
P
=0.032). In a subgroup (n=8), treatment of obstructive sleep apnea lowered MSNA by 12 bursts per 100 heartbeats (
P
=0.003). Convergence of independent excitatory influences of HF and sleep apnea on central sympathetic neurons results in higher MSNA during wakefulness in HF patients with coexisting sleep apnea. This additional stimulus to central sympathetic outflow may accelerate the progression of HF; its attenuation by treatment of sleep apnea represents a novel nonpharmacological opportunity.
Total Cavopulmonary Connection Flow With Functional Left Pulmonary Artery Stenosis
Authors: Pekkan Kerem , Kitajima Hiroumi D. , de Zelicourt Diane , Forbess Joseph M. , Parks W. James , Fogel Mark A. , Sharma Shiva , Kanter Kirk R. , Frakes David , Yoganathan Ajit P.
Published: November 2005

Background—

In our multicenter study of the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC), a cohort of patients with long-segment left pulmonary artery (LPA) stenosis was observed (35%). The clinically recognized detrimental effects of LPA stenosis motivated a computational fluid dynamic simulation study within 3-dimensional patient-specific and idealized TCPC pathways. The goal of this study was to quantify and evaluate the hemodynamic impact of LPA stenosis and to judge interventional strategies aimed at treating it.

Methods and Results—

Simulations were conducted at equal vascular lung resistance, modeling both discrete stenosis (DS) and diffuse long-segment hypoplasia with varying degrees of obstruction (0% to 80%). Models having fenestrations of 2 to 6 mm and atrium pressures of 4 to 14 mm Hg were explored. A patient-specific, extracardiac TCPC with 85% DS was studied in its original configuration and after virtual surgery that dilated the LPA to 0% stenosis in the computer medium. Performance indices improved exponentially (
R
2
>0.99) with decreasing obstruction. Diffuse long-segment hypoplasia was ≈50% more severe with regard to lung perfusion and cardiac energy loss than DS. Virtual angioplasty performed on the 3-dimensional Fontan anatomy exhibiting an 85% DS stenosis produced a 61% increase in left lung perfusion and a 50% decrease in cardiac energy dissipation. After 4-mm fenestration, TCPC baffle pressure dropped by ≈10% and left lung perfusion decreased by ≈8% compared with the 80% DS case.

Conclusions—

DS <60% and diffuse long-segment hypoplasia <40% could be considered tolerable because both resulted in only a 12% decrease in left lung perfusion. In contrast to angioplasty, a fenestration (right-to-left shunt) reduced TCPC pressure at the cost of decreased left and right lung perfusion. These results suggest that pre-Fontan computational fluid dynamic simulation may be valuable for determining both the hemodynamic significance of LPA stenosis and the potential benefits of intervention.
Female courtship calls of the litter frog (Rana curtipes) in the tropical forests of Western Ghats, South India
Authors: Krishna Savitha , Krishna Sharath
Published: November 2005

We noticed an uncommon phenomenon of female vocalization in the forest litter frog, Rana curtipes during the breeding season. We digitally recorded the male and female vocalization of the litter frogs in the tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats of South India and analyzed the call characteristics. The female call varied from the male call by being single note in composition. In contrast, the male calls were composed of seven to eight notes and longer in duration. We observed that gravid females, occupying the same location every day, emitted low volume calls when numerous males were found calling at that time. Some females arrived asynchronously and called even in the absence of males possibly to declare their receptive condition. Calling females responded agonistically to receptive conspecifics of the same sex. In addition to declaring receptivity, this calling behavior may be a response to adjacent competing females when the males are few.
A parthenogenetic Varanus
Authors: Lenk P. , Eidenmueller B. , Staudter H. , Wicker R. , Wink M.
Published: November 2005

We report on a case of parthenogenesis in the varanid lizard Varanus
panoptes. Parthenogenesis was observed in a female kept alone for three
years. A clutch was deposited from which a single egg could be secured and
incubated. Incubation was successful and a male specimen hatched. Obviously
the newborn was produced without contribution of a father. After the
unisexual reproduction, the mother was kept with males and bisexual
reproduction was observed, too. We performed DNA Fingerprinting and showed
that the parthenogen and its mother exhibit almost identical DNA patterns.
The bisexually produced offspring has only a subset of bands in common with
the mother and another subset in common with the father. Thus DNA
Fingerprinting is in accordance with our observations and confims
parthenogenesis.We compare our results with existing cytological models of
parthenogenesis and point out the following: 1. The mode of parthenogenesis
described here is facultative, as the mother was able to reproduce in the
bisexual mode as well. 2. The parthenogen is male and hence not a clone of
the mother. 3. Almost complete heredity of maternal Fingerprint markers. All
these points considered our case seem to fit to no known model of
parthenogenesis exactly. But an additional recombination could result
homogamety (would explain the sex of the parthenogen) while expressing
almost all maternal bands.
Measuring Older Adults’ Filial Responsibility Expectations: Exploring the Application of a Vignette Technique and an Item Scale
Authors: van der Pas Suzan , van Tilburg Theo , Knipscheer Kees C. P. M.
Published: November 2005

This study focused on two conceptually distinct measures of the filial responsibility expectations of older adults: a vignette technique and an attitude item scale. Data were based on 1,553 respondents aged 61 to 92 years who participated in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 1998to 1999.The results showed that the item scale had multiple dimensions of filial expectations. Older adults distinguished between emotional-, instrumental-, contact-, and information-oriented expectations. The vignette technique resulted in a unidimensional measurement of expectations. The intercorrelation between the scores of the item scale and vignette technique was modest, indicating a certain amount of overlap. Child characteristics incorporated into the vignettes added to the specificity of measurements of the filial expectations. The authors observed that older adults were more likely to have expectations for care from an adult child who is not employed and does not have children. Minor differences between sons and daughters were observed.
Hybridity as Subversion of Orthodoxy? Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity
Authors: Boyarin Daniel , Burrus Virginia
Published: November 2005

Hybridity inflects Jewish and Christian identity in precisely the places where ‘‘purity’’ is most forcefully inscribed. In the formative texts of both traditions, heresy is pushed ‘‘outside’’ via its syncretistic representation, even as the other religion is brought ‘‘inside’’ through its close identification with heresy. Athanasius of Alexandria’s 4th-century construction of doctrinal orthodoxy in opposition to the ‘‘Judaizing’’ heresy of Arius here serves as a case study of the imperializing hybrid identity inscribed by Christian heresiology. Talmudic tales of contested martyrdom in turn offer examples of the Jewish representation of heresy as a problem of ‘‘Christianizing’’ practice that produces the Rabbi as a resistant hybrid subject. Bringing the discursive analysis of ancient texts into dialogue with present contexts, the authors acknowledge both the promise of a ‘‘Third Space’’ of hybridity opening onto inter-religious negotiation and the menace potentially conveyed by such hyphenated identities as the ‘‘Judeo-Christian’’.
Post-Colonial Reformation? Hybridity in 16th-Century Christianity
Authors: Boettcher Susan R.
Published: November 2005

The author considers the utility of post-colonial theory, specifically Homi Bhabha’s notion of hybridity, for its conceptualization of religious diversity and transformation in the German Reformation. She argues that an explicit discourse on the respective ‘‘purity’’ of the confessions should be read in the context of cultural practices that draw not on signs of difference and purity but on cultural commonalities and thus constitute hybridities. This process can be seen in the commemoration of Luther’s death, which relies on traditional Catholic notions of the good Christian death to support its evangelical claims. Using ‘‘hybridity’’ may be a way to circumvent diffculties in the confessionalization paradigm.
Cosmological and Religious Fundamentals among Igbo Immigrants in Belgium: The Way Out of Segregation
Authors: Onah Sebastian Okechukwu , Leman Johan
Published: November 2005

In a society such as Belgium, most Igbo migrants of the 1990s soon became immigrants without papers. It was only after regularization campaigns (as in January 2000 in Belgium) that a significant number of them could be regularized to stay. This means that most of them had a very diffcult time in the first years of their stay in Europe. This can best be described as a situation of anonymous liminality. That is the moment when Christianity and their cosmology enter their life in Europe. These help them in their self-rediscovery and reappraisal, as well as in their social reconnection. Liminality, traditional Igbo cosmology, an ethnicity profoundly mitigated by Christianity, and transnationalism are the four basic ideas for an understanding of the life practices of Igbo migrants in a Western society since the 1990s.
Effect of a Triphasic Oral Contraceptive on Drug‐Metabolizing Enzyme Activity as Measured by the Validated Cooperstown 5+1 Cocktail
Authors: Shelepova Tatiana , Nafziger Anne N. , Victory Jennifer , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Rowland Elizabeth , Zhang Yanhua , Sellers Edward , Kearns Gregory , Leeder J. Steven , Gaedigk Andrea , Bertino Joseph S.
Published: November 2005

The effects of a common oral contraceptive preparation on the activity of 7 drug‐metabolizing enzymes were investigated using the validated Cooperstown 5+1 Cocktail. In a randomized crossover fashion, 10 premenopausal women received caffeine, dextromethorphan, omeprazole, intravenous midazolam, and warfarin + vitamin Kwith and without a triphasic oral contraceptive (ethinyl estradiol 35 μg) and varying doses of daily norgestimate (0.18, 0.215, and 0.25 mg). Bioequivalence testing showed nonequivalence in drug versus no‐drug treatment on the activity of drug‐metabolizing enzymes (as reflected by metabolite ratios following probe drug administration); the activity of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and NAT‐2 decreased following the oral contraceptive, whereas the activity of CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 increased. No effects on xanthine oxidase or hepatic CYP3A were seen. Application of a non‐parametric statistical testing approach revealed a significant difference only for CYP1A2 and CYP2C19. This triphasic oral contraceptive may have a clinically significant effect on the activity of some drug‐metabolizing enzymes.
The Pharmacokinetics of Escitalopram After Oral and Intravenous Administration of Single and Multiple Doses to Healthy Subjects
Authors: Søgaard B. , Mengel H. , Rao N. , Larsen F.
Published: November 2005

The pharmacokinetics of escitalopram (S‐citalopram) and its principal metabolite, S‐demethylcitalopram (S‐DCT), were investigated after intravenous and oral administration to healthy subjects. After intravenous infusion of escitalopram, the mean systemic clearance and volume of distribution were 31 L/h and 1100 L, respectively. After oral administration of single or multiple doses, the absorption was relatively fast, with the maximum observed plasma or serum concentration (Cmax) attained after 3 to 4 hours. The mean half‐lives were 27 and 33 hours, respectively; steady state was attained within 10 days. The area under the plasma or serum concentration‐time curve from time zero to 24 hours and Cmax was both linear and proportional to the dose. The apparent volume of distribution was around 20 L/kg. Comparison of the systemic and oral clearance implied a high absolute bioavailability. There was no evidence of interconversion from S‐citalopram to R‐citalopram either in plasma or in urine. Concurrent intake of food had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of escitalopram or its metabolite. All treatments were well tolerated.
Clinical Trials in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: The Tenuous Past and the Promising Future
Authors: Choudry Rabia B. , Cudkowicz Merit E.
Published: November 2005

The past decade of research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has contributed to a greater understanding of the disease process, the development of relevant animal models, and the identification of several therapeutic approaches that may delay disease progression. Completed and ongoing clinical trials and the process of selecting drugs for clinical trials are presented.
A Candid Conversation About Men, Sexual Health, and Diabetes
Authors: Jack Leonard
Published: November 2005

While the profound relationship between human sexuality and diabetes can affect quality of life for both men and women, male sexual health issues in the published literature have primarily focused on physical aspects of erectile dysfunction. The purpose of this article is to move this important discussion regarding aspects of human sexuality and diabetes further to consider the absence of and need for more male-focused research. Attention is given to define and discuss how male perceptions of control and masculinity shape male views on male sex roles. The author offers 4 published explanations to explain factors that influence whether men, regardless of age, nationality, or ethnic group, initiate help-seeking behaviors for sexual health concerns. These explanations can help health care professionals have candid, consistent, and nonjudgmental conversations with their patients and each other. This article concludes with strong recommendations that health care providers engage patients in timely conversations, jointly select and implement tailored treatment options, and, when necessary, link patients with social support systems to maximize improvements in both physical and psychological aspects of sexual health.
Diabetes Nurse Educators' Prioritized Elder Foot Care Behaviors
Authors: Martinez Nelda C. , Tripp-Reimer Toni
Published: November 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify diabetes nurse educators' perceptions of the most important foot care behaviors for elderly people to enact in daily care.

Methods

A structured, open-ended questionnaire was mailed to a regionally stratified random sample of 90 diabetes nurse educators. Subjects were asked to identify and rank order 8 foot care behaviors perceived important for elderly people with diabetes to enact daily. Data were transcribed and coded into categories and domains using descriptive content analysis.

Results

Forty-seven diabetes nurse educators responded with a total of 346 foot care behaviors perceived important for elders. Twenty-one major foot care behavior content categories were grouped into 4 domains of descending importance: foot/nail care, footwear/shoes, general health, and foot emergencies.

Conclusions

Diabetes nurse educators generated a range of baseline data for developing a reliable, valid, and patient foot care knowledge outcome measure to support national diabetes patient education and self-management program guidelines.
Use of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Pump in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Nielsen Susan , Kain Donna , Szudzik Elizabeth , Dhindsa Sandeep , Garg Rajesh , Dandona Paresh
Published: November 2005

Purpose

In patients with type 2 diabetes, the control of hyperglycemia is often difficult despite full doses of oral hypoglycemic agents and extremely large doses of insulin. These patients pose a major management problem. The authors therefore investigated whether insulin given as a subcutaneous continuous infusion of insulin (CSII) would result in an improvement in glucose homeostasis.

Methods

Four patients with badly controlled type 2 diabetes, on treatment with extremely high doses of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents, were started on CSII.

Results

All four patients had a marked improvement in plasma glucose concentrations with a corresponding fall in HbA1c levels. This improvement was associated with a marked fall in the insulin doses necessary to maintain adequate glucose homeostasis.

Conclusions

Since HbA1c levels fell from levels that would be associated with diabetic complications to those at which complications are markedly reduced, we recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on extremely high doses of insulin be given a trial of treatment with CSII.
Materializing the Societal Effect: Organizational Forms and Changing Patterns of Dominance in the Paper Industry
Authors: Lamberg Juha-Antti , Laurila Juha
Published: November 2005

This paper reports an empirical study on the co-evolution of competitive conditions dominating firms and organizational forms in the paper industry1. It has two main theoretical implications. First, with respect to research on national business systems and the societal effect, we suggest that the country of origin imprints firms especially by allowing them to develop distinctive organizational forms. Second, we show that the competitive conditions, dominant forms and dominant firms remain in constant flux even in mature industries. There is, therefore, a need for co-evolutionary research to continue to combine long-term perspectives and intensive research designs in the study of specific industries.
‘An Indissoluble Mutual Destiny’: The North Staffordshire Potteries and the Limits of Regional Trade Associationalism
Authors: Popp Andrew
Published: November 2005

Focusing on the North Staffordshire Potteries in the later 19th century, this paper explores the role of formal trade associations in the governance of industrial districts. Contrary to the ‘ideal-typical’ model of the industrial district, we find that associationalism is not always a formal expression of an informal spirit of cooperation. However, the case also suggests that associations can be difficult to establish in large, complex industrial districts. In particular, the failure of associationalism in the Potteries is traced to interlinked economic, industrial and social variables.
Information skills development at Dialog
Authors: Blankson-Hemans Liz
Published: November 2005

The Information Professional Development (IPD) programme at Dialog, the pioneer electronic information retrieval technology and a business of the Thomson Corporation, employs a four-part strategy to assist its customers by providing them with indispensable information, insight and solutions to help them make better decisions faster, to enhance that relationship as a long-term goal, and to promote Dialog’s position as a worldwide information provider. The strategy involves: the Graduate Education Programme, to provide information professionals with awareness of Dialog while they are studying for their professional degree; the Professional Association Relationship Management scheme, to build peer relationships with a wide range of special library and corporate information professionals through participation in professional organizations; the Quantum2 Leadership Development Programme, to help information professionals develop the leadership skills to empower them to develop innovative information services; and the Customer Advisory Board, to build relationships with top customers. The four elements of the IPD strategy are described in detail, with indications as to how they fit into the overall operation of Dialog. The articles concludes that the IPD programmes, together with other relationship-building efforts, have been successful in enabling the company to build lifelong relationships in the information professional community through a team of information professionals who have the central aim of helping information professionals to succeed in their organizations.
Know your customer
Authors: Doughty Caroline
Published: November 2005

The new money laundering regulations, which came into force in the UK on 1 March 2004, aim to combat not only money laundering but other financial and organized crime, such as drug dealing and terrorism. The regulations require all businesses handling large sums of money to report to the authorities any transactions they regard as suspicious. A central theme of the regulations is the need to carry out what are termed ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) checks on any new client or customer. Professionals must now carry out more checks than ever before on new customers, including both individuals and organizations, and the checks must be renewed on a regular basis. The checking process can be made more efficient and effective by automated information systems and databases, such as those developed by Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing (BvDEP), which can greatly reduce the time taken to investigate company ownership structures and obscure shareholding patterns. The processes involved in such KYC checking are described and attention is drawn to such issues as: company complications, where BvDEP’s AMADEUS system is ideal for banks or companies looking to strengthen and streamline its KYC procedures; company ownership, where BvDEP’s ownership data, accessible via its INVIEW, NOMINUS, ORBIS and Independence Indicator databases, can be valuable; and mergers/acquisitions data, where information can be provided by ZEPHYR, BvDEP’s global deals database. The author concludes that adequate KYC information, combined with monitoring, allows professionals to make judgments about whether an activity or transaction is suspicious and helps them to comply with reporting obligations.
Customer relationship management technology
Authors: Messner Wolfgang
Published: November 2005

CRM has changed the way companies handle customer enquiries, advertise and sell their products or manage the entire relationship with their customers. As the power of CRM technology has expanded, companies have come to view it as a resource ever more critical to their success in customer management. CRM technology has delivered great benefits to some firms, even propelling a few into positions of industry leadership, but for most businesses it is a continuous source of frustration, disappointment and costs. It has led managers to plough cash into misguided CRM initiatives, sometimes with catastrophic ROI figures. In addition to playing a direct role in cost, CRM technology often alters the cost drivers of activities in ways that can improve a company’s value proposition. This paper looks at the evolution of CRM and CRM technology, analyses its current status and provides recommendations on how and when to best utilize CRM technology.
Staging insults and mobilizing categorizations in a multiethnic peer group
Authors: Evaldsson Ann-Carita
Published: November 2005

This study explores how pre-adolescent boys of immigrant and working-class backgrounds stage insults and, as part of this process, mobilize categorizations. Data are drawn from ethnographic research combined with detailed analysis (conversation analysis and membership categorization analysis) of video records from peer interactions in an elementary school in Sweden. It was found that the boys deploy multiple resources (of syntactic and phonetic shapes) provided by the talk of the prior speaker and the turn structure of different activities (i.e. games, ridiculing, gossiping) and transform this talk (shifting emphasis, substituting insult terms and pronouns, recycling arguments, repeating striking parts, code-crossing) to collaboratively stage a counter to insults. A variety of negative characteristics (concerning linguistic, social and economic standards) are invoked and negotiated in the boys’ insult talk, which both colludes with and transgresses local norms of conduct and institutional discourses. Overall, this study demonstrates the political character of pre-adolescent children's everyday talk in terms of its orientation towards dominant language ideologies and the place that gender, ethnicity and social class occupy within it.
‘Blacks and bubbas’: Stereotypes, ideology, and categorization processes in restaurant servers' discourse
Authors: Mallinson Christine , Brewster Zachary W.
Published: November 2005

Individuals employ general, cognitively grounded categorization processes to form expectations for interactions with members of other social groups. Such categorizations sometimes surface in the form of racial, ethnic, or other stereotypes. But although much literature describes and/or tests the cognitive nature of stereotyping and categorization, less investigates how stereotypes and categories are formed in casual interaction, through casual discourse. This article analyzes data from 15 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with restaurant servers to investigate how they categorize customers by drawing on racial stereotypes and stereotypes related to class and/or cultural capital to produce two types of discriminatory discourse: ‘racetalk’ and what we term ‘regiontalk’. Our analyses suggest potential differences in the servers’ processes of categorization according to patron type, which we interpret with regard to the larger context of racism and classism in contemporary U.S. society.
The Myth of Universal Patriarchy: A Critical Response to Cynthia Eller’s Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory
Authors: Marler Joan
Published: November 2005

In The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory, Cynthia Eller describes a dangerous, ‘ennobling lie’ that must be overturned in order for women to have a viable future. The so-called matriarchal myth which she attempts to debunk is the idea that human societies have not always supported male domination in social structure and religious practice and that societies have existed in which women and the entire natural world were honored. This article examines Eller’s stated assumption that such ideas are utopian inventions and that male dominance is the most reasonable, scientifically sound approach to an interpretation of prehistory.
An Analysis of Power in the Writing of Mechtild of Magdeburg
Authors: English Leona M.
Published: November 2005

This essay provides an analysis of the theme of power in the text of the mystic Mechtild of Magdeburg (1207?-1282), The Flowing Light of the Godhead (FLD). The author examines how this mediaeval woman learned to be an adroit shaper of power in her own life; how she understood the effects of corrupt clergy who persecuted her; how she directly faced corrupt power figures; how she used the rhetoric of femininity to subvert the more obvious power structures; how she gathered male friends and clerics around her to legitimate her work; and how she skilfully negotiated the complex religious labyrinth of orthodoxy in her day. This essay provides an analysis of her engagement and (dis)entanglement of power relations, whether through her actions, her mystical work, or her direct discourse on the topic in Book VI of her text.
An American ‘Escaped Nun’ on Tour in England: Edith O’Gorman’s Critique of Convent Life
Authors: Kollar Rene
Published: November 2005

Born in Ireland in 1842, Edith O’Gorman immigrated to America where she joined the Sisters of Charity in 1862. In January 1868, O’Gorman left or ‘escaped’ from this convent, and in 1871 she wrote Trials and Persecu tions of Miss Edith O’Gorman which described the cruelty she endured. O’Gorman began to speak against the alleged horrors of convent life, and eventually travelled to England in 1881. This article deals with O’Gorman’s lectures throughout England which attacked sisterhoods. Some individuals, fearing that convents would harm the Protestant character of the Anglican Church, applauded her condemnation of con vents, while others protested and threatened her with violence.
Mothers, Mothering and Christianity: Exploring the Connections between the Virgin Mary, Myra Hindley and Rosemary West
Authors: Storrs Elisabeth
Published: November 2005

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible connections between the Virgin Mary, Myra Hindley and Rosemary West. The paper is divided into five sections. In the first, I explore the role of Mary in Christian theology and provide a Christian feminist response to this. In the second, I address some of the theoretical issues involved in studying female serial killers; this includes outlining the role of the media in responding to news stories involving female killers. In the third, I separately address media responses to Myra Hindley and Rosemary West. In the fourth, I explore psychoanalytic perspectives on mothers and mothering. In the conclusion I attempt to bring together and synthesize the significant threads of the paper.